Sunday Worship, Advent II, December 5
Watch the service on-demand! The Rev. Dr. Arthur L. Cribbs, Jr., preached on Malachi 3:1–4 and Luke 3:1–6 in a sermon entitled “Make Ready.” (read more below).
Sermon: “Make Ready”
The splendor of the Holy Days is spread across the land and around the world. The various traditions are blooming with an array of lights, fragrances, and wonderful displays of natural and human artistry. There is an air of kindness and an abundance of pleasant encounters with moments of surprising joy. This is the season to be merry and greet family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and strangers with words of anticipation and excitement. For many this is the merriest time of the year. Unfortunately, for too many others it is a time of loneliness, regrettable burdens, and memories of former times when family and friends once gathered but no more.
Imagine an ancient time when people living in despair awaited signs of hope and anticipated the arrival of their Savior. Think deeply about the majestic array of stars scattered across a midnight sky and the beam of a single bright light above them. Allow yourself to venture into a realm of incredible events so distinctive they inspire desperate sojourners to explore new possibilities beyond anything you have ever known. Such a vision need not be locked in the distant past or confined to an illusion. Instead, an act of faith can pierce the shields erected to prevent penetration of previously unknown powers to provoke the awareness of the divine desire of compassion and universal tranquility. Imagine!
This is the season to embrace what is not known or clearly defined. This is a time when we allow faith to guide us without reservation or timidity. We dare to believe in the hope, peace, love, and joy that accompany these weeks of anticipation and the arrival of a child promised to an unlikely couple. This is Advent when we await with great anticipation the emphatic presence of God with us.