Lectionary: Advent 1(B)
Texts
Introduction
Back in
October and November, my social media feeds were inundated with advertising for
all sorts of Advent calendars, for kids to adults, for humans and pets. Traditional
chocolate ones, cookies, tea, coffee, wine, beer, liquor, cosmetics, socks, candles,
dog treats, cat treats, and probably dozens and hundreds more that I haven’t seen.
Now that we are in December, all those ads have stopped. Because clearly, if
you haven’t gotten your Advent calendar already, it’s too late.
The Advent
season is a time for waiting and preparing? But for what, or whom, really? The popular
mind and the Advent calendar market at least gets the waiting and counting down
part of Advent.
In the
broader world, the timeframe occupied by Advent is a time of preparing for
Christmas. And we do that through decorating, cleaning, shopping, cooking,
baking, traveling, and so on to create a memorable and meaningful Christmas
celebration. Is that the purpose of Advent – to prepare for the best
celebratory event we can manage?
Perhaps
Advent is a time to prepare and wait for Christ? But what exactly does that
mean? Are we again preparing to celebrate the remembrance of the arrival of baby
Jesus? The activities of Advent lead toward the remembrance and celebration of
Christmas, so its primary focus might appear to be that.
The theme
for today, the first Sunday of Advent, is hope. What are we hoping for? What
fulfillment of hope are we waiting for?
And finally,
there is the admonition to “keep awake” in our gospel reading. In what way do waiting
and keeping awake help explain Advent and hope?
Prayers of Lament and Deliverance
In light of destruction
and devastation suffered by a community, these laments raise up cries for God
to act like he did in their long-ago historical memories. Both question where
God is and why he has allowed this destruction and suffering to come to his
people. Although the Isaiah lament contains a brief mention of the people’s sin,
both laments place most or all of the responsibility on God. Both end with call
to God for him to act and restore and save his people. Although not
explicitly stated in the texts, both laments end with an implied confidence and
hope that God will act.
The gospel
text in Mark was also formed and read within a community that was probably
experiencing some degree of intermittent persecution and suffering from within
their own Jewish community and outside from the Roman empire. They too, are
longing for deliverance and salvation.
Our Context is Different
That is what
makes this set of Advent readings difficult for us to understand. Even though we
likely have difficulties and challenges, none of us are likely facing truly
existential challenges. We have a life that is mostly comfortable, and
challenges we face, we generally don’t have too much trouble handling.
I think that
if we are truly honest, many of us really don’t need God’s intervention. We are
content with how things are, and we don’t really need or want God to intervene
and shake things up.
Yet in
places around the world, people and communities are facing dire challenges to
their very existence. Some are more well known and publicized than others.
Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine are among a few that immediately come to mind. Much
closer to home, we remember the very recent landslide and loss of life and
property in Wrangell. Right here at home, even next door to where we are
meeting today, Humanity in Progress exists only because there are those within
our very community who find meeting their basic needs a challenge.
Deep within
us, even though our immediate circumstances may be quite comfortable, we know
that there is something wrong with this world. Even though there are enough resources
to take care of everyone, the dominant powers are unable and unwilling to do
what it takes to care for all. Many of us have bought into the philosophies and
priorities of the dominant powers and, even if we don’t overtly recognize it, we
subconsciously divide people into who we think are “more-deserving” and “less-deserving”.
Keeping Awake
Another element
of “keeping awake” may be to reawaken us to the reality that disasters and
suffering can easily befall any of us. What is our response when something
terrible upends our lives? One line of thought, common in some circles, is to
accept whatever happens stoically and even be thankful[2]
because “all things work together for good for those who love God”.[3]
If you want
to do that, great. That is your choice. But don’t if it is only because you
were taught that is the “proper Christian response” to tragedy and suffering.
There are
other responses that are acceptable and exemplified in scripture. Psalm 80,
which we read, contains one such example.
Even though
the Isaiah, Psalm, and Mark texts are in the context of community and
existential challenges, our individual tragedies and misfortunes can feel
existential. Just because the texts are communal doesn’t mean they cannot be
read as expressing individual lament.
Praying a Lament
How might we
pray a lament? Let’s read through Psalm 80 once again.
1
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!
3 Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
The prayer begins
by reminding God of who God is, what God has promised, and demands that God act
according to God’s character.
4
O LORD God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 You make us the scorn of our neighbors;
our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
The prayer
moves to a complaint. The complaint is that God’s inaction is the cause of God’s
people’s suffering and God’s reputation to be sullied in the eyes of others.
This next
section includes a large portion that was skipped by the lectionary editors,
but it adds important context to the psalm.
8
You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches;
11 it sent out its branches to the sea
and its shoots to the River.
12 Why then have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13 The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.
14 Turn again, O God of hosts;
look down from heaven and see;
have regard for this vine,
15 the stock that your right hand planted.
16 It has been burned with fire; it has been cut down;
may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
the one whom you made strong for yourself.
18 Then we will never turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.[4]
Once again,
the prayer reminds God of God’s early actions in caring for God’s people. And
then it again accuses God of allowing destruction to come. It ends with a
demand for God to act to restore and save.
The three
parts of this lament each end with three refrains. They are similar but with small
differences.
The first
refrain is “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.”
The second refrain is similar, but changes the first line to “Restore us,
O God of hosts.” The third refrain changes to “Restore us, O LORD God
of hosts.” The development is from a generic “God” to “God of hosts” to the
most personal “LORD God of hosts.” One might imagine the one praying moving
from a lament that is within the boundaries of “proper theology”, to a
developing anger that causes the prayer to start to break out from “theological
boundaries”, to anguish and anger at seeming betrayal in which one’s personal
and close friend has failed to act.
What this says
to me is that when we are disappointed with God, it is acceptable to express
our anger, rage, and disappointment. If as a community, there is something where
we think God has failed to act appropriately, it is okay to step out of “proper
theology” and express our feelings as a community toward God. God is not
threatened by our feelings. If we sincerely believe God is as personal as our theology
claims, if we sincerely believe God is as loving and caring as our theology
claims, then we ought to be able to express our complaints and disappointments
about God without fearing that somehow, we are violating proper boundaries.
Conclusion
If this
season of Advent and reminders about waiting for God bring up memories and
feelings of disappointment with God, this might be the time to allow them to be
expressed. If you are facing challenges this Advent – it might be financial, it
might be your health, it might be something family members are facing – it is
okay to express your frustrations and anger, and demand that God act.
We are the embodiment
of Christ in the world. As long as we are engaged both with the world and with
God, we remain beacons of hope in the world. We keep hope awake that justice
and righteousness will be restored.
[1]
Among the texts: Deuteronomy 16:19, 2 Chronicles 19:7, Job 32:21, Matthew
22:16, Acts 10:35, Romans 2:11, James 2:1, 9 and 3:17.
[2]
Ephesians 5:19-20.
[3]
Romans 8:28.
[4]
Psalm 80 (NRSVue).
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