Absence in the Waiting
Elaine Poproski Download: Audio
Sermon Notes:
At the beginning of the sermon refers to the John Mayer song, Waiting on the World to Change, which had just been played.
Scripture:
Isaiah 64:1 – 9
O that You would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at Your presence… Read more…
Mark 13:24 – 37
But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Read more…
Looking to Sunday
by Elaine Poproski
The days grow short. Daylight is a fleeting thing masked by grey, cloudy skies. The air is cool and crisp. Snow stubbornly clings to curbs and puddles hold a thin skin of ice. Winter hovers around the corner. We rest on the edge of the season of darkness. And yet, we know the darkness will not last.
Our lives have become small again, at least in terms of activity and engagement with the city outside our doors. We have once again entered lockdown – though some of us never left it. COVID hangs like a grey, shapeless pall, muting dreams and blanketing our homes in fear/anger/sadness/loneliness/exhaustion. And yet, we know this too will not last.
In the opening verses of John’s gospel, we read the author’s acknowledgment of darkness in the world and yet, he proclaims, “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not put it out.” This is our hope. This is the truth we cling to in dark days and long nights. Jesus is the light of the world who came and is coming again.
Sunday marks the beginning of Advent – a time of waiting for Jesus to come. We look ahead to Christmas – the story of Jesus’ first coming – as a kind of foreshadowing of His return. We call out to God with the prophet Isaiah, “O that You would tear open the heavens and come down!” (64:1). We long for Mark’s promise of “’the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory” (13:26).
If we were meeting in the same building together, we would mark this waiting with candles. Each Sunday we’d add a new candle, slowly growing the strength and reach of the flames as Christmas draws closer, reminding us of the birth of the light of the world.
As you prepare for Sunday, perhaps consider if there’s a way to mark this season of Advent in your own space. Maybe light a candle, adding a new one each week, while we gather over Zoom. Maybe pop open the doors of an Advent calendar, not just for the chocolate, but as a devotional exercise that reminds you to make room for Jesus’ return. As you prepare for Sunday, perhaps consider not just how you will prepare for Advent, but also how you prepare for Jesus.