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The Signs of Summer First Sunday of Advent from the book Reading The Signs SERMONS FOR ADVENT, CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY (SUNDAYS IN ORDINARY TIME) J. ELLSWORTH KALAS Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 |
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The season of Advent is upon us, and with it a spirit of heaviness. It is not the heaviness of Lent, when we are called to sacrifice and repentance, but there is a quality of darkness, nevertheless.
The music of the season shows it; much of it is cast in a minor key. It is the music of longing, hoping, and waiting: "Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here." The music and the mood are of an exile, far from a home never really known, but long and instinctively anticipated.
You and I may have some trouble with this mood - we already know the end of the story. We know that the "long-expected Jesus" has, indeed, come; and that we will soon be singing "Joy to the World!" Furthermore, we live in a culture where celebration is the mood of the season and everyone seems to be occupied with shopping and party-going. It's ...
This First Sunday of Advent sermon, The Signs of Summer, is based on Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 and relates to First Sunday of Advent of Cycle C of the lectionary. This sermon is excerpted from the book Reading The Signs. SermonSuite offers online sermons and professionally published sermons, lectionary sermons, non-lectionary sermons, children's sermons, sermon illustrations, worship resources, preaching resources, sermons on prayer, prayers, Christian drama, lectionary worship, lectionary workbooks and homilies. ...