The First Sunday of Advent

"I Say To All: Watch"

The Rev. Stephen Elkins-Williams

Watch therefore … lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Watch.

Advent, the beginning of the liturgical year, has a distinctive feel to it. The purple vestments, the lighting of the wreath, the plaintive music, all immerse us in a new beginning, a longing, a waiting for the coming of Jesus. We all know that Advent precedes Christmas and that it prepares us for the celebration of Jesus’ coming to us as the human Messiah. But if we notice that today’s scripture readings closely resemble those of the last few weeks (which ended the liturgical year), we will realize that Advent also looks forward to the coming of Jesus at the end of time. That is why we do not begin to hear of John the Baptist, the figure most associated with Advent, until next Sunday.

Today’s readings alert us, not to Jesus’ humble first coming, but to his second triumphal coming (in the words of today’s Gospel) “with great power and glory.” Although we do not know when that time will come, we are to be alert, to be prepared, to watch. Martin Luther, wisely realizing that this parousia may seem, and in fact be, thousands of years in the future, encouraged each of us believers to focus on our own individual end time, an event whose precise hour is also uncertain, but which will with certainty happen in the (relatively) not too distant future. “When it tell us to watch for the last day,” Luther wrote, “every one should think of as concerning his own last day.” In Advent, therefore, it is important that we shake up our normal human lethargy and willful blindness and step back and reflect on our relatively short opportunity on this earth and on God’s unseen but powerful coming and dwelling with us in our midst. “What I say to you I say to all: Watch.”

To understand what it means to watch, consider that there are at least two ways not to watch, to avoid what Jesus asks of us. The first, of course, like a bad sentry, is to fall asleep. If we sink into a comfortable lethargy, we cannot pay attention. We will not be alert to the mystery of life as it unfolds around us. We will miss, not only God’s coming to us, but also any threats to us or to others around us.

We do not have to be literally asleep, of course, to let real life pass us by. We can narcotize ourselves in many different ways: literally with various drugs including alcohol; filling every silent or lonely moment with noise, whether from TV, computer, radio, i-pod, or other diversions; overdosing on sports or politics or shopping or the stock market; neglecting our prayer life; never having time for deeper conversations with our friends. Such sleepwalking is the antithesis of the admonition to watch.

But we can also resist Jesus’ urging to watch by deserting our post, if you will, by stepping down and trying to take too much on our own shoulders, by not accepting our limited role and letting God and others fulfill theirs. Instead of keeping some perspective and discerning where and how God is leading us, we wade into every problem we come across and try to solve it. Rather than look for a messiah, we try to become one and compulsively get drawn into too many directions. That too is to miss the spirit of Advent and to avoid the intentional and humble attentiveness to which Jesus invites us. “What I say to you I say to all: Watch.”

If we are to avoid the twin temptations of withdrawing into a sleeplike trance or losing ourselves in self-saving busyness, especially in this demanding season, how can we take positive steps to follow Jesus’ invitation to watch? What Advent disciplines can help us?

In Lent we have the traditional tri-fold practice of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting to observe. These disciplines help us immerse ourselves in that penitential season. While Advent does not provide such a handy trio and while Advent is significantly different than Lent, I want to suggest that a modification of that threesome can help us watch and be alert. The Advent adaptation of Lenten prayer, almsgiving, and fasting would be prayer, almsgiving, and silence.

Prayer is good in any season! Making sure we come to church each week to engage in communal worship as well as taking time for prayer at home is a fundamental way to watch. Our advent wreaths and use of a devotional are simple ways to accomplish the latter.

Almsgiving, while in some sense more of a Lenten discipline, naturally fits into a month when we are already focused on giving. Especially in difficult economic times, which always have the greatest impact on the poor, to temper our lavish generosity to those closest to us with conscientious and generous giving to those in need, is a healthy spiritual practice. We do not have to look far for these critically important opportunities to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and provide presents to children and others in various kinds of prisons.

Silence may be the hardest of these three to practice. With so much to do and with so much loneliness to face if we allow ourselves silence, we are not inclined to take time for that today. Maybe tomorrow, we think, kidding ourselves. Watchful silence does not have to be long. Don’t turn on the radio the second you start the car. Don’t turn on the television or the computer the minute you get home. Be silent for even five minutes. Become aware of God’s presence and desire to be with you. Listen for whatever peacefully comes to you. Do not be eager to fill the time with extraneous noise. Realize your mortality. Be grateful for the gift of your life, for your daily blessings. Let God fill whatever emptiness and loneliness you feel. Taking time for silence will not always be easy, but over time it will always be fruitful.

“Watch therefore … lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Watch.”

Mark 13:24-37