What follows is a repeat of last week’s message, which mysteriously got lost in the ether and did not get to most of you. But, before that, let’s celebrate the fact that this Advent has brought us special blessings and new hope for the future.
Some signs and symptoms of Advent…
Each of us has fingerprints that differ from all the other billions on the earth. Our talents are unique in such a way that if we could measure and code them, we would find them as different as our fingerprints.
Several years ago, a Twilight Zone episode portrayed a man who led a shallow, careless life. He managed to live it up all the time. He took advantage of others, engaged in all kinds of wickedness, and only cared about riches and satisfaction for himself. He knew he was lost and had accepted that when he died, he would end up in a less than acceptable place.
The year 1991 was a very good year for former President George Bush. He faced a very difficult situation when Iraq invaded Kuwait. He promised to free Kuwait one way or another, using sanctions first, and if they failed, he told Saddam Hussein force would be used. We know what happened next. Using an unlikely military coalition, the allied troops routed Iraq’s army in short order, and Kuwait was liberated.
Going to church on Sunday morning – it’s a habit for many people. Is it so much a habit that it becomes unreal? Are the rote and routine so familiar that what we hear and say in Church is kind of unreal to us? Can we restore the feeling that every encounter with God in Church is new every morning?
