Third Advent Principle: Any moment may be a moment of divine human interac on. God comes to us. It is vital to detect the divine presence in every aspect of life for we it is possible to miss the opportunity. The specific comings of God may go unrecognised. through self preoccupa on, business, busyness, selishness, fear and unwillingness to be open and honest with our inner selves. * This was the tragedy of the Scribes and Pharisees in Jesus’ me. God comes in a variety of ways. In moments of joy and hope; ·In moments of crisis and Illness, In moments of tragedy and bereavement. Some of His comings may be unwelcome. Never the less, the hardships and trials of life are o en moments in which we may experience God in unique ways. Through over fi y years of ministry I have come to understand that none of us choose the ‘hard things’. Experience and lessons exist within them which we learn no other way. So o en people have said, “I would never have chosen it, but God met me in that!” CONCLUSION
The modern prophets of science, and their companions are hysterical as they cry “One minute to midnight, wake up, it is later than you think.” It is a panicked cry because despite remarkable scien fic and technical progress the human condi on has defeated them. The lust and will to power, greed and exploita on defies common sense and ra onality. However, the message of Advent is unique. We declare with a quiet assurance, God is in charge. God loves and accepts. The price of redemp on has been paid and the opportunity for reconcilia on is freely given. Chris ans have a contribu on to make which transcends the mystery of evil. Down the years Christ’s people have stood in the gap as mediators and beacons of hope to broker understanding and peace in the face of impossible obstacles and demonstrated that crises can be overcome within a context of meaning and control grounded in sacrifice and love. Finally, the message of Advent is validated by the way we live. God looks for his people to live holy lives of joyous hope before a genera on which has forgo en the nature of the face of God. We tread the same road as the prophets and apostles and take the promise of his return seriously. They did not doubt and expected him daily. Friends Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again! One Minute to Midnight \HTK \ Advent 3 \ 11th. Dec. 2016 \ Page 4
One Minute to Midnight
Sermon delivered by Canon Graeme Winterton at Holy Trinity Kew, Advent 3, 11th. Dec. 2016
Ma 11:2-11 Wai ng for the Messiah - John the Bap st is doub ul 1. There is a legend that following the ressurec on the apostles would stop at the top of every hill and scan the road, looking for the familiar figure of Jesus. The Apostles took the promise of his return seriously. They did not doubt and expected him daily. Their mo o: “Maranatha” come quickly, became the watch word of early Chris ans. 2. On the other hand John the Bap st was filled with doubt. We read in today’s gospel that ‘When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ John’s doubt contrasts starkly with the faith he displayed in last week’s account of his bold courageous declara on of commitment to Jesus as theMessiah. 3. I can’t help thinking of John the Bap st as an example of many present day Chris ans who profess commitment to Jesus as Lord and Saviour yet are very doub ul about the second Advent. It’s strange. The incarna on, the first Advent, is not a problem for it has already taken place. However, the creed he will come again to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end, and the declara on in the Eucharist, Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again presents a problem for many who struggle with the seeming impossibility of the promise ever being fulfilled. My guess is that the words are said by rote, tongue in cheek and without any real convic on. One Minute to Midnight \HTK \ Advent 3 \ 11th. Dec. 2016 \ Page 1
4. The world in which we live and func on is very different to that of the First Century. By and large scien sm holds sway. It is a belief in the dominance of human reason and the inerrancy of the scien fic method. If a proposi on cannot be proven and tested beyond human doubt, it is concluded that it is unreliable, wrong, or does not exist. The Second coming does not pass the test. Is it any wonder people struggle to believe. 5. The Second Advent has stood as a reminder and warning in every genera on. It is a reminder that the des ny of the world and its people is in the hands of the Living God. It warns that unbridled human greed and self interest is totally destruc ve and le unchecked will end in the annhila on of all that is good and beau ful on earth. 6. Many voices across the planet confirm and strengthen the message of Advent. They are also saying “Time is running out - it is one minute to midnight.” They differ from Advent’s message of hope for they are voices of gloom and despair. The fear of Annihila on The lust for power is un-predictable. Human agression is frequently beyond control; Interna onal terrorism is frighteningly irra onal and the nuclear threat is s ll a reality! We may trigger the ul mate holocaust and cease to exist. 7. The Scien fic community supported by environmentalists warns of ecological disaster This voice says: “we are devesta ng and weighing the planet down with our prodigal use of resources. “ Forests have been decimated, Land sea and air is polluted with toxic waste. The green house effect is increasing. Global warming will melt the polar ice caps. Energy and food resources and overpopula on may mean the earth could cease to support life. Calamity will overtake us. 8. The Advent warning is the same but even more specific. The first Chris ans lived in an cipa on and expecta on of the moment when me would cease. The scriptural records are clear and umbigous. Jesus foretold it, the Apostles taught it and the Church has proclaimed it ever since. “ A me will come,when things as we know them, will cease.” Chris ans know that me is in God’s hands. God has set the clock - it is his clock- He knows the me, and we live our lives in certainty of the fact that all things are under his control Jesus said, “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.My words,will come true at their appointed time.This gospel of the kingdom will be be proclaimed in all the world far a witness tothe nations, and then the end shall come. [Ma 24:14
One Minute to Midnight \HTK \ Advent 3 \ 11th. Dec. 2016 \ Page 2
9. God’s people have been teaching it for2000 years and even longer for the Old Testament prophets proclaimed the same message. Here are some reasons not to allow the message of Advent to be lost and shouted down by the clamour of the far too early commercial Christmas Note especially: The The Advent message is comprised of three principles
First Advent Principle: The Des ny of the human race and the Planet is under the control of the Living God. 1. Advent declares The pa erns of all life are predetermined. The seeds of being, their fabric and shape, have a common origin in the one whom we know as the eternal ever living God. Not only the origin of these pa erns is in God’s hands but their outworking, and their ul mate end too. The pa ern of events as well as the pa erns of form belong to God 2. The posi ve message of Advent is important because it announces hope when events appear to be beyond control and problems seem to defy solu on. It makes a real difference once a person realises that God is in control of the board, and that the end as well as thebeginning is forseen. God will enforce checkmate when it is his me. 3. Advent is Important because despite blind insistence upon human self sufficiency people are really afraid and despairing. Despair and fear, as always, emerge in the arts and are reflected in wri ng, music, pain ng, movies and the frene c way in which many live. Example: Karen Carpenter’s songs - Many with themes of despair and loneliness. How tragic that she commi ed suicide because there were no answers- life was without meaning for her. 4 . Advent is Important because God has promised a new world,and he has promised the present order will reach conclusion in his me and at his bidding. This knowledge means that c ertainty replaces despair and fear Second Advent Principle: Our mes are in God’s Hands. 5 . Advent is Important because a personal des ny beyond this life awaits the people of God! We are inextricably bound together in a rela onship with the eternal God and enter a new dimension of being. None of us knows the moment in which Jesus will come according to his promise to ‘take us unto himself so that we might be with him where he is’.Jn.l4: 3 It makes a difference when the fear of death and annhila on is removed. We do go on forever! This is a message people people want to and need to hear. They hope it might be true. God declares it is true! One Minute to Midnight \HTK \ Advent 3 \ 11th. Dec. 2016 \ Page 3