The
Reverend Peter K. Ackerman
St.
Christopher’s Episcopal Church
December
1, 2013
Advent
1, Year A
The Adventure of
“Now” Begins
“And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty
temptress, adventure.” This year, for
the first time, I am reading through the Harry Potter books before also watching
the films. Currently I am on the first
half of book 6 (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) in the
series. By this time in the novels two
worlds have come together more so than before.
These books tell of wizards and magical creatures
whose world co-exists and remains mostly unseen by ours. Yet, as the series continues much of what is
occurring in the magic realm finds its way into the regular world. Such is the case in the book I am reading,
which prompts the school headmaster to come to Harry and take him away onto a
mission, using the words: “And now,
Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure!”
This reminds me of what can be accomplished
if we partake in what this new season of Advent, which opens up our new church
year this very morning, offers to us; Adventure! An adventure where we bring
the world of the past story, and the world’s future promise into the world we
live in today.
Jesus’
words today bring a sense of adventure with the idea that as God’s realm
unfolds he promises to us that the timing of his future return to earth will
not be known, but will happen when we least expect it. The prophet Isaiah shows us a glimpse of that
same world to unexpectedly come. It is a
world where swords and spears will be refashioned into plowshares and pruning
hooks. It is a world different than ours
today. It is a world of Peace. Yet that world can be glimpsed and
comprehended by the Peace that we are able to realize today. Yet, we do a disservice in this or in any
church season, if we compartmentalize everything, and let the future be the
future, and only celebrate the past; a messenger talking to a virgin girl,
shepherds keeping watch at night and more, with no thought to how those effect
the here and now.
In a book written by Timothy S. Lane
and Paul David Tripp (How People Change) they refer to a concept in our
faith journeys known as the “then-now-then.”
Applying their “then-now-then” to Advent helps us to understand
that we have the “then” that came before. The “then,” which I have already described
that through readings and pageants and more we celebrate this time of
year.
There is also the final
“then” in the trio which hearkens to what we hear this morning. The Kingdom to one day come. Nestled in between these two “thens,”
however, is the ever important and sometimes neglected “now.”
It is good for us to live in, remember, and recreate the seasons
of the church, especially Advent. It is
good this morning to know what the future hold.
It is equally important to bring these two worlds, the world of the
past, and the world of the future into our current world, and lives.
This is a challenge for many of us. Perhaps even because of some words I have said,
you have moved to ruminations of holiday seasons past. Or, more likely, you have moved ahead and are
into planning in your mind the travel, guests, pageants, parties, shopping and
more.
It is definitely hard to remain in the now, which is a challenge
for me, which I finally met about one month ago. A friend of a friend over coffee mentioned to
himself that one of his personal challenges was to, as he put it, “remain where
my shoes are." At that moment I
felt like an angelic messenger had slapped a post it on my forehead that read
“this is for you!” That idea of
remaining present in the now, “where my shoes are,” spoke to me.
That thought so resonated with me through the rest of that Saturday,
but had all but vanished by the time I began our first service that next Sunday
morning. I got to the announcements, and
exchanged greetings with many of you, but then it happened. The Vestry Person of the Week came up to me
and said “are you ready for me to begin the announcements?” I replied “yes” and
suddenly found myself suddenly self-propelled into the immediate future where I
reflected on what announcements I wanted made, the chasuble I wanted to be sure
to put on, and the reminder about how I was going to read the All Saints Day
list from the altar.
Suddenly I was broken from my reverie with the words that entered
into my direct hearing: “but one thing first.”
This was spoken by the same Vestry person who, though my mind was
already behind the altar, was still standing in front of me by the lectern. “But one thing first,” she said, and then
added, “Peace be with you.”
I realized at that moment just how susceptible I am, like many
others, to neglect to remain in my shoes, in the moment, and in the now where I
actually reside. This is the message I believe that we are invited to live into
during Advent.
Advent is a special time that invites us to enter many realms
simultaneously, the future coming of our savior, mirrored in the first coming
of the past, yet all the while striving to honor the intentionality of bringing
these experiences into our realm of now.
This is the adventure before us, for those willing to take
it. An adventure where we remain where
our shoes are and not succumb to the pull to race to the manger early. An adventure where we do not check off
angels, annunciations, visits from St. Nicholas of Myra, and more, in a
perfunctory manner, but absorb those experiences and cherish them anew and now
as we embrace and face them in the present.
For those willing to stop, listen, and take that path...brothers
and sisters...let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress,
adventure.” Striving toward tomorrow,
following the map of yesterday, and experienced in the now. Happy Advent, my friends, and Peace be with
you on your journeys!
Amen.
