Wellspring UMC; Third Sunday of Advent; December 16, 2007:

-Matthew 11: 2-6; Isaiah 35: 1-10

“The Joy of the Lord is Our Peace”

I want to share with you a video that was sent to me a few weeks ago. When I first saw this what struck me was the sense of anticipation that is conveyed, as well as the reminder that God is at work in places and situations that seem to be overlooked by middle America. In it we are reminded of people and places which represent more fully the necessity and yearning for the comings of the Prince of Peace. As we receive this prayer, I invite you to be drawn in. Let the Spirit speak and feel the sense of urgency that is a part of Advent.

Video – Advent Liturgy [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGKdsOi3G0c]

We’ve been on the road to Bethlehem, and underlying the journey is the concept of peace. A common definition of “peace” is ‘the absence of conflict,’ but in this season and in God’s Kingdom, peace means much more than that In the Hebrew Bible, our roots, the word is translated as‘shalom,’ which has a much deeper meaning than what the English language conveys by the word ‘peace.’ Shalom is rooted in completion, perfection, and fullness, but also it incorporates the concepts of wholeness, health, welfare, safety, tranquility, prosperity, rest, harmony, and the absence of discord. There is a richness in shalom, for it is intended to embody a kind of peace which in truth, can only be revealed and received through the power of God.

During this season of Advent we watch and wait for the One who brings shalom – wholeness, perfection, alleviation of struggle, fullness...the Kingdom of God. This is why each Sunday of Advent we have used the same bulletin cover graphic but with a change of a word and new quote at the bottom. For we focus on the basic themes of the season – light, spirit, joy, hope – recognizing that these aspects of faith and life are based in the Lord, who is our shalom, our all in all, the one who brings that which only God can provide.

As we have journeyed through Advent, have we experienced a bit of ‘shalom’? In looking for the inbreaking of the Kingdom, have we caught a glimpse of what wholeness looks like? Have we been led to reflect upon the ‘shalom’ we need to receive? Do we find ourselves praying about more than our needs but moved to pray for the needs of the world? What has God done in these weeks, that has moved us a little closer toward the One who brings shalom?

Today’s scripture passages reveal to us what God’s shalom looks like, complete with beautiful images and miraculous signs.

Our Old Testament passage reveals the kind of shalom that will be the gift to God’s people. Chapters 34 and 35 are actually two sides of the same coin and are intended to be shared together. Chapter 34 contains harsh words from the prophet toward Edom. Edom, part of Israel, has strayed from God, and as a result will be destroyed, but as is the case with God, God doesn’t leave it at that. Instead, God’s mercy is revealed in the very next chapter.

“The wilderness and desert will sing joyously, the flowers burst forth with beauty. The mountains and all nature reveal God’s glory, and the prophet calls to all who fear, ‘Courage! Take heart! God is here, right here putting all things right!’ The blind will see, deaf will hear, lame will leap like deer, and the voiceless will break forth in song. A spring will burst forth in the desert, and a highway, the Holy Road, will be for God’s people. No one will be lost, nor will there be danger, but God will take back God’s people, and there will be shalom.”

What visions! What images!...images of what we really need, for though we may not be Edomites, we certainly have strayed. Whether we’ve sold out to the world or simply neglected to open our eyes and hearts to the suffering around us, we recognize the need for change. Whether our lives are going great or we struggle spiritually, emotionally, or physically, we know that there has to be more than this, that the God who loves us will do more. And here in Isaiah, we are reminded again, that our hope will come to fruition, and God’s joy will be complete.

In our Gospel passage John the Baptizer has been locked up, and he catches wind of what Jesus was doing. He’s a bit confused, because his concept of who the Messiah would be is centered in the redemption of Israel through power and might, so he sends his disciples to ask, “Are you the One who comes, or should we wait longer?”

In typical fashion, Jesus doesn’t answer the question, instead He simply reveals the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God...names God’s shalom on earth. “The blind see. The lame walk. Lepers are cleansed. The deaf hear. The dead are raised, and the wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.” Shalom – wholeness, perfection, completeness...the fulfillment of God’s promises.

But that is so counter to what we see. We aren’t privy to such miracles. Instead of springs bubbling up, the deserts of pain and struggle seem to only grow deeper and wider. Instead of the blind seeing, it seems that those who are blind work harder to remain in the dark. Instead of death being transformed, the deadness remains. And yet, not always. There are times when we experience the Kingdom of God, when Christ’s shalom is our shalom.

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When the child, bald from chemotherapy, raises thousands for cancer research, Christ’s shalom is revealed. When the addict hits bottom, has no where to turn, then chooses to get help, shalom is alive. When the voiceless youth who cutting themselves are heard and befriended, finds Christ in the relationship, shalom on earth. When the family at odds is brought together in the death of the matriarch and the healing begins and the shalom of God ascends. When the Spirit descends upon the church that lives for self and Kingdom seeds are planted, shalom finds a home. When the Spirit works through our own children, as they beamed with Christ’s light and shared the word in song and story, shalom comes home, even to us. When the Spirit comes, and God’s people see and receive, shalom...God’s Kingdom comes.

Today, the third Sunday of Advent, is traditionally celebrated as “Gaudette Sunday,” or the Sunday of Joy. It is a reminder to watch and wait, for God’s gift of Joy comes. It’s a time to look for evidence that in the end, God wins and God’s Joy will be made complete. That in anticipation of the birth at Christmas, the One who comes is the One who brings shalom. It is a day when we are invited to imagine, dream, and envision the kind of shalom that God brings to the world through the Christ. It is a time to envision eyes and ears, ours or those of other, being fully opened to the glory of the Lord, to know that what cripples or scars us and the world is transformed to beauty through the Christ, and even, that when the wretched and dead parts of life overshadow, the dead will be redeemed, and God’s Joy will reign. It is a day when we see, believe, and receive the Joy of the Lord, our peace...shalom...God’s gift to us. Amen.