Focus Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 5:16-24 and Isaiah 61:10-11
December 17, 2023 – Third Sunday of Advent
Today is the third Sunday of Advent, sometimes called Gaudete (“rejoice” in Latin) or Rose Sunday, with just one more week to go until Christmas Eve. Anticipation is building as we prepare for both the arrival of the Christ child and the second coming of Jesus Christ. And it is time to party!
If you have been attending and listening to or reading these
sermons over the last two Sundays – hope and peace – you know that the messages
have been serious. We have been discussing the ideas of staying awake,
repenting, and doing everything else within our power to prepare for Jesus’s
arrival. Stay awake!
In the history of the Church, Advent was not all party and
fun. Instead, it was a time of sober reflection, fasting, and the expectation
that we would be meeting Jesus face-to-face. And it would happen soon.
In our current age, of course, self-denial and sober
consideration of our past words and deeds are not part of the holiday
festivities. Popular culture – make yourself happy – is not aligned with these
ideas. Eat, drink, and be merry, right? Sure, we are allowed some fun, but
there is much more to the season.
But today is a day when our spiritual task, if we want to
call it that, is simple: rejoice! Our lectionary is filled with rejoicing, so
let’s do it. Let’s share a few thoughts to make it even more joyful.
Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians starts with the clear
directive to “rejoice always.” It is important to understand where this direction
is in the letter. Paul is concluding his message here, it is near the end, so
we should jump back to see what came before. A quick reminder of the culture
and environment of Thessalonica can be useful, too.
The people of Thessalonica were not living in some remote
area. Far from it. The city was one of two major trading hubs in Greece.
Reference materials describe an excellent deepwater port and the city being
situated at the intersection of two important roads. It was a free city, and
there was plenty going on.
Historians also tell us that there were many alternatives to
Christianity at the time, including Roman gods. We believe that religion was
integral to life in the city, though that does not necessarily mean that it was
Christianity in any big way. Not yet anyway.
There are some distinct parallels between Thessalonica then and
our own age. We are busy, prosperous, and have plenty of spiritual paths we can
take. With our access to information and ideas, a person in Shelton,
Connecticut can easily learn about and adhere to any one of myriad faith
options, or as is becoming more common, no faith at all.
So why Christianity? And what about all this joy? It is a
question as significant today as it was 2,000 year ago.
The Thessalonians were struggling with the idea of Christ’s
return, the concept of Parousia to use the theological term, so Paul was
there to offer assurances in this first letter. As we discussed in previous
weeks, he was sharing the “stay awake” message, but there is much more.
To truly get to the joy, to feel the Gaudete (rejoice!) in
Gaudete Sunday, let’s go back just a bit more. In chapter 4, starting in verse
13:
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and
sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who
have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so,
through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. Then we who are
alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet
the Lord in the air, and so we will be with the Lord forever. – 1
Thessalonians 4:13-14, 17 (NRSVUE)
Let us be clear on what Paul wanted the Thessalonians to be
joyous about. It is because no matter what, if we have faith in Jesus Christ as
our Lord and Savior, we will meet those who have gone before us when we are
called to live with the Lord forever. It’s that simple.
However, Paul understood that his letter would have a
limited impact on that immediate audience if they did not do something else. So
he directed them to pray without ceasing, give thanks always, and put in the effort
to listen to and consider prophecy. This is exactly what we are called to do,
and should do, in our modern age. We can’t just hear the Good News, say okay,
and move on. No! We need to stay tuned in to God as Paul describes. These
activities, these means of grace, move us closer to God and closer to
understanding, truly internalizing, the reasons for joy.
When we do this, we can face anything. As Isaiah describes,
we become clothed in the garments of salvation, covered in the robe of
righteousness. When we become believing, repentant, loving children of God, there
is nothing that can contain our joy.
This is the point of the day, the pink candle, the music,
and everything else we are doing in this worship service today. Just as we
celebrate joy in the context of more serious scriptural truths, we will soon be
celebrating the light entering into the world, a world of darkness. We will be
celebrating The Light that no darkness can extinguish.
When we know the joy of salvation in Christ, we can overcome
any setback. The challenges of this life, though sometimes painful, and even
overwhelming, are temporary. Our joy lies in knowing that righteousness and
justice will prevail, God’s kingdom WILL come to earth as it is in heaven, and
that our salvation will bring us to a place and a time outside of this one, an
eternal place where there is only light, love, and rejoicing.
This is the reason for our joy. Rejoice always! Amen.
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I invite you to join us for worship at First United Methodist Church on Sundays at 10:00 AM. Our address is 188 Rocky Rest Road. You can also join us online for our live stream at https://umcshelton.org/.
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Feel free to leave respectful comments or questions below. I hope these written sermons are a blessing to you. – Pastor Bill
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