This morning's Scripture passages have a common theme. All three readings speak of waiting. There is a sense of expectation in the air. All three readings point to a time of wholeness, peace and justice that is coming for our world.

Isaiah declares his prophecy about the End Times. "In the days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills." There is something in the air. There is expectation of greatest, of peace, of God's reign.

We must patiently wait and prepare for the day when there will be peace. "They shall beat their swords into plow shares, and their spears into pruning hooks, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Isn't that exciting. Doesn't that hold a feeling of long, awaited expectation? Isaiah's listeners were waiting for God's reign, for the kingdom to come.

The Gospel lesson too, speaks of the End Times. There is mystery around the End Times for no one will know when it will come. Jesus tells us, "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the son, but only the Father. Therefore, keep awake… you must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

There is a sense of urgency and excitement in Jesus' teaching. "The Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour", he tells us. The Son of Man is coming like a thief in the night.

Now, today is the first day of the Advent Season. It is the season of preparation for the Coming of Christ. We know that Christmas is coming on the 25th of December. We have been celebrating this all of our lives. It is hardly unexpected. With advertisers vying for our Christmas dollars and Christmas now starting shortly after Remembrance Day, it is not like Christmas can sneak up on a person. So why are we reading a passage on this first day of Advent about the Son of Man coming at an unexpected hour? What is Jesus talking about and why is the lesson placed here on the First day of Advent?

Theologian Robert Waznaks explains this best. He writes, that "we begin our first Sunday of Advent, not just as a time to commemorate Christ's first coming at Christmas but as a special time to remember that he is coming again. Jesus is coming again to save all people...we don't know when it will happen, but that it will happen. This is the meaning of Advent, a deep trust that despite our pre Christmas rush and anxieties, despite all our fears and lost hopes, Christ is coming to save all people."

Like a thief in the night Christ is coming to save the world. But about that day and hour no one knows, but only the Father. Therefore, keep awake… you must be ready for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour." Jesus tells us.

When I was 20 years old, I rented a one-room, basement apartment that had a piece of cardboard in window of the door. There was not much security, to put it mildly. I had been promised by the landlord that it would be replace but 2 weeks after I started renting it the cardboard was still there. There was also no phone and no convection oven. One day, I waited around for a repair man to come and install a phone and fix the door. He didn't come so by 2 o'clock in the afternoon I finally left my apartment to do some shopping.

While I was gone, some one broke into my apartment. I was a young photographer and the thief took all my camera equipment, my stereo equipment and my tapes. My heart was broken.

If I had known the Unexpected Guest was coming, I would sure would have stayed home...or at least had someone watching my apartment.

I don't think the story means that God is a thief, but merely that the coming of the Kingdom and the presence of Christ is quiet, sometimes hidden and unannounced. It can be missed. Therefore, we are to live ready, awake, eyes open to the events and signs of his coming. I think that is tremendously exciting. Where will we see him? Wait. Watch. Be Ready.

So we wait, we prepare for the long expected Jesus. We wait like Mary waited and prepared for the birth of her first born son. We wait like a whole nation waited and prepared for the Messiah. We wait and prepare for another Christmas. For families to gather, for gifts to be opened for Santa Claus to arrive. But in this hustle and bustle we must again look to the scripture to guide us in our waiting. This time we look to Paul and what he writes to the Romans.

Author, Eugene Peterson rewrites the letter from Paul with a fresh twist. He writes it in his book The Message, which is a rewriting of the Bible, put into modern language. This is his take on the passage.

Make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day to day obligations that you lose track of time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

With the Holiday Season about us what does this say to us?

The point is that it is not about decorating your house, buying the Christmas tree and running around town and spending money for presents. The point is that we must prepare for Christ, for the coming of the Christ child and the Second Coming. We must wait and prepare ourselves spiritually for the long expected Jesus who will bring in the New Kingdom of Peace, love and justice. How do we prepare ourselves? Paul tells us to put on Christ. Love one another. Love Christ; feel in your heart, mind and soul that you are loved by Christ.

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While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called the Baptizer, was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here."

John was a wild man, like thunder in the desert. He dressed in a camelhair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey. People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action. There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life.

When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? You hypocrites! Do you think a little water on your snakeskin is going to make any difference? It's your life that must change, not your skin! And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire.

It can be easy for us to be very hard on the Pharisees and the Sadducees; after all they are always the bad guys in the Gospels. They were criticized and called into accountability by Jesus throughout the Gospels and now here it starts with John, even before Jesus comes on the scene as a rabbi. The Pharisees and the Sadducees are always doing the wrong thing.

This time they are interesting in baptism because not because they are repenting, turning away from their old life and turning to God but because it is the popular thing to do. They don't think there is a need to change because they are Jews, they are descendents of Abraham. They don't think they have to do anything because they are the hierarchy of the church. They are respectable citizens. They have achieved success and status; they have arrived. They think they are setting the example for others.

Many of us think that we are respectable citizens. We go to church because it is the proper thing to do. We do not go to church to change our life. Some of us say, "That was a good sermon, some they really needed to hear that." Of course, we all fall short of the ideal of God; and we all need to continue to learn and grow and change. Throughout the gospels, Jesus' harshest criticisms are aimed at those who think they are good already, that they do not need to improve. They are the hypocrites, the Pharisees and the Saducess. They have the respect of the community, but not right with God.

Is this bad news for us respectable citizens? Well, it should be good news! John says he baptizes with water, but Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. That is, Jesus will wash ours sins away with the Holy Spirit. What does this feel like? It does not sound like your typical church experience. John, in talking to the Pharisees and Sadducees, was addressing people who were used to the structure of the church. They followed the rules of the church, and made others follow the rules. Obedience to the church was of great importance. There are many people like this even today. In the United Church we are not so dependent on rules and regulations but we do have morals. Our morals reflect our history, and our 20th century Canadian values. These morals often have little to do with the Bible. Christian family value is one example of a non-Biblically based value. Another is the protestant work ethic.

In any case, by following a rule or a moral code we may feel good about ourselves. Sometimes we may think that we are better than others and we gain acceptance among our peers just like the Pharisees and Saducees. However, following a moral code it does not give us a spiritual experience.

John the Baptist says, "I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out."

Doesn't that sound wonderful?! Who would not be thrilled to feel filled with the Holy Spirit? How can Jesus ignite the kingdom life within us? How can we be spiritually filled, instead of just living our respectable, but empty, lives?

Often, in church services we don't always take time to listen for God to speak to us. (I am guilty of this.) When we pray, we ask for forgiveness, we give thanksgiving, we praise God, we pray for others, but do we listen? If God suddenly appeared right here, right now, and had something to say to us, would we have a space for him in the service? Would we have space to listen? Maybe that does happen, maybe God does speak to us. Are we listening?

Allow me this fictional story. One bright autumn morning, I was sitting at my breakfast table, when all of a sudden, Jesus walked into the room. Was it really him? Yes, everything checked out from the tip of the white seamless robe to the faint glimmering halo around His head.

"Would you like to go for a walk?", said Jesus.
"Uhmmm ... why ... sure!", stammered I.
I thought, "What an incredible opportunity! He has all the answers to all my problems - my relationships at work... my worries about the future... my family problems. All I need is to ask."
So I asked, "Lord, I've been worried about my prayer life. Things have been awfully dry. Now, according to the books that I've been reading... "
Jesus interrupted "Hush... Do you hear it?"
Children were running trough the meadow grass. He smiled: "Isn't it wonderful?"
I admitted "Well ... yes... now that You mention it." Then I added, "Well, you know I love children".
We walked on. Every time I tried to bring up a question, something would interrupt us: the tumbling of a brook, the sight of the crisp, autumn colours or a butterfly.
I horrible thought loomed in my mind: what if I lost this opportunity? Here were all the answers to all my problems, right at my elbow! He even knew the deepest mysteries of the universe: love... death… the End Times! As a last resort, I thought I'd talk to Him about religion. After all, that is His line of work.
"Lord, I was wondering what You think of the conflict in modern biblical scholarship between..."
Jesus interrupted again. As he picked up a roadside pebble, he said "I'll be you can't hit the top of that telephone pole."
I thought, "Of all things! And from the Lord. He wasn't being very serious for a god!"
He threw his pebble toward the pole, it arched silently through the air and… He missed.
I couldn't believe it! So, I picked a pebble and tossed it in the direction of the telephone pole. I hit it! The Lord proudly looked at me and chuckled: "Hey, you're good." I had to laugh.
We strolled on. My stomach decided to relax and I began to enjoy the time walking the Lord. I gave up on my pursuit to ask questions. The air seemed to smell fresher. Moss on trees looked beautiful. Dandelions actually looked pretty. My body relaxed and I felt complete. We arrived back to my house. Jesus walk me to my door and before he vanished. He said, "You may be getting it yet, Osgood."

Now, of course, this is a fictional story. And these things don't happen to us everyday. But they do happen. There are people in this room who have met the Lord, who have seen Jesus. They have wonderful, amazing stories to tell. And if we sit and ask one another about our relationship with our Lord, we can all grow and be fulfilled by the telling of such amazing stories of grace.

It is always wonderful to hear other people talk about their spiritual experiences. It increases our faith in, our passion for, and our awareness of God. Some people may think that others will think they are crazy or they are boasting or others are not interested in hearing stories of faith. We need to hear each other's stories of faith. It is good for our souls. It feeds us. It is part of what being in a Christian community is about.

A student once asked a wise religious teacher what Heaven and Hell is really like. The wise teacher replied that in Hell, everyone is sitting around a large banquet table full of delicious food. But, the people are weeping and moaning because they are starving. You see, each person has a spoon that is too long for the food to reach their mouth and so cannot feed themselves. In Heaven, everyone is also sitting around a large banquet table full of delicious food. They too have long spoon and they too cannot feed themselves. However, in heaven everyone is laughing and talking and eating their fill because in heaven, they are using their long spoons to feed each other.

John the Baptist says, "I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: Jesus will come and ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out."

John wasn't afraid to talk. He knew the power of the one to come. And he shared his message with anyone willing to listen. Many came from all over the countryside to listen to his passion. Many were changed by the message. Many where spiritually nourished by the message.

Let us not starve each other of spiritual nourishment. The time after church may be the only opportunity all week we have to talk about God, to talk about our relationship with Christ. Coffee time after church can be either Heaven or Hell as we choose. With the power of the Holy Spirit, we can create a new Heaven here on earth. We can even discuss this incredibly wise sermon or God's works in your life. We can share our stories. We can feed one another spiritual food.

And to God be the glory.

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It is in the early hours of the morning in the town of Nazareth, in the time of King Herod. In a humble house built by his own hands is a young carpenter awakened by a dream he has just had and by the busy thoughts in his head. The house is empty of any other people for the young man has not yet taken a wife. That is what is preoccupying his mind and keeping him awake.

The young man's name is Joseph. His mind is keenly alert, though physically, he is exhausted. He would prefer to rest for a couple more hours, but his brain will not let him. So many events have happened. The past few months have been an emotional whirlwind. He closes his eyes and ponders, to himself:

"Oh Lord, I thank-you. I thank you, for answering my prayers. I did not know what to do. I could not believe that Mary would betray me like that, shame her family's good name, and shame herself. I thought I knew Mary. It did not make sense that she would put herself in this position of being pregnant with another man's baby. Thank-you for answering my prayers, although, I continue to be confused.

With Mary pregnant, what else am I to think but that she has been disloyal? I thought we had an agreement. I thought we understood each other. So, what else am I to do but call off the marriage? How could I support an unfaithful woman and another man's child? It is not unreasonable the arrangement.

I know that there would not be much of a life for her. I know that there was the possibility of her being stoned to death because of her foolishness. But, what else was I to think? What else was I to do?

But now, oh Lord, you have answered my prayers. You have given me direction and you have given me a job.

This dream that I now awaken from, I know that I can trust it. The words of the angel were so clear and crisp, like I was awake. They are still ringing in my head. "Joseph. Son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit!

I cannot understand it: how am I to make others understand? But, what I cannot understand I nevertheless accept because you spoke to me. I know you spoke to me! I cannot deny it. But I will do as you have commanded me. I will take Mary as my wife.

Oh, there will still be much wagging of tongues. There will be people who will look at Mary out of the corners of their eyes. Worse though, there will be people who may harm Mary. She cannot be left alone. It would be too dangerous. If I must go anywhere, she must come with me. It will not be safe.

There will be people who will not listen to our story - much less believe it. Will her own family believe her, believe us? But, Lord, how can I blame anyone for not believing when I find it so hard to believe myself?

Mary said she was baffled and confused as well. But I just did not believe her. How could I, until now? Now, that the angel of the Lord has spoken to me. In my deepest being I know this child to come is of divine origin, but who can comprehend the ways of the Almighty?

The night is so peaceful. My body is exhausted. But my mind is alert, alive, full of wonder. Miraculous wonder! Why? How did you choose us, Lord? Why us? We have nothing to offer your divine child. He should be born to royalty. At least to the wealthy, those who could care for him properly. We have nothing, Lord, nothing! We are among the poorest of the poor. Surely you have miscalculated! Alas! Forgive me, Lord. Who am I to question the wisdom of the Almighty?

Yes, I will do as you have commanded me. I will trust what Mary has said to me. I will trust what you have said to me. I will take her as my wife.

You tell me that Mary will bear a son, and what a blessing a son will be. You tell me that I must name him Jesus. That is your commandment to me, to name him Jesus, Saviour. You tell me that this child will save our people from their sins. Jesus, the Saviour, is to be raised in my home. The Saviour will be given to us to protect, to raise, and to teach. To teach?! How can we teach him? We have more need to be taught of him. But, I vow before for you now, oh Lord, that Mary and I, with your help, will share with him what we have. We can only teach him what we have been taught. Then you, Oh Lord, must supply the rest!"

And with that, Joseph returns to his bed and is able to rest for a while. Peace comes in the quiet of the early morning. Peace has come to the young man who had so much doubt and questions.

Perhaps there are some of us who also have doubts and questions of this miracle conception. Perhaps there are some of us have doubts and questions of the virgin birth. While the angel of God answers Joseph's doubts, it may be an inappropriate hope for us to expect such a visit. For this story carries a message much larger and greater than the mere notion of divine conception - this story declares the gracious love of God that reaches into humankin in an unprecedented fashion through Jesus Christ to do for us humans what we cannot do for ourselves.

What Jesus Christ does for us is in his very name: Jesus means Savior. And to the ancient Jews a name was an expression of one's fundamental nature, not merely a label.

Jesus saves. Jesus saves us from our angst, our guilt, and our pride. Jesus saves us from the things that separate us from God. Jesus saves us from any fear we may have of the afterlife and any emptiness we may have in this life. And it is for this reason that we prepare for his coming. It is for this reason that we celebrate his birth.

In the quiet of the night, in the quiet of a dream, the angel of the Lord assures Joseph of God's involvement in Mary's pregnancy. In the quiet of the night, in the quiet of a dream, the angel of the Lord assures Joseph of God's involvement in the world. In the quiet of the night, the child came into the world to be indeed, God with us. And to God be the glory. Amen.

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Joseph was a man with dreams. His parents had arranged his marriage and it was a good economic arrangement. He dreamed of the life he would build with his wife. He would work hard to support his family. They would have children - a blessing upon their home. They would go to temple and they would have a good life, a holy life. They would follow the Torah. He would bring honour upon his family name, the house of David. And his betrothed was Mary, a lovely young woman. She would make a good wife. His heart was full of excitement and joy as he prepared for his new life as a husband. So he rose early each day, worked hard at his craft, determined to live into his future.

Then the bottom fell out. Mary was pregnant. He had a few choice words for her. Well, that was that. There was to be no marriage for him, at least not now. There was not a question that he would not marry her, the only question was how to dismiss her. He knew that she would not have much of a life now. He knew that there was the possibility of her being stoned to death because of her foolishness. But, what else was he to think? What else was he to do?

He fell into a depression, shocked and scandalized.

One night, angels visited Joseph in a dream. The angel told him that things were not as they appeared. Mary had not betrayed Joseph. She had not broken her part of the arrangement. Joseph was to have a new dream: To father the child of another, the most high God. And he was to do all in his power to raise and protect this infant Jesus, for God was with us.

What a struggle Joseph had. His dreams dashed. The new dream didn't make much sense.

How was it that God would work this way? And who was he, but a young carpenter? He tossed and turned all night. Was it a vision, or was it real?

Through out the years and perhaps now more than ever Christians have questioned the divine birth. Truly, the first person to question and doubt the divine birth was Joseph.

There is a famous quote by Albert Einstein. He says, "Do not worry about your problems in mathematics, I can assure you that mine are far greater." Einstein's quote can be of great comfort to those of us who struggle with math. Even Einstein struggled.

Joseph could be saying something similar to those of us who have doubts about the virgin birth. "Do not worry about your problems with the virgin birth, the virgin conception, I can assure you that mine are far greater." Even Joseph struggled. Especially Joseph struggled.

Joseph nearly dismissed Mary quietly. Joseph nearly missed the Christ Child. Without God becoming involved in Joseph's decision, he would have missed the Christ Child. Without Joseph trusting and having faith in God, there would be no Jesus. Mary would likely have been stoned to death. If the child had been born, how could he have entered the temple without a father? Without Joseph's leap of faith and trust in God, it is likely that the whole nativity would have gone awry.

In the end, Joseph made the tough decision. He took a leap of faith and trusted the angel of the Lord. He took a leap of faith and trusted Mary. Joseph undertook the work of raising a child not his own.

Are there times when we are like Joseph and we nearly miss Christ, God with us? Or maybe we do miss Christ? Do we quietly dismiss God?

In the city, many walk by homeless people, frightened or put off by their appearance. But, they are walking past Christ. How many people miss Christ? It is easy to dismiss God's presence in others, blinded by our own expectations or preconceived ideas.

It is easy to dismiss God in ourselves, imagining that God cannot work in us or through us. There are many of us who do not see that God works in us. There are those of us who think we are being humble when we dismiss the contribution we make to other people's lives, to the church, to our community. But really we are dismissing God.

When are other times we dismiss God from us? When are times we miss the Christ? We miss the Christ when we do not create a time to hear one another's stories. Several weeks ago, I spoke of the need for us to feed one another spiritual food by sharing our spiritual stories. If we do not make the time and take the opportunity to listen to one another's stories of faith, stories of our experiences with the divine, then we are missing the Christ. We must hear one another's stories. We must witness to one another.

I am going away for three Sundays but when I come back I am going to start inviting people to stand and tell their faith stories. I know there is not much of a tradition of giving testimonies or witnessing in the United Church, but there certainly is in our Methodists tradition. We could see where the Spirit moves us. We could experience God with us in the stories we share.

With the coming of the Christ Child, something amazing happens. God does a new thing. God turns the world upside down; people's lives are going to have to change. This is a radical story and demands a radical response. It may even demand that we risk. We risk and trust in the work of God. We risk and share our stories. We risk and move to the Spirit. We risk and are faithful disciples of Christ.

You see, this story carries a message much larger and greater than the mere notion of divine conception - this story declares the gracious love of God that reaches into humankind in an unprecedented fashion through Jesus Christ to do for us humans what we cannot do for ourselves.

What Jesus Christ does for us is in his very name: Jesus means Savior. And to the ancient Jews a name was an expression of one's fundamental nature, not merely a label.

Jesus saves. Jesus saves us from our angst, our guilt, and our fears. Jesus saves us from the things that separate us from God. Jesus saves us from any fear we may have of the afterlife and any emptiness we may have in this life. And it is for this reason that we prepare for his coming. It is for this reason that we celebrate his birth.

In the quiet of the night, in the quiet of a dream, the angel of the Lord assures Joseph of God's involvement in Mary's pregnancy. In the quiet of the night, in the quiet of a dream, the angel of the Lord assures Joseph of God's involvement in the world. In the quiet of the night, the child came into the world to be indeed, God with us. And to God be the glory. Amen.

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