The Diocese of East Tennessee
Sermons

Sermon: "Advent Anticipation"
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

We usually think of Advent as a time to look forward - forward to the celebration of Christmas and forward to the Second Coming of Christ in glory. And, in looking forward, we anticipate hopefully the One who will set this world right … the One on whom we may rely … the One who is just and, even more, the One who is merciful. That is, we anticipate the One who has already come as a baby in a manger and who will come again in glory. Thus, in Advent, we look forward in time and with hopeful expectation.

But it is difficult for us in our time not to look back, too. In our looking backward, I suggest that we see characteristics of this life that will not set the world right. We observe authorities on whom we may not rely, with any degree of certainty. And, we see realities that are neither just nor merciful.

For instance, as a country we have endured a very interesting and puzzling time - a rather prolonged election of our next President. We know about chads and voting procedures now in various Florida counties. We have strong feelings about the place of the judiciary in the legislative process and about the place of politics in the judicial process. In fact, we have been treated to a six-weeks' civics lesson about matters that most of us had never considered before.

I have said on several occasions that this whole process really shows the strength of democracy more than our weakness. It was frustrating and troublesome, for sure, but it worked. If we had been in any number of other countries and had a similar experience, we would long ago have taken to the streets and resorted to violence.

Having said that, though, our political system showed some limitations as well. For instance, could that system set the world right, in an ultimate sense? No. Is it completely and utterly reliable? I don't think so. Is there justice and mercy exemplified throughout? Certainly not.

While we have our eyes focused on the immediate past, here is another example - one from the world of sports and, in particular, the finances of sports. A baseball player - one baseball player - signed a contract last week for $250M! But that's not all. The owner who agreed to that contract bought the team just three years ago - also for $250M. The whole team!

Now, there are many places we could go with that example … many points we might make - about our society, its values, and the like. But let's simply look at those topics identified earlier. Are priorities exemplified in this sports' deal that can set the world right? Do we see confident reliability in this financial exchange? Is there justice or mercy here? I think not.

I suggest to you today that neither politics, nor sports, nor finances can provide for us our ultimate needs. They may be fun and entertaining, but they cannot set the world right. And they are not reliable ultimately. And they do not offer either justice or mercy in any significant sense.

On the other hand, I said at the outset that Advent is a time to look forward - forward to the celebration of Christmas and forward to the Second Coming of Christ in glory. And in today's Gospel lesson we read of the person who personifies Advent … the one who I like to call "the Advent man" … John the baptizer. Listen to his words. "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Now, that's an Advent stance on life - looking forward, anticipating, on tiptoe!

John says that the One who is coming will set the world right. That One will be absolutely reliable. And that One will show justice and mercy. We know that One did come, and that One lived into the promise that John made about him.

But our time is Advent now - 2000 years after the One of whom John spoke first came to earth. In Advent, though, we look forward now - in time and with hopeful expectation. It is the glorified Christ that we await. He will make right this puzzling, troublesome world of ours. He will be reliable, even in the midst of things that disappoint us. And he will exercise justice and, even more importantly, mercy in a world too often devoid of both.

Therefore, in confident expectation, we sing as we pray, "Come, thou long-expected Jesus!"