A TIME TO PREPARE

SERMON PREACHED BY FR. TONY NOBLE ON DECEMBER 10, 2006

Luke 3:4 "Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight."

There was a priest in a parish who always seemed to preach about confession. Always! His parishioners got sick of it. Sunday by Sunday every piece of scripture was turned to the subject of making their confession.

One day it was St. Joseph's day, and they thought to themselves that he couldn't possibly, on the great festival of St. Joseph, find a reason to talk about confession. The priest entered the pulpit. “Today”, he said, “we celebrate St. Joseph. Such a holy man. A wonderful example to us all. Husband of Our Lady, foster father of our Lord.

St. Joseph was a carpenter. And if he was here right now…………………….

He would be building a confessional box, so you could all to confession!!

“Prepare the way of the lord." says the prophet Isaiah and also St. Luke. One of the ways the church traditionally presents to us to prepare is the sacrament of confession. I am greatly indebted to my illustrious predecessor, Fr. Satrang, for building the very handsome confessional boxes in All Saints’. I think there is no other Episcopal church in the whole of the Anglican Communion that has such confessional boxes. Alas they don't get used very often! However, I am pleased to say that this year there seems to be an increased interest in the sacrament of confession. Particularly as Christmas looms, a number of people have asked me about making their first confession. Therefore for Christmas I am scheduling two days this year, both the Friday and Saturday before Christmas, when people may come. As always, anyone can make an appointment with me for another time, or just ask to come and talk to me about the sacrament. And there are four other priests in this parish that you can go to if you fear the Rector's judgment! I go to one of them when I make my confession, and I can highly recommend all four for that ministry.

Confession is a traditional way for preparing for Christmas. But Advent is a whole season of preparation - hence its penitential theme of the purple color and no flowers. We get that theme from John the Baptist who preached a baptism of repentance for the people. The Advent theme is more than just repentance - it really is one of joyful anticipation. John the Baptist was a “fire and brimstone” preacher, calling people to repent. St. Luke, however, wants us to understand that it’s not just about sin and our need of repentance, but about the remedy for sin. The remedy that God provided: the birth of our Savior. To emphasize this St. Luke quotes Isaiah 40:3-5 when he introduces John the Baptist. This passage from Isaiah looks forward to the coming of the Messiah as a beautiful thing - for it means the restoration of the people of Israel.

This theme is also taken up by the prophet Baruch. Here we see the return to Jerusalem as one of rejoicing and gladness because it is God's mercy and righteousness. These are the themes we celebrate in this Advent season.

This season of joyful anticipation is illustrated in the secular world by the regular performances at this time of the year of Handel's Messiah. In The Messiah Handel begins with Advent, and the themes of Advent from the Old Testament take us to the life of Jesus, climaxing with the marvelous Hallelujah Chorus - for which people usually stand, following the example of King George of England, who was so caught up by the music he stood up to hear it better. And his loyal British subjects naturally followed him! The irony of all this is that the Hallelujah Chorus, which we associate with Christmas, is really the Easter proclamation of Christ's resurrection.

In the opening of the Messiah the choir sings “Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye my people, says your God”. This is the first verse of Isaiah 40 – preceding the verses that Luke is quoting in today's gospel. So St. Luke knew exactly what he was quoting - and so did Handel the composer. Comfort ye, my people says Isaiah, says St. Luke.

At first when we consider the word "comfort" it seems negative - like soothing some hurt or sadness. Then we remember that Comforter is one of the names applied to the Holy Spirit, and comes from the Latin cum fortis, which means "to make strong." So Isaiah was talking about the people being strengthened for the coming of the Messiah - a more positive understanding.

Advent is a comforting season. Last week I said Advent was both difficult and troubling. Today the appearance of John Baptist tells us that it is primarily a challenging season. A challenge not only to look at our lives with a discerning eye, not only to consider a repentance that should go beyond the general confession we say at the Mass, but also a challenge to grow in faith and love - and be strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

Just as in today's Epistle St. Paul was anxious to challenge the Philippians, so Advent challenges us to discern a spiritual dimension to this season. A dimension that is missing from the malls, and stores, and parties.

It is a challenge to get out of the rut.

When Isaiah says "Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low", that is exactly the image he is conveying - to get out of the rut. Some people are perpetually living in a rut. I think that many of us would say that we often get into a spiritual rut. Isaiah challenges us, as well as St. Luke, to see ourselves as getting out of the rut. A challenge for us to renew our friendship with God - just as the people of Israel was challenged by Isaiah and Baruch.

For us 21^st Century Episcopalians the challenge of Advent should also include the challenge of confession.