This is an advent sermon from 1985, likely preached at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Wausau.

The gospel text is Luke 21:36, which means that this text matches up with the First Sunday of Advent in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary.

Prepare Yourself - 1 Advent C (12/l/85) Luke 21:36

v.36: “But Watch at all times praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.” Lord, may the words of my mouth, ….

Now that you have Thanksgiving day behind you, do you know that you Only have 23 shopping days left until Christmas. Do you have all your gifts already? Are all your Christmas cards ready to send? What have you been waiting for?

The truth of the matter is, most of us haven’t done our shopping. Most of us haven’t even thought about what we’re buying as gifts. We’ve had all year to think about it, but Won’t do anything about these preparations until the last week, or maybe even the last day. I know, having been there, what it’s like to stand in those last minute lines and pick through that depleted stock at the store. And we say, next year, I’ll be more prepared.

But again, the truth of the matter is that for most of us, next year is no different. Those last-minute shoppers were last-minute shopping last year. And the IRS says that 40% of all income tax returns are mailed at the last week before the deadline- -year after year. My own children have been finding that being prepared is the best way to do homework. The last-minute stuff just doesn’t have the quality of that which has been thought through and looked over carefully. If only our advent preparations could be done more carefully and in advance, perhaps We could enjoy the Christmas holiday more. The rule is: When adequate preparation is made, We are more likely to find ourselves accomplishing our goals.

In today’s Gospel, Luke touches upon the final coming Of Our Lord- -at the end of history. He points to some of the signs that the end will be drawing near. The sky will appear strange and there will be something different about the sun and the moon. We will look up and take note of those signs, as our redemption draws near. No one knows when that time will be - -but we all know that that time is closer than it was yesterday. Rather than concentrating on just what will happen to this world as the end approaches, Luke chooses to focus on what effect those signs should have on us beforehand. Luke wants us to do more than just wait for the coming of our Lord. He gives us some practical advice here about what we should be doing to prepare for the Day of the Lord. On that day there will be greater confusion than we’ve ever seen by shoppers at the mall or by tax filers at the deadline. This confusion will be much greater than Christmas eve or April 14th… it’s important now that we be prepared so that we can deal with the events of the end.

Jesus says there are three things We must do every day if we are to be prepared: First, WATCH YOURSELF. “Take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighted down. … with cares of this life. " Remember that we are people of hope. Don’t let life sidetrack you so that you are unprepared for our Lord’s plan for us. Perhaps especially this busy season, we need to hear those Words, “Watch yourself, so you don’t let the world get you down.” Second, BE ALERT. Don’t be lulled into thinking that preparation doesn’t matter - -it does. Have eyes to see, ears to hear what our Lord is saying. THIRD, PRAY ALWAYS. Luke shows us ten instances of Jesus at prayer. It’s no wonder that Jesus in Luke is reminding us to pray as we watch at all times. Be open to what God is saying as we live out our faith, remaining hopeful in a distressing world.

If we do these three things - -watch, be alert, pray - we will be ready for our Lord’s coming. We will not need to dread that day as some time of panic and doom. No, for us it will be a hoped-for, prepared-for day.

Remember, there are twenty three days to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The more we do now, the less we will be distracted later, and the more we will be able to celebrate that first coming into the world. In the same way the way to prepare for our Lord’s second coming is to be about our Lord’s business now, watching, learning, praying.

May these advent days be a time of preparation - -but when this season is over, remember, that for believers it is always advent–as We look up and prepare for our Lord’s final return in glory. . May We not be confused, caught short, unprepared for the joy he has prepared for us.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, who was , and is, and is to come. Amen.