With Advent comes a shift in the time horizon of the lessons we read in the lectionary. In the long season of Pentecost, we’ve been hearing about what happened, and trying to understand what it means for us today. In these first weeks of Advent we’re told to look forward to what is coming, and trying to prepare ourselves. It’s sort of like the shift in Dickens’ Christmas Carol as we move from the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present to encountering the Ghost of Christmas Futuer. (I think Dickens meant to do this explicitly.)

The readings can seem dark and even threatening, but there’s an implicit message of hope, particuarly for those who have had to endure hard things in their lives at the hands of others. Jesus promises and the Prophets proclaim that God is even now working to rectify the inequality that is so evident in society and all about us. 

You can view the sermon directly here.