12/09/2012 ~ Second Sunday of Advent ~ The Sunday on Which the Christian Virtue of Peace Is Celebrated ~ Baruch 5:1-9 or Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6.
The Prophecy Is Telegraphed
These words are found in the Tanakh in the Section known as the Prophets in the Scroll of the Twelve: “See, I am sending my Messenger to prepare the way for me; the One whom you long for will suddenly come to the temple. The Messenger of the covenant in whom you delight will come— indeed, this One is coming, says Yahweh, God of hosts,....” — Malachi 3:1.
There is a story often told in the State of Maine which tries to illustrate how much God cares about us and how often we miss that reality. I’m quite sure this story is told outside of the State of Maine but, as a proud graduate of Bangor Theological Seminary, I want to offer the Maine version. In the case of the Maine rendition, the story is told about a fellow named Jasper Beal.
(For this story, the pastor breaks out a Maine accent. The text reflects this.) There was a farmah by the name of Jaspah Beal who had a small fahm right on the Androscoggin Rivah, pretty near Lisbon Falls, only about five miles from Durham— Durham, where that fellah Stephen King grew up. And yes, you are right. King went to Lisbon Falls High School. Hearhd tell, he’s made quite a name for himself.
Well, despite being a small fahm, the acreage next to the Androscoggin was fertile, so growing things proved to be a prosperous enterprise. This particular piece of land was situated well to the north of where the tidewatah reaches the rivah. Tidewatah, that’s the place where the rivah is close to the ocean— so close it becomes way too salty to be of any help to agricultural. People do try to fahm some down rivah, down by the tidewatah. But it be hardah down there.
Now, Spring— Spring can be a dangerous season in Maine, especially upstream. When the weathah stahts to get just a tad warmah, it becomes a bad ideah to walk across the rivah like everyone does all wintah, seeing as how the ice starts a movin’. Seems like a paradox, but ice flows— rivah ice— it moves. And movin’ ice can jam things up quite a bit. Indeed, one time enough ice wedged itself in the narrah stretch right by the falls, just below Jaspah’s fahm so that the watah backed up a nasty amount.
One afternoon Beal noticed watah from the rivah in places where he’d nevah seen it before. It was a creepin’ ovah the field where he’d be soon puttin’ in some Potatahs. He was not too worried about it. Potatahs usually don’t get planted till April, sometimes lattah in this neck of the woods. And he figuahed the watah would be back to its nahmal course by then. (Slight pause.)
When Jaspah got up the next mornin’, the watah was lapping ovah his front porch. As Jaspah stood inside the doh-or wrapped up wahm in his L. L. Bean coat, looking out at the watah, the local police chief, Larry Thibodaux, come along in a boat and rowed right up to him. “Jaspah— you’d bettah get in,” said the chief. “The watah’s goin’ to keep commin’ up for a while.”
“No,” said Jaspah. “I’ve prayed about this. God sent me a clear message. Provision will be made and everything will be just fine.” (Slight pause.)
Well, that afternoon, Jaspah was lookin’ out the front windah of the second floor, the watah having pretty much made the first floor not liveable exceptin’ if you were a trout. That’s when the Androscoggin Country Sheriff, one Harold Robbins, came along in a motah boat and pulled up to that second floor windah where Jaspah stood.
“Jaspah,” said Sheriff Robbins, “you’d bettah get in. The weathah report says that ice jam won’t break for a while.”
Jaspah just nodded his head. “No. I’ve prayed about this. God sent me a clear message. Provision will be made and everything will be just fine.” (Slight pause.)
Lattah that night, when Jaspah was on the roof of the house, he could hear the thud, thud, thud sound a helicoptah makes. Soon, a bright light was a shining down on ‘em. He heard a loud speakah shoutin’ at him. A voice said to grab the rope being dropped. He grabbed the rope, threw it off in the watah below, then waved off the crew membah who was hangin’ out the side of the choppah.
He smiled as the thud, thud, thud sound retreated. He knew he would be just fine. (Slight pause.)
Saint Peteah expressed some surprise when Jaspah presented himself there at pearly gates. “Jumpin’ Jehasaphat, Jaspah! We were not expectin’ ya’ this soon,” said the disciple. (Yes. Peter does speak with a Downeast accent. After all, just like a lot of folks who live Downeast, the Saint did make a living catchin’ fish.)
“Well,” said Jaspah, “I don’t know what happened. The flood watahs kept a commin’ and a commin’ and a commin’ and the next thing ya know I be here. I don’t know why. Aftah all, I prayed and God sent me a clear message. Provision will be made. Everything will be just fine.”
Petah did not seem amused. “Jaspah,” the Saint said. “What do you think the row boat, the motah boat and the helicoptah were about? God sent ‘em. What were you expectin’? Archangels are way too busy to be hangin’ out a waitin’ hand and foot on you. They don’t go zoomin’ in just when you need them, ya know.” (Slight pause. The pastor drops the Downeast accent.)
And these words are found in the Tanakh in the Section known as the Prophets in the Scroll of the Twelve: “See, I am sending my Messenger to prepare the way for me; the One whom you long for will suddenly come to the temple. The Messenger of the covenant in whom you delight will come— indeed, this One is coming, says Yahweh, God of hosts,....” (Slight pause.)
As prophecy goes, most scholars think Malachi comes late in the game of prophecy. This work is probably written after the Babylonian Exile, sometime in the Sixth Century Before the Common Era. Hence the prophet speaks to a Jerusalem very much still being reconstructed and reconstituted after the exile.
The message of the Prophet is not a new one for the Jewish people. It is the message of the covenant— the covenant of God with the people of God. This was the message delivered by Moses, the same message delivered by Isaiah, the same message delivered by Jeremiah.
The message? God is. God is with us at all times and in all circumstances. The covenant God makes with humanity is real. And we are to do our best in our time to live out the covenant in our lives.
Indeed, the reason Malachi preached and the problem of the Jewish people in that time and our problem today is a little like the one Jasper had. We need to recognize the work of God, the hand of God, the action of God in our lives.
Please do not mis-understand me. I don’t, for a minute, think the work of God, the hand of God, the action of God in our lives is easy to recognize.
Also a little like our friend Jasper, it can be easier for those around us to recognize the work of God, the hand of God and the action of God than it is for us to see. And just like Jasper, even when we prayerfully consider the work of God, the hand of God, the action of God, we can miss it.
That is where the community of faith which surrounds us can help. We need to listen to those around us. Sometimes— not all the time but sometimes— community of faith who surrounds us can act as messengers of God.
You see, the name Malachi means messenger. So, when I say that most scholars think Malachi comes late to the game of prophecy, I mean that quite literally. Malachi— this messenger— is only repeating what prophets of God have said all along.
Hence, perhaps the real question for the people who were contemporaries of Malachi and the real question for us is simple. Are we listening? (Slight pause.)
So, what does the message of the covenant have to do with Advent and Christmas? Frankly, I sometimes wonder if we are listening. The message of Christmas is repeated year after year after year. Christmas is about the in-breaking of God into our world and into our lives.
The message is this simple: God is. God is with us at all times and in all circumstances. The covenant God makes with humanity is real. And we are to do our best in our time to live out the covenant in our lives. In short, Christmas is about the covenant. It is about the covenant being fulfilled because it is embodied by Jesus, who is the Christ. Amen.
12/09/2012
United Church of Christ, Norwich, New York
ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Congregational Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “We, humanity, are always acquiring new knowledge. And that is wonderful. But the older I get the more worried I am about what we seem to forget. Mathematicians knew the earth was round and had calculated the circumference of it within a 25 mile error 300 years before the birth of the Christ. It took about 1,800 years for that information to be rediscovered. The Ancient Egyptians knew how to make clear glass. That art was lost for about 1,100 years. I could go on an on about things the ancients knew and society forgot, but suffice it to say, my biggest concern is we, humanity forget things. If we remember nothing else about Christmas, we need to remember this: the Advent of the Christ is about the fulfillment of the covenant.”
BENEDICTION: Let us be present to one another as we go from this place. Let us share our gifts, our hopes, our memories, our pain and our joy. Let us go in peace for God is with us. Let us go in joy for God knows every fiber of our being. Let us go in hope for God reveals to us, daily, that we are a part of God’s new creation. Let us go in love, for we rest assured, by Christ, Jesus, that the love of God is steadfast. Amen.
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