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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007 Ordination of Louise Christensen
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
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1st Sunday of
Advent (A) In the Name of our coming Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen! One of my favorite movies that I have ever seen is National Lampoon’s Vacation. It is a film detailing a vacation trip by the Clark Griswold family as they travel in their station wagon to the destination of “Wally World” on the other side of the country. There were all kinds of funny scenes in the movie, but one that I especially remember was about the family in the car after a long day of driving. The scene begins by showing the station wagon cruising along on an interstate highway. We hear the music playing on the radio. Then the scene goes down into the station wagon itself and shows the two kids sleeping in the back seat. It goes up front and shows Mrs. Griswold on the passenger side – also sleeping. Finally, it shows Mr. Clark Griswold – Chevy Chase – as he is driving the car – and, of course, HE ALSO is fast asleep as the station wagon is going along on cruise control!! It’s a hilarious scene, but its also one that hits a little close to home for many of us! Many, if not most of us here, have probably had a similar experience! I know that I like to set my car on cruise control – especially on the highways here in eastern Montana – and then just go on mile after mile. Sometimes (as my wife Carol keeps telling me!) my attention starts to wander and my senses become a bit dulled. After miles and miles of everything seeming to be the same, I sometimes tend to be less alert and watchful than I should be for those occasional unexpected occurrences that may come up – such as a deer crossing the road, or a sharp curve, or a big truck or farm machine suddenly appearing as I approach the top of a hill. Are any of these things true for the rest of us as we drive? I have a feeling that they are! And what is true for us in our driving can be even more so for us in our LIVES. Too often, we tend to live our lives as if we are on “cruise control” – where we are not as alert as we should be to changes that may be happening around us, and thereby setting ourselves up for missed opportunities or possible disasters. That is what Jesus is talking about in today’s gospel from the 24th chapter of Matthew. As he says: “For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.” The great sin of people in Noah’s day was not necessarily gross immorality or flagrant idolatry. It was rather that they put too much emphasis on the normal cares and necessities of life. They were concerned about eating and drinking – and so are we – especially during this holiday period of the year of Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year’s. They were concerned about weddings – and so are we. We all know how much time and effort people put into trying to make a wedding day the most absolutely perfect day possible – and to them nothing can be more important than that. I am sure that the people of Noah’s day were also concerned about their jobs, their hobbies, their parties, their clubs and associations, and many other interests and obligations as well – and so are we. Meanwhile, they failed to listen for and be attentive to God’s message that they needed to make changes in their lives. Instead, their lives were on “cruise control” so that they kept on living and doing same old things the same way as they always had – and as a result they were totally surprised and swept away when the flood came. Jesus goes on to say in today’s gospel text: “Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” This saying has often been misunderstood. Some Christians, especially those who have a more fundamentalist point of view, think that this means that the Lord’s coming will a sudden, cataclysmic event called THE RAPTURE in which those who are righteous will ascend up into heaven – and everyone else will be LEFT BEHIND. But that is not what Jesus is saying. The Greek word for “taken” (paralambanomai) does not mean “to be taken up” but rather “to go along with.” In other words, it is what the disciples did when Jesus called them to come and follow him. When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, James and John, Matthew, and the others, they were willing to consider a new direction for their lives. They were willing to leave what they were doing – their fishing, tax collecting, or whatever – in order to go along with and follow Jesus. In the same way, Jesus continues to call US to go along with him. Jesus is CONSTANTLY coming to us and calling us to grow in our faith and in our relationship with him. Jesus’ invitations are usually not dramatic or earth-shattering, but seem to be rather ordinary. For example, Jesus invites us to be an active part of this faith community called Pella Lutheran Church. He invites us to grow in our service to each other and our neighbors. A couple of weeks ago, many of us on Consecration Sunday heard Jesus’ invitation to grow in our stewardship giving. And I can go on and on… These invitations may seem to be rather ordinary to most people, but they can be very real and life changing calls to those who are ready to listen and respond! If we are awake and alert to our Lord’s call, our lives will end up being very different from what they have been before. For it is when we listen to Jesus’ call and go along with him in small but real ways that we truly begin to experience his love, and joy, and peace. And as we go along with Jesus, that is when we are ready to meet whatever storms and floods that life may throw at us. A major message of this Advent Season is that Jesus is coming into our world and into our lives, and there is nothing that can ever be more important than that. May our hearts be attuned to that understanding, so that when he comes and calls us we will always be ready and willing to step off the cruise control of what we normally do in our day-to-day existence – and go along with him. Yes, Jesus is coming! Our Lord is coming! He is coming indeed! May we always be ready to meet him! Thanks be to God, and Happy Advent, everyone! Amen! -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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