Reuben's Sermon for the 2nd. Sunday of Advent. Sunday, 9th. December 2001 Anno Domini. (cycle A):

EVENSONG
1830hrs. at Saint George's - Cullercoats (Diocese of Newcastle) - England.

Psalm & Readings: Psalm: 11. 1Kings: 18.17-39. John: 1.19-28.

Psalm 11 (RSV)
1 ¶ To the choirmaster. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to me, "Flee like a bird to the mountains;
2 for lo, the wicked bend the bow, they have fitted their arrow to the string, to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
3 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do"?
4 ¶ The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids test, the children of men.
5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and his soul hates him that loves violence.
6 On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and brimstone; a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the LORD is righteous, he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

Reuben's Sermon:

Reuben's Theme: "As the prophet Isaiah said..."

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

It's that time of year again, isn't it?
The shops have been playing, what they like to call, "Christmas music" since mid-October.
Christmas lights are already up in many places.
Children are getting excited and parents are getting stressed.
And there's still over two weeks before Christmas STARTS!
and I'll remind you that it's not just the Pagan 12 days, but the full Christian 40 day festival that starts on 25th. December.
It seems to me like the people of this country (and many others) have lost their faith, their religion, and the real meaning of Christmas.

In our first reading tonight we have a confrontation between Ahab and Elijah.
Ahab, on seeing Elijah greets him with insults, "It's you! You troubler of Israel"
Elijah answers. "Me? Na-ahh!! More like you!! and your family!!! because you have abandoned the Lord's commandments and followed the Baals!"
Baal was a god the Canaanites worshipped
You see, the people of Israel were a nation that was lost. Some still worshipping the Lord God but some worshipping Baal the Canaanite god and many worshipping both!
There's nothing like hedging your bets is there?
Their faith, their very religion, had been diluted into an incepted nothingness - a meaningless non-committal compromise.
Elijah pokes fun at them!
"How long will you go limping with two different opinions?"
He goes on, "If the Lord is God follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him!"
The people of Israel are so lost they cannot even come up with an answer. The people of Israel did not answer him a word.
So the scene is set.
There they are - on Mount Carmel.
The people of Israel, somewhat lost and characteristically confused.
In the red corner; Ahab and 450 prophets of Baal.
In the blue corner, Elijah... ...and God.
(Guess who's going to win).
Elijah sets the challenge.
Two bulls are to be selected, prepared for sacrifice and laid in pieces.
He even gives the prophets of Baal first choice.
All is ready.
Elijah tells them that they should call on their god to bring fire down on the sacrifice they have prepared...
and
he will call on the Lord God to do the same for the sacrifice he has prepared.
"Go for it!" say the people of Israel.
or, to put it in the words we heard earlier, "It is well spoken."
So the prophets of Baal call upon their god from morning until noon, saying, "O Baal, answer us!" but there was no voice, and no one answered.
And I like this bit..
They limped about the altar which they made.
By midday Elijah is in good form.
He mocks them splendidly.
"Cry aloud for he is a god!"
"Either he is musing"
"or has he gone aside"
"or is he on a journey"
"or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened!"
I can almost hear the words "Perhaps he's gone out for a drink, or is he at home watching the telly... ...he could be out shopping!"
Elijah really makes them look stupid... ...and rightly so.
When finally Elijah calls on The Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, the fire of the Lord not only falls upon the offering, the wood and the stones and the dust, but also evaporates the water in the trench put round (obviously as a safety measure).
The people of Israel realise that the Lord is God.
They fall on their faces saying, "The Lord He is God, The Lord He is God!"
So we have a people, who were lost and now they are found.

In our second reading tonight, from the Gospel according to John, we are told of John the Baptist, and how his dramatic preaching attracted much attention. But he directs the attention away from himself.
When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"
He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed,
"I am not the Christ."
And they asked him,
"What then? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the prophet?"
And he answered, "No."
They said to him then,
"Who are you?
Let us have an answer for those who sent us.
What do you say about yourself?"
John tells them, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."
He goes on to announce that the one who comes after him, the true Christ, the Lord and Saviour, is already on earth among them.

Two readings.
Two prophets.
Both guiding the people to the true God.

What do these readings have to do with us today.
What do these readings have to do with us now.
The second Sunday of Advent.
15 days before Christmas.
Over the next two weeks, take a look around you.
When you're out shopping, or with friends, or at home watching the television.
See what Christmas means to the people of our country.
The shops have been playing, what they like to call, "Christmas music" since mid-October.
Christmas lights are already up in many places.
Children are getting excited and parents are getting stressed.
And there's still over two weeks before the festival of Christmas STARTS!
You will see that most people of this country (and many others) have lost their faith, their religion, and the real meaning of Christmas.

Richard Sanderson, was commissioned, here in this church this morning.
A missionary in Colombia.

Tonight, my faithful friends, YOU have a commission.
Missionaries in Tyneside.

YOU must show, by example, what the festival of Christmas, which starts on 25th. December, should mean to us all.
YOU must turn the hearts of those you meet, in your daily lives, to the Lord our God.
YOU must commit yourselves to being Christians this Christmas.
YOU must not let anything come between you and your religious obligations.
YOU must be prepared to stand faithfully by all that is true to your Christian faith and The Lord our God.

When you buy your Christmas tree, buy it from the man at the Quarry in Whitley Bay, because he is the only one who has bothered to spell Christmas properly on his sign.
Not Xmas like everyone else. (Xmas is a blashpamy!)
And when you buy your tree from him, tell him how much you appreciate the fact that our Saviour's name hasn't been replaced by an annonymous "X"!
When relations or friends want to come round, when you should be at church - bring them too.
If they won't come, tell them they'll have to come another time, because there is someone more important in your life.
JESUS!

Our faith, our very religion, must not been diluted into an incepted nothingness - a meaningless non-committal compromise of what Christmas has become and what Christmas should be.

OR

What our faith has become and what our faith should be.
"I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."
Our faith, our very religion, must come first.

We must turn to the true God this Christmastide.
The Lord - He is God.

We must spread the word to everyone this Christmastide.
Jesus Christ - He is our Saviour.

We have 15 days till the festival of Christmas starts.

My faithful friends...

You... ...the evensong brigade.

I comission you all!

Prepare!

Make straight the way of the Lord!
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

©Reuben Condie 09/12/2001.