Dear Friends,
The Advent season is approaching. Traditionally, Advent consists of the four Sundays preceding Christmas Day. Each year, in the cycle of preaching texts that I (and many other pastors) use (the Narrative Lectionary) the Advent season is populated with the voices of prophets from the Hebrew Bible. This year is no exception. In fact, what I am noticing is that this year the collection of prophetic voices begins a couple of Sundays ahead of the official Advent season… this coming Sunday to be precise. I am tempted to declare that Advent this year will be six weeks long instead of the usual four weeks. I am not really going to declare this (I don’t think I have that kind of authority!) But honestly, what could it hurt if we started a little early in our attempt to lean in to the hope-filled anticipation that is such a hallmark of the season that sets us up for our Christmas celebration?
So let’s talk about some of the things these prophetic voices have in common:
First, they are usually spoken/written to people who are experiencing, or are about to experience, a big disruption to the activities, routines and rituals that comprise their “normal” lives. The disruption in this case is exile, literally being uprooted and taken from all that is familiar into a strange land, with strange customs, where your neighbors are also your conquerors and oppressors. Since the cause of this disruption is often attributed to sin—the human penchant to fail to treat ones fellow humans humanely—these folks are likely to feel that this disruption is a sign that God has abandoned them, even as God continues to promise to always be their God.
Second, they tend to call for repentance –a change of mind, heart, attitude and behaviors– away from ways that are unloving, unfair and unjust, toward lives that reflect God’s heart for justice and right relationships.
Third, often these texts will afflict the comfortable —those who have gained what they have at the expense of others— while also comforting the afflicted —the poor, the marginalized, etc.
Fourth, there is usually always an element of hope in these texts. While the coming days might look dire and the times ahead are going to be tough, the prophets keep reminding us that God is ultimately in charge and is using this disruption to do something new, something that will be life giving for everyone—comfortable and afflicted alike.
Fifth, these texts of disruption and restoration held such resonance for future generations looking back that they could not help but connect the dots between the ancient prophetic witness and the Gospel stories of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
In the midst of reading from the voices of Amos, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, I have also become captivated by another voice, a contemporary voice, the voice of popular singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile. On the first day of October of this year, Brandi released her seventh studio album,
In These Silent Days. The third song on that album is called
This Time Tomorrow. In this song, Brandi’s words echo the voice of God spoken through these ancient prophetic voices.
Like Amos’ condemnation of worship devoid of neighborly love…
… may you fight to kill that deafening sound
Like Jeremiah’s exhortation to the exiled people…
… you will feel like a stranger in this land
Like Ezekiel’s vision of an exiled people…
… a broken spirit may dry out the bone
Like Isaiah’s people description of a people who walked in great darkness…
… it can be hard to see the ground on which you stand
And finally, in the song’s powerful refrain, she deftly captures the tension between Divine Absence and Divine Promise…
… you know I may not be around this time tomorrow, but I'll always be with you
I invite you to click here to listen to Brandi sing this song along with her bandmates, Tim and Phil Hanseroth. God spoke to us then. God continues to speak to us now. This song, along with the voices of the ancient Hebrew prophets will haunt our days as we journey together to the manger with hope-filled anticipation for the coming of the Christ child, Emanuel, God With Us (
I’ll always be with you.)
God’s peace in a world that sorely needs it,
Pastor David
