December 5, 2004; The Second Sunday of Advent Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12; Psalm 72:1-8.   The Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith The God of Hope In his letter to the Romans, Paul describes God as the God of encouragement, the God of steadfastness, and the God of hope. What a great way to think of God during Advent. For as we wait and prepare for Christmas, God is steadfast, encouraging and calling forth hope within us. Through the scriptures, Paul tells us, God gives us that encouragement. What from our readings gives you encouragement today? Isaiah speaks of justice and peace coming to the world. The prophet Isaiah has great hope for all who seek justice. The prophet’s image of the wolf and lamb lying down together captures our imagination. Though we often see the opposite of righteousness and peace, I am encouraged by these words because they speak to a deep human desire. They speak to our desire for equality among all people and peace. These words are themselves evidence that hope exists. Hope exists because if we—humanity—are able to imagine something, it can happen. God encourages such desires in us. God came to us, to be with us, to live those desires as one of us—to show us the way. The first Christians were known as followers of the Way. For in Jesus, people saw the words of Isaiah come to life. The spirit of the Lord was upon him, and all things were possible. Peace and justice were possible. For we who strive to follow the way of Jesus, peace and justice are still possible. God is steadfast—God will lead us and guide us if we are willing to follow. The season of Advent encourages us to enter the mystery of God afresh. Though we may think that we know the story well, God may come to us with a new possibility this Christmas. Maybe this Christmas will be a new beginning in your faith journey. By taking some time this Advent to rest in the mystery of our faith, we prepare the way for Jesus to be born in us again. John the Baptist provided encouragement with an edge. He shocked many by the way he looked and the things that he said. "Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near." "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" A bit harsh, we might say. Well, you know that John; he’s living out in the wilderness, barley clothed and eating locusts. He was bound to get a bit tightly strung. We hear that many did repent. John was charismatic and he had a powerful message. John pointed out that God’s justice and God’s judgment are linked. As the events of Jesus’ life developed, we also came to see God’s great mercy and compassion for all. John the Baptist was not called to talk about mercy. John tells us to repent because the kingdom of heaven has come near. His is a call to get real. Focus on what really matters. Be honest with yourself about what needs to be forgiven in your life. Don’t cling to your past—but rather look to your future—the future to which God is calling you. John’s message confronted and challenged, but also contained hope. While all prophets talk about God’s judgment; they also have a message of hope that depends not on our abilities but on God’s power to transform. We are to prepare the way for God in our day, in our lives. How might you prepare the way for God? It doesn’t take a lot. I think about how others prepared the way for God in my life. Growing up, I visited my grandparents in Richmond often. Their next door neighbors, Nancy and Donald Dawe, were always kind to me and invited me for meals with their family. We would play board games. At some point I came to know that Donald was a professor at the Presbyterian Seminary. I was always glad that they never tried to talk about religion with me. They didn’t need to talk about it. They lived it through their kindness and concern for me and for many others. Later, when I started to realized what the Christian faith might actually be about—love and justice; and when I experienced the presence of God in my life in an undeniable and unexplainable way, I called them up. Nancy and Donald were two of my sponsors when I was baptized at the age of 24. When we act with kindness and love, we prepare the way. When we care for each other and those in need, we prepare the way. We prepare the way for God to strengthen us and lead us. We prepare the way for God to enter a life through us. We prepare the way for God to change lives. We prepare the way for faith to bloom by showing others what being a Christian means in practice—day to day, in the small things. We prepare the way for others to know the steadfastness, the encouragement and the hope of God. Advent is a time to prepare for God. We prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We prepare to celebrate the great hope of our world. Advent is a time of patient waiting with great expectation. During this holy season of Advent: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Amen.