The First Sunday of Advent - Rev. Aimee Baxter

Many of you know that my grandfather died recently. I was fortunate to be able to travel over to be with my mom as we went through some of the things in his house to handle the business matters that come with losing a loved one.

When we were in his home, I noticed on top of the coffee pot was a stained napkin with my mom’s handwriting on it that read, “Ready to turn on.” She had drawn a little heart underneath it. It was obvious to me that my mom had left that note as a practical gesture of her love one of the many times she came to care for him. It was also clear to me that his keeping it meant that it was more to him. In this moment, a simple napkin became a sign of the love between my mother and her father.

Signs can come in many forms. Like the one mentioned above, they can be mementos or tokens of someone’s presence and affection in our lives. We have said more than once around here the last couple weeks that we see signs of Rebecca all over the office and the church.

They can also serve as indicators of something going on – good or bad. We can sense when things aren’t as they should be in relationships or our surroundings. In our house, we often say, “Read the room.” What we mean is – look for the signs.

In addition, signs can be informational and directional. There are actual signs on the roadway that tell us where to go, how fast to go, when to exit. And sometimes they slow us down because we’re going a bit too fast. Y’all know those ones that flash at you and call you out.

Signs can be path markers or teachers that most often require our focus and attention. They can push us or prompt us to do something more. A friend’s words. Something you’ve read. A chance encounter with a stranger. Any of these things can orient us and point us in a new direction.

When I think about these kinds of signs in my life, one particular instance comes to mind. At our previous church in Columbus, I began as a church member and spouse of a church employee. Shannon was Youth Minister and I was serving as the Preschool Director at (oddly enough) St. Thomas Episcopal Church. St. Thomas and I go way back!

Our church had an opening for a part-time associate pastor come available mid-year. If you know anything about the Methodist appointment system, that’s rare. I was not ordained yet, but working towards it so I found this opportunity intriguing. I was wrestling with both the good and the bad of working with your spouse in that context. It seemed like the perfect fit, and yet I was concerned about taking that leap.

On Sunday morning, the announcement was made from the pulpit. I again wrestled with what to do. I only spoke to a couple of people in my close circle about it. That afternoon I went to drop something off at a church member’s house. She opened the door and before we could even exchange hellos said, “You know what you need to do.”

Stunned, I asked her what she was talking about and she and I did this back and forth, “Oh, you know!” and “Um, no I don’t.” a couple of times. Finally, she looked at me and proclaimed, “You need to put your name in the hat.”

My heart fell to my feet. How did she know?

She proceeded to tell me that when the announcement was made that morning, she looked at me and a light rested on me. What you need to know is that there were no windows in our sanctuary. I know that’s hard to believe – who doesn’t put windows in a sanctuary, but I digress. She went on to say that she felt God say to her, “She’s the one.”

I didn’t know what to say except for, “Okay, thanks for letting me know that.”

Long story short. I served at that church as their Associate Pastor for 10 years.

Some signs come to us clearly and inexplicably leaving us scratching our heads a bit. Did that really just happen? Does God speak to people in that way?

Others are harder to understand. We may not see them or they can seem scary at first. I often find myself trying to discern what to make of signs. While the sign from my friend I mentioned earlier solidified something I had been praying about, it’s not always that clear cut. It is quite possible that someone can try to steer us in the wrong direction. That maybe not all signs are trustworthy. We saw Jesus warning us about that in our gospel a couple weeks ago– beware of the false prophets.

There’s a bit of a complex relationship between what we are told will be signs of God’s activity in the world and what we see happening. It’s comforting to know that God speaks to us in a myriad of ways. Remember the story of Elijah in that cave. He was demanding from God a big moment -something like a light shining on him as an indicator of what to do next. What he got was God showing up with a still, small voice telling him to eat a snack and take a nap.

Signs are just as important in our faith journey. Worship is a sign to God of our faithfulness. The fact that God is here with us is a sign of God’s faithfulness to us.

Our theology tells us that sacraments are an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.

We see the importance of signs throughout the Scriptures.

The rainbow is a sign that it will never flood again.

During the Passover, the Israelites are told, “The blood on the doorposts will be a sign to mark the houses in which you live.” (Exodus 12:13)

Gideon sets the fleece out overnight multiple times looking for a sign from God.

Thomas asks Jesus for a sign that it’s really him.

Our Christmas story is filled with signs and wonders. The star is a guidepost. The shepherds are told, “This is the sign to you – you will find a babe wrapped in strips of cloth lying in a manger.”

Sometimes signs in our scriptures can be a bit alarming. The language in our gospel presents us with different ways of viewing these signs from God.

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

I don’t know about y’all but that has the potential to take me down a pretty dark road of fear and questioning.

But then right behind it, the Scripture goes on to tell us that these are the signs that the Son of Man is coming, and to stand with our heads lifted high because our redemption is near. Suddenly, it doesn’t feel scary at all.

Jesus goes on to tell the people that “When you see these things taking place, you know that the Kingdom of God is drawing near.”

The Kingdom of God is drawing near. That’s Advent in a nutshell.

What’s so beautiful about the Advent season, is that we see a lot of signs around us. Christmas décor is in full swing. It’s been out for a few weeks now. We know something is coming. We can even see it here in our worship space. There’s evidence of newness among us. The liturgical color has shifted to blue. The Advent Wreath has been brought in. Our music selections are anticipatory.

Advent is about quieting ourselves enough to discern which signs are leading us to God, and which of them are not.

I saw a sign at a restaurant recently that said, “X number of shopping days left.” No, thank you. That is not helpful. That ain’t it.

Advent is a time to turn to the signs that the Kingdom is drawing near. It’s hard to do, but they are all around if we lift our heads high knowing our redemption is near.

Look for the signs of God’s goodness and faithfulness in the coming birth of Christ. Make an Advent wreath. Light the candles along the way. Say the prayers. The Advent wreaths are a visible sign of the longing and waiting.

Pick up one of our Advent prayer pages and pray for our community over the next four weeks. The prayers and devotional books serve as guideposts to light the path for us.

Engage in the mission opportunities to sponsor a child’s toy or deliver cookies on Christmas. These are signs of God’s love in the world.

Mary Oliver, a poet whose work is used as one of our Advent prayer resources, puts it this way. “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”

Pay attention. Hold your head high. Look for the signs. The Kingdom of God is drawing near.