Dressed and Ready (1): For a Do-Over

2014/11/30
Christ Church, Mountain Top, Advent 1

Message,
Isaiah 64.1-9, Mark 13.24-37

Opening
theme:

Do-over,
learned from school yard kick-ball

Children:

Getting
ready for Christmas

Getting
ready for Jesus coming

      To build something better, sometimes you
need to tear down

      Building blocks

Message
body:

We
went on a journey this week

      Oliver at the door when we returned from
York

      Oliver waiting for Robin to arrive

Contradiction:

      Fig tree – summer is near

      Day and hour no one knows, not the angels
or even the Son

Living
as if the time is near

      Theologically, Jesus’ coming inaugurates
the end times and his crucifixion and resurrection is the “beginning of the end”

      Awake (not sleeping, Oliver) – READY

            Sleep
walking through life

      DRESSED (not in your jammies, or yesterday’s)

Even
heaven and earth need a fresh start, a do-over

      No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor
thorns infest the ground

      He comes to make his blessings flow, far
as the curse is found

We
need a do-over

      But if it is only about a second chance …
we’re just not good enough

            Eustace, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, shedding his dragon skin

      We need a make-over

            All our righteous deeds are like
filthy rags (Isa 64.6)

                  Dirty rags

            Even our goodness is polluted –
motive, kindness in return

      We need some new clothes