29 Nov - What If We Don't Worry?

Advent is a time of paradox for Christians. Society is focused on getting ready for the holidays – Black Friday…Cyber Monday – time to get all the deals at the stores and online. But Advent is actually theologically focused on the future. It’s not focused on the Nativity. The Nativity is passed; God has come among us already. But rather, it’s focused on the Parousia – a fancy word for the second coming; that’s the future.

Jesus, in his lesson to the disciples, is trying to prepare them for the Parousia. And he warns of three things that can get in the way of that preparation. The first is dissipation. Dissipation is the opposite of stewardship. It is wastefulness and consumption for just that purpose. Then, there’s drunkenness and I’m not sure that Jesus means specifically alcohol. I think he means anything that dulls our senses and that gets in the way of our mental and physical abilities. And finally, he says: “the worries of this life” – this life. Worry is the opposite of faith. Worry is spending a great deal of energy on nothing. There is nothing to show for worry.

Life is full of changes. There are marriages, births, graduations, changing jobs, retirement, even death. And all of those – even though they’re endings – are also new beginnings filled with hope and joy.



Worries. I’m a worrywart; I fully admit it. And though I’m not going to share all my worries with you, know that I hope to move through and let go of them this Advent. I think it’s interesting to think about the focus of worry. What’s our perspective? Lindy Black, a theologian, wrote about the parable that’s in Luke’s gospel about the fig tree. One might look at that parable and think: oh, it’s a warning for the doom. But Lindy writes that she views the fig tree as a promise of hope. It’s really hard to let go of the old. But if we let go of the old, we make room for God who is already present.

What worries do you have?

What might happen if you let them go?

Peace,

The Rev. M.E. Eccles, LPC