Sermon – 12-03-23 – Advent 1 – Cycle B
Scriptures: Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37
Sermon Title: “We Are Called Into the Fellowship of the Baby”

The Baby Beckons
I know for 2023, the baby does not lie in the manger on the first Sunday in December. But we feel the beckoning call. As we anticipate seeing the baby in the manger on December 24, we, even now, start feeling the vibes. When we see a baby, we first enjoy the delight of a happy baby. We could sit and watch a baby for a long time. After a while we start thinking of how this baby will grow and grow into adulthood. What has God planned for this baby to be? We hope that the baby’s life will become what God has planned for the baby to become.

While we sit in the presence of this innocent child, maybe even holding the precious baby, our bodies relax, our big concerns find a holding place in our brains and hearts. We experience joy with this new life. Then with reluctance, we need to leave the baby and return to our own world. But do we need to return to all the worries and anxieties and the daily tug-of-war with the clock?

Once we are out of our struggles while we sit with the baby, why go back? Once we have tasted this relaxed hope, why should we shun it? Even while we go about our daily tasks, a song may arise in our hearts and minds and even from our own vocal cords and we float into the relaxed hope we felt with the baby.

But wait, my active mind screams, “Does God want me to be this cozy with relaxation and hope – the hope that all babies could be what God planned for them to be. Then I am reminded of all the lost adults who once were babies but are now killing people because they feel like killing someone.

What happened to the hope for those babies? What did society not provide for them? Many people would say spankings were not provided for them. My thinking is that love and care and enough food were not provided for the children. They were not introduced to Jesus in a loving way. They were not invited into the presence of the holy baby, Jesus.

That made room for our enemy Satan to move in and move in Satan did. We who have been invited into the fellowship of the Baby Jesus are expected to spread the ring of fellowship. We need to fill the space with love and acceptance. This way the despair we hear in our scriptures today will have no room to exist. There does not need to be separation from our God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There does not need to be room for Satan.

Our scriptures today are focused on the second coming of Jesus while our hearts are glued to the first coming of the baby. Well, someone has said that the second coming of Jesus will not happen until we, the people of God, invite every soul on earth into the realm of God. Do we want Jesus to come again? Do we want a perfect kingdom on earth? Then we need to do more inviting. Oh, but it is just so nice to stay with the baby. But that is a bit too easy! We need to assure children and young people and adults and the people nearing the end of their earthly lives that when Jesus comes the second time, God’s goal for us, his people, will be achieved. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful. By him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” We have been called by the baby; called by Jesus, the man; called by Jesus, the very Son of God. Can we make ourselves share this invitation with everyone? God will help us! Amen