As we enter into this Advent Season, we are entering a sacred time in our Church year as we ready ourselves for the arrival of Christ. We're also entering into a sacred time of our secular life. This time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a season of parties. It's a season of shopping -- for the perfect gift, yes. But, also for the perfect outfit to wear as we attend these parties -- as we head to school Holiday concerts -- as we meet friends out for a special Christmas lunch -- as we think about what we are going to wear to the Christmas Eve service this year.
     In our secular life, the holiday shop windows call to us. They dictate the physical look of the season. Festive ties for men. Suits for little boys. Sparkly shirts for women. Flouncy red and green velvet dresses for little girls. Shop windows aren't the only things that call to us, though. In our religious life, our Biblical Scripture calls to us. It dictates our spiritual look for this Season of Advent and beyond.
     Our Scripture lessons for today from Romans and the Gospel of Matthew give us great tips regarding our Advent look. They tell us how Christ will recognize us as his own when he comes again. Both talk about the importance of staying awake - of being ready. As much as people throughout the course of history have tried to predict the second coming of Christ or the end of the world, we don't know the day or hour that Christ will come.
     Matthew tells us that the days before Jesus comes again will be very ordinary. People will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, and working at their daily tasks. We'll be experiencing that daily grind. Get up, eat breakfast, go to work, get home, make dinner, watch tv, go to bed. Get up, eat breakfast, go to work, get home, make dinner, watch tv, go to bed. Get up. . . you know the drill.
     And you know what happens sometimes when you get stuck in the daily grind. You lose your sense of priorities. Life gets so busy, God is not in your face like your kid or your boss, so it's easy to let God, your faith, your religious life fall out of focus or away altogether. The Advent look Matthew says is all the rage this Season is bright eyes. Wide eyes that are awake and aware. Aware of Christ's coming at any time. Aware of the importance of setting God as a priority even in the midst of our daily grind - even in the midst of our very ordinary life.
     Beyond being awake, the reading from Romans asks us to wear three things: love, the armor of light and Jesus Christ himself. Often, we think of love as something we do, but anyone who has even been in love knows that it is also a look. You can see love in someone's eyes. You can see love through someone's actions. One way that Jesus Christ will recognize you is by seeing you love your neighbor as yourself. Love is a must in your Advent look.
     Romans also talks about putting on the armor of light - living an honorable life. No doubt each of us strives for this. Who doesn't want to live honorably and with goodness and integrity? Still, it is not always easy. We will all fail at this in big and small ways throughout our lives. Despite our best intentions, sometimes we find ourselves succumbing to a darkness that is deep and surprising. And the darkness perpetuates itself -- it feeds on itself.
     From this place of darkness, we have two options. We stay in the dark. Or, we put on the armor of light that exposes the darkness and breaks it wide open. It's scary to expose our darkness. It takes incredible courage and faith. Sometimes, we can't do it on our own. And it is in those times that we especially put our trust in Jesus Christ who has come to be the Light of the World. Our passage from Romans ends by telling us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. When we can't muster our own light, when our light is too dim, Jesus provides our light for us. His light exposes our every darkness. His light shines forgiveness and grace into every shadowed corner of our lives.
     So, you have your Advent look. Your eyes are bright and awake. You're wearing love, the armor of light and Jesus Christ himself. I'd say you're ready for a party. And not just any party, but the party of all parties. God is your host. The invitation was delivered to you by Jesus Christ when he died on the cross for the sins of the world. The date of the party is not quite clear, but here is what you can expect -- at least according to our text from Isaiah for today.
     First of all, get ready for a crowd because people from all nations are invited and they will come. Secondly, get ready to learn something. God wants to continually teach us His ways and guide us on His paths. Thirdly, leave your guns, knives, swords and hatred at home. God's righteous judgement will come down at this party and peace will prevail from it. Swords will be beaten into plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks. War will no longer be our reality. Finally, wear your sunglasses. At this party of all parties, we are going to walk in the light of the Lord! Amen.



Bring a long, blue ribbon to worship. Tie it around the kids wrists and tell them that blue is the color of Advent. Blue is the color of hope. We wait for Jesus our Savior with much hope. He offers us incredible hope when we need it in our lives.
(S & S p. 20)