I Ain't Gonna Study War No More

"I Ain't Gonna Study War No More"
a condensed version of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, December 2, 2007 at Union Congregational Church in Somonauk, Illinois.

PODCAST of "I Ain't Gonna Study War No More"

This Morning's Scripture reading is:
Isaiah 2:1-5

How to begin?

I’m not asking a question about how to begin this morning’s sermon – but I am posing a question that I think is much more complicated. ("Oh no! It’s going to be complicated today? I was hoping for something that was easier to listen to. I hope he doesn’t use any big words. And I hope I don’t fall asleep today!")

Maybe complicated isn’t the right word. I think the question "How to begin?" has many layers as it relates to this morning’s Bible reading and the new season of Advent – getting ready to celebrate Jesus birth. (Layers? Like when Shrek was talking to Donkey about onions and Donkey didn’t understand that he was really talking about how there were many layers to his emotions and the scene really made me laugh and mmmmmmm – I wonder if they’re any of that pumpkin layer cake left from Thanksgiving. Maybe I should go to the store and get more layer cake for dessert today after church?)

There’s just more to the question of how to begin – and sometimes our problem is getting distracted by so many other things before we even begin to get ready.

The problem of getting distracted or simply ignoring this "getting ready" time of Advent before Christmas isn’t new to us, or to our parent’s generation. It’s been going on for a long time. This month in The Messenger, I quoted Congregational Pastor Cotton Mather – who in 1712 said,

"The Feast of Christ’s Nativity is spent in Reveling, Dicing, Carding, Masking, and in all Licentious Liberty … by Mad Mirth, by long Eating, by hard Drinking, by lewd Gaming, by rude Reveling …"

For a long time we’ve taken the time of preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and made it into something stressful – something that doesn’t look at all like waiting and anticipation but more like chaos.

And this week's Bible reading from Isaiah 2:1-5 shines like a beacon of hope in the midst of chaos. The chapter before and the verses right after are filled with warnings of the consequences for ignoring God’s commands to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan and plead for the widow. The chapter before and the verses right after describe the destruction of the enemy at the hands of God – the champion of the underdog. This week’s Bible reading is a dream of peace and justice when everything around is anything but peaceful and just. It's an anticipation of something glorious when everything around seems shameful. It's an invitation to anticipate what could be when all we can see is the devastation of what is.

A dream of something better to come speaks well to any who are enduring hardship, exploitation, violence, tragedy and devastation. But this week's reading may not speak as well to any who live in comfort, peace and prosperity. However, the theme of waiting and anticipation for what God is doing and will continue to do is something I think everyone can learn from.

We just might learn from it in different ways. What if we learned from the "yelling preacher" style?

(In best caricature of a Television Preacher with a growling voice)

My brothers and sisters -- You'd better be in preparation for the coming of your salvation. Turn from you warring and confrontation. Get ready for the Christmas celebration. Set your eyes on God’s accommodations and walk the road reconciliation!

Maybe some would learn from a more scholarly approach --

(Very scholarly-sounding voice with a know-it-all look on the face)

This morning’s Bible reading is about waiting. It’s waiting patiently in anticipation of something wonderful on the horizon. This kind of waiting, as opposed to the negatively associated state of procrastination, indicates not laziness, but rather patience and anticipation for something that will happen.

Some would hear that and be moved by it—others’ might think, ‘Blah blah blah!"

Maybe I could try the "attempting to be way too hip" way:

(42-year old tries to sound a bit "teenagery" style)

All right, check it out -- this is off the hook, people. The deal is . . . here's the thing. What is happening in your life now is getting you ready for what is coming. Check it out -- God wants you to stay away from the bad stuff -- and pay attention to the good stuff -- while you're getting ready for what God is gonna do. What's that gonna be? Its gonna be a time where people work and play together without killing each other. It's gonna be a time where instead of making guns -- we'll make tools to grow food together. Can you imagine it? It's coming and we're just supposed to get ready for it!

Some would laugh at that style, while others would sit in their seats and just be scared.

Maybe a children's sermon style?

(Mister Rogers or Children's TV show host-sounding voice)

What do you do to get ready for the day? Do you brush your teeth? Do you eat breakfast? How do you get ready for something that you're really excited about? How about getting ready for Christmas? Do you tell people that you're excited about what's going to happen? Do you think about what's going to happen all the time? Well, I think that when you get excited about how much God loves you and how God helps you you can tell other people that too! And you can still be excited and get ready for what God is gonna do next!

Any of those styles might get the message across. Today we’re entering into a season of hope and our call is to turn away from what is bad and to turn to what is good.

And I think in this call there’s an invitation not to get wrapped up in the business of getting ready. It’s an invitation to wait and anticipate what we’re getting ready to celebrate

Waiting and anticipation are great states of mind to have as we start Advent. We’re preparing to celebrate Christ's birth. We know that something great is coming.

But -- we’re not sure how it's going to play out. Waiting and anticipation will get us ready to expect God to act. Waiting and anticipation will help us to listen to what God is calling us to do now and what God is calling us to do in the future. Waiting and anticipation acknowledge that God is nowhere near finished with things. God is still acting, moving, challenging, loving and speaking.

And as we’re waiting and anticipating, what will God be doing with us? Will we do a better job of focusing our lives on God’s direction instead of our own? Will we do a better job of reaching out with love to be reconciled the people with whom we’ve been in conflict? Will we be actively praying for and seeking ways for all to beat our swords into plowshares, and our spears into pruning hooks?

Over the next four weeks -- and, yes, beyond them too - I hope we're going to spend time waiting. I don't expect it to be quiet waiting. -- Instead I'm looking forward to excited, anticipatory and active searching! How can we look for what God is doing - How will we go where God is leading? Let's seek to reach out to all we can to share the hope -- and say to one another -- "Come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!"

Let’s listen to our prophets of peace – let’s not be distracted by the glitz and the stress of the season. Let’s prepare for a great celebration of the birth of Jesus – the prince of peace. Let’s turn from things born of stress and conflict and decide we ain’t gonna study war no more.

Close with prayer