As we gather, we recognize that we live, work, pray, and play
in the traditional, unceded lands
of the Cowichan Tribes and Coast Salish People. 
We continue to commit ourselves
to the work of reconciliation and relationship-building
with our First Nations neighbours.     

Call to Worship:

Look up and raise your heads,
because
your redemption is drawing near.

Luke 21.28

O Come. Let Us Worship. 

Gathering 

Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden.
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the
inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Collect for Today 

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life
in which your Son Jesus Christ
came to us in great humility,
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge both the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

Luke 21.25-36

May the words of my lips and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable to You, O Lord.  Amen.

" Christians, Hear Hope " 

When—as the road grew long—our daughter at the time was a toddler—we were often on the road to visit family or church events, and she would ask Mom to tell her a story.

The story was always about “Grey Squirrel” who lived in a big oak tree in the middle of the forest amongst all her forest friends. They were happy stories, with positive endings. 
    
Reading, also, this week the story of a father and son whose little boy often requested a story to be told by his father and it was always “a bunny story.” 

When I read that story, I was reminded of Katherine, and her mother sharing ‘the squirrel story’ with her.    

But there was one difference between ‘the bunny story’ and ‘the grey squirrel story.’ And it becomes obvious when you read the bunny story.

What that difference was because the bunny story obviously at times had a BIG BAD WOLF in the story. On this occasion, the little boy requested his dad to ‘leave out the wolf.’
    
The dad asks the little boy, “How the story should end?” You guessed it, “And they all lived happily ever after.” –
‘But Daddy, NO WOLF!’
    
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the world could leave out the wolf? In other words, if the world could leave out evil. ‘If it could just disappear.’

Except, it can’t. Evil is not just a 21st century phenomenon.

Evil has been around forever. The Bible acknowledges this evil in the world. It is all around us. There is no escape route. To draw attention to the modern-day activity that a lot of people enjoy, which is called “Escape Rooms.”
    
The annals of history have records of tragic events in history. With each, we are never prepared. Even with all the technology of today, there are still surprises. 
    
We are never truly prepared: be it Alzheimer’s; a traffic accident; cancer; a fire; the failure of a company. Too often today, there are also a number of social issues. One that strikes close to home is often the discovery of a child’s addiction to drugs. 
    
We cry: “Please! No wolf! No wolf!”
    
Often, it is at this moment that we turn to our faith and the Holy Scriptures for answers. 
    
Our Gospel tells us something about this moment. Advent tells us something about this moment.

It is today that we sing our recessional hymn, ‘Lo He Comes on Clouds Descending.’  It’s that same interpretation of the scripture that we heard to open our service today. 
    
And these are the words as Luke’s response in the Gospel (Luke 21. 25-28) today:

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and 
the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the 
heavens will be shaken. 
Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ 
with power and glory. 
Now when these things begin to take place, stand up 
and raise your heads, because your redemption is 
drawing near.”

In effect, the Bible assures us there is evil in the world. The Advent lessons proclaim this evil.

It is evident in the opening lines from today’s Gospel: there will be signs – the sun, the moon, and the stars will show signs of distress and there will be roaring seas with large  waves.

In other words—a sense that there is sort of chaos around, but there is hope.
    
We read about these forthcoming times while, at the same time, we are saying to the world, “Jesus is coming.”
    
When? Well, we may not find it right now; but we would like it right now. Except, when will it be; how will we know? Scripture tells us, no one knows—but be prepared. 
    
How often have we heard, “This is a cruel world?” 

We know wealth can’t make it all better. We know that position or power cannot save us.

In his book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Rabbi Harold S. Kushner writes: 

“The purpose in life is not to win.” (Doesn’t that just resonate somehow with us? The purpose of life is not to win.) The purpose of life is to grow and to share.” 

“When you come to look back on all that you have done in life, you will get more satisfaction from the pleasure you have brought into other people's lives than you will from the times that you outdid and defeated them.”

Reviewing the world, we may have recorded encounters with the negative.

Some like to use the word ‘evil.’ There are others who would say, ‘the storms of life.’

Whatever the adjective: life is not easy. At the same time, there is opportunity for us to withstand the force working against us. For the little boy, his word would be to withstand ‘the wolf.’ 
    
We all have grown up with this wolf image—from the likes of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ to the ‘Three Little Pigs.’ 
    
As (I) observed in the office last week while listening to some of the great music from generations past to this day, the large number of unidentified references from biblical writings. 

The Message is well! And the Message is still alive today!
    
As a child, did we ever think that the ‘BIG BAD WOLF’ was a representative of evil in the world? Yet, there it is. 

Chris Haslam, theologian, shares these thoughts then on  today's readings.

He says, “Jeremiah is speaking of God’s love for humankind at a time when the citizens of Jerusalem had lived through great adversity. He has predicted that the city will be rebuilt. Now he foretells of the line of the kings of which David was the founder will continue.
________________________________________
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Paul, in writing to the Church in Thessalonika says, “I have heard of the persecution of Christians living here. He has sent Timothy to comfort them in their adversity. Timothy has returned with news—good news—of the steadfastness of their love for Christ and for one another, 
________________________________________
And then, Haslam in introducing the Gospel from 
Luke 21:25-36
Says, “Our reading is part of Jesus’ answer to two questions: when will the Temple be destroyed? What signs will there be that this is about to happen? 

People expected calamities at the end of the age, but Jesus tells us that he – the Son of Man – will come from heaven at that time.
    
Yes, the baby in the manger at Christmas is a real baby, not just a doll. 
    
Jesus is real, and that is why, as much as we may be uncomfortable with the world at this moment, as Christians—we hear hope.
Blessings. Amen.

Let Us Pray

Let us pray to conduct ourselves in ways that are pleasing to God, saying:
Christ our Justice, hear our prayer.

Through the grace and peace of your Holy Spirit, 
strengthen us in our commitment to live peaceably with one another.
Christ our Justice, hear our prayer.

Through the word of your prophets and apostles,
open our hearts to receive the teachings of the church calling us to greater justice.
Christ our Justice, hear our prayer.

Through the example of our blameless conduct,
may we raise up our youth to be Christian adults overflowing with love for God
and all our neighbours.
Christ our Justice, hear our prayer.

Through our dedication to honorable and respectful living,
help us to build communities where all can dwell in safety, acceptance, and respect. 
Christ our Justice, hear our prayer.

Through the signs of our times,
teach us to discern your presence calling us to live more reverently.
Christ our Justice, hear our prayer.

Through the gift of your healing hands,
anoint those in need of of your healing touch. Envelop those in sorrow with your comforting arms.
Christ our Justice, hear our prayer.

Through the gift of our eucharist celebrations,
may we draw hope in your abiding kindness.  
Christ our Justice, hear our prayer.

Through the constancy of your love,
receive with tenderness the dead who appear before you in the humility of their lives.
Christ our justice, hear our prayer.

Merciful God, fulfiller of promises, receive our prayers through Jesus Christ,
who is our justice with you now, and forever. Amen.

As our Saviour taught us:
Our Father,
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us.
And lead us  not into temptation,
but deliver us fom evil.  
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory,
forever and ever.  Amen.

Glory to God,
whose power working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever.  Amen. 

The Blessing: 

The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and
love of God, and of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you, and remain with you, always. 
God bless you in this Advent season. Amen.