We Don't Even Fit In a Handbasket

Yesterday we began our advent preaching season. We've broken the Sundays up into five themes: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, and Light. Generally, going with themes means whoever is preaching doesn't really use the Bible. I don't think preaching always has to be a verse by verse exposition of a passage of scripture. At our church though, it tends to be better if it is.

Yesterday was "Hope Sunday" and it was strangely not very hopeful. We had tag team preaching. That means the head and associate pastors took turns at the theme. The first, made a couple The Lord of the Rings references. It worked well. A couple of under-qualified, over looked, nobodies are charged with being the primary but underground struggle against evil even though they don't have a chance. That's a fair and apt illustration.

Then we got an overview of the Old Testament- well to be specific we got an overview of Genesis, Exodus, and I & II Samuel- along with a litany of how horrible things are today, what with wars, bird flu, earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis. The world is ending but hang on tight 'cos Jesus is coming.

The message seemed to be Yahweh was with His people in "Bible" days but He's not doing so much now so our hope is in the second coming of Jesus. That's Advent? That's hope? I wasn't sure at first if I was hearing what I thought I was hearing. I listened closer- and that's what it was. That's Christmas, folks. That's what there is.

Maybe I was supposed to be shocked into thinking more about the church and the real presence of Christ with his people. Maybe it was supposed to move me into participating in the preaching experience and find that despite those very real problems we move forward- not looking for resolution but relation. I hope that was it.

This was odd for our church. For the most part, we're not an end times, in case of rapture, left behind group. It's made me wonder where this came from. It is odd to say the least. To say more, Cyndi suggests I talk to the party involved about it- at least to ask for clarification on how their theology is developing these days or to suggest some authors on the subject of hope.

That sounds a bit arrogant to me. Clearly I think it's better to let it stew and be angry about it.

Interestingly, I read this (I'll warn you, it will make you think of the "F" word) this morning. I'm not going to list my Christian bona fides- I'm doing okay, so if this article freaks you out you'll have to find a way to deal with it other than questioning my thoughts on eschatology.


No Random Playlist Tonight
Jimi Hendrix- Band of Gypsies