chapel 120110

(alarm) Why are alarms important? (wake up, ready for school, events). If you didn’t have an alarm you still might be in bed right now.

We want to be awake for important things like school and meetings, but we especially want to be awake spiritually. Our reading from Romans says, “You know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”

We are now in the season of Advent, which is like an alarm clock. We see the blue of the Advent and it’s reminder to wake up and prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ coming as a baby. What do we call that celebration? (Christmas) Advent also reminds us that we are to prepare for Jesus’ second coming at the end of the world. Jesus is coming again! Are you ready? It is no time to take a spiritual nap.

Our reading from Matthew says, “Stay awake, for you do not know what day your Lord is coming…Be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Taking a nap spiritually is not just embarrassing; if you are not prepared to meet God, it can result in being separated from Him forever.

After you wake up, what are some things you do to prepare for the day? (shower, breakfast, dress.) You always want to remember to get dressed.

I brought a bag of my dirty, smelly, laundry. Would it be a good idea to wear these clothes today? (no.) Why not? (not clean. stink) What if I was going to a big special occasion, like a wedding, would it be a good idea to wear these dirty clothes?

Our reading from Romans, not only tells us that it’s time to wake up, but also tells us that we need to get dressed for the big occasion of Jesus’s second coming. Without Jesus, we are clothed in dirty rags of sin. St Paul says, “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” We put on Jesus himself and we throw off the dirty clothes of disobedience and sin.

We are clothed with Christ through Baptism. The Bible says, “As many of You as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” By Jesus’ death on the cross for our sin and His rising from the grave, He gives us victory over sin, death and the devil.

In Baptism, you are dressed and ready for the big occasion of Jesus’ second coming. You have been awakened and given a new set of clothes, in exchange for your dirty laundry of sin. You have been dressed in the righteousness and forgiveness of Jesus, you are ready.

This day, and every day in Advent, is a wonderful day to wake up (set off alarm) and celebrate the love of God freely given to you in Jesus.