Here We Go Again
Joe Killian • November 26, 2015
Didn’t we just hear this message? …the references to the Son of Man coming? See if this weekend’s Gospel from Luke sounds familiar to you:
Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
This Gospel should sound familiar because it contains one of the parallel verses that appear in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Just two weeks ago we heard the Markan version that came at the end of the Church’s year. Here is one of the nearly identical lines from Mark, “And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory.” This week, Luke’s gospel says the same thing as the new Church year begins with Advent. If you want to emphasize the importance of something you repeat it. Here in just two weeks time we are reminded that ‘the Son of Man is coming…’ And if that isn't enough? In case there is any doubt about who this Son of Man is, last week's reading made it very clear. Our liturgical year ended with the celebration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
As we begin Advent we mark the passing of another Church year. And with these readings it is as if end meets the beginning in Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That alone should be enough to keep us awake and vigilant. However this must be a conscious, intentional act because life can get in the way during the holiday season.
Yes it all sounds familiar. But we shouldn’t allow that to lull us into a sense of complacency. We also don't want the hectic pace of life to cause anxiety. Let this first Sunday of Advent awaken in us not just a familiarity, but an excitement and newness, especially when it is the King of Kings whose coming we look forward to celebrating!
The story continues...I'm still working on the pondless waterfall in our front yard. I shared this project with you two weeks ago in Playin' In the Dirt. Since then I've had to rework sections of the stream three different times because we were losing too much water. I am now an expert on evaporation rates and excessive splash, two causes of water loss. This morning I tore the whole thing apart and I'm starting over.
Have you ever watched DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda? I stumbled across it recently and thoroughly enjoyed Jack Black's performance as a bumbling, noodle selling, kung fu enthusiast, giant panda named P o. Set in ancient China, it is more than a humorous slapstick comedy. The core message of the story jumped out at me as I have been focusing recently on the concept of being. Po is shockingly identified as the Dragon Warrior and he reluctantly enters training. The goal of the training is to receive the Dragon Scroll, which is believed to hold the secret to limitless power. Now I don't want to spoil the big reveal but I will say that what Po realizes is the same as what I speak to in the concept of being and authentic identity. So, where do we find the secret to our "power?" I praise You, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works! My very self You know. Psalm 139:14 God knows it; and we must seek Him with all of our hearts in order to find it. As it was in the movie, the answer is stunningly simple. Our authentic identity is already within us. The challenge for Po in the movie was in seeing himself accurately and not the way others saw him. Even his teacher scoffed at the idea that Po was anything more than an underachieving dreamer who overate when he was anxious. Po's problems are rooted in the fact that he believes the lie of his false identity much more than he does his authentic one. Is it possible that you do the same? Who could have imagined that beneath all of Po's girth lived the Dragon Warrior? What's hidden from view in you? Seek God for understanding as to who He created you to be. Spoiler Alert: the secret of your limitless power is already in you. God placed it there and He wants you to be who He authentically created you to be.
Maria and I have been playing in the dirt a lot recently. First we replaced our French drain and then we embarked on a creative project intended to change the entire look of our front yard. My brother Jeffrey and I installed a new front step.
