Advent: Waiting and Preparation

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

DFMS Noonday Prayer

Monday, November 29, 2021

Psalm 122; Isaiah 2:1-5; Matthew 8:5-13

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Well, my friends it is Advent. It is that season of waiting. Waiting for the light. Waiting for Jesus. Waiting for that quietness described in our psalm. Waiting for healing like the centurion’s servant in our Gospel reading. Waiting for the realization of Isaiah’s prophecy that swords will be beaten into plowshares and no one will learn war any more. 

Our world is waiting. Waiting for a day when we can be less afraid of the headlines. Waiting for case numbers and death tolls to go down. Waiting for justice to be realized. Waiting for the day when we won’t all feel so exhausted and worn out. And that’s just the global waiting. No doubt we have our own versions of Advent. We are waiting in our personal lives for a change to be realized or a milestone achieved. The waiting is pervasive. And it can certainly be anxiety provoking. Waiting on its own can seem passive. As though we have lost our agency or our influence. As though whether or not anything changes or is realized is all up to external forces and the winds of chance. Blessedly, it is not. 

It is indeed true that there is much that is beyond our control. We cannot simply snap our fingers and make a sick friend well or bring the prophecy of Isaiah to fruition. And yet it would be a grave mistake to think that we are powerless in the face of all the challenges we face, individually or collectively. 

We must also remember that Advent is a season of preparation. There is indeed much we can do. We can be a light in the midst of darkness. Our presence, our work, our relationships matter. We do and can have an impact far larger than we often give ourselves credit for in day to day life. 

I have been listening to a book by British Organisational Psychologist John Amaeci called The Promises of Giants. It is a book about leadership, but it is markedly different from so many other books about leadership. It starts with the premise that we can “win” and “lead” wherever we are in life or in an organization. It also starts with the idea that our impact is enormous. We all are and have the capacity to be “giants” to others. I have found the book to be funny, engaging, and full of valuable insights. At first, John’s belief about the enormity of our impact was hard to hear. Did that mean we have to be over vigilant and second-guessing everything? By no means. Rather John reminds us that our impact, our ability to enact real change in ourselves, our communities, and the world is not about splashy moments that make headlines (although those certainly can have a profound impact). Most change happens through discipline and hard work. It happens because we set audacious goals and strive to achieve them. It happens when we are willing to do the day to day work that is often behind the scenes and unglamorous. It happens when we hold ourselves and each other accountable to inspiring standards. We have a profound impact because of who we are and the habits we have. Because of how we move through the world. We are indeed powerful, and it is up to us to decide how we use that power.

In the midst of this season of waiting, in the midst of all the challenges, it could be easy to give into fear or to buy into that critical voice that says that what we do doesn’t really matter. I hope that this Advent we will do neither. I hope we will pay careful attention to all the ways that light and love are alive in the world. All the ways in which the kingdom is breaking in. And I hope we will feel energized and inspired to be reminded that God is Emmanuel, God is with us. The Christ light is within each of us. We can indeed bring the light into the world. Together, with God, with each other, transformation is possible. Amen. 

Homily on St. James

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Rev. Molly F. James, PhD
July 25, Feast of St. James
Jeremiah 45:1-5; Acts 11:27-12:3; Matthew 20:20-28; Psalm 7:1-10



May God’s Word be Spoken. May God’s Word be heard and may that point us to the Living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I come from a large extended family, and I have a number of cousins who were born when I was old enough to be involved in their care. And I have a niece who is a few years older than our children. This taught me about how to change diapers and some of the basics, but it by no means prepared me for the reality of becoming a mother myself. I would guess that those of you who are parents would concur that no amount of reading or babysitting can fully prepare you for the reality of parenthood. It is something that just has to be lived into!


It is interesting to me that we cannot fully prepare for some of the biggest most important commitments of our lives - marriage, having children or even becoming a Christian. Interestingly, more and more people are getting married (and having children) when they are older . . . we like to plan, we like to prepare, we like to be sure we have done all the research to ensure that we do everything right and avoid all the potential pitfalls. But we can’t plan for everything. We can’t know everything in advance. And that is okay.


That is what St. James has to remind us of on this day. Sometimes in life, we just have to jump in with both feet . . . that is what James does in today’s Gospel reading. (Although we do have point out that he might have been a little reticent, since he had his mother ask Jesus for him!) Nonetheless, James asks to go where Jesus goes, to sit at his right hand and to drink the cup he drinks. This is quite a commitment. James cannot possibly fully understand what he is getting into. He cannot possibly realize that Jesus will be crucified by the Romans, and that he himself will also be killed - by Herod who fears the followers of Jesus. James cannot possibly know what it means to commit himself to Jesus, to be a follower of him. And yet he jumps in with both feet. He and his brother swear that they are ready and able to follow Jesus - wherever the path may lead.


Why does James do this? Why does his mother want him to? While they cannot know the full story, I am sure they realize that following Jesus is a risky choice, even a dangerous one. And yet they do. Because they see something in Jesus. Because they know in their gut that Jesus has something to offer them that no one else does. They realize that Jesus is not just another prophet or another wise teacher - they realize that he is the Son of God, and they realize how their lives will be transformed by choosing to follow Jesus.


That same invitation is open to us today. Jesus invites us to jump in with both feet. Blessedly we can rest assured that following Jesus is not as dangerous (at least here in America) as it once was, and so we are free to take the plunge without fearing for our lives. Even if the risk isn’t as great. But Jesus asks of us the same enthusiasm and commitment that James and his family showed. Jesus wants us to jump in with both feet! To follow joyfully even if we don’t know exactly where we are headed. It is okay. Jesus is walking with us every step of the way. Just like getting married and having children, the future is uncertain, but we can be confident in our companions. So, as we remember the courage and enthusiasm of St. James today, I invite us to follow his example and to live our faith with a greater excitement and a deeper commitment as we follow our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.





AMEN.

Life Lessons from the Glove Compartment

Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

St. Alban’s, Simsbury, CT

Proper 27A, November 12, 2017

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13

May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If you go through my car, you will discover that I am my father’s daughter. You would find jumper cables, a first aid kit, wipes, a sewing kit, a leatherman multi-tool, and a lint roller. When I was a kid, we would often tease my dad about the contents of his car, particularly his glove compartment. He seemed to have everything in there - cups, paper clips, safety pins, note paper, forks and spoons, tools, etc. Elsewhere in his car you could always find paper towels, kleenex, a first aid kit, jumper cables and a tow rope. We would tease him, and he would smile good naturedly, knowing fully well that it would only be a matter of time before we would need one of those items.

When we fell down and skinned our knees he was ready with gauze and band-aids. When we had take out food with no silverware, he was ready with a spoon or fork. When we borrowed his car for an important interview, we would be grateful for the lint roller. And my dad was ready to help perfect strangers when their car batteries died or they were stuck in a ditch.

I can’t help but think that if my dad had been there with the bridesmaids in our Gospel story this morning the unwise bridesmaids wouldn’t have had such difficulties, because he probably would have had extra oil to share!

Although we teased my dad about always having all that stuff, I realize now what an important lesson he was teaching us. He showed us again and again that there was nothing life could throw at us that we could not handle. He also taught us that life would not always be easy, and so we need to be prepared to handle the challenges that will come our way.

This was a lesson my parents taught me on a broader level as well. My parents taught me that being prepared for challenges meant taking care of ourselves physically and spiritually - eating well and exercising, going to Church and cultivating a community of support. This meant that when I was diagnosed with cancer as a teenager that community sprung into action to surround us with love and care. The most tangible expression of that being that they worked together to make dinner for us twice a week for the entire year I was on chemotherapy. My parents showed me that a large part of being prepared for the challenges of life was about cultivating community to ensure that we did not have to face a challenge alone.

It seems to me that our Gospel lesson this morning is about preparation. The wise bridesmaids, who have filled their lamps, are rewarded and praised for their forethought. The foolish ones, who lived too much in the present moment and did not think about being prepared, miss out on the gift of being invited into the banquet with Jesus. The Gospel reminds us that we do not know when Jesus will come. This is the important truth: life is uncertain, and we need to be prepared. We need to have things in our personal “glove compartment” and to structure our own lives in such a way that we have what we need to face the challenges that will come in the course of our lives. My parents’ lessons on this front helped provide me with sense of stability and confidence. They showed me that life would not always be easy, but I did not need to fear that fact. As long as I had community and tools, I would be able to handle any situation.

There are lots of uncertainties in life, and we seem to be increasingly aware of them lately. The new headlines are full of stories of violence, tragedy and disasters. All of us, and particularly the young people among us, can feel overwhelmed by the anxiety and fear that is present in our culture. The world can be a scary place. We need to be prepared to face the reality of uncertainty in our lives and in our world.

I believe that that is one of the great gifts of Church generally, and this community in particular. You are a community that support each other through thick and thin. You are here to hold the faith for each other. You are here to remind each other that no matter the challenges life brings, we do not have to face them alone.

The invitation for all of us in today’s Gospel is to be prepared, because life is uncertain. I believe this invitation is two-fold. It is an invitation to stock our glove compartments, so that we have band-aids and spoons when we or someone else might need them. It is also an invitation to cultivate support around us. We human beings were created to be in community. We are created to support and care for each other. The invitation is to deepen our connections with each other and with God, so that we feel grounded and supported as we go about our lives. It is worth remembering that Jesus did not go it alone, so neither should we.

May our Gospel be a reminder for us to give thanks for all those in our lives who helped us be prepared for the challenges we have had to face, and may we seek to help each other be prepared for whatever challenges may lie ahead.

AMEN.