On Monday the Philadelphia Inquirer printed this ad in their Magazine section. Did you see it? Across the top it says, “8 Compelling Reasons Why: Christ Is Coming Very Soon!”

The ad says, “The evidence for the soon return of Jesus Christ is overwhelming: it could be any moment. One scholar,” it claims, “lists 167 converging clues just in the last few years. The following are eight.” Then, in bold, the ad lays out, “The Escape Plan.”

The escape plan. Think about that! What’s that saying? What’s that suggesting? According to this ad, the Second Coming of Christ is something that people should escape from--or should want to escape from!

Now, we can all agree that scare tactics work. Fear can make people vote one way rather than another. Fear can also fill church pews and pad the offering plate. But, is it right to scare people about Jesus’ Second Coming? Or, more importantly, is the Biblical view of Jesus’ second coming something that people should be scared about?

Because we are a liturgical church--because we follow church seasons and use a lectionary--we have advantages that some churches and pastors do not have. Today is a beautiful example of that.

Today, on the first Sunday in Advent, we place Christ’s Second Coming in the context--in the proper context--of his First Coming. In other words, when we think or talk about Jesus coming again we do so remembering his first coming, as God’s gift of love to all humanity as a poor baby born in Bethlehem. His second coming completes the work begun on Christmas in his first coming. In that context, then--in its proper context--Jesus’ second coming should be heard by us as a warm and friendly, “Honey, I’m home!”

Some of you may remember that the summer we spent worshipping downstairs in the Parish Hall Pastor Harkness used an expression in a sermon that I found so beguiling that I ended up borrowing it again and again (and again and again!)

Do you remember what it was? “God comes down. God always comes down!” Well, guess what? Since God always comes down, God is still coming down. And, God will come down again! Or, as today’s sermon puts that: Honey, I’m home!

What do we mean when we say, “God comes down”? I just finished reading Dan Brown’s latest book, The Lost Symbol. I didn’t hate it as much as I did, The DaVinci Code. And, like The DaVinci Code, it’s a great thriller. But, also like The DaVinci Code, I spent most of the book arguing with it.

For instance, time and time again in the book Dan Brown tells us that a pyramid--a square with all four sides reaching up to the heavens--represents the central religious quest: to scale the heavens and reach God. In page after page Dan Brown says that that’s what each and every religion--including Christianity--is seeking to do: to scale the heavens and, finally, reach God.

Most are not able to get there, Brown says. In fact, it’s only a chosen few who, like his main characters, possess the secret knowledge that he assumes can and will get you up to God and the highest heaven.

Balderdash! Dan Brown--and most of the world--are trying to tell us that religion--every religion--is about our striving to reach up to God. It’s about our trying to claw our way up into heaven.

Again I say, balderdash! We know something that Dan Brown and his characters don’t seem to realize. Are you ready to repeat it with me? God comes down. God always comes down!
There is no other way you can interpret or understand Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Did humanity figure out the secret incantations to make their way up to God? Did we do something to persuade God to do our bidding?

No! At a time chosen only by him, God came down, not just for some, but for all. Humans did not control it. Humans did not bring it about. And if it was hidden, it was hidden only to those looking in the wrong place or with the wrong motives.

God comes down. God always comes down. God came down in love for Jesus’ first coming. And God will come down again--again in love--for Jesus’ second coming. And, just like for Jesus’ first coming, when Jesus comes again, he’s coming again to complete the work begun on Christmas and make this world his home.

In other words, Jesus isn’t coming to take his people out of this world. Remember that ad for The Inquirer? They called it “The Escape Plan.” But we’re not leaving! The Bible makes this abundantly clear. We’re staying. This is our home! Jesus is coming again to complete making his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. “Honey, I’m home!”

This past Monday was my last day off before Thanksgiving when we would be hosting 25 for dinner and three overnight guests. What was I doing on Monday? Spackling, priming, and painting our family room ceiling!

Early this summer we developed a leak in our skylight in that room. Water came in through the skylight but then traveled down the ceiling discoloring it, causing some of the joints to fail, and, in places where it really got wet, developing mildew.

It was a mess! Toward the end of the summer, the roof was repaired and a new skylight was installed. No more damage was done to our ceiling. All that remained was for me to do was to treat the mildew, repair the ceiling, and then paint it.

When did I do that? Not when the roof was repaired in August. Not in September. Not in October. I fixed it on Monday, my last day off before Thanksgiving and our invited guests.

My point is, knowing that there is a deadline to something--knowing that something is sure to happen in the very near future--is a tremendous incentive to getting things done that need to get done.

Jesus is coming again soon! God comes down. God always comes down. And, when Jesus comes again, he’ll complete the work begun at Christmas. He’ll make this world his home. He’ll fulfill God’s will on earth as it is in heaven.

If you’re like me, you’ve got some work to do to get ready! Invitations need to be prepared and delivered. Jesus isn’t coming home just for us, but for the whole world. Who do you need to speak to, to invite them and get them ready?

Jesus expects us to get everything ready for him! And, I would say right now, the most important thing--the first thing--for us to do is the inviting.

I heard a great line the other day. “The big problem with a lot of Christians is that they’re like a mail carrier who thinks every envelope he or she is supposed to deliver to others, really belongs to him!”

We’re mail carriers! And, right now, the work that Jesus needs us to do is to let everyone know that the work he began at Christmas will soon be complete. He’s coming home again and everyone is invited to join in the celebration.

Let me be crystal clear. As this ad in The Inquirer shows, there are plenty of Christians who approach Jesus’ second coming as an opportunity to scare non-Christians into compliance. They terrorize them, calling it “love,” and warning them with the need to develop “escape plans.”

Their tactics work, but they’re wrong! The end is like the beginning. What Jesus began in Bethlehem is unfinished, but underway. And, if your non-practicing friends and family members like the first, they’re invited and welcome to the second as well.

Christmas is just the beginning! What is coming is even greater and grander than what has already been. But how will people know that unless we tell them? How will they appreciate it, unless we explain it to them?

Christ is coming again, saying to his beloved, “Honey, I’m home!” Let’s get the word out. In Jesus’ name. Amen!