Sermon: ”Are You Listening…Huh?”

As we learned this morning, from the lighting of the first Advent candle, the key word to take from this lesson was “listen.”  “This is my beloved Son…listen to him.”

His thoughts were slow,

His words were few,

And never formed to glisten.

But he was a joy to all his friends—

You should have heard him listen.

Good listeners are not only popular everywhere, but after a while they know something.

Before refrigerators were invented, icehouses were used to preserve foods. Remember those icehouses, with the thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. Large blocks of ice were obtained during the winter, from local lakes and rivers, and were covered with sawdust to prevent melting. This would allow the ice to last well into the summer. One day a man lost his valuable watch while working in the icehouse. He and his fellow workers diligently searched for the valued timepiece without success. A small boy heard of the problem and slipped into the icehouse. He soon emerged from the cold with the man's watch. The men were amazed and asked the boy how he found it. He said, "I closed the door, laid down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking." From the cool darkness of this dated icehouse comes the timeless reminder of Psalm 46:10: "Be still and know that I am God."

If we take the message given to us as the first Advent candle was lit; if we stop to breathe in our blessings, we will feel what is right, even in the most chaotic time of the year. Listen was the watchword.  Listen, the words of God became so important that the “Word became flesh,” the one whose birth we anticipate during Advent and celebrate at Christmas.

Some time ago, a poster appeared in gift shops, which contained the following message: Our mission is to approach any situation with foresight and advanced planning.  Should the unexpected occur, our aim is to swiftly and efficiently arrive at a workable solution.  But when you are up to your neck in alligators, it is hard to remember that the initial objective was to drain the swamp.

When you are up to your neck in all the anxieties and concerns brought about by adulthood, it is hard to remember that the initial objective was to become childlike.

The piano teacher was explaining, “For 37 years I've taught piano, rewarding my students not only for mastery but effort. Points are earned for memory work, amount of practice, written work, and improvements, as well as actual performance. 

After finishing a lesson one day, she asked her first grade student, if he had performed for anyone that week. He thought for a long time, finally saying with all seriousness, “God was listening!” [1]

You are important to God.  He is listening.  His concern for you is enduring and eternal.  Put your trust, your unconditional childlike trust, in this reality and you will experience the joy of liberation, and you will receive the grace to drain away all those adult anxieties and concerns you're up to your neck in and which threaten to drain your spirit.

Today, we begin the Advent Season, a season of Hope.  Life for all of us can be very messy at times.  But however awful the mess we're in, if we are listening, there is Jesus in the midst of it all, saying, “Follow Me.”

One day a four-year-old asked his dad about God's name. Dad explained that God had many names including Father, Lord, and Jehovah. After listening to his father’s long explanation, he asked, “Can I just call him Steve?”[2]

Luke shares some rather frightening language in Jesus’ description of things to come according to “Steve.”  He speaks of “nations in agony.”  He speaks of “men dying in fear as they await what menaces the world.”  He speaks of chaotic events and panic-stricken people.  And then He says, in effect, “Slow down ... stop to breathe in your blessings and you'll feel what's right.”  Why?  Because, in Jesus' own words, we “will see the Son of Man coming ... with power and great glory.  When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.” [3]

Come out of the darkness!  Condition yourself to listen for Him. Follow Him and you are no longer paralyzed by the messiness in today's world.  Follow Him and your life is no longer pinned down by the unpleasantness you perceive.  Follow Him in the abiding hope that He will empower you to endure the messiness that comes into your life, and even show you how to rejoice in it.

The Advent Message is that there is work to be done: God's work.  The Advent Message informs us that the Coming Kingdom will be fulfilled according to God's Plan.  The Advent Message informs us, as the Apostle Paul has said, “That He who has begun the good work in you will carry it through to completion, right up to the day of Christ Jesus.”[4]  The Advent Message informs us that we have been commissioned by God to share in the responsibility of carrying God’s work to completion.

When the sky turns black, when disaster strikes, when the cookie crumbles, do not be afraid!  The Good News of God's great love for you is greater than the power of any person or any circumstance that threatens to destroy your spirit.

“Stay awake, Listen, because you do not know the day your master is coming,” Jesus says in today's Gospel Lesson.  “Stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”[5]

Sometimes we get so engrossed in things – reading, a TV show, building something, a hobby, or any one of a number of things that we find ourselves being shouted at to get our attention.  It is not necessarily that we are hard of hearing, but hard of listening.

If hearing could be adjusted and our ears were but slightly more sensitive, we would be tuned into the chatter of rats.  If our hearing ability were three times more powerful, we would be tuned into our own heartbeats.  If five times more powerful we would hear what field mice were saying; seven times and we would hear what bats were saying, but then, if our ears were exposed to all sound, the roar would be intolerable ... deafening.

Scientists tell us that the deaf person who suddenly recovers the ability to hear is likely to find exposure to the world of sound a frightening experience.  It takes time to learn how to interpret sounds -- in other words, to learn how to listen.  Most of us are born with the ability to hear, but the ability to listen requires conditioning.  It is an art that we must develop ourselves.  In all of our defense let me add that talking to yourself isn't always a sign of old age, either, in this day and time, described as messiness earlier, it may be the only way to be sure someone is listening.

President Roosevelt once grew tired of the smiling superficiality that accompanied many White House receptions. One particular evening, he decided to see whether or not anyone actually was listening to what he said. As he shook hands with each guest filing through the line, he smiled a large gracious smile and said, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." No one even noticed. They just gave the usual protocol, "How lovely!" or "Keep up the good work." One foreign diplomat was listening and added humor to the night as well. When FDR told of his scandalous deed, the diplomat tactfully commented, "I'm sure she had it coming to her." Jesus' half-brother, James, initially had trouble hearing his brother's message[6]. Perhaps that is why James later wrote, "Everyone should be quick to listen." [7]

A great deal of what we see depends upon what we are listening to.  I've always loved this story of the cowboy who was riding along and came upon an Indian lying flat on the ground, face down, with his ear pressed to the earth. The Indian said, “Wait. Wagon. Two miles off. Drawn by two horses. One black. The other gray. Four people on board: man in a red flannel shirt, wife, and two kids.”

The cowboy was very impressed. He said, “It's amazing you can tell all that just by listening to the earth.”

The Indian said, “No. Them run over me thirty minutes ago. Go after them!”[8]

A naturalist, walking with his friend through the busy streets of a great city, stopped suddenly and asked, “Do you hear a cricket?”

“Of course not,” laughed his friend. “You could never hear a cricket with all this roar of traffic.” “But I hear a cricket,” persisted the naturalist, and turning over a stone, he uncovered the insect. “Did you actually hear the cricket chirping above the noise of the street?” asked his friend in astonishment.

“Certainly,” said the naturalist. “I spend my time listening to nature, whether I am in the forest, the field, or the town. Everyone hears what he listens for.” Taking a coin from his pocket, he dropped it on the pavement, and each passer-by put his hand in his pocket to see if he was the one who had dropped it. They were listening for coins.

Interesting lesson! If we are listening for the truth—for that which is stimulating, elevating, inspiring, we will hear it, even above the noise and bustle of this busy messy world, above the din of lies, tattling or gossip so commonly heard by many. And if our ears are attuned to scandal, backbiting and false reports, we will hear that regardless of how loudly the principles of love, justice and truth may be proclaimed in our direction.[9]

A young boy was sitting with an older man and he asked the old man how he could get ahead in this world; how he could know what is right, what is worthwhile, what God wants him to do and know? 

“Listen, my son,” replied the old man, holding up an admonishing finger.

“I am listening,” said the boy after much silence.  “Continue your instruction.”

“There is no more to tell,” replied the old man.

“Giving thanks for all things …”[10]

For all the gifts that Thou dost send,

For every kind and loyal friend,

For prompt supply of all my need,

For all that is good in word or deed,

For gift of health along life's way,

For strength to work from day to day—

I give Thee humble thanks.

For ready hands to help and cheer,

For listening ears Thy voice to hear,

For yielded tongue Thy love to talk,

For willing feet, Thy paths to walk,

For open eyes Thy Word to read,

For loving heart, Thy will to heed—

I give Thee humble thanks.

For Christ who came from heaven above,

For the cross and His redeeming love,

For His mighty power to seek and save,

For His glorious triumph o’er the grave.

For the lovely mansions in the sky,

For His blessed coming bye and bye—

I give Thee humble thanks.

God is speaking all the time, even as the Spirit is moving and hovering over the troubled waters in our lives.  God speaks; we simply need to listen.

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Last modified: 08/25/05