Rochester, MN UCC - "In the Days to Come..." - Isaiah 2:1-5

On the first Sunday of Advent, we celebrate the gift of hope made real in our lives through our faith in the promises of God. Throughout the texts of scripture the promises of God ring out over and over. They are promises that God is with us and for us; promises that God is working to bring about the kingdom of heaven: a kingdom of everlasting peace, joy, and love. This week we hear the prophecy of Isaiah, that one day all peoples “shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war anymore.” 

 It is all too evident that this prophecy of Isaiah has not yet been fulfilled. So many of our resources remain dedicated to destruction rather than growth. Nations still make war against one another. Yet this is precisely why we so desperately need to hear the promises of God. In the midst of our fallen world, hearing the promises of God remind us of who we are and what we are living and working towards. We are the beloved children of God, redeemed by God’s forgiveness and love. We are called to pledge ourselves to the cause of God’s kingdom and to witness to its coming with our lives. The world may still worship war, but we live in the sure and certain hope that God’s promised kingdom of peace will one day reign over all creation. 

 Join us in worship throughout this Advent season as we allow the Word of God to remind us of whose we are and to what we are called. God’s kingdom is coming- let’s prepare ourselves to welcome it with joy and thanksgiving!

 Rev. Andrew Greenhaw