Is your advent "adventitious?"
In case you're wondering what "adventitious" means, let me define it for you: arising or occurring sporadically or in other than the usual location. Biologists know that roots growing out of stems or branches, instead of under the soil, are called "adventitious roots." These roots take a bad situation, and transform it into a new possibility for growth and life.
"Adventitious roots" are part of the season of "Advent." Isaiah (11:1) makes the outrageous assertion that "a shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots." The Hebrew term "rhiza" may mean either "root" or "shoot," although "shoot" is the most common translation. From an expiring source, new life and new roots spring forth unexpectedly. From a plant left for dead, new roots actively seek to fix and plant themselves for new life and growth.
Perhaps we prefer the "shoots" over the "roots" translation because "shoots" depicts a more showy pattern of growth--powerful, upward, highly visible signals of new life. "Roots" are less dramatic, less showy. But "roots" are far more necessary for sustained life and long term growth and stability. Roots burrow down into the dark and build a firm foundation, seeking a new source of nourishment, for an old "stump."
John's disciples were on the look-out for "shoots," not "roots." They sought a messianic figure that would "shoot" upward into the light, not tunnel deeper into the dark. One of the most common themes of Judaism in that first century was the expectation of a military messiah, a political savior who would restore Israel back to power and significance as a nation.
Jesus' focus on healing, His preference for teaching in the small towns and back roads of Galilee-His Sabbath infringements, His association with sinners and tax collectors, His gossiped gluttony and drinking with ne'er-do-wells-all may have made His messianic identity suspect in the eyes of John's disciples.
Jesus listened to their question. Then Jesus patiently asked them to itemize "what do you hear and see"?
As they describe the miracles springing up from the soil of Jesus' ministry, John's disciples suddenly realize that this is messianically-enriched soil. Jesus' activities, His "doings," evidence the adventitious root of Jesse, of the unexpected Messiah in their midst.
Advent is not a "time" like any other time. Advent is not a "what time is it?" time. Advent more an "is it time yet?" time. Advent is a God-breaking-into, God-breaking-apart concept of time. Advent is where God goes beyond the "chronos" to the "kairos," where God goes beyond the time that plods on to the time that manifests the mystery of God-among-us.
In other words, God is inviting us at this time of the year to live life "Adventually."
What if we thought of "Advent" less as a noun than as a verb or an adverb? What if Advent described not so much a specific time of year than a way of living a life-a life style sought, a mind set followed. What if Advent was not so much something we celebrated as some-thing we did, something we lived. Perhaps it could be summarized by saying, "Eventually, we die: Adventually, we live."
Radio Shack has coined as its Christmas buying spree theme: "Don't just buy stuff, DO stuff!"
Even among those for whom Christmas is "business," not just "busy-ness," there is a recognition that this season is about something more than whip out the magic wand-that's the credit card for the uninitiated-and get it over with. "Advent" is something we DO daily, not a doing we observe on the calendar. We are called by Jesus to "see and hear" the messianic age that is upon us--in other words, to note and follow the "adventual" actions that reveal that God has been among us.
This is why cries to "put Christ back into Christmas" or "Jesus is the reason for the Season" are false notes, seeming to imply that the human factor can be taken out of Christmas. The truth is that every human activity, every interaction, is laden with adventitious possibilities. We are the reason God chose to come into the world
Christ, who healed the physically and morally challenged, is not missing from our shopping malls, our traffic jams, or our busy supermarkets. Christ who preached good news to the poor and healed the most maligned people of his day (lepers), is certainly able to be with us in awful "holiday" office parties, or in our struggles between gift-giving and bill-paying. Every one of you here this morning can Advent your way forward, with a Christ-powered stroke, through the sludge and slime that threatens to clog our way to the side of the Christ child.
John the Baptist knew it was what "the Christ" was DOING, what actual, effectual changes were taking place in people's lives-not military victories, but moral and social breakthroughs-that would reveal the new messianic age, the world-shaking transformations made possible only by God's adventing presence.
So let's start talking the language of advent. Instead of "How is your Advent going?" what about "How are you Adventing?" What if we signed our Christmas cards, "Adventually Yours." Or what if we tried to live an adventitious life each day? What if we learn to practice Advent? What would it mean?
If Jesus can rise from the dead, we at least can rise from our pews... and DO something... like live advented lives...
Take a moment to greet your neighbor and discuss what it might mean to live Adventually.
Here are a couple of ideas. First, to live Adventually is to live with a sense of paradox: to live paradoxically means, for example, to live remembering that you are in the eyes of God both saint and sinner; you and I are messy, mixed up, morally ambiguous creatures, and yet God wants to have a relationship with you and me-as messy, mixed up and morally ambiguous as we are.
Second, to live Adventually is to live with a sense of adventure. The most exciting, adventurous life anyone could live is as a follower of Jesus. If you're a Christian and you're not in the midst of adventures of a lifetime, then there's a problem. Then maybe you're following someone posing as Jesus, not Jesus himself. Because Jesus said: "Come, follow Me", and I'll lead you into a safety-first, risk-free, comfort-zone life. Right? No! Jesus said, follow me and I'll give you the greatest adventures anyone could imagine. In fact, in Romans 16 Paul lists a "Risk Takers Hall of Fame"... people on whom he bet his ministry, and for whom he gives thanks to God for the adventure. When you hear each one of these names, you are hearing the story of an earth-shaking adventure, one that you are a part of today.
Third, to live Adventually is to live with a sense of expectation, especially for the unexpected. Do you expect the unexpected? You mean the messiah is to be found where? In a feeding trough? You mean the Savior of the world was given the most common name in the Jewish language: Jesus? You mean the symbol of Judgment Day by which each one of our lives will be "weighed in the balance" is not a balancing scale, but a cross? You mean that I can discover the "gifts" of Christmas not just by opening presents under a tree, but by giving to the Caring Place or a local food bank, or providing for a child in need from our "giving tree," or supporting Heifer International, or by adopting a child from one of the international child-care services, or by putting the family on a recycle regimen, or by planting seeds that will sprout "adventitious roots," or by baking cookies or by loving your enemies.
Finally, to live Adventually is to live with a sense of what I call the magic-of-the-moment.
Right up until his death earlier this year, Kurt Vonnegut would make the college lecture-circuit rounds. Often he would ask his college audience if they ever had a teacher who helped them out, and made them believe in themselves. Almost every student raised their hand. Vonnegut then said: "Now please say the name of that teacher out loud to someone sitting near you." When the sounds of names being spoken had subsided, Vonnegut then said: "All done? If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
Please stand, and think of someone who has been part of your Advent journey in the past, who has helped teach you to live Advented lives even though they didn't know it, but who is missing at the Christmas tree and table this year, and to give thanks to God for the gift of that person by saying out loud their names as you complete this thought: "I thank you God for the Adventual presence in my life of..."
"If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
