David Donnan

This is an adaptation from my first Sunday in Advent’s Sermon.

If you were like me, you probably were eagerly awaiting the release of the new Star Wars Force Awaken’s Trailer. After watching the trailer and loving it I began to ponder how it can teach us some of the same ideas as the first week of season of Advent where we focus on Christ’s return. Here are three of my thoughts on the similarity between the two.

1) There are more questions than answers.

After watching the trailer we still have many questions. Who is the person wielding the new light-saber? What is the role of old characters? Who are the good guys and what is their goal? In the same way the season of Advent leads us to questions. What do we do as we wait the return of Christ? How do we learn to live with and love our neighbor? In the midst of what is also a secular consumer holiday, how do we keep the focus on Christ?

2) We have to wait a long time!

Why in the world do we get a trailer for a movie a year out? Do not get me wrong. I am grateful for the peak at what could be, but over a year out? In the same way we get a picture of what God’s Kingdom looks like in the life of Christ. We also acknowledge that we have to wait for the return of Christ before the Kingdom is fully here. One of the big tensions we acknowledge is the “already here” and “also on the way” of Advent.

3) We know it is coming eventually.

Jesus was clear with his followers. He would be back. In Mark 13:26 he predicts His return. We can celebrate in December 2015 we can all go see the new Star Wars movie. As Christians we can be even more passionate about Jesus and His return. We know He is coming back for us, whether it be during the return predicted here or when we pass naturally from this life into the next.

Pastor David is Preaching a lectionary based series of sermons called Unwrapping God at Christmas. He is preaching on Sunday’s at Hagan United Methodist in Hagan, GA and Daisy United Methodist in Daisy, GA.