How the Light Gets In: WATCHING

Advent 1  (preached at Second Presbyterian Church on Sun, Nov 27) 

(Pardon the hoarseness of my voice in this recording--I was recovering from the winter crud that's going around! atb) 

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There's a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in

--"Anthem" by Leonard Cohen

Sermon excerpt: 

Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the World, became one of us so that we might become more like him; he wants us to be his light for our world. And the good news is that it's through these very cracks and flaws that his light can shine—despite our dis-eased busy-ness and our distractedness and our human doing-ness, his light can, will, and does shine through us.

When we practice “the art of watchful living,” when take the time to be mindful of God’s judgement and salvation, when we take our eyes off of earthly things and think about heavenly things instead, just for a little while—THAT’s how the light gets in and how it shines through us.