In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

     Does that sound familiar? Those of us who are parents, AND those of us who were once kids, should know that phrase, often repeated in a seemingly endless refrain. Are we there yet? On the way to grandma's house for Thanksgiving; on the road to Disneyland; driving to the mountains for a day at Breckenridge, it's not unusual for impatient, active kids to ask those in the front seat-"Are we there yet?"

     I wonder if we sound like that to God? From the time of Jesus' ascension on-that seems to be one of the questions, at least, that Christians have been asking-in an endless refrain. Are we there yet? Is it the end of time, yet? Is it time for Jesus to finally, come again, and put an end to human trial, and suffering, and pain? What is the motivation of all those writers and preachers who keep themselves going by writing and preaching about the last days, but a yearning for the end, an impatience in this life, a desire to try to figure out how soon the end will come-how soon we'll get there? You might think that's a uniquely modern motivation-what with all the focus on the "so-called"rapture these days. But the truth is, it's been a question Christians were asking, even as the New Testament books were being written. Paul, who wrote the first books of the New Testament dealt extensively with this issue, as did Mark, the earliest of the evangelists who wrote Gospels. We call Mark chapter 13 the "Little Apocalypse", because, while Mark didn't write a whole book about the end times, like John wrote Revelation, Mark dedicates a whole chapter to when Jesus would come again. And I think we can safely say, Paul, and Mark, and John the Revelator, all thought they were very near the end-all expected Jesus to return in their lifetimes. And yet, all saw fit to write about the end, and to encourage Christians in their waiting. Each of them wanted Christians, first, to know that the end would come-that the human journey on earth would one day reach its culmination. That's why Mark, in his Little Apocalypse, records the words of Jesus, "In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the earth." Here, Jesus is talking about the end of earthly time, when He, Christ the King would return in power and glory for the judgment-the judgment we heard about last Sunday, as we celebrated the festival of Christ the King. Mark records these words of Jesus, as did Matthew, because it's important, first, for disciples to know that there will be an end-there will come a time when Jesus returns to judge, and separate the sheep from the goats. That's the first thing Jesus wanted his hearers to know, and the first thing Mark wants us to know. But that's not the only thing. Secondly, Jesus wants us to know that we are to be patient, and busy, as we await His second coming. And that is the hardest part.

     Like kids anxious to get to where we're going, we disciples can look around-and think we see signs and wonders that we're getting close. Especially with the recent hurricanes, and tornadoes, and earthquakes, and wars and terrorism. If this year hasn't seemed apocalyptic, what year has?! This would be one of those times in history when you wouldn't be surprised to see groups of Christians selling all their possessions, gathering on mountaintops, looking to the skies for the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. The signs seem to point that way, don't they? Well, that's what people have said at different times throughout the ages. And in one way, all of these things-storms, earthquakes, disasters, ought to remind us that the end will come. But Jesus says, "About that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." So, Jesus says, "Don't get caught up in trying to figure out when that time will be-don't waste time looking up at the sky asking, "Are we there yet?" Rather, Jesus says, "Beware, keep alert, because you do not know when the time will come. And what I say to you," Jesus says, "I say to all-keep awake!"

     But we have to ask, doesn't that sound a lot like Jesus is encouraging us to sit, watching the sky? If we are to keep awake waiting for the return of the Son of Man-what are we to do? Just-watch? Just sit, waiting? If you turn to Mark's Little Apocalypse, what you find is that Jesus says something else about the end time-He says it won't come until the Gospel is preached to all nations. Certainly, this First Sunday in Advent, we could come up with a whole laundry list of things you MIGHT do while you wait for Jesus' return-and not just our agenda kinds of things, but biblical things-as we said last week, love your neighbor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger. Those are important things you could be doing while waiting for Jesus to come again. We might also add-prepare for your celebration of the Christ-mass, spend extra time in worship, both individual and communal. Yes, there are many things we could occupy our time with as we keep awake and watch. But here, as Jesus talks about His ultimate return, what He specifically mentions, is preaching the Gospel to all nations. And you might think, "Gosh, hasn't the gospel already been preached to all nations?" Some, even in the first and second centuries assumed this was the case, because the early church Father, Origen of Alexandria, wrote in response, "It is evident that the gospel of the kingdom has not yet been preached in all the world. It is not reported to have been preached among all the Ethiopians, especially among those beyond the river, nor among the Serae, nor in the East. And what are we to say of the Britons, or of the Germans along the ocean, or of the barbarians, Dacians, Samaritans and Scythians-the greatest part of whom have not yet heard the word of the Gospel.?" Origen's point was-there is still much to be done before we can say the Gospel has been preached to all nations. And isn't that just as true in our day, as it was in Origen's? Not because you or I know people in Ethiopia who have not heard, or in Britons or Germans. It's because you and I know people in our neighborhoods, and in our community, and maybe even in our families, who haven't yet heard the Gospel! So that as intriguing as it might seem to want to go to Ethiopia or Dacia or Sythia to preach the Gospel before Jesus comes again, the task, for most of us, is to get the word out in our own corner of the world-among our own friends, acquaintances and family members. If you have the gumption to go preach the Gospel in foreign lands, more power to you, and we'll pray for you while you're gone. But for most of us, staying here at home, trying to spread the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection, is a more formidable task. Trying to reach Uncle Harry with the Gospel, or Aunt Marge, or our young adult children, or our gothic teenagers, or our brother or sister back in Minnesota-THAT is the real challenge. Challenging, because we know them, and we know that many of them don't want to hear the Gospel-especially not from us. And yet, those are Jesus' marching instructions, for most of us. Not to jump on a plane bound for Africa, but to show, by our words and by our deeds, the Good News of Jesus Christ, to those around us, that they, too, may come to hear the Gospel. That is what we are to be doing, while we are watching and waiting-that's why we are keeping awake as we wait for the Son of Man-so that we will not miss the opportunity, to preach the good news, to those in our mission field, in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our city. Which is why Jesus says, "beware, keep alert, keep awake!" Because just as no one knows the day or the hour when Jesus will return, no one knows when we will have just the right chance, to share the love of Jesus with someone who needs it, and have never known it. No one knows when the right time will come, for us to introduce a loved one or friend, to Jesus, and His saving death and resurrection. So, Jesus says, do not spend your time watching the sky and waiting for my return-spend your time watching for just the right time, to proclaim the Gospel! Have that as your aim in life, and trust God the Father, to take care of the end of life.whenever that may come!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.