In the movie “Talladega Nights,” actor Will Ferrell plays a NASCAR driver named Ricky Bobby. Before sharing a meal with family and friends, he clasps his hands, bows his head, and begins his prayer, “Dear 8-pound, 6-ounce newborn infant Jesus.” When his wife questions his prayer, Ricky Bobby replies, “Well, I like the Christmas Jesus best.” The prayer is meant to be funny, with over-the-top descriptions like “tiny Jesus in your golden fleece diapers,” but I think there’s a note of truth in it, too. Many worshippers do come to church on the First Sunday in Advent liking the Christmas Jesus best. It’s not simply that our culture shifted into Christmas frenzy weeks ago. People are looking for hope after yet another long year of the pandemic. So many are tired, and they’re tired of being tired. Of course, the liturgical calendar will eventually arrive in Bethlehem for that o holy night. But before we meet the baby Jesus, we hear the adult prophet preach. Modern preachers should recognize that our Scripture lesson might cause anxiety among today’s listeners instead of comfort and joy. It is likely that talk of “the end times” has percolated into the awareness of many members in most churches, whether they have read the “Left Behind” series or not. In our reading, the ominous sign of “distress among the nations” points back to earlier verses when Jesus names the reality of wars, earthquakes, famines and plagues (Luke 21:11). Modern audiences are likely to hear such warnings with the coronavirus pandemic and political tensions in mind. Many will wonder, is Jesus coming back soon?
You can find the rest of the commentary on our website. Thanks to this week’s guest writer! Andrew Taylor-Troutman is pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. | 
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