This sermon was preached on Sunday, November 30, 2014 at Grace Episcopal Church in Medford, MA. The texts for this sermon were: Isaiah 64:1-9 , 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 , Mark 13:24-37 , and Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 . Today is the first Sunday in Advent. It’s the night when we light the first candle on our advent wreath and most importantly in my house, the day we can finally start singing Christmas carols. So why read a passage about destruction and the end of the world today? Why read the bit about Jesus explaining that the apocalypse will feature the sun darkening, the moon going out, and the stars falling from the sky? So it turns out that Advent is not about extending the Christmas shopping season after all. Advent is a thoughtful season of spiritual preparation. We read this passage on the first day of Advent because it reminds us that we are waiting and preparing for two things: the coming of the Christ child on Christmas and the second coming of Christ. In the passage we just read