Preparing for the Second Coming?

As I started to cobble together my bulletin for this coming Sunday, Advent I, the candle of hope, I have to admit I sighed. Looking at the lectionary readings, I saw that we’re dealing with Matthew 24:36-44, one of the end times teachings of Jesus. I was seriously tempted to go with something else.

I would guess that I’m not alone, and reading several online commentaries I found writers who definitely resonated a bit with what I was feeling. Why? Well, it’s all kind of hard to picture – two women working and one is left while the other taken, two are grinding grain and one is left, the other taken. It sounds a bit like an alien invasion and it is unclear who is in the better position – the one taken or the one left? What will happen to them? A few writers talked about how the Left Behind books and movies have left a legacy of fear and anxiety about what is coming. They do not paint a picture of a loving and generous God.

If we struggle with the ambiguity of these end times teachings and parables for Advent, we can bet that our kids and youth do too. We can avoid them and stick with the more concrete stories of preparing for a baby coming – that’s safer. But if we want to alert them to the fact that this isn’t the end, that Jesus’ death changed the end of the story and that we need to be obedient, we should take the plunge. Here are some suggestions to gently introduce the second coming:

1. The end times still involve the idea of waiting, just like waiting for a baby to come. Have a talk about things that are hard to wait for and things that are easy to wait for. Is there something coming in their lives that they need to really pay attention for or they will miss it? How does it feel to miss something you were really excited about?

2. Matthew 24:36-44 begins by comparing the end times to Noah and the flood – there wasn’t time to get ready before it came and only a few who were ready survived. Jesus asks us to not get so caught up in life that we miss being ready for the amazing world to come. Make a list of things your learners need to do to be prepared for school or work or hockey games or camping trips. Which ones take lots of time and which don’t? Together write a list of things they would want to have done when Jesus comes for His followers. What might Jesus want on that list? How can they work on that list now?

3. Act out verses 42-44, with costumes if possible. Have at least one thief come to sneak things from someone’s home while they are asleep. This can be as elaborate as your learners want it to be, with lots of detail and silliness to keep it light. Reassure younger learners if necessary that this is make believe. What if the thief had seen a light on? What if the thief had seen the people in the house making tea? How would the story change? Would your learners want to be asleep when Jesus comes? (Avoid comparisons to Santa if possible!)

4. Bring in binoculars, kaleidoscopes, mirrors and/or magnifying glasses. Let your learners handle and try out each one. Ask how each is a bit like being awake and waiting/watching for signs of Jesus’ return. What signs do we see around us reminding us that Jesus lives in us and others already? These things help us to remember His love until He comes back. Talk about what things we can do that show our love for God through helping others.

5. Play some games that emphasize time, sensory and observation skills, such as What Time is It Mr. Wolf?, the key game (someone is blindfolded in the middle with a ring of keys behind them – someone in the circle tries to get the keys and sneak back to their spot without the middle person pointing at them), and even hide and seek (ready or not, here I come! is a great tie-in to this scripture). Keep it light and fun and talk about how we can be God detectives looking for signs of the Kingdom.

The end times have the potential to be scary and dark. This Sunday’s scripture is a small piece of this teaching from Jesus in Matthew, sometimes called the Olivet discourse. It is still valuable to remind our learners that we are waiting for something. It all hasn’t happened yet and the story continues. The Good News is that we know the ending from Jesus’ promises to us. In the meantime, we can remember that we are all part of the unfolding story, that God can use even us to bring about Christ’s Kingdom, and that we are always called to be ready for Him.