Sermon-December 8, 2019-William Bradbury

Advent 2-Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Well, if there is a kingdom coming there must also be a king close at hand—and that can be a very unsettling thing. It’s 1927 and word comes that King George V and Queen Mary are coming to visit Downton Abbey, in the recent movie of that name. The residents, both the Crawley Family that live upstairs and the servants who work downstairs are all in a tizzy. Some were thrilled with the honor, while others are overwhelmed with how this was going to change their lives over the next few weeks.