Who asked John the Baptist to show up? He seems like an interruption, maybe even an embarrassment to the established religious people – much like you and I might feel when we see some wide-eyed street preacher yelling out for attention. The religious leaders come to John and ask him to explain himself. He doesn’t fit the usual models of ministry. He’s not even there for himself. He is pointing to another. He is pointing to an unexpected future.
We’re passing through a busy period in our church calendar. There’s a lot to do and to prepare for. Christmas is near. We have to decorate the church and prepare for a concert and a pageant. We have family gatherings to attend and presents to buy and wrap. These extra activities come when we also try to preserve traditions that give our lives meaning. In my house we have the same angel tree top ornament we’ve had for years. It must be placed on the tree last of all, when everything else is decorated. We bake the same cookies. We sing the same carols. With all this energy going into the preservation of tradition, it’s difficult to dream about what might be new.
Maybe we avoid thinking about the new because most of what has gone on so recently is so bad. Who wants to dwell on the economy or our lack of resources? Who wants to think about war, or global warming, or fractious political debate (the Iowa caucuses are just around the corner!)? More important to us, who has time or energy to imagine how we will go on with the big changes in our budget for next year?
What John promises isn’t exactly comfort. We know the story of Christmas and we are prepared for the familiar retelling. John talks about change. The authorities challenge him because he advocates a radical departure from the familiar. “I’m not who you expected”, he says, “and the one you think you expect is much different than you imagine.” His words are warnings. “Repent now! While you still have a chance!” He calls the leaders the children of snakes. He doesn’t promise ease and victory. He promises a winnowing and that the messiah will baptize with fire.
John the Baptist sounds more like the crazy preacher who was telling us the world would end a few months ago. This time of year we carry no sense of dread (except maybe about distant family we might have to put up with.) This is a season of hope and celebration for us. John the Baptist points to a very different hope. We are not waiting for the perfect tree or the best meal. We are not searching for the perfect gift. John is preparing us for our salvation. This is more than the completion of all our aspirations. God wants to give us more than a solution to our current problems. The promise given to us is new life. We are promised an end to sin and the transformation of our lives.
This is an entirely different thing to prepare for. Most of what we unconsciously take on during these days is likely to keep us from being prepared for this very thing. Our nerves are frayed and we are tired and spent. In contrast, the prophet Isaiah imagines a new city of God. The future city is glorious because of the righteousness of the inhabitants. The blessing is that God will renew the people and not just the wealth or power of a nation.
Paul writes to the Thessalonians, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” There is nothing in there about rejoicing only when times are good. Paul doesn’t define them by their numbers or their budget or their prestige. God’s will for us is the depth of our faith and the transformation of our lives. He continues, “Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” Paul does not envision a model that will work for every church in every place. It is their responsibility and ours to discern God’s will for us in this place and at this time. We have to make daily decisions to hold fast to the good and abstain from what is evil. Finally, he blesses them. “May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.”
Our calling is difficult but not impossible. God calls us to change us for the better. We are not hoping everything will work out. We don’t know this. The building, the budget, and all the ways that we have defined ourselves are not the end to which we are striving. God desires our transformation into saints. All the rest is a means to that end. So we should not be surprised that we are challenged to live differently. We should not be surprised that we may have to let go of many things that we hold dearly. We are not being punished: we are being changed. God is accomplishing the very thing we need.
We are called to rejoice. It is no discipline to rejoice in good times. Our souls are transformed if we can rejoice when times are hard. It is easy to give thanks when we have plenty. It is different to find thanksgiving in times of stress. We are learning to trust our money less and our God more. We are learning to seek righteousness instead of popularity. We are seeking the will of God instead of what makes us happy. This is the path towards what we are promised. We are being sanctified entirely. Our spirits and souls and bodies are being kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls us is being faithful. God is working in us.
We’re passing through a busy period in our church calendar. There’s a lot to do and to prepare for. Christmas is near. We have to decorate the church and prepare for a concert and a pageant. We have family gatherings to attend and presents to buy and wrap. These extra activities come when we also try to preserve traditions that give our lives meaning. In my house we have the same angel tree top ornament we’ve had for years. It must be placed on the tree last of all, when everything else is decorated. We bake the same cookies. We sing the same carols. With all this energy going into the preservation of tradition, it’s difficult to dream about what might be new.
Maybe we avoid thinking about the new because most of what has gone on so recently is so bad. Who wants to dwell on the economy or our lack of resources? Who wants to think about war, or global warming, or fractious political debate (the Iowa caucuses are just around the corner!)? More important to us, who has time or energy to imagine how we will go on with the big changes in our budget for next year?
What John promises isn’t exactly comfort. We know the story of Christmas and we are prepared for the familiar retelling. John talks about change. The authorities challenge him because he advocates a radical departure from the familiar. “I’m not who you expected”, he says, “and the one you think you expect is much different than you imagine.” His words are warnings. “Repent now! While you still have a chance!” He calls the leaders the children of snakes. He doesn’t promise ease and victory. He promises a winnowing and that the messiah will baptize with fire.
John the Baptist sounds more like the crazy preacher who was telling us the world would end a few months ago. This time of year we carry no sense of dread (except maybe about distant family we might have to put up with.) This is a season of hope and celebration for us. John the Baptist points to a very different hope. We are not waiting for the perfect tree or the best meal. We are not searching for the perfect gift. John is preparing us for our salvation. This is more than the completion of all our aspirations. God wants to give us more than a solution to our current problems. The promise given to us is new life. We are promised an end to sin and the transformation of our lives.
This is an entirely different thing to prepare for. Most of what we unconsciously take on during these days is likely to keep us from being prepared for this very thing. Our nerves are frayed and we are tired and spent. In contrast, the prophet Isaiah imagines a new city of God. The future city is glorious because of the righteousness of the inhabitants. The blessing is that God will renew the people and not just the wealth or power of a nation.
Paul writes to the Thessalonians, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” There is nothing in there about rejoicing only when times are good. Paul doesn’t define them by their numbers or their budget or their prestige. God’s will for us is the depth of our faith and the transformation of our lives. He continues, “Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” Paul does not envision a model that will work for every church in every place. It is their responsibility and ours to discern God’s will for us in this place and at this time. We have to make daily decisions to hold fast to the good and abstain from what is evil. Finally, he blesses them. “May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.”
Our calling is difficult but not impossible. God calls us to change us for the better. We are not hoping everything will work out. We don’t know this. The building, the budget, and all the ways that we have defined ourselves are not the end to which we are striving. God desires our transformation into saints. All the rest is a means to that end. So we should not be surprised that we are challenged to live differently. We should not be surprised that we may have to let go of many things that we hold dearly. We are not being punished: we are being changed. God is accomplishing the very thing we need.
We are called to rejoice. It is no discipline to rejoice in good times. Our souls are transformed if we can rejoice when times are hard. It is easy to give thanks when we have plenty. It is different to find thanksgiving in times of stress. We are learning to trust our money less and our God more. We are learning to seek righteousness instead of popularity. We are seeking the will of God instead of what makes us happy. This is the path towards what we are promised. We are being sanctified entirely. Our spirits and souls and bodies are being kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls us is being faithful. God is working in us.
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