“Dusting Off the Sets” ~ 9 December 2007

Holy God of Inspiration ~ Help us to calm our minds and hearts, so that our focus may be on hearing Your Holy Word and then living our Your message for out lives. Amen.

Multi-tasking ~ word that describes most of us at this time of year … balancing family & career … children & school work … social commitments …

AND getting ready for this sacred season … shopping … decorating … Christmas cards …

MY HOME: candles in windows … 1 tree in family room so far … made room for Santas and Nativity Sets (hiding baby Jesus till Xmas Eve … Wise Men “travel” from far off places!)

ST. PAUL’S: Tree-decorating parties … Choir rehearsals … Pageant: … microphones & sound checks … scripts & music … costumes & props ~ including the manger.

AND, all around us: cries of “Are YOU READY yet???!!!

TODAY’s scripture readings ECHO the themes that we heard last week: PREPARATION and a VISION of HOPE and PEACE.

GOSPEL LESSON from Matthew … story of the ministry of John the Baptist. Vivid account / story ~

THE PERSON:

“Wild” man / coming in from wilderness (FAR removed from cities / wealth / possessions)

Camel hair clothes / leather belt

Strange diet: locusts and wild honey (living OFF the land)

Jerusalem / Judea and the Jordan River

(TODAY: person coming from the foothills of the Poconos … poncho / jeans / sandals … Diet (Well, YOU can ONLY imagine!) … Philadelphia / Mid-Atlantic states / Schuylkill River

HIS MESSAGE: Repentance AND Preparation

REPENT! Purify yourself! Make yourself RIGHT with the Lord … for the reign of the Lord is about to begin!!!

PREPARE the way of the Lord! Make everything, including yourselves, ready! ~ A message that fulfills the prophecy from the prophet Isaiah AND an affirmation of God’s work IN and FOR the world.

THE PEOPLE: Amazing actions and REactions…

Go AND Meet him

Listen to his words AND his message

CONFESS their sins

BAPTIZED by John in the Jordan with water …

Obviously, READY for the change that

God will bring into the world.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS: Pharisees & Sadducees come to listen … come to be baptized … John DENOUNCES them:

Vipers! Dangerous Snakes!

You show allegiance to Rome

Playing both sides of the fence now?? NO!

Straighten up your act!! Bear good fruit and LIVE!

PROPHECY:

ONE is coming … who is MIGHTY

ONE who is ABOVE ALL OTHERS

ONE whose baptism with SPIRIT and FIRE will cleanse the world of evil AND bring salvation to all who follow and believe

IOW: ONE who will bring RIGHTEOUSNESS into the world

Gospel lesson ends here … It is a story we know REALLY WELL.

BUT NOTE:

The “ONE” who John foretells IS NOT NAMED!

WE HEAR this story: As a Resurrection People ~ as People of Faith ~ And, because we know it so well: We make that leap! And we HEAR IN John’s prophecy the truth that we KNOW … that it is Jesus who is coming …

John’s Prophecy:

The Advent of the Lord

The Advent of the One who will change the world

The Advent of the One who will change WHO we SEE / FEEL / UNDERSTAND / ACT / BELIEVE

The Advent of the One who can bring about the DRAMATIC CHANGES that we hear from the prophet Isaiah.

PROPHET ISAIAH ~

PROPHECY of the advent of a new king

FROM the line / family tree of Jesse/David

(covenant God with David)

NEW KING: filled with the SPIRIT of the Lord

Spirit of wisdom / understanding / power / ALL gifts necessary

establish a reign of justice and righteousness

For MEEK and POOR and VOICELESS and NAMELESS … the most vulnerable of the earth

King will rule justly out of AWE of the Lord

THE PEACEABLE KINGDOM ~ dramatic change

PREDATOR and PREY ~ co-exist

Eat together

Young play together

LITTLE CHILD / INFANT / TODDLER …the MOST Vulnerable … will set the example of LIVING FULLY in the PEACE ~ HARMONY ~ JUSTICY ~ MERCY that the AVENT of this NEW KING will bring into the world. ~ A PEACEFUL WORLD that is for ALL people. … Echoes of last week’s words from the prophet

WE HOLD TIGHT TO THIS VISION … WE WANT TO BELIEVE …

BUT: sometimes HARD to believe when we are caught in the juxtaposition of the holiday glitz AND celebrations AND our own wilderness moments

· CHANGES in LIFESTYLE (debt ~ priorities of career / children / home ~ health issues ~ aging parents ~ death of a loved one)

· GLOBAL ISSUES (war ~ poverty ~ homelessness ~ injustice ~ hatred acted out in world AND local communities)

· CRISIS IN FAITH … When we most need the reassurance and guidance of our God … WHY does HE suddenly seem so FAR AWAY???

· HOW can we possibly move FROM our WILDERNESS and EMBRACE the ADVENT of the ONE who will BRING / RESTORE Hope / Peace / Harmony / Justice to the world?

Story: “Voices from the Wilderness” in “Christmas in All Seasons” by Rev. Geneva Butz … 3 personal affirmations of hope from homeless men who sleep in the shelter provided by Old First UCC, Philadelphia.

These affirmations remind us that God is the One who feeds us in all the wilderness places in our lives.

AS a Resurrection People AND People of Faith:

IF we believe that God came among us in the form of Jesus of Nazareth;

IF we believe that the potential for dramatic change began with the birth / life / death and resurrection of God’s most precious gift;

And IF we believe that, in some form or another, the risen Christ is present among us today …

THEN we have we have the foundation to believe that God will bring about the Harmony / Peace / Justice / Hope that we need to sustain and nourish us … today AND tomorrow AND for a lifetime.

May this sacred season of anticipation become for us a time of deepening hope and trust and faith. AMEN.