|
 |
Sermon for Sunday, December 14, 2008
Pastor Sara Kay Olson-Smith
Third Sunday in Advent
Texts: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126; 1 Thess. 5:16-24; John 1: 6-8, 19-28
Grace to you and peace from God our Creator and from Christ Jesus, the One who comes, and who is faithful and will act.
On this 3rd Sunday of Advent we are going to keep working on this piece of art that we started 2 weeks ago. I am learning that I am not so good at trying to do two things at once. So I’ll just do my best to get some simple scratches on the paper and talk most of the time. However, there are these shoemaker’s elves who come help me during the week. Our piece of art is filling up. The picture is starting to make a little bit of sense. We must be getting closer. Christmas must be coming soon.
For those of you here last week, we talked about John the Baptist, who prepares in the desert a way for the coming of our Lord. We talked about our God who meets us in the wilderness and lead us into new life, who welcomes us exiles home. Today, we hear from John the Baptist again, with a new perspective on the same story. Last week we heard from Mark, this week from John. The same story, with different perspectives.
Mark, last week, told the story in a simple way, without too much commentary, just getting the story across (a bit like if my Uncle Barry would have told it). John, this week, added in some of the details (like my Aunt Diane, Barry’s wife, would have added in). John tells us of these questions that the priests and the Levites asked, in order to put John into a box which they could understand or control. While they asked, “Who are you, the Messiah? Elijah? A prophet?” in their tone of voice, it probably sounded a lot more like, “Just who do you think that you are?” Those who questioned him wanted to know his credentials, his grand plans and where he intended to go. While they wanted to know all about John and John’s path to success or John’s attempt at finding influence, John only pointed beyond himself.
John said, “I’m not anyone important. It’s really not about me at all. I am just a voice. I am just an arrow pointing to our God. I am nothing, just a voice crying out. But there is someone who is coming. I am not worthy to untie his sandal. It is not me that you should be paying attention to, but this one who comes, and the God who sent him.”
We, as God’s people, are called to live in this same sort of way. We are called to be the people who point – in our our words and actions – to the power of the living God, who comes and who is already present. It’s not about us, John reminds us, but it IS about God. And yet, how do we do this?
Well our readings give us a clue. From Paul we hear - rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances (mind you- not FOR all circumstances), do not quench the Spirit, abstain from evil. Test everything. From Isaiah we hear - bring good news to the oppressed. Bind up the brokenhearted. Proclaim liberty to the captives. Release the prisoners. Comfort all who mourn. Build up ruined cities. Be oaks of righteousness. These readings give us actions that help us practice being those who point, away from ourselves and to our God.
We hear these promises, these challenges, these really difficult things that we are called to do - don’t stop praying, always rejoice, hang out with and advocate for the oppressed and brokenhearted and prisoners and we ask who are we to do this? How are we to do this? Just who do we think we are to be able to, or want to even think about doing these things? Who are we to think that we can do such enormous and transformative things? Just who do we think we are?
The promise, and the good news of this is what John the Baptist proclaimed. It’s not about us at all. It’s about Jesus. It’s about this One who comes. As Paul wrote, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.” Alone we are nothing special. What we do around here doesn’t make us the greatest things since sliced bread. We are just witnesses, and the people God uses to do miraculous things, which aren’t about us at all, but about Jesus, the One who is to come, and the God who sends him.
God is the one who saves and redeems and makes new. God is the one who brings new life. God is the one who brings us home. We just get to be participants in this, and get to watch it happen, to experience it and praise God for it. God is the One who makes all things possible. God is the good news, is liberty and release and brings comfort to the mourning. The more that we, like John the Baptist, decrease, the more God increases. The One who calls us is faithful, and God will do it. God will do it. This is the promise we can know and trust. God will do it. God will do it, through us, and with us and around us, and if we aren’t on board, without us. God will do it.
God will do it, which gives us freedom to let go of ultimate responsibility and relax into the life of following, of living these practices of being God’s people. It doesn’t mean that we sit down and take a nap because God’s taking care of business. Instead, we are freed to live and love and serve as part of God’s work. It’s even part of the ELCA’s 2008 slogan - “God’s work, Our hands.”
You know, it’s kind of like having a really good leader when you are dancing. When you have a good leader, you don’t have to worry about where to turn or how to step. There is just the calm, strong wise hand on your back, leading. And so you are freed just to dance. (Of course, for the more stubborn and independent dance partners, like myself, who always think that I know better, it gets very frustrating for everyone. Thankfully, God keeps leading me and doesn’t mind stepped-on-toes. Perhaps this is why Paul writes, pray without ceasing. Stay connected with this dance partner.) With God’s lead, we dance lives of justice, or love, of joy and sometimes just rest in the grasp of comfort and peace of the one who does not let us go. The One who calls us is faithful. God will do this
It’s about our lives glorifying God, not us. We are called to let go of our personal agendas and need for power and influence and self-righteousness, and relax into God’s leading. When I think about this, I am struck by a little verse in the reading from Isaiah. (And now, you see what this drawing has to do with anything.) Be Oaks of Righteousness. Be a tree, not just any tree, we hear from Isaiah, but Oaks of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. I think of an old, beautiful oak tree. A strong broad trunk, with deep roots, wide open branches. A tree doesn’t need to work really hard to be a tree, doesn’t seek fame or glory in doing it, but lives boldly as a tree. A tree digs its roots deep and draws nourishment from the soil and the rain and the water. It waves its branches wide to reach the sunshine, to dance in the wind. A tree points to the wonder of creation, to the power of the Creator, Oaks of Righteousness, planted by God, displaying God’s glory.
So if they ask, “Who do you think that you are, to believe you can do this? Who do you think you are,” we point beyond ourselves and say, “We are just Oaks of Righteousness, our roots dug deeply into the soil of God’s Word.”
We are Oaks of Righteousness, praying without ceasing, drawing always from the source of our life, the one who empowers us: Our God who nourishes us in bread and wine, Word and Water.
We are Oaks of Righteousness, rejoicing always in the wonder of God’s power and strength which holds us upright, which brings us strength and hope in the midst of all we face, knowing that it is our God who has planted us, and our God who will keep us.
We are Oaks of Righteousness, living rightly, justly with one another, with our world and with God, Oaks of righteousness, our branches wide and open, giving thanks, and reaching out to all.
We are Oaks of Righteousness, refusing to quench the power of the Spirit, which moves us and enlivens us even when we feel weary.
God makes us Oaks of Righteousness, and Our God, in Jesus, who we can expect to come again, will do it. Our God, for whom we watch and wait and expect to bring new things to birth in this Advent season, will do it. Our God, to whom we turn for forgiveness and hope in our failings and brokenness and pride and fear, will do it. Our God, to whom we go to receive comfort and joy in the midst of of grief, will do it. Our God, who one day will make all things new, is working, in, through and around us. Our God is faithful, and God will do this.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
|
