"Now what?" A sermon for Advent III

In college I had a chemistry teacher by the name of Mrs. Long— Mrs. Long was a small, wiry woman but more than any other teacher I have ever had she commanded her classroom.  She stern and bristly and as tough as nails-- but her expectations were clear.

I’m not sure that a lot of her students liked her, but I in an odd way did.   Not because she was warm and fuzzy but because you knew where you stood with her and if you worked hard and followed her rules you would probably be successful.

Have you ever had somebody in your life who wasn’t maybe the warm and fuzziest, but who you respected—who you liked-because their expectations were clear or maybe they simply spoke the truth.

I imagine John the Baptist was one of those types of people

He certainly isn’t the warmest and fuzziest and yet people were drawn to him.  They climbed over mountains, went across scorching deserts- they risked life and limb to see what John was up to.  

Remember John hadn’t planted himself where the people were—remember John was far from the centers of population-- he out in the desert—he was on the banks of the Jordan river.  If people didn’t want to encounter John they didn’t have to and yet the people by the droves came to hear John preach.  Oddly there was some sort of attraction to this grizzly guy— who didn’t always have the nicest things to say.  He addresses his congregation as a brood of vipers. – Maybe that is the key to a successful ministry.

I am sure that Mrs. Long cared deeply about whether or not her students learned Chemistry and I think in some way John cares about those who show up on the banks of the river the Jordan— I think John cared that the people were  ready for Jesus, the messiah to come—that the people were ready to inaugurate the kingdom of God in their lives.

Last week John’s message for those who arrived on the banks was for repentance—The greek word is called metanoia—Now metanoia was more than simply saying sorry and feeling bad for something a person has done—metanoia-  the repentance that John is preaching is a radical turning toward God a changing of one’s mind—turning one’s life away from sin and turning toward God and God’s ways.
This radical turning or giving one’s life over to God was symbolized by the water’s of baptism.
When folks were ready to do it- they would scramble down the banks and John would take them in his arms  lean them back into the water- their old sinful self was washed away down the river and as a they would come up out of the water a  new self, a new life would emerge – a life reoriented toward God.

In today’s Gospel—I’m imaging the people have been baptized and some of them are standing on the banks of the river- shivering- water dripping off them—they say to John – now what?  What then should we do?

John says--Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."

To the tax collectors—he says collect no more than the amount prescribed for you."

To the soldiers “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."

As we prepare for Jesus to come- as we reorient- give our lives back to God—I wonder what John might say to us if we were to ask that question.

Now what John? I’ve given my life to God –what’s next --What then should I do?

John’s answer would probably be a little different for each of us—what do you need to do so that Jesus might be born in you again.

I would imagine that for many of us at this time of year – John might simply say slow down you’re moving too fast.

Part of the training I had to do to become a priest was to spend a sometime doing a hospital chaplaincy program called CPE.  At the beginning of the program our supervisor had us set some goals. One of my goals was not get caught up in the break neck pace of the hospital—that when I could I didn’t want to be rushing here and there- I wanted to slow down so that I could be fully present to the people I was serving.  I found intentionally had to walk at a slower pace as people rushed—try to stop outside each patient’s door to gather myself and say a prayer before rushing in.

Of course if someone was coding and I had been paged that was a different story—I need to be there quickly  to help support families.

For the most part I did pretty good with my goal- but every once and a while- I would get caught up in the pace of the hospital and he swirl and frenzy and off I would go into the stream—usually though I would recognize it and slow down.

This time of year it’s easy to get caught up in the swirl of the season- buying presents, wrapping, parties –end of year work commitments-- traveling.

I would imagine that if John were here today he might say to each of us slow down- breathe—find time in these next few days to be quiet.

Yesterday I had a clergy day—spent six hours on a Saturday at our cathedral in buffalo-- during a busy time of the year being with my fellow clergy—but if the Bishop hadn’t said slow down—I would have stopped for the day—because of that day—I got to attend to some relationships I probably wouldn’t have tended- I definitely wouldn’t have spent a half an hour sitting quietely allow- God to breathe peace into me.  As I sat there in the midst of our beautiful cathedral—my mind cleared-  I’m sure my blood pressure lowered, my heart rate slowed and God did what God does best breathed life into me.

John the Baptist says that the one who is coming- will baptize his followers with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Sounds kind of hard and scary and like it’s going to hurt—fire destroys it decimates, it changes the things it touches—but what if when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit into our lives – it wasn’t scary what if what he had was good for us.

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, Paul says that when the Holy Spirit comes she brings goods things- Paul calls them the fruit— sweet and tasty

The fruits that Paul says the Spirit brings with her are like love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  
Couldn’t we all use just a little bit more of love and joy and goodness in our lives—in our world?
I think it all begin when we ask that question that the people asked John Now what- what should we do then?

Slow down—perhaps?

How might John answer that for you- where do you need to reorient this advent season- how might you turn toward God and receive these gifts these fruits of the spirit—I can guarantee one thing this season- Jesus has gifts for us—and they better than anything you will find under the Christmas tree and there better than anything that money can.    They are gifts that can change—changes lives and change the world.  Opening those gifts begins with a simple question:
Now what Jesus? What then should I do?

AMEN