Advent 2B - my first public post!

Today I am taking a HUGE risk and opening my blog to others! If you are visiting from RGBP - welcome. I am a 2 year ordained priest in the Anglican Communion of Australia - so all this is still very new to me! Be gentle... :)

Mark 1:1-8

1The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

²As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
³the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”

⁴John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. ⁸I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Isaiah 40:1-11

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. ²Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

³A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. ⁴Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. ⁵Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” ⁶A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. ⁷The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. ⁸The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.

⁹Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” ¹⁰See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. ¹¹He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. 

This Church year, known as year B, our Gospel readings will focus on the Gospel of Mark, so it is fitting that today we start with this Gospel’s first words – “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”.

Is there any better way to start than that?

Right from the very beginning the Gospeller we call Mark (we don’t actually know who wrote any of the Gospels) is establishing the most essential facts – although God’s people have been lost, God is fulfilling the promise made to God’s people in the person of Jesus the Christ, son of God. The link between Christ and the promises of God as shown through the prophets is immediately made apparent in the words and actions of John the Baptist.

To understand the mission of John we have to go back to Isaiah. Our text today announces God's intention to visit God's people. God gives directions for the way to be prepared. But by who? By the people God wants to visit? No, by God's own servants. God does not say, "Tell the people to get ready and when they have done so, I will come to them.” God says, "Prepare the way! I am coming to my people." This is not an optional visit – God is not going to wait for that distant time when we have managed to get ourselves, our lives and our world into a state fit for the coming of a King.

Isaiah’s words speak of comfort and restoration. God is withdrawing punishment, forgiving their sin, and providing pathways toward tomorrow. God will care for the people with the affection of the Good shepherd, giving special attention to the most vulnerable among the flock.

In the midst of restoration, the people are reminded that life is brief. We cry out, “All people are grass.” We wither and perish, our national empires are eclipsed, and even the planet will dissolve in fire at some distant time. But, God’s words – God’s energy – will endure forever. We can make changes that involve sacrifice because we know we are in God’s enduring. We can depend on God rather than trusting our own power and achievement, especially when we walk through the valleys of death, disappointment, and destabilization. The fidelity of God, whose presence is revealed in possibilities, encounters, and energies, brings comfort in challenging times.

It is within this context that the ministry of John the Baptist takes place. 

The Baptist is to be identified the prophets – right down to the description of his clothing and diet. Here is the link between the old covenant and the new, the tension between the now and the not yet. The coming of Jesus to Israel is to be identified with the return of God to the Promised Land, Jesus identified beyond the Messiah as the very real presence of the Lord. John’s task is to prepare God’s people for this gospel event, literally coming out of the wilderness to call all to repentance and rebirth.

Ritual washing was quite a common theme in worship in Israel, but several aspects of John’s baptism make it stand out as unique. First, as opposed to the regular, repeated washings that many Jews undertook, John’s baptism was a one-off action—this represented not simply the maintenance of an already pious life, but rather a moment of radically new commitment to being and living as God’s people. Secondly, it took place not in the ritual baths set aside for such purpose, but within the river Jordan River – a place integrally connected with Israel’s journey with God.

The baptism God’s people were being called to is one of repentance, preceded by confession. When used correctly these are words of power and of hope. In confessing our sins, both personal and corporate, we experience the joy of companionship with God. We acknowledge that without God in our lives we are lost, beyond return. Confession is not about punishment or shame, but the recognition of our place in relationship with God and others. Do our words and actions, our thoughts and emotions, bring us closer to God or do they distance us from God’s visions for our lives? Are we growing or contracting in our care for others? Are we open to change or closed to new possibility? Confession is not about penance, but abundant life. Repentance is when we use this new knowledge of ourselves and our God and put it into action in our lives, actively turning away from all that draws us into darkness and living as if God’s kingdom has already come.

Our repentance will involve uncomfortable changes in our own lives, as individuals, families and communities. Repentance is not a state that we can achieve and then rest in, happy that no more change needs to take place. John the Baptist calls us to repentance as a country as well as a family of the Church, and trying to separate the pastoral from the political is an artificial construct destined to failure. Our actions as individuals effect so many more than ourselves, from what we choose to purchase to how we choose to vote, and living as we are in a free and healthy society we owe it to our God to make our repentance a daily part of our lives.

Advent is a little like the children’s game hide and seek. There is no fun in hiding unless you know for sure that someone is going to look, and the game can’t come to an end until everyone has been found. Today we start to explore Mark’s understanding of this game – the part where through our own action or inaction we are hidden from God. But this is only the beginning – through our baptism, our repentance and our faith we are allowing God to find us and draw us out, “¹⁰See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. ¹¹He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.”

We have been found.

Amen

Hungry for...?

Matthew 15: 29-37

²⁹ After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. ³⁰ Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, ³¹ so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. ³² Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.’ ³³ The disciples said to him, ‘Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?’ ³⁴ Jesus asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ They said, ‘Seven, and a few small fish.’ ³⁵ Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, ³⁶ he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ³⁷ And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

I love Advent. What’s not to love? Apart from the rampant commercialisation of a holy season of preparation and the rapid commodification of happiness, of course. And you may or may not be pleased to know that you are going on this advent journey with me, as I will be taking all the Wednesday services between now and Christmas.

I love Advent. I love that it is a season of preparation, a time to prepare ourselves for the coming of God made flesh, that for these short weeks we are intentional about walking the talk, spreading hope and justice, acknowledging our own limitations but allowing God to rise over them.

I love Advent. So for the coming weeks, I am going to very intentionally view our texts through one question – how does this help us prepare for God?

We have been talking a lot about social justice lately, in particular our commission from God to feed God’s sheep. The gospel today is the second time in Matthew Jesus is shown feeding people’s physical hunger through a miracle of plenty, a narrative which occurs 6 times in the gospels. Why is this image so desperately important it has to be emphasised so strongly, to the point where Matthew and Mark used it twice? One significant change between the earlier story and this is that the first crowd were mainly Jews, whereas this motley crew are mainly gentiles. But I am also reminded of the old story of the new pastor. On his first Sunday, the congregation gathered excitedly and expectantly. Everyone was suitably impressed afterward with his sermon. "My, how well he spoke," remarked one. "A superb sermon to be sure," said another. A third chimed in, "If he keeps this up we're in for a treat." On the following week he preached exactly the same sermon. The people were puzzled, but generously surmised that it had probably been too busy a week to prepare a new sermon. After all, he was moving into a new house and meeting all the people. Yet he preached the original sermon the following week as well, and the week after that. The people were very concerned, and the church leadership decided it was time to confront their new pastor. They met him after the service and asked whether he had any other sermons or whether he planned to preach the same one for his entire ministry. "I certainly hope not," said the pastor, "I plan to begin a new one as soon as you start putting the first sermon into practice."

Hospitality lies at the core of our faith. This theme is repeated over and over again in both the Old and New Testaments. It is embedded in our worship with the Eucharist – the bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ that we share. Without in any way taking away from our duty and pleasure in service, however, is the sure and certain knowledge that behind all of our own giving lies Christ.

When Jesus started to talk about feeding those who were with him, the disciples were a little worried. They knew full well the resources they had available, and they knew that there was nowhere near enough to feed all of these people. They are quite reasonable, I feel, in asking Jesus “Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?”. To us, now, the answer is clear. There was nowhere in the desert that could sustain these people – all sustenance had to come from God.

Jesus, even at the height of his earthly ministry, followed by many, surrounded by demands, was still concerned for the most basic wellbeing of his people.  We can imagine the immense crowds surrounding the son of God as news of his power spread. No one could come to Jesus and not be healed. Yet even as he was working miracles of healing, he was aware of the simplest needs of his followers. His mission extended not only to his disciples or those in the greatest of pain, but to every single one of God’s children. God does not and can not differentiate between the worthiness or comparative pain of his followers, giving finite comfort depending on the value or otherwise of the life involved. God doesn’t save God’s compassion for those who really ‘need it’, leaving those with so called ‘lesser’ problems to struggle on alone. 

How do we see this Gospel as an invitation to prepare for Christ? Well, we know there are some problems which cannot be solved without the divine. Some hungers can not be satisfied here on earth. It is easy to fall into the trap of comparing our pain to others, to decide that we are better off than many and have no right to grieve, or alternatively to look upon the grief of others with a heart made hard by our own suffering. But Jesus never made this distinction. This love and grace and hospitality that we are commanded to share without discrimination is but a reflection of that shown to us. 

We can learn from both the example of Jesus and from the crowds. We can learn to give generously, trusting that whatever we have will through God’s grace be enough. And we can learn that the only requirement God has for us is that we show up. We will be fed.

Amen.

Qick! Look Busy!

Luke 21:5-19

5When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” 7They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. 9“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. 12“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your souls. 

25 “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Jesus is coming. Quick, look busy!

This are apocalyptic texts. They are concerned with the end of the world, earthquakes, firestorms, wars and insurrections – hang on, sounds a bit familiar. These things have been going on for hundreds if not thousands of years – what’s going on here?

Where is the good news?

By the time the Gospel of Luke was being written, Jerusalem and the temple are already destroyed. When Luke has Jesus say

"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven..."

he is repeating history. Jesus is dead. Jerusalem is destroyed. Vesuvius has erupted and buried Pompeii, wars and massacres have multiplied, and the horrified tales have spread across the world with the travellers and soldiers of the empire.  People’s horror driven narratives have been honed around campfires into the remembered rhythms of tradition. Luke is telling a restrained history of a world often on the border of unbearable suffering.

We are among the privileged, as Christians go. We are safe to worship without fear, gather and seek fellowship without suspicion, and actively share our love of God and God’s people expecting nothing worse than a little rudeness. There are many others living in situations far more like that presented by the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts – those where fear and threat is a constant part of their life. Reports from North Korea tell of Christians being pulverized with steamrollers. In North Africa, believers are beheaded, bombed, and beaten. In Iran, pastors are imprisoned and church members are lashed for taking communion. In Eritrea, Christians disappear without a trace. In Indonesia, Christian women are forced from government roles. In Egypt and Syria, followers of Christ are massacred. Now, as then, Christians are far from safe. There has been betrayal within, “even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends.” When we hear of the very real suffering of our brothers and sisters throughout the world, it is hard to not become overwhelmed. It can feel like there is no way we can possibly effect the lives of those so far away, both geographically and culturally. Even within our own country, it is easy to feel helpless as we watch our elected leaders stray so far from the path we expected them to take. 

Yet in his own time of death and destruction, Luke says, not as untested promise, and in the face of hysterical and frightening hatred,

“not a hair of your head will perish. In your endurance, you will possess your lives.”

He bears witness to the experience of the church. The text is hyperbole honed by reality and truth, not religious bravado. It is not untried foretelling, but truth tried by fire. It remains yet our truth.

We have a tendency to hear bad news, but these texts are really about good news, about the Gospel. Jesus isn’t preaching gloom and doom; Jesus is preaching an ongoing reality. Jesus was not predicting some far off day of ultimate battle; he was talking about the reality of life in Israel, which was an occupied country and had been buffeted about by war during its entire existence.

As we accept the suffering of our world, refusing to give up because it is all too hard, continuing to love and hope and pray and make the small differences that we can make to further the kingdom of God in our own lives, then we are able to lift our heads and look for redemption. It is how we live in the midst of suffering that shows our soul. Within this time and place, our redemption draws near.