The Prelude and its Promise - Sermon on Matthew 3:1-12

Listen to the Sermon here: 

Matthew 3:1-12

1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ² "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." ³ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' " ⁴ Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁷ But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit worthy of repentance. ⁹ Do not presume to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

SERMON

When Sarah and I first met, we quickly discovered our mutual affection for all things Broadway.  We both spent some time working in our local school or community theaters growing up, and musical theater was an important part of our life.   So, when we first started dating, we started a Sunday night tradition, where Sarah would come over to the apartment to watch a Broadway musical on DVD.  And we didn’t just watch the DVD, we would belt out each tune to the top of our lungs, singing along with the musical. Sarah was always partial to Little Shop of Horrors because she played Audrey in high school.  That’s the musical about Seymour, a bumbling, geeky florist who discovers a talking venus fly trap. The plant thrives off human blood and begins to grow. Ya know what, that’s irrelevant to the point of this sermon.  If you want to discuss Broadway musicals in more detail, see me after worship.     

A few weeks into our tradition, it became a running joke for our friends from upstairs to text us and guess which musical we’re watching based on our singing.  Then they would ask us to stop singing.  

Actually, one of our first dates was to the local community theater in Columbia, SC to see Les Misérables.  So good.

Our affection for broadway musicals is deep, and so naturally we feel a responsibility to pass on the joy and beauty of musicals to Bennet.   I don’t sit down at the piano at home as often as I’d like, but when I do, I try and play a lot of show tunes. Bennet requests them. 

About three weeks ago, Sarah and I started our vacation by going to the Times Union center to see Wicked.   Anyone seen Wicked? An incredible musical written by Stephen Schwartz.  

It’s the story of Elpheba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and it’s told in parallel to the classic story the Wizard of Oz.   

So, in preparation for the musical that night, as we typically do, we were listening to the soundtrack as we cooked dinner.  Bennet and I were at the table. I was working. He was eating. And when the overture started, I found myself teaching Bennet about the musical.  “Bennet,” I said, “This is the beginning of the show. It’s sort of like a prelude, but in theater we call it an overture.”  

For most folks, it’s a signal that the show has started and soon actors will appear on stage.  It may not seem all that important, but the overture is one of the most important moments of the show.”  Bennet took another bite and nodded along.  

I explained to Bennet that the overture is significant because it establishes the themes and moods of the show.  And a really good musical overture plants a seed in your ear, so that when you hear the same tunes or riffs later in the show, the music draws a red thread through the narrative.  The overture sets the mood. It presents the themes. It essentially makes you a promise about what is to come. And, if it’s a musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber, then you’ll essentially the entire show in the overture.   

And as we listened to the overture for Wicked, Bennet and I discussed the various musical themes.  The riff for “No One Mourns the Wicked.” The teaser for “Unlimited” the transition between minor and major chords and the resolutions that symbolize and preface the overarching narrative.  

Certain to say that Bennet was enamored by the conversation of overtures and preludes.

The use of preludes and overtures goes well beyond Broadway musicals, doesn’t it?  Think about some of your favorite move trilogies or sagas. The opening of Star Wars?   Indiana Jones. Jurassic Park? Home Alone. Harry Potter… Well, I guess anything by John Williams.   

In literature, we often think of the foreword and preface as a sort of prelude to the Author’s work.  They often introduce themes, moods, or motivations behind the narrative that follows. 

Certainly, one of our most common encounters with the power of preludes is in worship.  Each and every time we gather for worship, we begin with a musical offering. We commonly refer to it as a prelude.  And the final piece as a postlude. But within worship, especially here at St. Mark’s, it is so much more than that.  

We are truly blessed to have a cantor that is incredibly talented and gifted, not only with his abilities, but with musical knowledge, insight, history, and diversity as well.  Each and every time we gather for worship, we begin with an Opening Voluntary, or prelude. And I don’t mean to speak for Tony, but I’m confident to say that Tony does not pick a prelude or opening voluntary for prelude’s sake.  He doesn’t choose a piece of music haphazardly or flippantly. Each piece is selected with discernment and care because the opening voluntary, the prelude of our worship, establishes a mood. It sets a tone. It often previews musical and theological themes.  It makes a promise, and that promise becomes fulfilled throughout the course of worship. 

More often than not, Tony selects an opening voluntary that is arranged around a particular hymn we sing later in worship.  Or the text of the voluntary is rooted in the texts of the day. And to be sure, Tony takes special care to account for the melody, the tone, the tempo, the setting, the arrangement, etc, so that the opening piece is a precursor to the rest of worship.  

Even today, our St. Mark’s ringers played “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,” and the arrangement used two different tunes for the well-known hymn.  That piece set the tone for our worship, establishing themes of longing, anticipation, movement, hope, and in the end a tension between the two settings, both conveying the same text, but with different, inter-laying melodies that ring balance to the difficult now and not yet of our Christian faith.  Celebrating the coming of the Emmanuel - God with us, while dancing with eagerness, waiting for the second coming of Christ.

Preludes are important, intentional contributions to the overall work or narrative.  In fact, by definition, a prelude serves as an introduction preceding and preparing for the principal or a more important matter.  It is essential to the overarching event and it demands our careful and reflective attention. 

Now I say all of that because I think it is the perfect lens by which we should approach the season of Advent and our text for today.  Of all the seasons of the church year, Advent is consistently one of the shortest. It’s the first season, and it comes and goes with the blink of an eye.  The world we live in and the consumerist culture does not favor a slow, intentional, and meaningful seasons of anticipation.   

Sometimes Advent feels like the opening of our favorite TV show.  We know it. We’ve heard and seen it. So, we play on our need for instant gratification, use our technology and jump ahead 10, 15, even 30 seconds to get to the good stuff.  Fast forward through the opening credits.

Advent then becomes a steppingstone to a larger, more robust and drawn out story that we breeze right past it or snooze our way through it.  And if we’re not careful or intentional, we miss the power of these texts. We’ll miss the emphasis of their proclamation. The themes they establish.  The mood and tone of their delivery. If we’re not attentive to the season of prelude and precursor then we sacrifice our experience of the whole narrative. 

Matthew’s gospel account opens with an exhaustive and complete genealogy, laying out 28 generations from Abraham, to David, the Messiah.  Then the birth of Jesus is announced, and the wise men make their journey. Joseph and his family flee to Egypt and Herod sought out and killed all of the children in and around Bethlehem.  

And today, John the Baptist appears in the wilderness, fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming the arrival of the kingdom of God.  John the Baptist is our prelude to the Messiah. The voice of the one crying out in the wilderness. JTB is our overture to the coming of the Kingdom of God.  John the Baptist sets the tone. Establishes the mood. Presents the themes of the overarching narrative, and there is a reason for his place in the story. There’s a purpose for his overture.  

I think we would do very well to lend a careful and attentive ear in preparation for the whole of the gospel narrative. 

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near…Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'  John’s appearance and proclamation establishes some very important themes.  

First, the kingdom of God has come near.  God’s reign is ever present. God’s love for God’s people becomes incarnated in the Emmanuel - the Christ child.  God has come down, to live among God’s people, vulnerable to the depths and fears of human emotion. God loves the people so much that God chooses to be among them and accompany them through the extremes of life, even death.  The kingdom has come near, and we do well to keep watch. To see the presence of God at hand.

Second, John proclaims that God’s kingdom will be far reaching, diverse, and more inclusive than they imagined.  Do not presume to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.” 

God’s good kingdom is not and will not be exclusive to the descendants of Abraham, but rather there is a place for all people all nations.  The Kingdom of heaven is expansive and diverse. We do well to keep watch for the breadth and depth of God’s kingdom.

Third, repentance is central to the coming of God’s kingdom and the reign of the Emmanuel.  John cries out, “repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”   

This prelude is immediately realized a chapter later when Jesus begins his earthly ministry with the exact same phrase, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”   

John presents an important and powerful theme that will play out again and again as Jesus encounters people throughout his ministry.  Repentance is more than an apology or an admission of wrongdoing. It’s not about dwelling our mistakes and confession of sin.  Repentance is a complete turning around.  

Repentance means to turn away from poor values, unjust practices, and sinful behavior.  To deny false idols and self-righteousness. Repentance is a turn towards. A returning to God and the values of God’s good kingdom at hand.   

Repentance is an intentional first step in a new direction. A new and different path.  It’s to charter a new course, veer in a new way, set forth a new destination. We would do well to keep watch for the power of repentance and forgiveness as we go forward.   

This is the power and conviction of John the Baptist’s proclamation.  It is the power of Advent as a prelude to the rest of the liturgical year and the gospel narrative.  In Advent we set a new path, re-recognize the themes of our identity. We set the tone and establish the mood.  Advent is the gift and opportunity to reclaim the gift of repentance and turn towards God. 

Looks friends, Advent is such an important season in the year of the church.  It presents a valuable and essential foundation to the truths of faith we share.  In this season, we wait for the Lord. Not only for the Emmanuel born at Christmas, but we remember again our desperate longing to the coming again of God’s only son to reconcile all people, all nations, all times.

And we do well this brief but powerful Advent season to relish in the motifs of our faith.  To embrace the salvific themes of God’s goodness. To be attentive, intentional, and careful as we embark on the narrative of our faith and the fulfillment of God’s promise to the world once again.

The season of Advent...season of anticipation and longing...of waiting and eagerness, plays out like the brilliant overture.  This season makes us a promise...a promise of God that the kingdom is at hand. It is expansive, diverse, and inclusive. A promise the God’s kingdom will be like none-other and will not be ruled as the world expects.  The promise of Advent is God’s abiding and grace-filled presence in the Christ-child, Emmanuel. 

Let the overture play.  Let our hearts be attuned.  Let our souls be filled. Let our Spirit yearn for the story to be told.  Be present in this moment, for God’s promise will be fulfilled.

Amen.

© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached by Sunday Dec. 8, 2019 @ St. Mark's Lutheran JAX, FL

Roadwork, Pathways, and Transformations

The roadwork on Hendricks Avenue is endless.  I was warned when I first arrived in Jacksonville that “they” like to “work” on Hendricks Avenue every other year or so.  But ever since I arrived at St. Mark’s, “they” have been paving, stripping, repaving, and paving some more.  Some days I feel like Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day,” stuck in repetition.  Didn’t they pave this exact lane yesterday? 

Last week, I was sitting in traffic on University Blvd, waiting to turn on to Hendricks Avenue, and I heard the words of the prophet Isaiah in my head as John the Baptist is introduced in Luke 3, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

If Advent is a season of anticipation and preparation, anxious yet patient waiting-- a season calling us to prepare the way for the king of kings and to straighten and smooth pathways-- then it seemed oddly appropriate that I sit in traffic waiting for a giant truck to lay a new, shiny path for me to journey on.  So I waited to turn right, said a prayer of thanksgiving that the return of Jesus was not dependent upon FL-DOT or Duval Asphalt, and then waited some more.

By the time you read this, Advent has come and gone (here’s to hoping we can say the same for the work on Hendricks).  We transitioned from Advent to Christmas, and now Christmas to Epiphany as the liturgical cycle continues.  But I wonder, have our lives been changed by all the hard work of Advent-- the waiting, anticipation, and preparation?  We spent a significant amount of emotional and spiritual energy preparing the way, making straight the paths, filling the valleys, and lowering the mountains.  Are we at all changed by the labor of Advent?  Or like Hendricks Avenue being “worked” on every other year, are we resigned to simply wait around for another time of waiting?  Do we wait for waiting’s sake because that’s what “we” like to do?

True, our waiting comes to somewhat of a culmination on Christmas Eve as we remember the birth of Christ but, deep down within our Christian identities, waiting is deeply rooted in the promised return of our Messiah.  And with every season of waiting-- active waiting-- the path is formed, reformed, and transformed.  Each cycle of waiting brings new light to the imperfections of our way.  Once corrected, lowered, raised, or straightened, our new, shiny way yields a renewed sense of waiting-- active, proclamation-filled waiting.  A re-reformed path should be easier to traverse, clearly marked with signs and direction. 

Maybe I’m naive and hopeful because I’m still new to Jacksonville, but I think the work on Hendricks Avenue will come to an end (even if temporary).  Then we will travel Hendricks again and again until such a time that it needs to be “worked” on once more. 

The same is true with us.  Advent was a season of waiting and preparation, making straight the paths.  Now that Advent has gone (and it will come again), how has your life in Christ been changed?  Illumined?  Reformed? Transformed?

© Pastor Daniel Locke, published 01.2019 in St. Mark's Lutheran January Messenger, Jax, FL.

Wait in the Present - Sermon on Luke 3:7-18

Listen to the gospel lesson and sermon here.

Luke 3:7-18

7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?⁸ Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.⁹ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"¹¹ In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"¹³ He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you."¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."¹⁵ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,¹⁶ John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."¹⁸ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

Sermon

Again, I promise you, the well known and wonderful texts of Mary and Joseph, the babe lying in a manger, shepherds of the field, and the great tidings of joy….those texts are coming.  Hang in there. In fact, join us for Christmas Eve worship next Monday because I have a good feeling you’ll hear them then. They’re coming.

But until then, we continue to wade in the season of Advent.  The season of waiting. Of expectation. Of preparation. Of wandering and wondering.  Reflecting and anticipating the return of Christ. We remember that our waiting goes well beyond the next 9 days when Christ is born and we celebrate the season of Christmas, but we wait anxiously for the return of Christ the newborn king.  Of Christ and the fullness of the kingdom of God. We wait and wait and wait some more. And Advent is our friendly, 4 week reminder that our waiting, our anticipation...it is life long.
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In those days, the people were unsettled with great expectation.  Great anticipation. They were eager for a Messiah, as proclaimed by the prophets of old.  They were pacing for a savior that reign over Israel and restore power over all nations. And so when a man named John, who resembles the prophet Elijah comes out of the wilderness proclaiming repentance for the forgiveness of sins because a savior is near….the crowds gather.

And I love this moment.  Because it feels so unexpected.  So out of place..

Recall last week’s text, when Luke paints the scene for the arrival of John the Baptist.  Luke begins by saying, “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler[a] of Galilee...during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.  

And here is a what I love...the word of God passes by all these powerful government and religious leaders, where people likely expected the prophecy of a Messiah to take place...and God’s word speaks to a simple man named John.  John of Zechariah. A man of the wilderness...the dark, dingy, despairing wilderness. And out of the wilderness, John emerges with the word of God….and the crowds gather with great anticipation and excitement for the word of God...and the word speaks through John by saying, “You Brood of Vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come!!” 

Love it!  We might expect “Grace and peace to you friends…”  Or “Behold, I bring great news because a savior is coming soon”....Nope… “You brood of Vipers!” 

Oh man, what an entrance.  And admittedly I admire his opening strong word of conviction.   You brood of vipers! ...It’s such a bold and risky approach to proclaiming the word of God to eager crowds.  I admire his confidence. 

Sarah and I took a prophetic preaching class in seminary.  And one of the biggest challenges to preaching prophetically is to speak truth in love.  Knowing full and well that those truths might be unsettling and will likely be met with resistance.

Now I’ve been here over a year, and I feel like I’ve gotten to know a lot of your fairly well...but there is no amount of confidence that would empower me to begin as John the Baptist did.

He spoke to the crowd gathered, folks who had come to hear what he had to say and be baptized in preparation for the possible arrival of a messiah...and the first thing he does is scold them.  Convict them. Speak hard truths.. 

He tells them that just claiming Abraham as an ancestor is not enough.  It’s empty and fruitless...for anyone can claim than ancestry. And for you who claim Abraham as your safety net but act in selfish and harmful ways...the ax is nearby...ready to cut down trees that bear bad or no fruit.  To the tax collectors skimming off the top...the soldiers abusing their power….he speaks convicting truths.

And the remarkable thing is that unlike the prophet’s before him… who spoke convicting truths in love...who used aggressive language and often received hostel responses from the crowds...the people gathered around John don’t revolt.  Despite is strong, aggressive intro...They don’t raise up. They don’t walk away. They don’t stone him or rebuke him. 

No, what do they do?  They lean in...they push in closer...and what’s even more powerful is that they’re struck with curiosity.  Three times they inquire, “What then should we do? What should WE do? What SHOULD we do?”

…

That’s an honest question isn’t is?  A raw, vulnerable question? The crowds whether full of fear for being axed due to bearing bad fruit or genuinely interested in becoming better people...they ask John, “What then should we do?” 

I think deep down we all wrestle with this question.  As Christians, we know we’re clothed and cleansed in the water of baptism, and we know that baptism is being claimed by God...washed in abundant grace….and absolutely nothing we do or don’t do can change that….

but I think deep down we all know that baptism alone doesn’t prevent or excuse us from bearing bad fruit.  Just because we claim our ancestry...our identity in Christ the waters of baptism...we all wrestle with sin.  We all struggle with abuse of power and relationships. Despite doing our best or trying our hardest we all wrestle with selfish ambition...pride...sinful behavior...and bad fruit.

What then should we do?

I’ve spoken before about a Spiritual retreat called Teens Encounter Christ.  It’s much like Via De Cristo, but oriented towards youth and young adults. It’s a weekend of intentional spiritual renewal.  I went when I was in high school, and I remember upon arrival they asked us to leave behind our watches, phones, alarm clocks or anything that told time. 

The intention was to remove any and all distractions that would prevent us from being full present.  And the mantra they taught us was “Don’t anticipate, participate.” That is don’t worry so much about the next thing...the next event or session. Don’t worry about how long or when...but rather worry about the present.  Be present. Participate fully in the now.

What should we do?  I think John offers a remarkable answer.  He doesn’t say Go to the synagogue or temple and repent and pray.  He doesn’t say, go be with family or community...go confess sins or practice sacramental rituals.    He doesn’t say go and obey the law and religious traditions..

No, John says, if you have two coats, share one.  Share with anyone who has none. If you’re a tax collector then don’t cheat people…collect amount due and no more.  If you’re a soldier, be a soldier, but extort money or abuse your position of power.

John says, be who are you are.  Be you who you are called to be.  Live out your vocation, and while doing so...be no more or less than you were called and created to be.  Be present. Be respectful. Be welcoming. 

If you’re a tax collector, be honest and trustworthy.  Be dependable and genuine. If you’re a soldier, be a protector, defender, and advocate.  Be equitable and fair. 

John says, be who you are called to be.  And for us dear friends, we are called by God, washed in the waters of baptism...claimed by God...to be who we are called to be. 

What should we do?  In Greek, the word “do” as in what should we “do” shares it’s root with bear as in “bear good fruit.”  John exhorts the people to bear fruits worthy of repentance. And the people respond, what should we do?  What should we bear?

Friends, in this season of Advent, this time of year, we’re really good at anticipating.  Anxiously waiting for the Christmas season. Easy to look ahead to the next thing. To get wrapped up and consumed by the business of the season.  To be distracted by upcoming plans, travel, or celebrations. 

The same is true for life.  Always looking ahead, caught up in the whirlwind of life… commitments to our jobs or friends or family.  Obligations to committees and boards… Drowning in the business of life… the events, practices, meetings, ..all the places we have to be and when.   Seem to always be looking ahead, in the distance, worried about what is to come. 

But perhaps, the call of Advent, the season of preparation and waiting is a 4 week reminder...not just that God came to be among us in the Christ child.  But a reminder to be present. To be present. To breathe in the now. To be who we are called to be here and now. To be children of God. 

Caring for others. Sharing in resources.  Giving our extra coats. Living out our vocations in the richest way possible, as a light to the world that Christ is present here and now.   Faithful, diligent, patient, and humble acts of mercy in our everyday lives. Being no more or less than God has called us to be.

That is what we should do.  That is how we wait. All the while, bearing good fruit.  Amen

© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached 12.16.2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran JAX, FL

Turning the World Upside Down - Sermon on Luke 3:1-6

Listen to the gospel lesson and sermon here.

Luke 3:1-6

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,² during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.³ He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.⁵ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;⁶ and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' "

Well, we seem to be getting closer to the holiday texts we know and love.  Last week we read from Luke 21, where Jesus sits on the temple mount and offers an apocalyptic discourse to the disciples.   Today, we go back just a bit further in time to the time of John the Baptist. Today’s text in the third chapter of Luke actually occurs after Jesus has been born and raised.  

I promise, if you hang in there, we’ll eventually get to the picture perfect holiday texts that we all know and love.  The manger, shepherds, Mary and Joseph. All of the good stuff. I promise it’s coming.

But until then, it is important that we spend some time in Advent being reminded that we wait not only for the story of Christ being born, but also we wait for the second coming of Christ.  We wait anxiously for the time in which God will make all things new. A time when God will turn the world upside down. Restore all of creation and make us whole.

We wait ever so patiently for the completion of God’s kingdom, praying daily for thy kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  For now, in the season of Advent, it is good for us to dwell with the gravity of what it is we’re actually waiting for.

Today’s text sets up the time of John the Baptist.  We don’t actually hear from the John the Baptist until next week, when he comes out swinging from the wilderness and he shouts to the crowd, “You brood of vipers…”.  

But until then, today’s text only introduces the one crying out in the wild.  We are introduced to his presence, and the stage is set for his arrival. The arrival of the one written about in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” 

I think it is interesting and worth noting in today’s text, that the text isn’t about Jesus.  It’s actually not even about John the Baptist. In fact, today’s text opens with an unexpected litany of political, economic, and religious leaders and officials.  Luke sets the stage for John’s entrance by rattling off the who’s-who of first century people in power. 

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius…when pontius Pilate was governor of Judea.  When Herod was the ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the the region Ituraea and Trachonitis, and lysanias of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas…

Luke is setting the scene for the time of John and Jesus’ arrival.  And between you and me, Luke is baiting his audience, the readers,...he’s baiting you and me to learn a valuable lesson about God and what God is up to.  This text is about God and what God is up to.

The text isn’t actually about Jesus.  And it isn’t really about John the baptist.  Nor is it about the list of powerful leaders.  This text is really a subtle proclamation about God and God’s intention for the world.  It is a subversive message about God’s plan for salvation to a broken creation. It’s about God and what God is up to. 

During my time at Lutheridge as a camp counselor, I learned a lot of songs.  And one of the camp favorites was a song called One Name. The lyrics read, “One name under heaven, whereby we must be saved.  Forgiven of our sins, baptized in the water, filled with the Holy Ghost, washed by the blood of the lamb. Free to be free my friends, freed by the blood of the lamb.”  

Then the 4th and final stanza of the song goes, “God’s goinna move this pla-a--ace, God’s goinna move this place...God’s goinna turn this whole world, upside down.”

God’s goinna turn this whole world upside down.  That’s the subtle message of today’s text and I suspect it went right by most of us when we first read it.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius...with Pontius Pilate governing Judea...with Herod and his brother ruling Galilee and beyond.  With Annas and Caiphas ruling the high priesthood.. God is up to something. Something new. Something unexpected. Something that will turn the whole world upside down.  Something that will shake the status quo to its core. 

You see, in those days the world in desperate and eager for a Messiah, a savior.  Someone to fill the centuries of prophecy that came before. Someone who would be raised up as a might ruler, a king of kings, a leader of nations, a great and powerful savior of the people.  

And so with each powerful political and religious leader that Luke rattles off he challenges the expectations of the world.  God’s up to something …but it won’t happen through the mighty Emperor Tiberius. God is up to something, but it won’t be through powerful Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea.  God is up to something, but it won’t be through the revered king Herod or his brother. God is up to something but it won’t be through the religious elites, Annas and Caiphas.  

With each and every name Luke announces he not only establishes a timeline to set up the time of John and Jesus, but Luke announces the mighty and powerful leaders of their time and then sets them aside.   And with the world’s greatest economic, social, and political leaders aside, Luke tells us that the word of God came to a man named John. Not an emperor, not a governor or king..not a religious leader. Just John, son of Zechariah...king of the wilderness.

God’s goinna turn this whole world upside down.   God’s word...God’s word incarnate...comes in complete opposition to the world’s expectations.  To a wild man in the wilderness...a lowly guy named John, the word of God comes forth as a voice in the wilderness, crying out, “prepare the way of the lord” proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 

Do you see what God does?  And honestly, as people who know the complete story it should come as no surprise, but God is flipping the script.  Turning the world upside down. Dismissing human expectations and understandings of power. 

God breaks forth not in the mighty and their thrones, but in the lowest, smallest, most unexpected way.  In fact, it is out of the wilderness, the very place that represents wandering, doubt, darkness, and uncertainty, that’s the place that the word of God shows up.  

That’s where the word of God prevails.  Not in the rich, mighty, and powerful. But in the damp, dark, dirty wilderness...God is up to something. God’s goinna turn this whole world upside down.

Luke makes it a point to tell us that God shows up in the most unexpected, counter-cultural way. The fact of the matter is that the systems of power in place in the world will crumble at the presence of God.  God will humble everything that is proud and self-satisfied. God will cast the mighty down from their thrones and uplift the lowly. Out of the wilderness, God is up to something. 

And whether we like it or not...whether we admit it or not...this upside down turning of the world is what we wait and long for in the season of Advent.   It’s what we hope for. It’s what we pray for. It’s what the world is desperate for.

A savior who turns the world upside down.  Who actively seeks out the outcast, poor, lost, lame, and last.  A savior that proclaims good news to the oppressed and sets the captives free.   A savior who challenges and opposes the systems and cycles of power still rampant today.  A savior who confronts any and all abuse of power and restores justice. A savior who flips the script, restores right relationship, and calls forth all of creation to be made new. 

As you most of you know, I have a 4 month old son, Bennet.  And raising Bennet is a learning curve that I know many of you can attest to.  Well, he recently learned a new trick. He has learned how to roll over onto his stomach.  But...and I think this is the important part...he doesn’t know how to roll back over. 

So while it may be cute and adorable at 3 in the afternoon to watch Bennet roll over on his play mat...it is less than cute at 3am ...and 4am..and 5am...when he rolls himself onto his stomach and then screams because he’s stuck.  He finds such joy in his new ability, but it ultimately leaves him stuck, annoyed, and lost.

The world is just like Bennet.  Infatuated with our abilities, our human-made structures and systems, enamored by power and status.  Humankind is wading in sin, wandering in the darkness...stuck and lost from our ways. Screaming out for a savior.

Two nights ago, in the span of 8 hours...Sarah and I responded to Bennet’s screams for help 10 times.  10 times in 8 hours we awoke to him rolled over..stuck, annoyed, and lost. And each time, we crept into his bedroom, gently turned him over, reminded him that he is ok and he is loved, and then soothed him back to sleep...knowing good and well he’d do it again.

God’s goinna turn this whole world upside down.  That’s how God is with us. In the time of John the Baptist and Jesus, the world had lost its way.  Humankind was living for their own sake. 

The emperor Tiberius, the Governor Herod...the religious and political leaders and officials… they lived for their own benefit.  For their own wealth. They thrived on systems of power the abused relationships, discarded other human beings, neglected the sick, poor, oppressed, lost, last, and lonely.  The world was stuck in sin. Screaming in the night for someone to come and save.

And God did just that.  God became incarnate, took on human flesh to be among us.  God’s word came out of the wilderness...the very place of wandering, doubt, despair, and darkness.  And God’s word spoke. Calling all people into repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Sins that got us stuck in the first place.  

Repentance, by its very definition is to turn around...to turn away from harmful, corrupting, and indulging sin...and turn to God.  A complete 180.

And God, gracious and abounding in steadfast love responds every time to our cry.  God’s gonna turn this whole world upside down..

The good news my friends is that God is still up to something.  God is still active. God is still the one meeting us in the darkest wildernesses of our lives and proclaiming a word of hope.  God is still moving among us. God is still calling us to repentance and forgiving our sins. God promises to always be present.  And God promises to turn this world upside down….or perhaps...right side up.

So, I suppose the question is: Do you ever stop, pray, listen, and wonder...what is God up to?  Where is God moving and stirring? Where in life do you find yourself in the wilderness? In the dark, desperate, and despairing places?   Do you cry out to God? Is God responding? 

And if so, is it making you uncomfortable?  Unsettling your foundation? Is God moving in a way that challenges you to evaluate and reexamine your life?  Is God turning your world upside down?

Amen. 

© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached 12.08.2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran JAX, FL

What Brings You Here? - Christmas Eve Sermon

Listen to the sermon here.

Luke 2:1-20

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.⁶While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. ⁸In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” ¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

What brings you here, to this place tonight?  What brings you here?  Have you come to see the Messiah?  Are you here to experience the birth of a long-awaited and promised king.  Are you driven by curiosity, and you’re here to see for yourself if the good news it true?  Are you here by routine, because this is what you always do on Christmas Eve.  What brings you here this night? Are you forced to be present at the nativity this night, whether by coercion or guilt or appeasement of a loved one?

I think that perhaps there is very little doubt as to what the service is about.  ho it is that we are waiting for and why we are celebrating at 4/11:00pm.  I suspect most of us know the familiar nativity story, with all of its tradition and theological depth.  With its odd layers of census, stable, and shepherds.  I suspect we’re all familiar with what happens this night, but what is it that brings you here this night, this O So Holy night, this silent nigh, this Christmas night?  

Tonight’s gospel text is one of familiarity.  Certainty. Perhaps we can’t recite all of the details and nuances, but I suspect the majority of us can paraphrase it.  This story has been popularized through song, stop-animation films, children’s pageants, movies, TV shows, and cantatas…

It’s a story so widely known that perhaps we gather this night not desperate for something new or insightful, but rather for something constant, certain, reliable.  That no matter what is going on in our world, we gather with hope beyond hope, and in certainty that Christ is born to us this night.  We gather in confidence that no matter where life leads, no matter what direction it points,  no matter the temptations or sins of this world, we know that the promise of God is fulfilled this night in Jesus Christ.  Emmanuel. God with us.  What brings you here?

In tonight’s story, a young couple, unwed and unexpectedly now pregnant are required to go to Bethlehem.  The requirement comes from a decree for the all of the world to be counted, and so there presence in Bethlehem isn’t necessarily one of choice but rather obligation.  The travel wearily for days only to be welcomed as strangers in a foreign land.  They didn’t feel as though they “fit” in, and the not-so-warm “no room” given by every guest house didn’t help.  They were lost and alone in the city of Bethlehem, but they had to be there that night.

In tonight’s story there are shepherds watching their flock by night.  Now all due respect to shepherds, but they didn’t hold a very high regard in society.  We don’t refer to them as lowly shepherds for no reason.  They were filthy, overworked and underpaid servants, with very little to their name.  For the most part they were only know if they failed at their job.   The shepherds are visited by an angel, a heavenly vision, greeted with good news of great joy, for a savior is born in the city of David.  And this shall be a sign for you; you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.  The shepherds travel to Bethlehem with curiosity and intrigue.  They’ve had a dramatic and spiritual experience that drives them from their fields, their comfort of life, to find something unexpected in Bethlehem this night. To find something life-changing.  I suspect they don’t know what they’re looking for or what they’ll find, but they know that they must visit this night.

In Matthew’s account of tonight’s story there are Magi, wise men.  These men hold a place of status in a busy world.  They are brilliant astrologers, and are regarded by society as scientists. They are led to Bethlehem by a star at its rising and wish to pay the new king of the jews homage.  They are side tracked by king Herod and ordered to find the baby and report back.  They’re journey to Bethlehem is marked by tension and confusion.  They know they want to find this Christ child in order to pay him respect, and when they do, these wise, brilliant, scholars bow to the feet of this new born baby.  

It seems no matter the road traveled, or the walk of life they come from their social status, or occupation…none of that seems to matter as they all find their way to Bethlehem.  For their various reasons...whether mandated, coerced, curious, inspired, confused, or intrigued...they are led by God to this place, Bethlehem, on this night.  

Friends the good news this night is that no matter your reason for being here, no matter your walk of life, no matter your occupation, status, sex, gender, ethnicity, race, or preference.  God invites you here...to this pace...to be a part of God’s story on this night and always to witness the promise of God fulfilled in Jesus Christ the Messiah.  

God invites us into the comfort and assuredness of God’s salvation story, that born to us this night in the city of david is a savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  God brings you here, to this place, on this night.

And if we believe that to be true, then perhaps the question isn’t what brings you here, but rather how has the good news in Bethlehem, in this place this night changed you?  How does the good news this night affect you?  

What will your proclamation be when you leave Bethlehem this O so holy night, this silent night.  

Like shepherds who returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, or like wise men traveling home by a different road as to not let word get out that they had found the Messiah.  When you return to the business of life from this place of certainty and promise, this manger of hope and forgiveness, what will your proclamation be?

I guess the good news is that as much as God invites us here this night, God sends us out as well.  God goes with us from Bethlehem.  Because Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Emmanuel is born to you this night.

© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached at St. Mark's Jacksonville, FL on 12.24.2017