… the voice of one crying out in the wilderness …
Matthew 3:1-12
The Rev’d Rhonda Waters
“Repent! For the Kingdom of heaven has come near” a conversation with John the Baptist
The Story
Dec 8, 2019
Second Sunday of Advent
Matthew 3:1-12
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 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.'”
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
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? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 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. 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. 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. 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.”
Something to Do
And his food was locusts and wild honey
Locusts are hard to come by but crickets are becoming an increasingly common sight in grocery stores…
Have a John the Baptist inspired snack of crickets and honey (or perhaps dipped in chocolate?)
Bear fruit worthy of repentance
John the Baptist reminds us that repentance is not just about words – it’s about behaviour that bears fruit. We are called to take concrete steps as we turn towards God and live into our baptismal identity as members of the Body of Christ.
Bear fruit this week, fruit that reflects your true identity.
Something to Wonder
He will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
Chaff is the unnecessary stuff that must be disposed of in order to access the good wheat.
What is the chaff that you need burned away to prepare for the coming of Jesus and make the wheat available?
In those days, John the Baptist appeared
Who is John the Baptist in our day?
Whose voice is calling out to us from the desert?
Are we prepared to listen?
Something to Learn
John the Baptist – the back story
The Gospel according to Luke tells the story of John the Baptist’s origins, all mixed up the story of the birth of Jesus himself. Read it for yourself in Luke, Chapter 1
John the Baptist – a member of the Essenes?
It has been speculated that John the Baptist was a member of the Essenes, a Jewish sect active at the time of Jesus and possibly influential in the development of Christianity.
A Portrait of Jesus’ World – The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls is a summary provided on PBS’ Frontline.
Jesus and the Essenes: An Esoteric History is a more scholarly but still accessible article by Dr. Simon Joseph, a lecturer in Early Christianity at UCLA
Something to Pray
Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways.
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow.
The story this week has made me wonder about…
(what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.
The story this week has filled me with…
(how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.
The story this week has reminded me of…
(are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.
In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.
Mary’s Story: Part One
The Annunciation
by Rhonda Waters
There once was a young woman named Mary. We don’t know much about her except that she was engaged to marry a man named Joseph and she lived in a town called Nazareth. Then, one day, something extraordinary happened to Mary. This is her story.
______
Mary:
It was just an ordinary day. A day like any other day. I had helped with the chores – fed the chickens, fetched the water, made the bread. I was tired and was nearly ready for bed. But the house was always so noisy, so full of people, and I wanted just a little time all by myself. So I slipped out of the house and sat out under the tree and watched the sunset.
Maybe I fell asleep.
Because I don’t remember…it…coming. One minute, I was alone. The next, I was not. Who – or what – was with me, though? I was almost blinded by the brightness that was shining out of…him?her?it? I thought I saw wings and eyes, too many of both. I was about to scream when…
Gabriel:
“Do not be afraid, Mary,” said the shining creature.
Choir: Do not, do not, do not be afraid. Do not, do not, do not be afraid.
And somehow, I wasn’t. Somehow, I knew the creature was an angel and had been sent by God. So I listened.
Gabriel:
God knows you, Mary – God knows everything about you and thinks you are wonderful! And God has something for you to do – something very important but very hard and a little dangerous, too.
God will give you a son, a beautiful baby boy. You will carry him in your body and when he is born you will call him Jesus. Mary, your baby will be great. People will call him the Son of the Most High and he will be king of the Jews and his kingdom will never end.
This was all ridiculous, of course. How would my son ever be a king? How could I even have a son, for that matter. I was engaged to Joseph but we had never done anything that made babies! I was starting to feel scared again.
Choir: Do not, do not, do not be afraid. Do not, do not, do not be afraid.
So I took a deep breath and asked the angel: How is any of this even possible?
Gabriel:
The Holy Spirit will take care of everything. The baby will be holy, the Son of God. Remember, God can make miracles happen. For example, your cousin, Elizabeth, who couldn’t have children and is pretty old – well, she’s six months pregnant. Nothing is impossible with God.
I took another deep breath. Could I do this? Could I do this thing God was asking me to do? It would cause so much trouble. Joseph might not marry me. My parents would be very angry. I might end up all alone. With a baby.
A miracle baby. The son of God. Jesus.
I looked at the angel. I am God’s servant. I will do as God asks.
“Yes,” I said, “yes”.
Mary’s Story: Part Two
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First Sunday of Advent – December 1, 2019
… but about that day and hour no one knows …
Matthew 24:36-44
The Rev’d Rhonda Waters
Get Ready! The season of Advent is upon us!
The Story
Dec 1, 2019
First Sunday of Advent
Matthew 24:36-44
But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Something to Do
Advent Readiness
The First Sunday of Advent demands that we take Advent seriously – because the end of the world is serious business. Our traditions of Advent wreaths and Advent calendars are not simply countdowns to Christmas but rather are meant to keep us paying attention.
So how will you stay awake this Advent season? Some possibilities:
The Advent Wreath – all you need is four candles plus one for Christmas. They can be in a traditional wreath of winter greenery or simply on the table. They can be the traditional Advent colours of blue/purple or simply all white. Eat dinner by candlelight all Advent long, lighting one more candle each week. Say a simple grace, sing a favourite Advent song, or use the prayers we’ll be using at Ascension this year.
Reverse Advent Box – each day, add an item from this list of needed gifts for Ottawa’s community ministries. If you feel festive or have young family members at home, decorate your box (or come to this Saturday’s Celebration Saturday and decorate it with us!). Bring the items to church after Christmas and before Jan. 5th for distribution.
#AdventWord – join this international project and read or share meditations and images on Advent Words each day.
Something to Wonder
So many things to wonder…
If we can’t know when the Son of Man is coming, why have humans spent so much time trying to figure it out?
How do we watch for something we can’t even begin to prepare for?
Is it better to be taken or left?
Is Jesus the thief? If so, what might that mean?
And something to wonder about ourselves…
How does a reading that raises so many questions make you feel?
How does this reading, with its strange warnings make you feel?
What ideas do you have about “the rapture”? Where do they come from? How do you feel about it?
Something to Learn
A Close Study
Left Behind and Loving It offers a guided translation from the Greek, along with insightful commentary. It is one of my favourite resources for sermon prep – which means if you read it, you might hear something of it on Sunday! But there is so much of value here, it’s worth the risk, especially for a text as tricky as the one we have this week!
The History of Advent
In Advent, Explained , Alissa Wilkinson discusses the history of Advent and its various observances from the perspective of a secular participant.
Something to Pray
Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways.
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow.
The story this week has made me wonder about…
(what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.
The story this week has filled me with…
(how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.
The story this week has reminded me of…
(are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.
In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.