Sermon for the third Sunday in Advent, 2011

Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isai'ah said.

It’s Advent, time for the Isai'ah passages that prefigure the coming of Christ Jesus. Passages I must admit I don’t always take seriously. I often find myself giggling when reading Isai'ah, because stylistically it reminds me of the Monty Python Book of Armaments parody in The Holy Grail. I keep expecting Isai'ah to mention fruit bats.

And taken at face value, the prophet Isai'ah can seem pretty naive. All that that lion will lie down with the lamb stuff. Reminds me of a co-worker I had once who was looking at a picture book of lions and was saying how much she loved lions until she came across a picture of one eating a gazelle. She then said she wanted to go to Africa and teach lions to become vegetarians. I all but rolled my eyes. They would die, I explained to her, they’re metabolism just isn’t designed for that.

However, today’s Isai'ah passage opens with the part Jesus himself reads in the synagogue, and something shifts. Oh wait, better take this part seriously. And then Paul tells us, “Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good.”

And when I can put my gut-reaction cynicism aside, get past my Old Testament vs. New Testament prejudice (How many times have I fallen into the trap of saying “I worship the New Testament God, not the Old Testament God.”) I can try to look at Isai'ah with an attitude of how does this speak to me? What is God trying to say through Isai'ah?

“The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me.” Something we can all claim, by virtue of our baptism. Then follows a list of works, the kind of list that can sometimes bring one to despair rather than inspiration. Look at all I should be doing but I’m not doing.

As Paul suggested, let’s test these things. Rather than feel an obligation to the whole list, is there anything that jumps out, speaks to your heart, does actually inspire? I invite you all to read this passage for what speaks to you. For me one line in particular jumps out:

“to bind up the brokenhearted,” that describes something I can do, have done, want to continue to do. Reading that line opens my heart. It’s where I find the light in this passage. Maybe something else entirely on this list opens yours.

But even as on fire as I get to bind up the brokenhearted, I stumble, fall, fail and doubt when I’m trying to do it from my own power. Which is why this later passage is so important:

my whole being shall exult in my God;

for God has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

It all keeps coming back to that intimate relationship with God. That ultimately is where our strength, passion and desire for such things comes from. The wedding image is one of many analogies for intimate relationship with God, but a powerful one for me. In fact one, way I was able to reconcile that “Old Testament vs. New Testament” fallacy, was to see the God in Hebrew scriptures as a jealous lover rather than a harsh judge.

In fact a scriptural image that captures the Advent season for me is an image from the wise and foolish virgins parable. First let’s get over the gendered “virgin” and “bridegroom” language, make it a civil union if that works better for you. The image is waiting for your lover through the dark night, not knowing exactly when they’ll come, hoping for that commitment which with God, will not end with death.

I’ve heard Advent described as a mini Lent, but personally I think that’s giving the season short shrift. Lent is a hard but wonderful season. A season of repentance (which really means change of mind, or change of heart) being with ways you’ve fallen short, mistakes you have made, and hopefully find a new perspective which can lead to transformation.

I see Advent very differently. Advent for me is sitting in the dark, holding those things that I can find no light in. What in my life is so bleak and dark and opaque that I can’t even imagine finding God there? Offering these things to God, asking for the light that comes with the incarnation to come into these things, illuminate them for me.

That kind of spiritual process is one way to “Make straight the way of the Lord”; to internally flatten mountains and raise valleys, to open parts of yourself up to the presence of God; to deepen your intimacy with Christ who is the light.

He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. Thus John the Evangelist begins his take on John the Baptist. I honestly found this Gospel passage puzzling at first. It seemed out of character for John the Baptist to be so humble. My image of him was of a fire and brimstone preacher, shouting out at those he disapproved of. Sure he acknowledged that Jesus was far better than he was, but here in today’s Gospel, he’s denying that he’s even a prophet.

But then I remembered that John is the wild man of the desert, “clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.” Of course he wouldn’t let the Pharisees put any labels on him. Which is actually good news for those of us who are unconventional Christians.

Even though John was a precursor, perhaps even a mentor of Jesus, he was a witness of the light. He was, as the Gospel says, sent from God. He didn’t “clean up” for it. He didn’t claim titles or status. He simply baptized. People came to him wanting to change their mind and heart. He bound up those brokenhearted and told them about the light.

And so I implore you, don’t hide your idiosyncrasies, don’t fear that you need to be less you to be a witness to the light. God sent us all, the Spirit of the Lord is on us all. Opening up to those places where you haven’t let the light in can lead to transformation, but often surprisingly it leads to you being more you. But transformation doesn’t stop; don’t wait for it to end. We are each precious to God as we are, and God can speak through each of us, however wild and crazy we may seem to others. Do not quench the Spirit.

The readings for this sermon:

Isaiah 61: 1 - 4, 8 - 11 

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

because the LORD has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,

to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and release to the prisoners;

to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn;

to provide for those who mourn in Zion--

to give them a garland instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.

They shall build up the ancient ruins,

they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations.

For I the LORD love justice,

I hate robbery and wrongdoing;

I will faithfully give them their recompense,

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their descendants shall be known among the nations,

and their offspring among the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge

that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,

my whole being shall exult in my God;

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots,

and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise

to spring up before all the nations.

NEW TESTAMENT:  1 Thessalonians 5: 16 - 24 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

GOSPEL:  John 1: 6 - 8, 19 - 28

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Le'vites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Eli'jah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said,

"I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,

"Make straight the way of the Lord,'"

as the prophet Isai'ah said.

Now they had been sent from the Phar'isees. They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Eli'jah, nor the prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." This took place in Beth'any across the Jordan where John was baptizing.