When Santa came this Christmas, I was the first in line.
I’d camped out in the tree lot amid the spruce and pine.
And when the key turned in the door at one minute to nine,
I pushed my way into the mall and cared not for the whines
Of little kids who thought that they should be the first to see
The jolly elf upon his throne. That first place was for me.
He looked at me and raised his eyebrows at me quizzically.
But then he shrugged and pat his hand upon his ample knee.
“Sit down,” he said, “and you can tell me what it was that brought You here in such a frenzy because I have seen a lot And never have I seen someone so desperate that he fought His way through regiments of elves to sit upon this spot.”
“Dear Santa, thanks for seeing me, you are my final hope.” I said and put my hands together in a leaning slope. “There is one thing that you could give me so that I could cope You might think that the world’s okay, but I can tell you, ‘nope!’
“I keep wanting things to change, for justice to be done, That the greedy be chastised, the wicked on the run. I want the lowly lifted up and that the poor have fun. But nothing ever happens, sir. There is no progress, none!”
“So grant me one thing, Santa dear. It doesn’t matter how, Just give me patience. For to you I make this solemn vow If, in your wisdom, this small gift you do not me allow I will go crazy if I fail to obtain patience now!”
Well, Santa took a look at me and said, “I understand. For many others just like you are found within this land. So let me hereby promise as I take you by the hand, You’ll find contained in what I give you now what you demand.
With that he handed me a box that was all wrapped in grey And tied with ribbons that were glossy, festive, bright and gay. But on the box there was a tag that took my breath away. It bore a warning: “Do not open until Christmas Day!”
So now I sit in misery, my heart filled with despair. I have received the thing I want but still it seems unfair. It lies beneath the Christmas tree, the answer to my prayer. Impatience will be death for me until Christmas is there.
The Baptist lay in misery within a cell of stone And dealt with torture everyday that made him cry and moan. But more than pain of body was the pain that filled his heart To think that he had failed his quest: King Herod to outsmart.
Now, he had hoped that someone else would take up his campaign and challenge that fox, Herod, and his most unholy reign. He’d even thought that it might be the man from Galilee Who’d take his mantle and his task and set the people free.
But ever since poor John’s arrest he had been uninspired To see what Jesus’ efforts were. There was a lack of fire. So now impatience wracked his soul. And he began to fear That he would never live to see God’s kingdom drawing near.
John still had a few allies left on whom he could depend. And so he called one to him and told him that he would send Him to this Galilean man to get the inside scoop Was Jesus gonna do it now, or should they just regroup?
I’ve got to say, I’ve often been where John was on that day. It’s easy to despair when things don’t go in the good way. It’s been a good 2000 years since Jesus came on scene At times it seems the kingdom’s further than it’s ever been.
So pay attention to the answer Jesus sent to John. He didn’t claim the powers of darkness all would soon be gone. Instead he pointed to the kindness, healing, joy that sprang To life in places that were visited by Jesus’ gang.
For every act of kindliness, each act that raises those Who live in daily suffering, it is an act that shows That God has not forgotten them. God’s promises are sure. But patience still is needed because old ways still endure.
It’s like a box at Christmastime that’s all wrapped up in grey And tied with ribbons that are glossy, festive, bright and gay. But on the box there is a tag that takes your breath away. It bears a warning: “Do not open until Christmas Day!”
That box is there to teach and grant you what you really need. For patience is not something that you get because you plead. It’s something that can grow within when practiced as an art It comes to those who carry hope within their human heart.
I suppose you’re all wondering why you’re here today. In particular, why you are in this rather desolate and lonely place on the shores of the Jordan River. I know you have come here from busy lives. Some of you came here from Jerusalem, the city that never sleeps. And many of you came from other towns and villages in Judea and even a few of you provincials came from Galilee. You all have things to do back there. It’s the busy season. But you have left all of that behind and come to this desolate place. What’s more, you have left behind that land, the PromiIsed Land that God gave to you as a people and the particular plots of land that have been passed down in your families for generations.
How could you do that, abandon the land of your
own ancestors? Well, isn’t it obvious? The Promised Land is no longer your
land. It’s no longer the land that God gave you because it is ruled by
foreigners who serve only the gods of Rome and the emperor. It is no longer
Israel but Roman Judea. Therefore, you stand here on the ancient and sacred
border of the Promised Land as outsiders. You are just like the children of
Israel back in the days of Yeshua who came to this very spot and stood on the
banks of the river and looked into the land that God had promised them, and it
was not their land.
And what happened to them? You all know
the story. As Yeshua stood there before the people, God went before them and
the priests stepped into the water of the Jordan River carrying the sacred Ark
of the Covenant and the water stopped flowing. Right there, just upstream from
this this very spot, the water stood up in a heap and the bed of the river ran
dry so that the people might enter into the land that God had given to them.
Maybe you didn’t realize this when you
left home, but you have come here today because it is time for that to happen
again. Once again, God will make a path through this river for you. Once again
God will give you back the land that is promised.
Now, it will be a little bit different
this time. We do not have the priests with us here, for the priests have given
in to the powerful of this world and they work with the forces of darkness. The
priests and the temple are lost to us today. They do nothing but pacify the
people so that the Romans may rule undisturbed. So the priests are not here to
carry the Ark of the Covenant into the waters and so the river will not run
dry. But this will not prevent us. This time you shall pass through the
waters of the Jordan and you will enter into the land as new people.
In a few minutes, John, God’s messenger,
the baptizer and the voice that cries out in this wilderness place will get
around to this group. He will take you into the Promised Land. But, since you
must pass through the water to do so, this is what you must do. To prepare
yourself for the chilly waters of the Jordan River, you must repent. That is
the only way for you to enter into the land as the force that will take it
back. You cannot enter as the person you have been, you must enter as the
person you will become.
Now, I hear some of you asking each
other, what does that mean? How do I repent? I have spoken to a lot of
groups like yours, and I know how you talk. I know that sometimes you seem to
think that repentance is all about how you feel. Now, granted, I understand
that some of you may feel bad about how you behaved in the past. You may have
disappointed yourself or others. You may not have lived up to God’s
expectations of you. If you feel guilty about anything like that, or if anyone
has made you to feel guilty for it, that is fine. God forgives and sets you
free from your guilt.
But I’ll tell you something, John is not
particularly interested in your feelings of guilt. He’s not interested in the
past. He doesn’t talk about wrath in the past tense, only in the future tense.
We’ve all messed up in the past. John is interested in the now and in the
future and that is what repentance is about.
Repentance is about changing your mind,
changing your heart and, thus, bringing about a change in your actions.
Repentance is about you, yourself, being and becoming the change that is
actually needed in our land. But (and here I’m going to give you guys a bit of
a warning) if any of you just happen to belong to the party of the Pharisees or
the party of the Sadducees, well, John really doesn’t like you guys. I mean,
really. “Brood of vipers,” that’s what he called the last batch of Sadducees
that came through here. And, I want to let you know, that it’s not really
personal. It’s not that he doesn’t like you. It’s not even that he really has
any problem with the teachings or the practices of those two groups. In theory
at least, he knows that the Pharisees are committed to follow all of the various
commandments of the law. He knows that the Sadducees have committed themselves
to serving God in the temple.
His problem is not with any of that. His
problem is that you have been so willing to put all of that aside and work with
those who would exploit this land and its people for their own gain so that
they might be secure and comfortable. So I am warning you Pharisees and Sadducees,
when he sees you, he will not just ask you to repent. He will ask you to show
fruit worthy of repentance. He will demand that you show him in your actions
that you have changed your minds about what really matters.
That is why you have come here. That is
why you have left behind everything that is familiar and comfortable to come to
this desolate place, because the time has come for us to take this country
back. And I’m warning you, John will talk about this in some pretty wild terms.
He will not just say that the tree of this nation is rotten and doesn’t produce
any fruit. He will say that, right now, the axe is about to strike the root of
the tree and it will be cut down and thrown into fire. Oh, John loves talking
about fire! Don’t get him started.
But, I’ll tell you, I’ve been listening
to his spiel for a while now, and I have noticed something. John willingly
admits that he’s not the one who’s going to carry all of this out. He’s just
here to prepare everyone, to prepare all of you to be part of it. But someone
else is going to make it happen.
So, I thought a lot about that and I
think I’ve figured it out. We needed a Yeshua to take this nation the first
time. To use the old Hebrew language, we needed a Joshua. That’s why I believe
that John is here to prepare the way for a new Yeshua – a new Joshua, or maybe
for you Greek speakers in the crowd, a new Jesus. It’s all the same name. But
actually what his name is and where he comes from doesn’t matter, this is about
what he’s going to do. And what he’s going to do is take the nation back for
God.
Now, it’s pretty clear what John thinks
that’s going to look like. It’s going to be like the first time, with fire and
destruction and death. I get where he’s coming from, but I’m beginning to think
that he’s not quite right about that. This new Yeshua is going to be different,
I think. I actually don’t think that it really worked the first time, taking
this nation by violence. The new Yeshua, I think, will not take the country by
violence, but rather by love, peace and hope. But whatever it is, just understand
that John is just preparing the way for what God is about to do and you are
here in order to prepare to be part of it. So, into the water you go!
I suppose you’re all wondering why you’re
here today. In particular, why you are in this rather desolate and lonely place
that it sometimes seems the world has forgotten. I know you have come here from
busy lives. Many of you have demanding jobs and schedules. I know some of you
are retired, but sometimes I look at your lives and think you might be even busier
than those who work. Nevertheless, you have set all of that aside to come apart
to this place at this time. Why are you here?
You are here, quite simply, because it’s
time to take this nation back. And you may think that I’m talking about taking
the nation back from the forces of secularization, but actually I’m not. Yes,
it is true that this nation is less explicitly Christian today than it has been
in the past and of course that does present certain challenges to Christians
living in it.
But that is actually the kind of thing
that the Pharisees and Sadducees were working on. Remember them, that brood of
vipers? Their problem was that they were so obsessed with the place of their
religion in the culture that they missed a much more insidious danger. They
allied themselves with powerful political force, not challenging the evil that
it did, in order to advance their tamed version of the faith, a version that
would not disturb the powers-that-be and that allowed the mad emperor to do
whatever he pleased without check or balance.
No, this conquest is different. It is
about confronting the truly evil forces at work in our world – the forces of greed,
of power for the sake of power, of hatred and tribalism. And, for that reason,
the Yeshua that we follow will not lead us in a conquest of violence and hate
but of love and hope.
You are here because you have been
called here to be a part of the nation that should be. You stand on the borders
of that new nation, on the banks of the river, to prepare to enter. And just
like those pilgrims who came to the river in the days of the Baptist, you shall
enter by passing through the water. Indeed, most of you have already passed
through.
So there is one thing that remains for
you. You must repent. And though I know that all of us carry around regrets for
our failures and shortcomings in the past, repentance does not mean merely how
you feel bad about those things. And, though I promise you that God does
forgive and doesn’t seek to hold against you what has gone wrong in the past,
repentance is not merely about seeking forgiveness for the past. All of that is
merely the prelude to repentance.
True repentance is about how you choose to
be today and tomorrow and in the weeks and months to come. It’s about how you
change your mind and your heart and ultimately your actions so that you begin
to live according to the change you want to see in the world. That is what it
meant when you were taken and dragged through the waters of the river from one
side to the other. That’s what it meant when you were baptized and that is what
it will mean when you are baptized.
That is it. That is what you have come
here for. I know that there are some who would add other things on top of that.
They would tell you that there are certain things you have to believe, certain
ideas that you have to sign on to. I have no problem with any of that. But the
fact of the matter is that we are never all going to agree about all of those
things. Where we must agree is here on the banks of this river. We are here
because the new Yeshua has come and we are part of the army that will take back
this land to a place of peace, hope and joy that will be for all.
What a wonderful time at the Hespeler Santa Claus Parade today. Thanks to everyone who rode or walked and to everyone who came out to watch and enjoy holiday cheer!
Our GivingTuesday #GivingTuesdayWR campaign continues to run for the month of December! Have you thought about how you can give generously? Here's a few ideas: give a financial donation to a charity of your choice, give of your time and volunteer at a food bank, soup kitchen, etc.; do a random act of kindness, hold the door open for someone, teach someone something good. Use your imaginations, use your gifts and talents. Thank you for making our community a better one!
You brought a sleeping bag and wore your long johns and your warmest coat, but after sitting out here for many hours, you are completely chilled to the bone. How many times have you asked yourself over the last few hours, are you crazy to do this? I mean, what kind of fools put themselves through this kind of trial of their own free will? If your boss ordered you to go out and sit on a cold sidewalk from midnight until six in the morning and then fight off a bunch of other people in order to get your hands on a certain piece of merchandise, you would refuse. You would file a grievance with the union. You might even just quit right there on the spot. But here you have chosen to do that very thing of your own free will.
And why do you do it? Because your life actually
depends on getting that particular piece of merchandise at a low, low price?
No, not really. You do it because do you know that it’s just what people do.
Besides this, you know what time it is. It is Black
Friday and the doors will be opening in just a few minutes and those door
crasher specials are waiting for you and you have vowed that this time you will
get them. It is just what people do at this moment in time.
And that is just one example of people doing
strange things at this time of year just because they know what time it is. You
know very well that on December 19th, just a few minutes after
midnight, there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of people lined up to see
the biggest movie of the year, which I’m guessing will be Star Wars, the
Rise of Skywalker, and they will do it simply because it matters to them to
be the first to see that movie on the day that it opens. It just will not mean
the same thing the next day when it’s not the right time. This time of the year
is, more than any other, the time when we do things just because this is the
time when we do them. “‘Tis the season,” isn’t that what we say. We gather with
friends and family at this time of the year, not because it is always the most
convenient time to travel (travelling can be horrible!), but because you are
just supposed to do it and you will drive through the snowstorm to get there if
you have to because you know what time it is. We give gifts to people, not
because they are things that they need but just because this is the time when
we are supposed to do it.
And, you know what, so much of that is great. I
do so look forward to so many of those things that we do just because it is the
right time at this time of year. And while I am not particularly interested in
some of those events that take place at certain times (you will never find me
crashing the door at a Black Friday sale, for example) if those things do bring
joy to you during this season, by all means go ahead and make the most of them.
There is great power and advantage to be gained by knowing what time it is.
But there is a question that we need to ask,
maybe especially at this season of the year: what if you are wrong about what
time it is? What if what the world is telling us about what time it is is
wrong? That’s not my question, by the way; it is the Bible’s. In our gospel
reading this morning, Jesus gives several examples of people who thought that they
knew what time it was – who believed what the world was telling them about what
time it was – but who were horribly and tragically wrong. Jesus speaks of the
people in the days of Noah – people who were living just before a looming
disaster but just did not recognize what time they were living in. If they knew
what time it was, they would have been busy building ships like Noah and his
family, but instead they were “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage.”
He speaks of two men working in the field and
two women grinding grain at the mill when it is clearly not the time to take
care of those everyday tasks but instead a time to be prepared for a looming
disaster that takes one of the two in both cases. And of course, Jesus gives
the example of the homeowner who thought that it was time to relax and go to
bed when there was actually a thief who was casing his house and getting ready
to rob it; it was a time to be vigilant and prepare to resist intruders. The
point of all of these illustrations seems clear. You had better not just take
for granted what the world tells you about what time it is. To get that wrong
could be very dangerous, even fatal. So, the stakes are very high.
In fact, some of these passages we read this
morning really seem kind of annoying at this time of year. After all, it is
Christmas time. There are so many disturbing things that are going on in the
world all the time, can’t we, just for this one season, forget all about that
and celebrate and have a good time?
I don’t think that any of this means that we are
just supposed to ignore whatever the world says about what time it is. By all
means go ahead and plan your special times with family and friends. Enjoy those
special times and events of the season. But Jesus would say that, even so, you
ought to keep your eyes open for any indication that God is operating under a
different timetable.
Jesus’ reference to the days of Noah makes me
think of all of the ways in which we often deal with potential or looming
disasters in our modern world. A majority of people, for example, accept these
days that we are facing some serious environmental crises, but many go on with
their regular activities and make their usual choices as if there really was
nothing to be concerned about.
Yes, I know that there are some who will deny
that there is anything at all to worry about, but it seems to me that the more
common response is just to not think about it and to go on “eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” as if the worrying signs all
around them didn’t exist.
I believe that that is what the Genesis story of
the flood is about. I think the point of the story is that the world was on a
course for destruction and it was plain for anyone to see. The problem in that
story wasn’t environmental destruction; it was the spread of deadly violence. But
the reaction seems to have been the same.
And I know why we react that way; I do it too
often enough. Sometimes you just have to act as if the terrible possibilities
didn’t exist in order to get on with your life and keep from going insane. But
Jesus may be warning us that there are consequences for failing to recognize
what time it really is. So, yes, carry on with your life, by all means, but
remember that your life does not simply stand alone. You are part of a much
larger system and your actions and your activism matter. And, somewhere deep
down inside, you really do know what time it is.
But I don’t mean to just talk about dire or
looming threats here. I do not think that being a follower of Jesus means that
we have to be people who are constantly thinking of the worst thing possible
that could happen. In fact, it is mostly the opposite. Knowing what time it is
in God’s timetable, also means joyfully embracing the opportunities that God
places before us. What that means is that, when we are busily going on with all
of the things that the world tells us that we must do, God will interrupt us.
And you all know what that is like! You have
just managed to get a couple of hours out of your busy schedule to get to the
mall and finally finish all that Christmas shopping, or you’re heading to the
grocery store and you absolutely have to concentrate and get everything you
need for the big meal this time when something just happens to break in and
disturb your flow. Say it is an opportunity to help someone – someone who needs
a little kindness or a little bit of help and you, all of a sudden, are in a
position where you can do something.
Oh, that’s frustrating, isn’t it? Here I’ve got
a million things to do and then something unexpected comes out of nowhere. It’s
enough to make you cry. But if you know what time it is – if you are sensitive
to God’s time – you know that those things don’t just happen by accident. They
are God’s timing. And, if you see them that way, you will be able to respond
with joy and your joy this season will multiply. If you don’t, they are just
another annoying interruption and the frustration will multiply. That is the
difference that knowing what time it really is can make.
I’m going to lay another case of God’s timing on
you – another challenge. The world is telling you these days what time it is –
it is a time to buy and buy and buy. It starts on Black Friday and continues on
Cyber Monday and all the way to December 24 as we count down the real 24 days
of Christmas as the world defines them. It’s about buying and then receiving on
Christmas Day, a frenzy that will lead to many a meltdown between now and then.
But we have discerned God saying to us that it
is a different time. After Black Friday a couple of days ago and Cyber Monday
tomorrow, the next day will be Tuesday – Giving Tuesday. We have joined in the
Giving Tuesday campaign this year because we believe that, while the world is
saying that it is time to exercise purchasing power, God is saying that it is
time to exercise the practice of generosity. And if you can hear what God is
saying about what time it is, you will find the greater joy of this season.
I do not say this because I am afraid that St.
Andrew’s is not going to be able to pay its bills. That’s not what this is
about. Sure, we are behind, but it is God who will provide for the needs of
this church as we remain faithful to the work God calls us to do, so I’m not
asking you to give because we need it. We will be sharing with you some of the
amazing things we do here at St. Andrew’s for our community and you definitely
want to say after the service and join us in a celebration of those ministries,
but this is not about making sure that you give to support those things.
Give prayerful thought about where God wants you
to give and what God wants you to support. If it is not to St. Andrew’s, that
is not an issue at all, but just don’t miss the opportunity that God is placing
before you. I am calling on every single person here, on Tuesday or whatever
day you can make it work for you, to give in some extraordinarily generous way
as God has enabled you. I don’t want you to do it out of compulsion. I don’t
want you to do it out of our need (that is in God’s supply), I don’t want you
to do it grudgingly. I want you to do it joyfully because, besides you know what
time it is.
The Big Idea Club from Silverheights Public School visited Hope Clothing today to bring us their collection of new and gently used clothing from their recent clothing drive. A BIG SHOUT OUT to these wonderful people for thinking of other people in our community who need a little extra help.
It's starting to look a lot like Christmas. Thank you to all our creative decorators, who have been busy this week getting St. Andrew's ready for the Advent/Christmas season.
Celebrating with Paula today! We had some fun celebrating Paula's first year with St. Andrew's. She keeps us all on track, keeps us smiling and is a good friend. Cheers Paula! We are very happy you are part of the team.
It's been busy lately! Here are a few photos from the past couple of weeks. The Holy Sherlocks made their own wooden crosses (thanks to Bill Hunter for his help), a great group built the float for the upcoming Santa Claus parade and the Annual Senior's Tea held at St. Luke's Place. Many thanks to everyone who helped build the float and helped at the tea.
