ADVENT MESSAGE 1

 Mark 1. 1-8

PART OF THE ROAD CREW                                          

                                                           

Denise had one job to do ---- at the community event we hosted, she was responsible for making certain everyone attended signed in and those who showed up without a reservation provided their name, email and phone number.  Denise took this task very, very seriously.  If you tried to skirt by the sign-in table without checking in, her approach was either to yell, “Excuse me!  You must sign in!  Excuse me!  Sign-in please.”  Or, she ran after the sign-in-avoider and politely, yet, firmly escorted the person back to the table to check in. Trust me, after witnessing Denise’s fierceness and commitment to getting her job completed successfully, people fell in line and signed-in without hassle or hurdle.

 

I find persons like knowing what job they are to do and the specifics of the task. I’m one of those folks; just tell me what you need me to do, answer any questions I have regarding the job and then let me to it. 

In this holiday baking season, as a kid I helped my mother bake M&M cookies (don’t laugh…I did….a couple of times) and my job was to sort the M&M’s and group them into groups of three comprised of different colored candies.  I was outstanding! Those M&M Cookies were some of the grandest ever made thanks to the aesthetic presentation of the diversely colored candies.

 

A team, an event, a workplace, a congregation all work well when persons know their roles and what is expected of them. It is like the orchestra in elementary school music class --- so you really wanted to play the tambourine or even the triangle and you got handed the two wooden sticks.  You were disappointed, angry, envious of Becky, who it seemed always got handed the triangle. Yet, the music teacher told you how important the sticks were to the overall ensemble and that you rubbing those sticks together when cued was vital to the performance.

 

Advent is when John the Baptist has his starring role and is on center stage. He knows his role.  He is to prepare the way, to do his part in the fulfillment of the Isaiah prophecy and “make the steep places plain and the rough patches smooth” --- he is the foreperson for God-Dot road maintenance. 

John had built up quite a following, he had the crowds, the name recognition, the buzz.  He did his job. He stepped off center stage and prepared the people for Jesus. 

How did he do it? 

I have a healthy ego. I like the warmth of the spotlight.  

John the Baptist did it the way we all do --- he knew who he was and his role and he never lost sight of the WHY. Knowing that, he did his work and when the time came, he introduced Jesus. John provides and important lesson for all of us and the roles we play in the congregation, in our families, at our work, in preparing the world for the coming of Christ. Do what is asked of you, do it well and then move off center stage.

 

John the Baptist manages to hold the tension between past, present and future. He reminds of the past prophecy of the one who will go before and prepare the way. John is very much present throughout today’s text and seemingly every Advent season. The Baptizer re-minds us of the call we each have to “build the world to look as God would have it to look,” (Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB) in such a way that we will impact the future.

 

Pack your lunch bucket, grab your hard hat and let’s get to work in making smooth paths and easy going for the heavy-burdened.  Slow down, there is a “Church at Work” sign up ahead.