December 13, 2015
Sunday

“And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 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.” Luke 3:10 – 14

“This is practical theology. There’s great specificity to this passage. John speaks directly to several groups, identifying specific good actions. DIY ABC with a complete to –do list. What should we do – consider the coats in your cupboard. Consider the chairs at the table. Consider the money in the bank. Consider the people you pass on the street. Consider your own actions. Don’t get tripped up on any of your expectations, but pay attention to the specific call of God. That’s a good Advent call. But it isn’t just the answers that are important – it’s also the question. Asking the question “what then should we do?” is letting God get internal. It’s letting our specific context become the location of the good news. Not claiming Abraham as an ancestor so much as asking God to birth newness through us. With asking hearts in these Advent days, we still await and celebrate God with us.” (Practical Theology and Subversive Advent, by Katie Munnik, In The Messy Table, December 10, 2012, Presbyterian Record)

Ministry in the church begins with asking the question “What should we do?” It is a question I try to get my congregation, at least I do with individual members, but I try to get them to ask this question often. What should we do as a church? What should you and I do as individual believers? If we do not ask this question often, we may find that over time our ministries become irrelevant if not ineffective. And when we ask the question, we have to trust that G-d will provide an answer, if not also the path. It is, as Katie Munnik says, “practical theology”. We look around us and see what we have, what we possess right at this moment, when we look to do ministry. The context of our church, our lives, and our surroundings will determine what we do and who we serve. And if we do not follow “practical theology”, we may be like the fire station that teaches fire safety, but has no fire engine.

Pastor Dave