The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:1-8

There’s waiting…and then there’s waiting. Do you know what I mean? Some waiting is, well, just waiting, the pointless exercise we all have to endure from time to time. Like sitting in the doctor’s office, just waiting for your name to be called so you can get your flu shot. But other waiting seems to matter. Like waiting in the doctor’s office for the results of the biopsy to come back or waiting to see the ultrasound of your coming baby.

I suspect you know what I mean. Some waiting feels empty and pointless, while other waiting is weighty, significant, and really matters. Too often, I think, the kind of waiting we talk about in Advent seems like the former. Waiting to sing Christmas carols. Waiting to decorate the church narthex or chancel. Waiting for Christmas generally, as if we’ll spoil it if we don’t wait just right.

 But I don’t think that’s the kind of waiting Advent seeks to invite at all. To get at that, it helps to realize that Advent is all about promises. And not just Advent, of course, but the whole Gospel. Given that most scholars consider the terse, descriptive opening verse of Mark – “The beginning of the good news of Jesus, the Son of God” – not to be, actually, the first line of the book but rather its title, Mark literally begins his account with a promise of Isaiah. It’s the promise of Isaiah to desperate Israel at one of the low points of its history. And while Mark clearly invites us to see John the Baptist as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s promise that one will come crying out in the wilderness, it’s the whole of Isaiah’s promise of comfort, deliverance, and renewal that Mark is claiming happens in the ministry of the one John heralds. And the thing about promises is that they are not static. Not ever. Rather, promises – if you hear and believe them – create an expectation about the future and set something in motion.” (…in the Meantime, David Lose, Active Waiting,  December 1, 2014)

Christmas has too many traditions that it nearly obliterates Advent – at least allowing us to understand Advent as a time of preparation – a time of contemplating change in our lives.  But, let me remind you that, if Christmas is about an encounter with the “Holy One”, then Christmas must also be about change – changing our priorities, changing our attitudes, and changing the way we treat others. 

So, what changes are we supposed to consider this Advent?  What are some of the ways we need to prepare ourselves for an encounter with G-d, to be more sensitive to G-d’s presence in our lives, and to see G-d in the others in our lives?  For some of us it might be that we are working too hard.  For others of us it might be that we have ambition for all the wrongs things in life.  And for others it is that we always have a negative attitude and outlook – or an inner hostility and resentment we hold on to – or the fact that we have a chip that we carry on our shoulder.  And for some it might be an arrogant self-righteousness.  Any and all of these will keep us closed to      G-d’s presence in our lives and keep us from being sensitive to the Spirit of G-d who seeks to mold and change us.   What we offer here, at Trinity is not necessarily the “Holiday Spirit”. What we do offer is an encounter with the “Holy One of G-d” – in Word and Sacrament.  If you are looking for an encounter with the presence of the living G-d then you have come to the right place.  Or if I may be so bold: “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why – The Holy One of G-d is coming to town”.  

Pastor Dave

If I Could Ask One Question of “The Woman With a Bleeding Disorder”, I would ask “What Did The Power of Jesus Feel Like?”

 “Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Luke 8:43-48

There were many disorders in the time of Jesus that would put someone outside of the community. These disorders would include leprosy, bleeding disorders, blindness, epilepsy, and many others. Most of these disorders were not curable, and so the people who suffered from them were permanently outside of the community – forced to beg – ostracized from their family and friends. Some diseases were considered to be caused by the sins of their parents – others by their own sins. No matter the cause, these people were outsiders – suffering – alone. I believe one of the situations in first century Palestine that caused Jesus the most pain was the way people treated those who were outcasts of the community, for no other reason than they suffered from a disease. For example, there was the time a man brought his son who was suffering from epilepsy. He begs Jesus to help his son – and Jesus says: “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly.” (Matthew 17:14-18) 

This helps us understand why so many begged Jesus to help them when he appeared in their villages. This is the case of the woman mentioned above. She took great risk to approach Jesus in the synagogue. And when she touched the hem of his clothing, “power went out from him.” That power would left Jesus and immediately entered into her body – healing her. We talk about the power of Jesus, wondering what it was like. Some knew exactly what it felt like. So I would want to ask her what it felt like – what it felt like to have the power of Jesus enter her body. It must have been electric. That is the question I would ask the woman with the bleeding disorder. What is your question for her?

Pastor Dave