I am belatedly adding sermons from the Advent season.
“Reimagining Advent: Crying Out” December 6, 2020, SAPC, Denton; Dr. Richard B. Culp; John 1: 6-8; 19-28
John 1: 6-8;
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”[g] 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said,
“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as the prophet Isaiah said.
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” 28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
Introduction: We are spending Advent this year reimagining traditional themes in our current situation.
This week we encounter John the Baptist, the voice crying out in the wilderness. it has me pondering what it means to cry out.
Move 1: Crying out in the wilderness.
a. It feels a lot like a wilderness moment right now.
1. not satisfied with where we are, but not sure where to go, or even how to get there.
2. a nation in turmoil; a world battling coronavirus; not to mention the usual issues of violence and bloodshed around the world.
3. Hopes resting on a vaccine to help curb coronavirus, but how to we move forward as a nation, and how does our world move away from all the violence and division.
b. From the wilderness, what would you cry out?
1. ‘Keep my loved ones safe” Keep me safe!”
2. Or, maybe you would cry out, “Stop. Just stop the world for a moment and let me get things sorted out?”
3. Or, “where are you God?”
4. Or, “how long, O God?”
this morning I want to reflect for a few moments about dying out.
Move 2: We begin with the question, “Who cries out?”
a. the religious authorities who arrive to talk to John the Baptism want to know who he is.
1. Are you the Messiah? Nope.
3. Elijah, maybe? Nope.
4. Another prophet? Nope.
5. then, who are you.
6. Charlton Heston in his 1995 autobiography, *In the Arena* (Simon & Schuster), tells about the time he first heard that George Stevens wanted him to be in his production of *The Greatest Story Ever Told*. His agent said, "This is a very big picture, Chuck. *The Greatest Story Ever Told*. He wants you to play John the Baptist. It's the lead." Heston replied, "Herman, trust me on this: John the Baptist is NOT the lead in any picture called *The Greatest Story Ever Told*. But you tell Mr. Stevens I'll talk to him about any part he wants me to play."
b. John the Baptist is not the leading role in this tory, but he does play an important role.
1. But, John the baptist claims for himself an important role.
2. the role that the Gospel fo John describes when we are told: “John himself was not the light, but came to testify to the light.
3. John connected to Christ as a witness.
4. As Reformed theologian Karl Barth notes: “John the Baptist is no independent figure. He belongs entirely to Christ…he is only there to collect and give back the light that falls upon him from the figure of the one and only Christ. Thus, standing there, being totally dependent, being totally man and sinner, totally serving” (karl Barth, The Great Promise, as quoted in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, Vol. 1, David L Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors, 68).
5. He may not be the Messiah, but John is connected to the Messiah in a powerful way.
6. he will cry out from the wilderness that God is their midst.
c. In many ways, as followers of Christ, we link ourselves with John the Baptist.
1. We join our voices wiht JOhn’s voice and announce God’s presence in the world.
2. We are the voices in the world that speak from the wilderness about the God who finds us in the wilderness and calls us out of the wilderness.
c. That is also the role of the church.
1. REv. Steve Plunkett, Pastor Emeritus of this congregation, over a decade ago in a newsletter article noted that “John was the forerunner of Jesus, the one who pointed to the Christ who was coming into the world. The entire point of John’s ministry was to point to Jesus, and the church is at its best when it understands itself in this servant role. Pointing to Jesus is our vocation; it is our highest calling.” Steve Plunkett, the Shield, Dec. 9, 2009
2. the church, testifying to the light of Christ that comes into the world.
Move 2: where do we cry out?
a. John the Baptist quotes the passage from Isaiah we read last week - “make straight the way”
1. or as Isaiah puts it, “make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
2. John’s mention of highway brings back memories of many Christmas Eves spent on the highway, mostly driving back to TX through the night into the Christmas morning, but sometimes traveling to other places.
3. thirty years ago when we started doing that, we need to know the exits along the highway, particularly when we were traveling across the Western Kentucky Parkway, which had limited exits then anyway.
4. Besides needing to know which exits had open gas stations or restaurants on Christmas Eve, over the years, we also learned which exits were good exits for us and which exits were not so good.
5.Ltos of different exits on this highways between here and Ky and or here and OH.
b. as we witness to the light of Christ, it seems to me that we have lots of different exit ramps to go down.
1. Different places and different people need our witness.
2. Consider the places you go and the people you meet each day, even during a time when you may be limiting what you do and where you go.
3. I suspect most of us find ourselves connected virtually or literally to many places.
4. All places in need of our witness to the light of Christ.
Conclusion: This year, we have spent a lot of time tryign to figure out how to do Christmas Eve worship.
3. Reflections began last September at a Zoom seminar led by Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, one of the biggest mainline churches in the United States.
4. they had already decided not to have in-person Christmas Eve worship because they did not think there was any way to control the crowds that typically show up for worship. All their worship would be streamed.
5. We decided in our context here at St. Andrew we could do both - have a couple of limited in-person worship services and stream several different worship services.
6. All the worship services will end with the singing of Silent Night and the lighting of candles (in fact, you received candles in your Advent wreath bags).
7. you remember that special moment - one of the powerful images of worship - the sanctuary lights out, but the lit candles providing an amazing amount of light in the darkness as we sing Silent Night.
8. I have always found it ironic that the most memorable moment of candlelightinga nd announcing that the light of Christ has come into the world is followed by everyone blowing out their candles so we can safely leave the sanctuary and go into the world.
9. As Hamilton described how they were going to handle Christmas Eve services, he noted that they were asking their families to take their lit candles and go out onto their front porches, or balconies, or front lawns with their candles lit in the darkness of the night and sing “Joy to the world.”
10. the idea being that all their neighbors see the light of Christ in the darkness of the night Christmas Eve and hear the good news.
11. Probably not much impact, but I like the symbol.
12. The symbol of our calling as the church - to be a witness to the light of Christ, who has come into the world.
We all join with John in crying out from the wilderness.
“Reimagining Advent: Crying Out” December 6, 2020, SAPC, Denton; Dr. Richard B. Culp; John 1: 6-8; 19-28
John 1: 6-8;
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”[g] 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said,
“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as the prophet Isaiah said.
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” 28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
Introduction: We are spending Advent this year reimagining traditional themes in our current situation.
This week we encounter John the Baptist, the voice crying out in the wilderness. it has me pondering what it means to cry out.
Move 1: Crying out in the wilderness.
a. It feels a lot like a wilderness moment right now.
1. not satisfied with where we are, but not sure where to go, or even how to get there.
2. a nation in turmoil; a world battling coronavirus; not to mention the usual issues of violence and bloodshed around the world.
3. Hopes resting on a vaccine to help curb coronavirus, but how to we move forward as a nation, and how does our world move away from all the violence and division.
b. From the wilderness, what would you cry out?
1. ‘Keep my loved ones safe” Keep me safe!”
2. Or, maybe you would cry out, “Stop. Just stop the world for a moment and let me get things sorted out?”
3. Or, “where are you God?”
4. Or, “how long, O God?”
this morning I want to reflect for a few moments about dying out.
Move 2: We begin with the question, “Who cries out?”
a. the religious authorities who arrive to talk to John the Baptism want to know who he is.
1. Are you the Messiah? Nope.
3. Elijah, maybe? Nope.
4. Another prophet? Nope.
5. then, who are you.
6. Charlton Heston in his 1995 autobiography, *In the Arena* (Simon & Schuster), tells about the time he first heard that George Stevens wanted him to be in his production of *The Greatest Story Ever Told*. His agent said, "This is a very big picture, Chuck. *The Greatest Story Ever Told*. He wants you to play John the Baptist. It's the lead." Heston replied, "Herman, trust me on this: John the Baptist is NOT the lead in any picture called *The Greatest Story Ever Told*. But you tell Mr. Stevens I'll talk to him about any part he wants me to play."
b. John the Baptist is not the leading role in this tory, but he does play an important role.
1. But, John the baptist claims for himself an important role.
2. the role that the Gospel fo John describes when we are told: “John himself was not the light, but came to testify to the light.
3. John connected to Christ as a witness.
4. As Reformed theologian Karl Barth notes: “John the Baptist is no independent figure. He belongs entirely to Christ…he is only there to collect and give back the light that falls upon him from the figure of the one and only Christ. Thus, standing there, being totally dependent, being totally man and sinner, totally serving” (karl Barth, The Great Promise, as quoted in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, Vol. 1, David L Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors, 68).
5. He may not be the Messiah, but John is connected to the Messiah in a powerful way.
6. he will cry out from the wilderness that God is their midst.
c. In many ways, as followers of Christ, we link ourselves with John the Baptist.
1. We join our voices wiht JOhn’s voice and announce God’s presence in the world.
2. We are the voices in the world that speak from the wilderness about the God who finds us in the wilderness and calls us out of the wilderness.
c. That is also the role of the church.
1. REv. Steve Plunkett, Pastor Emeritus of this congregation, over a decade ago in a newsletter article noted that “John was the forerunner of Jesus, the one who pointed to the Christ who was coming into the world. The entire point of John’s ministry was to point to Jesus, and the church is at its best when it understands itself in this servant role. Pointing to Jesus is our vocation; it is our highest calling.” Steve Plunkett, the Shield, Dec. 9, 2009
2. the church, testifying to the light of Christ that comes into the world.
Move 2: where do we cry out?
a. John the Baptist quotes the passage from Isaiah we read last week - “make straight the way”
1. or as Isaiah puts it, “make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
2. John’s mention of highway brings back memories of many Christmas Eves spent on the highway, mostly driving back to TX through the night into the Christmas morning, but sometimes traveling to other places.
3. thirty years ago when we started doing that, we need to know the exits along the highway, particularly when we were traveling across the Western Kentucky Parkway, which had limited exits then anyway.
4. Besides needing to know which exits had open gas stations or restaurants on Christmas Eve, over the years, we also learned which exits were good exits for us and which exits were not so good.
5.Ltos of different exits on this highways between here and Ky and or here and OH.
b. as we witness to the light of Christ, it seems to me that we have lots of different exit ramps to go down.
1. Different places and different people need our witness.
2. Consider the places you go and the people you meet each day, even during a time when you may be limiting what you do and where you go.
3. I suspect most of us find ourselves connected virtually or literally to many places.
4. All places in need of our witness to the light of Christ.
Conclusion: This year, we have spent a lot of time tryign to figure out how to do Christmas Eve worship.
3. Reflections began last September at a Zoom seminar led by Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, one of the biggest mainline churches in the United States.
4. they had already decided not to have in-person Christmas Eve worship because they did not think there was any way to control the crowds that typically show up for worship. All their worship would be streamed.
5. We decided in our context here at St. Andrew we could do both - have a couple of limited in-person worship services and stream several different worship services.
6. All the worship services will end with the singing of Silent Night and the lighting of candles (in fact, you received candles in your Advent wreath bags).
7. you remember that special moment - one of the powerful images of worship - the sanctuary lights out, but the lit candles providing an amazing amount of light in the darkness as we sing Silent Night.
8. I have always found it ironic that the most memorable moment of candlelightinga nd announcing that the light of Christ has come into the world is followed by everyone blowing out their candles so we can safely leave the sanctuary and go into the world.
9. As Hamilton described how they were going to handle Christmas Eve services, he noted that they were asking their families to take their lit candles and go out onto their front porches, or balconies, or front lawns with their candles lit in the darkness of the night and sing “Joy to the world.”
10. the idea being that all their neighbors see the light of Christ in the darkness of the night Christmas Eve and hear the good news.
11. Probably not much impact, but I like the symbol.
12. The symbol of our calling as the church - to be a witness to the light of Christ, who has come into the world.
We all join with John in crying out from the wilderness.
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