Advent 3 (B) + Clarity + 12.17.17

(Titian, "St. John the Baptist")

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11; Ps. 126; 1 Thess. 5:16–24; John 1:6–8, 19–28)

John the Baptist, standing in the desert with the sands swirling at his feet. Standing for truth, for clarity, in a world of confusion, living under an empire of tyranny. John the Baptizer, inviting people into their own truth, but clear about who he is in the midst of it all. Clarity.

Advent is a time in the church for introspection, for reflection. We light candles and try to get quiet and listen to God. But the reality is that it is also a time of busy schedules and hurriedly preparing for the holidays, finding ways to occupy children and prepare for worship. I don’t know about you, but this is the week when I start to stress if I haven’t bought all the presents I intended to buy or at least started writing cards. And this past couple of weeks have doubled the stress with the effects of the fires on our communities as we endeavor to support those who have lost homes and as we simply attempt to live healthily with the poor air quality.

During my Advent retreat time this week – and thank you all for that blessing – I was reminded about the reasonable limits of self. I was meditating with the theme of prioritization and the guide suggested that many of us set unreasonable expectations for ourselves and others and that makes prioritization hard.[1] Bearing this in mind, I used my retreat time to partially develop my plan for the next three months, trying to be realistic about what my priorities are for this season and also for what I cannot do. This being said, God often blesses us with the ability to do more than we had hoped, especially in serving others, but I find it helpful to plan realistically so that I leave more space for God to do that rather than for me to plan it.
This clarity can be so helpful for us this time of year. I spoke of this same clarity in Monday’s service in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, speaking of Mary and how when she said yes! A certain author described it as if on her encounter with the angel, a wave of light clarity ran through her being, settling her in peace even in uncertainty of the way it would turn out.[2]

In today’s gospel, we see John the Baptizer being clear:

First off, he is not the Messiah. He says “I am not,” a clear riff on the references in the gospel of John to Jesus’ “I am statements” affirming that he is divine.[3] But he is also clear what he is, and uses scripture to affirm that. “’I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’’ as the prophet Isaiah said. (John 1:23)’”

One commentator describes it thus:

1.      He clarifies what he is not

2.      He uses a Hebrew scripture to show what he’s about

3.      And owns what exactly he can do.[4]

In the same way, we can use John’s example to own both our limitations and strengths as Christians:

We can own what we are not – whether it is claiming that we are not God, the Messiah, or other people’s expectations -- it can free us to look to scripture to see who we truly are.

For me, a scripture that helps me affirm my place in the world is Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God (NRSV)?”

This scripture reminds me that what I am about is being a priest and a family member who cares for others—I am human and have limits, and so I must walk humbly with that. But in what I can do, I will do something, as we Daughters of the King say. I will do my best to do justice and love kindness by sharing God’s love, beauty and joy with those whom I meet as best I can in every moment.

The Living Compass practice this week encourages us not to get too caught up in the buying of gifts for others but instead to look for an unexpected gift to give, if possible without money but instead in giving of our presence to others. Our guide suggests that we give of our time, or a word of gratitude, or in praying for someone and letting them know we are praying for them. The idea is to look less to the tyranny of a list and more for the joy of giving an unexpected gift.[5]

It is less about presents and more about being present. Not that there isn’t a lot of joy in presents and all that! But when we are present to others and to ourselves, we gain something precious.

What unexpected gift can we give another today? And in a way, how can finding some clarity about who we truly are as children of God, and what we are about as we live out being followers of Christ, be a gift to us this Advent season and always?

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[1] “Headspace” app, “Prioritization” pack.

[2] Taylor Caldwell, Medico de cuerpos y almas, (Kindle: Maeva, 2012), locación 11631-11657.

[3] Karoline Lewis, as mentioned in “Sermon Brainwave #574 - Third Sunday of Advent,” for December 17, 2017, found at: https://www.workingpreacher.org/brainwave.aspx?podcast_id=952.

[4] Jan Schnell Rippentop, “Commentary on John 1:6-8, 19-28,” for December 17, 2017, found at: https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3494.

[5] Gregory Rickel and others, Living Well Through Advent 2017: Practicing Wonder with all your Heart, Soul, Strength and Mind, (Living Compass, 2017), 27-29.