Advent 2 B + Prepare Ye + 12.10.23
M. Campbell-Langdell
All Santos, Oxnard
(Isaiah
40:1-11; Psalm
85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter
3:8-15a; Mark
1:1-8)
Prepare ye the way of the Lord; Prepare ye the way of the
Lord! (a la Godspell)
The Gospel of Mark is a drama! And it begins with John the
Baptist here on the scene, clearing the way, preparing the way for our main
act, Jesus. He is quoting Isaiah- saying a path must be prepared- we all need
to get ready for Jesus. And we all need to repent- to turn back to God!
Jesus enters this drama and it is interesting because he, who
has no sin, still gets baptized. Perhaps he does this because he is modeling
for us. How to live. How to serve in the beginning of his ministry just as he
will at the end, first submerged in water and then with a towel around his
waist, cleansing disciples’ feet. Jesus is the beginning. And in the beginning
of Jesus’ story, John has the first word (in Mark) but Jesus is actually the
beginning and the end of all of it, the alpha and the omega.
This call to repentance – to turning back to God made me
think about Advent and how we all prepare the way individually and collectively
for God in Christ. Individually, we pray and meditate and light candles, and we
do so collectively, too. But of what do we need to repent? Individually and
collectively, we may feel called to repent of any number of things. Private
sins- simply not listening enough and wanting to talk more than is warranted.
Or being mean to someone when we are tired or frustrated. The list goes on. So
often I keep my repentance personal and small.
But this year I have been struck by another form of
repentance, something more communal. On this concept of our need to “prepare
the way” for the Lord, one commentator said this week that we are either
instruments or obstacles for the Spirit’s work in others and in ourselves. Of
course we are all a bit of both. But what do we intend? Are we getting in the
way of others’ relationships with God or are we helping them to connect? Are we
nurturing our own connection to God, or preventing that relationship from
developing?
I have been thinking about one obstacle that I have been
studying in myself and in our country over the past few years in more depth. It
is that of a collective sin in our nation. The sin of racism. Just the other
day someone came to another church leader and me about a comment that had been
made during a volunteer activity. The other church leader and I began to
explain it- that is just that person. And then we realized, that is our white
privilege speaking. Because the other person involved was a person of color,
and the remark had hit differently with them. I realized I needed to be
mindful. This is a personal moment of repentance, but it reminded me of work we
have to do as a nation and as a church.
In the past year, a group has journeyed with me studying the
Episcopal Church’s “Sacred Ground” Curriculum, something we also studied in our
Evening Prayer and Bible Study year before last. And we have addressed how the
Episcopal Church has a long history of sustaining racism and how it helped
uphold slavery at first. Our poor treatment of our siblings of color in Christ
led to the formation of the AME Church. We also have a history of helping, of
being part of the solution. Of supporting the underground railroad and more.[1]
But that being said, we have a lot of work to do. When I did the anti-racism
training with the commission on ministry in October, Suzanne Edwards-Acton
filled us up with lots of information. She helped us remember that our nation
has a long history of intolerance, like for example how Henry Ford was a model
for Adolf Hitler, and that we have to actively work to counteract that
narrative of prejudice in our country.
This conversation the other day reminded the other church
leader and I that we need to ask our volunteers to sign non-discrimination
agreements and we will post such agreements here at church, as a way to remind
us that we are not exempt. We all come here expecting and deserving a safe
space, but we must all work hard to make that a reality for others. In the
midst of this, we must also be aware that we may not always feel comfortable
with the conversations that arise. We must be willing to have brave
conversations with those who are different from us so that we can all grow. How
can we practice preparing the way by both reinforcing safe spaces and also by
engaging in valiant conversations across difference?
This is just one way to prepare the way, of course. There are
other, quieter, and equally valid ways. I hope you also take time in the midst
of this busy season to light a candle, to meditate and be still. To listen to
God. To draw comfort from God’s presence. To be patient with God, as we wait in
this Advent time. As we anticipate the joy of Jesus. We need both, the action
and the contemplation.
As we prepare, we remember that God is working through and
with us. If structures of society feel stuck right now, and entrenched,
remember that God is helping make a way.
“Every
valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low”
God is making a way where there was no way. And if we work on
ourselves and within our communities to prepare the way, if we pray for our
nation to repent in order to prepare the way, then we can also count on joy.
We can count on our Savior coming!
“Then
the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together.”
Let us remember the first time our Messiah came. And remember
that our Messiah is coming for us again to show us the way, and we will be
renewed and restored. We will repent and return to God, and see the glory. And
not one of us will miss that joy. We will be cradled and led, and welcomed. Our
hearts will be bursting with joy. And here and everywhere will be a space of
welcome and love for everyone.
Prepare ye the way of the Lord; Prepare ye the way of the
Lord. Amen.
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