Loading...Years ago, in school, my classmates and I were to visit churches of other denominations for worship. Our group of nine students, ecumenical already, found a variety of churches to visit on the south side of Chicago.
Of those we visited, one was Pentecostal and the other United Church of Christ both of which were predominantly (if not completely) black. This was true not just of those who were gathered for worship, but in the style of preaching, praying, singing, and response.
These congregations were all about testimony.The people gathered – leaders or those in the pews – were witnessing to Jesus and to the power and activity of God in their lives.
They were full of energy and passion. It was unsettling and out of my comfort zone. Afterwards, I went back to my familiar liturgy, music, and preaching of the Lutheran congregation of which I was part. But it worked – that assignment! These people and congregations changed me, not just so that I would have stories to tell; they challenged me: what does worship look like, hospitality, preaching, music, and – most importantly – testimony?
The preachers and worshippers were telling each other, us, and God about Jesus and about how they experienced Jesus and the life he gives.
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In our Gospel story today – which is very similar to last week’s – John the baptizer is a witness. He offers testimony to religious leaders who have gathered and come together to the edge of the wilderness where John was active to ask him “What is going on? What are you on about? Who are you?!?”
John’s testimony is three-fold: First, I am not the messiah; Next, look at the words of the prophet Isaiah and he’ll tell you something about what I’m doing (“crying out in the wilderness”); Finally, if you really want to know what I’m about, look – I baptize in waters of repentance (the way we’re used to). Plus, I point to the one who is great than all we have known: the light of the world, the source of joy.
There are several different icons from the Eastern Orthodox tradition that have written about John the Baptist. They always have him with scraggly hair and camel’s hair clothing; and he’s always in the wilderness. My favorite ones are the ones that describe John pointing to Jesus. That is John’s primary task: pointing to Jesus.
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That’s our primary task, too.
We are called to be witnesses.We are called to tell the story about Jesus, not just the Jesus we read about in the Gospels (although that’s a great place to start), but the story about Jesus in our own lives.The story of Jesus in your life will be your own experience of Jesus’ action and interaction with you: the forgiveness and release and freedom from shame, addiction, perfectionism the joy of new life with possibilities and opportunities the hope that is beyond wishful thinking so that even if something bad happens, you know that it is not the end the abiding friendship and presence to know that you are home no matter where.
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This week, I invite you to ponder at least ONE of these questions:
1. How have I known God?
2. How have we, as a congregation, known God?
3. What is God up to now?
Or, if these are too hard to answer, consider this one from our bishop:
How do you know that you are loved by God?
This Sunday is traditionally called “Joy” Sunday: Gaudete Sunday; and we light the pink candle.The “joy” comes through our readings in the Epistle reading, this year from Paul’s first letter to the Christians at Thessalonika: “Rejoice always”.
And we have reason to rejoice no matter what: Jesus, God incarnate, the Word made flesh, Immanuel! The One to whom we witness and give testimony.
Amen
