Mark 1:1-8
1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,' " 4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 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. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 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. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Sermon:
In the beginning...
Back to the basics...
What's really important here...
Hmmm... where to begin...
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Beginnings are hard...
Once things are rolling... you find a groove... you figure out how things work... you stick with it.
In fact, today is the Budget setting meeting of Council that always happens in December. Then we have our AGM - annual general meeting in January. And to be honest... I don’t think anyone celebrates AGM’s for any organization.
But this year will be different I hope. I hope that this year as we look at a budget that we can actually meet... as we gather we will focus not on weakness, but celebrate what we have done.
But this will be hard... our rut tells us that there is a way things are done and really enjoying AGM’s... or any talks about church structure... is boring and hard.
Experience being the teacher that it is... it’s hard to trust that new possibilities are even possible... it’s easier to stay in the familiar ruts of life... even when we see where the ruts are going...
Which is why I really like how Mark starts off his Gospel. "The Beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
Such a wonderful place to begin... at the beginning...
Only it's not really a whole new beginning... Mark is clear that what is happening in Jesus is part of the whole plan... part of one great narrative that has been going on since the beginning.
Only... it is a new beginning... God is doing something new... it's Good News... The beginning of the Good news.
Notice... it's not just the news... it's not just the story... it's the "Good News"... ...
And the symbols are all so clear... The story is as old as Babylon...
First is the reference to the work of Isaiah:
Remember that time when we were slaves? And God acted in a mighty way and we were once again made free? Remember how we couldn't possible imagine how life would ever be better and yet God acted in a mighty way... like building a super 4 lane highway right through the desert of our discontent and desolation... God was mighty in the past, is mighty now and trust me... he will be mighty for all time. It all smacks of promise! "Every valley shall be lifted up and every hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain."
Second: Trips to the wilderness.
Note that John is Baptizing in the Jordon...
It was repentance; which simply means to turn around...
it was forgiveness of sins; which simply means the restoration of relationship.
Or... to use the baptismal imagery... it was to die and drown in the waters of discontent and desolation... that is killed and gone...
The familier ruts paved over...
And new life is to be raised up to a lung full air... to a new life with a new relationship and... leaving the Jordon and returning to regular life meant to re-enter the promise land... it was a new beginning into all that already is.
Thirdly: John the Baptizer himself. Each article of clothing having layers of meaning linking him to the whole story. Camels hair like Elijah, wild honey and locusts having to do with God providing in the wilderness... lots of layers of the old weaving with something new...
And it all comes to this...
Mark begins his Gospel - that is - Mark begins his story of God revealed in Christ by calling it Good News.
A new beginning... and good news.
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A story:
When Matt first started attending the morning prayer services at his church he was sure it wasn't going to last... Mark is not a morning person. He has a hard time getting up for his job... and the extra 20 mins he'd have to spend showing up, going through the Matins Morning prayer service with the group, and then dragging himself off to work was not something he wanted to do. But Mark was accepting a personal challenge... do this just until Christmas he was told... it's just 10 weeks.
So like everything that is good for you... Mark forced himself to do it.
Thousands of years of spiritual practice... there must be something to it... God must be present in a special way.
Mark kept his promise for exactly one week.
The second week there was a problem with his alarm... he shut it off.
The third week there was an ice storm and by the time he got the ice off the car it was too late... he would have missed it.
The fourth week he just didn't feel like it and spent 20 mins updating facebook instead of making it.
The fifth week he did make it... all the way to the locked door of the church... he'd missed the memo that it was cancelled that week.
With Christmas just 5 weeks away Mark doubled down. He got a copy of the morning service and started reading it every night before bed. There was something odd about praying "Satisfy us in the morning with you steadfast love, O God..." especially at 11:45pm lying in bed... but Mark didn't mind... he was going to stick to it.
He even made it to 2 out of the last 5 services... Finally Christmas came and he put the habit the down... Whatever spiritual practice he was going to get would have to come in a different form. He rationalized that he wasn't getting much out of it... maybe something else would speak to him more.
On January third, disaster struck. Marks mom had a car accident and she was in the operating room and nobody knew if she was going to make it. It was late in the evening when Mark finally rushed into that awkward space where the family gathered sipping bad coffee and feeling useless as they waited for news.
Hugs were given as family and friends waited.
They were finally allowed into the recovery room it was. It was crowded and they all gathered around hoping for a recovery. Mark's cousin said "someone should pray or something." And all eyes looked around at one another... and finally rested on Mark...
Mark immediately regretted telling his family about the morning prayers he had been trying... Mark couldn’t remember a time he had ever prayed out loud with people listening... Mark did not think that his faith was ever going to force him into a situation like this...
His brain was blank... and then he said "Satisfy us in the morning Oh God..." and there was a silence. No words came this his brain... but on the next breath he started speaking again;
"O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that you hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN"
There was a silence... and then from the bed in a weak voice came "Mark, that was beautiful... you should keep doing those morning prayers... Maybe pray for healing too next time.”
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Our part in this "Good News" of Jesus is to live lives somewhere between Acts of the Apostles and Revelation. We live between the First coming of Christ which we celebrate at Christmas, and the Second coming of Christ which we look forward to - and also celebrate and hope for at Christmas.
As our Gospel writer Mark says "The beginning of the good news", we hear this to mean an ongoing beginning.
Jesus is a new beginning, God's new beginning. In Jesus the Christ, God creates anew and again, pouring out God's love in the cross, a love that is stronger than anything this world can dish out, including death. And so in Christ's life and ministry and through his cross and resurrection we see God announcing that it is never too late, that this world and reality we know so well do not have the final word, that God the creator and author of all things is not yet finished and has promised to renew, restore, and recreate all things. (Lohse)
And the Good news is that it's never to late to be part of this ongoing re-creation. I firmly declare to you that we are living in the time of new beginnings... new beginnings with each birth, new beginnings with each baptism, new beginnings with each repentance and Holy Meal shared, new beginnings with each death... God isn't finished... and there is Good news.
I want to send you off with a challenge.
In my story, Mark found something new... he found himself speaking faith and good news amongst tragedy through a simple practice of prayer. His eyes were opened to newness. He spoke in a way he didn’t think he could.
As the sanctuary is transformed for Advent... as colours changes in here... as lights go up out there... hold close these words this week:
For you, the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The bible tells us about it.
I have declared it to be true.
I have told a story where someone found it.
Now it's your turn... go and find it.
The new Beginning... the Good News... the God who never quits... who keeps coming... who is revealed in breaking of bread and sharing of hurts and pain... in community... in repentance... in forgiveness.
This week... the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Lives transformed... old ruts paved over, New paths to places we thought impossible... sins forgiven... let us boldly pray:
"O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that you hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN"