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| ps from ps… Last week: “Prepare the way! Someone greater is coming after me!” – John the baptizer in the desert. That was in Mark’s gospel. Now this week: “Make straight the Way of the Lord!” – John the baptizer in the desert. That was in John’s gospel. Two weeks in a row, two different gospels, two different accounts. One message: prepare and make straight the Way for the Lord. As a parish pastor for most of my career and with all the cool stuff to focus on and reference in this season, I often ask: Two weeks of John the Baptist, eh? We really need to hear from him two weeks in a row in Adventy/Christmasy/December? You don’t want to feather in more Mary/Joseph stuff? Or some Gospel of Linus from the stage at the Christmas play? I guess the reason for the John-Double-Header might just be: that we need to hear it. We need to hear it more than once. We need the more consistent voice inviting us into the gift of preparation. “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundr…twice!” says John. It’s a repeating invitation, maybe…. so we allow it to sink in. Maybe, repeated so we we take action and actually do it. This morning I give thanks for the consistent voice of John who repeatedly invites us into a better Way. I give thanks for the repetitions of grace that offer a new way of allowing the old Way of loving us to be more deeply experienced. Have you had those voices in your life? Those consistent voices of people, family, teachers, coaches, prophets and the like that have spoken a word of grace to you somewhere between twice and a hundred times? Have you had that friend that called you out and guided you toward a better way? Has a voice, through some trusted person, invited you to prepare for God’s love and passed on the faith to you? Maybe today is the day to thank them? Maybe today is the day to reach out to them and reconnect? Maybe today is the day to remember and honor their lives if they are no longer with us? And maybe today is the day for YOU to now be that consistent voice for someone else, sharing the faith, offering a different way and helping others get ready for grace? You think we can do that? Don’t make me ask twice. Lord, thank you for those consistent voices of love in our lives. Amen Still in One Peace, ps |
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