SERMON FOR SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2014 -- SAINT ANNE'S DAY

A message from Saint Anne, upon her first visit to Saint Anne's Episcopal Church

Dear Ones, my dear, dear children,

My heart is so happy to be with you today! 

I can’t tell you how often I have longed to come and see you. 

Ever since you were born, 29 years ago, 

I have been so happy that you chose to be named after me!  

Anne... or Anna as I am often called...  

And it has pleased me through the years how many women named Anne have chosen this church!

There was Anne Miner-Pearson, your first rector.  

And through the years many Annes, some of whom are still here -- 

Ann Lanoue, Anne Bleecker-Snoeyenbos,  Anna Dupont, Anna Rexeisen,

Ann Malachek, Ann Schultheis... Did I miss anybody?

I’m especially remembering another Anne who was a long-time Saint Annian.  

Anne Hotchkiss died just a few weeks ago. 

Her ashes are buried in our columbarium.

Anne was 92 when she died.  She was such a funny, kind, energetic person.  

She had a large family, and when her family would get together 

she would sit and look at all of them and think to herself, 

“None of you would be here if it weren’t for me.”

And now, as I look at all of you, I am thinking the same thing:  

“None of you would be here if it weren’t for me.”  

Well, not ME exactly, but I did cry out to God for a child, 

and the child God gave me turned out to be one very special girl.  

And her son... well, I know every grandmother is proud of her grandchildren, 

but really, you know, Jesus was extraordinary.

And that’s not just my opinion. I know you think so too. 

That’s why you’re here -- not really because of me. 

You are here because you want to learn more about my grandson, 

so you can live a life of love and compassion.  

You want to be people who believe, and then ACT what you believe. 

You are here to learn from his life and remember his death 

and celebrate his resurrection.  

You are here because together -- as a community -- 

you can shine much brighter, making a difference in the world, than you can alone.

And I am SO PROUD of you!!!

Saint Anne’s Church.  Saint Anne’s.

I just like saying that.  

Saint Anne’s.  

You are 29 years old now, no longer a child or an adolescent. 

You are a young adult, and you have the energy and optimism of young adulthood.  

And you have some growing pains, as you transition into a more stable adulthood.  Don’t worry.  You are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses -- your faith ancestors, including me, and lots of other saints, and of course Jesus. 

He’s always here, when 2 or 3 or more of you are gathered. 

And he will help you, as you keep on turning to him and remembering him.

Let me tell you some of the really good things I see:

Lots of children. 

Children are a sign of hope and new life in a faith community.  

You need to have children, to help you remember what is really important.  

My grandson, Jesus, he used to love to have children around. 

If his disciples tried to keep the kids away, 

because they thought the adults needed quiet and seriousness to listen to what Jesus was saying,... 

well, Jesus would sometimes have to speak sharply and remind them that no, 

the children were always welcome. 

In fact, he used to say often that if we wanted to know how to be part of God’s kingdom, we needed to look at children, 

and learn from them about joy and curiosity and honesty and vulnerability.

Another good thing about this community 

is how much you care about the whole world, not just yourselves.  

You have been like a mustard seed of faith that grows into a large tree, 

offering shade and shelter to birds.  

I have seen the work you have done in White Earth, and Minneapolis, 

and in Belize, helping to build a school, 

and a Maya language radio station, teaching and mentoring, feeding, 

working side by side with people of different faiths, sharing the work to make the world better.  

I have seen you bringing food, and sharing Care Packages, 

and I am proud of how each month you give money to an organization doing God’s work in your community. 

Your “angel tree” at Christmastime gives me special joy, 

as well as all the thousands of little and big acts of generosity in your lives.  

I want to remind you -- as you are focusing on your building, doing the much-needed improvements for safety, accessibility, and beauty -- 

don’t forget to keep your vision turned outward.  

Another of your faith ancestors, William Temple 

(he was an English man, Archbishop of Canterbury during WWII) said, 

“The church is the only organization 

that exists for those who aren’t its members.”  

You are here to be light for the world, 

to continue the good work my grandson did in his life on earth, 

and to be his hands, feet, and loving arms in this world. 

Never forget that!

Another good thing I see is how much you love each other. 

You take care of each other in times of sickness and grief, 

you celebrate together in times of joy, and you pray for each other.  

But I have to say...  

I have also noticed lately that you don’t always notice the stranger or visitor.  

Back when you were struggling to grow, you were better at this.  

I want to remind you, when you go to coffee hour or to the picnic later, 

-- speak with at least three people you don’t know very well. 

Invite them to sit with you and your long-time friends.  

Ask them about their life, and tell them some of the stories about yourself, 

and about Saint Anne’s Church, so they can become part of the community too.

So let’s talk for a minute about this building. 

Your buildings and grounds.  

What a wonderful legacy! 

More of your faith ancestors, Minnesotans in the 20th century, 

envisioned this church. They donated the land. 

They gave money and sweat and they worked hard to build these buildings. 

You have inherited a good facility! 

And you have a responsibility to maintain it, 

and invest in it just as your forebears did, thinking -- just as they did -- 

about those who are not yet here.  

I am so proud of you, that you are doing just that. 

I can’t wait to see how it all looks when you are finished.  

New parking lot with more parking spaces, better accessibility for all people, beautiful new flooring...  It’s going to be great.

But never forget, it is just a facility.  

The building is not the church. 

YOU are the church. The building is a tool for ministry.  

Its condition is a sign of the health of your interior spiritual life, 

but it is not a substitute for that interior, spiritual life.

Fixing up your building will help it serve you, as you serve God.  

Taking care of the problems on it will mean less of your energy and attention will have to go to those little and big distractions -- 

like failing septic systems and icy sidewalks -- 

Oh yes, I’ve noticed all those things you’ve been dealing with!!

For a short while now, you have to focus hard on the buildings and grounds.   

Just like your faith ancestors did when they built this sanctuary, 

and the rest of what you have here.

But even while you are doing that, don’t forget 

to give thanks for the children... 

to welcome the stranger... to care for each other... 

to reach out in love to the world...  

I know you will do those things because you love my grandson.

Did I tell you how proud I am of you?  

Thank you for letting me speak this morning. I hope you will invite me again.

love, Grandmother Anne

Our Sanctuary Speaks. What is it Saying?

Moving the Altar After Easter

When you come to church the Sunday after Easter, you will find the worship space rearranged. The Worship Commission has recommended, and the vestry approved, bringing the altar into the midst of the congregation for a season before we begin renovation. This change is a step toward discerning how our sanctuary can be used most effectively and most beautifully embody our beliefs about God and ourselves as a worshipping community.

Back Story

Saint Anne’s has done this before. In the 1990s, with the Rev. Theo Park, the altar was moved into the middle of the nave.  The Rev. John Cowan, in the early 2000s, placed the altar in front of the altar rail.  Those who were here in 2007 will recall that we moved altar, font, lectern, and chairs for the summer.  Since 2009 our early Sunday service has, every Sunday, moved chairs and gathered around the altar inside the altar rail. For many of our special services, we move chairs, lectern, and altar.  Over and over again, since 1990, plans have been started to make these changes more permanent, or at least to give us better capability for flexibility.  We get stuck because of changing leadership.  We get stuck because of cost to do it well, and make it beautiful.  Now that we are embarking on capital improvements, inside and out, it is time to move forward.

A couple of years ago, a group of 16 Saint Annians read a book together about church buildings.  Re-Pitching the Tent by Richard Giles led us through the foundations and development of Christian worship, and helped us tune our eyes and ears to how church buildings speak.  Everything about a building tells something about the values and theology of the people who use it.

Giles asks, “How do the followers of Jesus of Nazareth today organize themselves in such a way as to make his continued living presence a reality for them and for the world?  To be more precise, what are the distinguishing features of the followers of Jesus when they meet as a community, and how can they best use buildings ... to express their life together and the message they long to share?”

The Outward and Visible Sign (O&VS) initiative has helped us think about this in terms of the approach and access to the building, and the space we use for fellowship. Another important part of the work we will do this year will be the worship space.  Rearranging this spring will help us as we plan to refurbish and renew our sanctuary.

How does our sanctuary “speak” about what we believe? 

1. Worship is participatory, for the whole assembly.  When the altar is at a far end of the worship space, up some steps, behind an altar rail, the message is that clergy and other worship leaders are more important than the congregation.  It also implies that they are performing for an audience.  Placing the altar more in the midst of the congregation speaks a message of participation, and important roles for everyone.  Soren Kierkegaard once said that many people believe worship to be the responsibility of the clergy, who are prompted by God, and the congregation is the appreciative audience.  Kierkegaard said that really, the whole congregation is responsible for worship. They are led by the clergy, and God is the appreciative audience.  

1. Eucharist is a joyful feast, not a solemn sacrifice.  This shift in thinking was an important part of liturgical renewal in the 2nd half of the 20th century.  Older altars are solid, shaped like tombs, emphasizing the sacrifice of Christ.  Modern altars are more like tables, emphasizing that we gather to eat a sacred meal, as Jesus directed his disciples.  As we gather around the altar, we are reclaiming an understanding of Eucharist from the early time of the church, when Jesus’s first followers gathered at table after he had gone back to heaven, and found that he was among them as they broke bread.

1. God comes into the midst of the people.  God is not aloof but among us.  God is not only in the “Holy of holies”, behind the altar rail, up some steps, but in our midst and accessible to all.  At every baptism, the whole congregation welcomes the newly baptized:  “We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.”  All are worthy. All have access to God.  

1. The best we can afford, for that which we value most highly. Worship is at the heart of our life together. Shabby flooring, frayed and stained carpeting, chipped veneer, and mismatched furnishings do not speak well of the value we place on worship.  Organ pipes that are for show but not function silently speak of what is missing in our musical praise.  Chairs should afford flexibility, but ours are unwieldy, with difficult or missing kneelers.  Our O&VS work will address all these things, so that our sanctuary speaks loudly, without words, of what we believe and what we value.

So be ready. The Worship Commission will do their best to make the church beautiful, and to address issues of traffic flow.  There will be opportunity for evaluation and feedback.  More changes will be made as we learn what works, what is helpful, how our building speaks what we believe.

Remember: “Praying Shapes Believing.”  Our worship is both an expression of our beliefs and also shapes and forms what we believe.  Our building speaks -- not just to us, but to all who come.  May it express clearly our faith in God who loves abundantly, who welcomes all, who dwells among us.

Faithfully,

Lydia +

Blessings in Africa

Haraka, haraka, Haina baraka.  It’s a Swahili proverb meaning “Hurry, hurry does not bring blessing.” Mark and I recently had the blessing of being able to slow down, not hurrying through our days, as we spent two weeks in Tanzania.  We traveled with former Saint Annians Mark and Julie Cutler, who had lived for 2 years in Tanzania about 15 years ago, as volunteer teachers in the village of Monduli.  Our trip included safari, interactions with students and teachers, worshiping in a Tanzanian Lutheran church, and rest at a secluded resort on the Indian Ocean.  

And blessings, lots of blessings. 

The blessing of people. 

It was wonderful to reconnect with Mark and Julie.  Through them, we got to know some local Tanzanians who teach and administer the schools where they had taught.  Our first week in Tanzania was spent living in a guest house at the MaaSae Girls School, helping out in English and Mathematics classrooms at MaaSae and at Moringe Secondary School, shopping at the market in the village of Monduli, being welcomed into Tanzanian homes.  During the week in Monduli we were invited for dinner with friends of Mark and Julie. One invitation was to a Maasai boma in the hills outside Monduli. 

The blessing of rain.

We had been expecting hot, dry weather, but the “long rains” came early while we were there. Local people said the rains were a great blessing. For us, it meant mostly thick dark mud that clung to the soles of our shoes; long sleeves and umbrellas; and timing our travel --always by foot-- to take place in between the long spells of heavy rain.  But we also were aware of how precious rain is, and how needed for crops and animals and people.  We saw people lined up at village water stations. We saw women carrying 3-gallon pails of water on their heads as they walked miles back to their homes. We saw donkeys and bicycles and motorcycles loaded with 5-gallon plastic containers of water, for a family’s use.  In each home where we were invited, the first thing we were offered was water to wash our hands. Precious water, collected and carried and definitely not taken for granted. 

The blessing of animals.

We got to see lots of animals, including elephants, giraffes, lions, rhinos, hippos, zebras, wildebeests, many varieties of antelopes, monkeys, and lots and lots of birds.  One place we visited was Ngorongoro Crater, a self-contained eco-system that is home to thousands of animals.  It looked and felt like the Garden of Eden. In the Ndutu region we stayed in a 3-room canvas tent, with a morning view of giraffes and sunrise through acacia trees. During the night we could hear lions roaring a kilometer away. 

The blessing of safety.

We are grateful for safe travel, safety in the midst of an unfamiliar environment, safety while still being near the wild animals. 

The blessing of time.

The pace of life in other places truly is slower, easier, than the pace most North Americans live by.  It was a blessing to slow down, to not organize our days according to a To-Do list. We are grateful for the blessing of time for spiritual renewal and physical rest. We are grateful for the blessing of being reminded of what is essential in life -- connections to people and to nature, gratitude for safety and for the hours of each day

  

Vestry Leadership: Is It For You?

Saint Anne Needs YOU!

LEADERSHIP: Someone’s gotta do it.  The vestry is the governing lay board of the church. I won’t lie to you -- it’s work, and our vestry members give hours and hours throughout the year to meet and pray, dream and vision, call and cajole, and even roll up their sleeves to do much of the work in and around Saint Anne’s.  Have you thanked a vestry member lately? (You will find their names on the back of the Sunday worship bulletin.) Have you considered that they, too, lead busy lives and somehow manage to make church leadership a priority?

It’s work, but it’s also fun and rewarding.  And here’s the thing. We need vestry members. Not just anybody, but people who love Saint Anne’s and who want us to thrive.  People with ideas and follow-through.  People who have tried to follow Jesus and people who have failed.  People who will make God’s mission through Saint Anne’s a priority and will give their time, talent, and treasure to be part of the exciting mission we are on.

Vestry members are elected in January at the Annual Meeting, to serve a 3-year term. Each vestry member chooses an area of church life to focus on.  Vestry members recruit and encourage others to join in carrying out the tasks and programs involved in their ministry area.

Qualifications include but are not limited to:

• Must have been a member of Saint Anne’s for at least a year
• Be regular in attendance on Sundays and other events
• Be at least 16 years old; no upper age limit
• Commit to attending 1 vestry meeting per month (2^nd Tuesdays, 7-9 PM) and other work in between meetings
• Have access to a computer for communication between meetings
• Be able to drive at night, for meetings
• Be passionate about at least one area of ministry/church life, and be willing to gather others to work in this area
• Be a person who already works, prays, and gives for the spread of God’s kingdom (Book of Common Prayer p. 856)

We are in the midst of an exciting time at Saint Anne’s. Our pledges have come in stronger than ever.  We are welcoming over 20 new members.  We have an excellent staff and meaningful programs. We have money in the bank, and enthusiasm for moving forward with capital improvement. There will be fundraising and planning and lots of prayer as we discern how to make our “Outward and Visible Sign” more congruent with our “Inner and Spiritual Grace.” WE NEED LEADERS OF VISION AND COMMITMENT!!

If you know someone -- even maybe yourself -- who meets these qualifications, I URGE YOU to speak with me or one of the wardens.  If you have already been asked but have said “No,” I URGE YOU to reconsider.  If you have not been asked yet, please don’t be shy.  Your name has probably been put forward but our nominating process is a little broken.  The church requires and depends on the leadership of its members. 

Prayerfully, Lydia +

Season of Creation

Borrowing from an ecumenically sponsored movement and website:

http://seasonofcreation.com/

In the fall of the year, when the harvest is gathered and the glory of fall color surrounds us, our hearts turn in thanksgiving to the Creator and Giver of all.  Many churches use these last weeks of the Season after Pentecost to celebrate a Season of Creation.  Just as Advent, Christmas, Epiphany and Lent are centered around the life and ministry of Jesus, and Pentecost is a celebration of the Holy Spirit, the Season of Creation is a time to focus on God the Creator.

Two special dates make this time of year especially appropriate for the Season of Creation:

• St. Francis Day -- October 4.  St. Francis of Assisi is well-known as a friend of animals and a lover of the natural world. In that tradition, we bless animals on or near St. Francis Day.
• Thanksgiving -- our national holiday of thanks for the abundance of the earth.

The Season of Creation is a time to:

• Celebrate Earth as a sacred gift filled with God’s vibrant presence.
• Unite with all creation in praising the God of creation.
• Confess our sins against creation and empathize with a groaning creation. (Romans 8:22)
• Embrace our kin in creation as our extended family.
• Proclaim the good news that the risen Jesus is the cosmic Christ who fills and renews all creation.
• Go forth on a mission to be partners with Christ in the healing of creation.

This year at Saint Anne’s, our Season of Creation will be October 6 through November 24. The themes for each Sunday weave together to tell our salvation narrative.  

Creation 1, October 6 -- The Pre-eminence of the Non-Human Creation

Blessing of the Animals at all services -- 8:30 and 10:30 AM, 5:00 PM

Creation 2, October 13 -- The Advent of Humanity in Creation

Creation 3, October 20 -- Eden: The Ideal of Shalom in Creation

Creation 4, October 27 -- Human Alienation from the Rest of Creation

All Saints Sunday, November 3 -- A Celebration of the great saints of the church, and the saints of our lives

Creation 5, November 10 -- God’s Covenant with All Creation

Creation 6, November 17 -- Humanity’s Covenant with the Planet

Creation 7, November 24 -- Hope for Creation

Bishop Brian Prior has given permission to Saint Anne’s to use alternate readings during our Season of Creation.  The themes for each Sunday are adapted from the work of the Rev. Gregory Youngchild of the Diocese of Michigan.  The lessons we will be using each week will be posted on our website soon.  To read the lessons appointed in the Revised Common Lectionary for these Sundays, visit www.lectionarypage.net

Saint Anne’s Joins the Biblical Literacy Project

OK, it’s 2013 -- have you made your New Year’s resolutions? How about including this one: to read the entire Bible.  Or… To read the Bible more.  Or… to learn more about the Bible.

According to surveys, Episcopalians are among the best educated Christians, but are near the bottom in terms of biblical literacy.  As a group, we know very little about this book that is central to our faith. In our worship, we read from it more than most. We may remember stories from our childhood Sunday School.  We know certain parts, like the Christmas and Easter stories, but on the whole its contents remain a mystery.

Reading the entire Bible can be a daunting and confusing venture.  Also, starting with Genesis leads pretty quickly into confusing, ancient stories and laws and statutes.  And then, if you fall behind, it can be very hard to catch up. 

 So, how about starting with the foundation of the Christian story, the Gospels? And how about reading one book at a time?  Begin anytime, and if you miss one month, you can still join in the next time.  The idea came from our Tuesday morning Bible study group.  We’re calling it “The Book of the Month Club” and it begins this month, January 2013, with the Gospel of Matthew.  This is Saint Anne’s response to Bishop Prior’s invitation, issued at the beginning of Advent a few weeks ago (see his blog post, copied below).

We'll start with Matthew, the first gospel of the New Testament (though not the first to be written).  There will be two opportunities to learn more about the Book of the Month, and to ask questions, and share in discussion: The Rector's Bible Class (1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30 PM) and Tuesday Morning Bible Study Group (Every Tuesday, 10:00-11:30 AM). 

You are invited to read the Book of the Month even if you don't want to come to the Rector's Bible Class or the Tuesday morning group. Sit down and read the Gospel of Matthew in 1 or 2 sittings. You may be surprised at how story-like it is, and how different it sounds when you read it in larger sections, and can see how the story unfolds.

FAQs

What translation should I read?

For best results, do not use the King James Version.  The language is lovely Shakespearean English, but for understanding and accuracy of translation, it isn't the best for 21st century readers.  The Episcopal Church prefers the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version). But there are lots of good translations and paraphrases, to make the text understandable and interesting. Try The Good News Bible, The Jerusalem Bible, or The Message.

Are there good notes or commentaries to help me?

If you want to do more than just read the biblical text, use a study Bible such as the HarperCollins Study Bible.  Full of footnotes, cross-references, and maps, it offers background on each book. Who wrote it? When and why? 

Also, look around the church and on this blog in the coming weeks, for famous verses from Matthew, themes to be looking for, and basic information about this gospel.

What if I get behind in my reading?

No worries. You can either finish the January Book of the Month, or join up again in February, when we read the Gospel of Mark.

Blessings,

Lydia+

A note from Bishop Brian Prior:  From the Bishop's Blog, November 27, 2012

Dear Friends,

With the onset of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year, I would like to invite your participation in the Bible Challenge.

At our most recent General Convention this summer, we passed the following resolution:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That every Episcopal diocese, cathedral, church and mission shall invite their entire membership and people beyond their church to read the entire Bible in 2013 (C083).

Many faith communities have already begun or plan to begin soon. Some have chosen small group settings; others are encouraging families to engage in the yearlong endeavor. A significant number of folks are using the book The Bible Challenge, authored by The Rev. Marek P. Zabriskie, one of the main proposers of the resolution.

Regardless of the methodology or the grouping of participants, it is essential "to develop a life-long daily spiritual practice of reading the Bible in order to know God's love more clearly and to receive comfort, strength and guidance for daily living." (C083).

Daily reading of our sacred story has been a part my spiritual discipline for many years. It has in fact become my primary source of "strength and guidance for daily living" and so much more. My intention is to now augment my practice with the Bible Challenge with my family for the next year. I warmly encourage you to join me.

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for Proper 28: The Sunday closest to November 16, BCP pg. 236)

  

Blessings, 

+Brian

SERMON FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2012 SAINT ANNE’S

ADVENT 3C

Zephaniah 3:14-20
Canticle 9
Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

Reflecting on the gospel, in light of the horrific events of Friday, December 13, in Newtown, Connecticut

A terrible thing happened in Connecticut this past Friday, 

and we grieve with those who lost family members, 

those whose innocence was lost when they witnessed horrific violence, 

and for those whose young lives were taken.  

Since Friday there have been extra hugs for children, 

and unbidden tears rising to our eyes and spilling down our cheeks.  

Yet again we ask Why? and cry out in unbelief, “Not again!”

Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, 

sent this urgent request for prayer:

We know that God’s heart is broken over this tragedy, and the tragedies that unfold each and every day across this nation.  And we pray that this latest concentration of shooting deaths in one event will awaken us to the unnoticed number of children and young people who die senselessly across this land every day.  More than 2000 children and youth die from guns each year, more than the soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Will you pray and work toward a different future, the one the Bible’s prophets dreamed of, where city streets are filled with children playing in safety (Zechariah 8:5)?

This different future is the one 

that the prophets hold up for us to see and hope for.  

It is a vision of the whole world healed and at peace, 

and everything is in a state of shalom  -- wholeness -- 

as God has intended it from the beginning. 

Events like the one this week remind us how very far away we are, 

as a whole human family, from that ideal.

And yet…  

Let us not be so consumed by the tragedy that we let despair overcome hope, 

or that we think the dark of evil is more powerful than the light of good.

If you have two rooms, one completely dark and the other bright with light,

with a door between them,

when you open the door, the dark does not expand and make the bright room dark.

No, the light shines into the dark room.

Light is more powerful than dark, and cannot be extinguished by darkness.

Let us not begin to think that terrible event, and others like it, are what defines the world.  

For the good that happens every day far outweighs the evil.  

And I still believe, and our hope always is, that good will triumph. 

Good is winning, even now.

There was a man sent by God whose name was John.  

He came into the world to tell us about the Light. 

He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to -- 

to tell the world about -- the Light. 

The true Light, which was coming into the world.

As Luke tells the story, 

this man, John, doesn’t beat around the bush. 

He speaks directly and clearly, even harshly, 

to the crowds that have followed him out into the desert.  

He tells them -- repent! change your lives! 

rededicate yourselves to being part of the better future.  

He speaks about fruit.  

Bear fruit worthy of repentance, he says.  

Bear fruit …  

Just as plants have flowers and fruits and vegetables and seeds that grow from them, 

our lives also produce something that people can see, 

that makes a difference -- for good or ill -- in the world.  

You see, it’s not enough to just believe certain things. 

In fact, John isn’t even trying to get his listeners to believe any doctrine or dogma. He is talking about core values, that influence the way they live their lives.  

His harsh words are for those who say they believe in God, 

and who think that being a member of a faith group is enough. 

John actually calls them a brood of vipers!  

He says, true faith is seen in the way you live your life. 

The fruit that your life bears. 

And the people ask him, “What should we do?” 

What does repentance -- turning our lives around toward God -- look like?

John is incredibly practical.  Very clear.  

If you have 2 coats, share with someone who doesn’t have a coat. 

If you have food, share. 

If you are a tax collector, or a soldier -- a person in power -- 

don’t use your position to cheat people, or to harm others in any way.  

It’s incredibly practical, and small-scale.  

You don’t have to solve all the world’s problems, 

just take care of the part that’s right in front of you.

Another thing about John’s practical directions, 

is that they are not simply personal. 

They are about interactions with others.  

Repentance is not about confessing your sins, 

as much as it is about changing your life -- 

noticing and responding to the people who are around you. 

The cold, the hungry, the powerless, whom you have the means to help.  

And when we turn outward, and realize it’s not all about us, 

an amazing thing happens. 

Our hearts become softer, more loving.  

As we reach out in love to others, we ourselves are transformed.  

Poverty of spirit gives way to abundant spiritual blessings and brilliant fruit.

Because repentance -- the kind of repentance that John is talking about -- 

(even though it’s practical, and has to do with how we behave in the world, 

interacting with others) -- 

it’s not about problem solving.  

John isn’t telling us to get out and solve the world’s problems, 

but to begin with ourselves, 

to line up our lives with God’s priorities,

to tend to our own hearts, to let our reaching out to others 

to be the fruit that grows from a humble, grace-filled heart.

As we look at the world, with its huge problems and far-reaching issues, 

how can we have hope, and not get weighed down by the hurt and horror of events beyond our control?

We must begin with the practical, the small, the personal.

Our response must include noticing the evil, and grieving over it, 

but it must also include noticing the good, 

the enormous good that people are doing every day.

That is where we see the light that overcomes the darkness.

It begins with each one, ourselves, and then those close to us. 

We can’t prevent every tragedy, and we can’t heal every hurt, 

but we can prevent some and we can heal some.

And we can look around us to see that we are not alone. 

Words of hope and healing, deeds of compassion and courage, 

are being done every day, and the impact of that good, in small, practical ways, 

adds up to much much much more than the evil that dominates the headlines.

Some examples:

Following Hurricane Sandy, Dr. Dave Ores opened his clinic to any who needed free medical care, for any reason.

A whole lot of people who still had electricity put extension cords and power strips out, so others could charge their cell phones.

In Libya, following the raid on the U.S. Embassy and the death of our diplomats, a young child was photographed holding up a sign that read “Sorry people of America, this is not the behavior of our Islam and Prophet.”

There’s a soccer team in Michigan who gave their team manager with Down Syndrome a chance to start in a game.

In Texas, college students formed a human wall to block anti-gay protesters at a military funeral. 

And on the other side of the wall, there was a young boy bravely holding up a sign saying “God hates no-one.”

Young parents eating lunch in a restaurant received this note:

“I wanted to offer to hold your sweet baby while you both ate lunch, but my husband said I’d look like a stalker. So, I’m buying your lunch instead. Enjoy that sweet baby -- we have teenagers. I know what’s ahead for you, so snuggle your wee one while you can!”

Those parents will never forget that kindness, and will possibly be moved in the future to “pay it forward.”

And we… What should we do? the little things that add up --

Hug your children.  

Hug your friend’s children.

Be part of the net of this faithful community that holds all children, 

of every age, in a place where they are noticed and known.

Reach out to and include another child, 

maybe the one who doesn’t seem to have friends.

Offer help without expecting anything in return.

Give toys and food this Christmas.

The need is always, of course, 

but the holidays are especially times when lack is felt.

Smile…  Rejoice always… Be patient… Bear fruit worthy of repentance… 

Let the fruit of your life be rich, beautiful, nourishing.

Good fruit grows from doing the things that are right in front of us to do. 

Small and big… individual acts of kindness, and things we do together with others -- all of them add up to a tsunami of light and love and goodness 

that will -- that DOES -- overcome and outweigh the terrible.  

It’s all we can do.  

And it’s enough.