Advent 2- Repent
John the Baptist is the primary spokesperson for Advent. And it seems very appropriate that we would have a baptism on the same Sunday that we are reading about John the Baptist.
We read that John was
We read that John was
“proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight’” (3:3-4).
So, in our reading, baptism is connected to repentance, which means something like a change of mind, … and it is connected to making a straight path for God. A straight path is an easier path to travel. And this implies that the path is not always straight. We can do something to straighten out that path.
We usually hear the word ‘repentance’ in a pretty negative way. I think that’s because we tend to see repentance as merely a turning away from something bad. And sometimes we don’t want to, so it can seem like a kind of killjoy word.
But repentance also includes ‘turning towards’. Repentance isn't just about turning away from something wrong. It also includes turning towards something else and that's actually the primary part of repentance. The primary part of repentance is about turning towards something good.
So, if you go to the doctor and the doctor tells you that you have high blood pressure, that is a moment of opportunity for repentance. You have an opportunity to turn away from things that are causing you to have high blood pressure. You can turn away from certain foods you're eating (like red meat, Sugary pop, alcohol, and caffeine), and you can turn towards foods and behaviors that will help you with your high blood pressure. So, you start eating foods that are healthier for you. You start going for walks. …
So, there is a turning away, but that's actually only part of turning towards the good. In repentance, turning towards the good is actually what matters. Just turning away from something bad doesn’t really make sense unless you’re turning towards something good. You are heading in the wrong direction, and repentance is when you realize that and turn in the right direction.
Today, on the girls’ behalf, their parents are going to participate in an act of repentance. They are going to turn away from three things. I hear that at some point in Christian history the candidates would face west when speaking about the things they turn away from, then they would literally turn and face East when they speak about what they are dedicating themselves to.
We are going to ask: Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?
Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?
Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?
And the response is, “I renounce them”.
In Christianity, there are three sources of evil- The World, The Flesh, and the Devil.
‘The World’ is the ways human beings organize themselves that cause destruction and cruelty. We engage in wars because of pride, we create sweatshops out of greed, we pollute rivers out of a lack of concern for the natural world. And we create systems where it’s hard to not participate.
We usually hear the word ‘repentance’ in a pretty negative way. I think that’s because we tend to see repentance as merely a turning away from something bad. And sometimes we don’t want to, so it can seem like a kind of killjoy word.
But repentance also includes ‘turning towards’. Repentance isn't just about turning away from something wrong. It also includes turning towards something else and that's actually the primary part of repentance. The primary part of repentance is about turning towards something good.
So, if you go to the doctor and the doctor tells you that you have high blood pressure, that is a moment of opportunity for repentance. You have an opportunity to turn away from things that are causing you to have high blood pressure. You can turn away from certain foods you're eating (like red meat, Sugary pop, alcohol, and caffeine), and you can turn towards foods and behaviors that will help you with your high blood pressure. So, you start eating foods that are healthier for you. You start going for walks. …
So, there is a turning away, but that's actually only part of turning towards the good. In repentance, turning towards the good is actually what matters. Just turning away from something bad doesn’t really make sense unless you’re turning towards something good. You are heading in the wrong direction, and repentance is when you realize that and turn in the right direction.
Today, on the girls’ behalf, their parents are going to participate in an act of repentance. They are going to turn away from three things. I hear that at some point in Christian history the candidates would face west when speaking about the things they turn away from, then they would literally turn and face East when they speak about what they are dedicating themselves to.
We are going to ask: Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?
Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?
Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?
And the response is, “I renounce them”.
In Christianity, there are three sources of evil- The World, The Flesh, and the Devil.
‘The World’ is the ways human beings organize themselves that cause destruction and cruelty. We engage in wars because of pride, we create sweatshops out of greed, we pollute rivers out of a lack of concern for the natural world. And we create systems where it’s hard to not participate.
It’s hard to buy clothes that aren’t connected to something like a sweatshop. Well, why is that? At some point it was found to be a cheaper way of producing clothes, and consumers wanted cheaper products. Consumers were buying the cheaper clothes and not buying the clothes that were more expensive clothes that weren’t made in sweatshops. So now we are in a situation where a significant portion of our clothing is connected to something like a sweatshop. Those companies that don’t want to use that model can’t compete in the market.
During the abolitionist movement, this was one of the pro-slavery arguments that the British Empire shouldn’t abolish the institution of slavery, because their economy so relied on it that the economy would be significantly strained, and parts of the market wouldn’t be able to handle it.
So, as human beings we lock ourselves into these systems, and we participate in them without really knowing it, and sometimes they are very hard to not participate in.
“The flesh” refers to the sin within me. I could try to get away from those systems by running away into the woods and living by myself. But, I know that I still have sinful tendencies within me. I’d see a squirrel chewing at the roof of my cabin and I’d lose my temper. I could pridefully think I’m better than all those people who weren’t able to leave the system and live like me. When it was -40C and I had to go cut more wood, I’d be jealous of those who had homes heated with natural gas and didn’t have to cut wood for the stove. I might become bitter towards human beings who made me feel like I had to run away into the woods. … The sin isn’t just out there, it’s also something I battle inside me.
The Devil and evil spiritual forces are also something we reject. If we add up all our personal evil, and all the evil of society, then we acknowledge that there still seems to be some mysterious unseen force that means us harm. We tend not to talk about that much in polite conversation. It’s often laughed at as superstitious, or something that less educated people believe. But it is a reality that human beings have believed across cultures and throughout time- That there are unseen personal forces that are up to no good. So, we reject those realities as something we do not want to cooperate with.
So, we turn away from these three sources of evil. But we don’t just turn away from these things and leave it at that. Dallas Willard says that you can’t go to the airport and say where you don’t want to go. “I don’t want to go to Winnipeg” “One ticket to not-Winnipeg please”. … In the act of repentance, what we are turning towards matters more that what we are turning away from. The act of turning towards will, as a natural consequence, mean turning away from other things. If I’m driving to Edmonton, I’m automatically driving away from Calgary. So, turning away is a side effect of turning towards. Turning towards the good automatically means turning away from the bad. … In a spiritual sense, I think this is what Jesus means when he says,
“The flesh” refers to the sin within me. I could try to get away from those systems by running away into the woods and living by myself. But, I know that I still have sinful tendencies within me. I’d see a squirrel chewing at the roof of my cabin and I’d lose my temper. I could pridefully think I’m better than all those people who weren’t able to leave the system and live like me. When it was -40C and I had to go cut more wood, I’d be jealous of those who had homes heated with natural gas and didn’t have to cut wood for the stove. I might become bitter towards human beings who made me feel like I had to run away into the woods. … The sin isn’t just out there, it’s also something I battle inside me.
The Devil and evil spiritual forces are also something we reject. If we add up all our personal evil, and all the evil of society, then we acknowledge that there still seems to be some mysterious unseen force that means us harm. We tend not to talk about that much in polite conversation. It’s often laughed at as superstitious, or something that less educated people believe. But it is a reality that human beings have believed across cultures and throughout time- That there are unseen personal forces that are up to no good. So, we reject those realities as something we do not want to cooperate with.
So, we turn away from these three sources of evil. But we don’t just turn away from these things and leave it at that. Dallas Willard says that you can’t go to the airport and say where you don’t want to go. “I don’t want to go to Winnipeg” “One ticket to not-Winnipeg please”. … In the act of repentance, what we are turning towards matters more that what we are turning away from. The act of turning towards will, as a natural consequence, mean turning away from other things. If I’m driving to Edmonton, I’m automatically driving away from Calgary. So, turning away is a side effect of turning towards. Turning towards the good automatically means turning away from the bad. … In a spiritual sense, I think this is what Jesus means when he says,
“Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matt 12:30).
We are participating in the good, or we are unknowingly participating in the bad.
So, as a part of the Baptism liturgy, we turn away, but more importantly, we turn towards.
The girls’ parents will be asked, on their behalf,
Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Saviour?
Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?
Do you promise to obey him as your Lord?
And the response is, “I do.”
Once we have turned away from those forces that cause destruction in our lives and in the world, then we turn towards what will heal us and make us whole. We turn towards Jesus Christ and accept him as our saviour.
To be saved means a number of things. I once heard a bishop say, “I have been saved. I am saved. I will be saved”.
“I have been saved” in that I acknowledge that I benefit from the mystery of what God did on the cross through Jesus. Jesus conquered evil, sin, and death.
“I am saved” because of the work God does within me daily. God renews me and pours new life into me constantly. God constantly teaches me a better way.
I also say that “I will be saved” because I acknowledge that my future is in God’s loving and merciful hands. I rest my hope on God’s love and ability to preserve me through whatever I face, even death.
To be saved isn’t just about going to heaven when we die. Being saved has to do with wholeness and healing. Human beings were created in the image of God. That image has been damaged. As we follow Christ that image begins healing and we become more and more the people we were created to be. It is like being healed from a disease.
Trusting in Jesus and obeying Jesus as our Lord aren’t just nice religious things to say. When we make this promise we are saying that we acknowledge Jesus as our master. We are saying that he knows what is best for us and has the right to direct our life. To call him our “Lord” and then not follow his direction is a contradiction. … We might have questions about what Jesus wants us to do, and how we can be sure about that, but that is another issue. This promise is stating that if you knew what Jesus wanted you to do, that you would do it.
John was “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” and this is about making the path straight for God. The essence of repentance is a transformative turning towards God. Repentance is not merely about shunning the wrong, but more importantly, embracing the good and the holy. Today, as we witness this sacrament of baptism, let us remember that it symbolizes not just a turning away from sin, but a commitment to walk in the light of Christ. This turning towards Christ is about entering into a journey of wholeness and healing, a restoration of the divine image within us. And we will have an opportunity today to recommit ourselves to our baptismal covenant. To once again re-align our lives with the teachings and love of our Savior. In doing so, we prepare a straight path for the Lord that leads right through our hearts. Amen.
So, as a part of the Baptism liturgy, we turn away, but more importantly, we turn towards.
The girls’ parents will be asked, on their behalf,
Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Saviour?
Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?
Do you promise to obey him as your Lord?
And the response is, “I do.”
Once we have turned away from those forces that cause destruction in our lives and in the world, then we turn towards what will heal us and make us whole. We turn towards Jesus Christ and accept him as our saviour.
To be saved means a number of things. I once heard a bishop say, “I have been saved. I am saved. I will be saved”.
“I have been saved” in that I acknowledge that I benefit from the mystery of what God did on the cross through Jesus. Jesus conquered evil, sin, and death.
“I am saved” because of the work God does within me daily. God renews me and pours new life into me constantly. God constantly teaches me a better way.
I also say that “I will be saved” because I acknowledge that my future is in God’s loving and merciful hands. I rest my hope on God’s love and ability to preserve me through whatever I face, even death.
To be saved isn’t just about going to heaven when we die. Being saved has to do with wholeness and healing. Human beings were created in the image of God. That image has been damaged. As we follow Christ that image begins healing and we become more and more the people we were created to be. It is like being healed from a disease.
Trusting in Jesus and obeying Jesus as our Lord aren’t just nice religious things to say. When we make this promise we are saying that we acknowledge Jesus as our master. We are saying that he knows what is best for us and has the right to direct our life. To call him our “Lord” and then not follow his direction is a contradiction. … We might have questions about what Jesus wants us to do, and how we can be sure about that, but that is another issue. This promise is stating that if you knew what Jesus wanted you to do, that you would do it.
John was “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” and this is about making the path straight for God. The essence of repentance is a transformative turning towards God. Repentance is not merely about shunning the wrong, but more importantly, embracing the good and the holy. Today, as we witness this sacrament of baptism, let us remember that it symbolizes not just a turning away from sin, but a commitment to walk in the light of Christ. This turning towards Christ is about entering into a journey of wholeness and healing, a restoration of the divine image within us. And we will have an opportunity today to recommit ourselves to our baptismal covenant. To once again re-align our lives with the teachings and love of our Savior. In doing so, we prepare a straight path for the Lord that leads right through our hearts. Amen.
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