Prepare and Hope - An Advent Sermon by Alison Williams

GOSPEL:
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, 
"See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" 
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 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. 
Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 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. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 

“Prepare the way of the Lord.”

 This is what John the Baptizer preaches. This is what we hear from the prophet Isaiah. “Prepare the way of the Lord.” This is what the Advent season is all about. Preparing for the birth of that tiny baby boy who will change the world with his life and death and resurrection. This is what we take time to prepare for.

And yet, I am not altogether sure that we know what or how we prepare for the coming of the Christ child. We all know a lot about preparing for the holidays. Even our church has been beautiful decorated this weekend. And I know that I really enjoy shopping for a great present that I know someone will love and choosing wrapping paper that compliments the decorations up in my living room and tying on a beautiful bow. I know about decorating Christmas trees and making cookies and ensuring that I have carrots to put out on Christmas eve for the reindeer next to the milk and cookies for Santa. I even have special glitter to put on my lawn so the reindeer can find my house easily. Trust me, it works.

But I need God to be bigger than holiday glitter and advent devotions and beautiful hymns. I need God to be bigger than whatever meager preparations I might make to prepare a place in my heart and mind and soul and schedule for the Christ child. Perhaps this is because I feel powerless in the face of recent news. I have had an overwhelming depression settle about me in the last few weeks as I read more and more about black people dying. It seems never ending: the ugly backlashes as people jump to blame the police, the ignorant commentary from either side of the discussion, and the frustration and anger of many who have protested. I mourn for Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, for the deaths that have not reached national news, for the hundreds upon hundreds of black children who have been killed in Chicago in the last few years, for the racial injustice of our world and the fear that is a part of each and every one of us.

Xmas and Happy Holidays: Why Christians Need to Use These Words

<Begin rant.>

I get cranky this time of year. Not bah humbug type of cranky, because I love the holidays but cranky at all the self righteous Christians who berate people for saying an inclusive Happy Holidays or who tell me to keep Christ in Christmas when I use Xmas. I'm sure you've seen something like this on Facebook or perhaps shared it yourself:

I do not agree. It is Merry Christmas if I'm talking to a Christian. But saying Happy Holidays does not condemn me to hell or assume that I'm a terrible Jesus-hating Christian. I would hope it would assume something completely different, for instance, respect of other traditions like Kwanza, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah...

Walking the Talk

Alison Williams - Sep 28/29, 2014 - Bethel Lutheran Church - Prayer Shawls, 50th Anniversary for BLC Foundation, 3rd Grade Bibles, Baptisms

(Readings below)

Today, Jesus tells a story about two sons responding to their father’s instruction to go and work in the vineyard. One son says he will go but he doesn’t actually go. Another says he will not go but then he eventually does. So one is a verbal yes but with no action. And the other is a verbal no but with action. Then Jesus asks, which son do you think did what their father asked?

The answer seems as obvious to me as it was to the disciples: the one who did the will of his father was the one who actually worked, not the one who merely SAID he would. And we all know the adage, “Actions speak louder than words.” Then again, I also heard a different one growing that goes, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Did any of you get that growing up or say it when raising your kids?

Though the issue is laid in two extremes, each of us are scattered along the line in between the two extremes. We move along that line from day to day or from one situation to the next. We all say no to certain things and eventually change our minds and take action. We all say an immediate yes to something, only to never get around to actually doing it. Regardless of where you fall on the scale, I'd like to explore the idea that we are not the workers in the vineyard, that there are parts of us that SAY yes to God, but do NOT work.

Ass of you and me

I wasn't sure how it became September and now it is half way through September. I don't know where I picked up on the idea that summers were slower around church?? It's a lie.

So here's where I'm at. I'm frustrated with everyone. It seems it is just far to easy to NOT assume the best of people. I misread reservation dates and missed a reservation at a restaurant for a group I lead. I don't hear about this until a week later and it makes me sound like I am the biggest jack ass on the planet. Do they honestly believe I was sitting at home, laughing manically going, "Ha! This will show that restaurant. I bet they're holding that table open for me right now. SUCKERS!!"

No. Stop it.

Dull Saws and Burnout

I heard about this story from my amazing Spiritual Director a few months ago and then looked for the story again tonight as it was ringing true for me (this quote from here):

 "Stephen Covey tells a story of a man who’s working laboriously to saw down a tree. The work is difficult, and although he stays at his task diligently sawing away, very little progress is made. The saw blade is dull, too dull to make much of a dent in the tree trunk. When asked why he doesn’t sharpen the saw and therefore make the work easier and faster, the man says he can’t afford to stop. The tree must be cut down, and there’s no time to stop and sharpen the saw!" 

As I sat in that same Spiritual Director's office last week, sinking farther and farther into her couch, I told her how exhausted I was and how I didn't want to go to work lately and just felt blah. She looked across at me, almost lost to the folds of her couch and told me that these were early signs of burn out. She recommended vacation. ASAP. I of course said there was too much to do. I'm too far behind. 

Battered By the Waves

Suicide Is Not A Cause for Public Fear

It's been a shitty week. For a myriad of reasons, I'm sure. General depression. Bruce's sentencing. Change of the weather. My lovely housemate moving and the ensuing depression of my cats. Work is always difficult.

There are good bits sprinkled in of course. Coming to church on Sunday was a highlight. I love my people so much. And I've been working on a new counted cross stitch of the Lord's Prayer. Been chilling on my couch watching movies or listening to Barbara Brown Taylor's "A Walk in the Darkness" (which is fantastic as she reads it for the audio version which is like a mini sermon every chapter).

But on Tuesday, something happened that pissed me off. UW Police sent out a warning that there was a woman who was suicidal and possibly armed. They evacuated 300+ people from the vicinity. They hunted (I'm aware of the verb I'm using) down the woman who had fled into a grove of trees. As the police were talking to her, she shot herself. Jean Gibson died yesterday. She was known to my homeless friends though not to me personally.

News: "Gibson was found by police and shot herself while police tried to communicate with her.   Gibson was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries. UW Police say she died Wednesday from the injury and the case is still under investigation." (link to full story here)