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St. George's Episcopal Church Roseburg, Oregon Advent 3 11 December 2005 Go To St. George's Home Page

Isaiah 61:1-4; 8-11
Canticle 15, The Song of Mary (The Magnificat)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28
The Collect of the Day
From the Revised Common Lectionary as Adapted for Use by the Episcopal Church
and Authorized by the 74 th General Convention of the ECUSA

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. (John 1:6-8, 19-28)

Vocation, Vocation, Vocation
The Rev. Dr. Bill Stroop, Rector

     What do The Amazing Race, American Idol, Hell’s Kitchen, Laguna Beach, Survivor, Trading Spaces, The Batchelor and The Bachelorette all have in common? They are just eight of the dozens and dozens of reality shows you can find on TV these days. And if you want to know more about your favorite, you can always check www.realitytvworld.com for the latest information.

     Some might claim that Survivor was one of the first TV reality shows, but there is one show that goes waaay back to the early days of television.

     The object of the game was for the four panelists to try to guess unusual occupations of contestants or a product associated with them. A panelist would ask a question and the contestant would either answer “yes” or “no”. If “yes”, then the panelist would ask another question until a “no” answer was reached, and play would pass on to the next panelist. Throughout the entire show’s run, a “no” answer would earn a contestant $5. The game ended when either the occupation was correctly identified, or ten “no” answers were given. The most a contestant would earn was $50.

     It was reality TV without the hype, the sponsorship, and the endorsements.

     “And now, let's meet our award-winning What's My Line? panel. In chair one we have the Pharisees, the keepers of the law in Jerusalem. In chair two, we have the ever popular Levites who have been in Judea since Moses. In chair three we have the Scribes, the protectors of Temple worship. And in chair four we have the ever popular priests of Jerusalem.”

     “Let’s begin. Our guest contestant today is John. Can you tell us a little about yourself?”

     “Well, I was born here in Galilee, but for the past several years I’ve lived out in that desert. Picked up some unusual habits in the desert.”

     “Like what”

     “Like eatin’ bugs and honey. And wearin’ these smelly animal skins.”

     “All right, John. Panelists, are you ready to begin? Let’s start with panelist one.

     “Who are you?” John confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you?”

     Panelist two. They said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”

     Panelist three. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”

     At the end of the game, John the Baptist walked away with his $50 because he stumped the panelists. All he told them was that he was a baptizer, not worthy to untie the thong of the sandal on the feet of one who would come after him. They didn’t figure out that John’s vocation was his testimony of Jesus as disciple.

     Vocation. That is a pretty important word to religious people. “Vocation” has two meanings in English. The first is the familiar one: the work in which a person is regularly employed. The second is more closely related to the Latin root of the word, vocare. It is a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action, especially a call to the religious life.

    John the Baptist knew how to play What’s My Line? because he told the panelists at the river that day mostly things he was not. He was not the light coming into the world, he was not the Messiah, he was not Elijah, he was not the prophet. His vocation – his calling – was to make straight the way of the Lord.

     In Biblical times, roads were not smoothly paved. When a king came to a province, or a conqueror came to a conquered land, the roads were straightened out and made smooth for his travels. John’s vocation was simply to be a voice telling people to get ready for the coming of the king, for he is on his way.[2] John’s job was to smooth the path.

    John was also a very humble man.[3] Not everyone would have been able to be so humble given the attention given to him by the panelists and the people of Judea. Many people might have started believing their own reputation: Hey, maybe I am the Messiah! Many might have begun to contemplate a run for that office.

     Not John. My importance will diminish now. The one whose coming I foretold has arrived now. I have done what I was supposed to do.

     Forceful he was. But he was even more faithful. Part of the lore surrounding him is that he and Jesus were cousins, John the elder cousin, the one to whom deference might be due, the one who might expect his younger relative to yield to him – yet John expected nothing of the kind. He announced the exact opposite: Jesus must increase, and John must decrease.

     Most of us have a hard time with our own decrease. As we get older our bodies fail us. Our work is better done by younger people. Our bosses may well be the age of our eldest children. There are near-misses at work; we become aware that replacing us with someone younger and cheaper looks attractive to management, and so we cling with some desperation, arriving earlier and staying later. We don’t dare take a sick day. We cancel our vacations. We don't want them to experience what it would be like there without us – it might give them ideas.

     The quiet terror of this state makes us admire John all the more: he’s absolutely on his way out. No doubt about it. And he doesn't cling, not at all. He faces into the strong wind of his own destruction and announces the new thing that will replace him.

     I think we all knew how odd John was, wearing camel hair and living on bugs and honey. But maybe we haven’t really understood how brave he was.

     And his bravery came about because of his willingness to accept his calling – his vocation – as a servant of the Lord. I pray that in this time of preparation before the celebration of Jesus’ incarnation that we look at our vocations as followers of Jesus, and humbly and faithfully heed our calls.

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The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

Canticle 15, The Song of Mary (The Magnificat)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

John 1:6-8, 19-28

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

The Collect of the Day

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

[1] Information about What’s My Line? was obtained from http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/4439/whatsmyline.html on 8 December 2005.
[2] William Barclay. The Gospel of John, Vol. 1, Revised Edition. (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1975), 79.
[3] Adapted from Barbara Crafton. “I Must Decrease.” The Almost Daily eMo from GeraniumFarm.org. December 2005.

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Copyright © 2005, William G. Stroop - All Rights Reserved.
9 December 2005

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