Advent 3B: Practicing Advent

Posted by DJL on Dec 8, 2014 in Dear Partner | 9 comments

Advent 3B: John 1:6-8, 19-28

Dear Partner in Preaching,

A few years ago, while speaking with some pastors in Canada about ministry in an increasingly post-Christian world, a young pastor shared a story that has stayed with me. A year or so earlier, his mother had asked him why he was the only one of her children who still went to church. In response, he asked her what she would tell her children – his siblings – if they asked her why she went to church. Why, in short, was her faith important to her? He reported that what followed was the most uncomfortable twenty minutes of conversation he’d ever had with his mother. Because, like many adult Christians, she hadn’t been asked to talk about her faith since confirmation. And so articulating her reasons for going to church, let alone the importance of her faith, was remarkably difficult. Eventually, she came out with a single clear sentence describing what her faith meant to her. In response, her son said simply, “That was great, Mom. When they ask, tell them that.”

Ever since that conversation, when I’m working with congregations I try to save some time in which I ask people to turn to each other and share for just a moment or two why their congregation matters to them; why, in short, their faith is important to them. I promise not to let the time linger more than two or three moments, as this can be an uncomfortable exercise for some (though, truth be told, it’s almost always received pretty well). The first time I tried this was with a congregation in Colorado, and on the way out a man, probably in his middle eighties and stooped somewhat by age, stopped to speak with me. “I just want to say thank you,” he began, “because I’ve been going to church with this gal,” nodding to his wife who followed close behind, “for more than sixty years. And it turns out that neither of us ever knew why the other was going!”

I share this story, Dear Partner, because I am convinced that our churches will not grow until individual Christians can name and share why their faith is important to them with their friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Not in a pushy, in-your-face kind of way, but rather in the same honest, even casual way we’d share other things that are important to us, whether it’s our support for our favorite sports team or political candidate or our views on some current issue. And if you agree with assessment at all, then I’d invite you to take the following question seriously: if our people don’t have the chance to practice sharing their faith in the relatively safe confines in church, what in the world makes us think they will try to do that in the more ambivalent environments outside of church?

Which is why I think this week’s story provides a perfect opportunity at least to raise these issues in our congregations and perhaps – just perhaps – even to do something about them. Notice that John the Baptist, at least in the Fourth Gospel, doesn’t actually baptize Jesus but rather only witnesses to him. This, in fact, is the chief characteristic of John. That’s why there are all those paintings of John pointing to Jesus, whether portrayed as a baby held by Elizabeth pointing to his younger cousin the infant Jesus in Mary’s lap, or in the famous Grunewald painting of John pointing to Jesus on the cross with a finger probably twice as long as normal. John points, he calls attention to, he witnesses in word and deed to Jesus.

In this particular passage, his witness has both a positive and negative aspect. Positively, John (the Evangelist) says that John (the Witness) came to testify to the light. Negatively, John makes clear that he himself is not the Messiah so that he can talk about the one who is coming after him. Again, he points, testifies, witnesses to Jesus.

This passage has been an important one over the years for preachers. It’s been a valuable reminder of our call – to point to Jesus. But this week, I wonder if we might also suggest that John the Witness isn’t just an example for preachers but also for all Christians. John, as far as I know, wasn’t ordained. 🙂 And yet in word and deed he pointed to Jesus in a way that we still remember and from which we might take both instruction and encouragement.

If you’re game, this might be a great Sunday to practice sharing our faith. But before jumping right into asking people to talk with their neighbor about why their faith is important to them, I’d invite you first to do a quick assessment about where your people are with this kind of exercise. Maybe they’re ready to have this conversation. Or maybe talking about their faith might be a stretch, but talking about their congregation would be easier. Or perhaps just why Christmas is important and what it means to them.

Or maybe they’re not ready to talk – but don’t underestimate them too quickly! – and so you’ll need to ask them simply what it would take to prepare them for this kind of conversation. What do you need to do, that is, over the next few months so that if a child, or sibling, or friend asked why they went to church, they would be able to answer. Perhaps they’ll have ideas then and there. Or maybe they can email them to you. But either way, you’ll at least have gotten the ball rolling and might be on the way to equipping your people to share their faith.

One more note: notice that John’s testimony isn’t actually all that articulate. Negative confessions rarely are. About all he can say for a while is that he is not the Messiah. He’s just not. And he’s not Elijah, or the prophet, or anyone to whom his questioners should pay particular attention. He’s just a voice crying out in the wilderness. So if your people aren’t sure just what they’re capable of, remind them that they don’t have to eloquent, just honest. They don’t need elaborate theological arguments – actually, they’re probably better off without them! – but instead need just to be willing to share with someone they care about a bit of the impact their faith or experience of congregational life or of Jesus has had on them.

I’ve already invited us into a participatory Advent, Dear Partner, waiting actively for the coming of our Lord among us through our words and deeds. So now I’m inviting us also to think about Advent as a time to practice, to practice sharing the hope we hold that comes to expression so palpably at Christmas but that enlivens our life throughout the year.

As you contemplate this, please know how grateful I am for your pointing, for your testimony, for your sharing your faith each and every week. Blessings on your proclamation.

Yours in Christ,
David