"This is the beginning of the Good News of Jesus: the Son of God…." The beginning starts with the story of John the Baptism who bursts on the scene to prepare the way for God's Son. In the tradition of prophets such as Isaiah, John preaches a baptism of forgiveness and repentance for all. For ALL…more radical than we know. Of course such is available to all. But for John's hearers this was a radical message. The Sadducees preached that the blood spilled in the temple sacrifices was enough to show repentance. First, those who supervised that system were above that need. Further, those who were Jews didn't really need anything more than the sacrifices they offered. John the Baptism stands in the prophetic tradition that calls all to forgiveness and repentance, saying the temple sacrifices were not enough. The heritage of being Jewish was not enough.
This is the beginning…first a word about the ending of Mark's gospel. The earliest copies of Mark's Gospel end with Mark 16:8. The English translation of that verse reads: "And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid." As abrupt as that ending is it becomes even more so when the Greek grammar is added. Then the sentence ends with the word "for." As in: "they were afraid for…" Biblical scholar Sarah Dylan likens this to the Castle of Aaaaaaaa… in Monty Python and The Quest for the Holy Grail-a trailing off rather than a proper ending. And perhaps that is proper…that the Gospel doesn't really end, but is continually beginning. Continually beginning with the promise that God's grace is available to all…and that all are called to repent.
John the Baptist bursts on the scene calling us to a new beginning. For his hearers his message was radical. For some the radical message was an affront: for others it was welcomed Good News. No longer is birth and ethnic heritage enough-even Jews needed to heed the call to repentance. No longer are some excluded by circumstance of birth-outsiders are now welcome. Today as we hear the call of John the Baptist may his call be for us both a welcome again-the Good News is available for us; and a reminder that we too are called to preach the Good News that all stand in need of repentance and that there is to be no exclusion.
This is the beginning….and this morning we are called to hear that. Many of you participated in the MORE Fund lecture last Spring and heard Dr. Kadi Billman speak on lament. Kadi tells this story about her husband:
"If you ask my husband Jim about some of the things I do that irritate him the most, one of the things he'll tell you is that he hates the way I paint a room. He begins by carefully contrasting his method with mine. He says, 'When I paint, I take the pictures off the walls, I spackle the holes and sand the rough places, I put masking tape around any wood on the windows so that the paint from trimming the windows won't slop onto the glass, and I put a drop cloth on the floor. Then and only then do I start painting.' After describing his infallible method he says of mine, 'When Kadi paints a room, she walks in with a paintbrush in one hand and a roller in the other and just starts painting!' Not long ago, when he uttered his familiar complain, he surprised me by adding these words: 'I need Kadi to give me the energy and spark to do a job that seems overwhelming when I think about how much effort it will take. I need her to get me going, and she needs me to make sure that the job is done well.'
In that way John the Baptist comes crashing into our lives. He's not a spackler or a sander, there will be no drop cloths or masking tape. He just says get going, get started…now! For us beginnings are tough. Sometimes it is because of fear-we become paralyzed by fear, so much so we are too afraid to reach out even for the help and comfort that is available to us. One of the best descriptions of that kind of fear I've found is in a novel by Ann-Marie McDonald called "Fall On Your Knees." It is a haunting story of immigrants living in Nova Scotia. Listen to this moment in a young girl's life as she is paralyzed by her fear:
"On the night when Lily and Ambrose were born, Mercedes was awakened by the same racket that woke Frances. but Mercedes stayed in bed, while Frances crept out to the attic stairs. Mercedes held onto the blankets just under her chin and said the rosary, even though she was too scared to turn and reach for the beads where they lay under her pillow. It was after this night that Mercedes started to wear a rosary on her person, because sometimes even under the pillow is too far away when it comes to a rosary."
Beginnings are tough. There are times when we become so overwhelmed by pre-paring-like Kadi's husband Jim-that we can't get started. John the Baptist's call to us today is to begin and to know that each of us hear stand in need of his message. His message is piercing, challenging and sometimes downright offensive. Who is he to tell us that we who gather today stand in need of his call? After all we're the ones who show up!
But God knows we need to hear his call and challenge. At many levels we need to hear that call. We need to struggle with what it means to be an "insider" lest we become like John's audience-assuming their place in God's kingdom was assured by circumstance of birth. We need to struggle with what it means to be a church member-knowing that simply having our names on the church rolls won't amount to much of anything. Our denomination needs to struggle with the issues of inclusivity, particularly now as we appear in the press in an unflattering light. Tomorrow a new set of ads will begin airing about the United Methodist Church. Once again we will be using the slogan, "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors." This time around it will be difficult to hear those words as we struggle with the decision of the Judicial Council to uphold the right of a pastor to exclude a gay man from church membership. Perhaps it goes without saying, but just in case, know that the exclusion of gays and lesbians from church membership would not happen here. Secondly, thank God for our council of bishops who responded:
"While pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier. With the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church we affirm: "that God's grace is available to all, and we will seek to live together in Christian community. We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons." (Para. 161g, 2004 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church)"
This year as I view hear our slogan of "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors" it will be with the reminder that we are have not yet reached perfection in that claim yet. May this decision spur us to work even harder to insure that all find a welcome here in this church.
This is the beginning…the epistle text we read from II Peter this morning asks: "What sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the day of God?" We have heard the announcement: the day is coming! We stand in need of the forgiveness offered by the grace of Jesus Christ In that need stand up and be counted. And then go to bring the Good News to the world, to proclaim this is a gift offered to all