Do The Good That Is Yours To Do
Notes
Transcript
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Most days, my commute takes me along James and State Street. As I turn from Iowa onto State, I wind to the left and see the readerboard at Applied Digital Imaging. This past month, they’ve had a statement on the board the catches my heart, makes me smile, and reminds me to do the good that is mine to do. It reads:
“Be excellent to one another. The best place to be is here.”
Our text today features John the Baptist, helping prepare people for the coming of the Christ child. His words are quite a bit more harsh than we might be comfortable with, but if we can listen, we can hear that he is actually calling all of his listeners to live faithfully to the work God calls them to.
Be excellent to one another.
Bear fruit.
Go, do what it is you must do to get this all in line.
Raise up a new generation of Abraham’s people, trusting in God’s direction, doing what good we can do.
What shall we do?
“Do the next right thing.”
Coming back from sabbatical, I’ve been thinking a lot about what my calling is now. And repeatedly I get the sense that I need to do what work is before me to do. Like, what already sits right here and now.
The people we are called to serve are here. The best place to be and to use our gifts is right where we are.
John tells each person who inquires of him to do the simple, specific tasks the pertain to them. If you have something to give, give it. If you can offer support this way, do it. If your work right now is to raise up little humans to be better people, do it.
Perhaps you’re in a phase where you’re reflecting on your life and what you have done…do this, and then write it down and record your wisdom and share it with us so we can learn from you!
We each have good we can do, here, now, today.
So what is your’s to do?
And I even want to get more specific, because what we do here together is so important in forming us into who we are in the world — what is your part to play in the Christian community you live in? We, who follow Jesus, we are meant to serve and support the in-breaking kingdom of God here and now on earth. How can you help do that? Can you care for a friend in a time of need? Can you offer a ride to someone, perhaps even simply to a place you’re already planning to go to. Can you share from all you have built in your life with the ones here among us who don’t have what we need?
Can you bring your insights to how we administrate ourselves, guiding our processes so we get stronger as a community and work more efficiently? Can you bring your talents of music and art, bringing beauty and light to those around you?
This is the good we are to do.
I know we also want to see large scale change happen in the world, in so many things. Corruption, division, racism, climate change, war. We want to see the injustices righted and all creation restored. We want the big stuff.
I’m gonna say something that’s perhaps uncomfortable — you and me, we’re really not likely to change these wicked problems. Sorry. Even every ounce of energy and money and time we put in — it’s probably not enough to be much more than a drop in the collective bucket.
But you know what really does bring change and plant hope and strengthen this world: us, each of us, doing the good thing we are to do.
We all know that large scale change only truly happens through countless small actions, accumulating and amassing into a tidal way of joy as things actually do change.
That’s right. Joy.
I feel like I talk a lot about hope, but today, there is something distinct and clear we need to say about joy.
Joy is the experience of God’s goodness, realized.
Joy is about the goodness of the moment when everything glimmers with the reality of God’s loving presence.
Joy is celebration for all the work that hope has done.
Joy is faith made flesh.
We also often talk about the darkness of the world that Jesus is born into, the whole sense that “God with us” is really about God coming alongside our suffering and hurting. And it is….
But also, the birth of the Christ child, the Emmanuel, God with us that we honor in this season — this is a story of JOY. Good news of great joy for all people.
This is a story for celebration. This is why we can celebrate even when life is so incredibly hard. This is foolish, unhindered joy in the face of power and oppression. This is wild joy.
Wild Joy — it’s clear we need to rethink John the Baptist’s words — are they joyful? Well, maybe not on the surface, but what he’s on about certainly is — the Promised One is coming! Get ready, do the work, prepare — for Joy is coming!
I like taking walks through Whatcom Falls Park, especially in these weeks before the Solstice. The days are darkening, the trees more and more bare.
As I walked there this week, I found myself thinking about each next step we take as we walk or hike. One foot in front of the other. And as we do this very normal act, especially in a park setting, the terrain changes. Through the park, I walked on gravel, railroad ties, mud, puddles, and pavement. Sometimes uphill, sometimes on narrow trail, sometimes over a bridge.
Our work to do is to take the next step, whatever the terrain. And to get better at noticing the changes in terrain and adapting, moving more and more confidently.
I’m sure you see where this is going.
What’s our good work to do here, at St. James? In Bellingham? In our families?
I want to be clear about what’s being asked. It’s not “what’s the big thing you do?” It’s not even “what’s the purpose of my life?” It’s even “less” than that.
Hear it again.
What is the good for us to do?
What is right in front of us, hoping to be seen?
I’m gonna give you a couple of examples to help make this clear.
First. This last year, we heard from our neighbor that her husband is experiencing the onset of dementia. She told us about the care they are getting and how their family is working through this.
So, what’s the good for us to do here? Should we get all involved and up in their business and offer help and food and whatever? Probably not, they don’t need us being busybodies. I mean, sure, if there’s a clear need we can help address. But what’s the good I know I can do? Well, for me, since learning about my neighbor, I make an extra effort to say hi when he’s out for a walk AND to keep my eye on where he goes if he heads out alone for a walk.
This isn’t magic. But it is an instruction we have from Jesus about the good life — love your neighbor and look after those in need.
Ok. That’s kind of a home life one.
How about a church one. And before I share this, I don’t want to hear about how I shouldn’t have to do this or that thing because I’m the pastor. I don’t want pity and of course, we can always use more hands to get things done around here. So there. ;)
But what’s the good for me to do? Well, obviously it’s being a pastor and writing my sermons and checking in on people and supporting our elders and deacons and staff. Sure. Yes.
But one good thing I do around here is…I like to putter and “straighten” things. What do I mean? I like to wander the building and just observe — did we put things in the right bins for recycling…is there a puff ball on carpet…oh, hey, that light bulb’s out. Oh, the little arrow on the liturgical calendar needs to be moved ahead a couple weeks. Oh, I haven’t seen so and so in a while, maybe I’ll just send them a quick text.
Ministry happens in the quotidian, the simple and mundane. Loving and equipping the people of God, as a pastor, looks like prayers by the bedside and trips to the grocery store for pet food. It’s all of that stuff. That kind of stuff, for me, is the good I am called to do.
So again, what is the good that is yours to do?
[What if we gave time for people to write out a couple of “good things” they are able to do….maybe something for their home, their community, and the church? Could be interesting to have people record this and think on it, but also to share with others.]
“I know I can do this…”
Awesome, let’s equip you to do this.
In our text today, John calls them to do their good work…but he also makes something else very clear: the time is now.
The ax is at the stump, the tree is coming down. There are big changes going on. The game is afoot.
When are we to do the good work that is ours to do?
Now.
Not tomorrow. Not when we’ve gotten a little better at it. Not when we’re asked. Now.
And obviously — be wise about what it is you can do and must do and are able to do. Or should maybe not do, because it’s actually not good or not helpful, to you or others.
But our call is to do the good work now. To use what we have now. To, in a sense, sell the farm…and keep selling the farm, over and over again in ways that do the good we can do.
What kind of people can do this, truly live into this way of being?
A people who are filled with Joy!
I know it, I know it deep inside me — the only way to do what I know I can do and must do and the world needs — it has to come from a place rooted in great joy! I’ve gotta dig in and find that joy, oftentimes. It gets pretty covered up by stuff, buried under the dirty clothes and books and stuff of live. But when we live from the place of JOY — when we unearth it and fill up — this is where we can do the good we are meant to do.
Author and Presbyterian Minister, Frederick Buechner, wrote that our calling, our purpose in God’s kingdom, is to find the place where the world’s great need and our great joy meet. He says, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
Here and now, my friends.
Remember our benediction: May you go out in joy…
I’ll close here. One of the clearest good things we can do, here, together, is to help encourage one another to find that joy. We can champion one another, teach one another, mentor and guide and cheer on one another. These things all come from joy, too, by the way.
We can go out in joy when we know we have good, good things to do, things the world needs, that only we are able to do.
Amen
