Dec 19 2021, "What then should we do?" Luke 3:7-18

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with[a] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

May glory be to God for the reading and the hearing of His Word this morning, “Thanks be to God.” You may be seated.

What then should we do?

“What then should we do?” That question is asked of St. John three times. The crowds ask it. The tax collectors ask it. The soldiers ask it. It’s a question many of us are asking these days.

How many of you have asked that question as you look at the world today? My guess is that most of us have.

How many of you have had circumstances in your personal life or relationships that left you asking that question? I suspect we all have.

We know that question all too well. It’s the question we ask when life is complicated and difficult, and the world has gone mad. So let me ask you this. What’s behind that question? What’s it really about? I think it’s more than a request for information. I don’t think people are saying, “Tell me what to do. Give me an answer.” I think that question points to and reveals our sense of powerlessness. When I hear you ask that question, when I hear myself ask that question, I hear us saying that we’ve come up against something bigger than ourselves. We’re scared and overwhelmed. Life is out of control. We feel helpless to fix the situation.

Here’s why I say that. Most of the time we know what to do. Every day we make hundreds of decisions, big ones, little ones, important one, unimportant ones, life changing ones, some with lasting consequences, and others with temporary effect. Think about all the decisions you have made from the time you got up this morning to this moment. You knew what to do. I’m not saying we always get it right but that we generally know what to do. But when our world gets turned upside down, when life feels like more than we can handle, when we feel powerless, that’s when we cry out, “What then should we do?”

If that question comes from a deep place within then our response must also come from that same deep place. Our response to that question must begin not with what is happening around us but with what is happening within us. It must begin with our sense of powerlessness. If we focus only on what is happening in the world around us our response is basically limited to fight or flight, neither of which are “fruits worthy of repentance.”

Powerlessness is the middle ground between fight and flight. We are powerless to fight the world’s situations on our terms and we are powerless to get away from them. That’s a source for much of our fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration. That same powerlessness, however, is our way forward. Our powerlessness opens us to a new and different source of empowerment. Instead of limiting possibilities our powerlessness now creates new possibilities with “the one who is more powerful.” Powerlessness does not mean we have no choices, it means we must make different choices. We may be powerless to change the world but we can choose to change ourselves. We may be powerless to escape the world but we can choose to live a different way.

Isn’t that what St. John is telling those who come to him? He doesn’t ask them to change the world but to change themselves. He doesn’t tell them to quit their jobs but to live a different life. The crowds who came to him could not eliminate poverty, but they could share what they have with the cold and hungry. The tax collectors who came to him could not overhaul the tax code, but they could be honest. The soldiers who came to him could not end the Roman occupation, but they could act with integrity and not abuse their power. In each of those situations John focuses on people and relationships. His answers are simple, concrete, practical.

What then should we do? This probably won’t come as a surprise to some of you but I can’t tell you. I cannot answer that question for you. It’s your question to ask and yours to answer. I can, however, tell you some things I’ve seen and heard.

-Give to the Food Pantry and Tornado Storm Victims. Christmas Eve offering will go to these two important causes.

-Finish the Christmas Lights Season strong by inviting a family to join us. They will find out more about our church!

-here every night from 6-9 pm thru Dec 23rd. Seen … people. People now know our church is here from Truman because it’s highly visible. Many have stopped simply to see what’s going on in this great place.

-Invite a family to one of our two Christmas Eve services.

What then shall we do?

Perhaps the question is an invitation to stop doing more and to simply start being in the presence of God so that He can answer the question for us.

When we are overwhelmed and we do not know what to do, when the world has turned upside down, and us with it, when we are left confused and bereft, then that is when many British people will pause for a simple first step… making tea.

It is not that the tea actually solves anything, but the simple act of making a decision; a choice for life and for rest, and then following through on it, helps to find our equilibrium again. Doctors do the same thing in the operating room when they pause. They may have more questions than answers, but simply continuing to do the same thing in the midst of the chaos is considered utter madness. Making tea and pausing like the doctors in the operating room may simply be seen as an opportunity to pray.

We can pause and pray when life is out of control, and by this simple process we find where we fit in an uncertain, as we give ourselves those few quiet minutes to focus on the kettle, the silence and simply being in the presence of God who can provide the answers that we seek.

The thing about brewing tea is that it takes time for the tea to come to a boil. We do not get to drink it immediately. But as we wait, we can use those moments to our advantage so that we can enjoy the fresh brewed tea when pot is finally ready. Such is the case with the coming of Jesus. We wait for a little while longer. Then, we shall enjoy the fulfillment of our anticipated Savior.

We all like answers to our questions… immediate answers.

The challenge is to enjoy life and find peace in the midst of the uncertainty.

One side note to the lights is that I have seen the smiles and joy people have evidenced as they have walked our sidewalks and marveled at the LED’s that are offered. At face value, you may say that it is all about simply enjoying the light. I believe that their is so much more at work. For instance, I know that many of all ages who have come through our display are suffering with life threatening conditions. The lights have provided then a momentary escape and peace that is found in seeing the meaning of the nativities, the sounds of the music, riding the barrel ride, moments with Santa, eating the popcorn, or simply riding through the display in their cars. It is an escape from some of the painful realities of life, yes. But I believe it is also a portal to finding Jesus, both as people identify with White Bluff Methodist and and they and we ask, “What then shall we do?”