Weekly Liturgy : December 1-7
- Jess
- Dec 1
- 4 min read
Matthew 3:1-12
NIV
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 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.
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
REFLECTION
from Jess
John the Baptist was a weird guy. He was highly principled, religious and bold. He lived just beyond the norms of society. He dressed weird and spoke hard words, but people were drawn to him. They went out to him past society’s fringe to hear him and know what to do. He called them to repentance, which meant humility in recognizing the things they did that hurt God and their community. John baptized them as a symbol of cleansing their sins and being alive in God.
John was preparing the people for the Messiah, Jesus, coming and fulfilling the many prophecies written about him in their holy book. Yet, the religious who went out to him were called snakes. Those who were supposed to be living by God’s rules and the words of the holy books were getting it all wrong. They had pride and looked down on others. They were self-righteous and judgmental, putting burdens on the people. Jesus was coming for those who needed freedom, those who wanted to be made right, those who took humble account of who they really were.
John the Baptist guided people to the one who would show the way to live in freedom and in transforming relationship with God. He did not care what people thought about him or being accepted. John the Baptist reminds me of those who live outside. The unsheltered live outside the societal norms and it often gives them perspective to the important things that really matter to survive. What if we went out to them to hear the “voice of one calling in the wilderness”? Are we willing to be like John and go out from the societal norms to receive guidance and freedom?
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Do you struggle with pride and admitting you may not be right? Do you try to check off all the boxes of doing things the “right” way? Choose a day to be aware of when pride or superiority pops up and see if there are any patterns. It may make you aware of certain areas of your life that triggers such a response.
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
What is we went outside our normal sphere of influence to listen, really listen, to others not like us? Considering approaching a stranger this week and ask what gives them hope? Take time to process their response and how it can speak into your own life.
Pathways toward Centeredness
Asceticism (abstaining from comforts to make space for God ):
Consider turning off all your devices and taking a walk outside. Be aware of your thoughts and feelings. Try and connect to what’s really going on inside of your head and heart. Ask, What makes me fell joy in my life? What has been hard lately? What gives me hope? Is God saying anything to me?
Questions for Reflection
Whose vision for the world challenges you own? What wisdom might exist in their perspective that could bring beauty into your own view?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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