You brood of vipers!!!!!!

{7} 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? {8} 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. {9} 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."   Luke 3.7-9 Today's blog is from Bishop John Macholz.......... John the Baptist has always been something of an anathema to me, but one thing he isn't is subtle in his use of language. There is nothing mysterious about what he is saying. Even the crowds following him clearly hear what he's talking about as they ask what it is they can do about what he says with their lives and repentance.  In a very simplistic way John's call is a call that invites us to change what we are doing and head in a new direction. We can repent all we want and admit our sins and shortcomings and be very, very clear regarding where we've missed the mark but....unless we make some changes we've, well, missed the mark! That's what repentance is all about, isn't it? Repentance is not delegated to a specific group or collective of people, it's for everyone. Note John's response to the 'what shall we do' question. He covers, it would seem, the occupation of all those present; the crowd, soldiers and even tax collectors! This includes you and me, it would seem, wouldn't it? And, as he calls us to repent and turn toward those things that are holy and good and just, he suggests what this is really about is generosity with others and satisfaction with what we've been given. Two coats? Give one away? Collecting money? Don't take more than is legal. Be satisfied with your wages. In a very real sense isn't John calling us to a simpler life that is filled with less and less in order to create more space for God within? More God, less me? More God, less worry. More God, less chance to claim that title myself? Advent is a time for waiting, for wondering and for wandering through the wilderness. It offers times and days for us to stop and rethink our priorities, our hopes and dreams. It brings opportunities to focus on what is truly needed in our lives and world, namely the One who will come again to bring peace and hope and light. In the meantime, we've got that job and it is especially crucial during these days of hateful speech, labeling of entire groups of people and rejection of all because of few. This Jesus reached out to those rejected by society and claimed them as his own. Can we do any less? It is time to put an end to marginalizing, separating and rejecting out of hand those who are not like us. Our calling is to unite, not divide. To reach out, not to push aside. To speak with love and hope not hate. To lift up the lowly and bring light into the darkness of this world. It is time, people of God, to get busy!

John the Baptist .....who is this guy?

We welcome Bishop John Macholz today as he reflects on John the Baptist and his appearance in Luke's story.  Luke 3.1-6 John has always been an odd ball character to me. If one reads through the first chapter of Luke and the song of Zechariah which brings it to a close, one discovers that after Zech is done singing, John disappears into the wilderness and  "he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel." Was he alone? What was he doing? Did he have any physical contact with anyone? How many years did he spend there? All questions without answers.  But then he arrives on the scene, in the same wilderness, and begins to proclaim a baptism of repentance; a turning away from sin and turning toward God. We'll hear more from him next week and his language will become a bit, well, abrasive and more personally focused. And therein lies my concern, he seems to be speaking directly to me. In fact, he seems to know me a bit too well! Maybe he doesn't know my sins specifically, but it's pretty clear that he knows I'm a sinner and in that, I am convicted.  When I was growing up, Advent was purple in color and penitential in nature. Sometime, long ago, it seems, it shifted in color and somewhat in nature but not completely; there is still that call to repentance that reminds me who I am and what I have done as John calls me back to the recognition that I am, plain and simple, a sinner in need of changing. And then I realize I cannot do that alone, by myself, left to my own devices.  Which is when the hope and promise of the season arise and arrive as I realize that I can't do it on my own but, the Dawn from on High that breaks upon us can! John is preparing a way for the Coming One by preparing our hearts to recognize that we are desperately in need of this One promised long, long ago. And in that moment of recognition, forgiveness, mercy and hope flood into the darkness of life and bring with it the brightness of a new light and the hope we so desperately need.  John is still a bit odd in my mind but then again, it often takes 'odd' to get me to recognize what is right before my eyes-the need for this Savior and his love and life. Prepare the way!  Many thanks to our guest blogger Pr. John Macholz

To war or not to war

Power is like acid on metal.  It will corrupt, and do it quickly.


We can wish that everyone who is given power uses it to the benefit of all mankind. That won't make it so.

People will convince themselves that their motives are honorable and their actions necessary - no matter what it all looks like to the rest of the world.  We are convinced that at the core, in our heart, we are good, generous people......until we are not.

Human beings take care of themselves and their own self interests. We are blind to the evil that lies within each of us, waiting  to be expressed.  We say, with confidence, "I'd never do that" and then when pushed up against the wall, we go right ahead and do it.  And feel justified; feel no need for repentance, amendment of life, reparation to the victims.

Nations are the sum total of their citizens.  The US has been blessed with a history of balancing interests and relying on situations to right themselves and yet the Civil War points us to a time when our own system failed us.  We couldn't solve that one without killing hundreds of thousands of our own citizens; our social system continues to struggle to right itself and offer true equality to all.

Therefore, we do not have all the answers for all the nations because we are made up of self-interested humans just like they.

The people of Syria and Egypt are struggling mightily against the self-interests of people whose use of power can not be trusted, operating in systems that do not offer the potential for peaceful resolution.

I have no answers, only prayers.  Many will die in this struggle of darkness and light, so I pray for the leaders of all nations that they might have wisdom, courage, discernment and patience.....and a good dose of humility would help as well.

Lord have mercy.

Who is this Father?

A love like this breeds resentment.  It is a love that is simply not interested in human definitions of 'worthy.'   This love loves; take it or leave it.  Turn around and come to the Father's house and live in this love or stand out in the field with your arms crossed and your nose out of joint and refuse to participate in the party.
   
Whatever you choose, this Father's love will not fail or falter....not because of what you have or haven't done, but because that is who this Father is.      Thanks be to God.