Mark 1:1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'"
4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
"Starting Over"
The Children of Israel needed a new beginning. They had squandered the promises and blessings of God. They had walked away from their mission, to be a "light to the nations" and instead had pursued wealth and status at the expense of justice, especially for the poor. As a result of their national, collective sin, they had been exiled. Though the exile was long over, still they did not enjoy the return of their status with their return to the land. There was no descendant of David ruling in Jerusalem, only a pretender named Herod. The Romans were the real masters anyway. The children of Israel needed to start over.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/64539625/cottage-chic-plaque-for-baby?ref=sr_gallery_33&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=castteam+baptism&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_spelling_accepted=castteam+babtism&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade
http://www.etsy.com/listing/64539625/cottage-chic-plaque-for-baby?ref=sr_gallery_33&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=castteam+baptism&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_spelling_accepted=castteam+babtism&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade
John appeared in the wilderness like the winds of change. He was not sitting in the Temple in Jerusalem, profiting from the personal piety of the people. He was down by the Jordan River, not far from the place where the people of Israel first crossed into the Promised Land. He was calling for all of the people to be "baptized." This was a strange request, for baptism was, in those days, a ritual cleansing for someone who was not Jewish to be brought into the faith. Yet John was calling for the Nation of Judea to submit to this ritual washing. It was as though John was saying, "We ALL need to start over. We ALL need to submit once again to God's cleansing, as in the days when our forefathers wandered in the desert. In short, we need to start over. God is going to do something new with us, and that something is coming soon!"
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82231313/nativity-set-manger-set-baby-jesus-mary?ref=sr_d27dcb4a81519cb8e893f62c6dc3fb058434b12b4b1ebf1e4b96175fb9ab6586_1323720396_14162941_jesus
It seems as though the people understood. They flocked to the river. They were all baptized by John. They wanted things to change. The problem is that at the same time, they had no idea that this change would not come according to their expectations. God was working again, and starting over, but God wasn't going to work the same plan, the same way as before. So while the people were ready, even eager, for change. They were not prepared for what God was going to do. They were not prepared to meet Jesus. God was starting over. But the conversation between God and people was going to be different this time. This time, it was going to be in person, Jesus.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/80586188/scripture-art-christian-art-create-in-me?ref=sr_gallery_28&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=castteam+christmas+bible+verse&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade
http://www.etsy.com/listing/80586188/scripture-art-christian-art-create-in-me?ref=sr_gallery_28&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=castteam+christmas+bible+verse&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade
Advent is a time for starting over. We proclaim that it is the start of a new year, and so it is. It is not the exclusive time for new beginnings, but rather it is a time when we remind ourselves that our God is a God of new beginnings. Our God starts over with us, patiently and graciously, every time we run away. Baptism is for me is not a one-time event. I consider my Baptism a signal of the daily struggle to start over.
The trouble is that often we do not understand that starting over means that the story will change. We cannot continue to be and to do what we have been doing. The conversation that God has with us is about to take a different direction. Perhaps this is why we must start over daily. We never quite get it right. We are not unlike the Children of Israel, gathered at the Jordan, wanting change, but wanting it at no cost.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/36724707/new-beginnings-original-folk-art?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=castteam+new+beginnings&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade
http://www.etsy.com/listing/36724707/new-beginnings-original-folk-art?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=castteam+new+beginnings&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade
New beginnings are not free. We must turn loose of the old in order to be grasped by the new. We must face our past with courage and honesty in order to live in a new and different future. The good news is that it is indeed with the presence of God's Holy Spirit that all of this now happens. God continues to meet us face to face. God is not content to call to us from afar. The flood that washes us continues to flow in and through our lives. We find that this pattern of new starts becomes a daily feature of our relationship with God and, as a result, our relationship with one another.
We remember this in Advent because it is the season that comes before our annual celebration of God's coming into our world and our lives. But God does not reserve his incarnation to one day or one season, nor does God limit our new starts to the four weeks of Advent. God comes to us daily. God renews us daily. We seek God out, not in order to get forgiven, but because our experience of the God who loved us so deeply as to experience both birth and death, is also the experience of the God of resurrection and life. God also has experienced our new beginnings, and has promised that we likewise will start anew. So, God comes again, and again, and again...
Until next Monday, spread the word...
Monika of Myeuropeantouch
6:05 PM |
Category: |
14
comments
Comments (14)
Beautiful post Monika!
This year flew by for me! I am looking forward to welcoming the new year though. Our pastor is preaching a message called, "No fear in the New Year."
Such a great message, thanks so much for sharing this. ^_^
Hugs,
Elfie
Wow, what a wonderful message!! Thank you for sharing that...something to really ponder as the new year approaches.
Merry Christmas
Dana
Beautiful Monika! Praise God for allowing us to start over each and every day!!
"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23
Wonderful time to think about starting anew as we consider the birth of our Savior.
We all need this reminder. Thank you, Monika!
Such a merciful God.....always giving us another chance..
Thank you, Monika, for reminding us of that.........
How wonderful that we can start anew with our Lord!
♥♥♥
Sue
Thank you Monika for a lovely, timely, post.
We are so blessed by this message.
Fabulous, I am in awe always, but especially this time of year, of God's amazing mercy and grace. Thanks for the reminder that we can start new with Him at any time.
thanks Monika! perfect timing for me as I am about to "start over" by myself.
You are all very welcome....♥
Thank you Monika for that message about new beginnings!