Work Time: 11:30 12:00 Post Office to Mail Annual Meeting Report Letters s1

DECEMBER 17, 2017 THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR B JOHN 1:6-8, 19-28 ST. AUGUSTINE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, MORROW, GEORGIA THE REV. BARRY GRIFFIN, RECTOR

“THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHO WE ARE”

It seems like just yesterday, but I graduated from high school a long time ago. It seems like yesterday, but it wasn’t. In fact, I am a graduate of the class of 19 – [the preacher coughs and clears his throat]. Can you believe it? So long ago. Amazing. Yes, it was a long time ago. But I can still remember several of our high school cheers. Did your school have this one? “Lean to the left. Lean to the right. Stand up. Sit down. Fight, fight, fight!” And each time it was repeated, it went faster and faster. That was fun. Football season was different. In football season we would yell: “Knock ‘em. Up. ‘Side the head! Knock ‘em up ‘side the head.” (Looking back, I’m not proud of that one.) Our marching band had its own special cheer. Whenever our team was losing (which was most of the time, unfortunately), band members would offer a little comic relief from their seats in the stands. They’d shout: “We’re not tough. We’re not bad. We’re not mean. [sung] We’re in the band…” But my favorite cheer went like this: “We are the Pirates, the mighty, mighty Pirates. And everywhere we go, the people wanna know: who we are. Who we are…” People want to know who we are, don’t they? Everywhere we go, people want to know who we are and where we come from. And what we do for a living. And are we married, partnered, single, divorced or widowed. Are we Republicans, Democrats or Independents? The list goes on and on. I guess this need to pigeonhole others is a human need. I guess it’s how we determine whether or not another person is safe to be around. Is that person like me or not like me? And how much difference can I tolerate? This need to pigeonhole others is nothing new. Consider today’s gospel. Priests and Levites from Jerusalem went to see John the Baptist, and they questioned him again and again and again. They just wouldn’t let up. “Who are you?” they asked. “I am not the Messiah,” John replied. “What then? Are you Elijah?” John said “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered “No.” “Well who are you? Give us an answer for heaven’s sake.” John replies, but he doesn’t give them much of an answer. Instead of telling them who he is, he tells them what he does. He quotes Old Testament Scriptures: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’” Those priests and Levites were frustrated, to say the least. But then, John the Baptist frustrated a lot of people. He stirred up things everywhere he went. A question: Are you content? Most Episcopalians are. According to one survey, Episcopalians are the most spiritually content people you’ll ever meet. If you think this is a good thing, I invite you to think again. In my opinion, contentment is not a sign of spiritual health. Contentment is a sign of spiritual complacency. If you’re satisfied with where you are in your spiritual life, you will never move ahead. Albert Einstein understood this principle. Einstein said: “Nothing happens until something moves.” Until something moves, nothing happens. The Rev. Scott Gunn reminds us that “contentment is not bad in itself, but when it becomes complacency, it’s deadly.” He added: “May we all be stirred up to grow in grace and knowledge.” May we all be stirred up to grow… Did you notice this morning’s Collect? It’s a good one. At the beginning of our worship we prayed, “Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us…” Lord, stir up your power. Come among us, and do it with great might. Shatter our complacency. Make it history. Get us moving. Because nothing happens until something moves. God is always ready to act. Again and again, the scriptures show that God gets involved. God moves among us. This is especially true whenever God’s people are ready to get up and get going. Yes, we respond to God’s initiative. But God responds to our initiative, too. I’ve seen it again and again. Have you? Every Sunday we say the Sanctus: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Power and Might.” Today we’re asking God to stir up God’s power and come among us with great might. Do we mean that? What might that look like? How could God’s power and might be stirred up at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Morrow, Georgia? Only God knows. And dear friends, we will never find out until we invite God to take over: to take over our lives; to take over this parish with power and great might. Are you content? Most Episcopalians are. If you think this is a good thing, I invite you to think again. Complacency is deadly. Here’s the Good News. God is always ready to act. God seeks to move among us with power and great might. John the Baptist stirred things up. Some loved him for that, some hated him, but he got things moving. How do you feel about that? Are you ready to be stirred up, or are you happy (thank you very much) in your complacency? Pray with me. Stir up your power, O Lord, and come among us. Do it now, and do it with great might. Shatter our complacency. Get us moving. Because Mister Einstein was right: nothing happens until something moves.

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