Preparation

Hear these words from Isaiah 40:1-5:

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Many years ago, I was standing in the hallway of the building where I worked - this was way before the Foundation; I was working in medical research at the time. I was standing in the hallway talking to a couple of co-workers. I don't know how we ventured into the topic of church, but one of the women I was speaking with said she had grown up as a Presbyterian, but that she didn't go to church anymore. Her reason for not going to church was that she needed to be "better" before she went back. Church was only for "good" people, and she needed to get back to being "good" before she went back to church.

I don't remember what I said to her; I hope it was something that helped her to see that church wasn't for the "good" people - it was for all people. I don't imagine anything I said convinced her to go back because she didn't. We were only co-workers - not close friends, so I don't know if there was anything I could have said to her that would have changed her mind, but I still regret my lack of helpful response.

In the passage from Isaiah, we hear a call to prepare the way for the Lord. To make a straight path for God to return. I wonder if this means helping people to remove the obstacles that stand between them (or us) and God. How do we do that? How could I have done that for my co-worker?

In Mark 1, we hear about John the Baptist, who had figured out how to clear the path for God. Verses 1-5:

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 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.

It might be helpful to look at John and to see how he approached being a messenger. Three things strike me in this passage and in the verses beyond it:

1. John didn't live by societal norms. He dressed in camel's hair and ate locusts; maybe that was regular sportwear at the time, but I doubt it. It's OK to be different than everyone else.
2. John appeared in the wilderness - and this is where the people who needed what he had to offer came to find him. I don't know why the wilderness is important in this passage, but it seems it is important to be where the people are or where they will come to find you.
3. John said, "The one who is more powerful that I is coming after me: I am not worthy to stoop down and until the thong of his sandals." John realized he was not God; we need to realize that, too, and to approach our ministry with humility.

We are not God, but we are God's messengers, and I pray we are able to clear the path for others to reach God and for God to reach those in need.  

Preparation

Today during lunch I left the hotel and started walking down King Street. It's a street which runs from the Masonic Monument to the waterfront. It is tree-lined, with wide brick sidewalks, shops, many banks and several restaurants. I had traveled down King Street the day before during lunch, turned around and on the way back, met someone from the conference I'm attending. We had lunch at a small French Restaurant -- quiche au crabbe (crab?). Yummy.

Anyway, she told me that the waterfront was a nice place to visit and that it was just a couple of blocks beyond the main street that we could see crossing King Street.

OK, then. Today I set off at lunch to walk to the waterfront. Ann (the lady I had lunch with) was wrong. It was not a couple of blocks beyond where I walked the day before. It felt like miles and miles. Altogether, I think it is about 17 blocks from the hotel. The farther I walked, the more determined I was to get to my destination, however, so I kept on walking.

Remember, I am in business clothes, including business shoes. My feet, even as I type this, are very unhappy with me.

I did make it to the waterfront (see the picture above as proof) and was lucky enough to find the free shuttle which travels up and down King Street (should have taken it TO the waterfront, too). Except for the sore feet, it was worth the walk. It's a beautiful street, and I would love to have the time to explore the shops.

I could have prepared better. I could have taken the time to put on comfortable shoes, to look up the distance from the hotel, or to have found the shuttle on the way down.

One of the lectionary readings for this week is Matthew 25:1-13. It is the parable of the 10 bridesmaids, some of whom take oil with them for the long night ahead, and some of whom don't. They all could have been prepared; only half of them were.

Even though there are ways in which I feel unprepared for my new job, there are also ways, as I look back, that I am amazed by how God has prepared me (in some ways -- not in all ways!). For example, about a year ago or more, I decided that I needed to be able to stand up in front of a crowd, and to pray without preparation (see this post). That was a challenge for me. I decided that if God was calling me to do certain things in ministry -- like being lay leader -- then if I let him, he would equip me for this, too. So I let go of the worry, and just did it. Now I don't worry about it any more; I just pray. And it's joy.

Little did I know how much I would need this skill -- beyond being lay leader. God has prepared me, in this way, for this task. It just took trust.

Easy to say. Not so easy to believe. Even harder to act upon.