Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ
 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. (Mark 1: 4-5)
I can think of any number of people in the Bible that I would enjoy meeting and talking with God about, especially if I was conversant in ancient Greek or Hebrew. John the Baptist wouldn't be at the top of that list. In the words of Monty Python's knight "What a strange person!"
Jesus' cousin was bold, eccentric, prophetic, and probably not easy on one's eyes, ears, or conscience. Some biblical scholars view John the Baptist as the last of the Old Testament prophets and the first of the New Testament saints. He is God's chosen spokesperson to proclaim the long awaited arrival of the Messiah. He boldly declares the need for those who will encounter the Living Word of God to ensure that their hearts and behaviors are in the proper place so that they can receive Jesus Christ as fully as possible.
Harold Attridge describes John the Baptist's role more eloquently that I can. Attridge writes: John is a prophet who was proclaiming a message of judgment and issuing a call for repentance to his contemporaries, in the light of what he predicted to be the imminent intervention into human history by God to judge the good and the evil." (Attridge, John the Baptist, 1998, para. #7)
John's proclamation of repentance during our Advent season beckons us to righteously prepare for The One who comes into the world to redeem us from our faults, failures, and lack of forgiveness. John announces Jesus' approaching Gospel of Good News. What will our preparatory responses be? Will we set aside wounds and worries in order to become more whole?
John the Baptist announces Jesus' approaching Gospel of Good News.  What good news are we yearning to hear and to share with the world? Is there something that we need to set aside between now and Christmas Day. There's a voice in the wilderness calling....let's take the risk and respond to John the Baptist's urging.
Blessings Along The Way,
Jim+
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Saturday - 10:30 - Kay Thomas' Celebration of Life and Burial Eucharist 
