Sunday Worship
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the First Sunday of Advent. Our Church Services today are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'.
If you're unable to be with us in person, you will find resources for worship at home below.
Our first hymn his morning is "On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry"
Today's Gospel
Mark 1: 1-8 John the Baptist Prepares the Way
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
John the baptiser 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. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 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. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Reflection
I wonder what thoughts are conjured up in your mind when you think of the wilderness.
Is it perhaps some endless desert with no vegetation or water, nothing but endless sand and scorching heat. Or maybe a huge barren landscape, dotted here and there with trees and rough grass but barely anything else.
The Hebrew word for wilderness is ‘midbawr’ which is derived from the root word ‘DBR’ and interpreted by Jews as a verb ‘to speak’. Many scholars believe that the word is also often used in the old testament to describe the action of pushing something out or driving something away and is generally associated with shepherds driving their flocks away into pasture land far away from the towns. Another translation of the word is to describe as meaning places of pasturage with no houses or trees but only wide, open space. Therefore, in ancient biblical terms, whilst the wilderness was almost certainly an unhospitable and desolate environment, perhaps even hostile, it was not a desert.
The wilderness is prominent throughout ancient scripture, not least when the slaves encountered their God after Moses led them out of Egypt. Where God fed them with manna from heaven and handed down the ten commandments.
They would also associate it with the time the Israelites were exiled following the conquering of Judea by the Babylonians, 600 years before Jesus was born.
There are also totally different types of wilderness. Maybe a place where people find themselves at a time of struggle or depression. Or a place where we might associate with isolation, where people feel alone with no idea of who to turn to or where to turn to. For example after the death of loved one.
Indeed, there are times when we might also feel we are in a spiritual wilderness. Where our personal faith is tested and we feel a sense of inner desolation. For instance, when we might look around the world and see the many wars where tens of thousands of innocent people are being killed, or the devastating impact of climate change that causes death and devastation for so many. Times when we might ask the question, ‘Where is God in all of this?’
I think whatever type of wilderness we may look at, it is reasonable to conclude that it is far from a favourable or good place to be.
So why, then, would John the Baptist choose to live there on a diet of locust and honey? Moreover, why would he choose such a place to preach his ministry of repentance and forgiveness? What sort of place is this to baptise folk?
Mark‘s Gospel and quotation of Isiah reminds us of the times the Israelites were previously exiled in the wilderness. On each occasion they were encouraged to believe that their God would bring them out safely. In the first instance, to the promised land, and in the second instance, back to their home in Jerusalem. Even when they were at their lowest point and there were many who questioned God’s promise, they were encouraged not to turn their back on God.
Mark tells us how John gave the people a message of hope. Despite all the centuries of persecution and turmoil, he was saying God has heard your cries and seen your pain. Much the same as the message that was given to Moses. And John was preaching and inviting them to a new way of life though repentance, and he was paving the way for Jesus. So the people came to the unhospitable desert, not in their dozens, but in their thousands.
That same message is there for us too, especially when we are at our lowest. When things feel as bad as they can get and we are in our own wilderness, whatever that may look like for us or how long we have been there.
Mark is showing us that it is when we are in the desert, we are most likely to hear God speaking to us. To hear Him telling us that He is the dependable one who we can always rely on. In the most desolate of times and places, God calls to us to tell us that He is coming to transform us. John the Baptist is not only straightening the path for Jesus, he is also straightening our path that we may be able to walk with Him through repentance and forgiveness and trust in the Lord. Paul
Our Prayers
