sermon-Dec. 16, 2007

Sermon-Year A- 3Advent Dec. 16, 2007
The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."
You all do realize that winter begins in 6 days? Scary isn’t it?
Have you seen these commercials on tv. Somebody does something to help someone. Another person sees them doing it. And then you see the bystander do something to help someone. And someone watches them. And you usually see about 8 different interactions from picking up a child’s doll, to pushing someone out of the way of a car. And at the end of the ad the woman’s voice says:
When its people doing the right thing, they call it being responsible. When it’s a company, they call it Liberty Mutual.
Here’s the thing, almost every time it’s a bystander watching that is affected-not the person that is helped. Someone is watching, and sees the “good deed” and the connection we’re supposed to make is this, people see goodness, and try to imitate it.
John the Baptist is in prison. He will be beheaded. He sends his disciples out to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"
John had tried to get the people of Israel ready for the messiah, and he wonders-is this him? John thought the Messiah would be more like-John. Harsh, judgemental, Spartan, severe. And he doesn’t understand. He had been getting people prepared a Savior. Is this how the Savior looks? John had been getting people ready for Jesus-even though he didn’t know what Jesus would be like.
A few weeks ago I flipped on the tube one Saturday afternoon and they were showing the Ford Ironman Triatholon. This is a race where people have to swim 2.4 miles then bike 112 mi. •then run 26.2 mi.. It’s grueling. And they kept giving the stories of different people in the race. Of course anyone who finished was considered a winner. But they showed this one woman, ending the race by laying down and rolling across the finish line. It was pretty weird. Until they showed the race from 2 years ago. In 2005 a young man, Jon Blazeman had just been diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and he said, “even if I have to have someone roll me across the finish line, I will finish the race.” Then they showed the finish line in 2006, and a guy, Brian Breen is finishing the race, he stops just a few feet before the end, and rolls across the line. There to greet him-in a wheelchair now and barely able to talk, was Jon Blazeman. Brian had watched the race on tv the year before and decided that he would be Jon’s legs. This year when they had the race, a woman, Karen O'Riordan, rolled across the finish line. And there to greet her was Jon’s family-because Jon had died a few months before. One guy doing something extraordinary. Another person watching them do it. The world had been prepared for Jesus by John the Baptist, his cousin. Jesus saw the way people responded. Do you think Jesus thought about John, his cousin? Do you think he was scared off because John was put in prison? Jesus saw John preparing the world, and he came forward preaching and teaching and healing. He was changing everything. And he had watched his cousin get things ready.
A few years back, the teens started ringing the bells for the Salvation Army. They spend a whole day now, every year outside ringing bells, and it’s always COLD, and yet they and their adults, try to raise money for those who are in need. A few years ago, I thought, I can do that, and so every year in December I sign up to ring the bells. They showed me something. They taught me. I saw them doing this good thing, and I was inspired.
John prepared the way for Jesus. Jesus prepared the way for us. We prepare the way for others. People are watching. People see what others do, and when the action is noble enough, or powerful enough, or inspiring enough-they will do it, too.
John’s disciples asked, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" And Jesus answered, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.”
People were watching Jon Blazeman roll across the line. People were watching our teens ring bells. People were watching Jesus change the world. People are watching us. We are called to prepare the world for Jesus, just like John the Baptist, getting folks ready. What are they seeing when they watch us?
Matthew 11:2-11
11:2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples
11:3 and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"
11:4 Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:
11:5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.
11:6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."
11:7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?
11:8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces.
11:9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
11:10 This is the one about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
11:11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Back in 2005, a young (33 yrs old) committed was diagnosed with ALS. His name was Jon "committed" Blaws. Jon had always been a determined individual, and once diagnosed, he was more determined than ever. 5 months after his diagnosis, he became the first and only ALS patient to ever complete the Blaws, Coni which consisted of a 2 mile swim, 112 miles of biking and 26 miles of running. It was Jon's determination that helped him finish the race, and give a face and a name to ALS, the disease that was surely taking his life...So Others May Live. Jon rolled across the finish line to send a message to everyone watching, and people started to notice.In 2006, Jon returned to Kona, wheelchair bound to watch another athlete, Brian Breen, run the race on behalf of Jon and ALS patients everywhere. After watching the NBC coverage of the 2005 Ironman, and seeing Jon's story, Brian became inspired to do something to make a difference. He contacted Jon and told him of his plan, to be Jon's legs in the 2006 Ironman, because he understood Jon would not be able to run again. The War on ALS was on, Jon had rallied the troops, this time with Brian sending the message. Jon was there to meet Brian as he crossed the finish line with his "Blazeman Roll." Again the story was covered by NBC news and gained more attention from the public at large.Since 2006, the Blazeman Foundation for ALS has been committed to rallying the multi-sport (aka: triathlete) community to raise funds to increase AWARENESS and find a cure for ALS. It always frustrated Jon that more people didn't understand the extent and cruelty of this "bulldozer" disease. Thus it is our first priority to build the awareness and educate the public on ALS. The Blazeman lost his personal battle in 2007, but the war rages on. At this year's Ironman, Kona, the president of the Blazeman Foundation for ALS, Karen O'Riordan, rolled across the finish line in memory of the Blazeman and for ALS patients everywhere. Karen lost her grandmother and mother to the disease and has a 50% chance of getting the disease herself. She, like so many of us, was inspired by Jon to do more to make the public aware of ALS.