Nativity of St. John the Baptist
Luke 1:57-67; Acts 13:13-26; Malachi 3:1-4
Today is June 24. For centuries upon centuries this date has been recognized as Midsummer. That is to say, the longest day of the year, the date after which the days begin to grow shorter until midwinter. I know we all heard that the sun crossed the equinox on Thursday, June 21 which marks the official beginning of summer, and that is true. But the longest day of this year, one minute longer than either Thursday or Friday was yesterday, June 23, the true midsummer's eve that is well known as the title of Shakespeare's play. Today, June 24, our days begin to grow shorter. At our northern latitude that means about one to two minutes of less sunlight every day from now until Christmas, only 183 shopping days away. We all know December 24 as Christmas Eve and the celebration of the birth or nativity of Jesus the Christ. But one of the great festivals of the ancient church for centuries was the midsummer celebration on June 24 known as the Nativity of John the Baptist.
Holidays were originally called holy days. The church calendar provided the days that each community embraced as a time for feasting and celebrating. There was usually included time for worship, but for the hard working peasants and servant classes any excuse for not working, even if it meant standing through a sermon, was seen as a rest from labor and daily routines. It is only in the last couple hundred years in less church centered societies like the United States and China that holidays have become nationally identified as celebrations that focus on a nation's history and self importance. Today, we shape the federal calendar and our school calendars to provide most holiday breaks based on moments in our national history. What we seek most in what we call a holiday is an excuse for a day off from work or classes. We have created days that once had national meaning like Labor Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Columbus Day and in Illinois, Pulaski Day but for the majority of people they are now simply a day off. Until the last couple centuries, in most of the western world, the church calendar provided the identity of holidays, so named of course, because they once were truly "holy days". Many parts of the world still have nationally recognized holy days of not only Christmas and Easter, but also a variety of other originally religious days such as the Ascension of Our Lord(always a Thursday) and a variety of saints days.
It is perhaps fitting that we pause at midsummer to reacquaint ourselves with a holy day that often passes unnoticed or recognized. Particularly fitting that we consider this June 24, since it marks the second most important figure in the story of Jesus' life (the first probably being his mother Mary). Most of us know John the Baptist because we hear so much about him during the four Sundays of Advent that lead up to Christmas. You may remember from the Advent texts, that John the Baptist first appears on the scene as an adult preaching out in the wilderness of Judea dressed in camel fur, eating honey and locust, and calling for the people to repent of their sins. John is identified with the Old Testament prophecies of "a voice crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord". Our first lesson this morning is one of several scriptures that are often lifted up as speaking about the one who comes before the Lord, a prophet and messenger to prepare his way. Jesus himself recognized the importance of John the Baptist speaking very highly of him. Some scholars believe that John the Baptist may have had a mentoring role to Jesus. Several of John's disciples became followers of Jesus. And after John's death, there were many who compared Jesus to John.
The Christian church succeeded in bringing the Gospel message to many different peoples in large part because it approved of feasting and celebrating God's gifts of food, fellowship and faith. The church quickly appropriated the festivals of each ethnic and cultural community it encountered often reframing a pagan festival into a holy day of observance. We know that by 354 the Christian church had absorbed the Roman winter solstice of December 25 into a celebration of God's light entering the world in the birth of the Christ. The darkest day of winter became a celebration of the promise of Christ's victory over sin. God's gift to humanity of His Son became cause for all people to share their gifts with each other. And if midwinter held such promise, it did not take long for midsummer to be given similar significance. But the midsummer feast of St. John the Baptist was more than just an excuse to party on. The day also provided an opportunity to instruct and strengthen those of faith. Our lessons provide a glimpse at the back story to John the Baptist. Of a divinely revealed promise full-filled to an elderly priest and his wife in the form of a miraculous birth. The second lesson places John the Baptist into the midst of a summary of holy history. The lesson is a portion of a sermon that Paul, on his first missionary journey preached in a synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia which is located in what we know today as west central Turkey.
Speaking to a Jewish audience, Paul traced God's activity from the time of the Exodus and the creation of the people of Israel, through their 40 years of wanderings in the wilderness before their victories over 7 nations which provided 450 years of living in the promised land. Paul proclaimed the greatness of a God who provided for the people judges to lead them. He described how the last judge and prophet Samuel anointed for them their first king, Saul, who was followed by Israel's greatest king, David. Paul then identifies how from the family line of King David God ultimately brought forth Jesus whose coming was prepared for by the preaching and teaching of John the Baptist.
It was inevitable that the early church would compare and contrast John and Jesus. The tradition was that they were cousins, or at least shared a common family/tribal heritage. Both had exceptional births. John was born of an aged, barren woman with a father who was a priest while Jesus was born to a young virgin girl betrothed but not yet married. Both births were announced in advance by intervening angels. And in each case there is a prophecy offered as to that the birth of this child means for humanity.
Our Gospel lesson finds a center in a most fascinating and yet very human moment. When John the Baptist is born, the question is asked, "What then will this child become?" It is a question that is hard to escape even today. As most of you know, two weeks ago our oldest son was married here at Holy Spirit. Every member of my immediate family from Minnesota, my parents, my brothers and sister, nephews and nieces, all 29 came down for the big event including my oldest niece who had delivered her second child just ten days earlier. If there was a theme for the weekend I would guess it was the question asked in our texts at the birth of John. "What then will this child become?"
That was the question asked by those around John's birth and echoes in the heart of every parent, not only as they stand at the side of the cradle of a new born, but at regular moments in review of each life. At one point during the wedding weekend I found myself holding my niece's new born son and I could not help but wonder, "What then will this child become?" During the wedding service I found myself looking in turn at each of my three sons standing as part of the wedding party and I wondered, "What then will this child become?" It is a question that haunts our days this time of year.
In May we confirmed the 8 th graders of this congregation and I could not help but wonder which of these will remain strong and faithful in their faith and which will be led astray. What will each of them become? Three weeks ago our bulletin listed the graduates of our congregation, the list of college bound high school grads and career directed college grads and the question was inescapable, "What then will these become?" Will they discern God's calling in their lives? Will they get lost in the wildness of life or will they hear the voice of one crying in the wilderness?
I would never presume to know what God has in store for the new born or my sons. I know that I have my hopes and dreams for them. And I truly believe that God has a calling for each of them, just as God has a calling for each of us. That is part of the message that John the Baptist brought into the world. John called the people to repentance. He challenged everyone to take an honest and serious look at themselves and what God would have them to be. He named sin for what it was, rebellion against God. But he also proclaimed the promise of salvation.
John's father blessed God because he believed not only that God had a calling for his son but that God intended for this son to be a blessing to others. That is the power of God's gifts. They are not just for our good but for the good of the whole community. A musical talent is not simply for the pleasure of the performer but for all who hear. A gift to speak, or comfort, or heal or teach or lead or fix or create, or what ever the gift may be, is given by God for the good of all creation. We are blessed to be a blessing.
For John, that ultimately meant giving his life to doing what God called him to do. A peculiar calling of preaching in the wilderness about a way home to God. John became a great exit sign pointing to a way out of the wanderings of life. He pointed the way to Jesus.
John knew that the days were growing short, God's judgment was at hand. We who have seen centuries pass since the time of John and Jesus often forget that the length of our days also grow shorter. It is a simple fact of life that each day we live brings us closer to our last day. The poets and prophets share this metaphor that gives meaning, purpose and direction to our days. The question is very real. "What then will become of us?"
This is a very serious question to be asked in the peaceful and relaxing times of midsummer. We would rather focus on vacations and recreations. But like the news in our media and off the internet, the world is a serious place. The prophet speaks the truth. And today is a holy day. John offers a simple message, "Turn around. Repent." Turn from self to God and our days will not end in darkness but with the dawn of a new day. Jesus did not bring fear but promise, hope and life. The light returned and days grew longer. For those who believed in him their days were promised as light without end. The feast days were embraced by the early church because they were part of the community of faith. The holy days were observed to provide time for the community to share together the joys and blessings of God in food, fellowship and faith. Each Sunday is a feast day for the church as we gather around God's table of grace.
Today is June 24, the feast of the nativity of St. John the Baptist. From the earliest days this feast was marked by the people going into the woods and celebrating in the midst of nature the gift of God's word to call us out of the wilderness. The tradition for the Feast Day of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is to spend time outside, maybe with a picnic, perhaps a church picnic. To rest in the promise of God's word first preached in the wilderness. A word that promises peace, holiness and a vision of true love. John pointed beyond himself in all he said and did. He knew that what was most important was what came next. Waiting for God's next blessing, next gift, next surprising moment of grace.
Today is June 24. The days are growing shorter. The good news is only 183 days until Christmas.
Amen