Preparing the Way Luke 3: 1 – 6

As Kevin and I were hiking the trail to Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, I thought about all the preparation that was involved in making it possible for us and others to see the lake and peaks. 

From the early explorers who first saw these beautiful mountains and mapped routes to them to the people who saw a purpose in setting aside land as national parks for all of us to enjoy

to the surveyors who charted the particular courses the hiking trails would take

to the park rangers and the volunteers who cleared the paths and continue to maintain them—many people over many years have prepared the way for us to enjoy the beauty that is in Rocky Mountain National Park.

            In today’s scripture, John the Baptist—responding to the words of the prophet Isaiah—prepares the way for the Lord.  Oh, he doesn’t literally carve out a path through mountains;

nor does he literally hew stair steps on an uphill climb to make travel easier—smoother.  But he does prepare the paths his listeners’ hearts will tread to draw closer to God. John the Baptist invites his listeners to repent—to change their hearts and lives. As a visible sign of their repenting—reorienting their lives towards God’s desire for us, John’s listeners are baptized—hence his title, John the Baptist.

            As I read today’s text, I asked myself, in my journey of faith, who prepared the way for me?   Just like that (finger snap) I started naming names—Ella Mae W, Sara M, Vivian S, Carol K, Ralph & Waldene S and Janet & Don B.  Names, faces, voices, activities, places—memories flooded my mind as I thought about my Sunday School teachers, my Acteen leaders, and youth fellowship sponsors.  They helped me orient my life—guiding me on a journey of study of and experience with God.  They smoothed my path to God. 

            Because of memories you have shared with me, I know some of you would answer “Who prepared the way for me?” similarly.  Only you would name different names—Miss Pearl, Mrs. Bereniece B W, Bill Funk, Genia W, and Bob N.  You’ve shared that your Sunday School teachers encouraged you to visualize what the Bible stories meant—and those images, those pictures became the stained glass windows in the old chapel.  You shared the pledge that still guides your life: 

 I pledge myself to do for others such work as Jesus would do if he were here in person.  Anything, however simple, that brightens even an hour of another’s life, that relieves pain or poverty, sickness or distress, that makes the world a happier place to live in, that teaches others to know more and especially to love more.  That is my pledge. (from Miss Bereniece BW)

Preparing the way for you did not stop at adolescence, for you have told me how meaningful the adult Sunday School classes Bill F and later Bob N taught were in your journey of faith.  You’ve talked about the weekday Bible study Genia W led—inviting women from all denominations to learn together.  You and I have a shared history of orienting our lives of faith through study. 

           Who prepared the way for me?  Answering this question, my daughters would probably emphasize the 5 summers built cinder block houses for families in Mexico.  Making a difference 1 family at a time.  While we were members there—for 1 week each summer—adults and youth from Grace Presbyterian Church drove to the Rio Grande Valley. 

            

There they hand mixed and poured concrete foundations, mixed mud and laid bricks, and twisted re-bar for column supports during the day.

They ate meals

and worshiped with the Mexican families at noon,

They swam and rested in the evening, and at night, they prayed and had a devotional.

Those experiences prepared the way for Sarah and Mary to enter serving professions.

            I know some of you would also emphasize the role of mission in preparing the way for your faith journey.  When I first met her, Sarah T reminisced about Mission Sundays.  She told me that when she was a youth here, each Sunday evening in February, this congregation would come together for a meal and hear from or about a different mission this church was supporting. Surely our Thrift Shop—a relatively new endeavor at that time—was spotlighted during those Mission Sundays.   So your family and my family has a shared history of orienting our lives of faith through mission. 

            Prepare the way for the Lord.  Advent is a time when we prepare the way for the Lord in our personal lives—perhaps engaging in daily devotionals and looking for signs of God’s presence. Like John the Baptist, we are called to prepare the way for the Lord, not only for ourselves, but also for others. Might we prepare the way for the Lord relationally? Ella Mae W—my 1^st Sunday School teacher, Vivian S—Acteens leader, Ralph & Waldene S—youth group sponsors—I remember them vividly.  Not only because of the content of our studies—Jesus’ life, God’s love, the Holy Spirit’s power, but also because of the places we went and the activities we shared—eating meals with Ella Mae’s family, skiing at the Shuman’s bayou home, sleepovers at the Satchells’.  I remember them vividly because the relationships we formed guided my faith journey. 

            Nancy, Andrew, Audrey, Addie, Ty, Mark, Sarah, Mary, Molly, Katie, Bryan, Kevin, Kenny . . . working, worshiping, playing, praying—together. 

I suspect you recall the names—Miss Pearl, Mrs. Bereniece, Bill, Genia, Bob—so quickly because the relationships you formed.<pause> If we have a shared history of orienting our lives of faith through study and through mission, might we prepare the way of the Lord for others through leading study and engaging in mission while emphasizing relationships?

            Prepare the way for the Lord.  We can prepare the way for the Lord for children in this community.  June 17 – 21 we will host a Heartland Traveling Day Camp for children rising from kindergarten – 6^th grade.  In “family” or “cabin” groups of 6 – 8, we’ll move through each day together.  Singing, listening, studying, playing, crafting, chilling out, and eating together, we’ll learn how Jesus called his disciples and how Jesus calls us today to be his disciples. We—you and I along with children in this community—children fluent in the stories of our faith and children who may never have heard of Jesus, children who attended Heartland camp in Parkville last summer and children who may otherwise never have any kind of camp experience, children we already know and children we have yet to meet.  We—you and I along with children—can orient our lives towards God’s desire for us. We—you and I along with children can begin and continue a journey of faith together.

            Prepare the way for the Lord.  It took over a hundred years of preparation before Kevin and I could experience our Rocky Mountain National Park journey.  Preparing the way for the Lord through Traveling Day Camp will also involve long-term, multi-participant preparation: praying for this new mission, funding it, nurturing our relationships, planning our June 17 – 21 schedules so that we can spend time with children, learning the crafts, practicing Gaga ball (I don’t know what it is, but according to Holly it’s fun—so we’ll get to do something new and fun) studying the New Testament call stories.

            In the tradition of Isaiah the prophet and like the National Park Service, we can clear a path for an experience with God, our loving creator.  In the tradition of John the Baptist and our shared histories emphasizing study and mission, we can help re-orient others’ lives toward Jesus.  Let us begin preparing the way for the Lord.