To What God Are We Turning

Lectionary connections
Sunday, December 15
Luke 3:7-18

Placing In Context

John the Baptist would have gotten kicked out fast in a Baptist church like Luke's. John had way too many open-ended questions and lived outside of cultural norms. Luke’s childhood church expected children to settle into the community and meet its standards. But here is John preaching repentance, which is different from what Luke probably heard from his preacher growing up.

Beliefs that Endure

Repentance is not about conforming to some prescribed norm; instead, it is about turning away from religious leaders’ attempts to control or quiet our questions. John is inviting people to turn toward a God of mystery and transcendence—the kind of God you can’t understand. This God delights in the holy beauty that emerges when a piano unites us in music and the sacred moments when a piano teacher saves a young boy through church music.

Moving Forward

John’s call to repentance invokes forgiveness as central to our spiritual lives. What images of God are you ready to let go of to move forward in faith? What role does forgiveness play in your understanding of releasing the past and turning toward love and hope?