Signs and Stories

Once upon a time… Not exactly words we associate with the Bible, but certainly words we associate with telling a story. We hear “once upon a time,” and our ears perk up. We’re ready to get lost in a tale that is both fantastical and all too human. But the wonder of stories is that they communicate truths deeper than mere facts. They help us discover truths about ourselves and our community, the way humans relate to one another, what it means to believe, and how we embody our beliefs. Now, hear me: I am not contesting the truth about the events in the Bible. Rather, I wonder if sometimes we get so caught up in the Bible as a telling of events that we miss the truth underneath the events.

This is particularly relevant for this week’s text and our Advent journey. Here we have John the Baptist, that locust-and-honey-eating prophet living in the wilderness and calling people then and now to repent. This is a story we might associate more with Baptism of the Lord Sunday, when we encounter the fulfillment, the “end of the story” of this passage. But this is Advent. We don’t resolve stories in Advent. We live in the tension of the not yet. And in this tension, John the Baptist invites us to repent, to change our story, to redefine our “once upon a time” in light of the good news—the good news John the Baptist hoped for but had not yet seen.

As you plan worship for this day, consider how to present and represent the stories you tell in this space. Perhaps add stacks of books or an open children’s book. If your church has certain symbols it’s known for in the community, highlight those in the space. Think about ways to emphasize your congregation’s part in God’s story throughout worship. How might your Advent wreath liturgy today connect your church's story to the story of God’s salvific work in the world? Many communities will celebrate Holy Communion this Sunday. As you come to the Table, remind the community that the Communion liturgy is a prayer based in story. In Holy Communion, we prayerfully encounter a story that shapes and re-shapes us as individuals and a community. Consider what prayer of confession to use as part of the Communion liturgy. How might we all join in John the Baptist’s invitation to repent, recognizing that our confession and repentance writes in us and through us a story of good news and life-giving grace?