The Nativity of St. John the Baptist

Date:24th June 2009

Preacher: Dr David Hope

‘The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel’

Today’s feast – the Nativity of John the Baptist – has always had a special place in my own affections, given that I served the first years of my ministry in a parish church which, like this, had as its patron saint John the Baptist. There is of course as well, what is called a ‘Lesser Festival’ – though I hardly think that the Baptist himself would have so regarded it – The Beheading of John the Baptist on 29 August. Nevertheless today’s celebration has from the very earliest of times been claimed as the major remembrance of John the Baptist.

I mention the first years of my ministry, now some forty four years ago, where I served first as a Deacon and then as Priest in the parish of St John the Baptist in Liverpool. It was what they call in some circles rather ‘up the candle’, a sort of bells and smells kind of church and the one thing I remember in particular about it – and can still see it in my mind’s eye – is the statue of John the Baptist by Sir Ninian Comper. But I have to say, anything less like the Baptist you would be hard pushed to find – it was just so ‘twee’ and always reminded me more of Peter Pan than the austere, somewhat minatory figure who emerges from the Judean wilderness. Rather I tend to think of the Baptist as being much more like one of those Indian holy men – the sadhus – who do some extraordinary things clothed only in a loincloth and for the most part with flowing long hair.

But then that’s the problem with most of the saints – we’ve gilded them up, we’ve painted them up, we’ve blinged them up almost to the point where they become hardly recognisable as the human persons they once were. The hymn writer rightly reminds us ‘they were human too like us’. And there can be no doubt about the humanness of the Baptist.

Both Mark and Matthew go on to describe his appearance – clothing made of camel’s hair, a leather belt around his waist and locusts and wild honey being his staple diet. Some scholars have identified him as having belonged to the Essene sect from Qumran by the shores of the Dead Sea and associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls – a sect renowned for the frugal nature and discipline of its life style.

So then as we celebrate the Baptist’s birth what does it have to say to us and for us today?

Well in the first place surely John in the New Testament is introduced to us as ‘the baptiser’ so I suggest that we reflect for a moment on that most determinative of all moments – the fact that we have been baptised into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the one whose way the Baptiser came to prepare. Many of us will not remember that moment, for hardly had we been born than we were baptised. But then that once upon a time event is also a once and for all time event and we are called daily to ‘grow into our baptism’. It means that day by day we ought to be aware of the unlimited and unbounded grace of the God who has made us his beloved children – that we have been born anew into that kingdom which the Baptist came to announce – that we have, in baptism, been set upon a life long journey together with all God’s people in order that we may grow in friendship with God and in love and service of our neighbour whoever, wherever that neighbour may be.

It is nothing less than the challenge to the whole church not simply to be constantly turned in on its own agendas but rather ever to be facing and looking outwards to the community in which we are set, namely here this town of Halifax and where this parish church in particular already has a first rate track record of serving the best interests of the whole town and where the encouraging of partnerships with others – our ecumenical partners, partners civic and commercial, as well of those of differing faith traditions - not least in the promotion of the wonderful heritage and tourist possibilities, but as well for the gainful employment and well being of all who live here in Halifax. Such is the ‘kingdom’ agenda which the Baptist announces with such compelling energy and force. Such are the implications of our having been baptised into this kingdom of justice, righteousness and integrity.

‘The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day that he appeared publicly to Israel’

Like many of the great ones before him and like the Lord whose way he came to prepare, the Baptist spends time in the wilderness – a place in the Biblical tradition both of revelation and refinement – a place where the human spirit is tried and tested to the uttermost. And as he makes his public appearance the Baptist is never one to mince his words. Rather in true prophetic form he tells it as it is and in no way spares his wrath and indignation on the crowds he describes as a ‘brood of vipers’. He certainly calls a spade a spade and would well qualify for the status of an honorary Yorkshireman !! The ascetic Baptist from the wilderness challenges their comfortable conceit and their smug self satisfaction as he urges them to live their lives in altogether more sacrificial service, seeking to give rather than get, to live lives worthy of repentance. And here surely is a message vey much for our own times especially in the light of current economic and political events. You and I are being called to a new ascetism – to what the Lambeth Conference of 1988 described as a ‘theology of enoughness’ – the whole church a sign of contradiction , not simply being conformed to the ways of this world but rather being transformed by an altogether greater economy of life and living.

For the truth is that many people have been living far and away beyond their means; many in the financial sector have been greedy beyond measure; more recently of course we have been witnessing the expenses scandal among those from whom we expected far better – our politicians – seemingly more self serving than self sacrificing. I dread to think what the Baptist might have said of all of them – ‘a plague on all your houses’ would I suspect be very mild in comparison! And for the nation as a whole we have been far too reliant on credit in the good times to the extent that when things are on the down rather than on the up, we are caught in the severe constraints in which we now find ourselves.

And don’t let us of the church be too swift to condemn others before we have put our own house in order – the burgeoning beurocracy of endless meetings, groups, committees, working parties which are big on talk but short on action. We certainly need a greater simplicity, flexibility – a scaling down of much of the edifice of the institution centrally, to free up and enable action locally. In short, we need to prune for growth.

So then John the Baptiser, John the Ascetic and finally John the Messenger; he is the one who is called to prepare the way of the Lord – the fore-runner of the Messiah. And that surely must be the priority for each of us and for our parishes and congregations – for the whole church today – to prepare the way of the Lord. It is no less a challenge that we look to ourselves and our lives. After all they say that ‘the messenger is the message’. So what about you and me – not only about what we say and do, but the kind of people we are? Remember the words of Francis of Assisi – ‘Go and preach the Gospel – but with words if you must’. St Augustine calls us to go out and be ‘the song of new life’. We claim to be an Easter people – a people of hope and joy in Jesus Christ who is risen, showing ever more clearly in our lives and our dealings one with another the fruits of the Spirit – of patience, kindness, forbearance, gentleness – and yet what do most people out there see and hear of us? – bickerings and fallings out and divisions about this that or the other thing all of which is of little relevance to them and their lives. There’s a lovely phrase of the Chief Rabbi which I would commend to you this evening – ‘honouring the dignity of difference’. And this applies not only within and among the churches but also and equally importantly among those of differing faith communities. In rejoicing in the commonalities we share we honour as well each other in our differences.

Hopefully then this celebration this evening of the Forerunner of the Messiah John the Baptist will re-kindle in each us a deeper spirit of reconciliation; a determination the more to honour each other in our differences; but above all to re-invigorate our commitment to working for the kingdom – that kingdom for which daily we pray may come on earth as it is in heaven – God’s kingdom of reconciliation and righteousness; of justice truth and love – a kingdom in which all may find a place and where the whole human family can live and flourish together as the people we were intended to be – God’s own people – truly a royal priesthood, a holy nation.