In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     My good friend, Pastor Tyg up at Trinity Lutheran Church in Monument, has, so long as I've known him, had a signature departing phrase. As you're saying good-bye, Tyg says, "Don't go changing!" At first I found it kind of endearing-a word of farewell that was affirming, accepting and kind-as in, "Don't go changing, I like you as you are!" He kind of spoiled it for me when I found out where he got his signature farewell. You see, it was the song played at his wedding reception for his and Shellie's first dance. It was the '80's, and the band, "Salt Lick"-replete in their pink, ruffled shirts, and puffed up hair, played Billy Joel's song for Tyg and Shellie as they danced. You remember the words, "Don't go changing, to try to please me!" I guess that's not a bad sentiment for a first dance at your wedding-everyone knows, or should know, that you don't get married thinking your going to change your new spouse! If you enter into a marriage thinking that, you're in for a rude awakening, because none of us can change another person. Not a spouse, not an adult son or daughter, not a parent or friend. We may support another if they decide to change, but neither you, nor I, can change someone else. And that wasn't just true in the 1980's-it's become increasingly true, through the 90's, to the end of the century and beyond. Because today, it's still something of a personal mantra of independence and autonomy-"don't try to change me!" We like to think of ourselves as okay, just as we are. We want to be accepted, with all of our faults and frailties, no matter how difficult, or self-destructive, or aberrant. Many of us see change as just too hard, too time-consuming, too much of a drain on our energy. And-many of us see no need to change, to fit someone else's perception of us. If our spouse, or some significant other, is pushing us to change, to grow, to deal with our anger, to stop abusing alcohol, many of us would just as soon walk away, as confront change. Could it be that's why the divorce rate in America is rampant? Many husbands and wives would rather end their marriage, than change. "Don't go changing?" "You bet I won't-not for you, or for anyone else!" And where am I going with this? To our gospel lesson, which is all about God's will for us to-change!

     Today, this Third Sunday in Advent, we hear again from John the Baptizer-and his call to us today, is about as radical as any call in Holy Scripture. And radical in that John calls us to change or be cut off from the kingdom-radical in that John calls us to change, or be gathered up like so much chaff on the threshing floor, and burned with unquenchable fire. The call that John is sounding in our gospel reading, is a call, first, to repent, and then, to bear fruit that befits, repentance. The reason John was issuing such a call to the people of his time, was that they had become complacent in their faith, that they were lukewarm, and were not living the faith of which they claimed to be a part. The common attitude was, "We have Abraham as our ancestor-we are children of Abraham by birth, so we do not need to repent, to change, to live life differently." To which John replied, "Do not begin to say to yourselves, we are children of Abraham, for God can raise up children of Abraham from these stones!" Being descendants of Abraham was thought to be all that was needed to be children of God, so that no obedience, no purity, no charity was required. And indeed, these descendants of Abraham John was speaking to were not living lives of obedience and righteousness. They were turned in on themselves, they were selfish and greedy, they neglected the poor and weak. And they saw no need to do things differently. Which is why, when John called people to repent, they were shocked, and turned off by his teaching. Did John not know they were already, members of the kingdom of God-by virtue of their birth? Did John not know that they were Jews, and did not need to repent and be baptized, because repentance and baptism was for -Gentiles, non-Jews-those who had not been born, children of Abraham! John was calling the Jewish people, to change-to repent, to have a turn of heart and life, away from the direction they'd been going, back toward God-and this, offended many of those who heard John. As we heard last week, it offended Herod and his wife, Herodias so much, that they had John beheaded, just to shut him up! And surely, there were others who might have done the same, if they'd had the chance. Because what John was calling people to, was so radical, so bothersome, would've required such a change, that many would've walked away from John. Certainly, there were also those who were drawn to John, thinking, as we hear in our lesson, that John might be the Messiah for whom they had watched and waited. Certainly, that's why crowds of people came out to John at the river to be baptized by him. And some stayed and followed John, while others went away, indignant and unwilling. Because, John was asking for heartfelt repentance, that would be symbolized by baptism-ritual washing-that would issue forth in a change of direction in life-that's what repentance is-a turning around, a complete 180 degree change in life. And unsure just what John was talking about, the crowds who came out to him asked, "what then should we do?" And John answered, "whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise...and in business, you must be fair and just, taking nothing more than that which is owed to you, and not extorting or cheating those you do business with." Because, John said, "already, the ax is lying at the root of the trees, and any tree that doe not bear good fruit, will be cut down and thrown into the fire." In other words, John said, those who are baptized, but not truly repentant; those who say they are children of God, but do not live as children of God; those who claim to be saved, but do not bear the fruits of salvation, through lives of love, and charity and goodwill-these, John says, will be gathered up and burned with unquenchable fire! And the really strange thing about these words of John are...St. Luke ends this account by saying, "so, with many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people!

     And is this good news? Is any of this good news? The call to repent, the invitation to change, the warning that already, the ax is laid at the root of the tree, and the chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire? What's good about this news?

     Well, what's good is that it proclaims the possibility of a new start, and a fresh beginning. Indeed, the Gospel promises, resurrection and new life. So that the call to repentance and transformation, can be just as good news as, say, a baby born in a stable, can be good news-and a crucified Lord, dead and buried, can be good news, when that Lord is raised to new life! The message of the Gospel from start to finish is about starting over, and turning around, and going a new direction in life-so that things will be different, so that God can re-create us, and transform us from what we were and what we are, to what He sees that we can be. So that the one who is struggling with addiction and alcoholism, for example, can leave substance abuse behind and by the grace of God, start over-clean and sober and stable. So that the one who is in the midst of a bad marriage, for example, can by the grace of God, address the issues and develop new ways of relating, and find new love in their marriage, and so new life. And maybe your challenges in life are not so profound as substance abuse or marital difficulties-but whatever they are: whether assignment to a new duty station, or a love one in the military, or a new job or a needed career change; whether its family problems or troubles with your teens, or the stress and strain of daily life-by the grace of God, you can turn around, and begin again. By the grace of God you can find life transformed, changed, made better, by the presence of Jesus Christ, alive in you, and at work in you.

     Which is why we pray, this last week before Christmas, that your heart, and your life, might be opened up, that this Christmas Eve, the Christ child might be born anew, in you-to bring you that change which you need in your life, to empower you to turn and try a new direction, to bring you new joy, and new hope in your life, that you may again this Christmas, as St. Paul says, "rejoice-and rejoice in the Lord always." St. Paul says, "the Lord is near, do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And-get this-Paul says the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus.

     So, don't be afraid to change. Trust that just as the Lord is near, He will bring joy-and from joy comes hope-hope that in whatever changes He has in store for you, His peace will keep your heart and your mind, in Christ Jesus. May grant it to be so!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.