WHAT SHALL WE DO?

UPON OUR DEATH;  OUR SINS: ARE CLEANSED FROM OUR SOUL; BEFORE WE ENTER HEAVEN. AS THE ARTIST MOLDS HIS PIECE OF CLAY INTO A BEAUTIFUL SCULPTURE, SO CHRIST OUR ARTIST START'S HIS ARTISTIC DESIGN SHAPING, MOLDING US, STARTING WITH OUR BAPTISM. IF WE LOOK AT OUR REDEMPTION AS A WORK IN PROGRESS, OF HOW FAR ALONG WE ARE, AND LOOKING BACK HOW FAR HAVE WE COME? WE HAVE TO THINK OF OURSELVES AS A PIECE OF ART THAT GOD IS BRINGING TO COMPLETION BY THE DAY OF JESUS RETURN. " WE SHALL ALL WEAR A LABEL WITH THE LETTERS "P.B.P.G.I.F. W.M.Y." WHICH MEANS, " PLEASE BE PATIENT, GOD ISN'T FINISHED WITH ME YET!"
THEN! WHAT SHALL WE DO? WE HAVE HEARD THAT QUESTION MANY TIMES. WHAT SHALL WE DO?
USUALLY IT WAS A TIME OF CRISIS THAT REQUIRED ACTION, AND THE QUESTION HAD NO EASY ANSWERS. THERE WERE DECISIONS TO BE MADE, AND ACTION TO BE TAKEN, BUT THE ALTERNATIVES WERE FUZZY, NONE OF THEM ATTRACTIVE. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A PERSONAL CRISIS WHEN OUR CHOICE COULD ALTER THE ENTIRE FUTURE OF OUR LIVES. IT MAY HAVE BEEN A FAMILY CRISIS IN A SUDDEN DISABILITY OR ILLNESS, OR MARRIAGE CRISIS. WHAT SHALL WE DO?
THE QUESTION WAS PERSISTENCE AND THE PROBLEM KNOTTY. IT KEPT US ROLLING US FROM SIDE TO SIDE TO THE OTHER ALL NIGHT LONG IN FITFUL SLEEPLESSNESS.
LIFE SEEMS TO BE A CRAZY QUILT OF CRISIS-ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER, EACH, DEMANDING ANSWERS AND DECISIONS. SOMETIMES WE WONDER WHERE THIS "PEACE OF GOD THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING." IS THAT PREACHERS TALK ABOUT SO BLANDLY AND SO CASUALLY. THOSE GUYS HAD NEVER LIVED WHERE WE ARE FORCED TO ,LIVE. BUT, LET ME PROMISE THIS, THAT THROUGH THE YEARS I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN ENOUGH OF LIFE'S DREAD CRISIS OF OTHERS, MY OWN, TO KNOW HOW TORTUROUS THE QUESTION IS, " WHAT SHALL WE DO ?" AND THROUGH THE YEARS I HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY IMPATIENT WITH THE HERESY THAT SAYS: " GOD IS THE ANSWER." EXCUSE ME, BUT YOU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND MY QUESTION. GOD IS MORE FREQUENTLY THE PROBLEM THAN THE ANSWER.
HE NEVER PROMISED HE WOULD MAKE HIMSELF AVAILABLE TO BLESS OUR SCHEMES, SERVE OUR WILLS, RUN OUR ERRANDS, SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS, ANSWER ALL OUR QUESTIONS. HE ONLY PROMISED HE WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR US TO LEAN AGAINST IN A COMMITMENT THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEM IS. SO THEN, "WHAT SHALL WE DO?
GOD WAS THE PROBLEM IN THE DAYS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. JOHN CALLED THE MULTITUDES WHO CAME TO HIM A "BROOD OF VIPERS," AND HE ASKED, WHO WARNED YOU TO FLEE THE WRATH TO COME LIKE SNAKES THAT SLITHER FOR THEIR SAFETY FROM THE FIRE IN THE GRASS THAT SHELTERED THEM?" HE PULLED THE PROPS OUT FROM UNDER, STRIPPED THEIR DEFENCES FROM THEM, PEELED THEIR MASKS AWAY- EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAD TRUSTED IN FOR SECURITY "DON'T GIVE ME THAT," HE SAID, " THIS BUSINESS THAT YOU HAVE ABRAHAM AS FATHER." HE SAID THE AXE IS ALREADY POSITIONED AT THEIR ROOTS TO CUT DOWN ALL THE FRUITLESS TREES. HE CONFRONTED THEM WITH GOD. GOD IS BREAKING THROUGH. THE MESSIAH IS AT HAND. LET SEE YOUR FRUITS- " FRUITS THAT BEFIT REPENTANCE."
JOHN WAS SPEAKING AT A CRISIS SITUATION- THE POINT WHERE MEN MUST MAKE DECISIONS, DETERMINE ON A CROSS OF ACTION, TURN TO GOD OR FROM HIM.
AT THE URGENT WORD OF JOHN, " REPENT", AND BEAR FRUITS THAT BEFIT REPENTANCE, "  THEY ASKED, " WHAT SHALL WE DO?"
 GOOD QUESTION, ISN'T IT!  WHAT SHALL WE DO? BEYOND REPENTANCE, THEN WHAT? CONFRONTED BY THE CHRIST AS WE ARE NOW-THE CHRIST OF BETHLEHEM, THE CHRIST OF CALVERY, THE RISEN CHRIST, THE RULING CHRIST, THE CHRIST WHO CAME TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM, THE CHRIST WHO COMES IN WORD AND SACRAMENT, THE CHRIST WHO COMES AGAIN TO GATHER THE WHEAT AND BURN THE CHAFF- " WHAT SHALL WE DO?"  BEYOND THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE TASTED OF THE LORD AND KNOW THAT HE IS GRACIOUS IN HIS COMING, SLOW TO WRATH, MERCIFUL, FORGIVING,- " WHAT SHALL WE DO?"  ON THE OTHER SIDE OF BETHLEHEM, BEYOND THE PLACE OF CRUCIFIXION, WHEN THAT STONE THAT SEALED THE TOMB IS ROLLED AWAY, WHAT SHALL WE DO? WE CAN TURN OUR FACES TOWARD HIM. WE CAN TURN OUR BACKS AGAINST HIM. WHAT SHALL WE DO?  HIS COMING IS A CRISIS SITUATION FOR EACH ONE OF US. IF WE CHOOSE HIS WAY "REPENT", TURN OUR HEARTS TO HIM, AND THE APOSTOLIC WORD BECOMES OUR WORD, " I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. NEVERTHELESS I LIVE, AND YET NOT I, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME; AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HIS COMING. WE ARE JUST A WEEK AWAY FROM CHRISTMAS, NOW AND WE HAVE MANY WAYS OF SPOILING CHRISTMAS, TAKE YOUR CHOICE. BUT HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE TO DO IT, LETS NOT SPOIL IT WITH A LOT OF SLUSH AND SENTIMENT. CHRIST IS NO LONGER IN THE MANGER. HE IS ON THE THRONE. HE IS NO LONGER "BABY JESUS." HE IS KING OF ALL. AND WE MEET HIM NOW AS HE COMES TO US-IN HIS WORD? INDEED!  AND IN HIS HOLY SUPPER?   HE DOES NOT CONFINE HIMSELF TO CATHEDRALS, BUT MAKES HIMSELF AVAILABLE WHEN SPIRITS SOAR ON WINGS OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC.
THE PREACHER, JOHN THE BAPTIST, IS HIS OWN BEST ILLUSTRATION OF THE ANSWER TO OUR QUESTION, " WHAT THEN SHALL I DO?"  HIS LIFE WAS CHRIST'S. HE COULD NOT CLAIM IT AS HIS OWN. " ONE MIGHTIER THAN I IS COMING. I AM NOT WORTHY TO UNTIE THE LACES OF HIS SANDALS. HE MUST INCREASE. I MUST DECREASE." JOHN'S LIFE WAS AT GOD'S DISPOSAL.
 WHAT THAN SHALL WE DO?       AMEN.