Repent

Bread and Wine Reading: "Repent", by William Willimon

Scripture Reading: Mark 1: 4-8 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

We 21st century folks often try desperately to turn the whole idea of repenting into some sort of watered down, G-rated version of the repentance that John the Baptizer proclaimed. We like the idea of a God who tells us to "be good to ourself" and who wants us to be happy. We like equating the Gospel, the "Good News" to a life of comfort. But as Willimon points out, "Whatever the gospel means, we tell ourselves, it could not mean death. Love, divine or human, could never exact something so costly." Then what do you really think John was talking about? It's simple...Repent, change your ways, and get washed.

To be baptized "into Christ" and "in the name of Christ" means to become one who lives Christ. How can we do that without changing, without turning our lives toward God, without walking the road that Christ walked? Willimon claims that "the chief biblical analogy for baptism is not the water that washes but the flood that drowns". This is not a warm bath; it's a torrent of powerful waves consuming your life. It's Noah's Flood all over again--the beginning again and the promise.

Following Christ, following The Way, is hard. There is no "cleaned up", G-rated version. It's just hard. It means giving up one's life; it means being flooded; it means change. Who are we kidding? It means death! Willimon reminds us that "on the bank of some dark river, as we are thrust backward, onlookers will remark, "They could kill somebody like that." To which old John might say, "Good, you're finally catching on.""
But what may seem to the world a truly God-forsaken road through suffering and death is also the road to life. This is truly The Way. It is the road we walk when we realize there is no where else to go.

Discussion Questions:
1.) What stands in the way of us changing?
2.) What's the difference between being willing to "die in Christ" and being "saved" by Christ?
3.) What does repentance "cost" for you?

So go forth that you might die in Christ!

Grace and Peace,

Shelli