Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1056515
22 22 Good News, Good Cheer, and Repentance Kathleen Mulhern, PhD Alumna and Associate Faculty of Christian Formation "JOHN THE BAPTIST WENT INTO ALL THE REGION AROUND THE JORDAN, PREACHING A BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS." - LUKE 3:3 I n the liturgical community, Advent always includes an element of repentance as the central way to prepare for the birth of our Lord. For that, people often turn in the Scriptures to John the Baptist, who always seems rather jarring to listen to amidst the sweet talk of a newborn babe and the lilt of cheery carols and festivities of the season. John the Baptist was not a jolly sort. Yet the Gospels tell us that the call to repentance is the beginning of the good news. God has acted conclusively in our world by sending the Savior, and the appropriate response is to repent. at message doesn't play terribly well in our world. It doesn't even have much credence in our churches. e call to repent reminds us that we are sinners, and that's a curmudgeonly message during a holiday season that conspires to push us toward overindulgence and consumerism. After all, only the Scrooges of our world need to repent, right? Yet the good news about sin from a biblical perspective is that it's never just about breaking a law or violating a moral code; sin is always about a relationship. When we recognize that we are sinners, we, like the prodigal son, say, "Oh! We're far away and lost. But, oh! We belong somewhere—home—and to someone—our Father." Like the prodigal, when we say we're sinners, we come to our senses. Good news! God wants you to come home. at's a message that both Scrooge and Tiny Tim need to hear, for they are both beloved. Repentance is the pathway to joy. It is our Advent road, a journey that culminates in the exquisite good cheer of recognizing that God has done all and that our job is to turn and be healed. Our Lord—the One who forgives all our sins, who heals all our diseases, who redeems our lives from the pit, who crowns us with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies us with good—has come, is coming, and will come again. When we turn to welcome Him, His light and life illuminate our hearts, banish the shadows in our souls, and draw us into the loving embrace of God. 17 December