Baruch 5:1-9, Canticle 16, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6

I. Intro - Two clergy with sign "Turn back before it's too late. The end is near." Guy in redsportscar "Mind your own business, you religious nuts!" Loud splash. Maybe the sign should say "Bridge out"

II. Body

A. Background

1. A lot of ridicule around the theme of repentance

2. Rightly so. Often presented as: Feel bad about all bad things you've done or you'llgo to hell.

3. Let's take another look

B. Gospel - Luke 3:1-6

1. First, an introduction of John the baptist preaching on repentance

2. Then Isaiah: this is the voice of one saying "Prepare the way of the Lord"

3. So evidently preparing the way of the Lord is first and foremost through our ownrepentance

4. Important to know what repentance is

C. Repentance

1. Hebrew: Shuv - turn/choose a new direction (not: Feel bad about yourself)

2. Greek: Metanoiete - change your mind

3. New insight this week: Change your focus (unites both Hebrew and Greekunderstanding)

D. Application

1. In areas that bring suffering to ourselves, others, and our world, we need tochange our focus

2. Story of how they train race car drivers to focus on the track ... not the wall

3. Alignment with God is alignment with love, joy, and peace.

III. Conclusion

A good question to ask this third week in Advent is:

Where is my current focus hurting my relationship with God?

What is one simple shift in focus that might help this week?

Maybe I am focused on "Ain't it awful." Perhaps a shift could be "What am I genuinely grateful for?"

Maybe I am focused on all the bad things happening in our world. Perhaps a shift could be

"What is one simple act of kindness I could do for another this week?"