Advent Devotional | 2nd Saturday in Advent | Year C | December 12th, 2015

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Luke 1:57-66

 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, ‘No; he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘None of your relatives has this name.’ Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, ‘What then will this child become?’ For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.

And thus, John the Baptist enters the scene!  In addition to his more traditional names, I have been told that John has been called by many names throughout history.  Some of these rather entertaining names are John the "Dunker" and John the "Plunger" (my personal favorite!).  

Whatever your preference is for referring to this John, it is quite sure that he is not just any other child!  Born under extraordinary circumstances, John the Baptizer will spend his entire life pointing others away from himself and toward the incarnation of God, Jesus Christ.  

"What then will this child become?" was the question people pondered at John the Plunger's birth.  You and I know that this child will be the voice of one "crying in the wilderness" who calls people to true repentance that actively seeks ways to literally "turn" to the coming Christ.  

How are you called to be a John the Plunger?  How are you being called to point others to Christ?  By feeding the hungry?  Clothing the naked?  Showing a simple act of unexpected kindness?  Providing for your family?  Caring for a grieving friend?  There are a million and one ways we can serve as "John the Baptists" by pointing others to the Christ who is soon to come.  

Perhaps today you will find a new way to point another person to the grace of Christ...

Prayer of the Day:
God who was, and is, and is to come,
thank you for the breath in my lungs this day.
May I, in word and deed, reflect your mercy and goodness in the world this day.
In all that I do, help me to point the way to your incarnation
so that others might feel your presence and share it as well.  Amen.

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Stephen Fearing

Stephen was born in 1988 in Cookeville, TN, where his parents met whilst attending Tennessee Tech. Shortly after, they moved to Dalton, Georgia where they put down roots and joined First Presbyterian Church, the faith family that taught Stephen that he was first and foremost a beloved child of God. It was this community that taught Stephen that it was OK to have questions and doubts and that nothing he could do could every possibly separate him from the love of God. In 1995, his sister, Sarah Kate, joined the family and Stephen began his journey as a life-long musician. Since then, he has found a love of music and has found this gift particularly fitting for his call to ministry. Among the instruments that he enjoys are piano, trumpet, guitar, and handbells. Stephen has always had a love of singing and congregation song. An avid member of the marching band, Stephen was the drum major of his high school's marching band. In 2006, Stephen began his tenure at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC where he majored in Religion and minored in History. While attending PC, Stephen continued to explore his love of music by participating in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Jazz Trio, as well as playing in the PC Handbell ensemble and playing mandolin and banjo PC's very own bluegrass/rock group, Hosegrass, of which Stephen was a founding member (Hosegrass even released their own CD!). In 2010, Stephen moved from Clinton to Atlanta to attend Columbia Theological Seminary to pursue God's call on his life to be a pastor in the PC(USA). During this time, Stephen worked at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Silver Creek Presbyterian Church, Central Presbyterian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church. For three years, Stephen served as the Choir Director of Columbia Theological Seminary's choir and also served as the Interim Music Director at Westminster Presbyterian Church. In 2014, Stephen graduated from Columbia with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Arts in Practical Theology with an emphasis in liturgy, music, and worship. In July of 2014, Stephen was installed an ordained as Teaching Elder at Shelter Island Presbyterian Church in Shelter Island, NY. Later that year, Stephen married the love of his life, Tricia, and they share their home on Shelter Island with their Golden Doodle, Elsie, and their calico cat, Audrey. In addition to his work with the people who are Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, Stephen currently serves as a commission from Long Island Presbytery to the Synod of the Northeast and, beginning in January of 2016, will moderate the Synod's missions team.