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The Rev. Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr., is pastor of Covenant United Church of Christ, South Holland, IL. He is also a trustee of the Alliance for Christian Media.

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United Church of Christ

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Covenant United Church of Christ, South Holland, IL

Dr. Ozzie Smith on "Repent, Ye Saints"

December 09, 2009

Amen Rev Stephens! I am still hinged to your comment last week about John's poor marketing campaign away from population density. Yet the crowd that came to hear John was dense and diverse--those who wanted to repent and those who felt no need to repent. Only God can cause standing-room-only in a wilderness!

I am reminded of hearing someone say that they were totally sinless years ago and had no need to repent. I wondered how a life could become so crystallized to believe such a thing, but the person was absolutely certain and became rather arrogant in declaring it. Yet even that arrogance caused me to consider my own at the time--God still uses Balaam's steed to show us what stubborn looks like.

Perhaps this is where we are today, even those of us who preach it! These days I ask the media people to make sure the lectern monitors are "hot." I need to hear what my preached words are saying too! The lectionary is unsettling this time--it refuses to soothe us with manger scenes and moving stars, but calls us front and center to look in the mirror and be still and know that we might be overweight with piety and weak on praxis. John still calls us to repent, not repeat! Thanks Rev Stephens for the certain sound of this trumpet! Thanks Day1 for the lift!

Ozzie Smith