ON THE TIPTOE OF EXPECTATION
A meditation by the Rev. Dr. James G. Kirk
Harundale Presbyterian Church
Glen Burnie, Maryland
January 7, 2001
Text: "The people were on the tiptoe of expectation." (Luke 3:15 NEB)
First Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7
Second Reading: Acts 8:14-17
I read our morning’s Scripture out of the New English Bible for a reason. It was 1945, and I was in Ms. Burton’s third grade class in Alameda, California. Jimmy Doolittle was expected home from the war and was going to land at the Oakland Airport. Jimmy Doolittle, for those of you who were too young to remember, made the first attack on the Japanese mainland with his B25 on April 18, 1942, which later became the subject of the movie "30 Seconds over Tokyo." He had also flown with the European 8th Air Force and led attacks on Germany. At any rate, he had resigned from the Army Air Force as a Lt. General in 1945, and was coming home to Alameda, where he was born, to a hero’s welcome!
Ms. Burton knew what she was doing. A month before his anticipated arrival she announced that she would give an American flag to wave to those students who did exceptional work throughout the month. Well, you can just imagine that this fellow was going to get one of those flags to wave! All month long I can remember pestering Ms. Burton to make sure I was measuring up to her standards. The big day approached, the day before Doolittle’s arrival, when she would hand out the flags. Well, the truth of the matter was, Ms. Burton gave flags to the entire class. We were all going to line the way from the Oakland Airport over the bridge to Alameda, to cheer the homecoming of this famous warrior.
When we got there of course the streets were already lined with those waiting to catch a glimpse of the motorcade. We had to stand on tiptoe to make sure we would see Jimmy Doolittle, but that he would also see us proudly waving our flags. I mention that story, because that’s the sense Luke wants us to get from the Scripture, "The people were on the tiptoe of expectation, all wondering about John, whether perhaps he was the Messiah."
Today we don’t get on our tiptoes of expectation for much of anything. The age of "instant gratification" has robbed us of much expectation at all. When people want things they want them now! They don’t want to wait for much. That poses a problem for us church folk, because a lot of what we’re about in the church doesn’t come to us with "instant gratification."
Prayers don’t often get answered the moment the "Amen" leaves our lips. It takes time for God’s will to emerge and we have to practice patience to let God speak to us. When we baptize children Sunday after Sunday we know that they’ll have to grow into their baptism and how we’ll have to take the time to teach them what all that water on their heads was all about. Today, we welcomed Dale and Linda Ooosterhouse as members of the church. They’ve already made a contribution to the life of the church, but it’ll take time for them to get to know us and for us to get to know them. Many of us have believed in Christ for most of our lives, yet we’re still learning almost moment by moment what it means to follow him.
We need to learn how to stand on our toes in expectation for those epiphany moments to occur, those "ah-has!" of faith, which usually come when we least expect them. Some of you may have noticed Martha Elliott’s absence from the Christmas Eve services. She was home sick. She missed playing the bells during the service of lessons and carols. She missed singing "Silent Night" at the 8 o’clock service. Most of all she missed all of you. So, she was home feeling quite sorry for herself and by Christmas Day she was really in a funk. As she writes, and you can read her story for yourself in the next edition of The Spire, she was determined not to spend it whining. So she asked God for help. As you read her story you will count how many times and in how many ways God answered her prayer throughout the day. Martha concludes her story: "I remember telling my mother at bedtime on the Christmas I was perhaps nine or ten, and the gifts I’d received had been particularly delightful, ‘Oh Mother, this has been the best Christmas I ever had!’ Mother was much pleased. Now it’s late in the day on the Christmas when I’m eighty-two and I have to sigh and say, ‘Oh, Father, this is the best Christmas I ever had!’ I think my Father is much pleased."
Notice the imagery John the Baptist gives those who were on their tiptoes. There’s one coming with his shovel ready to throw the grain up in the air. The wind will catch it and scatter the chaff, letting the wheat fall to the floor. What better way to start the New Year, than standing on our tiptoes with expectancy, waiting for God in whatever ways to throw us to the winds, scatter the chaff in our lives, that’s of no use whatsoever anyway, and to gather the grain that falls to God’s glory and honor.
An eight year old was on his toes with expectancy, waving his flag as Jimmy Doolittle’s motorcade passed on its way from the Oakland Airport to his hometown; the crowds were on the tiptoe of expectation, all wondering about John, whether he was the Messiah. He told them about the one who would follow, the one in whose name we gather this morning. He’ll keep us on our toes all right, if we will only let him. Once there, we, too, will wave the banners of our faith for all to see.
Thanks be to God,
Amen