Metanoia - Greek word for repentance

I have heard too many street preachers yelling "repent". I now prefer the term metanoi which means a change of mind or the Hebrew Bible term "shub" which means a turning of life. The people of God are called to a continuous repentance. A repentance that will allow us to greet and live with God. It is a repentance for relationship. People can change and God empowers people to change. The call this Sunday is repentance. The call of preparation means to turn ourselves away from the world and the distractions and turn ourselves toward God. To get "right" in our relationships with each other and with God.

I think you can tell where I'm going with this week's sermon. John the Baptizer in 2006 would probably be standing on a corner telling people to turn back to God. I'm convinced that we can't prepare ourselves for what is to come (God's Kingdom) just like we can hardly understand what has already happened (God's action in Jesus). What we can do is turn to God and let God prepare us for whatever God is calling us to be and to do.