"Don't let the grass grow on your path"

Sermon 1Lent-Feb. 26, 2012
The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of that Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Mark 1:9-15 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
The Rev. Christopher Henry is a Presbyterian pastor and once told this story:“Several years ago, I was attending a Sunday afternoon book club in a small town in North Carolina. The participants in the club were the pastors and lay leaders of local congregations--Episcopalians, Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, and Presbyterians. That day we found ourselves sharing personal stories of faith formation. How did you become a Christian? Where did your faith journey begin? One by one, members of the group described how we had been raised by loving and faithful parents who brought us to Sunday school and church, told us the stories of Jesus, and helped us to grow in maturity of faith. Each story sounded something like that, until there was only one person left to speak. As tears formed in her eyes, she said, "I am a Christian because the Christian church saved my life." Suddenly, the chatty group fell silent. She described how she had been abandoned by her parents as an infant. Sent to a foster home, she was neglected and abused for the first six years of her life. At age seven, she was adopted by a local family. Not knowing what to expect, she spent the first night wide-awake in her new bed, afraid and anxious. The next morning, a Sunday, the family got up early, had breakfast, and got into the car. "It was my first time at church and I had no idea what to expect. We walked into the Sunday school classroom, and the teacher's face lit up. 'Welcome, Janet, we've been waiting for you.' Then she read the Bible story for the day. I will never forget the feeling. Jesus says to his disciples, 'Let the little children come to me. Do not stop them.' I knew, knew with all of my heart, that he was talking to me. I knew that I was home. I am a Christian because of that moment. A new beginning, the kingdom in the midst of the wilderness.” a kingdom in the midst of the wilderness.
Twice each month, on Thursdays, I meet with the clergy of the downriver Episcopal Churches. On the second Thursday of the month we talk about the readings and how we might preach them. The 4th Thursday we spend much of the meeting in Lectio divina. Lectio Divina is a way of praying. You read the gospel aloud 3 times slowly-each time with a different reader. And after each reading there is silence while you think about what was just read. After the first reading everyone is asked to pick out a word or phrase that jumps out at them. One person took the phrase: “with you I am well pleased”. Another chose: “tempted by Satan”. A third picked, “with the wild beasts”. A fourth person selected “believe in the good news." And another “drove him out into the wilderness”. The word or phrase that we choose says a lot about where we are that day, and where our soul is at. I’m going to read the gospel again, slowly (it’s short) and I want you to see what word or phrase chooses you.
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
What word jumped out at you? What stuck with you when you opened your eyes? Say it to yourself a couple of times so you can remember it.
Lent is a 40 day journey of the heart. We’re supposed to use this time not for self-punishment, but for growth and understanding. What was Jesus about? And what are we about as his followers? Do you still remember your word or phrase?
Sarah Henrich, a professor of New Testament, writes that the thing that strikes her about this morning’s gospel is how violent and lonely it is. “The loneliness of God's servant, a theme that persists throughout the gospel, is already suggested in these verses. It all begins in the wilderness, home to prophets of Israel and to Israel itself in the years of wandering. Jesus, too, will be there…”
This can be a 40 day time of questions without worrying about the answers. Jesus didn’t go into the wilderness to prove how strong he was. He was driven there by the Spirit. He had just see the heavens ripped open and heard a voice-what did it mean for him? What was his life supposed to be? Did God tell him that he would live forever? That he would rule the world? That he would never be sick or in pain? No. God simply said, "You are my Son, the Beloved…”
If we learn anything from this passage, it is that to be loved by God, to be God’s beloved, can be a terrible gift. Jesus is tempted and tested. It is a difficult time, and it had to be scary and hard.
We are called just as Jesus was. Richard Jensen writes: “Mark introduces the theme of repentance and faith as the response that is called forth by Jesus' preaching. Jesus calls humanity to a time of listening, a time of decision. It is time to turn our lives around and believe the good news announced by Jesus that the kingdom of God has come near to us. “
Take the card that is in your bulletin this morning and write on there one way you will grow closer to God this Lent. If you want, you can use the word or phrase that jumped out at you from this gospel. Or you can put on there how you are in a wilderness yourself-and what questions you have. Perhaps you want to write the ways you are being tested-and how the angels are ministering to you. Maybe you could put on this card what it means to be loved by God, and what is the Good News for you?
On the outside of this envelope put your first and last name. In 3 weeks we will give it back to you, so you’ll remember where you were and how you are growing closer to God this Lent.
This is the first Sunday of your Lenten journey this year. It’s an opportunity to start again. For some it’s time for a new beginning, the kingdom in the midst of the wilderness; for others it’s a chance to accept the hard news that you are loved by God; and for others it’s time to take the next step in your walk with God.
“Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, "Brother, the grass grows on your path."
This Lent, grow closer to God. Wear down the grass on your path. Amen.