May we have eyes to see our blessings, ears to hear God’s words, and the humbleness to praise Christ our Risen Lord. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, AMEN

Today, the first Sunday after Easter we have heard the Easter story and celebrated Christ’s victory. But have we taken the time to truly realize we are the benefactors of our Risen Savior’s victory over death, hell, and the grave. Today’s scriptures show us a glimpse of the disciples’ spiritual growth and the concrete changes his resurrection had on their lives and can have on ours.

In John’s gospel, it has been three days since the disciples watched their leader, and teacher die a very public and horrible death by crucifixion. Now on the first resurrection Sunday they have been startled by Jesus’s empty tomb. They have also just been shaken by the message Jesus sent to them through a woman, Mary Magdalene. In a state of great fear, anxiety, disappointment, and maybe anger they huddled behind locked doors with fearful thoughts of the Roman and Jewish leaders searching for them; when before their astounded eyes stood Jesus. The master they had forsaken and ran from in his hour of capture. The one Peter denied three times. The one some had watched be crucified and heard his last words from the cross. There he was with reassurance to them with his first words, “Peace be with you.”

He came to them in the midst of their fears and confusion and gave them a deep soul-filling peace. A solace that comes only from a loving God. He met them where they were physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He went into the locked room and revealed his marks from the crucifixion. He allowed their eyes to take in what they could not wrap their heads around. Jesus instructed them to move beyond their fear, and confusion and from behind the locked doors to continue God’s work of sharing His love and forgiveness through the power of the Holy Spirit.

However, a week later the disciples are still huddled in the same house but Thomas is with them when Jesus appeared a second time. Again Jesus began by giving all in the room his peace. Just as he did with the disciples earlier he showed Thomas his crucifixion marks, but this time with an invitation to touch them. He came and gave Thomas exactly what Thomas needed to believe. Thomas did not need to touch the marks, he openly and verbally declared Jesus as his Lord and Master. He went beyond a belief statement into a proclamation of trust and a personal relationship: “My Lord and my God!”

The disciples went from a huddled group of dismayed, and distressed followers in a locked house to spiritual leaders who proclaimed the Gospel boldly where ever the Spirit led them. In Acts, we find Peter and some of the apostles defending their actions of healing the sick and proclaiming Christ risen in Jerusalem. Peter and the other disciples have already served jail time and been ordered to not teach in Jesus’s name. Although not perfect and often doubting, fearful, and confused the disciples have been in the presence of the Risen Savior and now respond to the religious authorities with a new boldness. Jesus’s resurrection has resulted in the disciples being forgiven, restored, and commissioned to begin a new life teaching, healing, forgiving, and loving others in the name of Jesus. Being with the resurrected Christ changed the frightened scattered apostles into a community of faith believers who were bold and outspoken proclaimers of God’s love, and power, and of Jesus as the resurrected Savior of all. They no longer lived by the letter of the law, or by a list of do’s and don’ts but lived their lives with the new experience and knowledge of life beyond physical death. They spoke with the authority of eyewitnesses to the Risen Savior and through the empowerment by the Holy Spirit.

Their actions of love, unity, and putting others before themselves had resulted in an amazing growth of the new church. This growth continued to the point many churches were established and harassed by the Roman authorities. John’s writing of Revelations was to the churches struggling as communities of faithful believers under Roman rule. The original believers understood the cryptic language and symbolism John used to get his message to the churches. John’s writings were to encourage the followers and remind them God has all power and is in control, not the Roman leader Caesar. Like the original disciples, the churches were to remain bold in sharing Christ and living their lives honoring God.

Today the Holy Spirit still leads his followers and the church to stand together and be strong in God. We as baptized believers have been changed and sealed with the Holy Spirit. The same God of eternity, the Risen Savior is present with us today. Jesus is alive! Regardless of our doubts, fears, confusion, or hesitations he still reaches out to us. He is with us daily.

Today’s readings demonstrate the spiritual progress the disciples made in their earnest efforts to live their lives according to the firsthand knowledge and lessons learned from the Son of God. We as a church are in the midst of a time of transition and a great potential for new spiritual growth. Grace Church has walked with God for over one hundred years and we still look to Jesus for our answers and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Like the churches John wrote to, we will at times feel uncomfortable and even face some struggles as we prayerfully move forward. But remember “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. God is in control. He is never taken by surprise. He has a plan for Grace Church, for each of us no matter who we are or our situation.

Just as Jesus repeatedly kept coming to the first disciples to give his peace, he comes to us. Jesus comes each week to us through the proclaimed scriptures and our participation in the Eucharist. He wants everyone to have his peace in the midst of our fears, questions, and confusion. May each of us like Thomas accept Jesus’s peace and respond in this transitional time with, “My Lord and my God!”

Amen

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled,

and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

and the crooked shall be made straight,

and the rough ways made smooth;

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Luke 3:4-6

When I read these particular words, originally from the prophet Isaiah, my mind translates them into music and I can almost hear a luscious contralto voice bringing the Handel Messiah to life.  Of course it is in the King James’ English…”every valley will be exalted and every mountain and hill made low…the crooked straight and the rough places plain.”  For thousands of years the words of this poetry have been a song of promise and inspired hope in even the most world-weary and burdened of hearts.  I don’t know about you all but in these increasingly dark days I find myself greatly in need of a little hope.

All around us there is sorrow and hardship. Each day we receive news of some new horror and it seems that no one is safe from the effects of societal unrest and violence.  Greed is rampant and the powerful in our country have completely lost touch with the people they are supposed to serve.  Those who claim to follow the Prince of Peace lock and load their guns and stare with suspicion through the gates around their communities certain that everyone with brown skin or who follows a different religion is waiting outside to kill them and take their piles of accumulated stuff.  Everywhere we turn, the voices of reason are shouted down by those whose political or social agendas are advanced in a culture of fear and anger.  

All that said, it should be sobering to realize that as awful as things seem to be the truth is this is nothing new.  Humans have been killing and oppressing one another since long before recorded history.  The only thing that changes is the ideology or rationale we concoct for legitimizing our inhumane behavior.  As a species we seem intent on our own destruction the collateral damage of a destroyed planet seems a small price for being the last man standing.

In light of our troubled past and present persons of good heart and good intention have only two choices…to admit defeat and eke out a sad and helpless existence on the fringes of the society that has become too hateful to be tolerated…or to look East for the rising of the sun and rekindle the hope in one another that we can learn from our mistakes… we can be better….we can rise from the rubble of war and once again seek to create peace.

Every so often into these dark times God sends a messenger to encourage God’s people and to breathe life into the dying coals of faith and hope.  Today our lectionary gives us the opportunity to reflect on the words of two of those voices.  The Prophet Isaiah was not always a voice of light and hope but he did have moments when he looked up from the war and pestilence that surrounded him and spoke hopefully of days to come.  He reminded those ancient peoples that God had not forgotten them…that always a remnant would remain to begin again…and that at some point in the future a Messiah, a Deliverer would be sent to bring them out of oppression and war and into the way of peace.

In our Gospel reading today Luke quotes from Isaiah’s predictions about the forerunner…the one who was to come before the Messiah to prepare the people to hear his words and follow him.   In our Christian tradition, as recounted in Luke, we believe that prophecy to have been fulfilled in John the Baptist…the cousin of Jesus who came striding out of the wilderness, a fierce and strange man on a mission.  He must have been a peculiar sight, standing there in his camel’s hair clothing, rail thin from his ascetic diet, hair and beard long and wooly sweating under the desert sun, his eyes glowing with the fire of the Spirit.  Here was the voice crying in the wilderness, calling God’s people to repentance.  

Luke’s account of the beginning of John’s public ministry places it in historical context.  He tells us who is governing Rome, the Emperor Tiberius in his 15^th year.  He also records that Pontius Pilate is the governor of Judea and Herod rules Galilee.  These details are given to add credibility to his account of events.  You will remember I am sure that it is this same Herod who will eventually have John the Baptist executed and Pontius Pilate who will order Jesus’ crucifixion.

But at this moment Jesus has yet to begin his public ministry and John is the new attraction for the people of Judea.  I am sure that many people came out just to catch a glimpse of him, but they then stayed and in many cases were convicted and converted by his message.  He obviously had power in his presence and in his words and he spoke clearly and plainly with no attempt to avoid insult or injury.  

In Malachi’s prophecy of the forerunner he says that “he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness”…Malachi 3:2-3.  John didn’t come to play nice, but rather to draw attention to the spiritual corruption that afflicted God’s people, especially their leaders, and to call them to repentance.  

John’s mission was to prepare the way for the Anointed One of God who was to come after him.  He wasn’t some sort of agent for Jesus, setting up venues for him to speak, or running some sort of first century public relations campaign to make sure Jesus had good media coverage.  Rather, John was the last of the great Prophets.  His role was to draw the attention of the people to the sorry state of their faith lives and to share with them the opportunity to make their lives and their souls right with God before the Messiah arrived.  

John had no idea that the one for whom he waited was in fact his cousin Jesus, and he had no idea what the Messiah’s message would be when he came.  All he knew was his own call, his own ministry.  God gave him the words and he gave them to the people…that is what he knew.  He didn’t sugar coat his diagnosis of their spiritual illness and he loudly and emphatically called them to repent and be baptized as a sign of that repentance.  He called them to change their attitudes and their lives and to seek righteousness rather than public approval.

The path that John was called to make straight was the path of the heart.  The rough places were in the minds and souls of God’s people.  The mountains were the internal barriers that the people had built up inside to wall themselves off from God.  If the people were going to be able to hear what would be a brand new message from the Chosen One they needed to have clean hearts and open minds.  God was getting ready to do something completely new and John’s job was to make sure the people were ready for it when it came.

There was an urgency to John’s preaching, almost a desperation.  Some of the things he said to the people were shocking and insulting but he wanted to shake them out of their complacency…their self-perceived helplessness.  Oppressed peoples can become broken down and lose hope and faith.  John wanted to break them out of that psychological bondage so they could hear the message of liberation that would be coming to them.  

So, how is the life and witness of John the Baptist relevant to us 21^st century Christians? Considering the state of the world I think his relevance is obvious.  While. in our understanding the Messiah has already come and we have been given Jesus’ message of the liberation of love and the promise of eternal life made real in his Crucifixion and Resurrection, like the people of John’s day we have become weary with oppression.  While in this country we consider ourselves to be free people and in many ways we are, there are those who seek to and succeed in oppressing the people with fear…fear of the other, fear of the enemy, fear of the wrath of God.  

We have become so used to this climate of suspicion and fear that we aren’t even aware of how it has affected our behavior.   We treat the poor with disdain because we question their worthiness.  We treat the stranger with suspicion rather than welcome because he or she doesn’t look or speak as we do.  We believe those who profit from the machines of violence when they tell us there is no way to peace.  We believe the preachers who proclaim a perverted gospel that claims God rewards the faithful with wealth and afflicts the sinner with disaster and illness.  We have left the faith of Christ and have followed after the foreign idols of uncontrolled capitalism, unfettered nationalism and the narcissistic cult of self.

I think there is a desperate need for us to hear again the words of John the Baptist, calling us to repent of our misguided ways, to renounce our sinful lives and to become the way by which the Messiah is made flesh again.  The promise of the Incarnation, of God with us, is that even now when the light of love has grown dark, Christ can and will be born in us again…can and will be born into this world again.  The first coming was the beginning of a continuous renewal, a reoccurring birth of God through the Holy Spirit. 

I believe that in every moment…in every second of our lives God offers us the opportunity of a do-over.  All of the pain and suffering that we have caused to others and that we have endured at the hands of others can be forgiven and healed.  We can find hope and the strength to defy the powers that be to bring love once more into our own lives and into the society we create.

When Zechariah, John’s father, looked into the face of his son, the miracle baby born to aged parents, he gave him both prophecy and blessing.  

“You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,  To give his people knowledge of salvation  by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Let us pray for the Grace of God to make ourselves ready to be the highway for the Lord…to not only walk the path of righteousness but to become that path to bring the love of God in Jesus Christ into the world anew.  Come quickly Lord Christ, your people wait. 

May we have eyes to see our blessings, ears to hear God’s words and the humbleness to praise and honor Christ our Lord. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, AMEN

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” John 20: 19

Today, the first Sunday after Easter we have heard the Easter story and celebrated Christ’s victory. But have we taken the time to truly realize we are the benefactors of our Risen Savior’s victory over death, hell and the grave. Today’s scriptures show us a glimpse of the disciples shock and efforts to comprehend Jesus’s resurrection and the implications on their lives. Today’s readings demonstrate the spiritual progress the disciples made in their earnest efforts to live their lives according to the firsthand knowledge and lessons learned from the Son of God.

In the gospel of John it had been three days since the disciples watched their leader, master, and liberator die a very public and horrible death by crucifixion. Now on the first resurrection Sunday they have been startled by Jesus’s empty tomb. They have also just been shaken by the message Jesus sent to them through a woman, Mary Magdalene. In a state of great fear, anxiety, disappointment and maybe anger they huddled behind locked doors with thoughts of the Roman’s and Jewish leaders searching for them; when before their astounded eyes stood Jesus. The master they had forsaken and ran from in his hour of capture. The one Peter denied three times. The one some had watch be crucified and heard his last words from the cross.  There he was with reassurance to them with his first words, “Peace be with you.” He did not come to them about their failures but to give them a deep soul filling peace. A solace that comes only from a loving God. He met them where they were physically, emotionally and spiritually. He went into the locked room and showed them the physical marks from the crucifixion. He allowed their eyes to take in what their minds could not yet grasp. Jesus instructed them to move beyond their fear, and from behind the locked doors to continue God’s work of sharing His love and forgiveness through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

However, a week later the disciples are still huddled in the same house but Thomas is with them when Jesus appeared a second time. Again Jesus began with giving all in the room his peace. Just as he did with the disciples earlier he showed Thomas his crucifixion marks, but this time with an invitation to touch them. He came and gave Thomas exactly what Thomas needed to believe. Thomas did not need to touch the marks, he openly and verbally declared Jesus as his Lord and Master. Thomas’s declaration is the highest Christological confession of anyone in the Gospel. He went beyond a belief statement into a proclamation of trust and relationship: “My Lord and my God!”

The disciples went from a huddled group of dismayed, and distressed followers in a locked house to spiritual leaders who proclaimed the Gospel boldly where ever the Spirit led them.  In Acts the description of the community of believers established by the disciples demonstrated the transformation the Holy Spirit has had on the disciples and their actions. They no longer lived by the letter of the law, or by a list of do’s and don’ts. They spoke with the authority of eyewitnesses to the Risen Savior and through the empowerment by the Holy Spirit.   The disciples boldly proclaimed Christ’s resurrection and lead a community of believers full of grace and compassion to live counter culturally. They freely gave of all they had so all could have enough and preferred the needs of others over their own possessions. They participated in the Eucharist, formation of new believers and in spiritual unity.

Their actions of love, unity and the putting others before themselves had resulted in an amazing growth of the new church. This growth continued until we read in the letter of First John where a problem developed that was splitting the church a part. In an effort to reaffirm the struggling church, the writer of the letter passionately reminds church members the same Jesus who was with God in the beginning  was also human and  walked, taught, healed, ate and fellowshipped with them. Like the disciples and other eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection and life changing signs the author of First John proclaimed to the church I saw Jesus, and heard him! He really is alive!  The church was established on the resurrected Son of God. The risen Christ was one with God and the light of their lives. Through Christ their eyes were opened, their hearts touched, they had tasted the joy of the true God.  As followers of Christ, the eternal God had revealed himself to them. Their lives had been spiritually awakened and changed forever. 

We to as baptized believers have been changed and sealed with the Holy Spirit.  We like the disciples have been given instructions to share the gospel in our words and actions. The same God of eternity, the Risen Savior is present with us today.  Although we have not seen him we rejoice in knowing Jesus is alive! Regardless of our doubts, sins, or hesitations he has reached out to us. We like Thomas can look up in awe at his presence in our quiet moments, in the spring flowers, in the Eucharist, and even through our tears and fears. He is with us daily. This Easter let us like Thomas grasp the awesome wonder of his presence and with true joy claim him as our God and Lord.  Jesus lives Alleluia, Alleluia!! 

[Jesus] also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” John 2:16

If you know anything at all about Church history you are aware that in the earliest days of the Church being a Christian was not easy or comfortable.  In the beginning it was one of a number of sects within the Jewish tradition, but not a particularly popular one.  Many of the tenets of the faith were incompatible with the common practice of both Jews and Romans.  While the first Christians valued humility and nonviolence, in speaking out against the prevailing political power and the foundational principles of the economic and social structure as well they found themselves in a very dangerous situation.  It is said that the Church was built on the blood of the martyrs and it is true that many people of faith suffered and lost their lives in the various persecutions.  To be a follower of Christ at that time required the courage of conviction and a willingness to give up everything…wealth, position, social acceptance, family and even one’s very life.  I wonder how many of us would be able or even desire to accept that cost?

The truth is we’ve all gotten too comfortable with our cheap grace and our easy religion.  We throw out cheerful, pious comments like “have a blessed day” and offer our “thoughts and prayers” but what have we really given.  We see a world of pain and suffering around us but it makes barely a ripple in our self-absorbed lives.  We spend our days working for money to acquire things we don’t need and our evenings entertaining ourselves to distract from the chaos we feel powerless to address.  We have an intellectual concern about various causes but if it doesn’t affect us directly we give lip service, maybe share a Facebook post and then put it in the back of our minds.  

What if we actually stopped for a moment in our incessant busyness and asked about a stranger’s life and then looking him or her in the eye gave them time and opportunity to tell us?  What would happen if instead of throwing out “thoughts and prayers” we really did pray for that person in distress or trouble and then got up off of our knees and gave our prayers substance by actually doing something to help?  What if a whole bunch of us people of faith just stopped…stopped buying into the comfortable lie that things will always be the way they are because they have always been that way?  What if we started living our lives like people fired up by the Holy Spirit unashamed to love openly…to welcome radically…and to stand publicly against injustice and to speak truth to the powers that be.

In our Gospel today Jesus, filled with a righteous anger goes about cleansing the Temple of those who have turned a house of worship into a market.  What this account of the story doesn’t tell us is that this temple market was common practice at the time.  Because people of faith traveled great distances to come to the Temple at Jerusalem they could not always carry their animals or grain for sacrifices with them.  Having them available to buy at the worship site was a convenience that many people would have utilized.   The Scripture doesn’t say that the sellers were extorting unreasonable amounts or that the worshippers were complaining.  Jesus went in and disrupted business-as-usual.  He obviously found the mixing of religion and commerce to be unacceptable.  

I wonder what Jesus would think about our modern religious economy….large megachurches with commercial coffee vendors outside of the sanctuary,  Bible-based theme parks, countless purveyors of religious merchandise all making a nice profit from the personal piety of the public.  Faith has become big business.  But what does any of it mean for the one who seeks to know God and to follow Jesus with an authentic faith.  I could string any number of ornate crosses around my neck, tattoo the 10 commandments on my back and fill my Virgin Mary tote bag with a huge Bible in a cover printed with John 3:16  and drive to Church every day in my car with a Jesus fish on the back and a rosary hanging from the rear-view mirror but if I have no love in my heart and no compassion for the poor, the lost and vulnerable then I am an empty vessel at best…a whited sepulcher….a liar.  

Christianity was always intended to stand in opposition to the status quo for the simple reason that the things that society seems to value are not the things of God.  Jesus tells his disciples that to follow him they (we) must be willing to give up everything.  That is not an easy thing to conceive of or to do, yet it is what is asked of us.  There are no half-measures with God…he wants all that we have and all that we are….not because God needs anything but rather it is for our benefit.  If we can lose our attachment to stuff…our fear of being without then we are free to live fully into the Gospel of love.  If we do not fear scarcity then we will be able to share what we have with those who do not have…not out of duty but joyfully out of love.  If we look forward to eternity and no longer fear death then no one has power over us and we can live our lives in the way we feel God would have us to live.  We are free to speak truth to those who may not wish to hear it.  We don’t have to worry about losing social status or reputation or influence because those things have no value for the Christian.  

To follow Jesus in the way of peace is the path to liberation….to love without condition…to compassion without limitation….to deep abiding relationships based on mutual respect and  a common goal to nurture goodness in the world and in each other.  This is the reality of life in the Kingdom.  The sad truth is that many have traded that vision for a cheap imitation…for a comfortable religion that does not challenge individuals to love boldly but rather gathers people of like mind to be entertained and props up the status quo with the lie that God’s favor leads to prosperity and power.  Whether we want to admit it or not…the United States is not God’s chosen country and its citizens are not God’s chosen people.  Our government is not ordained by God and capitalism is not holy.  Many of us have made an idol of our current way of life.  If you take the long view of history you will see that governments rise and fall…civilizations come and go…nothing lasts forever and nothing is certain but change.  

The best that any of us can do is to seek to be the best people we can be given the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Being faithful to Christ is really not that complicated…it means loving others in the way Christ has loved us….fully, joyfully, without reservation and without condition.  If this sacrificial love is your driving force it will lead you to share what you have with those who do not have…to defend the vulnerable….to comfort the suffering….to stand against injustice and to welcome the stranger…to forgive those who offend you…those who hurt you and those who persecute you….to pray without ceasing.  Following Christ doesn’t require you to sit in judgment of anyone.  That does not mean that we do not call out evil when we see it but that must be done carefully with love and with a willingness to forgive.  We teach holiness by example so do not be afraid to live your faith openly. Showing your love does not make you weak….being open to forgiveness does not make you a victim.  We are God’s gentle people and the Gospel of Christ is best shared through acts of kindness.

Brothers and sisters we live in troubling times and I know many of you are anxious about the future and suffering some measure of spiritual exhaustion from dealing with our chaotic political and economic situation.  I know that much of your distress is rooted in your concern for the vulnerable…for those who will feel most strongly the effects of policy changes made by those who have no idea what life is like for the poor and the disenfranchised.  Whatever happens in this country and in the global community to which we are all connected by virtue of our humanity and in some cases economics, the truth is our call as Christians remains unchanged.  We are to love God with all our heart, our mind and our strength and to love others as Christ loved us.  What that looks like may change in response to the events around us but the heart of our Gospel is eternal.  No matter what happens in the world we will always have opportunity to act in love…to comfort…to heal…to make peace…to forgive.

In like manner the love of God for us is eternal and unshakeable.  While we may get things wrong more often than not the Holy Spirit is constantly leading us on…nurturing the Christ within us, strengthening our faith and prompting us to greater acts of self-sacrifice.  We are God’s beloved children and we have power to change this world for the better…more power than we can imagine if we can put our fears aside and commit ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We must not lose hope but keep putting one foot in front of the other…even when we cannot see the path because of the chaos around us.  God is ever with us and we are not on our own.  All of this creation is precious to the one who created it but it is through us that God’s purpose will be fulfilled.  It is through us…one good deed at a time….one act of compassion after another that the world will be changed and the Kingdom of God will be made present.

First Sunday in Lent 2021                                                             Kay Williams

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. The Gospel of Mark 1:9-13

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit may we have eyes to see our blessings, ears to hear God’s words and the humbleness to praise and honor Christ our Lord, AMEN

It is great to be back at Grace. With the completion of AIMS, I now wait for meetings on March 18th with the Commission of Ministry and Bishop G for their decision on my next steps towards ordination.  

 Lent like Advent is liturgically set with scriptures marked with spiritually important events to ponder as we move forward towards the death and then resurrection of our Savior. Just has the scriptures guide us through Advent and the expectation of Christmas and Christ’s return, Lent reminds us, in fact calls us to be still, quiet and reflective on our lives in relationship to our risen Lord. Just as Jesus was driven by the Holy Spirt into the wilderness into soul searching isolation and spiritual battles; we to are called by the Holy Spirit to look inward at our own heart, to search our soul and reexamine our relationship with God.  

Our first reading today picks up with Noah and his family stepping out of the ark after surviving a worldwide flood. Not only does God bring them and all living creatures on the ark through a yearlong devastating flood, he also takes the time to reassure them that no matter how long and hard it rains or how fierce the winds blow there will never be another planet cleansing flood. After being locked up in the ark listening to the storm and being tossed about not knowing what would happen next, where they would land or when they  could leave the ark Noah and his family needed more than just a  few words of reassurance. They needed something concrete. Something they could point to, physically see and be reassured when the storms raged around them they did not have to fear for their lives and run back into the ark.  God gave them that reassurance, he marked his promise with a rainbow for all to see who look up. 

Did you notice God’s compassion to Noah and his family? The creator of the universe did not give Noah a list to correct in his life or his family’s, instead he provided mental and emotional comfort to their weary minds and souls. When the storms came they could look up and be reminded God was in control. The rainbow was a physical reminder of God’s covenant to never flood the earth again. As Children of God although many generations down from Noah and his sons, we in today’s downpours, howling winds and chaotic storms can look up and see a rainbow. We to have a physical reminder God remains faithful to his promises. We like Noah can look up at a rainbow and know God is still in the promise keeping, hope providing business.  

The writer of today’s Palms has been through some life storms and appears battered and weary but is able to look up. The palmist reminds us although we fail often and we don’t always trust or follow God’s ways close enough, we are still loved, guided and nurtured by God in all his marvelous, and sometimes subtle ways. Like a rainbow that quietly appears and gives those who look upon it a moment of surprise, awe and hope. 

In first Corinthians’ Paul reminds the new church that just as God waited patiently during the days of Noah, both during the building of the ark, and the year and seventeen days during the flood, God kept all those in the ark safe. God’s grace saved Noah and his family and brought them through the flood of water. Paul compares it to a baptism, in that when Noah and his family came out of the ark they began living in a new world washed clean just as our baptism washes our souls clean before God and the church. Just as the old world was washed way and Noah began building a new life, we as baptized believers turn from our old  ways and we build our new lives on the hope and promises of Christ our Savior.

The Gospel today in just six sentences takes us back to the baptism of Jesus along with God and the Holy Spirit’s reactions to Jesus’ baptism.  As Jesus rose from the water, God spoke of his love for him. God claimed him, and reassured him just before the Holy Spirt whisked Jesus off into the wilderness. When I looked up wilderness, I found words such as, uninhabited, neglected area, the wastelands, a desert. Within a breath’s moment, Jesus went from hearing God’s words of assurance to total loneliness. Just as many prophets endured hardships and times of isolation before they received and delivered God’s messages, Jesus also struggled alone in the wilderness against Satan’s attacks. Although Jesus was being obedient he had to face his personal spiritual battles and temptations with Satan. After his lonely but intense victories over Satan, Jesus began to find his way in God’s plan like the prophets before him did and we as believers are called to do during Lent. As Mother Robyn stated in her Ash Wednesday homely, “During Lent we strive to speak and act with intention, to be present. I would add to be present with God.

The pandemic has left many of us in much lonelier places with many questions, few social events and many hours at home.  Although we are around less people we are never out of God’s sight. The Good News John the Baptist and Jesus proclaimed is still alive, active and with us. Let us during the forty days of Lent use the alone time the pandemic has given us to refocus our minds and hearts on the Good News that the kingdom of God is here. Let us open our hearts to God, repent, believe, and look up. We can trust the Holy Spirit to guide us through personal days of soul searching and the world’s uncertainties even if at times they appear dark and feel fearful.  

So how do we let God open our eyes and hearts once again to the refreshing soul cleansing light of Jesus and the Good News of Christ’s resurrection? First we stop and take a deep breath. Exhale slowly and look up. Take a few moments even minutes to look up and view the vastness of the blue sky or maybe the twinkling stars on a dark night. Begin to listen to the sounds of nature. If you are inside gaze out a window or upon a favorite item close by. Where ever you are, let yourself relax, smile, breathe deeply and let the truth of God’s promise that he loves you and is with you no matter what wash over your mind and heart. Next spend a few minutes reading today’s scriptures or pondering a Bible verse that floats through your mind. We could turn off the radio, TV, and phone for a minute and quietly sit breathing deeply while we remember our baptism or the baptism of a loved one. We can sit quietly and read the Bible not as chore or like it is a newspaper but prayerfully with an open mind to whatever the Holy Spirit may show us. This Lentin season we can try to daily be purposely quiet focused on God and open to whatever the Holy Spirit reveals to us. For some it will be a new discipline, for others an old practice but to all it can be a Lentin observance we can try for forty days as time carries us through this Lentin season during the pandemic. 

Brothers and sisters just as God was with Noah and Jesus as they came up out of the water, he is surely with us. Each rainbow we see in the sky proclaims God has kept his physical and spiritual promises. Jesus has won the battles, God’s kingdom is near and Jesus is the Good News. Lent is our time to refocus on our baptism, clear our hearts of the world’s clutter and be open to the moving of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus prepared his heart, the church has set time aside for us to prepare our hearts and lives for our risen Savior Easter morning. Let us begin Lent with open hearts towards God.