The seasons of the church are a bit like breathing in and out…
Breathing is important. My biology teacher taught me that breathing in allows life giving Oxygen to enter the blood stream… breathing out expels poisonous Carbon Dioxide… because we can breathe – we can live.
Just like our bodies need to breathe we as a church breathe in and out as we move through spiritual seasons…
* * *
When we begin preparing for Christmas we start to breathe in, taking in the wonderful reality of God born in human flesh – Jesus "the exact imprint of God's very being." (Heb 1:3)
During the time we call Epiphany we continue to breathe in – seeing how the disciples follow Jesus, how wise men come and see him – recognizing his Kingship. Asking ourselves how we should respond to this living revelation of God.
Soon after that – we begin the season of Lent… still breathing in – it's a long breath. Taking in the reality of Jesus death and resurrection, the love of God made known to us in concrete form. Our sin forgiven because of God's grace.
After the resurrection we continue to breathe in – anticipating Pentecost… the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the message of Jesus poured out to all the world…
At Pentecost we breathe out again, as God breathes with us… giving life to the world in which we live – sharing the life with the world which Jesus has given us to share.
* * *
The seasons are teaching aids… they're not some sort of law to be followed, but a healthy tradition that reminds us to have a whole faith. They are seasons that remind us about who Jesus is and what he is doing. They allow us to think for a bit… to meditate on certain parts of our faith…
We should always hold the wonder of Jesus birth, asking how we should respond. We should always be mindful of God's love made known in Jesus' death and resurrection the transforming power of his love made real. We should always be aware of God pouring out his Spirit into us and empowering us to go out and be the people we were created to be.
But at times – we stop for a while in one place – and take it all in.
* * *
During lent we live – for a little while – in the shadow of Christ's cross.
It might seem like a depressing place to be – but it actually isn't. It's a hopeful place…
Jesus suffering and death leads to resurrection – death is defeated, the darkness is overcome… The cross tells us how much we are loved.
It tells us also – how much we ourselves should love.
* * *
In dying – Christ gives us life.
* * *
Lent, the weeks leading up to Easter, is a time for new growth… growth that transforms us through the reality of God made known to us in Jesus Christ:
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18: "…all of us… are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another…"
All of us, as we respond to the love of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ – begin a process of transformation and change… as we become more and more, the people God created us to be.
* * *
This transformation process could be called repentance.
Many of us have learnt a meaning of repentance that has little to do with the original Greek word that we translate as repent…
When we think of repenting we imagine a monk – beating himself over the back – mourning his sins and saying he's sorry. We think of punishing ourselves with guilt for the things that we have done wrong.
But that's not the real meaning of the word. Metanoia (which we translate as repentance) is a word that looks forward, more than it is a word that looks back. It is a word about life – not about death.
Jesus preaches: "Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near…"
John the Baptist reminds us to "bear fruit worthy of repentance."
These are positives – not negatives.
Jesus doesn't say repent so you won't go to hell – he says repent so you can see God's Kingdom here and now…
The word invites us to change our attitude, our mind completely… as if we were totally new people.
It invites us to see this world and everything in it in a totally different light to the one we're used to as we accept the reality of God's love and interest in us.
* * *
During this lent time I invite you to think about how you can begin a process of repentance – of mind changing that leads you into new life.
* * *
In the gospel of Matthew we are told that the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be 'tested' by the devil.
The devil is called the disruptor or slanderer – the diabolas – the one who messes up God's plans.
Biblical people understood creation as created good, but messed up by a personal and evil force which convinces people to make bad decisions…
In Genesis we read the story of Adam and Eve. When they are tempted they choose themselves over God.
"When you eat of it (the fruit)", the snake tells them, "your eyes will be opened and you will be like God…"
- Genesis 3:5
* * *
In the story Adam and Eve make a choice similar to the kind of choice each of us make every day…
The truth of the story is not in whether it happened or not but in the fact that every day people constantly make the same choice.
We choose obedience to our own will – our own desires over God's. We constantly choose to do what we want to do without consideration for what God would have us do.
Will we live God's way – adopting the values for life which God sets out for us, loving God and loving our neighbour?
Will we live our own way – adopting values for life according to what we think we need?
As Jesus goes to the wilderness to be tested, pressured by the devil –which way will he choose?
* * *
Right at the beginning of his ministry Jesus chooses between two paths…
On one hand, the path of self serving power:
· Turning stones into bread, satisfying his own hunger.
· Falling from the temple without hurting himself – safe from the dangers and suffering of this world.
· Kingdom's bowing down to him… if he does things the devil's way all the Kingdom's of the world and their splendour will belong to him.
On the other hand – a path of suffering – ending in the crowd crying out in Jerusalem – crucify him.
* * *
To us – I think there would be no contest…
Like our archetypes, Adam and Eve who went before us we choose the way that suits us. The way of power, the way of domination – the way of control.
* * *
In contrast to the way we would choose:
· Jesus chooses to give up his power to turn stones into bread, suffering with those who hunger:
We choose the way that offers the best temporal reward – and we never have enough.
· Jesus chooses not to avoid pain and discomfort, dying on the cross even though he could be rescued:
When confronted by pain and suffering… we refuse to be a part of it; reluctant to involve ourselves in the lives of those who are suffering because it's often too much for us to handle.
· Jesus chooses not to be a popular Messiah:
When confronted with the choice between doing right and wrong – we choose to do whatever is most popular.
The reason Jesus chooses these over the others is that the one reflects God's way, the other doesn't.
* * *
Lent is a time of repentance.
It is a time of mind changing, learning to see things differently – exchanging the values that we previously held for the values given by God.
Jesus fast in the wilderness is not about being sorry about the past – it is preparation for his upcoming ministry, his encounter with people.
His preparation is to choose the way he will go about it, Jesus chooses to minister in God's way – the way of gentleness, generosity and love…
For our sake, he chooses the way that leads to the cross.
* * *
What way do we choose?
Let's use lent as a time to reflect on the decisions we make – striving to do what honours God rather than ourselves.
* * *
To help do this, some people fast – maybe giving up Coffee, or chocolate or other luxuries – making a small sacrifice. Not because it's a way of earning credit with God… but because it is a way of reminding yourself that your needs are second to obedience to God. Maybe it will mean cutting down from 20 a day to 15? 2 Glasses to just 1?
Doing something that reflects the reality of the Kingdom – reminding yourself exactly who is in charge… God – not you... and it might be a bit inconvenient.
Some people take up something new… praying for two minutes every morning before the day begins? Visiting the housebound and lonely? Washing the dishes?
When we begin this act of repentance, when we give up our own power, our own needs in favour of God's; then we will begin to see the process of change that makes the Kingdom real in us, in our homes, in our businesses, in our relationships… in our hearts, in this place.
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