Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Romans 10:5-13
Luke 4:1-13
Psalm 91
The season of Lent is a journey that takes us into the mystery of what it really means to be a follower of Jesus, the Christ. It offers us a remarkable opportunity to look at those vulnerable places within ourselves that we usually try to ignore - those places where we're most likely to take a wrong turn and find ourselves lost and floundering in the wilderness. It's a time we're encouraged to invite the loving light of the Spirit to shine into the very center of these places we've kept hidden in the dark recesses of ourselves.... so that we can bring a new determination and confidence to the promises we will make to God on Easter morning when we renew our Baptismal Covenant.
When I was a kid, I really didn't get Lent. It seemed pretty weird to me that I was supposed to give up eating chocolate or watching my favorite t.v. show - "I Remember Mama" - because that would make God happy. Frankly it didn't do much to improve my opinion of God. Seemed like God was pretty much of a kill-joy who didn't like kids to me. And after a few weeks of not getting meat on Fridays, my dad got really crabby. What was the point? Every winter when your sick of school anyway, and winter has become way too long and boring, you get to figure out what to give up for Lent. It just didn't make any sense. So my lenten discipline was usually to figure out how to sneak chocolate and be sure to visit a friend who had a television set so I could watch "I Remember Mamma" without my folks finding out. And I tried to remember that when it was over I would get to hunt for Easter eggs and eat chocolate bunnies.
So today when I say that Lent is one of my favorite seasons of the church year, I chuckle to myself- because I know that the kid I used to be would have seen me as one more weird grown up who didn't understand kids. As a child I believed that lent was about feeling guilty about all the things I had, while so many other kids in the world were starving to death. I often hear similar beliefs being expressed today - followed by a declaration along the lines of "I can't wait till Lent is over."
The end of the lenten journey is Easter. And in our Episcopal tradition, we come together on Easter morning to renew our Baptismal covenant. It seems to me that the Baptismal Covenant is the heart of our Christian faith... it's kind of like when we sing the Star Spangled Banner at the beginning of every baseball game - or when we start each school day with the Pledge of Allegiance - when we stand up and remember that we're Americans - and that means something about freedom and courage and a determination to do whatever we need to - to preserve those freedoms..
When we renew our Baptismal Covenant, we are standing up and reminding ourselves that we are Christians, followers of Christ. We proclaim what we believe; and we promise to do certain things to spread the Good News of Jesus, the Christ. In the last half of the Covenant, there are five questions that guide us in carrying out that goal of our faith. The first one asks: "Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?" It seems to me that this question reveals the road map for the lenten journey through the wilderness. We are to study the teachings of the gospels in fellowship with one another; we are to break bread together; and we are to keep praying.
Now that doesn't sound like I'm supposed to give up chocolate and stop watching "Touched by an Angel" to me. It sounds like I'm supposed to look to the scriptures and the traditions of worship in order to strengthen myself in the company of my sisters and brothers in Christ - so that on Easter morning I will be ready to declare my intent to continue in the ministry of all the baptized. During Lent, each of us is directed to open our hearts and minds and souls to the guidance and working of the Spirit in our common study and worship together - so that each of us will be ready to do our part in fulfilling those promises we'll make to God on Easter morning. The promise to
Perhaps it means giving up 15 minutes each morning to lengthen my morning devotions - and to be intentional about asking the Spirit to clearly show me just what it is that tempts me to turn away and not answer God's call. to follow Jesus.
Perhaps it means giving up my comfortable silence when there is an opportunity to talk about Jesus with someone who doesn't know him... and then perhaps even invite that person to come to church with me.
Perhaps it means giving up one or two afternoons or evenings during Lent to come together with my sisters and brothers at (St. Stephen's/Good Samaritan/Our Saviour's) as we struggle together to hear how God is calling us to serve the Christ in the unchurched Gen- Xers , or in persons who live with mental illness, or addiction, or the oppression of homophobia or racism or classicism.
When I begin to reflect on giving up the things that enable me to keep feeling comfortable and complacent - giving up chocolate and t.v. sounds a whole lot easier, and frankly more appealing.
Maybe that's the biggest temptation of all during Lent - the temptation to give up something that will enable me to remain comfortable and complacent - and does absolutely nothing to find my way out of that wilderness.
AMEN.