Mark
As I was preparing this
sermon I was curious about something,
“How
many people in our church give something up for Lent?’
I was hoping I could see a show of hands.
This Lent, I’m giving up
something as well,
but
I have to admit my track record isn’t that good.
I’m not bad at doing
something new for Lent,
but
I’m horrible at giving things up.
In years gone by I’ve had
pretty good luck with praying in the sanctuary,
or
using a devotional guide,
or working in a Soup kitchen,
but when it comes to foregoing
some of life’s simple pleasures I’m terrible.
By day 10 I find my desire for a Three Musketeer or a pint of Ben and
Jerry’s is practically overwhelming.
And sooner or later their
bidding takes me to Stop and Shop.
It’s
not that far.
Giving up something for Lent
is a tricky business.
At its worst,
it
can be a self righteous act of piety that makes everyone around you miserable.
At its best, it can be act of
devotion leading us into a fuller life.
And at its corps is the hope
that our act of commitment will help us grow in faith
and
draw us deeper into the mystery of God.
Believe it or not,
last
year in the late Spring, the Stewardship Committee met to talk
about Lent.
That may seem bizarre to you. You’re probably thinking,
“Stewardship
is not something we do in Lent unless we’ve had a really, really, really bad
year.”
Stewardship is for the fall;
that’s
when we talk about time and talent and treasure.
That’s when the Deacons
invite people to be a part of a vital mission of the church
and
that is when we consider how we should respond to God’s grace with our
finances.
But the stewardship committee
recognized something about this church.
*The deacons do a wonderful
job of inviting us into mission and considering how we use our time.
*The stewardship committee
does a great job of challenging people to consider how much they have received
from God,
and
how their giving should be a sign of their thankfulness.
But as a community of faith,
we
often forget to talk about “talent.”
Perhaps, by March after the
deacon’s campaign
and
the stewardship campaign,
and the February campaign this year,
we’re
campaigned out.
Perhaps we see the variety of
gifted teachers in the church school
and
the
or the
talented musicians in worship,
or the way people care for each other through
or the prayer shawl ministry and we think:
“Who
needs to worry about stewardship of talents when so many people are sharing their
talents so freely?”
But I think the stewardship
committee is on to something
when
they challenge us to think about the stewardship of talent.
They know that our view of
the world
will forever be distorted
unless
we see all of life, including talent, as a gift from God.
They know that life will be incomplete,
if
we understand our talents and interests as something we have achieved apart
from God.
So they want to challenge all
of us
to
consider the way God has blessed us with talents and interests,
and consider how God would have us use these gifts.
Through Lent,
there will be opportunities
for you to consider how God has blessed you with
specific
talents and interests.
You will be encouraged to
imagine how God might direct you to use your God given gifts.
And you will be challenged to
consider what it means to be a good steward
of
talent.
During Lent you may be
reminded of your gift with children
or
your promise as a peacemaker.
You may remember your love
for the arts
or
your ability to fix things.
You may discover gifts that
you didn’t realize you possessed
or rediscover
an old passion.
You might even sense God
calling you to a new line of work
or a
new way to serve.
As a guide during these 40
days,
I
recommend this lovely little book called Sleeping with Bread[2].
It has a practice that I
think would be good for all of us to use this Lent.
The practice is called The
Examen, and it instructs us to reflect on each day by asking:
For what moment today am I
most grateful?
For what moment today am I
least grateful?
That’s it, there are other ways
you can ask the same questions:
When did I feel most useful
today?
When did I feel the least
useful?
Or when did I sense God’s
presence the most?
When did God seem most
distant?
What was today’s
What was today’s low point?
When was I the happiest?
When was I not happy at all?
I encourage you this Lent, to
consider your highs and lows at dinner,
and see if God speaks through
your reflections,
and
reveals an area that you should pursue,
or an activity you should let go of.
God cares deeply about
stewardship.
God cares about how we care
for the world and each other.
And God has provided us
seasons,
like
the season of Lent to direct us, and guide us.
But Lent is more than letting
go of a life draining activity,
or
giving up candy bars or ice cream..
The New Testament lesson for
today says that God wants more.
God doesn’t want us to just
cut this or that out,
God
wants everything.
As we have been reading
through the gospel of Mark,
we
have seen Jesus perform miracle upon miracle
preach the good news,
and
provide helpful guidance.
But today, everything
changed.
Today we read from the eighth
chapter of Mark,
and
Jesus tells of his death and resurrection.
From out of the blue,
Jesus
tells the disciples that he must endure great suffering,
be rejected by the elders
and then be raised on the third day.
When Christ told the
disciples about the cross that awaited him,
Peter spoke for us all and
said,
“No,
surely you don’t have to be killed.
There
must be another way.”
To which Jesus said, “Get,
behind me Satan.
Get behind me temptation that
has waited for me in the night.
Get behind me, for I know
what I must do.
To gain life for you, I must
lose it. To give the world hope, I must
die.”
And in that self giving
sacrifice. Christ showed us the depth of
God’s love,
and also
the way of life for us.
We are not meant to die on a cross as Christ
died,
but
we are meant to turn towards God.
We are meant to follow the one who died on the cross.
And we are meant to live as he lived.
But if we believe that we can
turn towards God
and
follow Christ without giving up a thing,
we are wrong, and we deceive
our selves.
It is impossible to live for
others and the gospel
if
we are weighed down with burdens and possessions.
God wants to give us life,
but
if we are so focused on saving our lives
and saving the lives of our children,
we may have little room left for others,
and no room left for Christ.
If on the other hand,
we
are willing to lose our life for Christ’s sake and the gospel,
we will gain life.
Choose life, says the
Lord.
As a great preacher once
said:
Chose a life that receives the love he brought,
and lead a life that lives the life he taught.[3]
And you
will find life by losing it.
One of my favorite stories in
the pages of the Bible is the story of Ruth.
She left the family and her
home,
and
joined another
and then tragedy hit.
She lost her father in law,
her brother in law and even her husband.
She could have returned to
her old life and her old ways,
but
instead she turned to the one who must have become like a mother to her, and
said.
“Where you go, I will go,
Your people will be my
people,
And your God, my God.”
And she left the land she had
known,
to follow
the presence she discovered.
She never would have found
life,
if
she wasn’t willing to lose it.
But she chose life, and so
must we.
Amen.