Words for Worship

Ministry Today

Matthew 6.1-6; 16-21

Romans 8.12-17

It is a staple subject for reality TV and it’s the gruelling military course. Usually the series starts by interviewing the young hopefuls. It then follows them through a multitude of trials and tribulations as they either fall by the wayside or learn to fly a fighter, command a submarine or become a Royal Marine commando.  And the series’ cliché ending is seeing a successful handful who has braved these endless privations gaining their wings, their badge or their Green Beret. The lesson is always clear – only those that preserve win what is coveted the most.

Well we say we have nothing like that in religion. But you know that isn’t true. Jews fast during Passover and Muslims do so during Ramadan. And we - well we have the ancient tradition of lent.

 

Because, 20 centuries ago, Lent was the primary season for the newly formed Christian communities across the Roman Empire. And it led up to the great Easter vigil service that lasted from sunset to sunrise. Now obviously this spiritual assault course needed preparation for. None more so than for the new Christian recruits. For this long service included the sacrament of baptism for new believers. A sacrament that no candidate would have seen – since in the early church - the first baptism you ever saw was your own. Not surprisingly then for those preparing to enter fully into the church and its promised salvation, the season of lent was particularly a time of intense personal testing.

And at the heart of their profound 40 days of trails and struggles was the concept of leaving behind all of the things of this world that got in the way of their relationship with God.  

So today’s text from Matthew would have spoken clearly to them. For their preparations of fasting, praying and alms giving would not have been done in order to be seen by others. In fact, in those early centuries it would have been positively dangerous to being seen done by others. Rather they were striving throughout to empty ourselves. Since, above all things, they desired to be filled by God in Christ. As a result any privations suffered were not causes of misery but inspired by the joyful anticipation of what would soon be won.

 

 

 

I am sure you have had the experience in finding yourself in the kitchen and you can’t remember why you’re there. Certainly, we all know the times when we have read a page of a book and can’t recall a word of it. Worse still is when we arrive at the shops and don’t remember anything about the drive there from home.

Well, we all can get that way in the spectrum of activities we do regularly. In fact, we can even go into auto-pilot in our spiritual life. Prayers said by rote, bibles read hurriedly and talks listened too with only half an ear.

However having thought of our Christian forebears and what they willingly endured at this time of year, we surely see a better approach to Easter; an approach that will be at once refreshing and revitalising and reaffirming.

Let us then prepare ourselves as of old to win the glorious joy of new life in he who has newly risen. Indeed, this lent, let us journey back to God.

 

And we start that walk of crucifixions and resurrections by doing a bit of inner examination. For as Socrates said the life not examined is not worth living. That means getting down and dirty and doing a spiritual ‘green beret’ course. It means honestly looking at all of the frills and distractions we allow ourselves to be involved with.  It means purging ourselves of all the fears, failures and false desires with as much courage and dignity as we can muster. It means returning to relying purely on God’s love and mercy to fill us, to complete us and to save us.

 

In more direct language, we need to make Lent the time of rediscovering the basics of what it means to be Christian.  And that is as Paul wrote to the Romans. Since he seems to be saying when we act even from the best of motives, if it is not instigated by the Spirit, then we are doing wrong. When we act without being filled by the risen Christ we are trying for self salvation. When we build without the realisation of our foundation is in God then all is likely to fall.  

 

Therefore, our journey back to abba – father - originates in one mindset alone. And that is the unmitigated acceptance of what Christ has done for us –That it was he who loved us first. It was he who acted for us first. It was he who suffered for us first. As a result, he won for us the greatest prize of all. And what else can that be than to be called the very Children of God?  

In the wild west, the local sheriff was looking for a deputy, and one of the applicants - who was not known to be the brightest academically, was called in for an interview. "Okay," began the sheriff, "What is 1 and 1?" "Eleven," came the reply. The sheriff thought to himself, "That's not what I meant, but he's right."

Then the sheriff asked, "What two days of the week start with the letter 'T'?" "Today & tomorrow." Replied the applicant. The sheriff was again surprised over the answer, one that he had never thought of himself.

"Now, listen carefully, who killed Abraham Lincoln?", asked the sheriff.

The job seeker seemed a little surprised, then thought really hard for a minute and finally admitted, "I don't know." The sheriff replied, "Well, why don't you go home and work on that one for a while?" The applicant left and wandered over to his pals who were waiting to hear the results of the interview. He greeted them with a cheery smile, "The job is mine!

The interview went great! First day on the job and I'm already working on a murder case!"

Well that young man gained his Sheriff’s deputy star mightily easily. But we as applicants for lent’s spiritual Green Beret course won’t find it so easy. Yet our preparation’s main struggle is not what we are seen doing. But instead it is foundationally a matter of what we are not seen doing. Becuase, we prepare ourselves best by pushing out the self and selfish and surrendering to that spirit who will fill us with sustenance for the road ahead.

Now, of course, these Lenten privations will be painful and there will be no badge of tin or beret of cloth at the end. Yet we do have a coveted prize in sight. For Easter well prepared for wins us the very peace, light and life in Christ that only our distracted self prevents.  For Easter well prepared for empties us for our crucifixion and fills us for our resurrection. For Easter well prepared for anchors us for the salvation that befits none less than the children of God

 

Amen

 

Offering

 

HYMN………….

 

 

 

Lent’s Green Beret Course!