Published as part of the blog post http://somethingshappeninghere.wordpress.

com/2013/02/16/lenten-journey

Lenten Journey:
Lent is the period of self-examination and preparation for Easter, representing the time Jesus spent in the wilderness enduring temptation and preparing for his ministry. During this time, we can similarly prepare, taking time to pause and reflect, to renew and experience again the power of the Gods final covenantal offering to us through his Son: that of His unconditional Grace, and the profound love from which it comes.

Scriptural Context: (you can click on the links here to read the full Scriptural texts)
Genesis 9:817 The covenant between God and Noah. Psalm 25:110 Lead me in your truth, O God.

1 Peter 3:1822 Once for allbaptism saves. Mark 1:915 The baptism, temptation, and mission of Jesus.

Key ideas:
In this Lenten journey we can start again and experience renewed faith by accepting Gods covenant with us. The Fathers loving word to Jesus is the basis of his faithfulness; it can be the same for us. That he lived as a human among us draws us into a relationship with Jesus; his life is our model.

Reflection:
This is the first Sunday of Lent; the first Sunday as we try to understand Gods gift to us of his son, Jesus; as we learn of the unconditional Grace from which this gift was given; and as we are drawn to accept this Love and the impact it can and will have on our lives both personally and as a Christian family. To me, the messages in these passages swirl around the ideas of promises, of Grace, Love and Peace, of developing a relationship with our Lord, and of being human, with Jesus being the

physical embodiment of the covenant God has created with us. Perfect for the beginning of this Lenten journey, where we live again Jesus journey towards the cross. As such, the key ideas for todays reflection are about pausing and starting again, experiencing renewed faith by accepting Gods covenant with us; about the glimpse we get of the tender moment of a Father speaking of the love he has for his son, and by extension, of the incredible love he has for us; and about Marks record of Jesus baptism, his immediate trial, and the call to believe in the Good news. Central to the message is the idea of Gods covenant with us, a word that calls to be explored as we grapple with what His covenant means for us today. The word covenant itself can be interpreted in many ways promise, blessing, binding contract, contractual agreement; what these definitions share is the idea of two or more parties, brought together for mutual benefit, sometimes with the idea that one party is more of a benevolent benefactor and the other is a grateful recipient much like a parent and child relationship, that involves trust, sharing, and much capacity for love. Gods covenant with us is like that parent-child relationship, only much stronger, much more freely given without the human emotions and potential human baggage that often factors into our own, human parent-child relationships. For Gods covenant with us stems from Gods Grace his own acceptance of us whether we feel like we deserve, or not; whether we want it, or not; whether we even think about it, or not. There is NOTHING you can do, or not do, to prevent God from extending his grace to you it is freely given. Often it is our own human struggle of self-acceptance, self-worth - or our own human emotions of anger, doubt, uncertainty, or apathy that prevents us from seeing how precious this gift is. We dont feel worthy; or we are angry with what life has thrown at us and misplace the blame on God and others; or we cannot or do not want to see the incredible benefits of his unswerving, unconditional, omnipresent Grace. But His Grace is freely given nonetheless always there, always offered, and we can dare to accept that precious gift and live a life that Jesus modeled for us in his life here on earth or not. In the passage from Genesis, God declares his covenant to Noah and his family after the flood. He says, I am establishing my covenant with you and with your descendants after you I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. So He gave us a visible sign of that covenant the rainbow that will remind us of his promise to us his promise of unending Grace and Love. How incredibly fitting, that a thing of such beauty and marvel, as a rainbow, is our visible sign of his precious gifts to us! Take a moment to consider what impact it could have if, each time we saw a rainbow, we paused and marvelled yes, at the beauty - but more importantly at His promise to us; and at his invitation for us to accept his Grace and Love.

But the flood story in Genesis also speaks to renewal to cleansing, to washing away, to starting over all things similarly symbolized in baptism, as we use the physical property of water metaphorically to cleanse us and help us start anew in his Love and Grace. Noah and his family literally experienced that; John, as he baptized others with water, understood that. Jesus, as he was baptized by John, personified that. In the passage from Mark, Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, the Spirit descended upon him and God spoke: You are my Son, my Beloved. With you I am well pleased. This passage is so tender, so intimate, it almost makes us a bit squirmy to witness, like stumbling onto two people declaring their love for one another; and yet we have been invited in to see, to hear, to share this intimate moment. For in this tremendously loving statement from Father to Son, we understand many things: that Jesus was the Son of God; that God sent Jesus to earth to live among us and with us as a human; that Gods love was so profound for us, his people, that he sent his son knowing the trials he would be facing; that, ultimately, he sent us Jesus as the physical embodiment of his eternal covenant with us of his promise of Love and Grace. Marks testimony is so stark from Jesus baptism and the intimacy of the spoken word of love between father and son, to the immediacy of being driven out into the wilderness where Jesus was tempted by Satan. Its a bit breathtaking. And yet this is probably a part of the story of Jesus life that I treasure most, because he is accessible to me. To identify fully with humans, Jesus had to endure temptations; he had to live like us, and experience the trials, temptations and human emotions that constantly threaten to derail us, both as individuals, and in our relationships with others. But this is exactly what draws me in personally into a relationship with him he understands; he has been here. He shows us anger in the temple; at times he expresses loneliness; there are moments when he wants just to be left alone; some say he experiences a possible attraction to Mary; even on the cross, he expresses a moment of doubt and fear. It is this very humanness that makes me relate to him. His intense experience in the wilderness shows us that, as a human being, as a man, as a woman, we, too, can strive to resist temptation and live a life that comes closer to living a life of faithful obedience to Gods covenant with us that is, living a life thats not perfect, but that is continually forged and melded as it is being perfected. So the Lenten journey, for me, and maybe for you, also includes this growing affinity to this man, Jesus, who lived among us, who understands us so completely, and yet who triumphs in complete faithfulness, no matter how hard the trial. So now during Lent, as we move into the Easter season, we know the story there are no surprises. Its not like a new novel, where you are tempted to jump to the end to see what happens. The story unfolds as it always has Jesus lives among us, brings others into a better

understanding of Gods loving relationship with us, shares the burdens of others and heals physical and spiritual impediments. He challenges present thinking, despite potential threat and discomfort, clarifying and returning us to the central message of Gods love. He stretches out his arms to invite and encourage all of us to live in harmony with one another, listening to Gods word, learning together to apply His teachings, and supporting and encouraging each other in our respective journeys. His faithfulness to his God-given task is incredible aweinspiring in fact. We cannot hope for that kind of perfection the flaws that are within human nature will always keep us from attaining that; but he calls us nonetheless to live a life he personifies one of committed faithfulness to God. And through our actions, our decisions, our motivations and through our prayer, our acknowledgement of our human failings, through seeking out Gods word through the Spirit, but ultimately by accepting Gods Grace and Love we can allow ourselves to be perfected step by step improvement towards actions, decisions, motivations that will bring us and others along with us into a closer relationship with our God. Maybe this will be the new part of the Easter season for you this renewed understanding of the sacrifice God made for us; of Christ as the human embodiment of the covenant God has made with us. Peter makes this clear in his words: For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. The psalmist David explains further: all the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness for those who keep his covenant So once we accept our part of the covenant, by accepting the Grace and Love that are so freely offered, what do we do next? How do we receive Gods guidance to help us perfect our lives? How do we aim to life the live that Christ embodied? In psalm 25, David pleads: show me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me. We have the resources right here time spent together in Christian community; time spent in prayer; time committed to listening to where it is God wants us to go, and what it is he wants us to do. Most importantly, we need to spend time reading his holy Word, and just allowing the words to take us to a new understanding or new direction. Through the Spirits guidance, the word will transport you, inspire you, challenge you, chastise you, comfort you whatever the need or the context. It will draw you closer into a relationship with your God; it will inspire you to a rededication to the relationship and to the guiding principles of God and His Holy Spirit. So as the Lenten journey begins, let me close with some questions: Where do you need renewal in your faith life, something new to emerge? Are you in a place where you can accept Gods grace and the love he so freely gives? Will you spend time with others Christians to learn from and with them, to support and encourage each other in the journey? Will you let yourself be washed anew as you renew your part of Gods covenant with us? As you are carved and

shaped by your Lenten journey, may you take the time you need with your Lord to bring you to a state of acceptance, to a state of re-dedication to your relationship with God, to your understanding of the impact of Jesus life for you; to hearing and acting upon the guiding force of the Holy Spirit. May your own journey enrich your life, the life of your family, and the life of our collective Christian family.