Second Sunday in Lent: Faith, Love and Salvation

Today's Scripture Readings

Genesis 12: 1-4a (NRSV)

The Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."


So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.

Psalm 121 (BCP., p.779)


Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 (NRSV)

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.


For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations") -- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

John 3:1-17 (NRSV)

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?


"Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.


"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.


"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

Blog Reflection

I think one of my favorite more modern Anglican hymns would have to be David J. Evans 1986 hymn "Be Still, for the Presence of the Lord".    Part of the third stanza says: "no work to hard for him, in faith receive from him, be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place."    It is a beautiful tune, and the word suggest sitting in silence and stillness before the Lord, and allowing God to penetrate every fiber of our being.  Giving God the go ahead to take over, and believe beyond all doubt the God can do things beyond our imagination, because of faith.

I think Abram's faith must have been really unique to have trusted that God would make of him a great nation, without even knowing what he might see.  Yet, even today where Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith is spoken of, the name of Abraham is found.  The faith of Abraham became so much more than a vision.  It became a trust in God, that believed that anything God promised, no matter how impossible it seemed, it would happen.  Not only did Abram have great faith in God, but God must have had a lot of faith in Abram.

What kind of shape is our faith in as we continue to witness the unfolding of what is taking place in Ukraine and Russia?   Are we taking every possibility into account of how to stand up against violence and oppression in that situation, without giving ourselves over to more military violence perpetrated by our own nation?

As we are all very disappointed in what has happened with the draconian bill in Uganda that further criminalizes same-gender relationships of all kinds, are we in faith taking seriously the consequences of economic sanctions that further harm the poor and needy in that country?

The Psalmist today, reminds us of where our help comes from as we face the perils and dangers of our lives.   Our help comes not just from any person or place.  Our help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth.   We may feel at times that God is not as close as we would like God to be.  Yet, God is the designer of the DNA in the cells of our bodies.  The Holy Spirit of God breaths life through our lungs, with hope for our darkest tomorrows.  God has not taken a slumber.  God is watching over us with the help of the Angels who serve God.

In the famous conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus, we read about a spiritual rebirth through the Sacrament of Baptism.  This particular passage of Scripture follows the story of the Marriage of Cana in John chapter 2.  Jesus in that Gospel narrative has just given new life to the water and made it into wine.  Just as God breathed the life of creation into water, Jesus renews the power of water, by His own immersion through His own Baptism.  The wine prefigures the Eucharist at which Jesus changes wine into His most precious Blood.   Now in the conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus tells us of a spiritual rebirth by the waters of Baptism.  The Baptism that immerses us into His death and resurrection.   St. Paul writes about the relationship of Baptism with the death and resurrection of Christ in Romans 6:1-11. If you attend the Great Vigil of Easter, you will  hear that reading.  

The work of Jesus to save our souls is the result of God's amazing love that gave the gift of God's Son for the sins of the world.   The hymn entitled "And Can It Be" by Charles Wesley, has in it's first stanza those wonderful words.  "Amazing love, how can it be, that thou my God, shouldst die for me?"   In the death of Christ, God tastes what every human being experiences in the death of their body.  Yet, the real death and resurrection for Christians, is to experience the death of our false selves and rises with a new true self, devoted in service of Christ and others in His Name.

As Christians who have experienced this saving power of God through Jesus Christ, our response should be one of gratitude and a wholehearted love of our neighbor as ourselves.   During this Season of Lent, our fasting, prayer, alms-giving, and self-denial is to help us deepen that love of God, neighbor and selves.   In our General Thanksgiving that we pray often at the end of Morning and Evening Prayer, we say: "give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days...." (Book of Common Prayer, pages 101 and 125).

Yet, we also know that each of us harbors a prejudice somewhere in our hearts.   Our culture outside and within the LGBT communities, in and outside of our churches is full of biases towards people of different races, cultures, genders, gender identities/expressions, physical/emotional challenges, languages, immigration statuses, religions and more.    Even in those of us who have experienced the discrimination of Christians due to our sexual orientation, many in our LGBT Communities feed a hatred towards all religions, people of color, and different expressions of different peoples.   Even individuals who claim to be politically progressive, often demonstrate bias in their speech and practices within the political structures of their parties.  I once heard one such person who supports immigration reform make a statement about Latino's that was as biased as anyone who thinks that immigration reform is about amnesty.

Jesus challenges all of us today, to be open to a continuing conversion of our hearts, minds and souls.  

"Benedictine Spirituality" Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB writes in The Monastery of the Heart, "is a sacramental spirituality.  It holds all things--the earth and all its goods {and it's people} as sacred."   It recognizes the "oneness of creation, the symphony of life forms that depend on one another to bring the universe, pulsing and throbbing with life, to a wholeness that reflects the full face of God"  (Pages 115, 116).

Jesus wants us to recognizes and honor one another as Sacred Vessels.  Each of us carries within us the image of God, the saving power of Christ and the transforming grace of the Holy Spirit.   This Season of Lent is our opportunity to open ourselves to the presence of Christ in the Sacrament that is revealing God's Charisma emulating from our neighbor's life and soul, and handle each other with reverence, respect and care.   With this in mind, no amount of violence, oppression or injustice in God's Name is without iniquity.  Lord have mercy on us all.

May we all honor the faith, love and salvation of God in one another better this day, and in the weeks and months ahead of us.

Amen.


Prayers

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious
to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them
again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and
hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ
your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p.218).

O Lord my God, 

Teach my heart this day where and how to see you, where and how to find you.   

You have made me and remade me, and you have bestowed on me all the good things I possess, and still I do not know you.  I have not yet done that for which I was made.   

Teach me to seek you, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, or find you unless you show yourself to me.   Let me seek you in my desire, let me desire you in my seeking.  Let me find you by loving you, let me love you when I find you.  Amen. (Prayer of St. Anselm, St. Benedict's Prayer Book for Beginners, p.118).