For Sunday, February
21, 2021, Readings: Genesis
9:8-17, Psalm 25:1-9, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15
God
said to Noah and to his sons with him, "As for me, I am establishing my
covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living
creature that is with you...and every animal of the earth with you...and the
waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh." [Genesis 9:9-11, 15b] To
you, O Lord, I lift up my soul, my
God I put my trust in you...for You are the God of my salvation...All the paths
of the LORD are love and faithfulness... [Psalm
25: 1a, 2b, 9a]
...in
the days of Noah...a few, that is, eight persons were
saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you... [1
Peter 3:20b-21a]
In those days Jesus came from
Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan...And the Spirit
immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty
days, tempted by Satan...and the angels waited on him...after John was
arrested, Jesus came...saying...repent, and believe in the good news. [Mark
1:9,12-13, 14a, 15b]
From the receding waters of The Flood, to the baptismal
waters of the Jordan, and on into the Judean wilderness, we
journey this week through the various stages of God's continuing covenant
through signs, symbols, and messengers.
God makes a covenant (promise) with Noah and his sons and
gives the rainbow as a sign by and for God as a reminder of that promise to us
all, God included. Who knew God needed a sticky note just like the rest of us?
I always marvel at rainbows and even though I know rationally it's just a
refraction of light through micro water droplets, the fact that a full spectrum
of color appears gives me a more mystical experience, an inward sense of
Presence, and my own sticky note of remembrance of the sign given to Noah.
And when we are
feeling less than adequate in expressing our prayers, the Psalmist paves the
way and reminds us of all the ways we can ask God to help us, all the ways that
God does help us and, that All the paths of the Lord are love and
faithfulness to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. It is in
God’s unfailing and unchanging Being that we may place our fragile trust.
The author of
1st Peter begins his letter with the reason for Christ’s suffering, which is in
order to bring you to God. He goes on in the next few verses (vv 18b-20) that seem
strangely difficult. In saying that Jesus was put to death in the
flesh, but made alive in the spirit, we stumble upon an answer to an old and
perhaps not fully formed question from our recitation of The Apostles’ Creed.
The current translation of that Creed says that after Jesus died
on the cross He descended to the dead. In earlier times the Creed said he
descended into hell…How curious, I wondered as a child and beyond, why would Jesus descend
to hell?
What the writer seems to be saying in a convoluted way (to my mind) is
that when he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison (descended
into hell or to the dead), those drowned by the Flood, he gave them the Good News
that as they didn’t know any better in former times, they were also now saved.
The waters of the Flood prefigures Baptism, says 1st Peter, and tells us that our
baptism is an appeal to God for a good conscience. We do
the promising this time around, and it counts even if done by others on our behalf.
(By the way, the Nicene Creed, earlier and now, simply says Jesus suffered
death and was buried.)
Speaking of Baptism, we revisit the
Baptism of Jesus in Mark’s journalistic approach, concisely and succinctly, no frills. After
which the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted before returning to fulfill his mission and ministry to bring us to God. The season of Lent
mirrors the 40 days of his experience.
The wilderness in our day can be any time
that we feel lost and alone, isolated by others or even by ourselves. Of course,
in these times of Pandemic, many are in an imposed wilderness of separation
with decreasing hope. We also enter a sense of isolation when we feel unworthy and
/or riddled with a sense of guilt for real or imagined sins. Lent is a
designated opportunity to actively engage in a relationship with Jesus. By
intentionally entering a kind of spiritual desert to reflect and examine our faith, we seek ways to
be more dedicated to God wherever we are in our life circumstances. It is a
time to recognize and acknowledge all those earthly enticements and everyday
idols that distract us from our good intentions and draw us away from
committing ourselves to a life more centered in Christ.
We need not
take this journey alone, we can walk the path together through individual and
communal prayer, meditation, and reflection. Instead of just giving up chocolate,
alcohol, or smoking, let's take on this wilderness
journey together. Seek out and make a covenant with others for one-on-one
discussions as prayer partners, or join a small group ~ start one yourself,
there are plenty of resources around, various means, especially through zoom or other video
chatting. The partnership can be face-to-face while socially distant, online in real time or even
through phone conversations, email, or texts. Let us wait on each other as
angels waited on Jesus, in our own space, in our own time, yet together in
Christ. I will make myself a rainbow-colored sticky note for my mirror as a reminder
of God's promise to all of us, the promises I've made to God, as well
as those sharpening my good intentions that have wandered away in distractions. Repentance is a burdensome word yet it simply means to turn toward God. This is time, again, to repent and believe in
the good news.
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O God
of our Salvation, awaken our senses to Your eternal covenant that embraces
the whole of Creation, from the very ground we live on to all humankind and
every living creature. Turn us from the pursuit of temporary pleasure to seek Eternal
Life in the Spirit, through trust and faith in You.
Gracious,
Loving Lord
RESPONSE: We lift
our souls to You
~
O God of our Salvation, grant us the wisdom and intent
to speak with Christ’s voice to every political leader on this Earth, in this
Country, and in this Community; and to join with and encourage all who
work diligently for justice, mercy, peace, and the health of us all. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
Gracious,
Loving Lord
We
lift our souls to You
~
O God of our Salvation, ease the struggle for
all who suffer the anguish of isolation, illness, or desperation; and sustain
the energy of those who give them care. We now join our hearts
together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Gracious,
Loving Lord
We
lift our souls to You
~
O God of our Salvation, even as we grieve,
we give praise and thanksgiving for those we love who have now risen in
glory, to life eternal in You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
Gracious,
Loving Lord
We
lift our souls to You
~
O God of our Salvation, we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
Gracious,
Loving Lord
We
lift our souls to You
~
O God of our Salvation, whisper Your wisdom
again, deep into the hearts of all who are anointed to lead us in Your Church
and, for the guidance to draw us ever stronger into community and communion
with Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Gracious,
Loving Lord
We
lift our souls to You
The Celebrant adds: Living Lord of Compassion and
Faithfulness, infuse us with the desire to use this season of Lent as
as our own spiritual wilderness, for the cleansing of our hearts and souls
through repentance, the examination and expansion of our faith, and the renewal
of good conscience. We ask this through Christ, who suffered for the sins of us
all, and the Holy Spirit, the breath of You in our souls, who together with
You, reign as One God, over all Creation, forever and ever. Amen.
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