Names

Gate Pa: Lent 2 2015

Readings:

Psalm                          Psalm 22:23-31                                                                      

First Reading:                         Genesis 17:1-7,15-16 

Second Reading:        Romans 4:13-25                     

Gospel:                        Mark 8:31-38                                                                    

What I want to say:

I want to explore the importance of names, and suggest that our name be based on the character of God. What name God might be inviting us into. 

I also want to explore Jesus saying that those who follow him are to pick up their cross and follow him. How does this change who we are?

What I want to happen:

People to reflect on what they might be invited to let go of this lent.

The Sermon

1.     Introduction:

One of the themes this week is names

always interesting hear about why people have the names they have

why I have my name

how chose kids names

->why were you given your name?

would you prefer another name?

Names are often understood to say something about you.

I looked up what my name means

>       grace or favour or mercy of God

>       not sure what that might say about me.

ð what does your name mean?

ð what do you think it says about you?

 (talk to your neighbours about this)

what name would you offer your neighbour

wonder what that was like hearing that?

2.     Names

First reading today one of two versions of Abrams encounter with God

burst out laughing at just how preposterous notion Sarai giving birth is

where given new names - Abraham and Sarah.

Names are a big deal in these times

            still are in many parts of the world

names reveal character of someone

fact given new names shows change in who they are.

this encounter with God changes them

            even though they laugh

they have met God

they are changed

they get a new name

3.     Whose we are

Last week I talked about Lent being a time to slow down,

            be still

            to listen deeply.

suggested - it is a time to reflect on the three questions of

                        whose are we

                        who are we

                        what is ours to do.

in particular - whose are we

                        who is this God we seek to follow?

                        how does that affect how we answer the other two questions.

this week we are reminded that

As followers of Christ

            like Abraham and Sarah

            our identity is slowly being changed by God

as we meet God here

            and in our daily lives

we are being changed

who we are shaped by who God is

we are changed by the character of God

another way of saying that heart of God is shaping our heart

            is shaping our sense of who we are

when we ask question - who is God?

will lead to ask "who am I in God?"

so what character of God is taking your attention this Lent?

and what name is God inviting you into this Lent

pause

4.     Take up your cross

Gospel has one better known passages in the Bible

"34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul. (ESV)"

how do we understand that?

            responses

struck me as I read this this week that this is one of those passages easily miss the point.

suspect make it palatable - we have sanitised this

wondered what first century Jew would have thought about this

            or even those hearing gospel in the first century church setting

            ->under authority of Rome.

in that context what Jesus is saying is horrific.

            should appal us

            shock us to our core!

            ->how many even felt mildly apprehensive.

to carry a cross was to be declared an enemy of Rome

            stripped of all hope

            all dignity

            beaten

have means execution laid across your shoulders

forced carry it out city

to place of pain and death by main road

hands or wrists nailed crossbar

raised up to be mocked by those pass by and roman soldiers

            most powerful force in that part of the world

there you would be left to die

long slow tortuous death

Rome - that encapsulated - all wisdom times

            knowledge time

            decides what is important

                        what has value and meaning

to carry a cross meant that

Rome declared

            all that you base your life on

            your god

            your family

            your people

            all that has value and meaning

            all you hope for

was of no consequence

            of no value

            of no meaning

there you hang

sometimes for days

            naked

            abandoned by all

            until you suffocate and die

            and all that gave meaning to your life dies with you

Jesus says

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me when Jesus said take up your cross”

what people would have heard?

what would they have felt listening to that

how outraged and appalled would they have been?

essentially

Jesus pushes our reset button

strips us of everything that has given meaning to our lives

stripping us of all preconceptions about who God is and who we are

says

start again with me

            in me you will find who God is

            and you will find who your are.

we are invited to let go of our ideas about life and God

            start with God found in Jesus,

take up your cross and follow me.

5.     Me        

the invitation in all of this is to let it go

I would love to be a person of influence

I am invited to let it go

I am pretty sure my ideas about youth ministry are pretty good.

I wish more people had listened to me

I wonder if I could have done my previous jobs differently so that more people had listened

I can angst about it if I am not careful

I am invited to let it go

I worry that my legacy will not be what I would like it to be

I am invited to let it go

Instead i am invited walk that way of the cross.

walk way invites me to let go of all that I have built up that makes sense of my likfe

all that I aspire to and hope for

ask

how do I live out character of God in my everyday life

or put it another way

how do I love God with all my heart and soul and mind

and how do I love my neighbour as myself

or

how do I live out the name God invites me into

so what are you being invited to let go of this lent

what name are you being invited to embrace

and live out?

how are you being invited to live the character of  God

Lord Jesus, in your servant Francis you displayed the wonderful power of the cross:

help us always to follow you in the way of the cross,

and give us strength to resist all temptation;

to you, Lord, with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all glory forever.

Amen