Quest for God

I am not sure this is finished. But it might be. It is possible I will talk more about silence, solitude and fasting. We shall see.

Gate Pa – Lent 1 2014

Readings:

Hebrew Scripture:     Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7                       

Psalm:                         Psalm: 32                                                       

Epistle:                        Romans 5:12-19                    

Gospel:                        Matthew 4:1-11                    

What I want to say:

Use the Genesis and Matthew story to introduce lent as a time to Quest for God and then go on to introduce the need for silence, solitude and fasting

What I want to happen:

People to find space for solitude and silence, and to think of ways they can introduce/develop fasting as a Lenten discipline

The Sermon

      1.      Introduction:

My experience of Ramadan in New York

focus on three of 5 pillars Islam – prayer

                                    fasting

                                    almsgiving

not enough to do them or to do them for own sake

only of any use if done as means to re-evaluate their lives in relation to God

stuck – pretty remarkable

struck with how similar lent is for us

same message holds true for us

      2.      Identity

turn to neighbour and ask “who are you?”

our identity is nearly always defined by our relationships with others

clue – deepest identity is found in our relation with God

see that at play in readings this am

            - especially Genesis and Gospel readings

      3.      The Fall

lets bring this relational identity into Genesis reading

might describe Adam and Eve as

            created by God in God’s image

            invited into God’s dwelling place – God’s guests

                        (not paradise created for us)

tempted to forget all this

invited to redefine themselves as somehow lacking and in need of something

Invitation to place who they are in relation to God to one side

place themselves at centre

in control of own lives

“if you do this you will be…….”

Tempted to forget who they really are

terrible consequences

breaks relationship with God who created them

with themselves

with each other

with all of creation

Easy to read this as story set long ago

not story about when

story about how

you and I are told everyday that we lack something

            (bald, overweight, hairy, old looking, unfit, lacking energy, not cool enough)

But “if you do this I will be…….”

which has same effect had on Adam and Eve

            we tempted to forget who we are

to place who we are in relation to God to one side

place ourselves at centre

in control of own lives

how often do we give in to

            “if you do this you will be…….”

      4.      Wilderness

Jesus was offered same invitation

time in wilderness and wrestling with Devil

            is also wrestling with his identity in God

just been baptised – declared beloved son

taken by Spirit into wilderness

place where have let go self-reliance and own talents and gifts

            and trust in God

            and who he is in God

There tester – devil

            this passage more like devil in Job who is agent God

(term Satan comes secret Persian officials whose job was test loyalty subjects)

debatable if first “if” translated – “if” or “since”

Since you are son of god – how do you understand that?

            how will you act?

each of three temptations invites Jesus to place himself first

to forget who he truly is

break the relationship

Unlike Adam and Eve

Unlike us

Jesus does not forget

He trusts

rather be desperately hungry

unknown

with no fame, power, achievements

To be the son is to trust even to the cross

At what point do we reach our limit

            no longer willing to trust

            expect more

            take control of the situation

what price do we pay

      5.      Lent

most time we don’t even hear invitation to forget who we truly

told should be in centre all time

            don’t notice

told all we need is to do this or that

            don’t notice

norm

too much noise

too busy

Lent then is time to notice

time to pay attention

            to notice all those voices

            and to put them to one side

Lent is time to remember who we truly are

that our identity is in the end only found in God

Lent is time follow Jesus into wilderness and to remember

      6.      Spiritual Practices

over last two thousand years Christians have built on the spiritual practices of those gone before

developed new practices

allow us pay attention

these practices invite us to focus less and less on ourselves

            own needs and wants

focus more and more God

            God who created us

            in God’s own image

            invites us to live in God’s world

see God at work in this world

as we do so we are given ways to remember who we are

and through we are led to love

love God

love ourselves

love world we live in

      7.      Lenten Studies

over next few weeks introduce some of these practices

            time after morning tea for more discussion about each of these

list of these in pew sheet, and will be in Parish Web

two practices look at today come out gospel reading:

solitude and silence

fasting