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


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