It’s Lent, a Season for thinking about sin and brokenness, about turning life around and healing. Sometimes this can be especially painful as we contemplate how far we’ve been from the Holiness to which we were created. Lessons to be read during worship on the upcoming weekend deal with how far the average pew-sitter has strayed; and of the Great Expectations of God.
We begin with a reading of Beginnings, GENESIS 17:1-7. Here is Abram, an old man yet willing to learn. God tells him, “I am God almighty; walk before me and be blameless”. Blameless! What does God expect, a miracle? So far Abram & Sarai have done a pretty good job of trusting YHWH, moving to and putting down roots in an unknown land. And this ultimate promise of descendants and Doing Right by neighbor and sojourner has influenced the Jewish/Islamic/Christian people to this day. Hasn’t it? Do we trust this covenant as the source of our lives?
Paul’s Letter to the ROMANS takes a while to digest, especially vv. 4:13-25. After recognizing Abraham’s faith, the Apostle says, “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God…” As disciples, we’re encouraged to believe that God can perfect us–and that God WILL perfect us! Our brokenness–sinfulness–can be and will be healed as we remember this covenant given to our trusting ancestor. Our faith can be more than trying not to make mistakes…
MARK 8:31-38 pictures Jesus instructing his disciples that his death and suffering are to be expected in order for the Resurrection to take place. Peter tries to dissuade him–and here we get a definition of sin: “You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things”. We regularly find ourselves broken by “human things” which have become our idols–arrogance and self-centeredness are mine, what about you? Is this Lenten Season one in which we acknowledge and then try to overcome those human things which would keep us from the divine?
Lent can and should be a roller-coaster. Wooed by human things, we give only lip-service to divine matters. But whose side are we on? At times, holiness seems just around the corner; but then our actions of acquiring and hoarding Stuff bring our full idolatry into view… My prayer is that we all will put aside the human things which distract us in order to fully bask in a loving covenant.
In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King
Come join us every Tuesday in unpacking scriptural passages which will be read during worship on the upcoming weekend–at horacebrownking.com
My Blog 
Leave a comment