Sermon by Clare Heard, First Sunday of Lent, United Benefice of Holland Park, 18 February 2018
I wonder how you are feeling
today?
Personally, I’m feeling worn
down and apprehensive.
We’ve had a long hard winter
and it’s not over yet, Christmas seems like a distant memory. My husband, James,
has just left for India and it will be 4 weeks before I see him again, I’ve had
a horrible cold and been feeling quite useless for a couple of weeks and I’ve
really had it with this time of year.
I want to retreat under my
duvet and hide. I want spring, or even better summer – I want light and warmth
– and I want it now.
And here, today, at the start
of Lent, God speaks into this feeling of depression and gloom…. the readings we
have heard today have focussed on the covenants God has made with us. The first
with Noah, after the flood, with the rainbow as a sign of God’s promise to the
earth. The second with the baptism of Jesus – God’s affirmation of his son, of
the incarnation and therefore affirmation of the world into which his son is
born.
And yet in both these stories
there are the times of waiting and emptiness – Noah on the ark surrounded by
nothing but water, Jesus in the desert. These times would not have been fun –
they would have been horrible.
So whilst God has made
promises and affirmed his commitment to creation, it’s not all happiness and
light from then on. Life can be hard, we face times of trial, loss, suffering.
And they can feel like they last forever.
I wonder how you are feeling
today?
And yet...and yet, in the
midst of the darkness we are told – the kingdom of God has come near – Jesus
comes out of the desert and immediately starts to proclaim the good news, the
kingdom of God has come near. If there’s anything I need to hear today, it’s
this – this message of hope – of God’s love – of his presence with us. I crave
it like I crave the sun.
Jesus says repent and believe
in the good news. Can we do this? Can we look away from our trials and
sufferings enough to believe in God’s love? To believe that his Kingdom has
drawn near? Can we turn our face away from the darkness and towards God’s
light?
It can feel like a big ask.
Sometimes we want to cling onto our misfortunes – they can help define us, they
can give us something to blame for everything in life that may not be how we want
it to be.
I wonder how you are feeling
today?
A common theme of Lent is
giving things up – we are asked to pray, to fast, to give, and in part, we do
this to help focus our attention and dependence on God, rather than any of the
material things we may hold dear or any of the other ways in which define
ourselves – be that our pain, our work or our family. We are being shown how to
put roots down, to grow them deep into the soil, as plants do, during winter.
So, whilst the world is grey and gloomy, lent gives us an opportunity to go
deeper, to strengthen our roots so that we can really thrive when times are
hard.
And we suffer temptations,
just like Jesus did in the desert, we are faced with things that pull us away
from God, prevent us from turning to the light of his love. Instead we find
comfort in chocolate, television or shopping. We find comfort in gossiping or
complaining about other people, or life generally. We find comfort in twisting
the gifts God has given us, making us, and the world around us, less than God
intended us to be.
Lenten practices, such as
fasting, giving and silence are all opportunities to break some of these
unhealthy patterns. Lent is a time to remind ourselves of God’s goodness – and
of all the goodness within creation. And this is really hard. We like our
comfort blankets, I like chocolate, I like complaining about things, we might
even like filling our time so that God can’t get a word in edgeways – and so
fasting, having periods of silence and solitude, giving – all things many
Christians do in Lent, have an important role in helping us turn back towards
God.
But from where I am this
year, fully intending to fast and to pray – this is not the central point – for
nothing I do will ever be enough – I am not strong enough or good enough to
earn my salvation or bring God’s kingdom by my efforts. No-one is and we all
know it.
No…the central point is to
throw myself at God’s feet – to look to him for the love I need for when I
fail, when I am greedy, when I am selfish. To throw myself on his mercy and
forgiveness and to repent – literally – to turn my face -to God.
There is a danger to Lent,
that it becomes legalistic – a mechanism to earn God’s favour, to show what
good Christians we are – let’s be honest – we will never be good enough.
I wonder how you are feeling
today?
The good news we have is that
in many ways it doesn’t matter if we feel sad, low or useless, some of the
time, because God is bigger than our own emotions. The kingdom of God is near. This
truth, that is greater than our personal bubble of feelings, is that Christ redeems
us, God loves us as we are. The more we accept this and open ourselves up to
that love, the more God can use us to bring his kingdom near. And perhaps our
feelings will change. Like a plant with deep roots, we are able to grow towards
the light and love of our heavenly Father.
My number one prayer for this
Lent, is that I will be able to allow more of God’s love into my life – yes, I
will fast and I will try to have periods of silence, in the hope that this will
help me on my journey – but ultimately, I am praying that I will be able to
trust God enough to receive his love and follow him. I am praying that his
generosity will replace my selfishness, his humility will replace my pride and
that his joy will lift me from the darkness of this long winter, as I travel
with him towards Spring, Easter and New Life.