There is a story from the desert fathers:
“Abba Lot came to Abba Joseph and said: Father, according as I am able, I keep my little rule, and my little fast, my prayer, meditation, and contemplative silence; and, according as I am able, I strive to cleanse my heart of thoughts: now what more should I do? The elder rose up in reply and stretched out his hands to heaven, and his fingers became lit like ten lamps of fire. He said: Why not become fire? [1]” This story was shared recently in a meditation by Spiritual writer Christine Valters Paintner. She goes on to say: “I love the story from the desert fathers.. In the spiritual life we keep our practices, spend time in prayer, seek God in all things, and yet at some point even all this is not enough—and we are asked to become fire. Becoming fire means letting our passion for life and beauty ignite us in the world…. We are called to set the whole world on fire with our passion for God.” Now in our reading from Mark, which is a very brief reading… A lot happens: There is a lot of passion! John the Baptist baptizes Jesus; the Holy Spirit descends, God speaks; and the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness where he is tempted by Satan; John the Baptist is arrested and Jesus begins his ministry. All in six stanzas. Wow. That’s a lot of activity, feelings, passionate work and prayer. All of this for seeking and sharing this passion for God. This morning we hear from Genesis - about God’s wild and passionate irrational behavior… and God’s passionate promise to a covenant relationship. And Jesus’ very life is another covenant relationship. In Genesis God is promising to never respond with rage and destruction against the World ever again. And God promises all of the World, all of the creatures. And Jesus is the covenant which says that God forgives us all of our trespasses, all of our failings. Again God makes this promise through Jesus for the entire World. As we say in the Eucharist: “This is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus’ life was the covenant, not simply his death and resurrection. When we speak of the Glory of God - the passion of Jesus the Christ…. I believe that passion goes all the way back to this moment in the river with John (and probably years beforehand). But in these six stanzas Jesus makes his contract with God; through his baptism, through his time of self -reflection and temptation in the desert - and into his ministry. There are great comparisons between the opening of Genesis and Mark’s very opening lines: “This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.a 2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:b" And as we know Genesis famously opens: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Jesus shows up at the river with the Spirit hovering. There were also a lot of other people clamoring to the Jordon. John the Baptist had a much larger following than Jesus. (And wisdom says) If you are seeking God, that relationship - you are already on your way. We are here “on the way” along with those 1st Century Jews seeking… Seeking forgiveness and communion. Lent is a time set apart in our calendar to reflect on our lives in God. It is traditionally a time of penitence. To many of us, this is about giving up bad habits. But traditionally Lent is a time when people prepared for Baptism. It was also a time when those who had been separated from the Church were reconciled and forgiven. Lent is turning and returning to God. It is a great reminder that we were baptized into Christ as his own - and we are forgiven in Christ as the beloved. So I have set the font out for us as another reminder of our baptism. This sacrament is our individual and communal covenant relationship with God: The Baptismal Covenant. In the end of that service we say: “Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon these your servants the forgiveness of sin, and have raised them to the new life of grace. Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works.” This penitential time of Lent is not about self-flagellation, but about self-regulation. It is about finding the balance we seek using practices and prayer and fasting. It is a way to reflect on our human nature. It is a time to inquire, and discern. It is a time to awaken our divine nature to understand that we can persevere…with the knowledge that God's "power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine." (The Book of Common Prayer, p.102) Taking on practices during Lent is a way to follow Jesus into that forty day pilgrimage. Don't forget: Jesus' time in the desert with the wild beasts and Satan also included angels. Jesus was not just getting to know his human side (and the beasts that tempt our human egos). His deep dive into the desert was attended by angels who helped show him his divine nature. I love that John the Baptist tells us in Matthew’s gospel that he is baptizing with water, but Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. I like to think of this fire as the power of the holy spirit to burn away that which is no longer necessary. That is what we are attempting to do in our prayer lives especially in Lent. But also like Jesus, this fire -is a fire that burns with passion. It is the passion in our hearts for the love of God and for the love of the world. “Why not become fire?”
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AuthorThe Rev. Heather K. Sisk Archives
July 2024
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WE ARE ALL MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD |
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