1st Sunday of Lent (Genesis 9:8-17)  02/26/2012

On this first Sunday of Lent, as we have now made our way through the first few days of our Lenten journey, my hope is that you have already set aside some time and have jumped in to this season by taking advantage of some of the many offerings at St. John’s Church or have decided on a few of your own. If not, I hope you have had the opportunity to at least consider something that you might like to try out during the days and weeks ahead. As for me, I have taken up an invitation from Jeffrey Lee, Bishop of Chicago, to read a book and follow Bishop Lee’s discussion questions and reflections. The book is entitled, A Practical Christianity: Meditations for the season of Lent, by Jane Shaw. The Rev. Shaw is the Dean of Grace Cathedral, located in San Francisco, CA. Her book is about the practices of Lent rather than the beliefs (or the theology and doctrines of Christianity) that we feel we must subscribe to. In the introduction to her book, Shaw writes, “For the earliest converts to Christianity, the question before they were baptized and joined the Christian community was not so much “What do you believe?” as “How has your life been transformed?”[i] I will be reading the book as a Lenten guide, so I have only read the introduction so far, but Shaw provides a wonderful overview and clearly outlines her intentions for the book. She makes the following points: Christians should not get wrapped up in difficult theologies and doctrines as they travel through their Lenten journey; more importantly, and consistent with the practices of the Early Church, is the notion that what we do is as important, if not more formative, than what we believe. Consistent with the Anglican understanding of “lex orandi, lex credendi: out of the law of praying comes the law of belief” or perhaps more practically, what you do becomes what you believe, and eventually this will form the shape of your life, your life with God and your life with your neighbor. Shaw’s book presents itself as an interesting guide to the journey of practical self-reflection toward one’s personal life, one’s relationship with God and relationship with others. Her book provides guidance on a journey that explores the many aspects of one’s relationships and it is a journey that I am looking forward to taking up throughout these forty days of Lent.

In our first reading this morning, a reading from the ninth chapter of Genesis, we hear of God’s covenant with Noah, his family and the entire created order of living things on earth. “Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark…This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.’” (Gen 9:8-10, 12-13) This covenant between God and Noah and the entire created order of earth is the first covenant between God and his creation; God and his children. There would be more covenants to follow: God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen 17); God’s covenant with Moses (Exodus 20ff); God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 7); and the New Covenant of Christ. The New Covenant is God’s action accomplished through the Grace of Christ and its purpose, its “practice” is for us to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. With all this talk about covenants, I imagine it would be helpful to really uncover what the meaning of covenant really is; and the meaning is this: a covenant is the agreement between parties where each side has something to do; although the agreement itself may be static, the practice, the fulfillment of the covenant is, by its very nature, an active and living thing. Here is where Jane Shaw’s thoughtful book, A Practical Christianity, begins to provide us some insight in to the usefulness of considering the actions of being a child of God. In God’s covenant with Noah, God has promised that never again will raging waters flood the earth and destroy all living creatures. The creatures of the earth (including humanity – you and me) will go forth and live in right relationship with God and with each other, not becoming full of evil as did the succeeding generations after Adam and Eve – there is something to be done!

Jane Shaw’s message of “Practical Christianity” is consistent with our participation with Christ in the New Covenant. The season of Lent is a time for us to enter into the mystery and grace of Christ’s ministry and mission among us; the saving work of Christ’s death and resurrection, which stands before us at the end of our Lenten journey. The season of Lent is also a time for us to actively and intentionally reflect on how we are active participants in the New Covenant of Christ. Shaw presents a wonderful story in the introduction of her book that vividly illustrates the point of action-driven, practical Christianity. Shaw writes, “Consider Pachomius in early fourth-century Egypt. He was in prison after being press-ganged into military service. Local Christians heard the prisoners were in distress and took them food, drink, clothing and other necessities. Pachomius asked what was going on. He was told that the people coming to his aid were Christians, who were merciful to everyone, including strangers. He was so convinced of the truth of Christianity by their actions that once he was discharged from the army, he was baptized and became one of the founding figures of Christian monasticism, building communities up and down the River Nile.”[ii] Shaw makes an important point in her use of the story of Pachomius: he was not drawn to Christianity due to the compelling theologies and doctrines of the Church, but by the amazing and quite shocking behaviors of the Christian community, even to strangers! Shaw concludes her introduction with a brief note about the purpose of her book, which also provides us guidance for our Lenten journey: “The point of this book is to help us imagine how Christian practice can transform our lives and the world around us, and by that practice how we may come to understand more fully the central beliefs or doctrines of Christianity.”[iii]

As we consider the practices of our Lenten journey, I have found the story of the covenant with God especially helpful on this 1^st Sunday of Lent. May you find time in your daily routine throughout these days of Lent to take advantage of the many Christian practices that are available, both through the community of the church and in your own daily devotions; and may you discover that there is a powerful transformation waiting for you as you participate with Christ as a witness to the New Covenant.

AMEN