Readings
for Lent 1B:
Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25; Mark 1:8-13
March 5, 2006
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
“Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.” [Psalm 25]
Praying these words from Psalm 25, with complete conviction, is the goal of today’s readings from the Holy Scripture. When we make a covenant to place God at the center of our lives, then truth and wholeness become part of our reality. And when truth and wholeness become part of our reality, happiness is the result. What I want to talk about today is true happiness; a feeling of well being that arises when one is in right relationship with God and God’s creation. Another way of defining true happiness is the experience of peace, joy, and harmony within the created order.
The Declaration of Independence lifts up a vision of a democratic country where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness become part and parcel of the human condition. Since that time in 1775, Americans have been seeking happiness. Some have been successful and many have not. Why is that? Why, in spite of all our privileges, wealth, and opportunities, does true and lasting happiness seem to escape the majority of the population?
Recently, I saw an interview by an author who had written a book on happiness. The interview began with a film clip of a reporter asking people on the street what gives them happiness. The replies were surprising: simple things like a hot-fudge-Sunday, a vacation in Bermuda, a large television set, season tickets to the professional football games. The author went onto say that these perspectives on happiness are short-lived and shallow. And while they can temporarily offer gratification, they can never provide true happiness. “Happiness” he said, is getting your relationships “right” in your life.
This week (as part of our Lenten Program) we are going to talk about getting our relationship with God and Creation “right.” Our Christian tradition states that the universe is good, that it is the work of a single loving God who creates, sustains, and directs it. This means that the world belongs to its creator and that we are called to enjoy it and to care for it in accordance with God’s purposes. [BCP 846, Catechism]
Now most of us have embraced at least part of this belief: The universe is good and we are called to enjoy it. Most Anglicans love creation and the created order. We love the sensation of good food and wine, the warm sun on our bodies, the feeling of skiing on a new blanket of snow, the rough and tumble of a challenging soccer game, the pleasure of watching waves roll into the shore, the listening of fabulous music through various technical devices, the passion of an intimate sexual relationship, the satisfaction of a well planted flower garden, and the quiet solitude of a desert sunset. We love creation so much, we are often afraid to die. In fact, we love creation so much and it gives us so much pleasure, that we forget to care for it in accordance with God’s purposes. We forget that the world belongs to God. And because we have forgotten this, we use creation in ways that are destructive to the environment and to ourselves.
Because of our self-indulgent appetites and ways, our intemperate love of worldly goods and comfort, our waste and pollution of God’s creation, our lack of concern for those who come after us, the created order is kicking back, causing great suffering, thus diminishing our happiness. Because our relationship with God is so out of whack, we use creation in distorted ways. We eat too much, drink too much, work too much, worry too much, and take too much. We seek programs for happiness that can never make us happy. These programs for happiness include our obsession with issues of security, pleasure, affection, esteem, power, and control. It is tempting to think that these programs for happiness will really make us happy and so we continue seeking more, better, and bigger. It is into this context of futility that we hear the words: “Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.” [Psalm 25]
In today’s reading from the Gospel, Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River. Right at the beginning of his public ministry, he is making a commitment to enjoy and care for the created order in accordance with God’s purposes. He is placing God at the center of his life. This is the same commitment we make in our baptismal covenant. Yet, immediately after making this commitment, Jesus is driven out into the wilderness where he is tempted to seek after fame, fortune, and food (i.e. bodily comforts) rather than God. Being fully human like we are, Jesus is tempted by the many possibilities and riches that creation has to offer. The difference between him and us however, is that he does not succumb to the temptations of fame, fortune, and food, like we do. Is there hope for us? “Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.” [Psalm 25]
Today is the first Sunday in Lent. Lent is a time for pilgrimage, a time to leave the comfort and familiarity of our old ways in search of spiritual truth. It is a time of prayer, discernment, testing, and practicing the spiritual disciplines. This world of domination and fear is not our true home. Our life here on earth is a journey from the head to the heart. It is a journey away from the wounded ego, which thirsts after programs for happiness that can never bring us true happiness. It is a journey from a place of fear to a place of love. This pilgrimage requires us to a turn around (i.e. to repent), to change our mind from distorted thinking. The Lenten pilgrimage is a journey to a specific holy place- a place of peace, joy, and harmony with God and creation.
One of the purposes of Lent is to introduce into our consciousness, the realization that our relationships and priorities are not in good working order. The stories read from the Holy Scriptures about the flood, Jesus’ baptism, the testing of Abraham and other covenantal moments, are meant to encourage us to attend to our relationships. During Lent, we rehearse the Ten Commandments, are challenged to take up our cross, and to live a life of sacrifice. We are encouraged to learn more about the faith by participating in extra teaching opportunities through our Lenten Program. We are exhorted to practice the spiritual disciplines of meditation, prayer, solitude, fasting, study, simplicity, submission, service, confession, worship, guidance, and celebration.
And as Holy Week approaches, our pilgrimage moves us to follow in the steps of Jesus. This includes his brief moment of honor on Palm Sunday, his commandment to love through servanthood on Maundy Thursday, and his persecution and execution on Good Friday. At the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening, we will light the great bonfire and Pascal Candle, sing the ancient Exsultat, hear the stories of our salvation, renew our baptismal vows, and celebrate the Eucharist. This Easter celebration continues on Easter Day when the community of faith continues its singing and feasting. I invite all of you on this pilgrimage that you might experience true happiness through Jesus Christ our Lord.
“Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.” [Psalm 25]
| Updated 3/6/06 |
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