Change is Coming

Change is Coming

First Sunday of Lent

February 22, 2015

Joel 2:1-2, 12-14

Mark 1:9-15

Let us pray; Righteous God, we come to you bringing our failure, our hesitations and our doubts. We bring the pain we have caused others. We bring the injustice in society of which we are a part. May the transforming power of your grace work in us. Look with mercy on our hearts, create a new and right spirit in us that we may declare your praise. Be with us now as we listen for your voice. In your sons name, Amen

The United Methodist Church defines lent as this, “Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring." The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.”

This season of Lent is one of transformation, renewal and growth. It is our responsibility during this season to change our lives and our hearts to ones more pleasing to God and fully attuned to Gods way. This change is not instant, rather it is a gradual process where we discover more about self and our personal relationship with God.

Amid the hectic-ness of our day to day it is so easy to let the world around us change us rather than God. Its so easy to let the world influence the way we understand God and Gods plan for our lives. Lent is about pushing the world aside, taking time to reconnect with God.

There is beauty in this season, a time where we look at the divinity AND humanity of Jesus. A time where we realize our own wilderness experiences. A time where we recognize God working in us and through us. A time where God waits for us with open arms, ready to welcome us when we falter and fail.

“Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.” This charge from Jesus, as written by Eugene Peterson in the Message bible, seems so drastic. Time's up? Gods kingdom is here? How can this be? I'm not ready! I'm not sure I know what to do!

But friends during this season I am especially reminded that our charge is to live each day in honor and praise of the Holy One. Time is up because each day may be our last. Time is up because we cannot keep putting off making ourselves the best we can. Our lives should continually aim to bring and carry out Gods kindom in this world. Gods kingdom is here because Gods people are here. We must change our lives daily to uphold and grow it.

"But there’s also this, it’s not too late— God’s personal Message!—“Come back to me and really mean it! Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!” Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to God, your God. And here’s why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe. Who knows? Maybe he’ll do it now, maybe he’ll turn around and show pity. Maybe, when all’s said and done, there’ll be blessings full and robust for your God!"

Eugene Peterson again eloquently rewrites the passage from Joel. In it we are reminded we can come back when we falter, when we doubt and we struggle to be faithful people. God knows we are far from perfect but calls us to come back wholeheartedly when we are ready. God calls us to come back, owning that we were wrong, that we failed not for him but for us. We must embrace our imperfection, our struggles, our fears because if we don’t we cant move past any of it. We are called to change to the depths of our souls.

On Wednesday morning as I waited for my bus I realized that many of the homeless people I passed had ashen crosses on their heads. I knew it was Ash Wednesday, I mean I was headed here to help with our three services. Yet I was humbled by these people; people who are walked past daily, people who are considered the outcasts, people who are thought of as unworthy by their fellow humans… yet God. God loves them, God sees their value. And this is the truth of this season. God does not care about our clothing, the cars we drive, the jobs we have, or the things we buy. God doesn’t care about whether we gave up chocolate for lent or we took stuff on. God cares about our hearts and when these actions don’t change our hearts they are pointless. God calls us back to his loving arms, despite our past, our baggage, our stuff. THAT’S the purpose of our sacrifices, that they help us return to God.

Beloved this season reminds us to believe in the good news, change is coming! Jesus draws closer to Jerusalem and closer to the cross every day of this season and while we honor this it’s not a new story to us. Rather this story should remind us of a faithful and loving God who waits for us and cares for us. This season I promise you we will be a changed people. Open your hearts, open your minds, open your souls-change is coming.