Click to hear this sermon sermon080210

Two weeks ago, at the Large Church Initiative in Orlando, Florida, we received some wonderful news...

Beginnings in the Wilderness - Genesis 2: 15-17,3: 1-7 - Matthew 4: 1-11 - February 10, 2008 - Cicero United Methodist Church - Everett J. Bassett

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Two weeks ago, at the Large Church Initiative in Orlando, Florida, we received some wonderful news. The speaker was David Beckman, president of "Bread for the World."  He wanted us to know the progress that had been made worldwide in feeding the hungry. Thirty years ago, he said, 2/5 of the world's population lived daily in hunger; today, that fraction has shrunk from 2/5 to 1/6. That's still over a billion people, but it is a dramatic reduction. Thirty years ago, said Beckman, over a billion and a half people in the world were making less than one dollar a day to live on. Today that number is less than a billion - again, still a staggering number of people, but moving in the right direction. Some more good news - in Africa, there are 20 million more children in school today than there were in the year 2000. Some of that is because, under the Bush administration, the United States has doubled its funding for development assistance in the world since 2000. That is still a tiny blip in our budget, but again, moving in the right direction.

       I think of this as I read this morning's scripture lessons, and as we begin our Lenten emphasis on gardens. This morning's Old Testament lesson is about Adam and Eve, who God placed in a beautiful garden, where they were invited to live in bounty. And that is a fitting image for this world, which was created with an abundant supply of resources ­enough to care for the needs of every person living on the planet.

       But, we know how the story moves. There was only one boundary to the garden - one tree with forbidden fruit. And to that one, the serpent brought Adam and Eve, and enticed them to eat. And as a result of that rebellion against God, the garden now only yielded its fruit with hard toil. And instead of abundance and ease, the people of the world experienced hardship and scarcity. And as the result of that sinful path chosen by Adam and Eve - and they represent all of us -- the human family today is divided by greed and violence and prejudice. And in a world of plenty, billions go hungry. That's not the way God planned it; but it is the world human beings have arranged.

       It is the curse and the dubious privilege of our existence that God allows us to have the world we have chosen. I know I'm not the only one here who has prayed, "Lord, just fix it. You can snap your divine fmgers and wipe out the evil in this world; feed the children; stop the wars; bring down the tyrants." God's relentless answer to our earnest prayers seems to be, "This is the world you have chosen. I gave you a garden; you have chosen the forbidden fruit; this is the wilderness you have arranged."

       If that were the end of God's dealings with us, then life would be hopeless. But that is not the end. God honors our choice to turn our back on the garden he has given us, but he doesn't turn his back on us. He continues to hope for us. His heart continues to break with us. And he hears the cries of the hungry and the hurting and the lost in this sinful world. And he enters into this world of pain through his Son Jesus Christ. The Bible calls that Good News, and it is the greatest news you and I will ever hear.

       And other than the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, there is really no episode in his life that illustrates the reality of that choice and what it really means more vividly than the

story of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Think about it: you are Jesus beginning you earthly ministry: How do you proceed? Well, you could do something spectacular. You could turn all the stones into bread. Feed all the hungry people. That would certainly build a following. Or you could do a demonstration of power - you could throw yourself down from the Temple wall in Jerusalem. And when you rose up unharmed, people would be sure to pay attention. Or just skip all of that, and make the deal with the devil - all the kingdoms of the world will bow down to you - all you have to do is worship Satan.

       Those are the temptations Satan put in front of Jesus. And, of course, Satan - like the serpent in the garden of Eden - was being deceptive. He was promising things that were not his to give. But the real point of the story isn't the wiles of the devil- it's the devotion of the Lord to the task he came to earth to fulfill. He came not to do magic tricks with stones, but to experience the same hunger we do, and to call forth from us compassion and sacrifice. He came not to do spectacular leaps from buildings, but to do something no less wonderful - to transform hearts - one at a time - by the power of love. He came not to command human devotion in cahoots with the devil - but to die on a cross so that real salvation would be possible - so that real devotion would be stirred in the hearts of men and women of faith. Jesus simply would not take the easy way.

       It was an incredible risk on God's part - but God has always taken risks. He put his garden in the hands of human beings. He put his Son in the hands of human beings. And then, instead of turning stones into bread, he gave himself instead to turn hearts into love - so that we would feed each other. According to Mr. Beckman, we're making progress in feeding each other - there is still a long way to go, and it's hard work, but we're moving on it. Of course, there is also so much emotional and spiritual hunger in this world - but by the grace of God, hopefully we move ahead in those areas as well.

       This morning is the first Sunday in Lent, and we as a church want to journey with our Lord in these weeks ahead. Our study guide is entitled, "Behold the Lamb of God." It is written by Simon Peter Iredale, and is available in the narthex. In addition to Jack and I tying our sermons into this study, there are study groups you can sign up for.

       The study book takes us from garden to garden - the Garden of Eden, to the garden of Easter - and we are using that as our theme. God intended us to be in a garden; but our choices made it a desert. But then Jesus chose to enter the desert, so he could bring us back to the garden. Lent is the time that we journey with Jesus back to the garden. But to begin that journey, we have to start in the desert with him, planting seeds of discipline and prayer that will allow us to resist the temptation of the devil to take the easy way out - to choose instead the path of love, which is a difficult path, there's no doubt about it. It is not made up of spectacular acts that command attention. It is instead made up of small acts of compassion that change hearts one at a time, that feed hungry children mouth by mouth, and that make us into disciples of love, in the beautiful path set by Christ.

       As you've already heard, we are going to talk about the seeds this Lent. Some people like to give something up for Lent, and that is meaningful. But in addition to that, or perhaps in place of it, we would like to encourage everybody here to plant three symbolic seeds over the next few weeks. They are represented by the three small wooden markers in the seed packets you received as you came in this morning.

       One seed is a seed of faith. We encourage you to consider one thing you can do to deepen your faith over these weeks of Lent: perhaps it's taking an added prayer time; perhaps it's being involved in one of the Lenten studies; perhaps it's an attitude you bring to worship - you can think of what is right for you.

       Another seed is for service. What can you do in the next weeks that will be a step forward in serving God, and feeding God's hungry world? Maybe it is about volunteering for something you haven't tried before - the Westside tutoring program we'll lift up next week would be a great candidate for service. Maybe there is a neighbor who is having a hard time. Maybe you can take on a project to raise funds for the Kenya offering, or the One Great hour of Sharing.

       And then the third seed is for reconciliation. Maybe this is the time to mend a fence with a family member, or a coworker, or a neighbor. Maybe it is time to burn a candle for peace in the Middle East on your table, or to teach a child about crossing a barrier of prejudice or hate. Maybe you need to read up on another faith, or another nation, to gain understanding that will help lead toward peace. I would urge everybody to plant these seeds in the coming weeks. If you really challenge yourself, I fully believe God will meet you there, and your life will be transformed; this church will be transformed; the community and world will be transformed.

       Since the first of the year, Jack and I have been preaching about transformation, and six choices we all make for renewing ourselves and our world. Here is one last re-cap of those choices: Choosing life over death; choosing community over isolation; choosing boldness over fear; choosing fun over boredom; and choosing frontier over fortress. As we begin Lent, we add the sixth and final choice for renewal: choosing now over later.

       In his book I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church, Paul Nixon, from whom we borrowed these six choices, lists some of the things churches say to put off stepping forward in Christ: things like "First we have to get out of debt," or "We have to take better care of the people who are here now," or "We need to find more leaders," or "We don't want to spread ourselves too thin," and so on. Those are things the church says. What are some of the things we say as individuals? "Well, I'll schedule a little time for prayer after the chores are done," or "I'll multi-task my devotion time today," or, "I took my turn; it's someone else's turn to serve," or, "I can take care of that spiritual stuff after I've got my career on track," or "when I retire," or "when the kids are grown."

       And our souls starve for lack of spiritual food; and the hungry in the world spend another day in desperate places. There is something credible about all those delaying statements; but when do we step forward? When do we heed the call of Christ who held nothing back for us, and bid us to follow with all that we have, and all that we are, for the glory of God?

The Tanzanian runner Mammo Akwari was running a marathon in Mexico City, when he fell and severely injured his leg. All who saw it assumed that he was done; but he picked himself up and fInished the race through excruciating pain. At the end he said, "My country did not send me 5000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5000 miles to fInish the race." What would happen if those who profess devotion to Christ showed that kind of discipline and commitment in this world? Wouldn't the kingdom Christ began be completed in glory and honor by his disciples? Wouldn't that be good news to the poor and hungry ones? And wouldn't those who ran that race with diligence fInd their lives infInitely worthwhile, and blessed beyond measure?

Now is the time to fInd out. Now is the time to plant our seeds in God's garden.