But then today I drove past the end of the road and looked into the grounds of
Dorney Court and saw the woodland floor covered with them.
They have been lying dormant since last year – doing all
they needed to do under the ground and then like a symbol of resurrection came
alive again to inspire us all.
I start with this picture because I want to think as we
begin our Lenten journey today about the idea of journeying with God and of the
difficulties that can be but the rewards too.
Just like the snow drops does all it’s work unseen in the
dark before it can rise through the ground again in beauty – our Lenten
journeys are done quietly unseen in our hearts – between us and God and can
bring us to a place of new beauty – in our relationship with God and also in
our relationships with each other.
So we start Lent and start that journey of discovery –
journeying towards the cross with Jesus and journeying to get closer and closer
to God through disciplines which we adopt during these 40 days.
So I guess the question I want us all as individuals to
address is this – how are we going to make the most of this journey? What
things are we going to do to enable it to be a time of spiritual growth, growth
done in our hearts in the quiet place out of sight, but growth which will show
in a beautiful way.
And each of us will respond to this in a different way
but there are some principles which are good to think about together this
evening as we start off on our journey:
Firstly, the prophet Joel says these words which we heard
this evening- Rend your hearts and not your clothing.
I am a person who wears my heart on my sleeve so these
words speak quite powerfully to me. If I am giving up something for lent, or
doing something which is hard I want other people to know about it! – I want
people to look at me and think = wow she’s doing well,
But here God speaks to us through Joel and says – it’s
not about other people it’s only about you and me, it’s about my relationship
with you.
Don’t rend your clothes so other people can see what’s
going on – don’t make a public display about it – but rend your hearts, this is about stuff that is done quietly
silently between you and God.
Jesus himself picked up on this when he spoke to the
disciples about prayer – he said don’t be like the hypocrites who stand on
street corners but go into your rooms and shut your doors and pray to your
Father in heaven who hears you.
This lent what are you going to do that allows that space
to be quiet with God – to rend your hearts not publically but quietly to allow
that deep work to take place.
To allow God to challenge you- which leads me nicely on
to my second point which is about allowing space this lent for careful
examination of our lives.
In the gospel reading we see Jesus hear challenging those
who brought the women to be condemned for her adultery.
We are not sure what he wrote in the sand but we know
that his challenge to the crowds was clear-Whoever is without sin let him throw
the first stone.
Janet on Sunday asked us – who is blameless here to put
up their hands and their wasn’t one hand up.
We all know that we are not without sin – we know that we
all struggle with different things and lent is a time for us to rend our hearts
to examine our lives to ask God to help us to change.
How do we do this – perhaps it is by looking at our
behaviours- looking at the things that wind you up on a daily basis and asking the
question – why? What does this say about me, why did I react in that way and is
their a better way to react?
Why not journal during lent – keep a diary of what
happens to allow yourself that reflection time. No one else has to see it – it’s
just between you and God.
What about examining yourself by actually trying to carry
out something in a positive way – if you know you struggle with negativity try
to not avoid it during lent but try to
be positive.
If you struggle with putting people down – try to build
people up instead.
If you struggle with gossip try to pray for others in
need and commit them to God without having to know any details.
If you are a moaner or complainer –try to give time for praise
for all the things that God has given you.
Acting in these ways can not only challenge your
behaviour but also bring change of heart.
And then the third thing I want to think of tonight is
that of discipline verse instant gratification.
I have been thinking a lot about this recently as I have
had conversations with others and as I have watched and heard news of the
latest food scares in our supermarkets.
We are very much living in a society which seeks instant
gratification and convenience, and this has led us into all sorts of trouble.
The instant gratification of I really need that – I must
have it even though I can’t really afford it. Leading to increased debt and worse.
The culture that has led to the need for convenience quick
and easy food at ever cheaper prices and we are now reaping the consequences in
not being sure what our food actually consists of.
This culture will continue if we let it. But surely as Christians we can
take a stand because this goes against what we stand for as Christians.
The Christian faith is about a long term relationship not
instant gratification.
The Christian faith is based on daily denying yourself, taking
up your cross and following Christ.
This involves disciplines of prayer and study – to discern
God’s will and ways, it involves changing behaviour that is not honouring to
God, it involves giving up things that do not build us up in our faith.
Lent brings us up short to think again of the importance
of discipline rather than instant gratification.
Perhaps this year during Lent you may want to think of
one of the Christian disciplines to focus on – perhaps to fast once a week, to
pray on a more regular basis, to read a book of the bible or a Christian book.
God calls us for the long haul – change is not going to
happen overnight and he needs us to work to change and develop.
So I started with the anology of the snowdrop which
appears in all its’ glory after the dark ground has allowed it to change and
develop again.
Lent is a time of the silent heart to rend and change to
examine ourselves and to grow into the likeness of God in all his glory.
Will we give others opportunity this lent for this to happen.
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