WHERE THE ‘LENTEN-LIFE’ LEADS

SCRIPTURES: Gen. 15:1-12, (17-18); Phil 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35

You may have heard the story of the young couple who were out for a Sunday drive on some unfamiliar country roads. They had crisscrossed some of the county-roads amidst the farmland a number of times, when the young man decides to stop and seek help. They happened upon an older man in coveralls walking down the lane which led from a farmhouse. The young man pulled his car near the farmer at the lane entrance. “Pardon me, sir,” he said, “can you tell me where this road goes?” The old farmer replied, “Well, young man, I am near 90 years old, was born in that house up yonder, and this road has always been here, and it’s never gone anywhere.”

It very well may seem to be the same sort of question which plays in our minds as believer-followers of Christ: Where does this Lenten journey, this Lenten life, go? Where does it lead? Or, does it just stay here, going nowhere?

The Lenten-life is one of discipline, obedience, and love. The Lenten-discipline that is ushered in each year with Ash Wednesday revolves around ‘discipline’ itself. It includes a giving-up aspect. This is where meaningful fasts occur---from the giving up of certain-foods or perhaps all food for a period of time to the putting aside of behaviors, habits, attitudes, and spiritual coldness to make room for more Christ-centeredness. The disciplined-life requires some saying “no.”

As well, the Lenten-life includes the positive side of discipline or saying “yes“: seeking and welcoming the disciplines of prayer and meditation, of scriptural study, of waiting upon the Lord to lead and guide, and to serve others in Christ’s name.

But we may ask, “Why live in Christ and with Christ in me?, Where does this lead?”

Then we are reminded that the Lenten-life is one of obedience---obedience from living to obey God’s commandments-- from those famous ones given to Moses that numbered ten-- to those exemplified and taught by Jesus, especially of loving God and neighbor as oneself.

As well, obedience means following God in Christ even when an angst or restlessness may exist within one’s being. Perhaps it is to answer in the affirmative “to move” or “to act” toward a certain spiritual goal or commitment or to some specific vocation.

Obedience to God whether to the more general understandings of God’s commands that are for all of us or to the more specified ones is not necessarily easy. Actually, our obedience leads us to Jerusalem--Calvary, that place of death.

This is what separates real flowers from the synthetic-kind; this is what separates a blended or synthetic spiritually to one which is genuine---dying. Dying, ordinarily in stages or parts of our lives, is indicative of being a real believer-follower as opposed to the synthetic of superficial discipleship. And, this dying for our spiritual sakes is no simple matter. This way is difficult and hard. But Jesus made it quite clear that such obedience is required in saying to the Disciples then and now: “take up your cross and follow me.”

Though it was not the case for Christ, our crucifixions are putting to death those things that have priority ahead of Christ in our lives. The completion of our cross-bearing ends not with a retreat back to the comforts of self-centeredness, but with the release of our characters in exchange for the character of Christ. This is what the “working-out of our salvation with fear and trembling” entails. It truly is a daily process of putting to death the “little wannabe gods” who can so insidiously gain the rule of hearts and lives. This is why spiritual disciplines are important under all conditions or circumstances--when things are not so good and especially, too, when things seem to be going well.

To live otherwise is to be an “enemy of the cross of Christ,” as St. Paul put it to the Christians at Philippi. To be “an enemy of the cross of Christ” may occur in obvious ways and not such obvious ways. Obviously, those who wanted to kill Jesus were enemies to the cross of Christ. You, may say, “duh,” to that. But those particular ones wanted nothing to do with Jesus, the One who criticized their self-absorption and self-righteousness. For they already had a type of discipline and obedience, but it lacked loving relationships with God and others.

It seems persons who have religiously disciplined lives may have a greater difficulty yielding completely to Christ, not because of being so bad, but because of their goodness. One can easily be blinded from seeing oneself as needing a God-in-Christ relationship if one estimates oneself as already being good enough without seeking and completely yielding to Christ. Synthetic-spirituality can slip within us, and the difference can hardly be noted. I am not immune, nor or you.

To be enemies of the cross, Paul stated, is to have earthly things, shameful living, and our physical appetites as our gods. And such living ends with destruction, Paul warned.

But to determine if we are the genuine article we must look for that distinguishing characteristic---dying. Can sacrifice and self-giving be seen as a ‘dying to self’ in our lives? Do we let fears such as material losses, loss of status, or getting a reputation of being too spiritual, snatch away the possibilities of living a Christ-centered life?

Even Herod, the Roman ruler, feared what Christ could do to hurt or end his earthly rule. Jesus was warning by some Pharisees(yes, Pharisees) and was able to escape-- on this occasion.

For a person or a congregation corporately to live a Lenten-life, which is a life-long proposition not seasonal, requires communing with God in a relationship that will become a friendship. It cannot be done alone--without Christ being within and we within Christ. But we are solitarily responsible to walk in this spiritual-valley---parents or children cannot do it for one. The presbytery cannot do it for this church.

But one may ask ‘what does it ultimately matter?’ ‘The way to what?’ ‘Why, so live--dying daily to self?’ And, a church may hold a composite attitude of ‘what is so advantageous of desiring, seeking, or having a Lenten-lifestyle or character?’ ‘Why live intentionally inviting God’s active presence in our midst?’ ‘Why care where or how God wants us to do ministry?’

Well, first, we should desire to live experiencing a friendship-fellowship with Holy Spirit. For it is no small thing to sense God’s presence corporately when we worship at-large or in small-groups or individually in private. What a blessedness it is to know God’s presence.

But aside from our fellowship with Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, is there anything additional we should expect? Yes, not only can we expect certain things, but we have promises from God.

We heard the Hebrew Testament story of Abram(Abraham), and essentially of Sarai(Sarah), too, how they were promised heirs and a land for their heirs, when they had no children, no land, and were very old. But the promises were fulfilled.

There was the promise we heard in Philippians where Paul wrote that we are ‘citizens of heaven’ and that by standing firm ‘Christ will transform our bodies of humiliation to be conformed to Christ’s glory.’ This is that heavenly promise we rarely speak regarding, except at funerals and memorial services.

In other words, there will be “glorification” for those who love Christ and alertly anticipate Christ’s reappearing--whatever that will mean. Though we understand so little because of the little said in the Scriptures about the afterlife, it should not cause us to forsake the promises given.

Our hope is through Christ Jesus by whom we are sealed by Holy Spirit unto redemption. That sense of Christly presence which we are privileged to have touch us is our sign and seal of authenticity to the gospel and its promises. We can have confidence, hope, or assurance that glorious conditions, though presently unseen, are yet to come.

Therefore, let us not make the mistake to think and live as if the Lenten-road goes no where.

Amen.