2-lent-2020-monroe.md

Second Sunday in Lent - March 8, 2020

Monroe

Nicodemus: Stretches to do something new: 1

Graphic

Some time recently I came across a picture of a sign on a building. In big letters it said: “Be brave enough to suck at something new.”

It reminded me of a book I read many years ago titled A Pretty Good Person: What It Takes to Live With Courage, Gratitude and Integrity by Lewis Smedes.

The message of that book was similar to a message I had come across even earlier where the argument was made that life was a lot like baseball. The author of that book pointed out that, like life, baseball is the only sport that keeps track of – actually makes a big deal of – errors.

Abraham’s saga begins.

There are so many times in the Bible where the drama is so understated – as in "“So Abram went.”

Events that just smack you up side the head are expressed in just a couple of words. Like the similar passage in the John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” All of Jesus compassion – it fills the NT – reduced to 2 words.

Our readings this week are like that.

God speaks to Abram – now that’s a pretty profound thing right there – and says, “Trust me.” I thought, you know, whenever anybody says to me, “Trust me.” I know they’re up to something that they’re not telling me about.

Right at the beginning. Arguably the most important event after Adam and Eve’s mis-adventures in the garden. God tells Abram that he is supposed to leave everything he has known, his family and friends, everything his elders taught him from the earliest age. His religion. He is supposed to leave it all.

And God just says, “Trust me.”

Since that day, some 4,000 years ago or so, untold millions of believers have looked to Abraham as the father of their faith, the originator of their trust in God.

All because Abraham was willing to break out of his comfort zone.

Life is all about getting out of our comfort zone

I’m pretty sure that an important part of the measure of our life is how willing we are to get out of our comfort zone. To leave what is comfortable and move to what is not.

Birth itself is that sort of thing. Although I can’t verify it, my guess is those 9 months gestating inside of the mother are pretty comfortable. And what’s the first thing that’s supposed to happen outside of there? You cry.

The stages of development after birth are not unlike that: learning to walk, navigating stairs before you’re ready, going to kindergarten, … and on it goes.

I remember when I was about 13-14, my mother thought it would be a good idea for me to learn about work. She wouldn’t have to pay me an allowance and I could learn the discipline of working. The job was going door to door selling subscriptions to magazines. I was so petrified I could barely function. It didn’t last very long.

Later when I was at my wits end, feeling unemployable for various reasons, I felt lucky to get a job as a “sales representative.” Then the lessons started come pretty quickly.

It turned out I was pretty good at it, because sales is in fact a lot about gaining people’s trust. Eventually I realized that one of the professional sales trainers we had was correct – Everybody is in sales, from the stay-at-home parent, to the President of the US – we’re all in sales. Most particularly for me, I realized that clergy are in sales.

It was at that point that I decided I needed to get used to being outside of my comfort zone.

So getting out of my comfort zone was important for me.

Nicodemus saga begins.

One of the most famous Bible verses, the most well-known summons to conversion anyway, in all of Hollywood and Madison Avenue advertising is John 3 16. It’s like a code to my high school locker or something.

It’s another one of those passages where a lot of drama is expressed in a short pithy phrase. “John 3 16” says it all, right?

Nicodemus has heard about this guy Jesus. He’s interested. He’s heard some good things. And then Jesus starts talking what sounds like nonsense. “Being born again – or born from on high.”

In effect, Jesus tells him he’s going to have to leave behind everything he thinks he knows.

Nicodemus is called out of his comfort zone. And it evidently worked because Nicodemus stayed with him up through the bitterness of the crucifixion.

Presuppositions.

Long ago I heard a phrase – I can’t remember where I first heard it – that the really wise person knows – or at least has some sense of – what he/she doesn’t know.

It’s not an easy thing to know as it turns out. Know what you don’t know.

I suppose you’ve heard about the Corona virus. No, I know you have. I heard someone giving a report related to the ongoing global issues connected with Covid-19. The speaker was trying to sort out what we know and what we think we know but don’t really. He talked about the importance of letting go of what we think we know in so far as it affects our understanding, when in fact what we think we know is false, and as a result what we think we understand we don’t.

It’s important when it comes to public health issues. And it’s important in our personal lives. Since, after all, the only person we are truly in charge of is ourselves. Everything else is sales.

For God’s sake.

I am persuaded that one of the things that God is doing in each of our lives is calling us to get out of our comfort zone. Calling us to move into a space where we are not yet competent. Calling us to a place where we will make mistakes – errors.

That place is holiness. It is articulated well in Baptism.

It is, of course, a renunciation of the forces of evil. But it is so much more than that.

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?

Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?

Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

Opening our hearts to God’s grace and truth.

Such is our goal in life. Life in the Risen Lord – our destination.

Notes:

  • lectionary
  • Genesis 12: “Go from your country …”
  • Promise of make you a great nation
  • Abram went.
  • Genesis 12:1-4a
  • Psalm 121
  • Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
  • John 3:1-17 or Matthew 17:1-9

  1. cf. meme ↩︎

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