March 8, 2015
Third Sunday in Lent
Rev. Amy Welin:
Do you ever wonder why we do what we do? On Sundays in Lent, we recite the Decalogue as part of the Penitential Rite. We often hear them as a list of obligations to fulfill or action to avoid. Like the fashion Dos and Don’ts in magazine, only more serious. In fact, the Ten Commandments are a gift from the Almighty to shape the common life of a chosen people. They are not a code of law. They are markers of a covenant relationship.
Jesus summarized the commandments like this: Love your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. That is the goal of our faith and our Lent. Reciting the Decalogue is a spiritual exercise.
If we cling to this exercise too rigidly, it will burden us with unnecessary guilt, because it is inevitable that we shall miss the mark. We may realize that the same stuff that came up for us last week comes up again and again.
If we don’t take the exercise seriously, we may dismiss penitence as an archaic expression of an ancient religion, saying I didn’t kill anyone on Route 84 this week, and I do not covet an ox my neighbor does not have. Then we miss the opportunity to grow closer in our relationship with God.
A spiritual exercise reminds us that the life of faith is a process. We have a covenant with God, initiated with our baptism. It is not all-or-nothing. It is a lifelong journey into holiness.
I have an older friend who tells a wonderful story of his time growing up as an evangelical Christian. At about the age of twelve, he was at a revival meeting, and the preacher gave a stirring sermon on the Ten Commandments and the many ways in which we fail to obey them. Filled with remorse, he came forward at the altar call, confessed his sinfulness before God and was baptized. He left elated, feeling certain that he had been saved from his sins.
The following Tuesday, back in school, he bent down to pick up his pencil and enjoyed a nice, long, lingering look at the legs of the girl sitting in the desk behind him. And then he was filled with horror, because his confession and baptism had not erased his lust. He knew for sure that was a sinner, through and through. He feared for his soul, and nearly despaired.
Our spiritual imperfection is a constant reality, part of our humanity. Our redeemed relationship has been rebuilt by Christ. We fall down seven times and get up eight. (Proverbs 24.16, and Japanese proverb). I would say that it is fortunate that my friend found the Episcopal Church, but now that he serves God as an Episcopal priest, his evangelical family is convinced that he is lost!
Now, guilt is not always a bad thing. Sometimes we feel guilty for good reason – and we need to pay attention to that! As we recite that Decalogue, if we feel a twinge, that may be a sign that we need to have a conversation with the Lord, and perhaps also with a person we have wronged.
The commandments are an invitation to the people whom God chose, to continue our conversion. This is a good middle way that we can use the commandments, navigating between the extremes of guilt and neglect. We can reflect on them to turn our hearts to the path toward holiness. Personal holiness is not an all or nothing proposition. It is a process that takes a lifetime. It is gradual, with some steps toward God and some steps backward. Every time we fail, God offers us the opportunity to begin again.
Our salvation is not determined by our perfection. If we fall into fearing that we haven’t done enough good things to merit our salvation or that we have failed too often to deserve heaven, we ignore the solid scriptural evidence. The work of Jesus Christ has accomplished our salvation. Salvation is all about what Jesus did and not about us! So if you let go of nothing else this Lent, please let go of thinking that heaven is something we earn.
And then re-read the commandments as God’s message of invitation to living into a holy life.
I: I am the Lord your God: I love you people, don’t let anyone/anything come between us.
II: Do not make idols: Keep away from things that want to take over your life: they are false gods.
III: Do not use my name in vain. Pray all the time. Don’t call out my name if you don’t mean it.
IV: Keep the Sabbath: it is for rest as well as worship: you need both.
V: Honor your parents: it’s a difficult job. If they are crazy, say so gently (see # IX).
VI: Do not kill: Life is sacred, do not diminish it either physically or metaphorically.
VII: Do not be adulterous: Treat your relationships well because they are sacred.
VIII: Do not steal: There is enough for everyone if you share: don’t take stuff from other people.
IX: Do not lie: Tell the truth, always with love.
X: Do not covet: Envy and jealousy will erode your soul. Be happy with your life.
Think of your spiritual life as a process of coming to know God, and gradually living into the holiness that God desired when you were created. Use spiritual exercises as a way to strengthen your soul, just as we are supposed to use physical exercise to strengthen our bodies.
Love your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. That is the goal of our faith and our Lent.