.jpg)
A sermon on
Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; John 3:1-17
Lent 2, Year A, March 5, 2023
“Reading scripture with an Ecological Eye, part 3”
“Moving on with a trusted guide on the journey.”
The Reverend Dr. Dorothy A. Jeffery
For Northwood United Church
Prayer of illumination:
May the words that I speak
Through the power of the Spirit
Be vessels for God’s truth to reach our minds and hearts. AMEN
Every time I come to preach this year, you can look for a different perspective of reading scripture, but always reading with an ecological eye.
Today you have heard three scriptures in 3 different ways:
as a story with the young at heart, (Genesis 12:1–4a)
as a hymn to a familiar Psalm
and the traditional reading of the gospel for the day. (John 3:1–17).
Which perspective works best for you: imagining, exploring, singing, digging into the details of the wording? I am suggesting that at different times each different approach / perspective may give more to you.
When I last visited you on February 12, I added to the idea of reading scripture with an ecological eye by the technique of bringing the background (the image and ideas of the earth) into the foreground, making the earth a character in the story. I also expanded the possible steps in an ecological reading looking images of earth, land, location, action and moving the action from the ancient place to our modern situation and locations.
The scriptures all point to starting over in life, grounded in faith and grace. Abram's father Terah, was 70 when he had his three sons [Abram, Nahor, and Haran – Genesis 11:27 ff]. At 75, Abram, the eldest son, is asked to leave his birthright behind [the land of Ur after having sojourned Haran] and start again.
Abram was blessed by God in order that he could be a blessing to others. Abram's story is the foundation of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
You might flip the interpretation of Genesis 12:3b of NRSV to "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” to "By you all the families of the earth shall be blessed". Thus, we perceive that we were blessed to be a blessing to …
Psalm 121 (which we sang) reminds us that we are blessed by the Creator of the universe for whatever comes our way.
In the unknown journey ahead, we are called to trust in God's presence and grace.
Nicodemus and Abram share many things: both are firstborn sons, established in the community, respected leaders.
In Genesis, the Lord sends Abram away from his homeland—to leave what is familiar, what he knows, and go to a place he does not know, where Abram and all families will be blessed.
In John, Nicodemus is called by his curiosity and questions to understand the meaning of Jesus’ teachings.
They are challenged to begin again, to be born again.
In both stories, God is a midwife, ushering people into renewed lives.
Can we be open to new things? Open to the adventure God would lead you on?
Jesus is the model of having that deep connection with God. John does not say there are no other ways to come to God. The way of faith is the way. God loves us all. Every day is a challenge to be born again, a spiritual beginning to work with the Spirit.
John 3:8 “the wind blows where it choses ...” Wind has agency, it is a character. “But you do not know where it comes from of where it goes”. The wind has more agency than the human.
John 3:12 “If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe …” again earthly things have more power than humans”.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
John 3:17 God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world …”. We can read “the world” as literally the world and all its inhabitants and constituent parts.
I think v. 17 is the most important thought because it forces us to move from concern about our own spirituality and our own walk with God to look at the world God loves. Taken together, the two verses (v. 16 & 17) begin and end with God’s love for the world. The two verses challenge us to believe in God’s love for the world with our whole being. When I talk about the world, I mean other people, and everything on this planet.
We have treated John 3 metaphorically but the undercurrent points to the earthly parts. An Ecological eye does not overlook this background to the text.
Psalm 121 gives us images of wind, water, and hills. It can invite us to go for a journey, real or imagined, up a hill. Pause by a stream. Washyour face in it. Creation can encourage us to go forward in a journey in our lives.
The psalm invites us to consider our beliefs about our planet and confront the human conditions that lead us to exploit rather than steward this gift. Can we cast a vision of an alternative reality of our lives if we cherished God’s good Earth in the way God does: “God saw that it was good.”
But Earth-keeping is found in every corner of the Bible. Scripture readings feed our abilities to envision living harmoniously with the rest of creation in all its forms.
I find it more than a coincidence that in Scott’s report from Northwood notes March 5, 2023
he tells us that today on Sunday (March 5th) he will fly to France to commence his 800 km pilgrimage which starts in the small French town of St. Jean Pied de Port and concludes in Santiago de Compostela. He is excited for what he will learn and how he will grow through this spiritual experience. The spirit blows where it choses and it is blowing for us together today.
This Second Sunday in Lent scripture asks us to leave what is familiar and find a new way of living.
We are called in the same way to leave what is familiar and venture into a new place, finding a different way to live in community with Earth and trusting God to guide us.
We are called to believe that, as agents of God’s love, we must care for people and the planet.
It is annual meeting Sunday. When we come to our Annual Meeting it is a time to hear about what you, as a community of faith, have been doing in the past year, but it is also a time to look ahead to the year that stretches out before us. As a congregation how will you minister to and in the world God loves?
Will you say, “times are tough, we will be lucky to survive and keep the doors open” or will you say, “times are tough; how can we stay open so that we can be of the most help to the people who are struggling.” and “How can we show that we love this fragile world that God created and called good?”
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life (John 3:17). Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
May you with courage live into and beyond your vision statement “Embracing all of God’s Creation with the Love of Christ”.
May it be so for you. AMEN