PAST SERMON 2010 #8
by Reverend Judith Alltree, delivered on Sunday February 21, 2010,
at the Church of the Holy Spirit.
“Entitlement”
The origins of Lent are rather hazy. It’s not clear that the early Church observed a Lenten period other than fasting for the 40 hours leading up to the celebration of the Resurrection. What is clear is that after a few centuries, when the persecution of Christians was no longer a blood sport for the entertainment of the masses, Christian attitudes toward their faith changed dramatically.
As one writer put it: “When the world did not end as Jesus himself had said it would, his followers stopped expecting so much from God or from themselves… Little by little, Christians became devoted to their comforts instead: the soft couch, the flannel sheets, the leg of lamb roasted with rosemary. These things made them feel safe and cared for — if not by God, then by themselves. They decided there was no contradiction between being comfortable and being Christian, and before long it was very hard to pick them out from the population at large. They no longer distinguished themselves by their bold love for one another. They did not get arrested for championing the poor. They blended in. They avoided extremes. They decided to be nice instead of holy, and God moaned out loud.” (B. Brown-Taylor, “Settling for Less”, Christian Century, Feb. 18, 1998, p. 169)
Now, there is nothing wrong with being nice; that’s not the point. The point is: we believe in God, the maker of Heaven and Earth, and in Jesus Christ, his Son, born of a woman, crucified on a cross, risen from the dead and ascended into heaven — to quote the Creed — and in so doing we have a relationship with God that requires certain standards of behavior: like loving God with all our heart, mind and soul, and loving our neighbours as ourselves. Being nice is good, but, as Christians, being nice instead of being in relationship with God, misses the point.
"[my] irresponsible and selfish behavior"…. “I never thought about who I was hurting; I only thought about myself”… I felt I had worked hard all my life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled.”
These statements could have been made by anyone, male or female, as a result of indulging, shall we say, in questionable behavior, and more importantly, being caught; in other words: ‘because I can, I often think I should, so I must, and damn the consequences of my actions’. This kind of attitude is strongly associated with addiction, whether it’s drugs, sex, food, gambling, shopping or shop-lifting, to name just a few. Often, many people who have publicly made statements similar to these follow them with a statement to the effect that now they are “going to rely on their faith in God” to help them overcome whatever it is they did which led them to have to make a public statement about their behavior in the first place. Perhaps a reliance on God in the first place would have helped them avoid the temptation.
It is not easy to live in a world of entitlement — and believe me it affects everyone, rich or poor, famous, infamous nor not famous at all. Ours is the culture of the quick fix, the impulse buy, and fast food; we don’t want to wait for anything. Patience is no longer anyone’s virtue, it’s practically non-existent; so the thought of having to do without something for any period of time, on purpose, is anathema. Why would we bother? What good is it going to do me if I make this sacrifice? Quick answer: it’s not about us alone; it’s about our relationship with God.
Forty days: forty days is a time period often referred to in the Bible: Noah spent 40 days floating around in the ark while it rained; Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai taking dictation from God while the 10 Commandments came into being; Jesus was driven by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted by Satan for 40 days. 40 is one of those iconic numbers, like 3 and 7; unlike 3 and 7, however, 40 means “a very long time”. To be tempted by Satan for 40 days, to do without food for 40 days means Jesus suffered these trials for ‘a very long time’. Our 21st century idea of the metaphorical 40 days might be more like the original 40 hours.
The word “Lent” actually comes from the old English word “Lenten” which meant “spring”, referencing not just the time before Easter “but an invitation to a springtime of the soul”, a cleansing if you will, a spring cleaning for the body, mind and spirit. Let’s ask ourselves: is there something in our lives that we believe we’ve hidden from God — who sees and knows everything about us — that keeps us from God? What is it that might stand in the way of our having a fuller, richer, and more profound faith life? Do we need a “spring cleaning” for our souls?
A columnist for the Globe and Mail wrote “the road to redemption goes through rehab” (M. Wente, “Globe and Mail”, 20 Feb. 2010, p. A25); and it certainly seems that way. She explains in her article that people “turn to therapy not prayer, as a way to get them though life’s traumas…the priest and the minister have been supplanted by the therapist, and the prayer group by the 12 Step meeting.” (ibid) And she’s right. God is not longer seen as the “first line of defense”, even for Christians, when it comes to battling issues of temptation or addiction. For many reasons, the Church and what Christianity stands for has very little place in contemporary society.
The ancient Christian hallmark of loving one another, especially when the other is someone in some kind of need, is less visible than in the past; issues of justice for others has been replaced by the need for comfort and security for ourselves. The essential parts of our faith have been smoothed over and homogenized as we blend into the fabric of our society, rather than standing apart from it, and this has separated us somewhat from our relationship with God, with each other, and with the community that surrounds us.
We’re not going to change society in 40 days, but we can change ourselves, because that’s where change begins. How about considering a “Forty Day Fast” away from everything we believe we are entitled to, no matter what it is. Forty days to clear out our heads and our hearts of anything that stands in the way of the best possible relationship we can have with God; the best possible relationship we can have with one another, in this place; the best possible relationship we can have with all the parts of our lives. This is not a self-improvement plan; it’s a life plan. And we have the perfect model and teacher to guide us in God’s son, Jesus.
Be prepared: Satan is going to pick on you if you try to do something good like this for yourself and God. Don’t believe for a second you’ll be immune. But when Satan tempts you to give in, when Satan presses your big, red “entitlement” button and urges you to give up your “fast”, tell Satan to take a hike! Believe that you have the power to do this — whatever “this” is — by asking God to stand by you and support you through it. Jesus was “filled with the Holy Spirit” when he began his fast in the desert; he wasn’t alone in his quest and neither are we.
Jesus assures us that we do not live by bread alone. So, for the coming five weeks, use the Word of God to help you in your quest, away from entitlement into fulfillment. “Expect great things from God and from yourself. Believe that everything is possible. Why should any of us settle for less?” (op cit)
AMEN.