Second Sunday in Lent

Sermon given by Revd Caroline Risdon 8 March 2020

Heavenly Father, may your Word be our rule, 
your Spirit our teacher 
and your glory our chief concern. AMEN.

Of all the words we have heard in our readings today, the one that captured my attention is the smallest and yet of great significance. It is the first word that the Lord says to Abram; it is 'go.' 

And Abram is not 'merely' instructed to set off on an exciting adventure; he is being asked to leave behind a great many things:
“Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house”
God calls Abram away from all that is familiar to journey towards true fulfilment.

This is where we enter the realm of calling and vocation. The word “vocation” conjures up several different meanings. For many 'vocation' can be understood as part of their work life, especially if they are in one of the helping professions. Of course, we associate the idea of a “vocation” or “call” with pastoral roles, or with those who are commissioned or licenced within the Church, such as SPAs, Readers, Deacons or Priests. But we don't often think of vocation as to do with the totality of any Christian’s life. The call of Abram reminds us of the broadest definition of vocation. A definition that gets most directly to the root of the word: following the call of God upon one's life. 

Following such a call requires a great deal of Abram. He must leave behind all that he would know and understand about himself and his place in the world. We can all identify ourselves through the country in which we were born and/ or reside; through our community networks and through our immediate families. Abram is asked to leave those markers behind and find his identity in his relationship with God.

Living as one who is called can be unsettling, requiring of us not just physical change but also spiritual reorientation. If you read further on in the book of Genesis, it is clear that God’s promises do not spare Abraham and his family from danger, desperation, jealousy, heartbreak, or grief. In fact, the call itself even brings about loss of things and people held dear in the past. 
Yet today's brief reading reminds us that Sarah and Abraham’s journey is not about what they are doing, but what God is doing.
It is a long list of actions God will take for, and on behalf, of Abram:
I will show you (the land) 
I will make you (a great nation) 
I will bless you
I will make great your name
I will bless those who bless you
I will curse the one who curses you

Here in Genesis is one of the first stories of the cost of God's call to us and also of the fulfilment offered by God's call to us. No wonder we hear it in this season of Lent, our time for honest reflection about ourselves, our spiritual lives and our relationship with God. Lent is not comfortable, but it is necessary. It allows us to shed habits or ideas that are not useful. It allows us time to try something that may sustain and nurture us beyond Easter. Lent can set us free to journey into new territories, new promises, new hopes, and new lives. We are called away from all that is familiar to journey towards true fulfilment.

The metaphor of a “journey” can be a helpful one for describing life as one who is called by God. Though the journey may be long, and contain many ups and downs, it remains a journey filled with many promises. The most important being the promise of God’s presence to show us the way.
And this brings me to the other significant word in our Genesis reading- blessing. What a wonderful coincidence that on Wednesday night at our Lenten discussion group, we spent much of the evening talking about this word 'blessing' and today it is mentioned repeatedly! I ask you as I asked the group on Wednesday night- what is blessing? Can you earn a blessing? No. Is blessing a reward- for example, if you do x, you will be blessed with y. No. 

Is it a gift then? Yes. A blessing is something we cannot earn but that is freely given by God. Abram is an example of this. He is called to follow God, that is all. He is asked to 'go'. It is not because he follows that he is blessed. It is because he is chosen that he is blessed. This is a blessing we share- God has chosen each of us to be his people. By God's grace may we hear his call and follow.
AMEN.