Lent I: God Comforts and Challenges

“Lent I: God Comforts and Challenges” 
First Sunday of Lent February 18, 2024 
Churchill and Gilford United Churches  
Krista Moore

 
Genesis 9:8–17 God shows Noah the Rainbow as a new Covenant  
Gospel of Mark 1:9-15 The baptism, temptation, and mission of Jesus. 

Introduction to the Scriptures:  
Today we hear a very famous story in the Bible, Noah’s Ark. It  comes from Genesis, after the creation story. Adam and Eve fall from  grace in the garden of Eden, and then they populate the earth. Eventually  all people fall from grace. But one man walks with God, Noah.  

Noah is almost 500 years old when God saves Noah and his  family, and two of every animal, from The Great Flood.  After the Flood, God sent a rainbow to comfort Noah as a sign of a new covenant – a promise that no matter what happens, God would  never again destroy the earth or creation.  

But people still sinned and created chaos around them.  

So, God had an even greater idea:

I will send Jesus, my only begotten Son to save them and teach  them how to live. He will show them how to turn away from sin, and to  love and forgive. They will listen to him. They will turn back to God. Or will they? 

REFLECTION: LENT I 
This is the season of Lent. A time of reflection and repentance.

Repentance is not a word we use today. It means “to feel pain on  account of, or regret, or to remember with sorrow.”  Keep this in mind.  

So God challenges us to change. God may send a flood as in the  days of Noah, a prophet like Isaiah, or a Savior, Jesus, to shock us into a  new way of being.  

GOD REPENTS OF CREATION 
In Noah’s day, people did not know about repentance. They lived  as they wanted to live. They were happy and partied all the time. They  took what they wanted from their neighbour and had no regard for the  life God gave them.

In the Scriptures, it says God “REPENTED” 

Yes, even God regretted his work and wanted to undo it.  

GOD AS THE POTTER – WE ARE THE CLAY 

The prophet Isaiah likens God to a potter, and we are the clay; in  the story of Noah’s ark, God looked at creation and it became ugly to  him. So he decided to remould it. It needed to be reworked, made new.

THE FLOOD – GOD CHALLENGES THE EARTH 
Although God created everything and saw that it was “good,”  people chose to dishonour God and ruin what God created.  So, God sent WATER over all the earth to “restart” creation.  Some say God “baptized” the earth to give us new life. 

This could all be symbolic, OR maybe the flood was real… EVIDENCE OF THE FLOOD TODAY 

Some scientists and geologists have found evidence for a  catastrophic flood in various parts of the world, going back 1000s of  years; specifically around Mesopotamia and the Black Sea, where Noah  and his ark were believed to have travelled. 

Glacial ice broke away and melted suddenly, sending flooding  channels of water 150 times more powerful than Niagara falls across the  earth; sweeping away farmlands and villages, people, and animals. Can you imagine the terror of such a moment? 

A TIME OF TESTING: 40 DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS In the Biblical account, the Flood covered the earth “for 40 days  and 40 nights,” an idiom in the Bible uses often.

In our Gospel story today, Jesus was driven into the desert for 40  days and 40 nights. 

Hence we have the 40 days of Lent. 

GOD COMFORTS – THE RAINBOW AS A NEW COVENANT
But God does not leave Noah comfortless.  

God sent the rainbow as a sign of God’s promise to never again  send a flood or calamity upon the earth.  
The rainbow was a new beginning for all.  

Imagine when you see the rainbow in the sky, especially as a child  – how excited you feel?…

SIN STILL HAPPENS IN OUR WORLD 
However, after the flood, people still sinned and made mistakes.  Many forgot about God and were lost to the cares of the world.  We still see evil on the earth today… 
greed, power, conflict, wars, suffering, poverty, and death.  

GOD SENT JESUS TO CHALLENGE & COMFORT US
But God had a wonderful idea.  

Instead of a flood to wash away and make clean,  
God sent Christ, to show us God’s love and forgiveness.  Jesus comes to challenge us as he is challenged, and comfort us  with the promise of eternal life. 

But will we accept his challenge?

Will we walk into the desert with him? 

HOW HAVE WE BEEN CHALLENGED: DESERT MOMENTS
Maybe we can remember a time when we have faced challenges,  that felt insurmountable. 

Maybe you went through a health challenge, a divorce, lost a loved  one, or experience the stress of everyday life, work, farming, paying  bills, caring for children or parents, putting food on the table.  Jesus was not immune to the challenges of life.  

In the desert, he was weak, tired, and hungry. He had to face  Satan’s torments and had only the angels to attend to him. WHY DOES GOD CHALLENGE US? 

We may ask… Why would God challenge Jesus this way?
 Why does God challenge us?

God sent Jesus to show God’s love for us. Jesus came down to suffer with us, facing the same challenges we face but Moreso.. Suffering and challenge are a part of life.  

They make us stronger if we accept and move through them…. EXAMPLE: GARDEN ROSE / FARMERS RAIN OR SHINE Think of a garden. If you have a prized rose, will you let it grow  unruly? or will you prune it way down in fall or spring?

It seems cruel to prune the plant down so much. But the plant gets  stronger in its root system until it blooms and grows far bigger and more  beautiful than if you had left it alone.  

That’s what God is doing in the challenges – God is pruning us for  something greater. 

Farmers know you must till the land, plant seeds, and water them.  

Sometimes there is drought. And they pray for rain.

Sometimes there is too much rain, and they pray for clear skies. (Never ask a farmer about the weather! It will always be opposite  to what they need) 

We can’t control everything.  

We must go with the rhythms of life.

Sometimes we sow, sometimes we reap, and sometimes we lay  fallow. 

Life is like that.

God challenges and tests us, but also comforts us when we accept  the challenge and grow through it.

HOW ARE WE TESTED? 
Maybe you have faced challenges or a period of testing. Did you  ever feel fearful or angry at God for something you had to go through?  Maybe it didn’t seem fair at the time.  

Like the people on Noah’s ark, going through a great storm– they  must have felt so overwhelmed to see their world disappear from under  them. Like there is no end to the sea.  

Will we survive? What will be left?  

Or perhaps we have felt like Jesus in the desert, deserted and alone; facing trauma, addiction, loneliness, heartache, sadness/grief.  

GOD COMFORTS NOAH & JESUS 
God showed up for Noah and his family by bringing them to dry  land. God put a rainbow in the sky to show them that they would be safe  from now on.  

God comforts Jesus in the desert by sending angels to strengthen  him. He passes the test and goes out on his mission to save the world. There is always hope in the desert, or through the storm. 

GOD COMFORTS & CHALLENGES us to make us better. But what if we are too comfortable?

What if we have it pretty good and feel safe and loved?  

Are we the lucky ones?  

Why are some struggling so much, while we stay complacent? I’d like to challenge us to think of it differently.  

Challenge is not wrong.  

Everything being perfect is not always helpful. 

Maybe being too comfortable is the problem. 

God always challenges us to make us better, to make us stronger.  But sometimes we might get too comfortable for our own good.  

EXAMPLE: TEMPTATION OF BEING TOO COMFORTABLE
For example, how can we depend on God when we can access to  everything we need or want in a heartbeat – we can go down to the  grocery store or buy something on the internet.  

We can also become too insular or selfish. It is tempting to forget  about God, and just focus on ourselves, our own needs, wants, comforts and desires.

But God will often interrupt our comfort.

Maybe it is a health crisis. Or someone leaves you. Or you lose  your job. Or you must move to a new location. Or learn a new skill. God will poke us to get our attention.  

God will flow through us into a new situation.  

If we go with it, things will often turn out better. We will learn or  grow from the experience. 

JESUS SHOWS US THE WAY: COMFORT & CHALLENGE
Jesus came down to show us the Way.

But His Way is anything but comfortable. 

When Jesus says “follow me” he means into the desert: which means the unknown, new, uncertain, or even scary.  Like losing a loved one and having to navigate life without them;  or a church facing closure and having to find a new way forward.

These are all “desert” experiences.” 

Learning to live without something, or someone, is the desert  experience God is asking us to embrace. 

HOW TO EMBRACE THE CHALLENGES 
BUT How can we face the challenges with grace, even though  the discomfort and pain are real?  

How can we walk with Jesus into the desert? It is not easy, but here  are some ideas to think about in our church community:

Krista’s 3 Things to consider:  
1. Think about when you might be too comfortable… Maybe  it’s at home with your furnace, food, and favourite TV show! Or  maybe it’s at church with familiar faces next to you, sitting in  your comfortable pew (we still give thanks for the cushions!)  

2. How might God be challenging us to grow beyond our  comfort zones? Maybe it is in resisting temptations, giving up  an addiction or food. Trying a healthy new habit. Giving up  negative ones. Or depending on God through prayer? 

3. What if we challenged ourselves to try something new?
Like: a. Volunteer in community (C4K Easter distribution) 
        b. Go to our sister church for a week or listen to a new minister during our Pulpit exchange March 17
        c. Sit somewhere new in church, or at fellowship time 
        d. Support and participate in our sister church’s events 
        e. Invite or welcome someone new to church  
         f. Attend “Exploring our faith” group tonight at 7! 

KRISTA’S CHALLENGE 
You may be wondering how I will be challenging myself over the  next 40 days of Lent… 

Then it occurred to me.  

Noah survived the flood, and Jesus was baptized in the Jordan.

Both stories involve WATERS like baptism, whether they are in  the Jordan, across the sea, or the ice-cold lake of the Innisfil Polar  Plunge challenge next Saturday! 

Yes, I will be there jumping in for charity! (And I’m trusting that  you will support me in this baptism of ice?) 

IN CLOSING… 
God comforts and challenges us. 
God sent Jesus to show us the Way.  
Even Jesus faced challenges and suffered for all.

FINAL MEDITATION 
Let us walk with him and face our challenges with grace. Let us take a moment to reflect on how God shows up in our lives  to comfort and challenge us to follow the Way…. 
Feel free to take a deep breath, relax…close your eyes if you like 

Meditation  
Do not be afraid  
Walk with me  
I have come down to save you, 
Not to destroy you  
Follow me  
Believe in me  
You are my own  

Speak to me  
I will comfort you  
Ask me  
I will send you  
I will strengthen you 
I will save your soul  
I have paid the price  
You are redeemed and whole.  

Let us not be afraid of the challenges of life.  
God is with us in the challenges.  
God comforts us and carries us through the storms.  
Let us be thankful we are not alone.  
God sent Jesus to guide us home.  
Thanks be to God.  
Amen.