Sermon Preached At Evensong & Benediction, March 9, 2008.
YEAR 2, LENT 5; SUNDAY EVENSONG AND BENEDICTION;
JEREMIAH 23:16-32, ROMANS 12:1-21, JOHN 10:1-16
Last Week Father Ryan Lesh, our visiting preacher, noted that, due to a variety of very powerful things that had happened in his life as a priest and a doctor, he was for the first time simply letting Lent happen. No additional devotions, not abstaining from anything. It’s a perspective that I’d not considered, but I think the same positive attitude can be taken towards Holy Week as well.
Saint Paul encourages the Roman Christian to present his or her body as a living sacrifice. In terms of presenting our bodies, I think that one way to do that is by physically partaking in the rites of Holy Week. Paul speaks about the church and its members and the Body of Christ with its many different members. On Palm Sunday, God willing and weather permitting, we are all invited to walk as one in procession through Times Square, witnessing to everyone present that we are indeed the Body of Christ. On Palm Sunday and again on Good Friday we the people are invited to take the part of Jesus in the Passion Narrative. On Maundy Thursday we are all invited to wash and be washed. On Easter we are invited to witness to the initiation of new people into the Body of Christ and also renew the covenant we made at baptism.
Saint Paul also encourages that we be transformed by the renewal of our minds. One of my favorite things about Holy Week is all of the great readings that we hear witnessing to who Jesus is and who we are in Christ. The great prophesies, the Passion Narratives, and the wonderful resurrection accounts are just the beginning.
I think we can all participate in mind and body this Holy Week and so fill our minds with the love of God in Scripture and present ourselves, our souls and bodies, as living witnesses to the power of our Lord Jesus Christ in our lives.
