3 Lent/Year B – March 3, 2024

Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22

Opening Prayer: God of the Sabbath: We pause with You on this seventh day, the end of a busy week for some and a week that has dragged along for others, approaching You with our trials and joys. We come to rest in your presence. We bring to You our complicated encounters, the difficult news and reasons to rejoice, the aches and pains that have hindered us, the strains from labours and long work hours. We come to rest in Your presence. Thank You that You meet us here, Creator who rested on the Sabbath, Son who wrestled in the wilderness, and Spirit, who comes among us now, inspire, refresh and guide us. We come to rest in Your presence. Amen (Church of Scotland)

What brings you to church this morning? What keeps you coming back…week after week…year after year? - the prayers, the music, the scriptures and bible stories, the celebration of Holy Communion, the traditions, the fellowship time with those gathered here on a Sunday morning?

Is this your sabbath day, to pause and rest after a busy week that has dragged on with many challenges and frustrations…or perhaps this is your Sabbath day that you set aside to give thanks to God for the blessings you encountered during the past week…

Maybe it’s a little of both…a day to remember, to give thanks, and to rest in God’s presence in all times and in all circumstances…

One of the many gifts of pausing to observe the sabbath, a day of rest…is the reminder that God meets us here…Jesus meets us here...and the Holy Spirit meets us here, inspiring us, refreshing us, guiding us in centering our hearts on Jesus and God’s purpose and will for us, once again.

When I say “here”, I mean here in this time and space that we gather together in, and I mean here in our hearts, and in our minds and in our bodies, and in our souls.

It is so easy for us to get overwhelmed by all the rapid daily changes among us, and to get caught up in all of the concerns of our lives and the traumatic events that happen every day worldwide. And before we know it…we have wandered so far off from God…we forget who we belong to, who loves us and all of God’s people, and we forget God’s will and purpose for us…as the people of God, as the Church of God, as the body of Christ.

We forget that the Mission and purpose of the Church is inspired by the Mission of Christ.

Let’s turn to the prayer book for a moment, to see what the Catechism section has to teach us about the Church…

The Catechism – BCP 854-855

The Church

Q. What is the Church?

A. The Church is the community of the New Covenant.

Q. How is the Church described in the Bible?

A. The Church is described as the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members. It is called the People of God, the New Israel, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and the pillar and ground of truth.

Q. How is the Church described in the creeds?

A. The Church is described as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

Q. Why is the Church described as one?

A. The Church is one, because it is one Body, under one Head, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Q. Why is the Church described as holy?

A. The Church is holy, because the Holy Spirit dwells in it, consecrates its members, and guides them to do God's work.

Q. Why is the Church described as catholic?

A. The Church is catholic, because it proclaims the whole Faith to all people, to the end of time.

Q. Why is the Church described as apostolic?

A. The Church is apostolic, because it continues in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles and is sent to carry out Christ's mission to all people.

Q. What is the mission of the Church?

A. The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.

Q. How does the Church pursue its mission?

A. The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.

Q. Through whom does the Church carry out its mission?

A. The church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.

Why did I bring up this teaching about keeping the Sabbath and rediscovering the Mission and purpose of the church?

Because, as we heard and saw in today’s gospel reading…God’s religious folks can sometimes get caught up in rules and systems and laws that distort God’s will and purpose of becoming a beloved community…

In today’s gospel reading, the people had wandered so far off from the teachings of God, and God’s will and purposes… This time of Passover, of remembering liberation, was being used to exploit, marginalize and exclude: The money changers charged a fee for their services that impacted the poor; the animals offered for sacrifice had to be perfect and unblemished, and they were charged fees by the inspectors for their services that cost 15 times more inside the temple than outside; the poor, the majority, either had to borrow the money to buy their offerings or they couldn’t afford them. Their choice was either to get into debt to fulfill their religious obligations, or default on them, find themselves classified among the sinners, and be excluded from the number of the righteous. No laws were necessarily being broken by these Temple practices, but in the very place of divine encounter, the spirit of the law, the love of neighbour, was being denied. Jesus was justifiably angry. (Church of Scotland)

Across the church…this is a time of a great reckoning, a time to examine the ways we too have established systems and practices that have exploited, marginalized and excluded people from experiencing the fullness of God’s love and liberation intended for all.

This is a time in the world when rapid changes are happening, and societal influences are impacting our role as the church here and now, in our communities.

This is a time of great opportunity for us to offer hope to a hurting, lonely, and broken world.

So, it’s important for us, as the church, to set aside time to re-discover what our purpose and mission is as the people of God, the Church of God, as the body of Christ.

And one important practice to help ground us in this important re-envisioning work is to remember the sabbath day…and keep it holy.

These might be moments throughout the week, as you pause to pray and sit in silence with the Holy One…

And in those times we gather together here on Sundays, when we are reminded that God meets us here…Jesus meets us here...and the Holy Spirit meets us here, inspiring us, refreshing us, guiding us in centering our hearts on Jesus and God’s purpose and will for us, once again…

And when I say “here”, I mean here in this time and space that we gather together in, and I mean here in our hearts, and in our minds and in our bodies, and in our souls.

This season of Lent is a perfect season of the church year to help us practice the importance of sabbath keeping, helping us re-discover God’s will and purpose for us as the people of God, as the church of God, as the body of Christ, here and now.

Closing Prayer/Hymn: Speak, Lord, in the Stillness/The Quiet Hour

1 Speak, Lord, in the stillness

while I wait on Thee;

hushed my heart to listen

in expectancy.

2 Speak, O blessed Master,

in this quiet hour;

let me see your face, Lord,

feel your touch of power.

3 For the words You speak, Lord,

they are life indeed;

living bread from heaven,

now on my spirit feed!

5 Fill me with the knowledge

of your glorious will;

all your own good pleasure

in my life fulfill. Amen

Rev Julie Platson

St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church

Sitka, Alaska