LENT FRUIT AND BORROWED SORROW  3-1-09  Isa. 51:1-6; Lk. 3:7-17; Rev. 9:20,21

                We have been talking about being faithful and fruitful this year.   We have been talking about the fruit of the Spirit.  The fruit of Lent is repentance.   In gardening terms, Lent is a time of pruning, of cutting back in order for better growth to come.  One of the themes of the Book of Revelation was repentance.  The letters to the seven churches are filled with encouragement to repent.  It is said of people in those last days (as I have just read) that all these terrible things happen, and they refused to repent.  In the Bible, when terrible things happen- people call out to God.  My fear is that we have so separated and isolated God- that we don’t think God has anything to do with our actions, or even cares.  In the last days- there is economic crisis.  There is famine. There is war.  There is sexual immorality. There is a turning away from God toward magic and superstition- much like we are seeing in our day.   We have, as a culture, as a nation, neglected our faith and our God. Polls confirm that there is a 10% reduction in the number of those who call themselves “Christian” since 1990 in America.  We have been humbled.  One economist noted over the weekend that for the first time since 1929 our debt is the same as our gross domestic product.  Most of us in this room have not lived through an economic humbling time quite like this one.   It is time to come back to God, humbly asking for mercy and help in our time of need.   God will help us if we come back. However, if we think we can fix this with more government spending, with more hard work, with more straining at the envelope of precious time, we will be disappointed.   We need God. 

                Lent is naturally a time of repentance.  John Calvin talked about repentance in two forms: 1) self-denial, and 2) cross bearing.   Both of these we celebrate when we have communion today. 

                I. SELF DENIAL- Calvin said that the sum of the Christian life is the denial of ourselves.  It is giving ourselves to God instead of to ourselves.  We recognize that Jesus denied himself in many ways.  He did not seek money, nor fame.  He sought to serve God- even knowing that he would get in trouble by doing so.  Jesus was basically homeless. He was always spending the night in someone else’s house or as he did the last night- out in the open.  He said, “Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  We are called to live simple- non-extravagant lives as Jesus did. Jesus left so much for us.  He left heaven to come down for you and me.  He taught us that unless a seed falls to the ground and dies- it will bear no fruit.  The fruit of Lent is dying to self so we may bear fruit.  Denying ourselves is not just “giving something up for Lent.”  It is not like God wants to take candy away from a child, or the joys away from life.   That is purposeless.  Rather, God wants us to be more focused on Him that we are not distracted by so many other things.   We are in a distracted world, a complicated busy, rushed world.  A world consumed with self-pleasure and entertainment.   All God really wants is our hearts.   Luther used to say, “Love God and do what you will.”   If God has your hearts, in principle other things will not draw you away.   Self-denial is not just giving up- it is sacrifice for a higher cause.  It is giving our talents, our time, ourselves to God.   Self-denial is also a form of loving your neighbor.  Selfishness makes the world revolve around you, and wants to force your neighbor to center their lives around you.  You may want you parents, your children, your friends to go by your schedule, your desires, your wants.  Self-denial means giving up your desire to serve God and neighbor- putting others ahead of you; putting God ahead of you.   Communion is a reminder that Jesus put us ahead of himself on the cross.

                Outgoing Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott said the recession may have caused a "fundamental change" in the incessant shopping habits of Americans - which will hurt retailers but will benefit society as a whole. Scott, citing his recent meeting with young shoppers, said many had given up eating out, going to the movies and shopping."Everyone has given up something and said how good they felt about it," he said. "I think in some ways it is healthy [for society], even though for us retailers it's not good.”  An amazing statement!  John the Baptist said if we have two coats to give our neighbor one.  This is self-denial and repentance.

                II. CROSS BEARING- Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.”   Cross bearing does not refer to carrying pieces of wood as much as it does being “beneath life’s crushing load, bending low, toiling along the climbing way with painful and slow steps.”  Cross bearing means seeing purpose in afflictions and pain.  “Crosses interrupt our plans, test our faith, and teach us patience in suffering” (Ramey and Johnson LCL p. 94).  According to Calvin the crosses of life teach us (discipline us), correct us, and help us to share in Christ’s sufferings (sympathetically and really).   .  Wisdom does not only come from the good experiences and books, but true wisdom is gained as we learn how to adjust and weather storms.  Strength comes in hard times too.  The strongest trees have learned to resist winds, drought, and flood well.  Grace allows us to see our own weakness and rely on a stronger power.

                General William Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army.  He was always standing on the street corners like John the Baptist- beating a drum- ringing a bell- sometimes with a band-always- always asking people to repent.  The salvation army did and does so much work with the homeless, the drug addicted, the drunkards.  It has seen millions transformed by the power of God over the years.  One of the great Christian poems is “General William Booth Enters Heaven.”    It says, “The bell will quench our memory, our hope, our borrowed sorrow.”   Booth was a guy who would get down on your level and repent with you.  He would borrow your sorrow, and bring you alongside his God.  He would help you repent by repenting himself getting down in the mud with you.  That is self-denial, cross bearing and repentance.

                Did you know that 74% of Americans believe in hell?  But 98% think someone else is going there?  We believe in repentance the same way.  The nation needs to repent.  The Republicans say the Democrats need to repent, and the Democrats say the Republicans need to repent.  We need to repent as a nation.  It does not begin with Obama or congress, but with you and me.

                As we come to God in communion today, let us come humbly, asking for His mercy.  Let us search ourselves.  The Bible says before we take communion that we are to “examine ourselves to see if there is anything unworthy in us- and repent of that in the Lord.  Self-denial and repentance are part of communion.  But the other side of communion is that when we examine ourselves, we come to God, commune with Him, and there is forgiveness for those who repent.