You are my beloved

TITLE: "You are my beloved"
THEME: "The pursuit of love"
TEXTS: Genesis 9:8-17 God's rainbow sign
    1 Peter 3:18-22
    Mark 1:9-15 Jesus baptized as beloved & sent into the wilderness

Opening Prayer

Gracious and gentle God who holds us, cast out our fears by your unconditional love, Give us courage to love our enemies, to accept our suffering, and to hold fast to your guiding hand in all that we are and do. In your mercy, O God, hold us ever in your loving arms, keep us ever in the peace of Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Amen (adapted from Work of God, 97).

Jesus Baptized and Beloved

"The time is fulfilled. The reign of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news!" We need to hear that inaugural word from Jesus today.

Yesterday in my morning prayer here in the prayer room I took off my shoes and walked in as I usually do to stand in silence looking into Jesus' eyes. Then I rang the chime and let the slowly fading ring draw me into the silence even as the eyes of Jesus in the icon written by Doreen Kostyniuk draw me into the heart of Christ. A great wave of Christ's peace washed over me like baptismal waters naming me as God's beloved. Believe me I needed it.

It has been a week unlike any other in my life. Before I share some of that with you let us hear the gospel for this first Sunday in Lent. Jesus becomes God's baptized and beloved.

Mark 1: 9-15

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my own, my Beloved; with you I am well pleased." And the Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness. Jesus was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

All three scriptures heard on this first Sunday in Lent are about the rhythm of dying and rising to new life under the power of water - baptismal waters.

In Genesis, the flood comes as a unique biblical event in which God washed the earth clean and, if you will, baptized Noah and his family to establish a new creation covenant. God declares a new covenant with Noah and all descendants and all living creatures forever. The sign of the covenant is the glorious rainbow sign.

In the Epistle, Peter reminds early Christians that the flood prefigured baptism and point to Jesus. Jesus, as the human-divine incarnation, suffered for our sin in order to bring us to God. Through his suffering and death God raised Jesus from the dead to overcome sin and death for our sake.

Peter does not tell us that Jesus suffered so we won't have to. He tells us that "It is better to suffer for doing good...than for doing evil" (Peter 3:17).

Peter, especially, tells us that baptism is not so much a purifying act as a birthing one for God's beloved. We are birthed from waters of the womb of God and beloved of God. We are birthed into God's human family. In baptism we are birthed into the family of Christ

Today we know that every child in Iraq who suffers or dies from our nation's attack is our sister or brother. Every baptized person who suffers or dies is our sister or brother in Christ.

In this defining opening story of Jesus' ministry in Mark's Gospel, Jesus' humanity touches the divine in baptism and in temptation. Here, is where Jesus begins to incarnate what God has set before him, the initiation of God's reign manifested in baptized and beloved people.

But Jesus did not remain long in that high holy baptismal moment. Immediately the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to face temptation. The Spirit didn't invite Jesus into the wilderness. The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness.

And in the wilderness wild beasts are with Jesus. These wild beasts can be summed up as all the temptations of the way of the world. They are all the wild beasts we face in the wilderness temptations of life. Nevertheless angels came and surrounded Jesus. Formed in the waters of baptism and forged in the wilderness temptation, Jesus is prepared for life as God's beloved.

Then and only then is Jesus ready to proclaim:
  "The time is fulfilled, the reign of God is at hand, repent and believe the Gospel!"

You have been or are invited to the baptismal waters. You are God's beloved. And you will be driven into the wilderness facing temptation and wild beasts. You are called into God's reign.

When we take that seriously, God can take us anywhere.

My Lenten Journey of Discernment about going to Iraq

Often God's call comes at unexpected times and ways. Let me share a little of my Lenten journey this week. I am sorry that this discernment and circumstances have been so condensed and intense that I have not been able to be with each one of you personally. Yet it felt to me like each of you were somehow very much part of this discernment. I am profoundly grateful to each of you for all the ways you are a member of this body of Christ and of this discernment. It is not and cannot be a decision made apart from you as Church or from my family or made lightly.

As I was recovering from surgery late last week, Marilyn shared with me a conversation she had with Gene Stoltzfus, director of the Christian Peacemaker Teams. Gene thanked her for our church's support for CPT. He added that it would be even more helpful if we sent someone on this March CPT delegation to Iraq. Could I consider being that person?

I was still feeling considerable pain from surgery and that possibility seemed remote. That night I shared it briefly with Marg. I realized that I need to listen to what God is saying to me about going to Iraq with CPT. That was Thursday night. Then I set it aside as my immediate concern was recovery and Sunday worship.

I have to confess that I have been having a prayerful argument with God these past months about CPT. From its birth in the 1980's I have been a strong supporter of CPT, including contributing war taxes we have withheld. But I have never been on a CPT delegation. I have felt disappointment and guilt over that. So I have been arguing with God and asking why God hasn't sent me yet. Each time I would seem to get a sense from God to trust and wait on God and God would let me know when the time was right. But God does not always communicate clearly and I haven't been exactly satisfied with what I sensed as God's response to my prayerful struggle.

Last Saturday, I came to the church for a few hours when I was finally recovered enough to drive. When I checked my e-mail there was a message from Susan Mark Landis, the Peace Advocate for Mennonite Church USA. Susan asked if there is any way I could consider going on this CPT delegation to Iraq. Under the circumstances it seemed impossible and foolish. They were talking about going to Iraq 2 weeks later. I was in my first week of recovery from surgery. How would Marg and I and Tamra and Justin have time to process this. And it would be impossible without significant congregational process.

We had a congregational meeting set for last Sunday. So I knew Marg and I would have to talk on Saturday night and that I would have to share it with you the congregational meeting if I was to seriously consider it and listen if it is a call from God. Marg and I had a brief conversation at bedtime Saturday night. On Sunday we had a fruitful congregational meeting allocating the $80,000 from the Epiphany fund to say "Yes" to peace and "No" to war. God provided an opportunity in that congregational meeting for you to listen and pray with Don Holsinger and me about this CPT possibility. Don was also sensing a need for discernment about going on this CPT delegation. It was a powerful prayerful tearful sobering time. It became clear that we needed to continue the discernment and listen to what God is setting before us.

The week has continued to be filled with such opportunities, with Marg and Tamra and Justin, with my spiritual director, with many of you and many other friends. On Monday evening, Marg and I met with my Shalem Listening Group to further listen to God's call. The Shalem Listening Group is Sandy Richardson, Sabrina Porter, Marilyn Stahl, Matthew Blackwell Kinney, and Ken Kraybill. It is a congregational requirement of my Shalem Institute "Pastoral Spiritual Life and Leadership" training program. That discernment too was prayerfully hard and clarifying.

As of yesterday I have been named to a 11 member CPT delegation with plans to leave for Iraq on Monday, March 17. Final word and plans will unfold this week. I do plan to be with you next Sunday yet when I will share more of what is to take place.

It is becoming a powerful Lenten journey unlike any I have faced before. I feel like I have, for the first time, a small sense of what Jesus felt in "setting his face toward Jerusalem."

The implications are great for all of us and I take nothing lightly in this act of faith. I was in Nicaragua twice in the 80's during the war with Witness for Peace and Pastors for peace. But this is clearly different than being in that war zone.

I confess that I do not know the mind of God about my being part of a CPT delegation going to Iraq when war seems so imminent.

* I do know my one desire in life is to seek God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
* I do know that all of my life and love is gathered up in that one desire.
* I do know that all children and women and men in Iraq are beloved of God.
* I do know that the Gulf War and 12 years of sanctions have created great suffering and death.
* I do know that an attack on Iraq will leave many more innocent victims suffering and dying.
* I do know that we are being Church committed to following Jesus as faithful peacemakers.
* I do know that Jesus said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34, gospel next week, Lent 2).
* I do know that the cross was a political consequence of Jesus' life and ministry.
* I do know that this has many implications for all of you my beloved sisters and brothers and for my beloved family.

The Benedictine become Anabaptist, Michael Sattler, wrote words that became a hymn in the Ausbund. "As Christ gathered a small band with his true teaching, he told them that each one should take up their cross with patience." This music is on an album by the Eastern Mennonite University Chamber Choir, directed by Ken Nafziger. The title of the album is "Voices of the Anabaptist Martyrs: Singing at the Fire." The Anabaptists spoke of baptism by fire and blood as well as water and Spirit and knew well its meaning.

I feel a little torn as I enter into this next week with plans to leave for Iraq one week from tomorrow. I would love to spend this week with as many of you as possible. But my body is still recovering from surgery and I need to conserve my energy and heal. I see my surgeon tomorrow hopefully for final approval to travel. I also sense that I need time alone in silence and for all the other preparation for this Lenten journey. And I especially need time with Marg and Tamra and Justin. I long for and welcome whatever you wish to share with me as I prepare to go. If I don't respond to every e-mail or other request it is not for lack of desire.

I am deeply grateful for you. You are God's beloved as we are together God's beloved.

Closing Prayer

A few hours ago here in the prayer room I realized how much my morning prayer was meant for today. I have prayed this prayer many times before. Today I heard it with new ears.

The antiphon was: "The sufferings of the present are as nothing compared to the glory to be revealed."

One of the Psalms was Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
  though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
  though its waters roar and foam,
  though the mountains tremble with its tumult...
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
  The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
  God utters a voice, the earth melts...
Come, behold the works of God;...
  God makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
  God breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
  God burns the shields with fire.
"Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth."
The God of cosmic power is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

For all God's beloved, I pray to God that it be so for all the world.
Amen….Let it be.

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. Christ was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.

And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you--not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to Christ.

This is the Word of God.