Welcome to the Waters of Lent

Lent 1 (Genesis 9:8-17, Mark 1:9-15)
February 26, 2012
Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem PA
The Rev. Canon Anne E. Kitch


Welcome to the waters. Welcome to the waters of Lent. Not the Lenten greeting you expected? You thought I was going to talk about entering the desert, right? Well, stay with me. Before Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness, before the Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the desert, long before, there was another 40 and another wilderness. You remember when it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. You remember the story of Noah and the Ark.

God calls Noah. Noah builds the ark and gathers all the creatures, two of each, one female and one male. Why two? Because the ark carries not only life, but also the expectation of new life. The rain comes and cleanses the earth. It also overwhelms the earth and the Ark is surrounded by a watery wilderness. Like any desert, this water is dangerous, desolate and unrelenting. But in that watery wilderness the ark keeps life safe and when all is done, the animals and people all emerge. God set the bow, the rainbow, in the sky and makes a covenant with all creatures. This new life will thrive.

The ark came safely through the water. Babies in the womb are surrounded and protected by water. In baptism we come safely through the water. New life comes through the water. In the Jordan River, Jesus is baptized and comes safely out of the water…and the Spirit immediately drives him out into the wilderness.

We have just entered the wilderness of Lent and this year I invite you to think of it as a watery journey. In this watery wilderness the church is a ship. We are all in Noah’s ark for the next 40 days. We are headed for new life and we travel with the rainbow promise. But the wilderness, even watery wilderness, can be tricky to cross. To help us along I’ve brought some guidelines. These come from Peter Mazar, who was a noted liturgist, writer, and editor of Christian Education materials.

Shipboard Rules for the Next Forty Days

1. No matter how hungry you get, don’t eat each other. Lent is a time for fasting.
For turtles, fasting might be easy, but for lions, it will be difficult. Help each other fast. If you get grouchy, make an effort to be cheerful. Keep meals plain and simple. Try to eat together. Enjoy your meals and help others enjoy them.
Put only good things into your body: what you eat, watch, and listen to. Give your attention to what’s really interesting: people, the things they do and make, nature. Be content with less. Stay busy, but keep the noise down.

2. Share what you have. Lent is a time of charity.
Some have more than others, but everyone has something to share. Bees can give honey. Cows can give milk. Canaries can sing for us and crickets can chirp.
On this ark there’s nothing to waste. Don’t throw anything overboard. Recycle. Fix what’s broken. Clean up after yourself. Be ready to lend a hand, and don’t wait to be asked.

3. Keep in touch with God. Lent is a time of prayer.
Even if the ark manages to stay afloat, we will need God’s help to reach safe harbor. Sing praises everyday. Pray for yourself, but also remind God about each other. Make this a good habit.
(Forty Days and Forty Nights: A Lenten Ark Moving Toward Easter, text by Peter Mazar, art by Judy Jarret. Liturgy Training Publications 1994.)

We are all in this together. It is not always comfortable, here in our ark, but it’s what we have. We don’t always get along, but you don’t always get to choose your shipmates…and we each have gifts to share.

Welcome to the waters of Lent. Fast. Give. Pray. New life is on the way.