Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Repent and believe. In Mark’s Gospel, these are the first words that Jesus says after he is Baptized. Repent and believe are the words that Jesus feels called to speak after having been dragged by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. Repent and believe are the summary of Jesus’ sojourn in the wilderness with the wild beasts and angels. After Jesus is tempted by Satan, after Jesus is tested by the embodiment of all that is wrong in the world, after it seemed as though Jesus’ trial in the wilderness could not get any more difficult, Jesus arose out of the wilderness leaving the wild beasts and Satan behind him proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe the good news.”
Jesus’ movement from Baptism to wilderness to temptation to commitment to God’s nearness is paradigmatic of our life. We too are Baptized. And, having been Baptized as children or adults, what follows is one long journey in the wilderness. During our walk with the wild beasts and angels we are tempted and knocked down. And according to God’s story which is our story on account of Baptism, God will meet us in our wilderness. God will guide us out of our time of trial and give us the words to confess, “The kingdom of God has come near; I repent and believe the good news.” The pattern of Baptism, wilderness, temptation, and confession is seemingly written into our DNA. Each of us has been claimed by God only to have what follows that claiming a period of trial.
Zion Lutheran Church’s sojourn in the wilderness has been long and unrelenting. Last year we lost many beloved members of the church. At the same time we were in the wilderness of the Education Building. And, just weeks after moving back into the church building we have struggled with one of the coldest winters on record, snow, ice, and freezing rain nearly every weekend. January and February have been riddled with many temptations. Has God abandoned our church? Where is everybody? Does anyone care anymore? What will the future at Zion look like? Will there be one? It is times like this that provoke fear in the life of the church. This is the wilderness. It is a place of fear, temptation, feeling lost, and confusion.
Based on all of the metrics of worldly success it would seem that perhaps our fear is justified. But, based on God’s story, which is our story, we confess that God is close to us in the wilderness. It is, after all, the first place that Jesus went after he was Baptized. I believe Jesus went into the wilderness first to assure those who know the desolate terrain of the wilderness that God, despite worldly standards of priority, will goto first. “The first will be last and the last will be first” after all…. God’s story tells us that after trial and temptation, after fear and confusion, after you have lost it all God will be there with you. God chose the cross as the place of Glory for a reason because the cross, the place of humiliation and abandonment by the world, is where God knows that God’s people will be familiar with. The cross in many ways is synonymous with wilderness. The expectation of what follows the cross are similar to the expectations of what follows wilderness sojourns – death. But we know this is not the case with God!
Imagine with me for a moment the first time anyone ever experienced Winter. To such a person the cold and snow would appear to be a death sentence to not only the plants but also to people. Animals seemingly die off or disappear. Plants wither under the weight of the ice and cold. The wind rips leaves from the trees. Amidst the deep freeze a person would have to find a new form of shelter. Given the scarcity of plants and animals a person would have to find new ways of sustaining their diet. And, with the unrelenting chill a person would have to find new forms of hope. To a person who never experienced Winter before the cold would become the new normal. Questions would ensue: Has God abandoned me? Where have all the animals gone? What will the future look like? Will there be one?
You and I, having been through many Winters, know the answers to these questions. Winter prepares the ground for new growth. Animals seek shelter and procreate to perpetuate their species. The plants “sleep” in order to fervently grow in the Spring. And lastly, Winter does not last forever. So it is with the wilderness. So it is with the cross. Zion’s wilderness sojourn will not last forever. It, like all things, will end and when it does there will be something new in store for us. The ground is being and has been prepared for us. God is up to something at Zion and is leading us to something new. And we, who have experienced many Winters and Springs, can advise the person going through their first Winter that it too will end. So it is with God who tells us in Mark’s Gospel that Zion’s wilderness period will end. When it does, we too will confess with Jesus, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe the good news.” But the end of the wilderness period is not the end of God’s story!
What immediately follows Jesus’ long wilderness journey and confession of the nearness of the Kingdom of God are these words, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” This is the rhythm of the church: Baptism/death, Wilderness, Trial, Confession, Growth/Evangelism, and finally New Creation. Sisters and brothers, this is God’s story, this is our story. The wilderness period will end, and like Jesus’ wilderness journey ours will end with the confession, “repent and believe the good news” which will be followed by, “Come follow me.” God’s story then is meant to be shared as the wonderful gift that it is because God knows that there is an end to every wilderness and winter and at its end lies a confession of faith that is meant to be expressed to others. Just as the ice will melt, the flowers will bloom, and Winter will end so too will our wilderness end and at its end there will be something new created by God for us.
Grace and peace,
Pastor
