1^st Sunday in Lent

(Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney)

Little Nutbrown hair who was going to bed, held tight on to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears.

He wanted to be sure Big Nutbrown hare was listening. "Guess how much I love you," he said.

"Oh, I don't think I could guess that," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

"This much," said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.

Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. "But I love you this much," he said

Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare/

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That is very high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that.

Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree with his feet.

"I love you all the way up to my toes!" he said.

"And I love you all the way up to your toes," said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head.

"I love you as high as I can hop!" Laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down.

"But I love you as high as I can hop," smiled Big Nutbrown Hare - and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above.

That is good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hop like that.

"I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river," cried Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you across the river and over the hills," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That's very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think anymore.

Then he looked beyond the thornbushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be farther than the sky.

"I love you right up to the moon," he said, and closed his eyes.

"Oh, that's far," said Big Nutbrown Hare. "That is very, very far."

Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves.

He leaned over and kissed him good night.

Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, "I love you right up to the moon - and back."

This is an endearing story, and shows us the unconditional love of a child, as well as the never-ending and endearing love of a Father.

The illustration that is provided by the Gospel this morning. Jesus was led of the Spirit to be tempted in the wilderness. His sinlessness was not to be treated like a suit of armor. Even to be human he had to be tempted.

But there in the wilderness, he mastered Satan and showed to all in Satan’s realm that he was master of himself. And he did it on his own; it was not until his ordeal was ended that the angels came to minister to him.

You and I are not quite in that position. We can make the case that if we are really to be masters of self, we have got, like the One True Man, to do it on our own. But there is one terrible difficulty. Were we even to try to do it this way, we would be guilty of the sin of pride - which is the most far reaching sin of all.

It is paradoxical but true that in order to be the One True Man, Jesus has also to be the Son of God. Only he has fulfilled the blueprint for manhood in every way. You and I could be true to our humanity only if this world were like it was before the Fall. As things are we link ourselves to Satan with every sinful thought and word and deed.

So we cannot even dream of fighting Satan on our own. We do it in response to the Lord’s command. We give ourselves to the service of Christ’s Church Militant here on earth. We put ourselves under the command of the captain of our salvation. We put on the spiritual armor that we are told to use.

And even then, we become effective soldiers only when we have gone through the crucible of pain suffering and denial. But when we have, we know it - and we know ourselves. We then are indeed Christ’s faithful soldiers and servants, taking up our cross daily in readiness to do his work.

OFFERTORY. Ps. 91. The Lord shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers : his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Remember the words of our Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Lent 1

"As dying, and, behold We live.”

A curious study in psychology of death and dying has been initiated in the past 3 decades. It was made possible by the fact that many people, now living, have been clinically dead and restored to life. It has led to the publishing of many books - some scholarly and some scientific, some merely sensational.

Here is a thing that may be of interest about these people. Nearly all who died and were restored to life reported the same experience and the same reaction. It was so exciting that they lost all fear of dying, and find more joy than ever in the life they have here and now.

Whatever their cause of death, there was the same sensation. It was that of being drawn through a long tunnel to the accompaniment of a ringing bell. At the end was a place of light and beauty with a waiting crowd of dear ones who had already departed this life.

Beyond was a dazzling brightness which they took to be the Lord - although none saw his face or form. There was such a loving welcome that it was thrilling for them all. But there was also a kind of line which none of these people actually crossed.

Before they did, they were made aware that they were being encouraged to go back. Moreover, they understood that the choice was theirs to make. This was not a matter of judgment. For most it was a recognition of work and responsibilities that they still had in this world.

We should not make too much of this - although it seems to confirm what we have professed to believe. Actually, the witness of Bible and Church give all we need to build a lively faith in God and in our salvation.

“As dying, and, behold we live.” Here is an altogether different experience that Christians have had through the ages. It is much closer to what St Paul is telling us today. It is the redemptive value for faithful souls of suffering undergone - purposeful suffering. This becomes apparent when they come out at the other end of the tunnel - comforted and restored.

Think of the people, for example, who have hoped and prayed for children, who finally were granted their wish.

My step parents were that way, after undergoing 2 miscarriages, and the advent of my father passing away, my sister and I were adopted by our step parents. My new parents, they were able to see God’s plan, and looked on us as a gift from God.

All through those parents lives, those children (as gifts from God) are more precious than anything on earth. It is understandable that young ones so valued and esteemed, almost always grow into people of decency and goodness. But such thanks can only follow years of patient waiting, hoping and praying. It amounts to a kind of death experience, followed by a joyful resurrection. “As dying, and, behold we live.”

Take another example. That of men who, having gone through the pearls and dangers of war, return as more mature and caring men. This is not said to glorify war, but to be reminded of it’s enlightening effect on many.

As it is said, 'There are no athiests in fox holes'. There is the humility and dedication that comes from subordination to a noble cause. And there is the sympathy that comes from shared hardship and danger - bringing camaraderie, devotion and concern for others.

Here is another example. It is the sense we share with our other Wilderness-Anglicans of the rightness of our cause. We underwent a lot of pain before we left the Church of our former allegiance. And we have undergone many sorrows since we did.

It all adds up to the same death experience from which most of us have emerged. To be sure, we are still in the wilderness, and far from the promised land. Yet even from the valley of the shadow, we would not return to Egypt as things remain back there. We too have had to die to self, and we too have once again found our true life to be in Christ, “As dying, and, behold we live.”

The illustration to which we finally come is that provided by the Gospel this morning. Jesus was led of the Spirit to be tempted in the wilderness. His sinlessness was not to be treated like a suit of armor. Even to be human he had to be tempted.

But there in the wilderness, he mastered Satan and showed to all in Satan’s realm that he was master of himself. And he did it on his own; it was not until his ordeal was ended that the angels came to minister to him.

You and I are not quite in that position. We can make the case that if we are really to be masters of self, we have got, like the One True Man, to do it on our own. But there is one terrible difficulty. Were we even to try to do it this way, we would be guilty of the sin of pride - which is the most far reaching sin of all.

It is paradoxical but true that in order to be the One True Man, Jesus has also to be the Son of God. Only he has fulfilled the blueprint for manhood in every way. You and I could be true to our humanity only if this world were like it was before the Fall. As things are we link ourselves to Satan with every sinful thought and word and deed.

So we cannot even dream of fighting Satan on our own. We do it in response to the Lord’s command. We give ourselves to the service of Christ’s Church Militant here on earth. We put ourselves under the command of the captain of our salvation. We put on the spiritual armor that we are told to use.

And even then, we become effective soldiers only when we have gone through the crucible of pain suffering and denial. But when we have, we know it - and we know ourselves. We then are indeed Christ’s faithful soldiers and servants, taking up our cross daily in readiness to do his work.

OFFERTORY. Ps. 91. The Lord shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers : his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Remember the words of our Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

COLLECT.

O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.  Amen.

COLLECT 2 Of Ash Wednesday

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.

The Lesson from the EPISTLE of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.

BRETHREN : Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in any one's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

The Continuation of the HOLY GOSPEL according to Matthew

AT that time : Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, `He will give his angels charge of you,' and `On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, `You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! for it is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.