Sermon Notes, Lent 2 (Year A)

Fullness of life
Genesis – Abram and Sarai promised a nation
BLESSINGS – fullness

Romans – continues the lineage of life!
Fullness, generations,
Through faith.

Gospel – focus on 3.16: comfortable passage –
Truly life-=changing
Salvation!
Eternal Life!
For ALL!

The fullness of faith goes beyond out wildest imaginations.,
(Sounds more Easter than Lent…)


But how do we GET there?
Lent is a journey…
Genesis – starts with a journey – literal and spiritual. Call to believe, to put behind them all that they thought they know.
Romans – Paul describes Abram’s journey as one towards the God “who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
That’s a marathon of faith:
Shift from what was to what IS – an emphasis on what IS, not what IF

Gospel: starts with Nicodemus.
Man with… shortcomings.
Comes to Jesus at night – hidden
Asking questions – good!
But not really able to grapple with the answers.
Because they don’t fit into his worldview – his box – his framework.

But God isn’t limited by our framework…

Nicodemus needs to learn to be born again, he’s told – to be born from above.
He’s being invited into the fullenss of life.
And that means change for him.
Because he is held back by fear.

Nicodemus – is all of us, at timers.
Coming to Jesus – wanting to understand, to learn, to follow!
And wanting to believe.

But the world holds us back.
Our fear
Greed
Selfishness
Need to be right

These things that hold us back from authentic relationship
Very human!

Very Lent.
Because God reminds us that wherever we are on our spiritual journey, we are wanted.
Jesus accompanies us through our shortcomings – and through our times of strong faith

God calls us into the fullness of life
But to go on that journey we need to let go of our earthly trappings.

So let us spend Lent seeking that life
Ready to let go of what is no longer building our faith
Focusing on the one who welcomes us home
Believing that the God who brought us into this life
Extends to us the promise of eternal life:
For God so loved us all.