{"id":650297,"date":"2024-01-17T21:54:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-18T02:54:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2026-07-15T11:07:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T15:07:26","slug":"unpredictable-lent-2-b-february-25-2024","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/sermons\/unpredictable-lent-2-b-february-25-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Unpredictable, Lent 2 (B) \u2013 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-purple-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-purple-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm?e=DFMS2857730831&#038;light=true\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-purple-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-purple-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/lectionary\/lent-2b\/\"><strong>[RCL] Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:22-30<\/strong>; <strong>Romans 4:13-25<\/strong>; <strong>Mark 8:31-38<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/L2-2024-Cover-FB-1024x536.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-300304\" style=\"width:512px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God\u2019s truth is unchangeable. But it\u2019s not predictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do you ever wish we lived in <em>precedented<\/em> times? Maybe live a week without a once-in-a-hundred-years catastrophe, without shock and surprise in the news, without a rupture in our day-to-day that might make things feel out of control?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s meaningful that our collect today lists penitent hearts before steadfast faith\u2013 as if acknowledging faith only comes with great humility, letting go of our own control. God\u2019s truth is unchangeable and offers a foundation and stability that we must hold onto as the world swirls around us. But that doesn\u2019t mean we can assume or predict or anticipate what God will do in our lives and our world. Indeed, the only thing we can (or even should) land on as solid and unchanging is the truth that God loves us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being a penitent and faithful Christian requires interrogating our assumptions of the ways the world works and God works. And story after story in our Scripture, tradition, and experience points to this. God moves, calls, and pulls in ways that are surprising, unpredictable, creative, whimsical\u2013 even shocking!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The story of Abraham and Sarah is, at its core, one of surprise. They have made a logical assumption that they won\u2019t be able to have kids of their own together (to read about how they have taken matters into their own hands, see the story of Hagar and Ishmael!) and they turn to living their lives as faithful Jews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then God moves. And when God moves, Abram, his original name before God\u2019s renaming ceremony, falls on his face. He assumes a posture of humility. And then he rides the wave of the impossible. God blesses Abram and Sarai in ways no one could have predicted\u2013 not only with children but with the blessing of covenant. Like a marriage, like a religious vow, like a sacred contract, God solidifies a relationship with Abram and Sarai through a covenant and a promise, and they are transformed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are so transformed they even get new names that demonstrate their new blessing, their new identities. The name Sarai signifies \u201cmy lady,\u201d or \u201cmy princess,\u201d the matriarch of one family. \u201cSarah\u201d expands that identity to \u201cLady,\u201d or \u201cPrincess,\u201d one for the multitude, not just a particular line. Similarly, in Hebrew, the name Abram means \u201cexalted father\u201d and Abraham means \u201cfather of a multitude.\u201d Their new identities are without restriction, expanded in a way they could never have imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What would happen if we were open to the impossible? Open to being surprised, open to being transformed? How would our lives \u2013 individual and communal \u2013 change if we walked around being open to being transformed, to meeting God in ways that are unexpected and surprising? It\u2019s a vulnerable, humble place to be, to let go of our assumptions, especially in a relationship as personal and intimate as ours with the Divine. To interrogate our assumptions means we are open to our very identities changing and expanding in ways only God can dream of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Building our house on the truth that God loves us does not mean we know what God will do. God\u2019s power is not of a dictator or general, but of the power of the sea and art. It stirs in ways we could never imagine and can sweep us off our feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Psalmist (probably David) understands this and articulates praise of this power: \u201cPraise the Lord, you that fear him; stand in awe of him!\u201d We praise God and stand in awe of God, but not in a way that paralyzes: \u201cI will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.\u201d We come together to discern God\u2019s call and try to keep up with the Holy Spirit as she steers us in unpredictable ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul understands this, of course, and hearkens back to the story of Abraham and Sarah as he teaches the early church in Rome. Paul\u2019s agenda for the first generation of followers of Jesus is one of inclusion and expansion\u2013 that God\u2019s covenant with Abraham can include all people. He teaches that God\u2019s promises to Abraham and Sarah were not because they were following the right rules or were the right kind of person. It was because they were faithful. Abraham was the most esteemed because of faith, not works\u2013 because even the best works will fall short of the glory of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In our Gospel today, Jesus says we must lose our life in order to save our life. Maybe that means giving up predictability, a sense of control, in order to surrender to God\u2019s mystery. Jesus\u2019 entire ministry reflects the surprising ways that God works in the world, the way God takes human assumptions and turns them on their head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this scene from the gospel, when Jesus reveals that he will suffer, that he will be rejected and defeated by his political rivals, the disciples are shocked. \u201cWhat is this suffering Savior?\u201d they wonder. The savior is supposed to be a great king, a warrior, a super-human. Throughout generations, the Messiah was predicted to be a king descending from David, an <em>\u00dcbermensch<\/em> who crashed in to conquer oppression and stomp on enemies and vindicate God\u2019s people. This is the hope of oppressed people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, Jesus assumes a posture of humility (remember that theme?) and allows himself to suffer, suffer as we do. It\u2019s a shocking twist, that the savior Messiah would suffer death. But in God\u2019s surprising unpredictability, Jesus expands our understanding of the Divine to include the experience of humanity\u2013 from birth to death. Jesus\u2019 entire life is a testament to God&#8217;s covenant and blessing. God loves us so much that God sent Jesus as a human. A human who cried, got angry, got hungry, fought with his friends, and even died. That\u2019s a twist that both challenges assumptions and personalizes the Divine in a way that builds intimacy and personal relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes, it\u2019s really hard to accept God\u2019s twisty-turny way of working. Peter gets that. And releases his own confusion and anger, perhaps loss of control, by arguing with Jesus. What do you think he said to his friend? \u201cJesus, listen, there\u2019s another way.\u201d \u201cC\u2019mon Jesus, you don\u2019t mean that.\u201d \u201cJesus, let\u2019s think of some other options.\u201d But Jesus rebukes him, directly and openly. He reminds Peter, and all of his disciples, and us today, that God\u2019s story isn\u2019t ours to have as we will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As soon as we look for the convenient, comfortable, cozier way to follow God\u2019s call in our lives, we have lost the power of Jesus\u2019 death and, therefore, his resurrection. Because the death and resurrection\u2013 and the surprising unpredictability of God\u2019s story\u2013 is what it means to be a Christian. It\u2019s not convenient, and it\u2019s not easy. It\u2019s neither a get-out-of-jail card nor a ticket to heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being a Christian means holding on for dear life to God\u2019s love while we try to follow the Holy Spirit in our lives and community. Lent, as a season, invites us to a posture of humility and openness that emphasizes \u2013 not penitence, necessarily \u2013 but openness. Vulnerability. A willingness to be transformed, a willingness to admit that we don\u2019t know all. God constantly surprises. Will we be open and humble enough to be transformed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This sermon was written by <strong>the Rev. Cn. Anna Sutterisch<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-2df667fc-db77-4c0b-85af-de7cb660c013\" href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sermon-Lent-2B-English.docx\">Word \u2013 Lent 2 (B) Sermon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sermon-Lent-2B-English.docx\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-2df667fc-db77-4c0b-85af-de7cb660c013\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-d7a6282b-2e34-497a-b1e0-6db2a4f3fb57\" href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sermon-Lent-2B-English.pdf\">PDF \u2013 Lent 2 (B) Sermon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Sermon-Lent-2B-English.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-d7a6282b-2e34-497a-b1e0-6db2a4f3fb57\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[RCL] Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:22-30; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38 God\u2019s truth is unchangeable. But it\u2019s not predictable. Do you ever wish we lived in precedented times? Maybe live a week without a once-in-a-hundred-years catastrophe, without shock and surprise in the news, without a rupture in our day-to-day that might make things feel out of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":201212,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[51,43,52,3],"tags":[303],"class_list":["post-650297","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lent","category-sermons","category-sermons-that-work","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-lent-2b"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":51,"label":"Lent"},{"value":43,"label":"Sermons"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":3,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":303,"label":"Lent 2B"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/650297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sermon"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/650297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3473353,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sermon\/650297\/revisions\/3473353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=650297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=650297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=650297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}