RENEWsletter for March 14, 2010 - 4th Lent

Good morning Renewable friends--
It's a good thing we are "renewable", because there are times when we feel worn out, used up, or just tired. If my car felt like I do this week, I'd take it in to see a mechanic. :-)

But... next Sunday's theme is one of renewal, old things passing away, and all things becoming new. Rest, a vacation, a trip to the doctor for some antibiotics, therapy, or even surgery, can make things new again. And someday, we'll "trade in" these old bodies for eternal ones and become really new. Meantime, we greet each new day with renewed hearts because of Christ's great sacrifice in hauling away our old trash in his own body on the Cross.

Again, some churches will go with the RCIA (Year A) readings. But here we'll go with the regular readings for this coming Fourth Sunday of Lent. They can be found on the web: http://www.usccb.org/nab/031410c.shtml and in your Bible at:

Joshua 5.9a, 10-12
Psalm 34.2-3, 4-5, 6-7
2 Corinthians 5.17-21
Luke 15.1-3, 11-32 (verses 4-10 are two other once-lost/now-found parables)

The First Reading takes place after the Israelites have passed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land (Josh 3.17). Moses had gone on to his reward (ch. 1, v. 1). Joshua had the responsibility of leadership now (ch. 5, v. 9). When Passover came, they celebrated by eating of the produce of the land (vs. 10, 11). It was a good time. They got to eat real food for the first time in about 40 years (v. 12). No more manna, no more sand. This new land was flowing with milk and honey! I imagine they felt renewed, and very, very happy.

The Psalmist was definitely happy when he wrote this Sunday's Responsorial Psalm. "Taste and see the goodness of the Lord" (Ps. 34.9). Some of that goodness is expressed in verse 5: "I sought the LORD, who answered me, and delivered me from all my fears." As you know, fear is what triggers the "fight or flight syndrome". When we are afraid, we have one of two reactions: We either get angry and fight it, or we cower and run away... or some variation or combination of those two. But when we are delivered from our fears, we have peace. Peace triggers the "love-hope-joy-trust syndrome" (v. 6). I'll take peace over fear any day.

The Second Reading includes one of my favorite verses, 2 Cor. 5.17, "So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; and look! everything has become new." New food, new tastes of the goodness of the Lord, new absence of fear, new trust, new faith. And how is all this brought about? By God, who did the work of reconciling us to himself through his Son Jesus (v. 19). But you know what? Someone told us about God and the work of reconciliation... Christ's death on the Cross for our sins. Someone was God's ambassador to us. Now, it's our turn to be ambassadors to those around us who haven't heard the Good News in a way they can understand it (v. 20).

We each have a unique story. Yours are all different from mine. And there's someone who will not understand the message of salvation until they hear it the way only I can tell it. And there's someone else that my story will be Greek to, but they'll understand your story. Jesus told lots of stories, and in the Gospel Reading there were those who had trouble understanding him (Luke 15.3). So he told the story of the Prodigal Son (v. 11ff). Which person in that story comes closest to relating to you? The father? The errant son? The faithful brother? When I hear this story, I wait for the part where the servant tells the faithful brother what the ruckus is about (v. 26). That's the one I relate to. He told it like it was: "Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound" (v. 27). Short, succinct, accurate. But it wasn't a story the brother could understand. He got angry (v. 28). That servant went for help: "Master, your faithful son is upset because you're having a party for his brother. You might want to go talk to him, sir."

When we run into a roadblock, we stop, back off, and go get help. But we keep telling our story. Let's try to think of ways this week we can share our story about the goodness of the Lord with those who may be trying to understand.

Randy Jones
"Those who cannot tell their story may not have a story to tell!"