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Feb 21, 2021

Welcome to the First Sunday of Lent, Cycle B! I'm S Jeanne. What is your PLAN for this retreat called Lent? Any specific goals---and I don't mean losing weight to look better---of course, you might lose weight to become a healthier instrument in God's hands! Or, do you just want to be open to where the Spirit of God and the prayers of the liturgy might lead you? Today's Scripture from GENESIS 9 is especially beautiful. The gospel from Mark makes quick work of Jesus' temptations in the desert, and so will I as we are pretty Familiar with that event:
"The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan." (Mark 1:12-13)
Every year, the desert temptations from all three Lectionary cycles remind that we too are tempted to put pleasure and power and possessions first in our lives. And we too need to RESIST and tell the devil where to go, if you know what I mean. The beautiful reading today is the one from Genesis 9, the conclusion of the Noah story. In Verse 11, God promises:
" 'I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.' " (Genesis 9:11)
In fact, to seal the deal, God adds:
" 'I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.' " (Genesis 9:13)
Just picture God up there in the clouds during the flood, shooting arrows of rain across the sky with the bow cupped upward and then symbolically putting the bow down on the earth, an eternal symbol of peace, renewal, healing, a restart for the Covenant! Let us follow that gesture and renew our own covenant with God every time we see, and usually marvel at, a rainbow in the sky. May your covenant with God grow and deepen this Lent! Amen. Let it be.
Every year, the desert temptations from all three Lectionary cycles remind that we too are tempted to put pleasure and power and possessions first in our lives. And we too need to RESIST and tell the devil where to go, if you know what I mean. The BEAUTIFUL reading today is the one from Genesis 9, the conclusion of the Noah story. In Verse 11, God promises:
" 'I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.' " (Genesis 9:11)
In fact, to seal the deal, God adds:
" 'I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.' " (Genesis 9:13)
Just picture God up there in the clouds DURING the flood, shooting arrows of rain across the sky with the bow cupped upward and then symbolically putting the BOW down on the earth, an eternal symbol of peace, renewal, healing, a RESTART for the Covenant! Let us FOLLOW that gesture and renew our own covenant with God every time we see, and usually marvel at, a rainbow in the sky. May YOUR covenant with God GROW and DEEPEN this Lent! Amen. Let it be.