Communion Sunday/Lent 3 March 7, 2010 “Another Chance” Reverend Michael D. Powell Luke 13:6-9

It’s the third Sunday in our journey through Lent, and this morning we’re celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion. And I do mean “celebrate!” You’ll remember that although Lent is for the most part a somber season of self examination and spiritual discipline, every Sunday is understood as a “little Easter,” a time for celebrating God’s grace - the gift of a new life through Christ, and that’s what we’re doing this morning as we share in these symbolic gifts of God’s redeeming, reconciling love.

On the first two Sunday’s of Lent I talked about practicing our faith – faith as not only believing in God’s promise, but also faith as trusting, being in faithful relationship with God, and following the vision of God as we strive to see with the eyes of faith. Being a person of faith, obviously, take practice!

This morning’s scripture story is a parable that Christ told about a fig tree that was barren. When the owner of the vineyard saw that the tree was not bearing figs, he was ready to cut it down, but the gardener interceded, saying, “Give it one more year. I’ll spade up the soil, put a little fertilizer on it, and maybe next year it will produce some figs. If not, then you can go ahead and cut it down.”

We saw many fig trees when we visited the Holy Lands. Here’s one of them:

Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree to illustrate God’s gift of grace, as well as the challenge to live responsibly, to practice our faith and bear fruit. We are all recipients of God's grace, and we have the high calling to be Christ-like, to be channels of that grace for others, to be instruments of peace, sowing love where there is hatred, pardon where there is injury, faith where here is doubt, hope where there is despair, light where there is darkness and joy where there is sadness. It is in giving that we receive. Thank God for opportunity, and the challenge, as individuals and as a congregation, to bear fruit.

During Lent we practice self examination. Invariably, we find that there are places where we are falling short. Not only are we often not Christ-like, very often we’re not even trying very hard! I’ll tell you one of the ways this was brought home to me. Nearly every week, for 13 years, I began every Sunday by sharing in the sacrament of Holy Communion. My pastor emeritus, Nevitt Smith, conducted the service and used the traditional Words of the Confession from the Book of Common Prayer. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but I’ll bet it’s been a while. Let’s pray it together:

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Now, you may think the language is a little negative, focusing on our inevitable failings instead of celebrating the gifts of God’s grace, but I have to tell you, when you pray those words week after week after week, you begin to internalize them and they work within you, opening your eyes to just how absolutely true they are and how much we need God’s grace. You begin to realize just how beautiful it is to repent, how precious the gift of God’s healing grace really is! That calls for celebration!

Repentance, simply put, is a very conscious, deliberate choice, a determination to think and to act in a new way, with the kind of love, joy, compassion and forgiveness that Christ teaches. Repentance is turning toward God. It’s not simply an act of will power, however. God helps us in our weakness. In The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren, we read: “Christ-likeness is the result of making Christ-like choices and depending on his Spirit to help you fulfill those choices. Once you decide to get serious about becoming like Christ, you must begin to act in new ways. You will need to let go of some old routines, develop some new habits, and intentionally change the way you think. You can be certain that the Holy Spirit will help you with these changes.” (p. 180) That’s repentance!

And that’s precisely the point that Christ is making in his parable of the fig tree. You are the fig tree. The owner of the fig tree is God. God created us, planted us here on earth, and expects us to bear fruit. The fruits of the spirit are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22) In the story God finds the fig tree lacking these fruits, and asks

why it should even be allowed to use up the soil in which it is planted. But the gardener, who is Christ and the Holy Spirit, intercedes for the fig tree saying, “Give it one more year. I’ll even help it by fertilizing and watering it.”

Do you see what’s happening here? The tree, like all living things, is still going to die someday, if not this year then maybe the next. But it will not perish without having born the fruits of the spirit, without having known the love and joy and peace and patience of Christ-like living, without having known the nurturing care of the Gardener.

When we’re not in the spirit, not living in the love and joy and peace of God, it’s like we’re sleepwalking. We’re alive, but unaware, like the walking dead. To die without ever knowing the peace of God and the joy of fellowship with the Gardener is a tragedy worse than death. But, we have a choice. Lent is a time for making a choice, a decision. It’s about repentance!

Jesus Christ is the gardener, interceding for us, challenging us to repent, even offering to help us to grow and change in order that we might wake up and die right, in the knowledge and experience of our loving relationship with God. Repentance is turning toward God, and it makes all the difference in the world, both in life and death. When we are spiritually awake, fully alive in the awareness of God’s love, then - although we die, yet shall we live! That’s the promise.

So, you are the fig tree, and you’ve been given another chance. What are you going to do with it? Are you practicing your faith? Is there anyone you need to forgive or ask forgiveness of? Is there anyone you need to share your love with? Have you experienced, and have you expressed the sheer joy of life lately? Are you striving to be Christ-like? You’ve been given another chance. It is not too late.

Come, all are invited to the open table of our Lord. Feed on him in your heart by faith, and be thankful. Amen.