Monday, March 21: What are our idols?

Then the Lord said to me: …disaster shall break out on all the inhabitants of the land. - Jeremiah 1:11-19

We are listening in on the story of God’s call to Jeremiah. The Babylonians have overwhelmed Judah, sacked Jerusalem, and sent many of the people into exile. Into the midst of this conflict, God calls the prophet to interpret for the people the signs of the times. The people have turned away from God and made offerings to other gods. Their affinity for idols has brought disaster down on their heads. God, it seems, really does care when the people turn away from allegiance and service to the Creator of the Universe and turn towards useless idols that they imagine will satisfy their desires. Jeremiah, in very poetic language, will spend 52 chapters explaining to the people the consequences of their poor choices.

What are the idols that we worship? Which is to say, what do we really value more than devotion to God and loving service to others? We all have at least one or two idols. We might make an idol out of security, so we hoard our resources in fear of scarcity rather than share our abundance. We might hold onto our children so tightly that we don’t allow them the freedom to flourish on their own. It is so easy for a child or a spouse or a parent to become merely an object that we use to satisfy our unmet wants. What are the idols in our own lives? Loving and serving God first, Jeremiah reminds us, allows us to love and serve others in the most genuine and authentic way. Heartfelt devotion and service to God clears away all the idols and makes way for wholeness and peace.

—The Rev Lex Breckinridge

Sunday, March 20: The Second Sunday in Lent

Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’ - Genesis 12:1-4a

After seventy-five years, the Lord still had a lifetime’s worth of work for Abram and Sarai, as they were still called.

Now, the Lord wasn’t yet specific about the work this couple was to do. They would have to go on a journey to discover God’s purpose for them. In this case, the journey was all the way from Haran in modern-day Iraq, across the Fertile Crescent, down into the land of Egypt and back. They became discouraged and weary along the way. More than once, they doubted the Lord’s promise to them. But they persevered by faith. Eventually, a son, Isaac, was born to them in the new land to which the Lord had led them. Isaac and Rebekah, in turn, bore Esau and Jacob; and Jacob and his wives gave birth to twelve sons whose offspring became the twelve tribes of Israel. A great nation, indeed.

Regardless of our age, God always has work for us, some purpose for our lives. To discover that purpose may require us to go on a journey. An interior journey. This purpose, this work, may not be immediately apparent. It will surely require the perseverance of faith to discover it.

Why not spend some time today reflecting on God’s purpose for you? There may be someone in need of your forgiveness. There is undoubtedly someone in need of your compassion. Extending these gifts to others is as great a purpose for your life as founding a great nation.

—The Rev Lex Breckinridge

Sunday, March 13: The First Sunday in Lent

"The tempter came to him." - Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus’ experience in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry was crucial to the formation of his character. It was there that Satan tempted him with promises of:

1) Safety and security,
2) Power and control,
3) Affection and esteem.

All that was required of Jesus to obtain these deeply human wants was to acknowledge Satan’s lordship. How tempting! Isn’t that what we desire? To be safe, to be in control, to be well-regarded? Yet, it is the pursuit of these ego-driven goals that drives us straight into the arms of the Father of Lies.

Jesus spent his entire ministry living into his Father’s will for him as he understood it. In turning away from the pull to self-satisfaction and turning towards surrender to God, he models for us the journey towards liberation of our true selves from the illusory need to be our own saviors.

Lent is an occasion to reflect on the temptations in our own lives. It is likely that whatever we come up with will be a version of one or more of Satan’s seductive promises to Jesus. Name it and write it on a piece of paper. God is always inviting us to surrender whatever wants underly our particular temptation. Allow God’s healing grace to flow. It is the path to genuine wholeness.

— The Rev Lex Breckinridge

It Will Be Enough

Sermon preached at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Medina, WA, by the Rev. Lex Breckinridge, Rector, on the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, July 18, 2010: Mass on the Grass