The Second Sunday in Lent
February 24, 2002
11:00 a.m.
Christ Church, Covington

“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. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed…’ Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran.”
Today’s first reading is an account of the call of Abram, later to be known as Abraham. The story is in many ways a stylized and symbolic one. First , note that God calls Abraham to go on a journey. He is to leave what is known and familiar, his country and his kindred, and travel to an unknown land. The journey is a frequent theme in the Hebrew scriptures, and it repeats itself again and again in the history of Israel. One commentary points out that Abraham’s journey follows the same path as Jacob’s journey. And both Abraham and Jacob’s journeys trace generally the Israelites’ route of conquest in the land of Canaan. In other words, Abraham’s journey is symbolic. It is a foretaste or foreshadowing of the journeys that will occur later in the lives of Abraham’s descendants.
There is also a formula in Abraham’s story which is repeated at least three other times in the book of Genesis:
“Abraham took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan.” This same formula is used in the journeys of Abraham’s father, Terah, the journey of Esau, and the journey of Jacob. It is the formula of departing to a new place-the place where God is calling his people to go.
Note also Abraham’s age. He is no spring chicken when he receives his call to go to a new land. He is 75 or thereabout, when he sets out from his father’s home and relatives in Haran.
The metaphor of a journey for God’s call is oft repeated not only in the Hebrew scriptures, but also in the New Testament. Jesus’ ministry is one of traveling, journeying on foot to the towns and villages of Galilee, Samaria, and Judea. And Jesus’ final and last journey, the culmination of his call, is his journey to Jerusalem and to the cross. But even this last journey of Jesus is not the end of the journeying of God’s people. Rather, it is the beginning of a whole new series of journeys for the people of God. After the resurrection, Jesus issues his call, his commission to his followers: “Go therefore, and make disciples of all Nations…” Jesus’ call to his followers has a notable ring of resonance with God’s call to Abraham:” Go from your country and your father’s house… and in you all families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Jesus’ call set in motion the journeying of the apostles throughout the known world, including the missionary journeys of Paul.
This metaphor of the journey was so predominant in sacred history that it impressed itself indelibly on the hearts and minds of the early Christians so that it became imbedded in Christian architecture. As we all know, the body of the church where we have our pews, and where the people of God gather to worship, is called the nave, from the Latin Navis, or ship. The church is a ship, a metaphor for our journey of the life of faith; for our response to God’s call in Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations.
If one thing is true of the people of God, it is that they are called to make journeys on behalf of God. From Abraham, to Jacob, to the people of Israel, to Jesus, to us; we are called to set forth from what is known and familiar to go to unknown territory and foreign lands, not knowing what lies ahead, but trusting that if God has called us to this journey, he will supply what we need. And trusting also, that if we are faithful to God’s call, he will make the journey fruitful, and use our journey to bless us and all others - even all the families of the earth.

It is therefore no accident that the process we have in place at Christ Church to initiate unbaptized adults into the church, and to initiate adults from other churches into the Episcopal Church, is called Journey in Christ. We call it that by intention because forming people in the life of discipleship, the life of faith, is a journey. Today is an important step in the faith journey of those people who are in this process this year. After the Creed they will be expressing their intention to deepen their life of discipleship by enrolling in a Lenten study of preparation. They are preparing spiritually to renew their commitment to Christ and to following him, wherever he may lead them, when the Bishop comes for his visitation on April 28. We are here to support and encourage them as they make this commitment, and to express our solidarity with them as they make this inward journey to renew their faith, and love, and obedience to Christ.
They are also reminding us that Christian discipleship is a life long journey. It does not end when we are confirmed or received. It does not end when we reach a certain age. Abraham was 75 when he received a new call to set out for the unknown. We never know when God may call us to set out on a new venture to an unknown land in the life of faith.
For over two years now, we have been praying to discern how God is calling us to minister in this community to the poor, the friendless and the needy, and we have been praying that we may have the wisdom and grace to respond to the call. Perhaps we were not exactly aware that we were asking God to call us out on a new journey, but that in essence is what we were praying for.
The clergy and the Vestry of this parish have kept this prayer in heart and mind over the past two years. So much so that from the beginning they envisioned using some of the resources from our Capital Campaign to respond to God’s call to Christ Church to minister in this community. When they voted in January to fund the building of two Habitat houses and provide the labor for at least one of them, it was the result of several months of discernment.
At the February Vestry meeting last Monday, the Vestry went on a journey. They boarded our school bus and toured the neighborhood where the first house will be built on the corner of Buchanan and 33rd Street. They saw the vacant lot and the sign on the lot saying that this house is sponsored by Christ Church in partnership with Christ Episcopal School and Christwood. They also toured the new free medical clinic started by Deacon Joe Lazo which is on the side of the Food Bank.
This is a new journey in our life of faith as a community. We have never done this before. It is our going forth to a new place, to unknown territory in response to God’s call.
But that is not all. Even though the Vestry commitment was made only a month ago, we have already received signs of confirmation that this is indeed where God is calling us. Last week one parishioner told me he had the names of two people who wanted to work on this project. Who should we give the names to? Another parishioner told me he and two others ere excited about getting started on the building.
The first two phone calls made by Barbara Sears (our Outreach Committee chair), one to secure a House Leader to oversee the project, and the other to secure a volunteer leader, bore fruit. David Campbell, a newcomer to our parish in the Journey in Christ process, has committed to being our house leader. Gwen Sjennsen, a parishioner and school parent, has committed to being our Volunteer leader. Another newcomer and school parent, Yonshin Willis has committed to being the liaison coordinator with our school. A teacher at our Middle School, who is Jewish, overheard Barbara Sears talking about the Habitat project. She asked if her Jewish congregation could join us in helping to build the house. Barbara answered with a resounding, “Yes!”
The ways in which God is already acting in this new venture to build relationships between people and blessing others through us, and blessing us, is extraordinary. It is not just the family who will buy this Habitat House who will be blessed. We are being blessed, and others outside of Christ Church who want to help are being blessed. “I will bless you . . . so that you will be a blessing . . . in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” We are Abraham’s descendants, and God’s promise to Abraham as he set out on a new venture is taking on flesh for us, before our very eyes.
Last Monday evening, the Vestry was asked to contact the heads of every group in this parish to ask them to bring this new venture of faith before their respective groups, and to discern how they can participate in this call to Christ Church. But not to worry! If you are not a part of a group at Christ Church, we will have tables outside of the church on Sunday very soon, so that all will have the opportunity to share in the is new journey of faith and blessing.
I encourage you to ask how you may be a part of this. We need much more than people who can hammer and nail. We need people to provide food, to make telephone calls, to clean up the worksite, and to pray. We need people to offer devotions at the beginning of each Habitat workday. This house will be built not only with hammer and nails, but most importantly with prayer. Become a part of this blessing and you will find yourself blessed. Become a part of this blessing and you will find others being blessed through you.

The Rev’d Pamela P. Snare is Senior Curate of Christ Church, Covington

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