Hebrews 12:1-14 (NRSV)

Hebrews 12:1-14 (NRSV) - Reflections on the Letters during Lent.
Ash Wednesday - March 6, 2019

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children —“My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts.” Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

I've got to admit... The one thing that jumps out to me in the passage is "RUN." Not only run but run with perseverance the race that is set before us. It's like telling us to "power through" the chances and challenges of our life. There is only one issue. I don't like to run. I did run pretty regularly in one period in my life, but I don't enjoy it. I have many friends and colleagues that love to run. It's just never been one of my passions. That may be the issue, but I think it has bearing on the reflection and why "RUN" screamed in my head when I read the passage.

To me, this section of the letter to the Hebrews almost seems like a locker-room pep talk, either before a track meet or the big game. We are told to be disciplined and endure trials, to train for the ultimate test of our agility and strength. Train so that we may RUN with endurance and RUN with perseverance. I may not like to run, but I do know how to train. It seems that the writer of this letter wants us to train like we would for a long race. A long race that will take its toll on our weary spirits.

On this Ash Wednesday, this first day of lent, we get to settle into a 40 day training period. Training both for our physical and our spiritual health. Training to meet the obstacles in the life that laid before us. Training so that we can enjoy fully the rewards that are prepared for us.

Part of that training may be to go on a diet of sorts. We may abstain from things of this world that are frivolous or extravagant, to help us focus on those things of God that nurture our relationship with God and each other. Also, in training, we need to take on healthy behaviors. Maybe behaviors like prayer and study, helping in the soup kitchen or food bank, or maybe just checking in on someone who is confined. 

I appreciate the traditions of the Episcopal Church and the prayers of the Daily Office (Lauds, Matins, Vespers, and Compline) that have been preserved in our Book of Common Prayer for daily use. I have known folks to call the practice of a regimen of praying the daily office "calisthenics for Christians." The sort of training that helps shape our faith which in turn informs our belief and provides us with a strong faith to help us through the troubles of our life.

For me, running has always been difficult. However, I pray that I maintain the discipline needed in order to keep the faith in me strong and bubbling over.

Titus 2:1-15 (NRSV)

But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine. Tell the older men to be temperate, serious, prudent, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.

Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behaviour, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us.

Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to answer back, not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Saviour.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one look down on you.

I am always skeptical when someone claims to have all the right answers. And, it would be presumptuous for me to claim that I know the answers. Therefore, I think it is my job, as pastor, to help people live with the questions within the mysteries of God. I like to let God reveal the truth to others through my faith, in love, and endurance.

As I sit and think about this portion of the letter to Titus, I struggle with some of the imagery that swirls around in my head. Images of slavery, subjugation, and other old world patriarchal images. They are all there. However, if we look deeper at what Paul is trying to tell Titus, then the message (the sound doctrine) starts to surface above the social condition of the times.

If we take out all the literal and specific men, women, and slave talk, then several things that Paul says to Titus resonates with me. Paul lists a litany of behaviors for Titus: Consistency, temperance, seriousness, prudence, a sound faith in love and endurance… reverence, not slanderous, sober, self-controlled, committed to family, keepers of the house, a model of good works, teacher of integrity, confident speaker, humble, servant of others… These behaviors in any society would be considered correct or upright behaviors or traits for anyyone. Traits that would apply to all, not just men or women. Everyone, regardless of class or condition. The first sentence in the last paragraph drew me to that conclusion. Paul says “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all!” If salvation is brought to all, then God has made God's self accessible to everyone.

I wrote on Ash Wednesday about the “Spiritual Training Camp” that the writer of the letter to the Hebrew’s was describing. I saw the image of the season of Lent as being a time devoted to spiritual training. Today, Paul's words to Titus help guide us in our training, reminding us to continue to prepare ourselves because we are still a work in progress. We don’t have all the answers. We may never have all the answers. Nevertheless, part of not having all the answers, (part of living with the questions) makes ourselves open to the Holy Spirit and ready for anything that God might be doing with us. So, we should order our lives, be strong in the faith, and prepare. For the Glory of God has yet to be fully revealed in us.

Hebrews 12:1-14 (NRSV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—

‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

   or lose heart when you are punished by him;

for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,

   and chastises every child whom he accepts.’

Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 

As we enter this season of Lent, we have a time set aside by the church calendar for self-preparation that is directly in front of us. A whole period of 40 days in which to be intentionally introspective and clean the 'muck' out of our lives. The phrase that immediately jumps off the page from the Hebrews reading in this context is “let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.”

I never thought of Lent as a race before and I can't remember how many years it's been since I enjoyed running. However, I know what it means to train. In any kind of training or discipline, there are periods of discomfort and hardship that help condition our bodies so that they can be stronger, go faster, endure longer, etc… (no pain, no gain!) In this respect, we can look at the whole season of Lent as a sort of spiritual training period. The things that we intentionally do, or take on, in this season should be to make us spiritually stronger and healthier, but they are not always easy.

The training metaphor covers the whole reading…  It seems like the writer to the Hebrews is acting like a coach, giving a pregame locker room pep speech as he explains that Jesus is our MVP and team captain that holds the playbook for us. Jesus is the one who first won the prize after enduring the pains of the cross. Then we have God who is our personal trainer, who disciplines us like children (as any good parent would) preparing us, nurturing us, and training us.

It is interesting to think of Lent as our spiritual training camp where we are provided with the best coach and trainer available to run the race of our lives. That is where we are, here today, at the beginning of our journey through the season of lent, ready to begin our training.

Blessings for Holy Lent!