Musical Prelude and Service.

Genesis 151-12, 17-18 & Luke 13:31-35
What images come to mind for us when we think about God?
You don’t need to answer that question. But sometimes it is useful to consider that question.
How we see God tells us a lot about how we actually conceptualize God. Who God is for us.
How God responds to us and works for and with us. And if we are not careful, we can fall into habits of describing God with a very limited set of images. And so, while we may insist that God is all present and all loving, we may unintentionally limit our concept of God.
Today’s scriptures describe God responding to our questions and our challenges. These stories offer us glimpses into how God is at work as we express our fears and doubts. And as such, we can be encouraged to reflect on how we hold on to our faith; our trust in God when we are struggling whit our doubts and our fears.
In Genesis, Abram has experienced an increase in wealth and power after following God’s instruction to travel to a new land. But despite this, he remains without a blood heir, and he despairs at leaving this new found wealth to a servant or slave. He is outright questioning or challenging God on this lack of offspring.
And so, we are offered this conversation between God and Abram, which results in a covenant as God makes a promise of heirs for Abram. More numerous than the stars.
It is worth noting that Abram does not stop following God or listening to God, but he is also insistent that he needs to see something to reassure him. And God points to what is already there – what is right there for Abram to see.
And those promises are fulfilled. But Abram must still wait several years before the birth of Ishmael, and approximately 15 more years after that for the birth of Isaac. After the death of Sarah, Abraham marries and has several other children, but God’s response is not what you would call immediate. And it is also a promise that is not just for Abram but for generations to come.
God is not working and responding to Abram personally and individually, but for him and those who follow – for the whole community that is growing. Furthermore, God’s faith, or promise to Abram is not contingent on Abram’s behaviour or obedience. Abram, or Abraham as he is eventually named, is far from a perfect example of righteous or steadfast decision making. I won’t go into detail here, but God’s commitment to Abram is not conditional.
Luke also offers us a description of God at work amongst us in the person of Jesus. And here we are, provided an image that in many ways challenges the vision we often desire for how God works with or for us. Here we read of Jesus describing himself as a mother hen sheltering her chicks from the storm. The mother hen sheltering her young under her wing.
Jesus describes himself in feminine terms. In doing the work God puts before him, he likens himself to a mother hen. Jesus; God with us, uses feminine imagery to describe his actions and his role in our lives.
We so often turn to descriptors for Jesus and God such as Lord, Father, the King, the Prince of Peace. The good Shepherd. We could go on, but here Jesus chooses an image of a mother sheltering her young from the storm.
It is also an image that is notably one of vulnerability. The hen is not fighting off the weather, attempting to drive away or defeat the storm. The hen is enduring the wind and the rain to provide safe shelter to those who are weakest in this moment.
The pharisees – those who are often accused of standing against Jesus, here urge him to avoid traveling to Jerusalem because they know this is dangerous. If he continues on this journey, he is putting his life at risk. They don’t want to see Jesus killed. But Jessus is willing to be vulnerable in this moment for the sake of his mission; to keep delivering his message of justice, of mercy of love, of fidelity to the God of love and peace.
There is a temptation to insist on muscular or powerful images and terminology for Jesus and for God. There is a branch of Christianity that I fear is gaining ground that wants to present Jesus as a powerful warrior battling on behalf of his followers. That makes me uncomfortable. The argument I make here doesn’t allow for me to reject it completely, but I would argue it cannot be allowed to dominate the conversation. As we journey through Lent, we cannot lose sight of the Jesus who is prepared to be vulnerable and suffer in his mission to shelter us, to protect us and guide us to a new life.
How we describe God becomes how we see God. I would encourage us to be expansive in how we choose to name God and talk with God. And beyond that, we need to be open and imaginative in how we look to see how God responds to our prayers and our needs. God does not drive off the storm. God shelters us through the storm. God does not gift Abram with an heir right away. The story of Abram’s offspring is long and complex.
God hears our prayers and responds, but it may not be in ways we expect or desire. We need to be patient and imaginative. We need to trust that God sees us, hears us, and loves us.
And God knows us.
It is frightening to leave ourselves vulnerable – to admit to weaknesses, to fear. To acknowledge our need for care and support. It goes against so much of what we have been taught over the years to admit we can’t go forward without support.
And yet, we are encouraged to remember we are not alone on this journey. We are not expected to walk alone. We are part of a community. We are only a part of the body of Christ. We function as one part of a much larger body or community. We are called to care for one another, and that means others care about and for us.
We may be vulnerable. We may fear for the future and the present. We may not feel equipped for the challenges that are now before us. But we are not alone, and we are not expected to take on those challenges, those dangers, all by ourselves. It’s okay to say we are afraid. God is our mother hen, and she is beckoning us to gather under her wings and ride out this storm, together with so many others.
May we find comfort in this stormy time. May we put our trust in God; our faith in God; unsure how or when we will recognize God’s answers. But may we stay open to possibilities with faith, with imagination and courage; even as we confront our fears. We are not alone. We live in God’s world.
Thanks be to God. Amen
Rev. Warner Bloomfield

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789