Here's a sermon about two people who emerged from their settled worlds, Abram and Nicodemus, and what that means for us.
But first, a call to worship and prayer of invocation.
Call to Worship Psalm 121 Adapted
One: I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where will my help come?
All: My help comes from God, who made heaven and earth.
One: God will not let your foot be moved;
All: God who keeps you will not slumber.
One: God who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
All: God is your keeper;
One: God is your shade at your side.
All: The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
One: God will keep you from all evil;
All: God will keep your life.
One: God will keep your going out and your coming in.
All: It shall be so from this time on and forevermore.
Prayer of Invocation
Mighty God, we gather in worship in the faith that you provide. You will deign to us with your truth, enter this place with your presence and promise of renewal, and enter into history to bring a new dawn. You will reveal to us the wisdom by which we will more fully live; you will do this for each and for all.
So why do we doubt?
Yet we do: we stagnate in worn thinking or, in an effort to break out, we choose change after change, continuing revolution though with ever diminishing return, mere Twitter mobs, mere bumper sticker wars.
We are exhausted. We are out of ideas. We are spent of hope.
We look to Abram, called out. We look to Nicodemus, leaving his frame of reference for a new revelation. We look back at these towering figures and we look forward in wonder, might we be at the dawn of a new age?
Bless us if we are. Bless us that this new age might be bright with your inspiration, rich with your sustenance. Bless us with courage, curiosity, ingenuity, faith. During this season of Lent, which we observe in penitence, bless that our practice might have us open to departure from what we’ve come to know. Release from this comfort. Help us to emerge into some mysterious unknown.
In Christ, who passed through the Cross to emerge to new and eternal life and whom we mean to follow, we pray. Amen.