CELC Fourth Sunday in Lent

The Fourth Sunday in Lent – March 21, 2004

Joshua 5:9-12

Have you ever heard of “hatch, match and dispatch?” It is a cute little way to describe the three major life transitions that take place here: Holy Baptism, Marriage and Burial of the Dead.

Along the way there has been the suggestion that some new categories be added: one suggestion is “patch” to go along with “hatch, match and dispatch.” By “patch” the pastor making the suggestion means healing from a significant illness. When you survive your second case of hepatitis, you could consider yourself “patched.” Many who have survived cancer would say that as well.

Another pastor suggested that in addition to “hatch, match, patch, and dispatch,” you add “rematch.” To the divorced and widowed remarrying, “rematch” makes a lot of sense.

So, now you have “hatch, match, patch, rematch, and dispatch.” Perhaps you can think of some others. What word would you use to represent moving from your home to an assisted living facility?

What all of these have in common is that they are transitions from one life to another.

Living life as a Christian, you will experience transitions. You have experienced “hatch.” All of us believers are blessed with the gift of Holy Baptism. It brought you into life with God and with the church, the community of believers.

The other transitions, with the exception of “dispatch,” are usually considered optional. You may not marry. You may choose to be single. You may be very careful about your health, eating well, getting checkups, caring for yourself, so “patch” may not be important to you.

It is, though, at these points of transition that often the doubts and difficulties come. Marriages are places where much stress can begin. Even the weddings themselves often stress people like no other of the life transitions. The huge availability of books for couples to enrich their marriage tells you how stressful they can be.

Marriage can bring the best out of two persons. It can also bring the worst. If there is a place where forgiveness and love need to be top priority, it is in marriage. It is the only way the relationship survives.

And then there is that serious illness that came out of nowhere. You begin to ask “why, me, Lord?” and it is a very legitimate question. When the thirty-one year old man, with wife and two small sons dies for no apparent reason other than a stroke, you wonder. You begin to question God.

It is in the midst of these difficult moments, a stress in our marriage, or an illness out of nowhere that we remember the final transition: death itself. While you might not marry, or you might not have a serious illness, you know that death claims us all.

And you know that God in Christ has made this transition just that: a transition from death to life. Through the cross, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God has taken what many would think is a dead end, pardon the pun, and made the ultimate transition.

So, this Lent, as you move through the transitions of life, move with care, letting God come close in the cross, lifting up in you forgiveness and life.

As a child is born, celebrate the gift and the claiming waters of Holy Baptism as they flow over them.

As a couple is married, dance and sing in joy with them, that the love they have found in each other many blossom again and again.

As you recover from an illness that may have taken your life, give thanks to God and celebrate with joy the length of days you have had renewed.

As death comes, look at it squarely and give thanks to God that you have been granted this life and one more.

The truth, you see, is God is with you in all the transitions of life and death. You hear this in the lesson this morning from Joshua. The people of Israel have wandered for forty years. Now, they are settling the Promised Land, a gift from God. They have known the grace of manna in the wilderness, now they eat the bounty of the land. What has and will not change is that God is with them, steadfastly loving them, whatever the transition may be.

As a congregation you know this: This is the third building that Christ Church has been housed in as a congregation. Those are transitions. As with Israel, you have God with you in your transitions.

The other fact of this day is that the future of this congregation and many others will see transition after transition. Things do change. This is a time of upheaval in our communities and there is violence, terrorism and war. These and many other influences will impact Christ church. Changes will come. What is more important is the God of Israel and the cross loves you steadfastly through them all. In all the transitions you have known and will know God is with you.

How blessed you are. Amen.

Pastor Robert F. Holley