Sermon Feb. 26, 2012 first sunday Lent Gen. 9:8-17, I Peter 3:18-22

February 26,2012
Our other readings take us away from what we would normally consider to start the season of Lent as a struggle against temptation and the building of spiritual resources. Lent is a new season of the church year, and we can use that as a prism with the readings.

In older English, Lent comes from the words for spring, as it precedes the spring festival of Easter. What would Noah’s rainbow have to do with Lent? This year it appears that we are marking signposts of God’s deep and abiding partnership with the people, what Presbyterians usually call a covenant, a sacred bond or pledge, so we are moving to the climax of those relationships in the cross and resurrection. The readings lead us to consider ways to renew our covenant commitments, a spiritual renewing of the vows. The rainbow was a symbol of power in ancient times, a divine bow. Noah’s flood was a story of God going back to the drawing board in a sense, sweeping off the old ways in this primeval history. Our passage drastically changes it into a symbol of peace. In other cultures, it is the bridge between heaven and earth, more of a barrier than a bridge. here it is a sign of union between heaven and earth. Ezekiel and Isaiah both pick this up as a covenant of peace with God and all of creation.The rainbow is a sign for God as well as creation.God realizes that human heart is prone to evil, but God swears against destruction as a weapon against human evil in any event. God will work with us as the divine bow is put away. God will remain faithful, in solemn peaceful covenant with us, but destruction is off the table.

Our reading from I Peter places us in mythic territory that is touched on in the Apostles’ Creed. The spirits in prison seem to be those who perished in the time of Noah, but I am not sure who they are. It reminds me a bit of Greek stories of facing the abode of the dead whether it is Heracles or Orpheus. Allied with other biblical quotes, this passage influences the declaration in the Creed that Jesus descended into hell. The Reformers saw this descent as starting at Gethsemane, of the process of being forsaken or at least distanced form god on the road to crucifixion. Even death does not separate us from the love of Christ.

Baptismal founts are sometimes shaped as little arks as a link to our passages this morning.We remember the waters of the flood in our baptismal prayers. they often have eight sides as a result of this passage reminding us how small a remnant was saved in the story of Noah. In our tradition we link baptism to the sign of the covenant in circumcision, an eighth day practice. Also, it links to Easter, the so called eight day, the new creation where the tomb could become a womb for new life. In Norse mythology, the rainbow bridge will take on to Asgard, the abode of the gods. As a kid, we would make rainbows in the light spectrum when we were washing the car. Maybe we should paint a rainbow , now a symbol of diversity, on baptismal fonts as a sign of the inclusive nature of the church. (here add material on spiritual practices?)

The rainbow is a reminder for God to a commitment to human life and all life. The bow, a weapon, now can be seen as a shield of protection. It is a sign of divine forbearance and protection. Even with all of our flaws, God is sticking with us and our cause.