FOURTH LENT

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT

(JESUS SAID)
JUST AS MOSES
LIFTED UP THE SNAKE IN THE DESERT,
SO THE SON OF MAN
MUST BE LIFTED UP,
THAT EVERYONE
WHO BELIEVES IN HIM
MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
FOR GOD
SO LOVED THE WORLD
THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE
AND ONLY SON,
THAT WHOEVER
BELIEVES IN HIM
SHALL NOT PERISH
BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

FOR GOD
DID NOT SEND HIS SON
INTO THE WORLD
TO CONDEMN THE WORLD,
BUT TO SAVE THE WORLD
THROUGH HIM.

WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM
IS NOT CONDEMNED,
BUT WHOEVER DOES NOT BELIEVE
STANDS CONDEMNED ALREADY
BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BELIEVED
IN THE NAME OF GOD'S ONE
AND ONLY SON.

THIS IS THE VERDICT:
LIGHT HAS COME
INTO THE WORLD,
BUT MEN LOVED DARKNESS
INSTEAD OF LIGHT
BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL.

EVERYONE WHO DOES EVIL
HATES THE LIGHT,
AND WILL NOT COME
INTO THE LIGHT
FOR FEAR
THAT HIS DEEDS WILL BE EXPOSED.
BUT WHOEVER LIVES BY THE TRUTH
COMES INTO THE LIGHT,
SO THAT IT MAY BE SEEN PLAINLY
THAT WHAT HE HAS DONE
HAS BEEN DONE THROUGH GOD












(SONG)
IF I KNEW YOU WERE COMING
I'D HAVE BAKED A CAKE
BAKED A CAKE
BAKED A CAKE
IF I KNEW YOU WERE COMING
I'D HAVE BAKED A CAKE
YES I WOULD
YES I WOULD
YES I WOULD

ODD WAY TO BEGIN A SERMON
ISN'T IT
BUT IT'S TRUE
YOU INDIVIDUALLY
ARE SO IMPORTANT
IN GOD'S PLAN FOR THE WORLD
THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CAKE
IN YOUR HONOR

IN FACT
SINCE WE KNEW YOU WERE COMING
THE STAFF BAKED A CAKE

(SONG)
SINCE WE KNEW YOU WERE COMING
WELL WE BAKED A CAKE
BAKED A CAKE
BAKED A CAKE
SINCE WE KNEW YOU WERE COMING
WELL WE BAKED A CAKE
YES WE DID
YES WE DID
YES WE DID

(CAKE BROUGHT IN
PLACED ON ALTAR)

THE CAKE SITS ON THE ALTAR
A SIGN OF GOD'S LOVE FOR YOU
ANOTHER GIFT FROM GOD FOR YOU
YOU MIGHT SAY
WHY ALL THE FUSS
WE DID NOTHING TO DESERVE A CAKE
AND THAT'S TRUE
WE DO OR HAVE DONE NOTHING
TO DESERVE
CREATION AND SALVATION
WE ARE PRODUCTS OF GOD'S LOVE
AND THAT LOVE
GIVES US WORTH
AND ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A CAKE
WE ARE PRODUCTS OF GOD'S LOVE
HOLD ON TO THAT THOUGHT

IMAGINE IF YOU WILL
NICODEMUS
HEARING THESE WORDS FOR THE FIRST TIME

FOR GOD
SO LOVED THE WORLD
THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE
AND ONLY SON,
THAT WHOEVER
BELIEVES IN HIM
SHALL NOT PERISH
BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

FOR GOD
DID NOT SEND HIS SON
INTO THE WORLD
TO CONDEMN THE WORLD,
BUT TO SAVE THE WORLD
THROUGH HIM

TODAY'S GOSPEL STORY
IS PART OF THE LARGER STORY
WHERE NICODEMUS COMES AT NIGHT
TO QUESTION AND LISTEN TO JESUS

NICODEMUS HAS BEEN RAISED
IN THE JEWISH CONCEPT OF GOD
WHERE GOD MAKES THE RULES
AND PUNISHES THOSE WHO BREAK THEM

IN CONTRAST TO THAT THOUGHT
NICODEMUS HEARS
THAT GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON
TO CONDEMN THE WORLD
BUT TO SAVE THE WORLD THROUGH HIM

OR AS A POET HAS SAID
FROM THE DEEPEST RECESSES OF ETERNITY
GOD CALLS OUT
I'M LONELY
I'LL MAKE ME A MAN
A WOMAN
A WORLD
AND I SHALL LOVE THEM
FAR PAST
ALL THEIR IMPERFECTIONS
FOR I CREATE THEM OUT OF LOVE
AND THAT LOVE IS A REFLECTION OF ME
AND THAT LOVE IS A FREE GIFT FROM ME

NICODEMUS DIDN'T UNDERSTAND
A GOD WHO DIDN'T KEEP SCORE
DIDN'T MAKE SENSE
CHRISTIANS OFTEN DO NOT UNDERSTAND
THE FREENESS OF GOD'S LOVE

AS PERHAPS ALL MEN AND WOMEN
FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE IN A GOD OF LOVE
THERE IS A STRONG FEELING AMONG US
THAT GOD MUST BE PACIFIED
THAT HIS ANGER MUST BE CONTAINED

BUT GOD DID NOT MAKE US TO TORTURE US
BUT TO SIT AT HIS TABLE
AND DRINK OF HIS WINE
AND BE HIS FRIEND FOREVER

WE FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE
MARTIN LUTHER FOUND IT HARD TO BELIEVE
HE ALWAYS THOUGHT
THAT GOD WAS HIS ENEMY
A FATHER HE COULDN'T PLEASE

UNTIL GOD BROKE THROUGH TO HIM
SAYING IN EFFECT
I
GOD
MADE THE WORLD
NOT TO BE A CONQUERING HERO
NOT TO BE A DISAPPROVING FATHER
BUT A LOVING FRIEND

AND I ASK
THAT IN RESPONSE
TO THIS GIFT I GIVE YOU
THAT YOU LOVE
ALL MEN
WOMEN
WORLD

THAT YOU LOVE THEM
AS I HAVE LOVED YOU
FOR I HAVE LOVED YOU INDIVIDUALLY
AS IF THERE WAS ONLY ONE OF YOU TO LOVE

INDIVIDUALLY
YOU HAVE MY FULL ATTENTION

EACH ONE OF YOU
IS SO IMPORTANT
INDIVIDUALLY

THAT I GOD CREATED A WORLD
AND SAVED IT
THROUGH THE ACTIONS OF MY SON

WHEN YOU EAT THE CAKE
AND TASTE ITS SWEETNESS
AND THE CAKE BECOMES PART OF YOU

REMEMBER
REMEMBER
THAT I GOD LOVE YOU
AND I ASK
THAT YOU SHARE THAT LOVE
WITH ALL YOU MEET

AMEN