A SABBATH OF SABBATHS – HOLY SATURDAY

Holy Saturday is the SABATH of SABATHS there is silence in heaven and on earth. Jesus’ earthly life is complete. The Cross has been endured and the resurrection awaits, but today we rest, we wait: “they that wait upon the lord will renew their strength.”

After journeying 40 days through Lent and having meditated upon and having considered our lives and realigned our lives and created some new habits and spiritual practices we now prepare to cross the parted sea into the future, under the banner of Christ and in the power of His Holy Spirit.

My prayer is that this has been a meaningful and life altering journey. My prayer is that your past has been flooded and your future is being made to be dry land.

Remember that the same ground that the Israelites walked on as hard ground, the Egyptians got stuck in in their chariots. When we do things for our own glory we shall get stuck in the mud of life, when we walk in humble submission and confidence in God, we are walking on dry ground.

My dear friends before us lies a great wilderness, there is hunger and thirst to be contended with, there is a tabernacle to be built, there are temptations to be overcome, there is a pillar of fire and a cloud to be followed.

On Holy Saturday, we proclaim to the whole world and all the powers and principalities that we are God’s chosen ones, protected ones, anointed ones and we will walk in the Spirit of God, in step with the spirit of God and to the glory of God.

On Holy Saturday as Jesus sets the captives free, and lights a new fire in us may we recommit to ministry, to lifestyle to discipleship.

We have learned that repentance is not merely a departing from a past life of it – it is daily, in fact continually in each moment choosing the way of Christ.

There are two paths ahead of us and we must choose the one that God desires for us, and avoid the one that we are tempted to follow  – for selfish gain, we need new fire.

We all need that new fire! We all have changes in our lives that we need to face – we need new fire!

• A fire to lead us by night,
• A burning Bush to get our attention,
• Tongues of flame to fill us with the Holy Spirit,
• Fire to provide light to our path and to purify our hearts.

 I see the significance of renewal, but I struggle with the silence and the waiting.

And I often teach this but it is hard for me to get right –  the waiting in silence – Jesus in the grave on the sabbath – overcoming the evil of the world setting the prisoners free, by being silent, “doing nothing” letting go, letting be, where we stop for long enough to be attentive to what God is doing.

The SABBATH is the day that God changes the order of life.

On Holy Saturday we meditate and hopefully comprehend that God “IS”. He doesn’t need to do anything –                           it is done it is achieved it is accomplished!

We just need to enter into his rest, but we must get the pattern right – we are not called to do nothing –             we are called to action, but when we have acted we are to rest – when we have walked in obedience then we are to leave the results to God.

Are you ready to trust God!

When you plant mealies and I used to plant mealies, and believe me it is hard work, ploughing and ripping up the soil and preparing it then planning and fertilising it.. but when the seed is in the ground you wait!!

You can’t wait before you have planted and expect a crop without the effort of planting, but by the same token you can’t try and pull the plants up once you have planted them….you have to wait as they germinate and they grow – by God’s grace alone.

Holy Saturday is a reminder that when we completely trust in God when we rest in him when we are prepared to wait in silence, be silent, be still… then God can reorder our lives.

This pattern is critical to our lives. Are you ready to trust God enough to be obedient and do what is required and then wait upon the Lord?

I hope you are.

I hope and pray that during this lent God has transformed your thinking about repentance.

That you are seeing that there is a new road ahead of you.

And that you have to wait upon the Lord to renew your strength.

And now will you wait in silence for God to grow you.

Tomorrow the stone will be rolled away, but tonight it remains sealed. Like many things in our lives.

Are you waiting patiently?

Are you trusting God?

We read about when the women had reached the tomb – they found it open, but on the way, the women asked “who will roll away the stone?” But they didn’t go home and wonder and wait, they kept going they, remained attentive to the task at hand, they kept going towards Jesus where they knew he was – and they trusted..

We have been baptised into a life of obedience and action and waiting and trusting.

As we Baptise new members into God’s Church as we renew our Baptismal vows – we are accepting a life that relies on God. A life in which we are disciplined and where we do what is ours to do,

On Maundy Thursday (Reflection 6) we spoke about the significance of water and Jesus referring to himself as living water – powerful and humble – permanent and always changing state, flooding and washing, rejuvenating. May the waters of Baptism be to us the live giving power of God shared in humility…

And may we be refreshed by it, as it turns to new wine in our lives, and empowers us to live.

To live a life in which we must daily collect “manna” as we read scripture, pray and worship.

A life in which we constantly seek forgiveness, in the form of guidance, rebuke, correction, and God’s nurturing love.

A life in which we must be humble and embrace acts of humility.

A life in which we accept the way of the cross, we accept our lives in Christ, that we will live by his light and to his glory.

“And the Church of Christ was born and the Spirit lit the flame – shine Jesus shine.”

By Baptism we pass from death to life.

Christ our Light – thanks be to God.  Amen.