Lent Week 6 - Readiness

by Rev Dominic Chan

The question of readiness is present throughout our whole lives: it can be raised as we (try to) leave the house in the morning, before a presentation at work or school, or maybe it’s the question that is asked before church on a Sunday.

When you hear the question “Are you ready?” are you the kind of person who will usually say: “Yes!” or “Not yet”?

Being ready can be about our Skills, our Supplies, and our Spirit.

We can be ready by having the right Skills.

If you’re ready for the pool then you usually want to be able to swim.
If you’re ready to present then you want to speak clearly.
If you’re ready to write a reflection then you want to be able to proofreed.[1]
As the church, there are so many different skills that people have that contribute to the mission of God in and through the church.

We can be ready by having the right Supplies.

When I was in high school we had a camp every year and the motto was “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just poor preparation.” We had to make sure we had the right clothes, the right food, and the right equipment. We had to ensure that our backpacks were lined with garbage bags so when it rained our stuff wouldn’t get wet. We needed to be intentional about the kinds of things we brought with us and the things we left at home so that we reduced rubbish and weight.

We can be ready by having the right Spirit.

If we think about “spirit” as being similar to “attitude” then the wrong spirit would be like having a member of your team decide to not care about the team’s goals and do their own thing instead. As the church, having the right spirit is knowing that who we are and what we do are in line with God’s plan and purpose.  Having the right spirit can help us on the journey of growing and learning the right skills, and making sure we have the right supplies.

We can also think about “spirit” as being the Holy Spirit which is the way God joins with us as we follow.

This week’s readings include the readiness to worship God, and serve God. The people are ready to welcome Jesus, praise God, and respond to the love of God which endures forever. The disciples are ready to serve Jesus: even when what they are being asked to do is a little unusual.

Reflection Questions:

What kinds of activities do you enjoy getting ready for?
What could be the skills needed for renewal in the church?
What might be the supplies we need for renewal in the church and what might God be saying that we need to “leave out of the backpack”?
What helps you have the right spirit/attitude?
When have you been aware of the Holy Spirit being at work?

[1] Yes this is intentional. I hope it makes someone giggle. Apologies to those for whom this causes distress.