Hi and welcome!My name is Rev’d Jane Bearden.I am the priest in charge at Trinity episocpal church in Haverhill Massachusetts.And this video is a rather amateurish attempt to offer meditations based on our lectionary readings for those of you who might be seeking a closer relationsip with God.I hope that you find some insights or inspiration in my words and that more importantly it is God’s word that finds its way into your heart.I invite you to join us for worship at Trinity.We are located on white Street in Haverhill and our principle service is at 10 AM on Sunday mornings. My text today is taken from the second and third chapters of the book of Genesis.There is a story that is told about a missionary who travelled to a remote village to convert the indigenous population there.One man who had a rather notorious past, was particularly taken by the teachings and readily converted to Christianity.Then one day he approached the missionary and asked him:“Preacher, if I had not ever found out about God and sin and salvation then would I still be held accountable for all of my sins?The preacher said “ No my son not if you had no knowledge of God’s commandments.Then for heaven’s sake said the man…Why did you tell me? Reminds me of our first lesson today on Eve and Adam and the snake in the Garden.Before humankind had been informed about the wages of sin, there is this story about a man and a woman who lived in a beautiful garden with flowers and beautiful trees and animals.But the most wonderful part of this garden was the close intimate presence of God.God provided for everything the couple needed with only one caveat…they must not eat of one tree…the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.Scripture tells us that the tree was good and a delight to the eyes.From Adam and Eve’s perspective that fruit must have looked like a ripe peach at the peak of the season, without a blemish, and low enough on the tree to just reach up and grab it.I suspect that from the get go they eyed that tree with desire. Enter the silver tongues snake.This low-bellied creature took great interest in Adam and especially Eve.He took the time to explain things to them.He asks Eve to tell him exactly what God said and then he tells her that God had not fully explained the situation to her.God had really not leveled with them.In fact they would not die as God had said but rather their eyes would be opened to the real world and they would see as God sees and they would be like God.And then like all wise and crafty salesmen in the world, the snake leaves the couple alone to mull over their decision.Genesis tells us that the woman was the first to take the initiative and eat the fruit and then to give some to the man. The snake had told the truth, they did not die after this first act of insurrection, but their world would never be the same.From that point on life was hard, they worked to survive, and pain and suffering became a constant in their lives.And the worst part of all was that the close, intimate, sheltering relationship with God that they had known in the beginning was forever shattered.The trust on which relationship is built was lost.They had lost their innocence.In that one stupid, willful decision they had ruptured the bond between God and themselves and from that point on a flaming sword twisted and turned to bar their return to the place of the tree of Life.No fig leaves or loincloths could hide their iniquity – their rebellion. This story is not without problems of course.There is the problem of talking snakes and twisting swords and tress with magical fruit.But in spite of all that this is an important story about God and humankind.This story almost immediately follows the Creation – Adam and Eve had probably not even had a chance to walk the bounds of Eden yet, when temptation came knocking on their door.And isn’t that one of those truths about human life? Innocence is a fragile commodity and temptation enters in with our first breath.By our very nature we are curious, risk-taking beings who act in really dumb ways sometimes and who are naturally self-oriented. By our very nature we separate ourselves from God, we make choices that lead us to pursue our own selfish ambition rather than partner with God in God’s mission. These early stories from scripture tell us about ourselves.We are created in God’s image to care for God’s creation.To be stewards of ourselves and of the world.Care of the Garden of Eden was not just the job or responsibility of Adam and Eve that God had given them at creation, it was their raison d’être - to fulfill the mission of God in caring for the Garden.They were to be co-creators with God.And so are we. Now there is no doubt in my mind that as we begin this journey into Lent, each of us has spent some time considering how we might be better people or how we might be more attentive to others who are in need or who are suffering.You probably wouldnot be listening to a sermon right now if you did not yearn for a closer relationship with God.For us the truth is not so much that we want to all out rebel against God’s will for us, rebel against doing God’s mission in the world..The truth is that for most of us we just get distracted, mis-directed, busy doing our own thing and thereby forgetting to do God’s thing. In the middle of caring for our gardens we might find that the unripened fruit looks pretty good and even though we know that it is likely to make us sick - we try it anyway.Perhaps we will meet someone who will offer us a deal that we cannot pass up even though it risks the safety and well-being of our family.Some of us will choose to mask our own pain in drugs, or alcohol, or porn, or even by over-working.These distractions are part of our everyday life and in the time it takes to bite the apple we are diverted from God’s mission in our lives. This time of Lent for us begins with a story of temptation in the Garden.It begins with a story about how we are distracted from God.For those of us who make up the Church, if is a time of penitence and repentance – of recognizing where and when we have been distracted from God’s mission in our lives and turning back to God in humility and renewed commitment.God’s mission for us has not changed from the Garden.We are still stewards, still co-creators with God and through God’s blessed gift of Jesus heirs of that Kingdom.Thanks be to God.Amen