“The Stronghold”
“The Stronghold”
Second Sunday in Lent, Year C, March 16, 2025 rm
Psalm 27 Luke 13:31-35
First Presbyterian Church of Sandpoint, Idaho
Andy Kennaly, Pastor
Lectio (lexio) Divina is a spiritual practice of holy reading, or spiritual reading. There are various techniques, but the goal is the same: to read something at a soul level, to see what the words are saying through the eyes of faith, and to hear, beneath the words, God’s Spirit resonate with our spirit. Maybe it’s a felt sense, something from our inner experience, or a qualitative presence that serves to guide us; Lectio (lexio) Divina is intended to help us grow and deepen, to build a sense of belonging in God’s love.
But how does it work? One part of spiritual reading is to read repetitively, to take a passage of scripture, for example, and read it once for familiarity, read it another time to see what stands out, and then also a third time to ask, in contemplation, what God may be trying to say to you through those words and the feelings or thoughts that arise as those words shimmer in the eye of your heart. There is introduction, meditation, and contemplation, these three.
The scripture passages from this morning have three words that stood out to me as I prepared this reflection. One is from Psalm 27. There’s lots of imagery in that Psalm, and some of those words or phrases are loaded terms to us. Salvation. Light. House of the Lord. Sacrifices. Face. Violence. Wait for the Lord. Land of the living. Courage.
We use these words religiously. But one word that jumped out to me is near the beginning as the Psalmist asks and says, “Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” The word that jumps out is “stronghold.” Stronghold.
A stronghold is like a fortress, heavy on defense, a safe place to seek protection. A stronghold surrounds you and keeps away whatever enemies may lurk. In the shelter of a stronghold one can catch their breath, take refuge, and find strength again.
There is a town called Oregon in the state of Illinois. Near Oregon, Illinois there is a Presbyterian Camp & Retreat Center called Stronghold. (https://strongholdcenter.org/). The main building was constructed between 1928 and 1930, right near the start of the Great Depression. For decades it served as the summer home for Walter Strong and his family. The main building has a resemblance to the strong structure of a castle or a fortress; lots of stone, concrete, stucco, a slate roof, and metal trim work. Archways and tall walls have a look that is part medieval and part English manor. These protect and enclose an inner courtyard that has a round pool with a fountain. If you take the tour, it lasts about an hour.
Walter Strong’s family sold the property to the Presbyterian Church in 1960 to be used as a campground and retreat center. That’s what strongholds are, a place to retreat, to gain your footing, to find center, all in a place that is a shelter, a protection, away from enemies, pressures, and adversaries.
The powerful language and tone of the Psalmist who claims God Almighty as the “stronghold” of their life is echoed by Jesus in Luke. Another term that stands out today is how Jesus calls Herod a “fox.” “Go and tell that fox for me,” and he gives the Pharisees a message about his ministry and the actions of God taking place through his life. Why would Jesus use the term “fox” to describe King Herod? Possibly two reasons.
One is descriptive. Foxes are attributed to qualities such as cunning, their coats are furry and lovely, but the attraction could be deadly because they are predators. They have sharp hearing, and all their senses are tuned in to their surroundings. A desert fox must be especially skilled at survival. Herod is on the hunt for Jesus because he views him as a political and religious threat.
Jesus is strong in his language, but in describing himself the second reason he may use the term fox intertwines with a third term that stands out for us today. In speaking of Jerusalem, Jesus says, “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.”
A hen. He calls Herod a fox and offers himself as a hen, easy picking for a fox. But vulnerability isn’t focused on a sense of victim, but on the image of maternal care and providing a stronghold under a soft, feathered wing.
When we’re stressed, hiding under God’s wing makes sense. That loving reassurance can help us through challenges. But first, we need to recognize that we are stressed, there are so many pressures that build in ways that cause tension or angst. If we give ourselves permission to recognize stress in life, this invites a response of humility. It takes humility to run under the wing, to find retreat, to set things aside for self-care and renewal in the Spirit.
But there are also times in life where we might be in “slipper mode?” No stress, we’ve even got our slippers on, we’re comfortable. It’s almost harder to be a chick, going under that wing. We don’t think we need spiritual renewal or the shelter of God in our life.
Jesus wants to gather Jerusalem under his wing, and they are not willing. When something goes wrong, it’s natural to cry out, “Oh, God help me!” We see psalm after psalm declare the Jewish faith’s insistence that God is our deliverer. But when we’re doing fine, living like we tell ourselves we want to live, to intentionally let things go to be in that same nurturing Presence without the stresses; even this takes discipline.
Let’s recognize that chicks and the chicken are not a one-way image. We don’t just receive from God, but God delights in us when we give thanks, praise, lament, attention; when we become more aware of how dynamic and important a relationship with God really is to help us build awareness, resiliency, and deepen our experience of faith. Jesus has a desire for this, for us to share this with him.
Spiritual disciplines, like Lectio (lexio) Divina, ground us in Christ’s consciousness. Prayerful meditation and contemplative scripture reading, along with other Lenten practices like worship, fasting, extra financial gifts, and others, all help us in the experience of faith and lead us toward action, faithful steps to engage God’s larger world.
That’s another aspect of being a chick, you’re part of a larger flock, you’re not alone. The Christian journey involves community, and it’s Christ that gathers us together, it’s Christ that fills us with divine Presence, and it’s as Christ’s Body that, together, we respond, through faith. Even hermits in the desert pray on behalf of the world and offer their solitary strength for the sake of society’s health and wellbeing.
As Christians, from the ground of our being, the source of our life, we put trust into service, love into expression, even as we learn day by day how to open our hearts, how to swim around in silence and discover joy and peace, release from the despair of fear, worry, anger, sadness, to trust more deeply God’s providential care even through these things. That’s the stronghold of God Almighty.
That may be another reason Jesus calls Herod a fox. Jesus is angry, sorrowful, and his righteous indignation expresses a range of human emotion. Jesus calls a spade a spade as Herod in his delusions hunts one who offers care through God’s love.
If Jesus experiences these human emotions, then we will too. Yet rather than lashing out at this fox in hatred, revenge, or through a tendency for tyranny, the message Jesus shares even with his enemy is one grounded in love as Jesus claims the stronghold of his life.
As evil doers assail him, he is confident and claims joy in God’s grace. Good lessons for us to learn too, probably easier said than done, yet lived experience is faith, contemplation put to action.
As we continue in the Season of Lent, life’s laments and the reality of stresses mix with hope and courage and a call toward self-care even as we share our life with others. May we seek out the protective wing of God so we can peek out to discover and explore the wonders of God’s larger world, all in the reality of God’s love enfolded around us. As the Spirit continues to reveal, shimmer, and shine in our hearts, may Peace and All Good be with you, NOW, even as forever. Amen.