Evensong Homily, Sunday before Lent, 2nd March, by Dn Lucy
Exodus 3.1-6
John 12.27-36a
Our readings today present two distinct encounters with God’s voice - one in a burning bush, the other from heaven itself.
In Exodus, we read:
Moses said, ‘I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.’ And when the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him.
In John, we hear:
Then came a voice from heaven... The crowd standing there heard it and said that it had thundered; others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come not for my sake but for yours.’
These passages reveal something striking about how God speaks. The bush burns at the wilderness edge, but God does not compel Moses to stop. The voice from heaven speaks, yet some hear only thunder. God invites attention rather than demands it.
Notice the sequence in Exodus: Moses first observes something unusual, then makes a decision to turn aside to see, and only then - when God sees his attentiveness - does God call his name.
Similarly, in John, the same voice reaches different ears with different effects. Some recognise it as an angel speaking, others as mere noise. Jesus emphasises that this voice came for their sake - yet perception varies widely.
As we approach Lent, these readings invite us to cultivate attentiveness. Where might God be quietly present in your life? What gentle promptings might you be dismissing as background noise
We live in a world of relentless distractions. Perhaps this season calls us to do as Moses did - to step away from our usual routines and turn aside, with curiosity, to what flickers at the edges of our awareness.
When Moses turns aside, he hears God calling his name. He responds simply: “Here am I.” In Hebrew, just one word: Hineni. Present. Available. Listening. It is the same response Samuel and Isaiah give when encountering God - a posture of openness.
Might this be our practice this Lent? To notice what burns without being consumed. To turn aside and pay attention. And when we sense God’s presence, to respond with Moses’ openness: “Here am I.”
Jesus promises that if we walk in the light while we have it, we will become children of light. May we be people who turn aside to see, who listen beyond the thunder, and who respond with open hearts.
Amen.