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"One More Year"

3/26/2019

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Isaiah 55:1-13; Luke 13: 1-9,  

What is it about Jesus and figs?
        Our passage today seems innocent enough.  Jesus tells a parable about a fig tree given a death sentence because it isn’t bearing fruit.  Nothing too sinister there.  However the gospels tell us of another interaction that Jesus has with figs that is more troubling.  Matthew and Mark, with slight variations, record an incident in the final days of Jesus’ life involving a fig tree.  You might recall the incident.  It occurred at the end of the day on which Jesus entered Jerusalem, the day we observe as Palm Sunday.  Jesus was hungry and saw a fig tree. On closer inspection, Jesus discovered that although the tree had leaves, it did not have fruit.  Jesus cursed that fig tree and the next day the disciples discovered that the tree had withered down to its roots (Mark 11: 14, 20; Matt. 21:18-20).
        Apart from this fig tree, nowhere else in the gospels does Jesus curse a living thing.  Nowhere does Jesus cause the death of a living thing. What could be so bad about a fig tree not bearing fruit?
It is true that caring for fig trees was hard and frustrating work.   Fig trees require constant irrigation.  They rapidly deplete the soil of nutrients and so the soil needs constant fertilizing.  The bark of a fig tree contains a caustic latex that often irritates the skin.  The wood is hollow, so it can’t be made into anything, not even firewood.  And if that’s not enough to convince you never to raise fig trees, the kind of fig tree native to Israel took three years of constant, high maintenance care before they were mature enough to bear fruit.  But figs were worth it.  You could get 2-3 harvests a year out o f a good tree, and figs could be easily dried and preserved for times of famine, or long journeys, and they had medicinal purposes.  
But it would take more than this for Jesus to curse a fig tree.
The fig tree has the distinction of being the only fruit named in the Garden of Eden. Recall it was the large leaves of the fig tree that served as the first clothing for Adam, who realized he was naked after he and Eve disobeyed God.
Because of its usefulness, the fig tree was a symbol of security and success throughout scripture.  Solomon’s reign was depicted as a time when everyone lived in safety, under their vines and fig trees (1Kings 4:25).  Who could top it:  sitting under your fig tree, outside your house, no one bothering you.  That was life.  It’s what everyone aspired to.   In his Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech in 1964,  Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. brought together the following biblical images when he said: “ I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed and nonviolent redemptive goodwill proclaimed the rule of the land. And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid.  I still believe that we shall overcome.”
        A barren fig tree on the other hand stood for judgment of sin.  Jeremiah talked about spoiled, bad figs, a nation gone bad. Hosea prophesized impending suffering for turning away from God:  “I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees…” (3:2).
 So when Jesus tells this parable about the barren fig tree and later curses a fig tree before his death, they are not arbitrary hate crimes against figs.  Jesus is acting in the prophetic tradition of his people.  He is invoking a powerful, well-known image, which everyone around him understands.  A barren fig tree stands for someone who has sinned and fallen out of favor with God.
This parable about the barren fig tree comes to us as Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem.  His destiny is drawing closer and time is running out. His language and teaching is becoming stark and forceful.  “I came to bring fire to the earth and how I wish it were already kindled!” He exclaims. “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right!” he demands his disciples. “You must be ready!! “He exhorts.
And now his disciples are talking about those Galileans who were brutally massacred by Pilate while offering their sacrifices in the Temple.  What sinners they must’ve been! They discussed.  Jesus listened to them.  He wondered: can they see the bigger picture? Do they have any compassion for these victims or their survivors?  I wonder how Jesus must have felt at that moment. He had spent the last three years of his life, living with these people.
Three years of hearing the gospel preached and taught. Three years of healing the sick, casting out demons. Cleansing lepers. Eating with sinners – and forgiving sins.  Three years of miracles. Three years of confronting religious hypocrisy. Three years of living, cultivating the soil, irrigating the earth, making things ready.
Three long years, and now time was running out and this was what they had to show for it?  “Jesus what bad things did they do?” Jesus what sin did those 18 commit to have the tower of Siloam fall on them?
These thick-headed disciples are like the fig tree in the parable -- still barren. Three years are up and there’s still no fruit.  No wonder the owner is ready to cut this tree down.  It has become a curse – like a millstone around the neck.  And the disciples, for all the care Jesus offered them, still didn’t get it.  Did it feel, in that moment, like a big waste of time?
        It reminds me of a riveting scene in the made for TV movie, “Jesus ” by Gary Oldman.  Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before his death.  Satan appears, dressed like a very sympathetic fellow.  “Why are you going through this, Jesus?  You can call it off Jesus. You don’t have to suffer.  What’s it going to accomplish?”  Satan goes on to show Jesus scenes of future conquests, bloodshed, war and destruction – all done in his name.  “Killing in the name of Christ will be a big business, Jesus.” Satan sighs.  Pointing to the sleeping disciples, Satan shakes his head sadly, “They don’t have the capacity to love the way you want them to.” Then as the mob led by Judas draws near, Satan coaxes, “you can stop it, Jesus, you can take charge and end war, poverty and hunger.  You don’t have to do it this way.”  Satan is right.  Despite all that Jesus does, for us, we have not been symbols of the abundant fig tree.  Some times people have produced. Many times we haven’t, despite the tireless labor of our Gardener.  
Like the gardener in the parable, Jesus takes the gamble.  The gardener was not willing to give up on that one barren fig tree.  He was not willing to give in, to cut it down.  Give me one more year, he asks the vineyard owner. “I’ll take extra good care of it.  Give it extra fertilizer.  Dig the soil and we’ll see. In the same way, Jesus doesn’t give up on his disciples.  One way, with time, they will bear fruit.
For one barren fig tree, the gardener was willing to invest another year of his life.  How much more is Jesus willing to give you and me.  Because Jesus sees more in us than we can.   We see the failure, the waste, the loss. When you or I are ready to call it quits, to pick up the ax, Jesus calls it differently.
That’s’ what Jesus asks of us this day – as we approach the mid-point of Lent. Knowing our barren branches – he asks us to give him one more year.  What is one year to us, who have squandered so many moments in passing, in empty diversions that neither satisfy nor last?  Join in the vision of the Good Gardener.  Put down the ax.  Work the soil.  Be the fertilizer. Dig in deep. Prune  the dead branches off and tend to the developing blossoms.  Because the greatest curse we can face is not death.  The greatest curse is a life that does not bear fruit.  That is not God’s plan for us.   We are called to bear fruit, fruit that endures.
 One more year.  Let your life bloom –  you can bring security and rest,  nourishment  --  you can be  a person around whom  people gather to experience hope –  a bringer of peace and prosperity for searching souls, for those who wonder about the compassion of God when towers fall and tyrants reign. No our God is a gardener, like Jesus who brings out of our barren lives such fruit…like Erica Jong describes… 
One bite into 
a ripe fig
is worth worlds
and worlds and worlds
beyond the green
of Eden.
Amen.
"Figs" by Erica Jong, from Love Comes First. © Penguin Group, 2009
.
 


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"On My Way"

3/19/2019

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Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Luke 13:31-35

It is hard to believe that three weeks ago Forrest and I were 3367 miles away on the other side of the Atlantic, enjoying the quaint vistas of Spain and Portugal.   It is said that every journey begins with a single step.  With that step comes planning.  We didn’t just end up at Spain and Portugal out of the blue.  It took weeks of research. We had to figure out what to wear, how to pack. Select just the right Airbnbs. Find the passports.  Get our seat assignments.  Decide where to visit. Get recommendations where to eat.   Then there are the basics of the journey: we had to get a uber to the airport, go through security, fly 6 hours through five time zones  - no six, counting the time in Spain.  It’s so exhausting we need a vacation from planning the vacation! 

Every good journey is a journey of journeys. There are shifting landscapes, new horizons and adventures, with always a goal, or series of goals in mind.  This is true whether it’s a journey to the grocery store or doctor’s office…a journey toward sobriety or weight loss…the journey toward mastering a skill… a journey to Seville, Spain, Sinta, Portugal, or just this journey we call life.  Or our journey of faith.

Our readings today have us reflect on journeys, what makes a good journey.   When we catch up with Abram, he’s a man in his 80s.  It has already been 25 years since he’s left his hometown of Ur and he has traveled with his household and flocks some 1,605 miles.  That’s a lot of time and a lot of distance for an old man and his wife, Sarah.     
His journey has been full of adventures, battles and travels. Despite all his success the one journey he has wanted so much has not materialized – the journey to be a parent.  Incredibly he must face another 15 years of challenges before his child, Isaac, is born.  40 years of waiting.  That’s a whole lifetime.  That’s a lot of time for a lot of planning.  How many people here have waited for 40 years for a promise to come true, for a journey to be completed?

Jesus is also on a journey from Galilee to Jerusalem in our lesson from Luke today. From Jesus’ home base in Capernaum it is about 85 miles to Jerusalem.    In Luke’s gospel, this journey occupies nine out of 24 chapters, 40 percent of the narrative.   This journey, therefore, is a significant story, a story of a determined Jesus whose goal is to makes his way to Jerusalem, to face his destiny of suffering and death, and be raised again.
  
      In this passage, the verb which means “go” appear three times, in different ways, in succession. The Pharisees advise Jesus to go away (v. 31); Jesus tells them to "Go and tell that fox" (v. 32); and Jesus says that "I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day...”  (v. 33).   The choice about staying the course or leaving it is one we all face on our journeys.   Jesus makes clear which way the Pharisees should go—and which way he will go.   Jesus neither confronts Herod nor does he flee.   
Instead, Jesus insists he will focus on his mission:   "I will reach my goal."  This phrase can be stated in a variety of ways: ––"I will be finished"––"I shall reach my goal"––"I will be brought to an end." This is the word that Jesus will use on the cross when he says "It is finished" (John 19:30). This combination of stating "the third day" and “I will reach my goal” tells us the cross is Jesus’ ultimate mission from which he will not be dissuaded.
Jesus has come to accomplish. Jesus is doing the will of God.   Every day is a new journey, every day a choice whether to continue or not.  Jesus chooses to stay the course.  Jesus knows he goes to Jerusalem to die.

Jerusalem, Jesus’ destination, is the holiest city of the Jewish people.   It is the home of the temple and the sacrificial rituals central to Jewish religious life.    As Jesus indicated, Jerusalem had killed the prophets Uriah (Jeremiah 26:20-23) and Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:20-21)––and had tried to kill Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38:4-6).  One of Jesus' three temptations took place on the pinnacle of the temple (4:9-12) the chief priests, scribes, and religious leaders of Jerusalem will seek to kill Jesus (19:47-48) and ultimately succeed (22:66ff).  So, Jesus intertwines his journey with that of the great City as well as with the journey of the great prophets before him.   Jesus’ sacrifice is for Jerusalem, as well as for all people.
 
       Jesus knew his journey and held fast to it.   It was filled with ministry of healing, teaching and promise every day, in spite that the cross cast its shadow every step of the way.  When we know where we are headed, when we have that goal in mind, we can act with great resolve.  The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche observed:  “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear with almost any ‘how’.”
   
     In one way or another, these are our stories, our journeys too.  like Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem.  And Abraham’s.   Lent teaches us we will all face challenges and difficulties. There is a purpose to our lives. Abraham and Sarah became ancestors of three major religions.  Jesus brought us salvation.  We are meant to work hard to bring hope into the world.  Therefore Lent is not to depress us or bring us down, but guide us to live fully.   However long or short our time is, it is up to us to reflect on our life’s journey.  To plan.  To be intentional.  To make it our very best.  All these stories inspire us, warn us and remind us to stay the course, to confront the choices before us, and decide wisely. 
This Lent, plan a journey, like thousands of high school students did world wide when they organized protested and marched for climate change last Friday.  This movement has been organized by 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg of Sweden   Because of her efforts Greta has been nominated  for the Nobel Peace Prize.  Like Raeen Rashid, who boldly threw himself at a mass shooter in New Zealand to save the life of others.  Greta and Raeen teach us that our true journey involves caring for the world, caring for others.
​
Claim your journey.  Embrace the shifting landscapes and horizons.  Make your goals. Start your journey, over, if you must, today.   Like Jesus, Let us fill our journey with visits with loved ones, great learning, and be engaged with all who cross our path.  Let us not be dissuaded from our call.  On our way, let us make all journeys a part of the greater one,  as we forge ahead in life and to life awaiting us in the eternal journey God has waiting for us, in Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
 
 



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"Surviving Temptation"

3/11/2019

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​Luke 4:1-13; Deut. 26: 1-11:
One of the largest freshwater turtles is the alligator snapping turtle. Found primarily in the southeastern United States, these massive turtles have been known to weigh close to 250 pounds. They are carnivorous, and while their diet is primarily fish, they have been known to eat almost anything else they can find in the water—even in a few cases small alligators! The alligator snapping turtle relies on a uniquely deceitful method of foraging for fish.
The turtle will lie completely still on the floor of a lake or river with its mouth wide open. At the end of the turtle’s tongue is a small, pink, worm-shaped appendage. The turtle wiggles the end of its tongue so that it looks like a worm moving through the water. When a fish comes to eat the worm, the turtle’s jaws rapidly close, trapping the fish so that it cannot escape.
Temptation acts like an alligator snapping turtle.  It comes in the guise of something desirable, but it always carries destruction with it in the end. If we could see the end result rather than the tempting part, it would be far easier to resist. But Satan knows this, so he cleverly disguises what is deadly in the guise of something pleasurable.  Isn’t that what happens to us when we are tempted?   We are convinced we are encountering something wholesome, decent only to find we are the victim of a trap, and bait-and-switch trick.
Since the story of the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, temptation has been a constant, unrelenting part of human life. People have tried to avoid, resist or ignore it. But no person has ever found a place or a circumstance that can make him safe from temptation.
Similarly, to the snapping turtle’s lure, temptation comes in the guise of something desirable, but it always carries destruction with it in the end. But Satan knows this, so he cleverly disguises what is deadly in the guise of something pleasurable.
     Today in our gospel from Luke we find Jesus, fresh from his baptism, pushed out with great force by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness.  And there in the wilderness Jesus encounters Temptation.  Before he can begin his public ministry, Jesus must know what it is like to survive temptation.
        It’s not surprising this passage often appears on the first Sunday in Lent.   It is customary among many Christians to give up something or add some practice to our lives as part of our Lenten observation.  Giving up candy. Coffee. TV.  Going to the Gym. Helping out weekly at a soup kitchen.  Reading extra devotionals, making it more often to worship.  Even the most experienced among us discover making changes isn’t easy. We learn how weak we are, how hard it is, how much help we need.  Because we are tempted. To eat that piece of candy.   To stay home and lounge in front of the TV.  The Devil knows our weak points, better than we do, and is eager to exploit them. Something simple, good ordinary turns out to be a terrible mistake, an error, ensnared by temptation,
        After fasting for 40 days Jesus encounters the Tempter.  Satan came across sympathetic to Jesus’ plight.  He wants to appease Jesus’ hunger by turning stone into bread. Who’s going to miss one measly stone? Wouldn’t Jesus function better if he weren’t hungry? Next Satan promises the kingdoms of the world and all earthly power and glory if Jesus would just worship him. Just one time.  He knows Jesus is messiah and offers him power over all the kingdoms on earth.  Wouldn’t that make Jesus’ work go more smoothly?  Finally, Satan tries to get Jesus to spread his wings – to leap from the pinnacle in the Temple in Jerusalem.  Wouldn’t that be a grand entrance for the leadership and faithful to see? They’d be talking about it for months.  How could they dispute God’s Chosen One with this feat?  Just one time, Jesus, just one time.  Satan is so suave and convincing.  He knows his scripture well, better than us.  He just wants to get between him and God. That’s all.
 Temptation shows us our real selves. I remember once I was having a pretty good Lent. I had given up chocolate and had set aside extra time for prayer and spiritual reading. When I got to Holy week, I felt pretty confident. On Palm Sunday someone gave me an early Easter present - a box of Hershey’s
Chocolates. With caramel and nugent.  I looked at the box and started thinking about which one I would eat first when Easter came. Then I reminded myself that Palm Sunday was well a Sunday - a kind of little Easter- Sundays technically didn’t count in Lent. And I noticed that some of the chocolates have nuts which, of course, are nutritional. Well, you know what happened: I stripped the plastic off the container and ate one. By the end of the afternoon I had finished the entire box. 
That temptation exposed my true self. I am nowhere near as strong as I thought.  Our common humanity has an unattractive side. We humans have developed an almost unlimited capacity to deceive and allow ourselves to be deceived. When we want something badly – when we want to get our way -- we easily fall into self-deception. We make excuses.  We go in denial.  We pile one lie onto another.  And we pay the price.  The loss of peace of mind. Our relationships suffer. We become ill – in body, mind and spirit.   In my case, I was also left with a nauseous stomach ache and the blues that follow a "sugar high." 
And the sorrow of a broken promise to God.  What a lesson.  Just over chocolate.  What if it were about stealing? Or not forgiving some one?
        The tempter’s plan is to get us to give in and break our promises or do something wrong – but that’s not the real goal. The Tempter’s goal is for us to feel badly about ourselves, and in our shame we will turn away from God.  I had a professor once who was a consultant on the movie, “The Exorcist.”   He was the Devil expert, we called him.  His insight on Satan and Evil is that, the devil prefers to tempt us subtly, raising doubt quietly, almost without us even realizing.  Why? If Satan can’t turn us from God, then Satan’s desire is to destroy relationship, to weaken and tear apart community. To smash the image of God within our soul. To force us to flee from the presence of God, convincing us that God does not love us or will forgive us.
The devil knows us better than we know ourselves. As the Father of Lies, and half-truths, and ruler of this world, he knows how to lead us away from what is true and right.  He knows how to plant fear, worry and self-righteousness in our hearts – and have it seem like carrying, concern and competence. The tempter knows what buttons to push, what triggers our weakness.   We learn through Lent through struggle, us have a choice.  Will we stay in the Tempter’s snare or will we break free?  That’s why Jesus was sent to the Wilderness, that’s why he embraces the cross – so we are not finished when we fall.  Jesus is there, helping us up again.     
Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done, whatever the devil keeps throwing it up in your face, God wants us to know that He loves us and that we are forgiven. With God backing us, we can survive temptation. No matter how many forbidden chocolates we eat, or other temptations we face, how many times we fail and have start over, God is there.  Thanks be to God, we can get up, and begin again. amen
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"Turning Point"

3/5/2019

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2 Cor. 3: 12-4:2; Luke 9: 28-43; Merrick & Freeport, March 3, 2019 “The Turning Point”
 
Today is transfiguration Sunday, the day the church celebrates transformation and change.  Here are the some things that a pastor dreams of hearing as dreams of  renovation fill her or his church:
  1. Hey! It's my turn to sit in the front pew!
  2. Gee I am so enthralled, pastor, by the life in this church I’ve invited my neighbor to come.
  3.  Personally, I find volunteering in the local food pantry more enjoyable than golf. 
    4. I volunteer to be a teacher for the Youth Sunday School class.  While I’m at it, let me sign up for coffee hour too.  I just love to serve!
5. I love it when we sing hymns we've never heard before! 
6. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign!  I’m upping my pledge, and going to bible study too.
7. What! I’m nominated to be an Elder?   When can I start?
8.  Pastor, I really love it here.  The joy is contagious, so what can I do to spread the church’s ministry in the community?



Humorous or not, if you could add to this list of things you would change about church, what would it be?   What attitude encourages growth? What actions inspire?   What do we need to give up, in order to see the church thrive?  
These reflections are important because our church is at a turning point. Will we continue as we are, staying comfortable on a plateau?   Or do we seek transfiguration, transformation, revitalization? Will we risk? Will we let ourselves even be uncomfortable as we follow the footsteps of Jesus? Will we carry the cross?  As we enter lent will we seek and let God mold us into a new creation --- perhaps a creation that we, right now, cannot even perceive at this moment in time?  Big questions: What will we give up to be transformed?  Will we turn from the past and turn to an unknown, future of renewal?
   

  Today, our gospel passage depicts Jesus at a turning point.  He has recently disclosed to his disciples about his impending suffering and death.  He is now headed toward Jerusalem.  But  he stops to pray on the mountain. He takes Peter, James and John with him.  During this time of prayer, something happens to Jesus. His face changes.  His clothes become dazzling white – like the angels.  The disciples see two men with him -- the great Hebrew leaders Moses and Elijah. Moses stands as the representatives of the Law, and the mediator between the people and God; Elijah appears as the great prophet, zealous, devoted to the Lord.  Moses and Elijah represent the most prominent of the Jewish figures, giving support to Jesus.


Although the transfiguration appears in two other gospels, Only Luke tells us the content of the conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. They were "speaking of Jesus’ departure which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem."  Luke uses the term departure which is really translated as exodus, to describe Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and the events that would unfold there. The Hebrew exodus is one of freedom from slavery to a deliverance to the promised land.  Here, at Jesus’ transfiguration, exodus points to Jesus’ journey and passage through death and resurrection, is the new exodus, the new deliverance from sin and slavery.  This is the great turning point.  The text encourages us to embrace exodus, to leave the past of slavery behind to enter to new life.

Just as the voice of God spoke at Jesus’ Baptism, now at this turning point.  A new chapter has begun in Jesus’ life. This second half, the beginning of the journey to Jerusalem and the cross, Jesus is transfigured to show his essence, his identity, the divine light that resides at the center of his being.  As his light shines, God speaks again.  God tells the disciples, as the cloud overshadows them and speaks “This is my son, my Chosen, listen to him!”  In Jesus God’s glory dwells. In Jesus, God’s saving action is manifest. In Jesus, God’s presence is visible.  In Jesus, God’s chosen, we hear God’s words of transformation and change. We want change?  We want to embrace hope for a new tomorrow?  We begin by listening to Jesus. We have been given the answer to transfiguration. We take in the glory. And most of all, we listen.
 
       So, they came down from the mountain, full of joy, but we are met by a great crowd, and from the crowd a man shouts to Jesus, to cure his son, his only child.  And here is a manifestation of brokenness, not glory.  Can we take in the pain and distress? The unclean spirit a father’s only child and the boy shrieks, or screams. The spirit forces the boy to have convulsions –until he foams at the mouth.  The spirit mauls the boy and torments him -- it won’t leave him alone. His father is helpless to free his son.  What a horrible situation it must have been.  No luminosity here. No brilliance.  
Jesus is fed up with his disciples at their inability to do anything; he calls them faithless and perverse. How strong is that? He insults them further:  “how much longer must I be with you and bear with you?”  Jesus is concerned. Jesus knows time is running out. They won’t have him much longer. And they haven’t caught on.  As this demon continues to harm this boy, Jesus rebukes the demon.  The boy is healed and given back to his father.   All are astounded at the greatness of God.  Glory of God on the mountain is manifested in the healing acts of Jesus.
  
     The great crowd didn’t need to go up the mountain. They didn’t need a vision of Moses and Elijah.  They didn’t need to be overshadowed by the spirit or hear God’s voice in a cloud. That glory meant nothing to them.  They needed God present, here and now. In this act of exorcism, and restoring the boy whole to his father, the people had their glimpse of glory.  This was the turning point they needed.   Here on earth.
   
     So, as we journey with Jesus on the path of transfiguration, we first embrace the mountaintop experience.   We are filled with the dazzling glory of Jesus. We ground ourselves in the holy history Moses and Elijah represents.   We open our hearts to the chosen one, and we listen to him. 
      
   Next, we listen to him when we come down the mountain and encounter the pain and worries of the people around us.   We learn that transfiguration enables us to care for people, to take risks to help, to be one with the suffering, lost, and hurting people of God.   Do we want to transform our church?  We need two things:  To  ground ourselves in the glory of God as we listen to Jesus leading us.   The second thing we need to dois to open our glorified hearts to reach out into our community.
 
       As we enter the Holy Season of Lent this week, we embrace the turning point of faith.  Make change for the better a spiritual discipline – an act of exodus, from slavery to freedom. From sin to salvation.   To manifest the glory of God in a life fully lived:  in worship, in church, with our neighbors, our country, our world.        This Ash Wednesday, when we begin our Lenten journey, let us reflect on how we can change, what turning points we need to follow, so the glory of Jesus and the greatness of God becomes tangible in us and around us. 
​
To be the church Jesus calls us to be.  To learn to be bold in mercy, joyful in worship, to care for each other, to practice trust in the midst of uncertainty.
We are listening, Jesus. We choose your way.  I will be enthralled and invite my neighbors to come.  I will volunteer where God leads me. I will serve. I will be open to new ways of worship.  I will let go of the past and follow Jesus, where he leads.
So today let this be a turning point -to change us –for our Church --- for the glory and the greatness of God. Amen.
 



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    Moirajo is a minister, social worker, wife, mother, writer and animal lover. That's just for starters. Join the story, there's so much we can share together! 

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