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Pentecost: Learning to Listen

6/11/2025

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 Acts 2:1-21
 
 
Can you imagine getting through a day without talking?   Now add to that - not hearing a word from another person? Total isolation from the outside world. No one speaking to you.  How long do you think you would last? Christoper Pullman Knight spent 27 years as a hermit in Maine.  Not many of us have accomplished such a feat.   Scientists say we spend up to 80 percent of our waking day in various forms of communication.  We are wired for human connection. The lack of communication and human contact can create serious mental health problems in the  matter of days.

Because communication is second nature, we often take talking and listening for granted. Most of the time we listen not to really hear but to prepare our response to what we are going to say.   We often talk mindlessly, not thinking through our responses. Pentecost is the celebration of perfect communication - people talking and listening in perfect accord in order to connect and build community. Speaking your truth and being really heard are powerful, transformative experiences – the kind of experiences at the heart of Pentecost.

      The art of listening is especially an important act if we are truly to build healthy relationships.  It acknowledges what the other person says is important.    

        A Christian author once wrote about how distracted he got with his speaking and listening.   He said, “I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin’ and I’ll tell you really fast.’  “Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, ‘Honey, you can tell me—and you don’t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly.”  “I’ll never forget her answer: ‘Then listen slowly.’”   That’s an important lesson for us: Do we listen slowly and carefully to each other?  Listening carefully is one of the greatest gifts we can offer each other.   It has been said: we have two ears and one mouth – and that tells us we need to listen more than speak.

         The Day of Pentecost is a celebration of the power of listening and understanding, and in turn speaking our truth. If you recall, Jesus had ascended to heaven, and his followers were a little scared, confused, maybe unsure what to do next. They gathered in one place, as one group. Suddenly, a sound like a rushing wind filled the house, and tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of them. They began to speak in different languages. Now, imagine you’re in the crowd outside. It was a Jewish holiday, so people from all over the world were there—people from many nations and languages—and they hear these Galileans speaking their own languages. They were amazed at what they were hearing. How is this possible? How can these people speak languages they’ve never learned? But here’s the thing: these were ordinary folks, empowered by the Holy Spirit, sharing a message — a message of hope, love, and salvation through Jesus.   

This story isn’t just the miracle of speaking in tongues. It’s also about how people choose to listen. Not just to sounds, but to the heart behind the words. We live in a world that’s full of noise. So many voices, so many opinions, so many people talking past each other instead of to each other. Back on that first Pentecost —people from different regions, different languages, different backgrounds, listened to one another and were amazed because they discovered they really heard.   Pentecost is often called the great reversal of the Tower of Babel - that famous story from Genesis which we also heard read this morning.  The consequence of Babel was that the people were scattered, not understanding each other, speaking separate languages.   Pentecost is the healing of that separation.  Still different languages – but now with the capacity to listen and understand.

Listening well builds bridges across differences. Think about those people from all over the world. They were separated by language and culture, but because they listened with open hearts, they discovered they shared something deeper – a common hope, a shared faith, a new family.    In our world today, we don’t have to look far to see divisions. Sometimes it’s between political parties, sometimes between friends or family. But if we really listen—if we approach each other as neighbors rather than opponents—we can build bridges that bring us together.     

 Listening well takes time.  It means pushing aside the distractions in our head, our tendency to cut each other off in order that we can say our piece – especially if there’s a difference of opinions.   So, Pentecost teaches us to engage in holy listening – what God is truly saying to us – teaching us to hear not just each other’s words but the truth we are seeking to convey.  

      Holy Listening opens the door for new understanding and growth. Before Pentecost, the followers of Jesus didn’t fully understand what their mission was. But that day, through the Spirit’s power, they shared their story in a way that connected with people. People listened, asked questions, and new believers were added that day. When we listen to different voices, especially ones we don’t agree with, we expand our mind and heart. We grow as a people. And that growth prepares us for the future.  

      Listening is a commitment to hope. When those people heard the good news, they were filled with hope for what God was doing. It was a fresh start. That’s what listening can do—it plants seeds of hope where there was doubt, it brings light where there was darkness. It opens the door to growth. So, what does that mean for us right now? Maybe it’s about listening to someone in your family who feels unheard. Or taking the time to listen to someone who’s normally overlooked. Or opening your heart to a friend whose story is different from yours. Maybe it’s listening to your own voice inside, letting God’s Spirit speak and guide you. The Day of Pentecost teaches us that when we stop trying to talk over each other and start truly listening, miracles happen. Barriers break down. Community grows. Love spreads. The prophet Joel, which Peter quotes in Acts 2 says this: “Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young people will see visions, your old people will dream dreams.” That’s a promise that God’s Spirit will inspire us all when we open ourselves up in listening and understanding

So, let’s take that promise to heart. Let’s be people who listen deeply, speak with kindness, and build a world where every voice matters. Let this Pentecost be a day of prophecy, visions and dreams come true.  May the Holy Spirit fill us today, so we speak with compassion and listen with love.  amen
 



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Trapped No More

6/1/2025

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Acts 16:16-34
 
       Have you ever felt trapped? For example, anyone here ever get trapped in a stuck elevator? Or more common, anyone ever get trapped at an airport, facing one delay after another?   Anyone ever felt trapped in a dead-end job?   Or on a more serious note, anyone felt trapped in a loveless or tension-filled or toxic relationship?  Many of us have felt trapped in an argument, that has simmered into a long-term resentment or grudge.  Chances are – each of us has felt trapped, stuck, imprisoned in a situation that we have desperately want to escape from.  A lifestyle we can’t keep up with.  Bills that are mounting because of chronic illness or other problems.  Being trapped is an awful feeling.  We feel hopeless, despair, frustration, fear.  We wonder if life will ever change.
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        Our lesson from Acts today is a powerful passage about being trapped – but it also offers a profound message of deliverance, of finding freedom from all that traps us.  It’s a story that challenges us to think big — about freedom, justice, and the power to change –  to find freedom for ourselves and to offer it to all who are captive.

        In our lesson from Acts, Paul and Silas have been traveling around, preaching about Jesus. They are just doing their work, spreading a message of hope and love--
.and they encounter a slave girl possessed by a spirit that gives her the gift of divination- as a result her owners are making a fortune from her.  So not only is this girl trapped and exploited as a slave – she’s spiritually trapped by an evil spirit – an evil spirit that ironically testifies to the truth of Paul and Silas’ work on behalf of the most high God. Paul gets feed up and commands the spirit to leave her.  The slave’s owners, having lost their source of income - have Paul and Silas imprisoned.  Now Paul and Silas are the ones trapped in jail, in chains. their feet locked in stocks. It’s an ugly, dark, and discouraging place. But here’s what’s amazing: Even in that prison, even in that darkness, Paul and Silas start singing. They praise God. They worship. And something miraculous happens, an earthquake shakes the foundations of the jail, the prison doors fly open, and everyone's chains fall off.   Here’s where the real story happens.

      The jailer wakes up, sees the open doors, and for a moment, he’s about to end his own life—thinking the prisoners have escaped, it’s his responsibility, he’s going to be punished. Killed.  But Paul calls out to him: “Don’t harm yourself. We are all here.”

Paul and Silas could have fled, but they didn’t, out of concern for their jailer. Witnessing Paul and Silas’ actions, everything changes for that jailer. He no longer sees prisoners; he sees people — people who have hope, people who have faith, people who, even behind bars, are truly free. People who care for him personally despite all that he has done to hold them captive. The jailor has never witnessed this level of personal freedom. Something in the jailer awakens and he asks the pivotal question, “What must I do to be saved?” And Paul responds, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 
        Like that jailer, we can encounter a moment—a moment when we realize that true freedom is not just about where we are physically. It’s about who we are on the inside.

     The jailer was free not because the doors flew open but because he met the One who sets us free from the inside out.   The jailor was physically free before the earthquake. But spiritually? He was trapped in fear, in despair, in a prison of his own making. Paul and Silas' faith open the door for him to walk out, not just from the prison, but from fear and doubt.  The bible reminds us, “If the son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
       By trusting Jesus, the jailer was transformed. His heart was unlocked; his spirit was freed. That’s the power of God’s grace. It doesn’t just break physical chains; it breaks chains of sadness, chains of addiction, chains of bitterness and regret and despair.  The jailer, once the keeper of prisoners, now takes care of Paul and Silas. He brings them water, bandages their wounds, and welcomes them into his home. His whole household comes to faith. 

     That’s the power of freedom. It transforms us so that we no longer just look out for ourselves, but we embrace others. We become agents of hope and love – a witness to the pathway to freedom.
     So, what does our passage today teach us about being trapped and being free?

First, freedom is often found in the most unexpected places. You wouldn’t expect a prison lockup to be a place for worship, but Paul and Silas show us that worship can bring light into the darkest places.  That dark place can be a hospital room, a gambling den, a hurting heart.  But through the power of Jesus Christ, we can experience a freedom – not a freedom the world gives – a freedom only faith in Christ can offer us. Our scriptures invite us to explore our hearts and see if that freedom is in us today.

Second, grace can touch and transform anyone.   From the slave girl to the jailor, who was a man of his duty—tasked with controlling others. But grace found him as it found the slave girl. And when it did, he didn’t just accept it quietly; he acted on it. He asked what to do to be saved.   The scriptures invite us to review where we are trapped and to invite into those difficult places the grace of Jesus Christ, the Free-or of souls – and it is a jailer who gives us the words:  “What must I do to be saved?”

And third, true freedom comes from faith. It’s not just about being free from physical chains, but about releasing the chains of fear, guilt, and hopelessness that keep us locked inside ourselves.  Just as Paul and Silas didn’t abandon the jailor to despair—they brought the light of hope and faith—so too, are we called to be agents of freedom in the lives of others. We can be the ones who open doors, encourage others to sing in the dark, and help them find the keys to spiritual freedom.

When we sing in the darkest nights, when we lift our voices for those without hope, we start earthquakes that can shake prisons to their foundations.  So let us be a part of those shaking forces — fearless, bold, and unyielding — until every jailer is freed and every prisoner walks into the light of justice.

        True freedom isn’t just for us; it’s meant to be shared with others. When we experience freedom in Jesus, we can help others find that freedom too. We live in a world trapped in sin and injustice. So, as we go out this week, let us ask ourselves who around us are trapped – in prisons created by unjust systems of which we are a part.  We must ask the critical question: what must we do to be saved?  Can we be like Paul and Silas—be an example of hope and freedom?  Our scriptures invite us to follow in their footsteps, to be agents of grace, bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to all who are trapped and - through our word and witness – offer the grace of Jesus Christ that sets off an earthquake to open all prisons and set all peoples free – once and for all. Amen.

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Finding Peace on Memorial Day

6/1/2025

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On  May 1,1865, a crowd of 10,000 strong, mostly freed slaves and missionaries, gathered for a parade. 3,000 Black school children marched with bouquets of flowers.  Members of the Black Union regiments performed double-time marches. Black ministers recited verses from the Bible. That was the first Memorial Day- Declaration Day as it was called then- was all about paying homage to the men who died fighting to abolish slavery.  The first official Decoration Day was held in 1868 – focused on remembering the dead from the Civil War.  For many years as the wars mounted, that the deaths increased, observances of the fallen continued.  Finally in 1968, 100 years later, Congress would past an act making the holiday official – a federal holiday in 1971 – and Memorial Day expanded to include all the fallen – from all the wars the US have been involved in.           
This Memorial Day we remember roughly 1.9 million men and women who have died in battle -from the Civil War to the war in Afghanistan.  While the most often stated goal of war is for freedom and peace, we acknowledge all peace that comes from war it is a wounded peace.  A peace -it has been said -- takes up to 45 years to fully manifest.  It reminds me of a Chinese proverb: “where armies have marched, thorns grow for 50 years.”  As Christians – as we honor the dead – we also honor the One crucified and risen, who offers a different kind of peace – a peace that passes all understanding, a peace definitely more powerful than war can ever achieve.  A peace that we should especially seek on Memorial Day.

Today in our gospel lesson, Jesus reassures us: in the face of his brutal death for our freedom from sin -“Peace I leave with you,”  It’s not like the peace you get when everything is quiet or when things are calm on the outside. Jesus is talking about a deep, lasting peace that lives inside us and around us. It’s a peace that doesn’t depend on things going right in our life. According to the Bible, God’s peace encompasses wholeness, wellbeing, completeness – expressed not on in our individual hearts but destined to be woven into the fabric of community.

    We live in times of uncertainty—sometimes politics seem violent, communities suffer, families are stressed. There are at least five wars being fought in the world today, not to mention conflicts of different sizes. But Jesus says, “My peace I give to you, not as the world gives.” The peace from Jesus doesn’t come from the absence of conflict; it comes from the assurance that God is with us, no matter what and is there to guide us to the higher calling of peace making.

The peace the world gives is often temporary. For example, when there's a ceasefire during war, or when we finally solve a big argument, that’s peace—but it can end. It can be broken again. Sometimes, people try to find peace in money, or comfort, or distractions. But those things don’t last. They don’t truly calm the heart.
Jesus’ peace is different. It is enduring. It guards our hearts and minds, even when trouble comes. And on Memorial Day, this is especially important. We honor those who have given their lives in service, often in the most dangerous and troubling circumstances imaginable. They knew that peace wasn’t just about being safe or comfortable on earth, it’s about hope, courage, and a faith that something bigger is at work. That’s the peace we must seek and latch onto.

In the narratives of Jesus' ministry, we see this peace lived out. When the disciples were terrified in the storm, Jesus stood and said, “Peace, be still!” (Mark 4:39). Jesus made this command not just to the wind and waves, but to their fear. It’s a reminder that true peace confronts and displaces fear because it carries the authority of God’s steadfast love.   This is because fear is common experience in human life – and fear leads to distrust, conflict and ultimately war.  Jesus reminds us that those who live by the sword will die by the sword.  So, we turn to Jesus to heal our fears. Jesus’ peace empowers us in turn to be agents of peace, reconciliation and justice.

        The peace Jesus gives isn’t just to calm our stormy hearts—that’s part of it—but it gives us hope when times are tough and courage when we need it most. This is the fruit of the peace of Christ living in us. Martin Luther King Jr said, “Peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice."  Peace at its deepest level has a social component – a peace that reaches out beyond us and embraces the people around us – friends, neighbors, adversaries. It’s a reminder to keep faith alive, and to work for a world ruled by justice, kindness, and love in action.  It is the peace that the bible teaches us that “beats swords into plowshares.”

       The peace that Jesus gives is a reminder to us as Christians we have to be careful.  This is not a holiday to declare, “my country, right or wrong.”  We acknowledge the reasons for some of the wars and conflicts we have engaged in have been less than noble. It’s a day we resist Christian nationalism.  It's a day we especially we pray the line from America the Beautiful, “God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law!   This day, we simply honor those brave men and women who have died in battle and seek to acknowledge their sacrifice by committing ourselves to continue the fight to preserve the endangered freedoms and peace in our land.   
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As we remember the brave men and women on Memorial Day, let us first and foremost seek the peace Jesus offers—a peace that goes beyond what the world can give. It’s a peace that can heal, and a peace that reminds us that God’s love is stronger than fear and hate. May we work to manifest Christ’s peace in our world.  May God bless those who have sacrificed, may God bless our families and communities, and may God bless each of you, and fill you with the peace that only Jesus gives.
Amen

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Temptation!

3/11/2025

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Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4: 1-13,
 
In The Beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth. And the Earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And so God created the human being in God’s own image and likeness.
And God said, “this is good.”

      And God looked upon the human ones called Adam and Eve and saw that they were lean and fit. And God populated the earth with broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, green and yellow vegetables of all kinds, so that Adam and Eve would live long and healthy lives.  And so, the Devil created McDonald's. And McDonald's brought forth the 99-cent double cheeseburger. And the Devil said to the Adam and Eve, "You want fries with that?" And Adam and Eve said, "Super-size It!." And Adam and Eve gained 5 pounds.

God said, "Hey, try my crispy fresh salad." And the Devil brought forth Ben and Jerry's and Krispy Kreme.  And the Devil said, “you want hot fudge with that?” And Adam and Eve gained 10 pounds.  And God said, "Why doth thou eatest thus? I have sent thee heart-healthy vegetables and olive oil with which to cook them."  But the Devil brought forth chicken fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Adam and Eve’s bad cholesterol went through the roof.

        And so God brought forth running shoes so that his children might lose those extra pounds.  Then the Devil brought forth cable TV with remote control so Adam and Eve would not have to toil to change channels.  Adam and Eve gained another 20 pounds.

And so, God brought forth the potato, a vegetable naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition.  The Devil peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fat fried them. The Devil added sour cream dip.  Adam and Eve clutched the remote control and ate the potato chips swaddled in bad cholesterol. And the Devil saw and said, "This is good."

       Adam and Eve went into cardiac arrest. God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.  The Devil then created the for-profit health insurance company (you can fill in the blanks!)
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.   Today in our gospel from Luke we find Jesus, himself encountering temptation in the wilderness. 

After fasting for 40 days Jesus encounters   the Tempter.  The devil comes across sympathetic to Jesus’ plight.  He wants to appease Jesus’ hunger by turning stone into bread. Who’s going to miss one measly stone? Next the devil promises all the kingdoms of the world and all earthly power and glory if Jesus would just worship him. Just one time.  Wouldn’t that make Jesus’ work go more smoothly to have world-wide dominion? Finally, the devil tries to coax Jesus to leap from the pinnacle in the Temple in Jerusalem - because the angels will catch him.  That’s a neat parlor trick to show off his Son of God superpowers. Won’t that make it easier to convince people to follow him?  The devil is so suave and convincing.  Ultimately the devil fails and slinks away, waiting for another opportune time to tempt Jesus – and us.

It’s not surprising this passage 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. Helping out weekly at a soup kitchen.  coming more frequently to worship on Sundays or Lenten activities during the week. Anyone here familiar with these practices?   In the practices of Lent we discover that 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.  To ignore the plight of the homeless, the lonely, the exploited. Whatever it is - the Tempter knows our weak points better than we do and is eager and waiting to exploit them.

I had a professor once who was a consultant on the movie, “The Exorcist.”   We called him the Devil expert – the “devil whisperer.”  His insight on Evil is that, actually, the devil prefers to tempt us subtly, quietly, almost without us even realizing. We think the devil’s goal is to break our promises or even to do something wrong – but that’s even not the real goal. The Tempter’s ambition is for us to feel badly about ourselves, about others – about the world about us - so we’ll give up the fight – so that our relationships will be strained and hopefully severed -- and in our shame we will turn away from God.  As we give up, it is easy for us to become self-centered instead of other-centered.

We all carry that popular image of the devil as a pointy eared creature with horns, a tail often carrying a pitchfork, and with an evil grin on his face. Right? Or the movie the Exorcist, right?  Nothing can be further from the truth. The devil doesn’t want to stand out – he wants to fit in nicely. The image I find of the devil that is most convincing is from the movie about the life of Jesus that came out I believe in 2000.  There the devil is depicted as a sympathetic man in a three-piece suit, who speaks to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane with a soothing and caring voice, showing Jesus a vision of the future full of wars, hatred, bigotry, prejudice and injustice that would all be carried out in his name.  They’re not worth it Jesus- The devil says, sadly shakes his head, as Jesus sweats drops of blood and begs God to let this cup pass from him.

My professor “the devil expert” says that Satan’s ultimate goal is to destroy relationships, to weaken and tear apart community. He doesn’t care about the means so much as the result.  Satan’s longs to isolate us. To kill us, spiritually, and to smash the image of God within our soul, and to force us to flee from the presence of God, convinced that God does not love us or will forgive us.

Why else would we have a world where 8 billionaires control more wealth than 4 billion people – without so much as a global yawn at this situation?  Why the chaos in the world with so much conflict and war – and the world remains immobilized to reconcile or heal?  What about the discord in our own churches? In our families – or at work? It can become so bad that discord becomes the new normal and we become resigned – even oblivious to the pain right in front of our noses.  And in the background the devil smirks, “ah, this is good.” 

So, our scriptures encourage us to begin Lent with our eyes wide open. Jesus teaches us to pray – lead us not into temptation – but deliver us from evil – because as scriptures tell us – the tempter is a roaring lion seeking to devour us.  We’ve painted a pretty bleak picture – but our scriptures teach us the good news is this – although Jesus was tempted he did not succumb. And he is with us – walking with us through everything we face.  No matter how many forbidden chocolates we eat, or mcdoubles we sneak, or how many times we may rationalize not getting involved in some cause, how many times we fail and have start over, God is there. Waiting. We can pick ourselves up, so today, whatever you may be struggling with in your lives – from debt to doubt, from fractured relationships to hidden struggles that shame causes us to hide – we don’t have to face it alone. God is with us in Christ.  Jesus went to the cross – and we have each other – if we just humble our hearts to open and ask for help.  Call the devil out on his game as the saints of old would advise. Laugh in his face. Let grace, through Jesus, - through each other - give us the strength to stand – through the mercy of God

So, as we begin our Lenten journey with humility – asking God’s help – and the help of each other to overcome temptations when they strike.    As the old gospel songs tells it:  We fall down. But we get up.  Because a saint is just a sinner who fell down – but got up. So, no matter where we find ourselves today today’s takeaway point is that we are loved and forgiven.  This Lent let’s repair relationships – between us and God – with each other and not give up on our world.  Because Jesus didn’t – and still doesn’t - give up on us – and  - it doesn’t get any better than that. Amen

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Sleepy in the Face of Splendor

3/11/2025

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Our Gospel Lesson today   describes for us a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry - which we call the Transfiguration. Jesus, with his disciples Peter James and John, goes to a mountaintop to pray.  Suddenly, Jesus’ face was transformed – his clothes turned a brilliant, dazzling white. Moses and Elijah, the great representatives of the law and prophets from the Old Testament, appear out of nowhere.  They too appear in splendor and began talking with Jesus about his upcoming suffering, rejection by the religious establishment, and his death in Jerusalem, and resurrection on the third day.

 Can you imagine having a front-row seat to such a spectacle?   Jesus, shining with the glory of God.  His divine essence emanating through every pore of his entire being.   Hearing the voices of  the great lawgiver, Moses,  and the great prophet Elijah, giving credence to Jesus’ prediction of his impending death. It’s a vision of a lifetime.  What’s fascinating to note is how the disciples react at first. They were quite sleepy – overcome with sleep! They can barely keep their eyes open they are so tired!  They almost missed this stunning and transformative experience.

Let's set the scene.  Ministry has been nonstop. They’ve been working hard spreading the good news and ministering to the people. Jesus had just revealed to His disciples the necessity of his suffering, rejection, and ultimately, the cross. It was a difficult teaching, one that likely left them confused and troubled. To provide encouragement, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up to a mountain to experience a breathtaking revelation of His divine glory.

 Yet, as Jesus prayed and His appearance transformed before them, the disciples struggled to stay awake. Luke notes their heavy eyes, hinting at both their physical fatigue and their spiritual lethargy. They awaken from their stupor, and Peter’s mumbles some nonsense about making booths, or shelters for Moses and Elijah to hang out on the mountaintop.  Peter is trying to be deferential and polite – but he seems to miss the boat about the implications of the transfiguration of Jesus. Not until a cloud appears – from which a heavenly voice speaks – This is my beloved Son – the chosen one - listen to him – do they fully awake and begin to take in the majesty of the setting.


Sadly, this is a scene that many of us might find familiar—an encounter with divine glory around us - that almost slips away because of we are distracted or tired.   This is a reflection of our human condition; how often do we find ourselves physically or spiritually drowsy in moments that demand our full attention?   It is reported that, on average, we experience an interruption every eight minutes or about seven or eight per hour. In an eight-hour day, that is about 60 interruptions. The average interruption takes about five minutes, so that is about five hours out of eight.  These interruptions include finding our minds wandering, daydreaming, and actually getting drowsy and falling asleep.   This often happens when we are bored. Let’s admit it - who here hasn’t gotten drowsy while driving during a monotonous drive?  Who here hasn’t drifted off during a boring speech or report - maybe even during a sermon or two?   

Just like the disciples, we are easily overwhelmed—by fears and doubts, or simply by the hectic pace of life. We may miss the divine working in our lives because we are not fully present. We too become spiritually drowsy. God often seeks to reveal His glory in those very moments when we are tempted to doze off.  Maybe it’s when a child tells you with excitement what happened that day.  Maybe we ignore a glorious sunset. Our favorite song comes on the radio, and we don’t pause to hum along, or pause to remember the feelings or events that the music stirs up. Maybe even right now, as we talk about experiencing the Holiness of God here at church – God is trying to reach us, speak to us, love us in the ordinary and extraordinary moments of life.  Are we awake right now to hear what God has to say to us?


How might we do this? How do we stay alert?  The best way to stay alert is to realize that God is speaking to us, every minute of every day.  God is always seeking to make himself known and present in our lives. Through our interactions with others. Through nature. Through music.  Through a small child’s chatter. Through the remanence’s of the elderly.  Right now – here in worship. All we need to do is open our hearts to each moment of the precious life God has given us.

The Transfiguration is not merely about witnessing glory; it is a transformative experience, both for Jesus and for the disciples. Following this encounter, they are charged with a deeper understanding of who Christ is and what it means to follow Him. They emerge from the mountain, prepared to carry forth the ministry and message, knowing they are about to face hardship, rejection  and death on the cross.
In our lives, we too are called to transformation. God desires that we not only behold His glory but also reflect it to those around us. How do we become beacons of His love, grace, and mercy? By allowing His light to penetrate our hearts, awakening us from spiritual slumber, empowering us to embody the Gospel in all we do.

As we approach the Lenten season, let us put at the top of our spiritual duties over the next six weeks to become spiritually awake: to be present, attentive, and receptive to Christ's voice in our life. Right now. As you breathe - can you take in the power of the realization that God loves you?  That God has given us Jesus, the chosen one?  Today, can  we listen to him – and in listening to Jesus deepen our awareness of the blessings and grace that surround us and fill us?  Spiritually awake, can we express gratitude for all God has given to us – including the gift of being here with one another -worshipping God together.  Our worship together should be the most powerful hour of our week –as our member and friend Pam Simmons often reminds us -  fueling us and inspiring us to be the best we can be.

So today, let us shake off that spiritual sleep. And like the disciples let’s descend the mountain into the reality of everyday life, transformed and ready to see and reflect His glory in all we do.  Amen.
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Fishers for People

3/11/2025

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​Luke 5:1-11, 1 Corinth 15:3-11, Isaiah 6:1-8
OSLC 020925  
 
        One of the great joys I’ve experienced while serving Our Saviour Lutheran Church is listening to the many stories people have told me over the years about how they immigrated to the United States.  Whether you are first generation or second generation, memories of back home are still fresh.   Stories of struggling to get started, modest beginnings, starting over, working your way up the ladder, staying close to family – even staying close to one’s mother land – with family all over – Canada, England, other parts of the states or the world. Is this familiar to anybody?  These stories always warm my heart. How many transplants do we have here - first or second generation? I’m a transplant too.  Not in such a significant way as many members of our Saviour are – but I’m from the Midwest – Ohio- which might as well be another country!  Here’s a fun fact about my home state:
There are 4 seasons: Winter, Still Winter, almost Winter, and Construction. 😊 Today’s snow storm? Just a ho-hum to the folks of my hometown of Cleveland, OH.!
Our Scriptures in recent weeks described Jesus leaving his native town of Nazareth for good to branch out into the wider world.   Jesus was a transplant too. He left 30 years of life behind to venture into new regions, to create a new homebase for himself – just like many of us have.  Jesus knew what it was like to say goodbye to the old, turn the chapter, and welcome the new. Jesus chose to go eastward, to the shore of the Sea of Galilee, the Lake of Gennesaret as it is referred to by Luke today in the Gospel.  We ask ourselves: why did Jesus transplant himself to the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee as the main site to carry out public ministry?
 I believe the answer lies in Jesus’s actions that we hear today in our gospel lesson.  Jesus tells the fishermen to go out into the deep water and let their nets out.  This was after a long night of fruitless effort.  Yet they still obey Jesus – perhaps as a courtesy to this rabbi who has appeared out of the blue.  Their catch was so great, the boat nearly sank-- (Luke 5:4) Peter -- falls on his knees and exclaims, “go away, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Nonplussed, Jesus replies, “I will make you fishers of people.  Here, along the Sea of Galilee Jesus himself makes his first catch for the kingdom– a fisherman named Simon Peter along with James and John.  Jesus identifies himself as the divine fisher of people – bringing us out of the abyss into the abundance of divine life.
It's interesting that Jesus goes to the sea to begin calling disciples. The sea has a negative, even feared, connotations throughout the Bible. To the Israelites, the sea appeared alien and threatening.  In the New Testament, the sea continued to symbolize chaos, evil, and evil beings. The depths of the sea are seen as the home of demons, a place called the Abyss, according to Jewish tradition. The sea was the home of the terrible dragon, Leviathan (Isa. 27:1, 51:9-10).  It was believed that someday the devil himself will rise from the sea (Rev. 13:1). Only God could control the sea (Ps. 65:5-7, 77:19, 89:9, 93:3-4; Ex. 14-15; Isa. 51:10).  The people were afraid of the sea –- but yet took their main sustenance from the sea. 
In his ministry, Jesus demonstrated his authority over the sea and its destructive power – proving his divinity. He walked on the stormy water (Mark 6:47-50; Matt. 14:22-33; John 6:16-20). He calmed the storms on the sea (Mark 4:35-41; Matt. 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25). He even empowered Peter to walk on the water (Matt. 14:28-32). Jesus had power over the sea and all it contained. In the same manner, Jesus has authority over the monsters that dwell in the dark depths of our hearts. Jesus knows how to bring calm and peace to us.  Most importantly, Jesus, knows our efforts - how hard we try, how often we fail – yet Jesus knows how to draw out the abundance of goodness in us, just as he caught his first disciples – by the sea.
          Having grown up by the Lake Erie (can you imagine a spookier name for a body of water)—I understand the why Jesus would carry out his powerful ministry by the sea. The sea reflected the human condition – scary, unpredictable, full of unseen demons, but also a place of nurturance and abundance. That’s us in a nutshell.  Or shall I say, seashell? 
        Jesus took fishing practices and made them into outreach practices for people: Jesus encouraged his disciples - and us - to: “toss the net from the other side,” “go to the other side,” “go out into the deep.” He taught them – and us - how to go through the storm, to be still, to have peace in turmoil; and be nourished, and to take risks and step out into the deep unknown. The disciples are called to give witness to how God is with us -when our nets are empty and our spirits are discouraged. How the waves fomented by our fears can be stilled by Jesus.  Jesus brings out the best in us – despite all the times we’ve failed.  Like Simon Peter, James and John– we are transplants – from fisherman to disciple - from sinner to saint.  Those first disciples became transplants into the body of Christ that Jesus established here on earth. It is no wonder that the fish was an early symbol of the Christian community. The word “fish” in Greek is an acronym for perhaps the church’s first statement of faith: “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.”
So just as we have left our native lands, our native states behind – we are now called once more today to leave our former selves behind and enter a new chapter.  This is the call God has placed on Our Saviour –to cast out our nets into the deep. To keep trying even when efforts seem futile, and it feels we haven’t accomplished much.  Jesus continues to teach us to fish for the lives of others – others who live in that deep, who can’t escape the abyss on their own. Jesus’s vision is for us – for Our Saviour –is to be transplants to the body of Christ – where we discover the abundance within when we let down the nets as the Lord commands.
        So today, where are you feeling empty? Discouraged? Lost in the deep?  Have nothing to speak of?   Even with the storms raging around us, the waves crashing into the shore –the nets coming up empty – even after a long hard fruitless night - Jesus call us again to fish – and we are called to trust when we lower our nets again – that through Jesus – we’ll find an overflowing abundance.  
So, let us leave behind the old life of fear and be transplants in the body of Christ – with new dreams- and follow Jesus by the sea. Caught by Jesus like Simon Peter James and John – we too become fishers of people – transplanting them from sadness, lack of hope, baren lives - into an overflowing, abundant Kingdom of God, the Body of Christ – together proclaiming, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” Amen.
 
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March 11th, 2025

3/11/2025

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Jesus' Inaugural Address

2/4/2025

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Luke 4: 21-30
 
It’s been quite a season for the inaugural address.  President Trump gave his inaugural address on January 20, which he called Liberation Day. The American dream will soon be back and thriving like never before.  He promised to return the United States to a “golden age,” respected all over the world, its safety restored.  The inaugural address was challenged by the inaugural sermon delivered by the Right Rev. Mariann Budde at the National Cathedral said, “You have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.” Speaking on behalf of the LGBtQ+  and immigrant community.  Both Trump’s address and bishop Budde’s sermon created controversy.   Bishop Budde has received death threats for her comments.  Not off to a great start. Both President Trump and Bishop Budde have had their detractors and supporters.

It's not uncommon for inaugural speeches and sermons to create controversy.  After all, inaugural means the beginning of something – a new administration, a new direction, a new message, a new perspective.   The passages from Luke today are often called Jesus’ inaugural address.  Jesus had gone to numerous synagogues throughout Galilee – making a name for himself.   Now he is in Nazareth, his hometown.    He is handed the scroll for Isaiah 61 – very pertinent – because it is a passage that spoke to the longing of the Jews for renewal – a time of a restored world full of joy and abundance.   If refers to the year of the Lord’s favor – which the Jewish audience would have taken as a year of grace and deliverance – harkening back to the theme of Jubilee – a theme spoken of in Leviticus – a time when debts are forgiven, slaves set free – a time we might say when the world is rebooted – to clear out the problems – to right the wrongs,  to start over.  Jubilee is a time of liberation and renewal.

It was a powerful message – but what made it more stunning is that Jesus declares in the briefest sermon ever heard  -- “today these words are fulfilled in your midst.”  Jesus identifies himself as the instigator of the year of the Lord’s favor – the year of Jubilee.  Jesus is God rebooting the world. Jesus’s message is that he will right the wrongs, his ministry will set captives free, bring sight to the blind, heal the brokenhearted and that God’s blessings will be showered on all.

Initially the audience in Nazareth found Jesus’ words beautiful – they were astonished by him. But then the doubts creep in.  “how can this be?”  they asked.  “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”  Their wonder grew to doubt and suspicion.  In their doubt were the seeds of rejection, a rejection that grew so violent that they tried to throw Jesus off a cliff.

The problem was that the memory of Jesus as an ordinary boy, teenager young man, growing up in Nazareth got in the way of what Jesus was declaring: “These scriptures are fulfilled in your midst.”   This was the boy who played in the streets.  This is the boy who did family chores, most likely assisted Joseph in jobs around the town and surrounding region. This was that awkward teenager.  This was the quiet young man who helped run the family business.   How can this ordinary fellow proclaim he would do the mighty acts described in Isaiah 61?  The people of Nazareth had an image of Jesus engrained in their minds that clashed with Jesus’s declaration.  “These scriptures are fulfilled in your midst.”   Their experience of the Jesus of the past 30 years made it impossible to embrace a new Jesus.  A Jesus who had come into his own.  A Jesus who would be liberator, healer, the conduit of God’s grace and favor.  This was hard enough to stomach. Jesus was not only claiming a liberation to the Jews – but a liberation for the gentiles as well.   This was unacceptable to the Nazareth Community – who clung to traditional teachings that God’s favor rested on the Jews alone.  Jesus had gone too far.   And so, his own people rejected Jesus and the message he had come to proclaim.

  Have you ever gone home as an adult and found yourself treated by family or old friends just like you were in past?  Our parents still treat us like a child instead of an adult with responsibilities.   As the youngest and the only girl, every time I am around my family I emotionally revert to the quiet, invisible kid at the bottom of the heap- that was my lot growing up. Whenever I gather with my brothers – the conversations always gravitate to football – the Cleveland Browns or the Ohio State Buckeyes – just like it was growing up – all family gatherings were dominated by them huddling around the TV – watching the latest football game. Now I don’t know a lick about football – never have – probably with some luck – never will!  But that does keep me out of the loop with my brothers.  Now I know my brothers care for me and love me.   And I love and care for my brothers.  Yet when I’m with them, I will always see them as larger than life, I’ll always be that timid kid, admiring and in awe around them.  It’s just an automatic psychological response.  When we are with our family we revert to the roles we had growing up. 

Have you ever had that experience?   Do old roles return when you are in your family or former communities?   It’s the rare person who doesn’t experience that tug and pull to revert.   It takes all our energy to stay our ground, to be who we are –with different goals, aspirations that our family once had for us.  Even Jesus experienced this and he was ostracized by his family as a result.

       This dynamic holds true not only in families but in churches as well.   It’s so easy to think of our church in its heyday 20 - 30 - 40 years ago.  We cling to fond memories we had back in the day.  The pull to contrast our present church -to a time when Sunday school was overflowing, the youth group was vibrant, the pews filled and the choir full – its all so tempting indeed – because those memories are deeply imprinted on our minds and hearts.  We face the same challenge as Nazareth -  can we let go of the past – and embrace the grace and favor God has for us now – in the present – in Jesus – can we open our hearts to a new Jesus – a Jesus who wants to heal us, restore us to God’s vision, who seeks to be inclusive all peoples in our midst. That’s the challenge the scriptures invite us today.   To help us let go of ingrained ideas of who we are, and see that God is about new visions, a new restoration, one beyond our imaging? 

       Finally, we see this same dynamic unfolding in our civic life.  As a nation we are craving to return to a past that exists decades ago- what ever that golden age is.  The problem is – when we are so fixed on the past – we become closed to the present where God wants to find us – heal us –renew us - liberate us – and make us co-liberators in the world we live in right here and now.

       This year, as we embark on the year of the Lord’s favor, let us as a church write out a new inaugural address – one that contains a vision of love, compassion, recommitment to God – to the church – and each other – while finding new ways to serve our community?  Can we put aside old memories of ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit shape into something new?  
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With the help of Jesus, let us break through old conditioning, and begin to see ourselves, our church, our nation through the liberating eyes of Jesus.  We care called to live into an uncomfortable new vision – and let us join Jesus in this new restoration – willing to accept rejection, letting go of old expectations so we too become healers, dreamers- liberators- grace-filled people inclusive of all, so God’s mandate can be fulfilled – now, in our midst. Amen
 
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Wedding Signs

1/19/2025

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Isaiah 62:1-5; John 2:1-11

 
The miracle of changing the water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana has lent itself to more jokes than we can imagine.  A cartoon has been making its way through cyberspace that depicts stacks of bottles of wine, underneath is the caption: Jesus was here.  Also:   Jesus walks into a bar with his disciples and tells the bartender, “"Thirteen glasses of water, please!

       According to John, it is his first miracle of his public ministry.  Weddings were huge social events in the ancient world, just as they are now, but then they involved not just the immediate family and friends, but the entire village. In dreary, grueling, monotonous village life a wedding was a break from hardships of routine living.  So, there was an expectation that the family would provide appropriately for the guests who had come to celebrate this marriage. Accommodations along with the best food and drink the family could afford signified not only the importance of the event and but conveyed the value of hospitality, the highest code of conduct people lived by.  It was a matter of family honor to pull off what was often a week-long celebration. Families then as now saved for years, sold the prize cow, to afford a proper wedding.

But then an unthinkable emergency happened.  Somehow, at some point during the celebration, the wine ran out. An unheard-of miscalculation. A social catastrophe in the making.  Even today we could imagine the embarrassment of a modern wedding couple if the liquor suddenly ceased to flow at their reception. No more booze?  Let the wedding cake topple over, let the chicken be dried out, let the Let the DJ not show up, let the flower girls throw a tantrum, but friends, at a wedding, the wine must flow.  
It is not Jesus, but Mary, his mother who notices the predicament. Out of this sense of goodness for those who would face great shame in their community, shame from which they would not recover, she turned to her son, says, “They have no wine!”  Jesus is respectful but hesitant.   His hour has not come, Jesus says. How often we seek the right timing or wait for just the right moment to make a pronouncement or take a desired action.  Jesus, fortunately, realized like Dr. King once said, “the time is always right to do what is right.”  So, Jesus instructs the servants to fill the six huge stone water jars with water and take it to the chief steward. Upon tasting it, the steward declares it to be the best wine ever – the best saved for last.  

What an amazing sign this is for us: that God cares for us, cares that even there’s enough wine to celebrate. God provides goodness and abundance for all. Jesus wants all the guests to enjoy the goodness and the abundance of wine whether they are aware of how it got there or not. Few people knew the source of the wine, but everyone enjoyed its abundance—that’s how God’s grace and love and generosity work. Jesus shows us that God’s abundance is not earned—it is given; God’s grace is not paid for—it is freely offered; God’s love is not won—it is simply received. Do you know how much wine there is in six stone jars holding twenty to thirty gallons each it’s about 3,200 glasses! That’s the party of lifetime!

Mary took a stand against humiliation and for compassion, and this interchange between Mary and Jesus reflects the encouragement for action between Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr.  By refusing to give up her seat on the bus on that ordinary day, December 5, 1955, in Montgomery, Parks set the stage for King’s entry into that civil rights moment. The wine of justice had run out.  Jesus, in raising up the prophet that Dr. King was, made sure that wine would flow again.

       Rosa Parks noted that there was no more wine of justice.  Dr. King was the relatively unknown but rising force at the Dexter Street Baptist Church, when he was called upon to head the Montgomery Improvement Association.  Under Dr. King’s leadership the historic Montgomery bus boycott, spurred on by Rosa Park’s action, which lasted 381 days, resulted in a Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.   Did Dr. King know his hour had arrived?  Surely, he had his qualms and indecisions.  But he responded to the situation brought forth by Rosa Parks, and others before her. 

“While Martin Luther King, Jr did not change water into wine, he did change a movement into the new wine of commitment.  Thousands gathered to hear him.   He led the sanitation workers strike in Memphis, TN.  King proclaimed to the educated of America that they needed to born again in mind and spirit to see the sin of racism and poverty.  Writing an unforgettable letter to white clergy in a Birmingham jail, King lifted up the dead daughters of Birmingham, killed in a bombing at 16th Street Baptist Church.  Yes, King lifted up a cup of living waters, transformed to the wine of justice and compassion and we drink from it still."

“From his studies and years of activism, Dr. King further developed the concept of the Beloved Community as a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. Citing King’s papers, in the Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. In the Beloved Community, international disputes will be resolved by peaceful conflict-resolution and reconciliation of adversaries, instead of military power. Love and trust will triumph over fear and hatred. Peace with justice will prevail over war and military conflict.”  Remember Dr. King’s famous words?
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We must learn to live together as brothers(and sisters) or perish together as fools. . . .The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood.  MLK,Jr.“Strength to Love”]

Our celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, and Rosa Parks, and through them the civil rights movement shows us the signs of the wedding are everywhere.  They are there whenever we say no to oppression and yes to love and justice.  They are there when we are invited to take action to help others, and we say yes, even if we are not ready.   The signs are there whenever we take delight in what is right, good and just.     
So let us be the signs of wedding by forging the Beloved Community wherever God plants us.  Turn water into wine through our caring, our joy, our commitment to turn wrongs into rights, the tragedies and complications into celebration.   This way, the glory of God will be revealed, and God will take delight in us—and we as signs of the wedding feast – will be a delight to the world.
Amen.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/biteintheapple/cana-an-unexpected-time/
http://www.thekingcenter.org/king-philosophy#sthash.NQCtbq8q.dpuf
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth106169.html
https://www.soulstorywriter.net/177-mlk-day-through-the-lens-of-the-wedding-at-cana
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January 08th, 2025

1/8/2025

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John 1: 1, 10-18

 
    One of the things I enjoy about the New Years is the lists that are created for us to remember the best of last year. such as: list of the bestselling books of 2024; the top 10 songs of 2024—the    or worst movies of 2024. The top news story of 2024.  Have you come across any of these lists?  I’ve shared before and I’ll share again -  My favorite are the new words that made it into the dictionary in 2024.  How many have heard of:
Bed rotting: The practice of spending many hours in bed during the day, often with snacks or an electronic device, as a voluntary retreat from activity or stress.
.Bussin:’  Great; wonderful; amazing.
Barbiecore:. An aesthetic or style featuring playful pink outfits, accessories, decor, etc., celebrating and modeled on the wardrobe of the Barbie doll.

Kenergy: a term used to describe the characteristics of Ken, from the film Barbie.
Greedflation : a rise in prices, rents, or the like, that is not due to market pressure or any other factor organic to the economy, but is caused by corporate executives or boards of directors, property owners, etc., solely to increase profits that are already healthy or excessive.

Doomscroll:   the act of spending too much time looking at online news or social media which makes you feel anxious or negative
Boujee  - Rich, luxurious, special, fancy.
Vibe check  - To make sure someone is having a good time.  Is everyone doing OK?  Just doing a vibe check.
 
Aren’t words wonderful?  Words – as a part of our complex language – spoken and unspoken - is one of the primary features that make us human and separate us from other creatures – although science is proving that from molecules to planets – communicate in some fashion or another.  Animals communicate through sounds and actions.  Words and communication helps us connect to  each other – and connect as one great living system we are all a part of.

   It was God who in the beginning brought the world into being through the spoken word. God spoke – let there be light – and there was light. God spoke creation into existence.  God gave us the gift of words, the creative gift of naming, beginning with the animals.  With naming comes mastery. With naming comes relationship.  Words enable us to connect. The words we use define us – and say something about us.  We tell others who we are by the words we share.

 To be a person of your word means you’re reliable. You can be trusted.  For centuries  it has been said  that for a an – or woman- word is his/her bond.”  Your word given was a promise – as strong as a binding contract.  Our words define our reputations.  We are told to walk your talk.   That means you live what you say.  Words are that powerful.  It used to be your word and a handshake were enough.  Unfortunately – our words don’t carry the power or force they once did.   We now need legal systems to enforce a commitment.  That’s too bad – isn’t it?  We need to bring back the power of the spoken word.

Nonetheless words still convey power.  Words can bless and heal.  Who hasn’t felt the positive power of these words: You can do it! I believe in you! You’re the best! Great job! I’m proud of you! I love you!  Way to go! Magnificent!!  You’re very special to me. I trust you. Hurray for you.  Beautiful work. You’re a real trooper. Well done! You make my day.  I love you.  You’re the best.  I couldn’t be prouder of you. You light up my day. I’m praying for you.  I’m behind you.  I’m here for you. These words open our heart.  They plant powerful, living words in us. Through these statements and associated actions, the word lives among us – and transforms us.  Never underestimate the power of the spoken word and it’s affect on our hearts and on others.

        Throughout the holidays, we’ve heard God’s powerful words to us in the story of Jesus’ birth.  We heard the familiar story of angels and shepherds, the journey to Bethlehem, the journey of the Magi which we heard in our first reading.   Today we hear a nativity story of a different kind.  We hear John’s version of the nativity.  The birth of the Word, God’s Word.  The word that was in the beginning. That word that was present when God said, “let there be light.”  The Word that was present throughout time and eternity.  The word that spoke God’s truth to people of every age and every situation.  A word that became flesh –became light - our divine brother, Jesus.  It is to this sacred living light that the Magi came and offered their gifts – following the light of the star to find the light of the world.

In Jesus God kept his word to us.  God promised not to leave us in darkness.  God promised not to leave us in sin and despair.  Jesus is God’s powerful Word to us. To inspire us and up builds us: A word that says:  I love you – you are my precious child! I forgive you – all debts are paid.  I believe in you – you can accomplish great things with me. The scriptures remind us that the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).  The scriptures remind us that God’s word is a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119).  That is what the Word of God – Jesus – does for us – He lights our way – he is at work in our lives – making us the best versions of ourselves – as people created in the image of God.

So, we are God’s new word to the world for 2025.  Words that haven’t been created.  What new word will we be? What will define us going forward?  Is that the way we want to define ourselves? 

Maybe we can be God’s new words for a world deluged by words that are so clever but don’t bring about a transformation of the heart.  We need to be those living Words that bring light in the darkness.    We need to be the lamp to the feet of others. How do we do this? 

What words are living and active?  God loves you and so do I.  In Christ you are forgiven.  You are saved. You can do it! I believe in you! You’re the best! Great job! I’m proud of you!  I love you!  Way to go -- you did it, Magnificent, I knew you could do it, What a good helper, You’re very special to me, I trust you, What a treasure, Hurray for you, Beautiful work, You’re a real trooper, Well done, That’s so creative, You make my day, You’re a joy, Give me a big hug, You’re such a good listener, You figured it out, I love you, You’re so responsible, I will not forget you, You’re the best,  I couldn’t be prouder of you, You light up my day, I’m praying for you, You’re wonderful, I’m behind you, You’re God’s special gift, I’m here for you, God has a vision for your life. Vibe check – how do these words make you feel?  Great, right?
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The Word lives among us – so gather and drop those life-giving words – in this world of texts and tweets and doom scrolling - spread your words that bring the light and life for a world hungry for a truly good word.  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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