Scripture: Acts 5:27-32
A life of faith is a life of fruitfulness. Even as we are in the business of changing the world, we are being transformed too. And wherever we are on the discipleship journey, we can make an impact; we can be witnesses for the kin-dom of God. Worship issues a challenge to live out our faith daily. It is where we make our promise to the God we praise that we will follow; we will represent the faith; we will be witnesses.
Scripture: Luke 24: 1-12; Acts 10: 34-43
And everything changed in that moment. Moment? Event, perhaps. Everything changed with that event. Easter is a new start, a new creation. We didn’t go back to Eden, but the way to the kin-dom of God was opened on that day.
Scripture: Luke 19:28-40; 23:1-49
It is far too easy to go straight from a parade to a Resurrection party without acknowledging that valley of death that goes between – accepting the gift of new life without the call to surrender the old. Too often we present a “having your cake and eating it too” kind of mentality that produces a watered-down faith that won’t sustain us when the shadows envelop, and grief arises. We need to know; we need to be introduced to a savior who is acquainted with sorrow and knows our pain. This is the savior who would gather us up; this is the one who can redeem us.
Scripture: John 12: 1-8
We are nearing the end of this season; next week is Palm/Passion Sunday. So, here we can focus on giving honor to the Christ who as journeyed with us throughout this difficult season. Like Mary, we can pour out in blessing praise and worship as we gather. We can offer something precious as we approach the one who loves us more than his own life. What could we leave at the Table as we come forward for the sacrament? An offering? A prayer? A commitment of self, or gift, or time? We consider what we receive, and we should. But this time, what can we give? What act of service could we perform as we move into community at Table together?
Scripture: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Today is a day to thank God for welcoming us home from our wandering, but it is also a day of extending that welcome in as many ways as possible. Draw the circle wide. These are the ones Jesus longs to gather under his wings – the ones outside our doors, the ones not like us. How do we enlarge our vision? How do we open our hearts to see as Jesus sees? How do we scan the horizon outside our walls, longing for those who have not yet found their way home, eagerly hoping for them, for any to come? How far will we run down the road to embrace them? How might we gather them up in Jesus’ name?
Scripture: Luke 13: 1-9
We all want our lives to amount to something. Jesus gives us that sense of purpose and direction. We are called to bear fruit. Of course, this needs to be explained further. What is fruitful? What kind of fruit? Who benefits from this fruit? But that’s part of the exercise: to learn to understand and experience our own fruitfulness. In the end, we proclaim the word that to be gathered up in Jesus is not simply for our own benefit, not simply to make us better, or feel better about ourselves. Being gathered up in Jesus has an impact on the world around us. The fruit we bear is where transformation can begin to take root.
Under the Wings – March 13, 2022
Scripture: Luke 13: 31-35
What images of Jesus do you have in worship? What words do you use to describe the Christ? What today’s text tells us in part is that we need to expand our catalog of images when speaking of the redeeming love of God in Jesus. When Jesus compares himself to a mother hen, the door is open for finding ways to communicate the grace and love that we need to confess and repent. Our sinfulness does not exclude us from God’s grace. We can remember together that no matter how far short it seems like we fall, how far we lag behind on the discipleship path, God has not given up on us; there is still a place for us at the table of the Lord. Let our prayers, even the prayers of confession, be full of thanksgiving for forgiveness and for grace. Let us be inspired to love more, to risk more, to reach out more, to include more.
Scripture: Luke 4: 1-13
We play a little bit with Luke’s words in verse 13, how the adversary left him “until an opportune time.” We can look at this from two directions. It could be those “opportune times” for temptation, when we are in the midst of struggle or questioning and find ourselves vulnerable to stray from our journey. Or perhaps it’s those opportune times for growth, for seizing the day perhaps, when we find ourselves drawn closer to the Christ, who wants to gather us up. Lent need not be a constant “downer,” where we focus on our failings. It is also a time when we recognize the joys of belonging, the growth in knowledge and wisdom, the support of the community around us. It is a time for knowing we need more, we want more, more Christ, more discipleship, more discipline.
Scripture: Luke 9: 28-36
The story of the Transfiguration pulls together all the revelations of the Christ to the point his face is changed, his disciples astonished, and his mission acknowledged and blessed by God.Those who encounter God are transfigured, enlightened, emblazoned. Early Christians were called “Illuminati” at their baptism because they now were to live with the light of Christ emanating from their lives. The story of the Transfiguration of Christ reminds us that, for sake of life, we are to let our lights shine because we have encountered and live in the reign of the loving and just God
Scripture: Luke 6: 27-38
Loving your enemies…In Luke, Jesus goes to the mountains for prayer, reflection, refreshment, rejuvenation. It is while enjoying one of these mountaintop moments that Jesus singled out 12 apostles from among his many disciples. Immediately after this, Jesus leads his newly appointed apostles back down the mountain to “a level place,” a place where apostles, disciples and a crowd of eager people stand shoulder to shoulder. The level place accords them all equal footing, just as they are all equally in need of Jesus’ message. And this is what they hear.
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