3 Lent Meditation

Lenten Meditation

March 27, 2011

By the Rev. Marguerite Alley

Thirst. Thirst for justice. Thirst for righteousness. Thirst for knowledge. We use the word thirst often in ways that don’t really portray the real human qualities of thirst and its unquenchable quality. We say things like “ I was so thirsty my mouth felt like a desert or like it was stuffed with cotton”. Yet I wonder if very many of us have ever been truly or dangerously thirsty. The body's initial responses to dehydration are thirst to increase water intake along with decreased urine output to try to conserve water. As the level of water loss increases, our mouths get really dry and our tongue swells, we stop producing tears and sweat,  we have muscle cramps, nausea and heart palpitations. Our bodies try to maintain cardiac function and if the amount of fluid in our arteries and veins is decreased, the body tries to compensate for this decrease by increasing the heart rate and making blood vessels constrict to try to maintain blood pressure and blood flow to the vital organs of the body. This coping mechanism begins to fail as the level of dehydration increases. With severe dehydration, confusion and weakness occurs as the brain and other body organs receive less blood. Finally, coma and organ failure, and death eventually will occur if the dehydration remains untreated. We can actually physically die of thirst.

We can also die of thirst in a spiritual way as well. As human beings we are designed to seek meaning and purpose in our lives. It could be said that we “thirst” for these things. We have an innate need to know our place in the universe. We long for understanding and for relationship with the divine. When we don’t have it, we try to fill that void with things like wealth and status, both of which provide only temporary material satisfaction. It is sort of like a sip of water for someone dying of thirst. It may make our mouth feel better for a few minutes, but shortly after we will be just as thirsty because we have not truly satisfied the thirst. For our thirst to be quenched, we need a consistent hydration. We need to drink water often. Spiritually, we need to drink from the well often as well. It might be a bit of work to get the water up from the well, but it is cooler and better tasting water than the surface water.

When we find ourselves in the wilderness often the first thing we panic about is if we don’t have enough water. But instead of searching for the deep wells with the coolest most pure water, we tend to fall into the puddles and lap them up instead. They are more convenient and easier to find and to get to. The problem is, they are often warm and there is never enough water in them. Our thirst is never really assuaged by these temporary stores of water. For our thirst to really be satisfied we need to find and drink from the deepest wells we can find. This is where the best water is.

As we enter the wilderness that is Lent, we thirst for a more personal relationship with Jesus. But to have that relationship, we must understand that we will only meet Jesus at the well. We might see his reflection in a puddle along the way, but if you truly want to meet and have a relationship with him, you will need to find the well, bring a bucket and be prepared to sweat a little to bring the water up and drink.

Lent Reflection

"Lenten Psalm"

By Edward Hayes

From the ashes of firs of blessed palms
To Alleluia fires of Easter eve

May Lent’s forty days
Be dancing flames of love’s delight

May you live these Lenten days not in purple penitential denial
But in joyfulness of the intimate embrace of your Beloved God

May you hear on the Lenten winds your Beloved calling you daily
To go apart from your routine time
To spend desert time with your God

Then your heart can freshly be aflame
With a lover’s delight in your God.

2 Lent 2011

The Rev. Julia W. Messer3.20.2011
Second Sunday in Lent-- Year A-RCL
Genesis 12:1-4a, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17,
Psalm 121, John 3:1-17

Nicodemus and Jesus
“What do I do when my faith seems to be slipping and I’m not connecting with my faith?”
~*~*~

      I love staring into the night sky on a clear night… and I love meeting God there. It amazes me that when I am looking up I’m starting at a zillions of stars, millions of galaxies, and when I’m starring at a star I am looking into the past of that star’s life. It all leaves me in awe of the sheer power of God. It is moments like when I am under the starry heaven that I can meet God there and feel connected to something greater than myself, the ultimate truth, but it also leaves me humbled.

I admit, that there are times when I struggle with connecting this powerful and ultimate truth that is God with the God of the scripture—especially with text that I wrestle with. I can feel disconnected with my faith and my ways of worshiping.

Nicodemus in today’s Gospel reading, I feel was in a similar place… struggling to connect his faith with the ultimate truth that is God. It is in his wrestling with his faith that Nicodemus may have asked himself an important question:
                    “What do I do when my faith seems to be slipping and I’m not connecting with my faith?”

I feel that is the question Nicodemus asked when he went to talk with Jesus late one night.

The Gospel reading is a great one. Nicodemus was a man in the later years of his life. He was distinguished, accomplished, and viewed as a leader in a field. He was a legalist in that he followed God’s laws to the letter.  He was, after all, a Pharisee. Yet with all that he had, things were not perfect in his life; this was made clear when he sought out this man named Jesus. Even though Nicodemus practiced and believed in his faith, he knew there was something about Jesus that he couldn’t put his finger on, yet felt himself drawn towards Jesus.

While Nicodemus might have learned about Jesus during the day, he did not go to meet with Jesus until well into the dark hours—he didn’t want to be seen.  Thus ensues one of the great conversations that occur in this gospel. But it is in the 1^st two statements between Nicodemus and Jesus that really struck me this Sunday.

Jesus welcomed this man into his tent. Nicodemus probably could not believe HE of all people found himself in this tent and was talking to this crazy person that everyone not only whispered about but shouted against in every way. Yet Nicodemus found himself in the dark talking to this man Jesus, because he found himself in the dark questioning his faith and seeking answers.

Jesus engaged Nicodemus, as we would say today, “where he’s at” in life and told him that life was a little different than he thought. Nicodemus didn’t ask Jesus a question; he made a statement. And in reply, it seems as if Jesus knew that Nicodemus knew the truth about who Jesus truly was.  Nicodemus recognized that God was with this man through Jesus’ signs. Jesus affirmed this but challenged him further by explaining God’s grace to Nicodemus, which didn’t seem to immediately click with Nicodemus. Yet while it may not have seemed to click with Nicodemus, Jesus recognized Nicodemus knew in his heart the unchangeable truth but his head hadn’t embraced it, he connected with this truth yet.

 This part of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus was a common Jewish practice. They talked about how the scripture spoke to them. Jesus continued to stretch Nicodemus, revealing more truths. Jesus It is important to note that it all began for Nicodemus when he was willing, even if he was embarrassed to, to step out in his questions and was willing to go to God in his confusion saying, “Help me to understand.”

Nicodemus wasn’t the only one who has come upon times in his life when things just didn’t click. Whether we are 85, 35, or 15 there are times when we may find ourselves drifting away from God and when we find ourselves going through the rituals of faith or life but the heart and power seems to be missing in our faith or in our lives. Something in our worship, prayers, or even in our lives may not be clicking with us. We all need to be renewed, to find ways to continue to engage our minds and hearts in our faith and desire to be the people God calls us to be.

THIS is the time when we may find ourselves in the shoes of Nicodemus, and we are called to go to God and say, “I’m stuck, I’m in a rut, my heart just isn’t in it right now. Things aren’t quit clicking for me.”  We may think that we, like Nicodemus, have faith, even be spiritually curious, but yet are not willing to step fully out of our comfortable circle of “what we know.” 

The truth is: some come to faith quickly, while for others, it may take a long time. But no matter how faith comes, it will surely go through mountain tops of pure joy and understanding, and it will also go through valleys of despair and not knowing. Faith is not a once-and-its-done action of the believers once they accept God’s grace.  Rather it is an ongoing relationship that takes work and often time from the believer. It’s how we handle the moments of wrestling with our faith that is important.

There are several choices people can make at this point when they find themselves wrestling and even struggling with their faith:
1. They can give up, saying “It’s never going to get better.”  Or 
2. they can look towards their heads (their intelligence), saying, “I can figure things out on my own.”  They can also leave the church. Or
3. they can continue to go through the rituals hoping that somewhere in that ritual the spirit may move them again (and God truly does work at those moments). Or if they truly are willing to honestly put themselves out there…
4. they can recognize where they are in life, continue to have faith and keep going through the ritual but REENGAGE the ritual and faith.

How can we do this? Faith is personal to each person but one way would be to ENGAGE even more with the church or outreach programs. Listening to faith may be enough but finding ways to engage our souls and minds in activities of faith is a more active and participatory way.  This is where Nicodemus found himself that night.

Even Nicodemus left his first real encounter with Jesus one night not seeming to fully understand Jesus, and Nicodemus probably found himself still wrestling with his faith even more than when he had come. Yet God saw that Nicodemus knew the truth deep in his soul and at the end of the Gospel of John, we hear from Nicodemus again…this time a man who has recognized God’s grace through Jesus, and he has been changed by it forever.

And this is what takes us into Lent. The Lenten season is a time the church has set aside as a time of concentrated penitence and reflection. Lent can be a time to take on or give up. We can take on an action that will draw us closer to God, through more devotion to prayer, or to consciously perform acts of charity, or to even take up some action or behavior that will improve our relationship with God.  Lent is a season of challenge, to honestly and truly look at ourselves and the areas in our lives and our faith and to consciously be aware of how we worship. 

It is a time to ask ourselves “What do I do when my faith seems to be slipping and I’m not connecting with my faith?” And then we must be willing to engage with God through scripture and our traditions and not be afraid to really wrestle with the harder parts of the Bible and our faith.  It is through this self examination in Lent that we might draw closer to God, just as Nicodemus and so many others in the Bible did. They struggled and wrestled with their faith and through this came to a deeper understanding and relationship with God.

+ In the name of GOD: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit +

Lent 2 Reflection by M.T. for after Sunday worship

Lenten Meditation

March 20, 2011

By M. Thomas

            Last week, in Father John’s meditation, we were asked to examine our own Wilderness. He stated that we may feel lost unless we find an opening to regain our bearings. In this week’s Gospel, Nicodemus meets with Jesus under the cover of darkness. Nicodemus had seen many miracles that Jesus performed and had heard him teach. He told Jesus that he truly had to be a man of God to be able to do and say the things he had. Jesus told Nicodemus that unless a person has been reborn of the water and the Spirit, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus was confused by this so Jesus compared it to a baby – a body you can look at and touch. But went on to explain that the person who takes shape within the body is formed by the Spirit – something you cannot see or touch.

            It is here that Jesus mentions the wind…how we can’t see it, where it is coming from or where it is going to. But you hear it rustling in the trees. Just like the wind, so it is with a spiritual birth…the person may look the same, but they are changed on the inside. It is also the same with God’s presence. As the wind blows by, you may feel it on your skin or through your hair, but you cannot see it until it moves the trees or grass.

            This past weekend, I was lucky enough to see this wind blow through some youth and adults of our Diocese. It is an incredible experience to behold. Happening is a youth led spiritual renewal experience geared toward high school students. I am sure we can all think back to high school and remember that we may have felt a little lost in the wilderness; lost in the social wilderness as well as in the spiritual wilderness. Most of us didn’t feel that wind until after high school, I am sure. But this retreat allows for that wind to blow freely through those who are open to it. For most of the youth this weekend, they had never experienced anything like it before. If they are lucky, they will get to experience it time and time again throughout the rest of their lives. Looking at the faces in the crowd, they all looked the same on Sunday as they did on Friday. However, the spirit on the inside had changed. They truly experienced the love and grace of God. Without that wind, they wouldn’t have been able to see the glory of God’s Kingdom the way they do now.

            I hope that each of you have the opportunity in your lifetime to experience the wind of the Holy Spirit. While it may come in small doses, know that if you are open to it, you will feel it. To be changed by the Holy Spirit is a wonderful and awesome gift. During the days of Lent, perhaps you could find yourself being more open to feeling the wind of the Holy Spirit blow through your soul.

LENT 1 Reflection

Lenten Meditation

March 13, 2011

by the Rev. JAB

Emmanuel's theme for this Lenten season is "Going into the Wilderness Seeking Spiritual Wholeness." Following the services today and for the next 4 Sundays, we're providing you with a meditation by one of your clergy or lay leaders as spiritual food for reflection in the week ahead.

In our Gospel reading this morning (the 1st Sunday of Lent) Jesus went into the Wilderness following his Baptism, and experienced there a time of temptation by his adversary, Satan, as he sorted through his call to a public ministry. What do you think of when you hear the word "Wilderness"? For some it's a barren, rocky, desert sort of place; for others it's deep, dark, trail-less forest. What these very different habitats have in common is that they are remote from human habitation; they are untamed, and filled with potential danger. Those who enter a wilderness unprepared are at the mercy of the elements.

“Wilderness” may refer not only to a physical location, but also to spiritual realities. Those who are trapped in chemical addiction, mired in depression, at their wits end with family conflict, subject to unrelenting stress, reeling from the death of a spouse or child, or experiencing changes in our lives that threaten our values or world view - can all justly claim to be having a Wilderness experience. That is to say: feeling isolated and alone; facing very real spiritual danger, and at the mercy of forces often well beyond our control. What Wilderness experiences have you had? Are you in the midst of one right now?

Jesus surely felt many of these same feelings of isolation, spiritual danger, and challenge as he encountered his adversary in the Wilderness. Satan does his utmost to undermine and damage Jesus' sense of self, and his understanding of what he is called to be: his destiny as the Anointed, the Son of God. Yet for Jesus and for us as well, the Wilderness (though fraught with danger) is also a potential place of rich spiritual growth. Each of the temptations led Jesus to get clear in his own head, his mission and ministry. Removed from the company of others, he could go deep within, undisturbed, and encounter there a living, loving relationship with God. He took time (40 days) to refocus, redirect, and identify those very things that could sabotage an effective ministry of healing and compassion. He emerged from the Wilderness focused, spiritually healthy and whole, ready for "prime time."

If we desire to grow more deeply into wholeness, aliveness, and new beginnings, we must not dread going into the Wilderness. We must not shrink from solitude; from seeking clarity, wisdom and understanding; from plumbing the depths, seeking to find God there. Whatever pain we experience in life also offers to us the opportunity to grow deeper in compassion for others. Whatever doubts or uncertainties we may harbor will be clarified, not by avoiding them, but only by addressing them with courage, head-on. Whatever conflict or stress we are experiencing right now will never disappear unless we seek a new vision or vista, sorting out that which is temporary & fleeting and letting go of it, as well as discerning that which desperately needs changing, and putting our heart and soul into transformation.

When you are in the Wilderness, you may feel hopelessly lost, unless you find an opening, a vista, a high point, a long expanse of open space to regain your bearings. Jesus had his vista moment when Satan took him up to a high point and offered him the Kingdoms of the World. Jesus saw clearly that his journey was not to be one of power and dominion, but of suffering servanthood. Without that Wilderness experience and the vistas he saw, Jesus might have muddled along, and never become for us our Lord and Savior, the Redeemer of the World.

In the 5 weeks ahead, I invite and encourage you to use these 40 days as a Wilderness experience of your own. Do not ignore, waste or fritter them away. Go deeper into reflection, study, prayer, or worship. Have courage to face the challenges of your life, seeking clarity and a connection with God. Seek a vista where you can review and ponder the priorities of your life, as well as refresh and renew the Spirit within you.

1 Lent 2011

Sermon - March 13, 2011     

The Rev. John Baldwin

This morning is the 1st Sunday in the 40 day season of Lent. The word “Lent” comes to us from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “Spring” and has been observed for centuries as a period of refreshment for the soul. It’s been a time for “giving up” or “taking on”....6 weeks of commitment and discipline, bringing our spiritual life to the center of our awareness & concern.

It should be no surprise that our Gospel this morning is the story of Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness, the 40 days Jesus spent in solitude following his Baptism in the Jordan River. It comes immediately before the beginning of his public ministry of preaching, teaching and healing.

During these 40 days, Jesus spent much of his time in prayer and meditation about his vocation. What kind of ministry was he being called to by his heavenly Father? Matthew and Luke portray this time of solitude as a period of testing and temptation. There were many paths Jesus could take, some much more alluring than others. He could be a great miracle-worker, dazzling the crowds with his ability to do incredible things. Who had ever seen a man turn stones into bread? Even Houdini couldn’t do that!!! Or, Jesus could pick the moment of greatest media exposure, when the Temple courtyard was crowded with people, and jump off the top of the Temple. Finally, Jesus knew the longing of the people to rid themselves of Roman rule. They were thirsty for the powerful and charismatic leadership he might provide. Tempting as all of these possibilities might have seemed, Jesus rejected them all, and chose instead the role of a suffering servant...one who would proclaim good news to the poor, liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and freedom for the oppressed.

The Preface for the Lent, said by the celebrant at the altar in the midst of the Eucharist, sums up this period of testing in these words: “Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who was tempted in every way as we are, yet did not sin.”

Temptation is a human reality that challenges us every day of our lives.... urging us to turn from honesty to untruthfulness, often very subtlety. Let me give some examples. Some years ago we purchased a game called Scruples. It contains a number of cards on which are printed situations that call for moral and ethical decisions. Players are asked to respond “Yes”, “No” or “Depends” as to the course of action one would take. See if you recognize yourself in any of these situations of Temptation.

1) The price tag on a sweater you are buying is $65, but the salesperson by mistake rings up $35. Do you draw their attention to their mistake?

2) In a parking lot you accidentally dent someone’s car, but no one’s around. Do you leave a note taking responsibility?

3) You are filling out your income tax form. Do you declare every dollar you are supposed to?

4) Cleaning up the house, you find your teenage daughter’s diary. Do you glance inside?

It’s in those areas where we respond “Depends” that the greatest temptation lies....”Depends on whether I can get away with it.”...”depends on how I feel at the time”...or “depends on whether my lie is a big one or a small one.”

When I was a little boy, about 8 years old, my school bus driver dropped me off on a corner next to Woolworth’s in downtown New Bedford, MA. I would often go inside to get warm while waiting for a connecting bus to my home. In one section of the store was a stamp department, which I enjoyed visiting, being an avid stamp collector. At the counter there were some small orange bags with draw strings full of stamps from around the world. One day it occurred to me that if I put my finger into the hole at the top of the bag, I could slip out a few stamps and stick them in my pockets. An inner voice encouraged me to do so: “No one will see you...it’s only a few stamps ...no one’s going to be hurt by it.” And I succumbed to the temptation...not just once, I’m sorry to say, but several times.

But then one day, my mother discovered some of those stamps in a pants pocket as she was preparing to do the laundry. Suspecting something, she confronted me with the evidence. When I confessed, she marched me down to the Manager of Woolworth’s. In shame and humility, I confessed my transgressions and asked his pardon. It was a sequence of events I’ll never forget. It cured me of the urge to shoplift, but it was by no means the end of temptation in my life. What is comforting in the story of Jesus’ Temptation is that he was tempted in every way that we are. What is challenging is that, in spite of the temptations, Jesus did not Sin.

There is hardly a better book, I believe, on the subtleties and seductiveness of temptation than the Screwtape Letters written in 1941 by C.S. Lewis, one of the last century’s greatest Christian writers. He was exceptional in being able to take a complex argument, such as Free Will or Temptation, break it down to its basic principals and then give it the force of a sledge hammer.      

  

The idea in the Screwtape Letters is to set forth the psychology of temptation from the other point of view, the Tempter’s. The book is a series of letters from Screwtape, a master tempter in the employ of his Satanic Majesty, to Wormwood, a novice tempter. The Letters are full of suggestions on how to successfully corrupt the souls of human beings. In Screwtape’s advice, we become aware of how often and how easily we are tempted to be unloving, selfish and untrue to the heart and mind of Jesus Christ.

Although the Letters are written in a semi-humorous way, Lewis takes the power of evil to corrupt very seriously. In Letter 26, for example, Screwtape describes “the Generous Conflict Game” as a way of tempting families to indulge in selfishness and petty quarrels. The scenario runs like this:

“Something quite trivial like having tea in the garden is proposed. One family member makes it quite clear he’d rather not do that, but is of course prepared to do so out of “unselfishness.” The others thereupon withdraw their proposal, seemingly because of their own “unselfishness”, but really because they don’t want to feel guilty. But the first person is not about to be upstaged. He insists on doing what the others want. They insist on doing what he wants. Passions are roused. Soon someone is saying, “very well, then, I won’t have any tea at all,” and a real quarrel ensues with bitter resentment on all sides. Each side is quite alive to the cheap quality of the other’s “unselfishness” and of the false position into which he (or she) is trying to force them, but each manages to feel blameless and ill-used with no more dishonesty than comes natural to the human.”

Where Screwtape is able to press his advantage is in those areas where we are tempted to be dishonest...to be false and deceptive in our dealings with others; to be inwardly hypocritical; to be untrue to the mind of Christ. The season of Lent, with its beckoning to a 6-week journey of self-examination and repentance, is a time to journey into the wilderness of temptation, to face openly and honestly those things that tempt us to stumble, and to turn towards the whole and abundant life our Lord desires for us.

In closing, let me repeat this morning’s Collect, “Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan. Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.” Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Lectionary: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19, Psalm 32, Matthew 4:1-11
Proper Preface for Lent can be found: http://www.bcponline.org/HE/pphe2.htm
Lent:
Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who was tempted in every way as we are, yot did not sin. By his grace we are able to triumph over every evil, and to live no longer for ourselves alone, but for him who died for us and rose again.

Transfiguration Sunday

Last Sunday of Epiphany-A

March 6, 2011

The Rev. Marguerite Alley

Well, ready it or not here it comes!  Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Lent. It always seems to catch me by surprise.  So today I want to talk about leaving the mountaintop and walking into the desert. The story in this morning’s gospel has long been a favorite of mine. The visual imagery is wonderful and the story is wholly believable. I think we have all had these kinds of transformative experiences in our lives, and just like our bumbling friend Peter we want to capture those moments and make them last.  You probably know the old phrase when a joke or funny story fails short: “I guess you had to be there”. There are experiences that we cannot explain to someone who has not had at least a similar experience. It is interesting to me to think back over the last 20 or so years. When I was in high school I took a fair number of pictures with a camera my older brother gave me. I would send them off for developing through the PX and then wait anxiously for them to come back. It was like getting to relive the moment the first time I saw those pictures. Yet even though it was thrilling, it wasn’t exactly the same.  I don’t know why I thought instant pictures would make it better, but I got myself a Polaroid camera so I could see my photos instantly. They weren’t especially good quality and while I liked seeing them virtually instantly they still didn’t make me feel as though I were in the moment again.  When I went to Africa the first time, I had both a still and a video camera and took about 800 photos as well as several hours of great video. When I got home I watched the video instantly while I waited for my photos to be developed. Hearing the sounds of the African plain made it seem more like the real deal but it still wasn’t exactly the same. When my stills arrived in the mail I remember being somewhat disappointed. Several of them didn’t turn out as well as I had expected and they just didn’t seem to have the brilliant colors I remembered. What I have come to realize that it is impossible to re-create a transformative moment. The nature of the word itself….”trans” suggests change or moving through…..it can’t be isolated and captured. This is where Peter and company went wrong. They wanted to create a lasting picture memory of something that was by nature a momentary glance. It is human nature though, to try to grasp and hold onto these moments of inspiration, explanation or transformation. But it is like trying to hold water in your hand. Last week, Fr. John spoke in his sermon about how God provides for us and he mentioned the disciples leaving their homes and their families and following Jesus when they really did not know what that would mean to them.  A few weeks ago, I mentioned the very same idea in that the disciples chose to follow Jesus, leaving behind their old lives with their families and their jobs, and heading bravely into an unknown and uncertain future.  In each of these vignettes, the disciples are called from certainty to uncertainty, from the known to the unknown. This is what the transition between Epiphany and Lent is about. In Epiphany we are making our way to the top of the mountain where Jesus is revealed to us in glory, splendor and light. We then must make our way back down the mountain and begin our journey through the desert which is Lent.

I think most of us would like to stay on the mountaintop once we get there.  Just as the mountains themselves look very different, each of us has a different idea of what the mountain top experience is. For each of us though, the common link is the transformative nature of the moment.  The rest of the world ceases to exist for an instant and we are allowed this rare glimpse of something we can barely comprehend. Just when we think we can wrap our minds around it, it drifts away, just like the clouds on the mountain. And we are left standing there wondering what just happened.

It is very tempting to want to pitch a tent right there in hopes of recreating and recapturing the moment to enjoy over and over. But the thing is, that moment in time will never happen again. I can never happen again because time has moved on, we have moved on. The moment is passed.  This is the tough part about this gospel. There is a secret message here. It is not just about what happens on the mountain. It is about what is supposed to happen after that. It is about the change that occurs.

Throughout his ministry Jesus has been trying to tell people not to worry about the future, not to dwell in the past, but to live in the moment.  I believe that the message in this story is that we, like the disciples cannot stay on the mountaintop. We have to come down and we have to walk across the desert to get to where we need to be. To make it more relevant to today. I think an accurate understanding of this might be that we can’t sit here all day. This is our mountaintop in some ways. We are known and loved here. Our friends are here. We are happy and comfortable here. We have some control here.  What Jesus is telling us and what this story is illuminating for us is that we need to go out into the world with all of the uncertainty, fear, lack of control, and things we cannot yet even imagine. We need to go into the desert and at the right time, share what we have seen on the mountaintop.

One of the many things I like about the Episcopal Church is that we don’t spend much time talking about when we were saved, and when we accepted Jesus as our personal savior. I never thought of Jesus as my personal savior. I think of him as the savior of humanity.  I don’t think of myself as having been saved so much as invested. I don’t think of my faith in terms of what God can do for me. I think of it in terms of what Jesus calls me to do. I believe, that at least part of what we can take away from this story is a clear sense of call…from the mountaintop down into the desert and into the places where we may not be that comfortable. There is great uncertainty and great unknown in this wilderness. We worry if we are prepared and we worry if we will have the stamina to make it through. All this worrying makes it all the harder for us to fully commit to the journey. But when we get to the other side and we look back over the barren landscape and we remember how we faced our fear, how we embraced our weakness and made it a strength of character, how we kept looking ahead and dealing with things as they came along, we will see that no only was the journey worth every moment of the struggle, but we can actually see the moment of our own transfiguration into a more Christ like person. And when we see and recognize the moment when we were transfigured, then we realize that we are indeed light for the world and light for those who are entering the desert for the first or even the last time.       It’s hard to explain. I guess you have to be here.

Lectionary Readings: Sunday, March 06, 2011 - Year A Last Sunday after EpiphanyExodus 24:12-18; Psalm 2 or 99; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9

Kick-off of the EEC blog!

      As we at Emmanuel prepare for Lent this year, the clergy have decided that in the spirit of reflection that we will to post our sermons onto this blog. We invite all who wish to read, reflect, inwardly digest…and post your thoughts and comments onto this blog.

     Currently we are going to keep this blog open to all, but remind all, that Emmanuel is a warm and loving community that is open to kind criticism that is offered with the purpose of growing.