Lent 5

Believe 1: In Life—Psalm 130; John 11: 1-45 (excerpts)

            A friend of mine who is a very, very tired mother of a four-year-old told me of a moment she overcame temptation. Her son likes toy monsters, not the scary kind, but the fun Disney kind that are goofy but not quite scary. Every night they have a full-blown battle to get him to go to bed. They would look into the closet and make sure it was clear. They’d look in the drawers to make sure they were clear. And they’d check carefully under the bed.

            One very frustrating night my friend thought about getting a two-way radio, hiding it under the bed, and every time her son tried to get up have a deep male voice say, “This is the monster. If you wake your mom up again, I’ll get you.” Obviously, she didn’t, though she was tempted. And every night they had the same ritual to find sleep. He would ask her, “Is it real?”

            Sometimes I wonder, how often do we ask that same question of faith? After a bad day, a particularly low-feeling month, when we go for a while and feel like God is silent and troubles talk too much, we might ask, “Is it real?” Though it sounds like asking something a bit disobedient, I think it’s a fair question. In Mark 9, a worried father cries out, “I do believe, but help my unbelief!” After the resurrection, Thomas, a disciple, demands proof Jesus is alive. The crux is that in both of these instances, the questioning drove the two people TO Jesus to find the answer.

            The Gospel story for today is one that should make us struggle. Prayer and healing are not too far-fetched for us to figure out. Faithful living sermons from Jesus are very easy for us to learn and implement. But what an incredible step to ask a people of science, reason, enlightenment, technology, all of this to believe that this presumably holy man of ancient times raised someone from the dead without the abilities of modern medicine. Is it real? I think there are two types of life we see in this lesson—new life and abundant life, and yes, both are real!

            Jesus, in our Gospel lesson today, is overwhelmed by people who give back-handed criticism. If you’d been here, he wouldn’t have died. You could have done something Jesus, but you were late and failed. As he comes to the tomb, we read that well-known verse, “Jesus wept.” But it’s not tears of grief, it’s an angry cry. Verse 33 tells us that there’s a deep anger in Jesus, and he was troubled. He sees their weeping, wailing, and carrying on in total disbelief, anger, and condemnation of him, and he is so angry he weeps. We are told in verse 38 that he’s still angry when he comes to the tomb.

            Then Jesus brings new life. He calls Lazarus out of the tomb, and the man—now four days dead—walks out with new life in his body and spirit. None of those people believed him. He told them, “I am the resurrection and the life!” Yet they didn’t listen to the hope and carried on in their wrong beliefs. What’s the proof? How do we know that God is the God of resurrection and new life?

            The other day I took a walk. It was warm from the sunshine. I strolled around the apartment complex and felt the warm restoring my tired, sore body. I inhaled the warm air (and immediately gagged and coughed from all the pollen). But even there is a lesson. Every year we are reminded from cold, dead, hard earth, new life blooms. Look at the beauty that God has created. The flowers, the tree leaves, the growing grass…all of these things are signs of new life built into God’s design for earth. And if the flowers and trees get new life each year, how much more will God take care of us, who are made in God’s own image. Is it real? Yes! Just look at the world around, and choke on the abundant pollen of new plants and you’ll have all the proof you need.

            But God also gives us the gift of abundant life while we are here on earth. Jesus and Martha have an exchange where he talks about resurrection AND life and adds that belief in him will keep away death. Ponder those words—resurrection and life. Then he says to Martha, “Do you believe this?” It’s a question of trust for us just as it was for Martha. Do you trust in Jesus to offer resurrection hope as well as abundant life here?

            The words of the Psalmist begin with this plea, this cry from the depths of despair and suffering. Then the writer starts this new and hopeful thought. In God there is forgiveness in verse 4, redemption in verse 7, and hope in verse 5. But the greatest statement of the Psalm is this: “I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him.” It reminds me of the words of a hymn from 1680, “All my hope on God is founded, who does still my trust renew. Safe through change and chance God guides me, ever faithful, ever true.”  

            What does abundant life look like? It’s not being free from all trouble. It’s not being free from all illness. It’s not being free from a physical death here. Abundant life means that God is with us in every moment of every day throughwhatever troubles come to us. Lazarus was sick. Lazarus died. People mourned and wept.  But none of that had the final say because it took Jesus only moments to summon the power to overcome death, suffering, and fear. Abundant life doesn’t mean avoiding adversity and struggle. It means having a God who is with you. It means looking not to the heavenly king, but to the Christ of the cross, who suffered and died. It means looking at the Jesus who walked here on earth and knew God the Father was there the entire time.

            I have a friend who often struggles with being her own worst enemy. No matter her smarts, her success, her achievements, she always ended up having something ruin her work, and it was usually a problem of her own making. Many condemned her for her choices, blamed her directly, saying she should have done better, had better control, gotten herself together and figured it out. But none of that blame or condemnation helps a person who is struggling, does it? The biggest issue was that she chose her own control over trust in God. And just as new life is found in Christ’s resurrection, abundant life can only be found in living and trusting Christ’s life and example.

            We’re about to sing soon, don’t worry. I’ve had some angst over the years about the hymn, “Softly and Tenderly.” It’s been used a lot in tandem with sermons that tell people how miserable and wretched they are as evildoers in the world. People get beaten up enough by all the bad that happens in this world, and I’m no longer a fan of rubbing their noses in it. “Told ya so” does not make for good theology. But it’s hard to escape the call to believe in a Savior’s love found in the words: “Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me; patient and loving, he’s waiting and watching, for you and for me. Come home.”

            If we ask the question, “Is it real?” the words in this Psalm and Gospel give us a resounding yes. New life is real, and you need only look around this world that grows anew, blossoms into new life and gives us beauty each and every spring in the same way. It’s a testimony that in life’s design, our God planned for new life and resurrection of what is dead and dormant. But God has also planned abundant life. You are not alone on your walk here. There is a whole world of places, people, and things for us to encounter and enjoy. There is good news to be told. When the monsters under your bed scare you, and hope seems to dwindle to the point of asking if any of it is really real, remember Jesus’s words, “I am the resurrection AND the life.” And all you need to do is follow the advice in the hymn…come home.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/209115251765310

Lent 4

Belong 2: Every Last One—I Sam. 16: 1-13; John 9: 1-7, 35-39

            Nearsighted. That’s what they call it. Since I was little, I was told I was nearsighted and would struggle to see things far off. It’s always fun to go to the eye doctor because they put the little chart of letters up there which goes from the big letter at the top, “E,” to all the smaller letters below. At a -2 or -3 you may only be able to see the top third of the chart. At a -4 or -5 you may see the blurry “E” at the top. At my fantastic -12 vision, I cannot see the chart at all, let alone the letters which may be on it. Nearsighted…that’s what they called it, and beyond two inches from my face is too far off to be seen.

            We’ve used that term in society in a more slang term as shortsighted, and it means someone who reacts only in the immediate and fails to see the bigger picture or long-term plan. Both our Hebrew scripture and our Gospel lesson involve a bit of short-sightedness in the stories. But wherever there is a problem with vision, God also provides a cure or a corrective vision for God’s people. Here are a few cures for faith’s short-sightedness.

            First, you must see as God sees. The story of Samuel anointing David as king gives us this very powerful insight into how God sees people. God has spoken to Samuel, the prophet and told him that the next King of Israel would be one of Jesse’s sons. I’m sure Samuel had hoped this would be easy, but then he finds out this Jesse has eight sons. The first one, Eliab, is tall, handsome, and powerful…the very image of royalty. But God says no.

            And here’s the explanation: “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Samuel was shortsighted in how he saw people—strength, power, courage. But in the end, it was the youngest, a shepherd who would be anointed king because God saw a good heart. Look on life and on others with God’s vision of them, and not how we see as humans. That is how we evaluate character.  

            Second, we have to embrace new ways of seeing. In our Gospel, part of the story tells of the anger of the Pharisees that Jesus healed this man on a Sabbath. They often got mad at Jesus for doing good work on the Sabbath. They discounted Jesus entirely here because, even though he had signs and miracles, he broke the rules to perform them. And to them, the rules were more important than what was right and what God wanted. This is why Jesus says, “I entered this world to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” He calls the Pharisees, in their ignorance, blind.

            Many of us wear glasses. Some of us have had cataract surgery. All of these things are tools or methods to give us better sight. I’m reminded of a friend’s church. They had a women’s group that met at noon during the week. It was an orderly affair with an elected chair, vice chair, and parliamentary procedures according to the biblical Robert’s Rules of Order every member got. But there was a group of working women who couldn’t make it during that time.

            One night 3 to 4 of the working women got off work and met up at the local Applebee’s for half priced appetizers and “Wedding at Cana Water.” Several more joined them. They rotated around talking about their week, sharing some scripture, and having a bit of prayer.  The first group was enraged. They assailed the pastor and board chair over the iniquities of this second meeting—not the location, the refreshment choice, not the hard-hitting topics, nor anything like that. No, the great sin was no one followed Robert’s Rules at those Applebee’s meetings. Sometimes we have to see differently and use God’s vision to see new ways of living on earth.

            Lastly, we have to lean into the vision that Christ gives us. The healing story here says that Christ spat on the ground and rubbed mud into the man’s eyes to make him miraculously see. Sometimes, I fear we take these stories a bit too literally. We want to assert that God should heal every literal infirmity we live with. But here, sight to the blind was metaphorical. It was spiritual. The man received vision spiritually. The pharisees were metaphorically blind because they couldn’t see past their severe rules to the good work that needed to be done and the love in this man, Jesus.

            The healed man began to see spiritually. He wanted to believe in Jesus, and this encounter gave him the vision to understand both that there is a Savior and that it was Jesus. The Pharisees were too short-sighted in their beliefs, their rules, their way of living to see the grace and love of Jesus which stood before them.

The man exclaimed, “I believe!” and the Pharisees called it ridiculous. But I ask you, who left this encounter with a refreshed and joyful soul and spirit, and who left with their same old, tired ways?  

            So then, they call it nearsighted or short-sighted because I can’t see very far at all, and I have to wear these glasses in order to see what I’m doing. Many of us as well live with being nearsighted, or with the dreaded bifocals, or some kind of eyesight correction. Here, Jesus teaches us an important lesson. In God’s kingdom, your physical ability to see does not determine whether you are blind or not. It’s the vision coming from your heart and soul.

            The man who was healed had no physical eyesight, but I would argue to you that it was the Pharisees who were the most short-sighted or blinded in this story. As a church, it is okay if our eyes have trouble, so long as we see God clearly. It is okay to near-sighted, so long as we are not lacking in vision. We must see things through God’s vision of the world. We must embrace new ways of seeing and some of God’s corrective lenses when needed. And we must lean into whatever new vision Christ gives to us.

            Jesus encountered a man in need of seeing as God sees, his own sight correction, and a new vision of hope. Jesus gave him all three. The man was healed, restored, and came to believe in the Savior who loved him and showed him such amazing care. It was the power in Jesus’s healing, love, and gentleness that convinced this man he had truly met the Savior, the Son of Man. And that same power works for us too, healing where we are short-sighted or in need of a vision and direction. For in our Savior, as the hymn says, there is wonder working power. Thanks be to God.

 Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/530833599173131

Lent 3

Belong Part 1: Every Corner—Exodus 17: 1-7; John 4:5-26, 40-42

            A friend of mine shared a story of a church that sent a letter to one of its members. The letter essentially addressed that the member had not been attending church for several weeks. They said, “After attempts to discuss this situation with you, we fear you are no longer convinced in the need to assemble with the church.” The letter the goes on to address another problem about her un-Biblical living situation and her failure to avoid all appearance of evil. They say to her in closing their first duty is to her soul, then their second duty is to protect the congregation by making sure none of them associate with her disorderly walk. They wrap up by giving her a deadline to come and publicly repent before the church or they’ll kick her out. It’s signed by the elders…in Christ’s love.

            To say that walking in faith is a discipline does NOT mean that it should also be a punishment. The goal of the church is to draw others unto Christ and into fellowship of faith, love, and hope everlasting. There are a few things we can learn about this work from the Gospel for today. In this Gospel story, we see Jesus coming through Samaria on his way to Galilee. The scriptures say Jesus had to go through Samaria. As we read this encounter, keep in mind that the journey through Samaria was not just because of geography, but also for theology.

            Jews and Samaritans hated one another. Samaritans were constantly treated as second class citizens and in many ways as sub-human. At the heart of this hatred wass a fight over the location of a holy site of worship. Jews said it was only Jerusalem, and Samaritans said it was Mount Gerizim. Now, there was a lot of ethnic hatred and bigotry as well, but folks of that time would say that the battle was the location of worship. Thus, the two people were never to have contact with one another. They didn’t worship together, didn’t associate, and it was sinful for Jews to even associate with a Samaritan, for it would make them unclean according to the law.

            Jesus broke that rule all to pieces. First, he was a Jewish male teacher associating with a woman, which was forbidden. Second, he was a Jewish person associating with a Samaritan, which was also forbidden. He even drank after her at the well. Jews and Samaritans could not share the same water source. It was illegal, not tolerated by the religion, and socially unacceptable. Why would Jesus do this? It broke every custom, rule, and regulation of the day. Why?

            Jesus knew that she needed his teaching and his gifts more than society needed its rules. Jesus knew the Samaritan people needed the love and welcome that faith in him could give. And he knew that no matter what society, religion, and the law said, their souls were worthy and deserving of grace too. Now, she didn’t get away completely free. There were some things in her life that were a bit problematic. Jesus hints that she may have had some adultery in her past or in her present. There’s not much detail given about why Jesus brings all this up, but likely it’s an area she struggled with in life. She’s not condemned, called a floosy, or turned over for stoning by Jesus. He simply speaks the truth of where she falls short, then he introduces her again to God’s love and redeeming grace. In the end she believes. And because of her belief and testimony in this man who spoke so prophetically to her, others come to Jesus, and eventually many people of Samaria believe simply because they met Jesus through her.

            The church of today has gotten trapped in playing the game of identity politics of society and wild fervor of our country to legislate morality. As a friend of mine said, legislating morality is no more helpful than a 65-mph speed limit on the interstate. Our morals and ethics are not found in a legislature; they’re found in hearts that follow the love of a Savior. Everywhere we look there is panic over whether a person is gay, trans, speaks another language, different races, is too conservative, too liberal, pro-police, anti-police, capitalist, socialist, on and on, x-y-z, to the nth degree. There is some kind of fear attached to every characteristic we can find in a person these days. Why? Where has it gotten us? Why do a person’s characteristics matter on whether we should tell them of God’s love or not?

            When Jesus met the woman at the well, he did comment upon her life in a challenging way. He noted behavior that seemed somewhat problematic. Maybe she had 5 husbands die, but likely there were issues of divorce, adultery, and a departure from God, a withdrawing from that holy presence. She had awareness of God, of grace, and of a Messiah, but she seems detached from faith. Jesus calls her back to faith, calls her out of ways that seem to have caused problems in her life. But you know what he never called out, shamed her for, or even questioned—that she was a Samaritan. Never once did Jesus make her feel less than worthy because of who she was—a Samaritan living in a society which hated them.

            The church cannot be a place where we act or react based on the characteristics of others.  To us, every single person, regardless of who they are, is a soul created by God in need of God’s redeeming love and the church’s support. I fear the church has lost its urgency to share God’s love because the church is so caught upon the details and characteristics of a person’s life. We’ve been given a mission here on earth, and that is not to be the arbiters of who is and is not worthy of society’s concern, but to simply introduce others to the God who loves them.

            The church ought to be a haven for those who feel abused by society. Jesus went to the Samaritans, to those who would be stoned, to those that the Jewish religious leaders scorned him for healing and loving. He took their lives, their situations, and he made something beautiful because all are created by God, and all are deserving of God’s love. There’s an old chorus titled, “People Need the Lord.” It says, “People need the Lord, at the end of broken dreams, [God’s] the open door. People need the Lord; when will we realize people need the Lord?”

            It’s like the question in the Exodus scripture where the people asked, “Is the Lord here with us or not?” The answer is yes. God is with us and people see Jesus in our lives each and every day, so long as we let the love of Jesus shine from our lives. But that song is true now more than ever—people need the Lord, not our judgment, questions, conditions, and uncertainty, but they need to see God in us, shining out from us, and sharing that wonderful love.

            Jesus broke the rules and shared water and conversation with a Samaritan woman. He stayed for two days with the Samaritan people, sharing meals, living in homes, teaching, and showing love, even though his own people would call this an abomination. The church cannot forget the urgency of its calling here in this world. May those who are Samaritans in our world see the Jesus in us come and sit down beside them.

Service Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1330932250809608

Lent 2

The Gift of the Goose, Rev. Kyle Ermoian,

Director of New Church and Church Development for the Georgia Region

Service Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1385558892192240

Lent 1

Connect: Together to Overcome—Gen.2: 15-17, 3:1-7; Matt. 4: 1-11

            The other day, while working in Atlanta, I met some friends for dinner after work at Atlantic Station. Now, if you’re not familiar, Atlantic Station is a large outdoor mall, cinema, plaza, and row of restaurants right in the heart of midtown off of 17th Street. It may sound daunting, given the location, but there is a very nice system of color-coded and numbered parking in the parking deck. I assumed nothing could go wrong with this, right? Oh, how wrong I was. I parked and remembered my area carefully—P2—near the green/purple area. I had dinner and came back down to the parking deck.

            It was then that I learned that there 3 different green and purple sections, and that P2 was the floor—Parking Level 2—and not the area of the parking deck I was in. For 25 minutes I searched for my car clicking the panic button and hearing no car alarm sounds. I was beginning to get nervous as it was nighttime, downtown in a parking deck, and smelled suspiciously like a strong semi-illegal “herbal” cigarette, if you know what I mean. So, I did what I had to do. I called security and spent the next 25 minutes riding around on their golf cart up and down the parking deck looking for my car. We found it. 20 feet away from where I was looking.

            Sometimes, we cannot face situation, trials, and struggles alone. It leads us to unhealthy, unsafe, and bad places in life when we turn away from our support and strength. Over this Lenten season, we will walk through our tagline, found on the letterhead and website—Connect, Belong, Believe. I had a couple of people didn’t even know it existed. Well, by the end of Lent, you’ll be very familiar, I promise! In our lessons for today we read about two instances where temptation was faced, trials were endured, and two different endings came from the struggle.

            For Adam and Eve, the manipulation and temptation of the serpent did not lead to a strong or happy ending. It appears to have taken very little convincing for Adam and Eve to both ignore God’s commandments and eat of the tree they were supposed to stay away from. Eve looked to Adam, her help, her partner, her support system, but neither of them looked to God. They both listened to false and enticing manipulation and gave in to what was wrong. The consequences were dire and permanent. When we listen to the snakes in our lives, we will suffer. Adam and Eve looked at everything around them, but they forgot to look to God.

            In the Gospel lesson, Jesus is out in the wilderness facing hunger, temptation, struggles, and trials. The devil comes to him, just like he came to Adam and Eve with sweet and convincing words, seasoned tricks and manipulations, and suggestions that might have fixed the suffering in the short-term, but still led deeper into sin and evil in the long run. Yet Jesus looked to God’s wisdom.  When tempted by food, Jesus quotes the Word of God. When Satan tempted Jesus to make a foolish and pointless statement of power, Jesus hurled back God’s commandments.

            When Satan finally tempts Jesus with power, prestige, and royalty, Jesus bluntly refutes him. All of these trials tempt Jesus in his vulnerability: his hunger, his work to proclaim his authority and position; and his struggle and living in a limited, human way. The trials of life will always hit us where we are most vulnerable and most susceptible to the spiritual assault. Jesus had no one to help him—no circle of friends in the wilderness or partner in the garden like Adam and Eve. Yet he had God, and as the Son of God, that was enough.

            When we encounter our struggles, trials, temptations, and painful edges of life, we need to connect—both to God’s power and our community of support. We’re not Jesus in the desert. We need a little extra help to overcome. We have to connect together with God and as a church of support in one another’s tough times.

            I told you the story of my foolish car hunt as an example of this. There was no way I was going to find my car on my own. I needed the wisdom of my friends in knowing what to do, and I needed the support of the moderately irritated security guard who came out to help me locate the car. My education, intellect, wisdom, whatever talent and ability I have were no longer able to help me as tiredness and panic began to set in. I needed help, or I was going to be wandering that parking lot for heaven knows how long.

            There is no shame in saying we need help when we face the struggles that come to us in life. There is no shame in needing a medical doctor, a support community, a loving and listening ear, or a combination of prayer, medication, and therapy. God wants us to be made whole, to find redemption, and to be able to follow Jesus with our complete mind, soul, and spirit. That is why we are told to both trust in God and to live in a community of faith together.

            We often talk about the work of the church and being a community of faith that works for God’s will in the world, and community outreach is a good and wonderful thing. Being a church community together, however, is about far more than just the outreach we do. We need folks who will make food for us when a loved one has died and check on us. We need folks who will pray with and for us. We need a place where we can come in and know that there’s a group of people there who love us and will be there to support us in every way.

            Being connected means having a place and a people who will care for us in our time of need. I’m reminded of a story a friend shared with me. The author, Naomi Shihab Nye wrote of the time she was walking through the airport and heard an announcement asking if anyone could speak Arabic. The call was coming from her own gate at the airport. She found there an older Palestinian woman sitting on the floor sobbing uncontrollably.

            In broken half English half Arabic, she discovered that when they said the flight was delayed, the woman had believed it to be cancelled. The woman was flying to another state for life-saving medica treatment and was terrified she wouldn’t arrive for it. Her son was waiting at her destination. After being reassured, Naomi helped the woman call her family, then they called Naomi’s own dad to speak more fluently in Arabic to the woman.

            It took little time for the woman to be smiling, laughing, and offering homemade cookies to those who were there. Everybody took some of the small cookies covered in powdered sugar and shared them around. They all shared stories as well. Naomi writes it was like sharing a sacrament together. She went on to say, “This is the world I want to live in.”

            When we are faced with life’s struggles we need both God’s power in our lives and the folks who are there to support us. We have to connect together to overcome life’s trials. There’s a contemporary Christian song that speaks directly to this. It says, “I need you; you need me. We’re all part of God’s body. Stand with me, agree with me, we’re all a part of God’s body. It is God’s will that every need be supplied. You are important to me; I need you to survive.” Faith and life are too hard to be lived alone. So may we connect together both in God’s power and in support of one another to overcome all the trials of life.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/167136442341616

Transfiguration Sunday

Glimpses of God—Exodus 24: 12-18; Matt. 17: 1-9

            In Wilmore, Kentucky, there’s a small, traditionally Methodist college called Asbury. There are both an undergraduate school and seminary. The undergraduate school requires students to go to a number of chapel services per year, as it is still a religious school. Typically, this is a routine and boring affair for most college students. I remember dozing off in a number of Convocations at my Presbyterian college. But something happened at Asbury on February 8th.

The students just quietly stayed after the final song and began to pray and sing and offer hugs, love, care, confession, and short sermons in that space. It kept going for hours, and has now been going non-stop, 24 hours a day ever since. They’ve called it a revival, but it’s a quiet time of praise with soft music, quiet prayers, no shouting, no over the top theatrics…just simple prayer and praise. It’s drawn a crowd from all over the United States and soon to be the world. There are people lining up outside, hundreds deep just get inside the chapel and experience this movement. This isn’t Baby Boomers, Gen X, or even Millenials. It’s surprisingly the 18-25 crowd, Gen Z, who are seeking this deeper connection to God.

In a world that seems chaotic, over-informed, and often trying on our souls, patience, and nerves, we need to see those glimpses of God in our lives. We need to feel God’s presence with us, moving through our living and our being. From time to time, we need to be reminded not just of the call of God in our lives, but of the beauty and majesty of God in our world.

We read today about the Transfiguration. Now, I can work with the prodigal son, the woman at the well, the dry bones of Ezekiel. But exactly what does a preacher say about this stuff? Jesus went up on a mountain, got lit up in a cloud of glory, and a voice from Heaven told three disciples the same thing they would have heard at Jesus’s baptism, had they been there. There’s not exactly a deep-rooted, magical, theological grand point to really be pulled out of that. There is one thing; however, that is pretty important.

The disciples needed a very clear and distinct sign of who Jesus really was, and they needed it to come from somewhere other than Jesus. They needed a glimpse of God when they were in a confusing place. In the Hebrew Lesson, we see that Moses goes up onto the mountain and into the cloud for 40 days with God’s holiness. During that time, the people see glimpses of God’s majesty and glory in what appears to be consuming fire. At some point, in other parts of Exodus, we even hear of Moses being transfigured and his face and hair shining brightly from his glimpse of God.

In Jesus’s day the people most often believed prophets based on signs and miracles. That is part of why Jesus’s ministry and healing is so important. To claim a prophetic place in society, there had to be some glimpse of God’s power. But these three disciples got way more than they expected. Jesus appears transfigured in light with Moses and Elijah. But why? Moses and Elijah were revered heroes of the people. Add Jesus to the mix, and you get some similarities: all were prophets; all were initially rejected by people; all were vindicated by God; all were advocates of God’s covenant; all worked miracles.

But here, Jesus is contrasted to the great prophets. The voice from Heaven doesn’t call Jesus a beloved prophet, but “my son.” Jesus is more than just a prophetic leader. He’s the holy one—the deliverer and Savior. At the end, it is Jesus who touches them, Jesus who gets them up, and Jesus who calms their fears at what they have just experienced. In the end it is simply Jesus with them. And now they know. A glimpse of God has allowed them to know they are seeing God’s love, God’s own son right before them.

Where do we find these glimpses of God in our everyday life? I doubt many of us will experience something quite as miraculous as what Peter, James, and John saw, but we too need to find glimpses of God in our lives. Those who have grandchildren and see that big smile of love in a sweet baby or child’s face will know exactly how it feels to see a glimpse of God’s love. If we have a quiet place of rest and rejuvenation like the beach or the mountains, we will know what it feels like to be alone in God’s presence. If our soul is stirred by music, when we hear those melodies and chords played with the fervor of faith and convincing depth of soul, we will know how it feels to see a glimpse of God.

One of greatest reasons why I continue to work protecting our elderly and disabled or dependent adults in Georgia is because in every victim regardless of age, impairment, or personal struggle, I see the face of God. The face of Jesus on the cross was the face of vulnerability, helplessness, and suffering. But in that presence of God, there is healing, love, and grace for all regardless of their struggles. And that love and grace that helps the broken to lift up their heads, the struggling to carry on, and the weary to be renewed is where we see God show up the most. It’s likely the reason so many students gathered to simply hug, pray, and sing quietly together—to find the healing help of the God they love.

Our world today faces a startling contradiction. Studies say church attendance is at an all-time, record-setting low. Yet a more recent study from the Washington Post showed that a vast and overwhelming majority of those responding found that church is where they are the happiest and find the most meaningfulness in life. The answer is people still need to get glimpses of God. Perhaps that is why this movement as Asbury has captured the attention of so many. In a truly deserted place as we often find ourselves in this world, we need to see God’s majesty and presence, and we need it to speak to us over and over again.

The transfiguration is not exactly the most dynamic and exciting set of verses to pull out of the Bible. But it gives us this important reminder that we need to have glimpses of God in life, so that we remember God’s love and power in our lives. A friend of mine posted this quote on her Facebook. I think it gives us the reminder we need, “Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith in God.” So, today, I pray today that we see more of God in the world, and that the world sees more of God in us.

 Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/3089217448037651

Sixth Sunday After Epiphany

When Jesus Gets Uncomfortable—Psalm 119: 1-8; Matt. 5: 21-37

            For twelve, long, wonderful years I have managed to avoid these really awkward and uncomfortable passages of what Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount. We’ve covered the Epistle lesson instead. We’ve talked about the Old Testament as an alternative. I’ve successfully stuck to anything else besides these really, really squirm-in-the-pew worthy passages. But today, we get this scripture from the Lectionary. I call it the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, and in all frank honesty, Jesus gets all up in your business.

            So today, I get to go from theologian to reality TV as we talk about murder, anger, lust, adultery, fornication, vows, and divorce. As they say on an airplane, “Buckle up, folks, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” From the outset we know that Jesus often took existing things and changed them. He would often challenge the religious leaders on their weird and oddly specific rules like reinventing the concepts of working on the Sabbath, who their neighbor is, and how to practice forgiveness. When Jesus encountered human-made regulations in the name of religion, he challenged and changed them.

            Jesus is doing much the same in this passage. He’s taking the legalism of the religious world of his day and is turning it into something relational. The rules he cites from old are clear and simple: Thou shalt not murder; Love thy neighbor (and do no bear false witness); Do not commit adultery; Divorce is merely a man providing notice of termination on a marriage contract (because marriage was a business arrangement in those days); and Don’t break vows. These were all commonplace rules in the society in which Jesus lived.

            But Jesus took them, radicalized them, drew out the relational nature, and made something holy from these simple religious laws. Jesus reworked the prohibition on murder and expanded it. Don’t hate their very existence with your anger. Don’t curse them because you have a quarrel. In the same way don’t harbor bitterness toward another person by dragging them into court when you can settle differences in a mature way. Jesus is a big advocate of people setting aside their broken humanity to come together in a Christ-like way and live in peace together.

            Jesus worked to hold the religious leaders and sinners alike accountable. But in every encounter with Jesus, there was grace for those who were willing to be a part of it. As we often see, the Pharisees scoffed at Jesus’s expansive view of grace. For them, religion was about total submission to the rules. For Jesus, obedience was about finding grace from God and with others. Don’t hate. Don’t harbor anger. Don’t gleefully wish away the existence of someone you struggle with because that soul is still one that God loves and hopes to redeem with forgiveness and grace.

            Jesus also takes up adultery. In his day, adultery was strictly defined as a physical act. But Jesus radicalized and made something more holy out of the rule. Faithfulness is not just being physically appropriate. Faithfulness is broader and inclusive of being devoted only to your spouse because that relationship is holy just as our relationship to God is holy. Now, I don’t think Jesus literally means that if you fall a bit short on this that you should literally pluck your eye out or take your hand off. In our modern day, we’ve taken this literally, whereas Jesus was practicing a bit of sarcasm at the expense of the religious leaders.

            The lesson is that we should be faithful in our love and commitments to those whom we are closest to. The sarcasm from Jesus is making fun of the silliness of the rules of the religious leaders. Jesus is calling for love, fidelity, and honor in relationships, marriages, and our lives with other people around us. The whole of the Sermon on the Mount is a long explanation of Jesus’s guide to living in love and following him on this earth. He is exasperated that the religious leaders have turned to a system of rules and regulations (most of which are crazy) instead of having any reliance at all on God’s Spirit to lead them.

            It reminds me of a story a pastor told years ago. It’s impossible to regulate yourself into holiness. When you create all sorts of rules, regulations, and religious do’s and don’ts it’s much like an old law on the books in Tennessee. In that state, Tennessee, it is illegal to shoot a whale from a moving vehicle. Religion’s rules are much the same way: women can wear pants all week but not on Sunday; don’t dance because it’s sinful despite how much they danced in the Bible; you can buy booze all week but not from 8 AM to 12:30 PM on Sunday…afternoon is fine; a man should refrain from facial hair and trim his sideburns to a certain length. What does any of that have to do with whether you believe in Jesus and follow him or not?

            Jesus calls on us to follow him, to believe in him, and to let his Spirit of love and truth guide our lives in all of our decisions. Does anyone think that the Jesus who wandered 40 days in the desert had well-trimmed sideburns? He drives the point home most of all in the final discourse on vows. Just say yes or no instead of swearing to it, for as Christians your word should be true and honorable. Anything more or less is not of God.

            I think the Psalm gives us a very clear understanding of what Jesus is trying to say, “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey [God’s] laws and search for [God] with all their hearts.” There is joy in following God and living our lives as faithful people here on earth. There is freedom when we know that being Christ-like in all that we do is the calling God has given us.

            We are called to trust God, obey God, and every time we consider how we act and how we do, we should stop to consider this: who came up with the idea? Was it something another human decided to make into a rule? Or is it something that God has called us to do? Many folks have that decorative sign in their homes which says, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” It’s usually found right next to “Live, Laugh, Love” if it’s in the living room or “Eat, Pray, Love,” if it’s in the kitchen. Focus in on those words, “We will serve the Lord.”

            We’re not called to follow religious rules made by humans to manage, control, and act on behalf of the Holy Spirit. We are called to follow God, to trust God, to obey God’s calling, and to live our lives in a way that is honorable, truthful, holy, and Christ-like in this world. The final words of the Psalm ring true for us all, “I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!”

Sometimes following Jesus is not as easy as it seems. Sometimes, Jesus gives us teachings that make us uncomfortable, challenge us, and force us to reconcile what we always knew with how Jesus wants us to grow and live. And that’s okay. The measure of our success is our willingness to follow Jesus each and every day. Some days that’s easy, and some days we say like the Psalm, “I’m trying, Lord, please don’t give up on me.” Don’t let Jesus’s tough words discourage you. Instead remember that every day we wake up and say yes to God, God will be with us all the way.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/952330386129572

Fifth Sunday of Epiphany

Being Salty—Isaiah 58: 1-12; Matthew 5: 13-16

            In my high school Spanish class, we had to do a food project, and all make different Spanish, Hispanic, or Latin American inspired foods for class. A good friend of mine decided to make flan. Now flan is a very sweet baked custard with an amazing dark caramel sauce poured all over it. It’s sweet. It’s delicious. It’s one of my favorite deserts, and the whole class was looking forward to it, and now I bet you all are hungry. My friend brought to class this large-sized flan beautifully baked and covered in delicious caramel.

            But as we all eagerly started digging into the flan with our spoons, it only took one bite to realize something was very, very, horribly wrong. It turns out that she had goofed. My friend was a bit disposed to having “oopsies.” And here, instead of one- and one-half cups of sugar, she had put one- and one-half cups of salt. It was wretched. I hope she at least got an A for effort.

            Jesus tells the multitudes, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?” Why do we add salt to food? Long ago I learned that it could draw out the flavor. Salt isn’t like other spices. Curry, paprika, chili powder, these all give a very distinct flavor to food—they carry their own taste and flavor profile. But salt isn’t designed to be a stand-alone flavor. It’s used to draw out the best flavors of the food you are eating. It was also used to preserve foods in ancient days, so that foods didn’t spoil so quickly.

            This comparison is very purposefully made by Jesus. We are the salt of the earth. We are meant to draw out the best from others in this world. When someone comes to a church or gathers with others who live their lives for Jesus, it is meant to be a healing, encouraging, and life-giving experience. Salt draws out the best of the food it is added to. We are added into this world, and the Bible says stay in the world but don’t be all about the world, and as we live in this world, we are meant to draw out the best faith, the best holiness, the best love and care in this world.

            Christians should set the example of how you practice faith. And then we should encourage others practice this wisdom too—gentleness, love, mercy, living in hope, living in joy. A friend of mine talked about visiting a church several years ago. He said he walked into this place filled with people looking tired, irritated, and miserable. I said, “What did you do?” He replied, “I wasn’t sure whether I got there for worship or a funeral, so I just left quietly. No one even noticed.” Being salty requires us to mean it when we say that God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.

            Jesus didn’t just stop at asking them to be salty people, though. He also added, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden…a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” Just like we are meant to draw out the best of faith in others, we are meant to also shine the light of Christ’s love in this world.

            Jesus gives them a good working analogy. The most pointless thing to do in life is to light a lamp in a dark room then cover it over plunging yourself back into the same problematic darkness. That light of a lamp, that light of Christ is meant to be seen and shared, so that it can warm the coldness and emptiness often found in the world around us. I’ve heard over and over that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is one of the best kept secrets.

            While that is a nice little statement, it’s a very bad way for us to live. I won’t say sinful because I was abrupt enough last week, that I have to behave this week. But Jesus tells us so plainly not to hide that light, never to keep the secret of faith, hope, and God’s redeeming love. One of the best places to find this light of Christ is at our camp, Camp Christian. Now, I was not in Georgia, so instead I went to Baptist Camp, which left me with a lasting legacy of needing therapy.

            Camp Christian, though, has turned out dozens of pastors, hundreds of church leaders, and tens of thousands of children who found their faith in that rural, rustic place where God spoke to them. God still speaks in this world. God’s Word is spoken through us when we pray over a person, when we speak life-giving and reassuring words to them, when we comfort and remind them of our love, and when we mercifully forgive after they do us and themselves wrong.

That kind of thing brings out the best in those around us. That kind of living in this world brings a bright and shining light that stops a growing crime rate, helps impoverished families, and transforms a world Christians are only far too ready to be over and done with. The problem is this; Jesus said we, the Christians, are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and you and I are meant to live and work in this world.

Isaiah tells the story of a people and faith community that had lost its way. They went to the Temple. They prayed. They acted as if they wanted God in their midst. They even fasted. But their worship had lost its savor. Their light was hidden. The lives they lived did not reflect the faith they claimed, and God saw right through the fakeness. Numbers 32:23, the second part, says, “Be sure, your sins will find you out.” God knew their hearts, how little they cared, and how the person they showed in the Temple was not the true life they lived, and their sins had found them out as Isaiah shows.

Instead, we must be salt and light. Now, we don’t have to go and add a whole cup and a half of salt to our lives. Jesus told us to be the salt of the earth, but that doesn’t mean you should be salty. Jesus told us to be the light of the world, but that doesn’t mean go out and be those obnoxiously bright and blinding headlights. Live in a way that it inspires others to find something amazing, loving, and holy in your life and your walk on earth with God.

Let me wrap up with a final example. Yesterday at the regional meeting here at the church, a lady named Paula did the food. She was a long-time member of Healing Experience Ministries, which met here at the church, before it closed. Now, Paula is my buddy, I love her so much, and if I ate her food daily, I’d be pushing 1,000 pounds. I told her that I might have to have some surgery on my heart soon. She stopped right there in the hallway, one arm full of food, popped her other hand right over my chest and prayed up a storm over me, then walked right off before I could even gather myself to say, “Amen.”

She had the love and faith to stop and pray over me right then and there. And she also had the confidence that she didn’t have to ask God twice, for she believed that God heard her faith and her heart. If I were honest with you, sometimes even I as a pastor can’t muster up faith like that. It takes an unbelievable amount of wisdom and trust. Jesus said to his Disciples, then and now, “You are the salt of the earth…you are the light of the world.” None of that is done here, in these four walls. Go out from here into this world and let God’s love in you be the grace and hope this world needs.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/477855357896167

Fourth Sunday of Epiphany

Soul Food: Micah 6: 1-8; Matthew 5: 1-12

            Not long after I first arrived in Macon, a friend and classmate who was local took me to this “Southern” restaurant for lunch called The Bears Den. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? As I was walking through the food line, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, pie and rolls were all heaped up on my plate for lunch. I looked at my friend and said, “What is all this?” The lady behind the counter said loudly with a big smile, “Baby, that’s SOUL FOOD!” All I could think was that it’s not my soul that’s about to bust through my clothes with all this food.

            That idea of soul food stuck with me. It’s warm, comforting, fills you full, and makes you feel good. The Beatitudes we read in today’s Gospel lesson do the same. They speak of Christ’s connection and love to those who are vulnerable and hurting. These simple lines tell us not just of God the Almighty but also of God who is peace, gentleness, comforter and friend. It’s Soul Food for the Christian who works to follow in the way of Christ.

            In some way we can all identify with the kinds of suffering shown in these statements. We have felt what it means to be poor in spirit, to mourn, to feel the pain and pressure of trying to live righteously and the evils of how other people may treat us. We all understand the hard work it takes to be meek, to hunger and thirst for righteousness or what is right and just, the struggle of living in mercy, finding peace, and trying to be pure of heart. If we try to live for Christ or live with any ethic at all in this world, these struggles will be familiar to us.

            And to all of these struggles Jesus promises help, redemption, and the strength to overcome. Comfort, mercy, peace, the presence of God and God’s kingdom, being filled and blessed are all contained in the promises made to us when we need that heavenly soul food to nourish and strengthen us. One commentary said that some translations use the word “happy” instead of “blessed.” But there’s more to it than simply happiness at these things. These are promises of redemption that truly bless and sustain us on our journey. And they are holy wisdom for how we live and teach God’s kingdom to this world.

            And we live in a world that need a little more soul food. One of the downsides of the connectedness of the world today is we see every horrible tidbit of news that comes out. We live in a world that often wrestles with all of the struggles and vulnerabilities seen in the Beatitudes. We live in a world that needs to hear the words, “Rejoice and be glad,” sung and encouraged over and over again.

            It is true our world doesn’t have enough soul food. We saw Friday the video of beating and murder of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police in Memphis. It was horrific even to veteran law enforcement and prosecutors who have “seen it all” as they say. I can’t imagine the suffering his family has endured. Jesus says blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Many struggle with feeling poor in spirit, or as Luke said, “Blessed are the poor.” We live in a country so blessed that no one should go hungry. No one should worry endlessly about whether they can afford their heart medicine, insulin, mental health meds, or put off a doctor or psychological visit because it’s too expensive.

            No one in our country should feel abused, hated, despised, and rejected. As we age, we should not worry about the expense and quality of care that we will receive when we become older and in need of assistance or worry about being taken advantage of. We should never have to ask will my children go broke paying for my care? We should never see churches hurting and abusing children or women. We should not see people living in misery, poverty, suffering, and squalor worried endlessly about the next blow life will deal to them. We should not have parents worried that their 5thgrader will die when the school gets shot up by some madman.

            It’s easy to say these are all political issues. But as Christians, we should call these things what they truly are—sin. Christ left to us a church in Acts 2 which was designed to care, comfort, support, and love one another. In many ways, it’s the exact opposite of the struggles we see today. It was a belief that in this faith we share, every person would be seen as a child of God and nothing more. And the simple truth is without saving someone from the fear of suffering, starving, or hurting, we will never be able to save their soul.

            But in every dark corner and shortcoming is an opportunity for Christ to grow and God’s kingdom to flourish. As the news presents us with the worst of society, we hear these words Jesus says pushing back against all the awfulness. Blessed are the pour in spirit. Blessed are they who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right. Blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart, those who are persecuted, and those who suffer at the hands of others. In a way, it’s Jesus speaking to us in tough times saying, “I know it’s hard and you’re hurting. Come sit down at the table with me and have some fried chicken, green beans, and pecan pie. It will all be okay, I promise.”

These Beatitudes echo the famous words of Micah asking what is required of the people. They are to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. Jesus words in the Beatitudes live and work in and through us. We work together in this world to make real a faith that heals and soothes the broken places of life. In doing this together we create a community of care that mirrors the way God intended the church to love and support one another and the community around it.

During my college years in central Kentucky, I had to pass by a large Amish community. So, it was often that traveling home, I would get caught behind a horse and buggy headed to or from church. One time I saw a whole bunch of the community working on a barn. I decided to learn a bit more. Apparently, barns are very important to the traditional lifestyle of the practicing Amish. When a family needs one built, it becomes an entire community project as well as a social event called a “frolic.” Every single member of the community comes together to help build this barn, socialize, hang out with friends and family, share and trade building materials, and help this family build and complete the barn they need to provide for themselves and their family.  

I imagine there’s also quite a bit of food to go around and nourish the folks who are working hard on the barn. They get the soul food to feed their stomachs and the soul food to feed their souls and their community. The Beatitudes not only tell us of God’s love and support to those who are vulnerable but call upon us to be a blessing because we have lived in these same struggles as those around us. Together, in community, we can provide love and care for one another in the way Christ envisioned with the church.

There’s an old hymn which entitled, “Make Me a Blessing.” It tells us a reminder of our work on earth, “Out in the highways and byways of life, many are weary and sad; carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, making the sorrowing glad. Make me a blessing to someone today.” In our times of struggle and sorrow, Jesus speaks those words to us, “Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are they who mourn, blessed are the persecuted.” It is both a reminder and a call to be the blessing Jesus describes in this sermon.

To those who are hurting, mourning, and suffering, there is a hope—it is the church which offers Christ’s love, grace, and help in times of need. It is our job to remind folks that in these times, God draws near—the kingdom of heaven is theirs, and they shall see God. The same is true for us. In every moment of every day God never stops loving us and offering us care and grace.

God’s love, as seen in these Beatitudes, is given in one of the most nourishing statements of faith to a weary soul. It is a reminder that Jesus is close to the vulnerable, the brokenhearted, and those who offer the same justice, mercy, and humility with which Christ lived. When we struggle or when we see others who are feeling crushed by life’s heavy load, here is the reminder that Jesus invites us to the table and offers us the best soul food we’ve ever had.

 Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/628121885908363

Third Sunday of Epiphany

Repent and Follow, Jesus Said: Psalm 27 1, 4-9; Matt. 4: 12-23

            I read a comic the other day which talked about the importance of apologies. It added, “Unfortunately, I apologize thusly, ‘I’m sorry that your terrible behavior made me act out of character. You should work on that.’” There are various versions of this joke. Some say, “I’m sorry the truth hurt your sensitive feelings.” I’ve also heard “I’m so sorry you misunderstood what I said.” They are all variations on the same truth. Apologies are hard, and we don’t particularly like to do them. We’d rather pretend the offense didn’t happen, the person was too sensitive, or minimize the actions we’ve done.

            We talk a lot as a society about confidence, self-esteem, and personal growth. But we must remember the importance of having a personal confidence which allows for real humility and accountability. Here is where we insert the idea of repentance. We read in Matthew 4:17, “From then on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” He follows this up in verse 19 with the call, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Together, we hear Jesus’s message calling on us to repent and turn to God, then follow him.

            The word “repent” appears in some form or another roughly 60 times in the Bible. But it’s an idea carried across many faiths and religions. Judaism used the word in terms of the process of atoning for sin. Islam defines it as the act of leaving what God has prohibited and turning to what God has commanded. Buddhism talks about the shame over wrongdoing and fear of consequences. Ancient Hawaiian religion also mentions it as a process of reconciliation and prayer. But specifically in Christian faith, repentance is a part of Christ’s saving work within us.

            The idea of repentance is not exclusive to the Christian faith, but it is an absolutely essential part of our ability to find God and follow Jesus. I fear the word has become a very loaded term. It’s been hijacked from an instruction and used as a weapon of anguish. I remember growing up and having the little tracts in church to hand out. There was one right in the middle—all black—with bold white lettering that said in all caps, “REPENT OR DIE!” and the words were surrounded by flames.

            I searched all 60 verses that talk about repent, repentance, or repented. Not a single one uses repentance as scare tactic. Every single one uses the word repentance in connection with mercy, healing, forgiveness, and grace over consequences that stem from wrongdoing. The only times such worrisome things are mentioned is in a matter-of-fact way that when we don’t practice repentance, grace, and forgiveness, life is painful and suffering, and we are separated from God.

            Instead of repentance being a tactic of fear and terror to force submission to God, let’s look at it in a new light. You should practice repentance, forgiveness, and following Christ because it is healing, and saving for your life and your soul. The disciples did not follow Christ because he conquered them or forced them into submission. They saw something powerful, Spirit-filled, and grace-centered. They saw a man, Jesus the Christ, who lived, preached, and taught what it means to live the Kingdom of God here on Earth.

            Repentance for us is realizing, acknowledging and confessing that without faith we do what’s wrong. We often harm others with or words and actions. We are easily tempted by our selfish ambition. Repentance and turning to God allows us to leave these pathways of easy temptation behind and live as Christ’s love in the world. Following Christ brings with it the Holy Spirit which helps keep us living in the most Christ-like and life-giving way possible here on Earth.

            A friend recently told me a story from his church. There was a guy who had attended for years. As his marriage was breaking up, the church criticized and spoke harshly about him during the process. She had always gone to another church. Unfortunately, he found out about the cruel and gossipy ways of the people he thought were friends. They commented on the fact the couple had gone to different churches, speculated that there was infidelity, and spread rumors about him as a husband. It was ugly, hurtful, and led him to leave them. He said to all who would listen, “I don’t need them and their hateful ways.”

            Several months later, he was involved in a motorcycle accident and was hospitalized for weeks. During that time, the church, which had realized the error of their ways, came and helped feed him, sat with him, made dinners for him when he got home, picked up his medicines, took him to therapy, and filled the void of help and loneliness in his life. In the end, their love drew him back. Both church and the man had to learn to repent or confess and give up bad behavior, grudges, and their anger at one another. Both had to learn forgiveness and reconciliation that comes with real love and safe boundaries.

            Repentance allows us as individuals and a collective church to acknowledge that we still often fail and fall short of perfection. We are always a work in progress. It also allows us to grow and find new and better ways of being Christ’s people here on earth. No one grows without experiencing mistakes and learning new and better ways of doing things. Living in faith means we work daily to give up those things that get in the way of our relationship and connection to God. That kind of work never finishes until we are one with God in eternity.

But we must also, if you will consider a reversal of a saying, preach what we practice. In a world filled with anger, grudges, selfish theology, social strife, criminal behavior, and all manner of bad things, we must continue to preach Jesus’s message to repent and turn to God, not as a way to humiliate people, guilt-trip them over their sins, or weaponize faith for a political or personal reason. We must preach it because grace and mercy cannot exist where repentance is not practiced. In all things we must turn from ourselves and our own messy ways, and let the Lord, or light and salvation lead and guide us in life. Then we can live in the house of the Lord and dwell on God’s perfections, as the Psalmist says.

The words, “I’m sorry,” unhampered by qualifications, excuses, explanations, or shifted blame are two of the most powerful words we have. But they mean absolutely nothing unless there is a true change in behavior. Jesus said, repent of your sins, turn to God, and follow him. May Jesus’s words find in us ears willing to hear and hearts willing to listen. Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/920994402246687