This is not open for debate, but Kobe Bryant was and remains the greatest basketball player of all time; astonishing players and fans alike. More than just pure talent, Kobe was disciplined and focused on mastering his craft. He worked through pain and overcame his challenges, because that’s what you do when you do what you love.
In the same way, Jesus dominated his field with authority. He too amazed and astonished people. And like Kobe, Jesus approached his opponents seriously and respectfully. But more importantly, he did what he did because of love. We see this today, in our reading from Mark 1:21-28. ...They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, .... Mark 1:21-28
Here's the thing. Jesus commands attention everywhere he goes. Not with the way he handled a basketball, but by the way Jesus taught with great authority. The way he interpreted scripture apparently was nothing these people had ever heard before.
Like Kobe on the hardwood, when Jesus spoke all eyes were on him. Including this man with an unclean spirit. Mark doesn’t tell us exactly what Jesus said, but whatever it was caused this evil spirit came forward, and reveal who Jesus truly is - “The Holy One of God.” In hindsight, and especially during epiphany, this isn’t surprising. But it was a shocking thing to call someone, especially in that particular place. So too was the way Jesus responded. He confronted this man’s demons with power and authority. He tells the evil spirit to “Be silent,” and then commands it to “come out of him!” And it obeyed. Whatever it was that possessed this man submitted immediately. And again, the people were floored by what they witnessed. These days one doesn’t have to go far to see someone do something amazing. Just YouTube “Kobe highlights” to see what I mean. But outside of a horror movie, I have never witnessed anyone do anything like Jesus did here. While we often perceive demon possession as nothing more than the colorful imagination of Hollywood, it should not surprise to learn that in every church, on any given Sunday, sits a person hiding a secret demon that one day will come out. When we lived in Michigan, I went into a local restaurant to pick up my lunch. A group of men I knew saw me and joked how they would have invited me to sit with them, but “unfortunately there wasn’t room at the table” even though there clearly was. Half jokingly, I invited them to church on Sunday, reminding them there is always room at God’s table. While this garnered some laughter from a few bystanders, it also caught the attention of a young man in his early 20’s, who was watching me with an inquisitive look on his face. Embracing the spirit of hospitality, I extended the invitation to him as well, which was received with a head nod, and half-hearted smile. While walking to my car I heard a voice call out to me. Thinking it was the young man, I stopped and turned around only to discover it was someone much bigger and a lot less friendlier. This guy was a great big ape of a man with scars and tattoos all over his body. He had no problem exercising his physical presence to intimidate me. Now, back then, I’d wear a clerical collar to let people know that I am a non-threatening kind of guy. But in this case it did just the opposite. It only seemed to fuel this man’s rage. Given the look in his eyes and the rage in his fists, one might say this guy was possessed with an evil spirit. One that clearly didn’t like me. From the depth of this guy’s soul came a dark, menacing voice that shouted, “Who do you think you are, holy man? Who the ‘f’ said you could invite my kid to church?” Trying to hold my composure I told him, “I was just doing what God called me to do - to love everyone just as God has always loved me.” This clearly was not the answer the angry man wanted because after a few more colorful words he blurted, “You’re a liar because I’m unlovable.” In that moment I realized this victimizer was a victim to his own demons. I don’t know what possessed him to confess this to me, or what possessed me to put myself in danger of a beating, but I quickly assured him that God actually did loved him, no matter what. I told him there was nothing he could do to stop God from pursuing him and loving him. Not even hurting me. Taking a cue from Jesus, I stood up to this man’s demon holding on to the power and authority of God’s love, and watched all the pain that had built up inside this man just melt away. I would come discover his demon was the church. Something horrible had happened that caused him to hate God and everyone associated with religion. That bitter demon had grown and festered in other places in his life. It had ruined every relationship he’d been in, and his reputation as well. Here’s the thing I’ve come to discover. We all have our demons. For some it’s addiction to alcohol or drugs. For other’s it’s anger, jealousy, or insecurity. Some might seem harmless, but we know what one person’s zealous pride is capable of doing. These are real powers that take real possession over our lives. They blind us and keep us from being who God desires us to be. These demons will continue to run and ruin your life, to attack and cripple you, until you let them go. As it’s often said in 12-step groups, “Change only happens when the pain of holding on is greater than the fear of letting go.” What makes this difficult, as I have found in my own struggles, is that our demons will do anything to hold on to the power we give them. But this story reminds us that Jesus holds all power and all authority over all things. Your deepest fears, your darkest secrets, don’t even come close to the power of God’s redemptive love given to us through Christ. Thus Jesus invites us to let them go. Let God to take care of them for us. Like a wise meme once said, “Give God your weakness and God will give you his strength.” What is that strength? The unconditional and steadfast Love of God. You see, That is the foundation of Jesus’ power and authority. When Jesus removed the unclean spirit, the people in the pews saw more than raw physical power; they witnessed the healing and restorative strength of God’s love. Jesus always stood on a foundation of love; showing compassion to all who came to him. It was the way he loved, especially the unlovable, that still amazes people today. With all power, and all authority, Jesus embraced the fullness of God’s love. And nothing, not even death, could stop it from winning out in the end. Thus, love is the foundation of Anamesa. And why every week we make love the centerpiece of every message and every conversation. Jesus enters every space loving God. Because of that love, he’s able to see and heal this man with a compassionate heart. In the same way, when we cry out to the Holy One of God, we too are met with love. Through Jesus, God hears our cries; meets our demons; and with all power and authority delivers us from our anguish. The sooner we give ourselves and our demons over to God’s love, the sooner our true selves can begin to thrive. Which is why I invite you to take an honest look at the things in your life that are controlling you. Take inventory of all the junk that’s stopping you from truly loving God, loving others and serving both. Name them. Write them down. And give them over to the merciful grace of God’s redeeming love. Then be prepare to be amazed at how it will transform you. Works Cited Adapted from All Power. All Authority. January 28, 2018. Special thanks to Ismael Ruizz-Millan. Christian Century. Dec. 28, 2017. (accessed 01 25, 2018).
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We all grew up hearing some outlandish story about the boogie man or Bigfoot. These stories have been around for so long that they’ve become part of our own stories in one way or another.
I’ll probably get in trouble for saying this, but I think the bible has a few tall tales woven into the larger story of God. Tales that sound too far-fetched to be real. The Tower of Babel; Noah and the great flood; Elisha convincing God to send a bear to bring vengeance upon a group of wonton boys who mocked him for being bald (2 Kings 2:23-24). Whether or not these things actually happened, they’ve become a part of the Bible because they reveal or point to a characteristic of God. Today’s reading comes in the middle of one such controversial tale. The story of Jonah. Scholars have wasted countless hours debating whether or not this story is serious history or salacious satire. While it seems like your run-of-the-mill fish story one tells at the bait shop, it does tell us something about God’s own nature and how it relates to us. So, instead of arguing how a person can live inside a fish for three days – without oxygen, fresh water, or food – we might do better asking what does this story want us to know about God? If you are not familiar with Jonah, here’s a quick summary of this ancient, little book. God calls a fearful young man to deliver a threatening message to everyone living in the Assyrian city of Nineveh (today: Mosul in Northern Iraq). This is the last thing this guy wants to do, and for good reason. There’s plenty of bad blood between the Israelites and the Assyrians. (Which we still see today) As the story goes, Jonah runs away from what God is asking of him. In fact, he boards a boat going in the exact opposite direction from where he’s called to go. While at sea, a giant storm gathers, and Jonah knows the only way to save the crew is to be tossed overboard. That he’s willing to sacrifice his life for some sailors but not risk it for God is another story? When Jonah hits the water, God sends a giant sea monster to rescue him by swallowing him whole. Inside this strange aquatic beast, the young prophet sits and stews. After three days, Jonah finally comes to his senses, and prays for God’s deliverance. God, being faithful and kind, causes the fish to spit out the prophet. And then this happens. READ Jonah 3:1-10 here. The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord....And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth....and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands....When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it. - Jonah 3:1-10 -
If you ask me, I think the second half of this story is just as far-fetched as the first half. Not that Jonah learned his lesson and decides to do what God asks of him, but that the people actually listen to what this foreigner, who smells like fish guts has to say.
Benjamin J. Dueholm writes, “To be a prophet is a heavy, strange, miraculous calling. To be a prophet who is listened to is something stranger still.” As we’ve learned before, prophets are sent to be the voice of God. They typically say things no one wants to hear, especially those in positions of power. They say things like “Repent,” “Promote justice,” “Lift up the poor” so you can see why they’re often ignored, ridiculed, and persecuted. (Martin Luther King was probably our best modern example of this and we know what happened to him.) Although it’s the last thing Jonah wants to do, he relents and warns the Ninevites to “repent” or else. In almost comical fashion, they listen. And act! From the king to the cows, they repent. And God spares them. Whether or not this story literally happened as written, it’s placement in scripture tells us some things about God’s nature. First, it shows us that God is persistent. God does not give up on Jonah any more than God gives up on the Ninevites, or on you or me. Jonah can run all he wants, but God will not be circumvented or thwarted. As Rob Bell profoundly states in his book Love Wins, “God gets what God wants.” For some strange reason God wants us. According to scripture, the cross of Christ is proof to how far God is willing to go to make sure that happens. Secondly, Jonah’s story reminds us that God is responsive. When the sailors cry out for mercy from the storm, God responds. When Jonah cries out from the belly of the fish, God responds. And when the Ninevites hear the warning and repent, God responds. This is good news for us all, because there are still Ninevites crying out every day from hospital beds, jail cells, rehab centers, bedrooms, classrooms, streets and sidewalks. And to all of them…God responds. Just the same, there are still Jonah’s out there running away from God. Unwilling to do what God is asking of them. Despite all that, this God is persistent. And this God responds not with anger or vengeance, but with love, mercy, and grace. God never gives up on us. Because God gets what God wants. And God wants whoever you are and wherever you are. Another thing this story tells us is that God is universal. And wants a relationship everyone. God shows mercy to Jonah, the personification of Israel. But God also shows mercy to the Ninevites, who represent everyone else. This suggests God’s redeeming love is for anyone who wants it. That’s the story, give or take a few temper tantrums by Jonah. There’s no alter call. Or need for a profession of faith, a sinner’s prayer, or a church creed. It seems the only thing God wants is our repentant heart. One that realigns itself with the way of God, the way of love. God welcomes everyone because that’s what love does – it invites, it includes, it forgives, it’s merciful and kind to all. Be it an allegory or actuality, we get this reading in the middle of epiphany because it reveals the true nature of God to the world. Like John writes in his epistle - God is love. And anyone who loves knows God (1 John 4:7-8). Because of love, this God gives Jonah a second chance. Because of love, this God gives the Ninevites a second chance. Heck, this God even gives the cows and chickens a second chance. So why wouldn’t this God do the same for us? This God knows our short comings, and still pursues us. This God knows we can be stubborn, unreliable, fearful, and insecure and still wants a relationship with us. This God knows we can be greedy, violent, and vane; that we tend to only look out for ourselves, and often at the expense of someone else's suffering; yet does not give up on us. Instead, God loves us enough to pursue us over and over again. So, you see, this story isn’t about how a man could live inside a fish, but how God’s love lives inside us. And how this love, which is freely given to anyone who wants it, has no limits. It knows no boundaries. It does not discriminate, because of where we’re from or who we are. Because of love, God sees beyond our mistakes, and embraces us so graciously and faithfully that we have no need to make those mistakes again. We don’t need to be perfect, by whatever standard that is. We just have to be willing to respond to God’s love in all the ways we love God, love others, and serve both. Like I said last week, love is the key that unlocks the space between heaven and earth. The more we love, the closer that reality becomes. This is the message of Jesus, who made love his highest priority. Those of us who choose to follow his way, must make that our highest priority too. Love is more than some Christian virtue or value we are encouraged to possess. It’s the driving force behind everything we are called to do. Jonah learns the hard way that all God really wants from any of us is our heart. Just in I case you haven’t been listening, this God always gets what God wants. And when God gets what God wants, we get more than our hearts could ever imagine. So let us take this story to heart, be it real or otherwise, because we’re all a little bit like Jonah. But instead of running away from God, let us run to God who welcome us just as we are, because that’s what love does. Work Cited Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word, Year B. Vol. 1. Louisville Westminster John Knox. 2008. Bell, Robb. Love Wins. (New York: HarperOne, 2011)
The first time I tried that greeting on someone, I was quickly reminded that not everyone celebrates Christmas. And of the ones that do, many don't celebrate it as the birthday of Jesus.
So, to save face, I quickly adapted Dale's idea to simply say, “Happy Birthday!” After all, birthdays are something everyone celebrates (albeit some more quietly than others). One of my favorite quotes states, “We are all meant to be mothers of God for God is always needing to be born.” Having said this, Meister Eckhart went on to argued what good is Christ’s birth if it doesn’t take place within me? The same is true about grace, mercy, or love. In the age of chaos in which we find ourselves in today, it’s easy to forget that each day we awake is a new day to celebrate life. And that we'd do better to do so with great purpose. And what greater purpose do we have in life than to love one another. It doesn’t matter your age, whether real or made up, each day is a chance to celebrate anew the life God has given us. Each day is an opportunity to welcome one another, care of each other, to embrace and celebrate every life as if we are embracing and celebrating God. Years ago, I met a man from the Lakota tribe who began every morning with this prayer: "Great Spirit, thank you for my first breath today, and for entrusting me that each breath I take after is mine to do good in the world." Today might not come with cake and candles, but it does offer something just as delicious and bright – a chance to participate in the love and glory of the Divine. And we do that in the many ways we love one another. You may or may not share my faith or belief in my God, the One Creator of all life, but you can't deny that you have been given life - a chance to create something amazing. And so I hope that you will go and celebrate your birthday today in a way that makes love grow by doing good in the world.
How many times a day do you make a decision based on a recommendation?
Your mom recommends you take a sweater in case it gets cold. A friend recommends a movie to watch or a show to binge. Your spouse recommends you cook your own supper if you don’t like what’s on the plate in front of you. It doesn’t have to be someone you know either. What made Amazon so great were the reviews posted by strangers who were able to talk about the product in real ways that advertising couldn’t. My kids make fun of me because I’m always writing reviews on Yelp. I love recommending restaurants and dishes I think others will enjoy. No matter how beautiful I craft a review, word of mouth is still the best way to get a person to try something. Combine that with an invitation to come and experience it firsthand…well then…you get today’s gospel reading. (Read all of John 1:43-51 here) The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” - John 1:43-51 -
Fresh from the baptismal waters, Jesus begins to gather his disciples. Unlike other rabbis, Jesus doesn’t pick from the best and brightest from the rabbinical schools, nor does he choose those who come highly recommended. Instead, he goes after ordinary people with unexceptional talents.
First comes Andrew, who was a student of John the Baptist. But when he learns who Jesus is, he tells his brother Simon, and the two decide to follow Jesus. After them is Philip, who, without witnessing any miracles or hearing any holy proclamations, runs and tells his buddy Nathaniel, “We’ve found the one Moses and the Prophets talked about.” This gets his friend’s attention. When Philip reveals the Messiah is from Nazareth, Nathaniel scoffs, “Are you kidding me? Nothing good has come from that place.” No matter how good the recommendation is, or who it comes from, we all come with our own biases and prejudices. I can write a stellar review about the teriyaki steak at the local Japanese restaurant, but it’s probably not going to convince a vegan to try it. We all have our preconceived notions that make us push back. This is true about individuals, communities, and even institutions like the church. But don’t take my word for it. Just start a conversation about religion or politics and see how people respond. I don’t think of myself as a bias person, but I’ve been guilty of dismissing someone’s opinion based on who they voted for? Today Nathaniel might say, “Can anything good come from Mississippi?” And Philip pointing to Elvis Presley responds, “Come and see.” The problem with having preconceived notions, outside of the fact that they show our ignorance, is that they cut us off from the gospel. Nathaniel’s first instinct is to reject Jesus because of some bias he held. Then again, most of Israel will reject who Jesus for the very same reason. They couldn’t fathom their Messiah and his apostles would come from some backwoods place like Galilee. Many in his own hometown will reject Jesus because he was the son of carpenter not the prince of a king. Nathaniel struggles to understand what Philip is revealing to him because he has some preconceived idea about people from Nazareth, just as many of us have about people who live in Red States or Blue States. Ironically, Nathaniel is from Cana, an equally unimpressive village. Nazareth was probably more popular because it was at the crossroad between Jerusalem and Lebanon. People had to pass through it to get to the Mediterranean Sea. No one ever passed through Cana. It was a side trip at best. (MacArthur) So perhaps Nazareth, being a more popular town, got the brunt of everyone’s prejudice whether deserving or not. There’s a good chance Nathaniel was just echoing the general contempt like people from Fresno often have about us in L.A. This passage makes me wonder how our own prejudices stop us from seeing Christ in our midst. How do they keep us from actually living out the gospel? Or serving the will of God? Tomorrow we will honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. who served the Lord, by exposing our bigotry and prejudices. He said, “One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right when the head is totally wrong.” Fortunately, the prejudices Nathaniel had in his head, weren’t strong enough to stop him from following his heart. He takes Philip’s recommendation and goes and sees for himself. When Jesus sees the pair walking toward him (knowing what was said about his hometown) he welcomes the soon to be disciple by saying, “Now here’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.” Notice it was Jesus who first saw Nathaniel, and it was Jesus who first recognized who he was, a beloved child of God. Our Lord looked at Nathaniel’s heart and put his belovedness above any preconceived notions that had been passed down through generations. What if we saw and welcomed people that way? What would it be like, if we removed the biases and opinions that blind us and keep us from seeing people the way Jesus sees us? Jesus’ action of making love the bar by which we welcome people not only change Nathaniel’s opinion of Jesus, but it also transforms his life from that day forward. That is the power of the gospel. That is the power of love. Jesus who looked at Nathaniel’s heart for who he truly is, a beloved child of God. By this simple action, Nathaniel, like his companions with him, instantly saw Jesus as the Christ, God’s unbiased, unprejudiced heart who comes from the most unlikely of places to surprise us with unconditional love. Dr. King understood the power of Divine love. He knew when we have Christ in our heart, we can love everyone without an obstinate belief that puts up a wall or pushes others away. We can welcome those who are different than us, without clinging to some the notion we’re better than they are because of our wealth, social status, or military strength. With Christ in our heart, we can help others without prejudice or obstacles and hoops to jump through. We can truly and faithfully love God, love others, and serve both without causing harm to anyone. Dr. King knew like Jesus did that, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” When he spoke these words, there was intense racial tension tearing apart the very soul of America. Much of like what is happening today. Friends and family were fighting each other…and innocent people were being harmed and killed because of bigotry and prejudice. King knew the only way forward, the only way to our country’s healing and salvation would be though love. And not just any love, but the self-giving, unbiased love of God. Jesus gave us this command, “That you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends” (John 15:12-13). Jesus reminds us that love is the key to unlocking the space between human behavior and the will of God. Love is the way of peace; the way of justice and equality. In love, there is no room for biases, bigotry, or prejudices. “Love is the greatest force in the universe," said Dr. King. "It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God." Therefore, love is not a recommendation, it’s an integration. It’s about making Divine love a part of your life so that people can come and meet you and me, they see Jesus in the flesh. It doesn’t matter where you are from, how you were raised, what color your skin is God looks at the heart and blesses it, so we can go and be a blessing of love for all. But don’t take my recommendation, come and see for yourself - in scripture and prayer - that you are a beloved child of God. From love you were made, and for love you are sent into the heart of Anamesa - to illuminate the light of Christ. To quote Martin Luther King one more times, “Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.” Work Cited Bartlett, David L., Barbara Brown Taylor. Feasting on the Word, Year B vol. 1. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2008). MacArthur, John. Twelve Ordinary Men. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2002). Marsh, Michael. interruptingthesilence.com. Jan 16, 2012. (accessed Jan 13, 2018).
While this is both a baptismal and epiphany story, Susan Butterworth believes it’s also a Christmas story of sorts.
She argues “this moment by the Jordan River, when Jesus is called to ministry, his divinity affirmed by the Holy Spirit and God the Father, is Mark’s birth narrative. For Mark, Jesus’ baptism by the Holy Spirit, this proof of his divine nature, is the moment of birth.” Sure it’s not the nativity we honor at Christmas, but it is a birth story nonetheless when we consider what Jesus stated rather matter of factly to Nicodemus in John’s gospel. He said, “No one can see the kingdom of God without being “born of water and spirit” (cf. John 3:1-10). This is where the church got the idea that baptism has an eternal culmination in heaven, which of course, raises all sorts of questions. Most notably, “Why would the beloved Son of God need to be baptized?” Doesn’t his divine nature already come with eternal privileges? If we take the more traditional stance that baptism is for the repentance of sin, then what does that assume about Jesus? Did he need to repent for something? And if we take the more universal approach that states we are all loved by God, and if salvation is freely given to both the washed and unwashed, then why get baptized? Is it really a golden ticket that takes you to the front of the line into heaven? According to my faith tradition, “Baptism is an outward sign of an inward promise.” It’s kind of like getting yourself notarized - only the signature and stamp is our promise we make to God with our hearts. Does God need us to be baptized? I don’t know if God needs it. But we do. We need baptism because some of us are carrying the heavy burden of guilt and shame, and need to hear that the stain of sin has been washed away. Some of us live with so much fear and need to have that assurance that at the end we’ll see God in heaven. Some of us need to be anointed with water and oil, to have that physical mark on our life as a reminder to our commitment to faithfully follow Jesus. I don’t know if the baptismal font is some magical realm. But I know it has transformative power. I believe we all need baptism, if only because we all need to hear God call us beloved. If you’re going to move forward in life in God’s good pleasure, then it might be a good idea to have your heart sealed by the same divine Spirit that Jesus had. Baptism identifies us. It seals us. But more importantly, it sends us out into the world to live a new life one which mirrors the divine life of Jesus Christ. Soaked with living water, Jesus learns his true identity and his true purpose. And so does the world. He is God’s beloved Son, in whom God is well pleased. By definition, the word ‘beloved’ means dearly loved or dear to someone’s heart. So the way I see it, Jesus is the joy of God’s heart! If you heard you are the joy of God’s heart, how might that change the way you approach the daily struggles of life? How might knowing you hold space in God’s unconditional love transform the way you love yourself? Or welcome a new co-worker at your office? Or deal with a difficult roommate? Henri Nouwen wrote, “Jesus truly heard that voice, and all of his thoughts, words, and actions came forth from his deep knowledge that he was infinitely loved by God.” Everything Jesus did from his baptism onward began “from that inner place of love.” Despite the rejection, jealousy, and hatred that he constantly he faced, Jesus “remained anchored in the love of God.” With his new identity, Jesus moved from the wilderness into the very heart of Anamesa. In this space he healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the hungry, forgave the unforgivable and loved the unlovable. His baptism not only changed who he was, but it would go on to forever change the world. If, by our own baptism, we become beloved children of God then we too are also called to be the joy of God heart - to live out our Christlikeness by living into our belovedness. If baptism reveals our true identity, then our job is to live baptismally in all the ways we love God, love others, and serve both. Jesus made it clear that his ministry didn’t end with him. He commissioned and sent his followers to go into Anamesa proclaiming the good news, making disciples and baptizing all (Matthew 20:19-20). Which tells me the task of all who have been baptized in his name is to let the world know that they too are beloved children of God, called to love one another as God first loved us. The way Jesus lived his baptismal life set the bar by which we are all called to live. Standing “from that inner place of love,” Jesus embraced God’s desire for the world. One that opposed violence with peace, bigotry with acceptance, and hatred with love. When we stand in “that inner place of love,” we can turn the other cheek and set aside our personal needs to put others first. We can live a different kind of life that is set apart from the world even while we are very much a part of it. To paraphrase Henri Nouwen, “Once we accept the truth that we are God’s beloved children, loved unconditionally, then we can go into the world to speak and to act as Jesus did.” In other words, we can be who God created us to be – God’s Beloved. We all must ask ourselves, if I am God’s beloved, then am I living in a way that pleases God? Am I walking as Jesus walked? Loving as he loved? Am I caring for the least of these my brothers and sisters to the best of my ability? Because here’s the thing, if you’ve been baptized, either as a baby or an adult, you can no longer simply live as ordinary people in the world. Instead, you are called to a new life, to live as Jesus lived, both human and divine, striving for justice and peace among all people; and serving the Christ in everyone you meet. I don’t know if baptism gets you into heaven, but I believe when we live out our baptismal promise we brings heaven to earth. It's here, in this sacred space, we find ourselves in a covenantal relationship with God and one another. And so I will you with this, a baptized life is not a live it once-a-week kind of life or a part-time job. Nor is it an insurance plan or a guarantee first class ticket to heaven. It is a vocation, a way of life, meant to be lived out with every fiber of our being. Jesus has called us to follow him into space of life to fill it with the glory of God’s steadfast love. If you don’t want to follow him, if you don’t want to do what he has called each one of us to do, then what good is your baptism? God doesn’t need you to be spotless and sin-free. God just needs you, as you are, to show up to be and bring the joy of God’s heart to a hurting world. And there is no better place to start then at the water’s edge, with the Spirit of God upon you blessing you with this divine truth, “You are my Beloved child in whom I am well pleased.” Work Cited Adapted from You Are My Beloved on January 10, 2021. Bartlett, David L and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word, Year B. Vol. 1 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2008). Bates, J. Barrington. Christ’s Own Forever. January 7, 2018 (accessed no January 3, 2024). Jolly, Marshall A. Beginnings. January 4, 2021 (accessed no January 3, 2024). Nouwen, Henri. You Are the Beloved. (New York: Convergent, 2017). |
Ian MacdonaldAn ex-copywriter turned punk rock pastor and peacemaker who dedicates his life to making the world a better place for all humanity. "that they all might be one" ~John 17:21“Prius vita quam doctrina.”
~ St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) * “Life is more important than doctrine.”
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