March 2, 2014 Transfiguration of Our Lord

Matthew 17:1-9

1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
   4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
   5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
   6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
   9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”


“The Mount Of Transfiguration”

This was a ‘stop the clock’ experience.  An experience to be savored and consumed;
an experience to be lived in and not go on.  But the truth is, this cannot be.  We cannot stay on the mountain.  We have to come down into the real world, the valley.  (Jesus couldn’t either!  He came down to the cross!)

On the Mountain top we see what cannot be seen in the valley;  it is a high point of faith.
The temptation is to want to stay there - escape from life.
The challenge is to take it with us into the rest of life and let it make a difference in who we are.

 We are empowered by the mountain top to live by faith in the rest of life, even the deepest valleys, trusting always in the gracious goodness of a loving God.

We would like to stay on the mountain top.  We would also like to tell everyone about the mountain top.  We cannot do either.

We are to leave the mountain top with its experience hidden in our hearts and  live, listening to Jesus, letting our lives show that we have been transformed.

Feb. 23, 2014 7th Sunday after Epiphany

Matthew 5:38-48

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
    43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[b] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.


Matthew’s use of the word ‘perfect’ sets before us the challenge and invitation to an unlimited human adventure in holiness.  There are no limits with God!

“The command to be as perfect, as whole as God is, becomes the command for uncalculating love, the kind we have all received.”  Proclamation 3A, Epiphany, p. 53

We are to “bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things.”

We are challenged to absorb evil rather than pass it on.
Forget revenge, no mater how just.  It has to stop; why not with me.
Imitate grace, for this is God at God’s best.  Love as we are loved!

Feb. 16, 2014 6th Sunday after Epiphany

Matthew 5:21-37

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
   23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
   25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
    27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.


“Be Real...Choose Life”

Our living, our righteousness, is to exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees.

We are to go beyond the letter of the law to the spirit of the law.
We are to read the Bible looking not for a rule to live by but a hope to live with.
We are to hang in there - practicing a  lot of confession and forgiveness - always choosing the way which has a chance to lead to life - no matter what.

“Blessed are those who are dying in relationships; they can have life.  Blessed are those who feel lonely in marriage;l they need not be lonely.  Blessed are those who are divorced or separated; they can still be part of the community.  And Woe to us who admit no imperfection; sadness is ours.  Woe to us who are church and have no compassion; shame is ours.  Woe to us who think ourselves better; how sad we are...But when you reach out to the hurting, I will reach out, through you.”  Father John J. Bluett of Orlando

“Grace In The Heart”

No one can make it without grace.  There is no righteousness which makes grace unnecessary.

The law has been fulfilled; it no longer means what it says.  It means more then it says!  It is all in a new law - to love as we have been loved.  “Love is the fulfilling of the law” Rom 13:10

The question is, “How is it in the heart?”
The issue is, “How is it in the heart?”

It is dangerous, even evil to hate, to lust, to speak deceptively.  Yet we all do it.
To fight against this we need the grace of God at work in our lives - lots of grace and forgiveness to keep us on course.

It is out of the heart that life springs and good or evil comes.  It is in the heart that God would dwell, so that the good overcomes the evil.
Our challenge is to try love no matter what!  For God is love and love is the closest thing we have to perfect on this side of the grave.  We are to live with love at the center of our lives.

True righteousness seeks reconciliation not revenge; reconciliation means restoration of harmony.

Feb. 9, 2014 5th Sunday after Epiphany

Matthew 5:13-20

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
   14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
    17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.


“The Righteousness of Love”

You can’t just talk it; you have to live it!
We are called to be caring not religious; compassionate not righteous; committed not remote.  Hosea 6:6, Micah 6:8, Amos 5:21-24;Is 58:6-9a

The righteousness which exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisee’s is the righteousness not of obedience to the law and holy ritual but the righteousness born of and expressed in love.

Love which is not just interested in talking about Jesus but is also into living in the spirit of Jesus.  A love which is able to live with uncertainty and still risk for the sake of God’s love at work in and through us.

Feb. 5, 1984   “Be Salt...A light...Real”

With God we always get more then we bargained for.  We get more love, more forgiveness, more acceptance, more grace.
And we are asked to give more then we bargained for.
For God never lets us go, never lets us down, nor does God ever let us OFF!

We are to be salt;  salt brings out the natural flavor; gets lost in the ingredients; and too much of it spoils the taste.  Our love for our God is hidden in our living.  It enhances someone else's living. It dare not be overdone lest it spoil the good we seek to accomplish.

We are to be a light on a hill - so it cannot be missed.  A light which shines in the darkness and the darkness can not overcome it because it comes from He who IS the light of the world.

We are to be salt and light in a real way.  So that what we say and do might be a part of the real world; might be something of God’s grace at work in the real world.