Scripture- Matthew 5:21-37
The Sermon on the Mount for me is one of the most difficult sets of scripture to speak about. I say thing because I am fairly confident that among the verses I have failed the God that I love more than anything multiple times. I would venture to say that as I read these sixteen verses we have each cringed just a bit, because Jesus does not sugar coat his words instead He is about as straight forward as one can be. We could spend an entire month on these verses, contemplating and reflecting on them not only on Sunday morning but every morning, afternoon, and evening without really getting a thorough explanation. Each paragraph has a wealth of words riding on the very breath of God that cut deeply into our souls like a sharp cold wind piercing through our winter attire.
I stand knowing that the moment I begin to speak I am the greatest hypocrite when it comes to living these words out. I stand yet I know that there is something that we each need to hear. The number one reason so many people turn their backs on the church and the community dedicated to encouraging a relationship with God is because so many people with in the community are hypocrites. We scoff at this statement saying cliché things like where else should they be trying to lessen the sting of such harsh words. The reason people reject God in many cases are because the people. The odd thing is the number one reason people often begin their journey with God is also because of people. People that have taken the time to build a friendship with them, people that have met them at the level they were at and then walked with them as they struggled to come to term with the love of God.
We could look at these sixteen verses and pick out the sin and hypocritical aspects of our lives or could just acknowledge that we each have fallen short and at this moment realize that we need to turn, to repent, to run the other direction from certain activities we participate in because those activities are grieving the Spirit of God that is wooing our souls at this very moment.
Today instead of focusing on the singularity of these spiritual debilitating activities, I would like us to look deeper at how each of these are connected, and what the root of the issue is. Anger, murder, adultery, dishonesty, divorce each has a root in the exploitation or dehumanization of other. Each of these sins are centered on an unhealthy and prideful self that is focused on lifting oneself higher instead of blessing the community around them.
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times…” Jesus begins with the basic laws of the Mosaic Laws. It was said… this term does not mean that they have had everything wrong, but that they have not gone deep enough. Murder is the taking of a life. This has been interpreted in various ways because taking a life very serious. This one command has been translated as murder or killing which has vast differences in interpretation. One term, kill, is very broad covering the unintentional taking of life, death due to battle, abortion, revenge, or even the rendering of justice. Where the other, murder, is more directed to the intention taking of a life by the hands of another. It was said… there are vast interpretations to this command against killing, which is why in ancient times as the Hebrew people began to settle into the land of promise they established cities of refuge. These cities were set aside to protect individual from the vengeful retaliation of others in case of unintentional death. Why were cities like these established? I would venture to say they were established to protect the life. When a society is bent on repaying death with death, blow with blow, wrong with wrong we lose our humanity. We become locked in a never-ending cycle of retaliation and revenge those on the opposing side are no longer seen as brothers or equals but instead as lesser beings, not quite as human as us.
There is a grave danger when we fail to see the humanity in others. Women in most cultures have been seen as lower than men as a result they have been mistreated, often they were seen as the highest valued livestock. Then among women in these cases there were the wives and the concubines that also had greater and lesser status, one being greater than the other and valued more, while each being dehumanized. This dehumanization is the root of the slave trade of history as well as in current times, yes there are still slave today, more slaves than there where in the darkest days of American history. It is estimated that there are 27 million people today living in slavery. A slave is person that has been dehumanized in the eyes of others and since they are less than human people can justify the exploitation of their life.
This cycle of exploitation begins with misplaced anger. Anger is a dangerous emotion. Anger if not held in check can build into hatred. Hatred then can lead into actions that are based not on truth but emotional opinions meant to exploit and dehumanize others. But Jesus was angry, we quickly say to ourselves, so surely it is not all bad. I agree, emotions are not wrong; it is what we allow our emotions to do that cause us to lose sight of God and enter into the darkness of sin. Jesus was angry with the venders in the temple, he was angry because these venders were exploiting others in the name of God; they were taking advantage of a situation for their own gain. They saw the people coming to worship not as humans but as a means to their own financial gain. Jesus had a righteous anger, an emotional response with the goal to humanize the exploited.
Our anger is not always held in check, our anger is not always experienced in disciplined manner. Sadly some of the most undisciplined exhibitions of raw emotions are performed among those that claim to love. The people today neglect church because often those in church dehumanize and exploit those around them. It is hard to see at times, because we have become so accustomed to our own actions, we have justified our actions to such a degree that we are no better then the Pharisees whom Jesus called whitewashed tombs of bones. We focus on our own agenda, we hold grudges, we neglect apologies and we do so because we were right. The problem is that being right in an argument has no value unless we honor the humanity of those around us.
Jesus went so far as say, “… [If] you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.” These words are spoken of not just anger but the undisciplined expression of our speech in the heat of an argument. It speaks of the exploitive nature of our language and the inability to disagree agreeably. How often we fall into the trap of our passions where we speak before we think and end up with our feet firmly planted in our mouths. How often do we fail to listen to what is being said and jump to a conclusion starting our next statement before we even hear a response? How often do we ask the wrong questions, which lead to responses that keep us from honoring and promoting the spark of God within an individual. When we fail to be disciplined in speech, when we fail to control our emotions, we will be found dehumanizing those around us, and in the process we may be quieting the very voice that God is using to direct the next step He is encouraging us to make.
Anger, adultery, divorce, murder, and our word each of these sections of this sermon delivered by Jesus revolve around honoring those around us, putting everyone on a equal status as equally human and equally loved by God. How well are we doing? Daily I catch myself failing to live up to the name I claim in Christ. I fail because often I am living in my own power. We cannot love the way God loves; we cannot honor others the way God desires us to honor in our own power. That is the essence of our sinful nature. We cannot do it because we are selfish by nature. We want the glory and honor ourselves. That is why in the story of Eden our first parents ate of the tree. They desired to be equal to God, masters of their own destiny, they wanted to be god. Immediately they began to accuse and dehumanize each other, Adam blames Eve and Eve deflects to another. “I am not the problem,” they say, “but it was this lesser being you put here.” Dehumanization.
We fail all to often. Our community, our world, is falling apart around us running from God and we blame others. The truth of it is that our world is the way it is because we allowed it. We have failed to live up to our name in Christ. We hear news reports and our responses are not in equality but dehumanized exploitive. It’s the gang’s fault, it’s the democrats or republicans, it’s Hollywood’s fault, and it is never my fault. Our schools fail because we allow them to fail. Our neighborhoods have fallen apart because we have allowed them to. We pull back blaming others when I am the problem.
This is why Jesus came. This is why Jesus was born that day in Bethlehem. This is why Jesus gave this sermon and taught His followers on the mountainside, in the fields, and on the sea. He came to meet us where we are, showing us that we have been placing the blame on others that we have been dehumanizing and exploiting everyone around us. But Jesus shows us a different path, which is a different lifestyle. He showed us that the lifestyle cannot be focused on ourselves but must be lived with God and others.
Jesus shows us that the first step, for those of us who claim to be his followers, begins in worship. God is the source of love and true wisdom, He is the breath and Father of life, and we cannot begin to change without first acknowledging and honoring the one from whom our life comes. Jesus made it His custom to worship in the meeting places of the faithful, when He entered a town He would take time to worship with the community at the synagogue, it did not matter if it was a mega synagogue or one that was nearly falling apart He worshiped because worship gives us a right view of ourselves. We are creatures created by God, here for a purpose, to be in communion with our Creator.
Jesus would also withdraw often to a desolate place away from others to pray. He would withdraw to embrace that intimate relationship of love between the creator and the creature. This is embracing the Holy Spirit, or nurturing and deepening our relationship with God. This time of prayer and embracing of the Spirit is expressing our needs, our failures, and our desires to our Lord as well as reading, studying, and meditating on scripture as we allow God to speak to us as well. It is a conversation and an intimate relationship. It is in these times where God will show us how to improve ourselves and where he will provide his strength in our weaknesses. It is during these times of prayer, where we will begin to see where we have shown dehumanizing actions and how to change our ways. It is in these times of prayer where God will direct us and when we embrace His correction He will then send us out to change the world where we are.
Jesus would then engage with the community, healing the sick, answering questions, encouraging the disciples, and teach the masses. It is through the prayer, the conversation with the Father in the Spirit, that He would then begin to serve other. He shows us that in this lifestyle, the lifestyle of the kingdom of God we too will be sent out to serve, and to live the love of Christ with others. It is in this service where we begin to rebuild our communities, reconcile the dehumanizing actions we have allowed to occur, and stop the exploitation of those deemed lesser than us. We share the love of God by feeding the hungry, giving a coat to someone that needs one, repairing the car of the single mother who trying to get to her job so she can feed her children. We live the love of Christ when we meet people where they are, not in judgment because that is a form of exploitations, but in encouragement. Encouraging them by our generosity, encouraging them by our kind words, encouraging them with our tactful teaching and urging to walk the path to Christ.
When we leave the lifestyle of exploitation and enter into this lifestyle of Christ we will begin to see the world change around us. We will begin to see men treating their wives differently, we will begin to see people living not out of anger or lust but out of generosity and respect, we will begin to see the end of exploitation and the beginnings of encouragement.
How often have I failed, how often we as Christians have failed to truly be the people God has called us to be. But Jesus is giving us an opportunity to turn it around, to rebuild the world that we have allowed to falter, to bring in the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. As we enter into this time of open worship, and holy expectancy let us allow God to examine our lives, let us repent of our failures and let us ask God for the forgiveness and strength to change, let us begin to see His kingdom come in our lives so we can encourage and honor those around us with honesty, and humility.
Scripture: Matthew 5:13-20
We live in an era that is in the middle of a crossroad in history. Often it feels as if we are not on a path but in the middle of a busy intersection. Traffic is coming at us from all directions. If you were standing in the center of a busy intersection you would have a right to be fearful, every step taken could be the last. What we are feeling as we live in this crossroads of history is not uncommon. People throughout history have felt this way as they have faced major changes occurring around them.
We face changes every day. Technology has advanced at such a pace that a mere decade ago emerging technologies in computer sciences thought to be radical are now the backbone of the Internet. The table revolutionized by Apple’s IPad is now so common that you can purchase something similar for as little as $60. All of these devices that we can hold in the palm of our hand had their origins in massive machines that filled rooms. I have a great uncle that worked and programmed those massive computers and has lived to see the rapid progress, what was once a dream in their minds as they walked through the computer he actually saw shrink to fit on a desk, to the lap, to the smart phone.
This rapid pace is best seen in the computer science industry because most of us here are aware of it. But that is not the only industry that has changed at this pace. Since 1960 to 2010 the average yield of wheat has nearly doubled. This is also seen in every agricultural crop. This is the direct result of various agricultural sciences from biochemistry to genetic engineering. Each of these advances have allowed great advances while the percentage of arable land is decreasing at a rate of nearly 1% every 10 years. In the United States the life expectancy has increased an average of 3 years since 2000, and some analysts estimate that in the next fifty years our world’s population may reach 14 billion people. All that change and yet modern agriculture is staying ahead, still providing enough food to feed us. How that is distributed is still an issue but that is for another sermon.
All this change occurring all around us comes with fear. People fear the advancing technology expecting that one day we will be controlled by the very computers we now use to post funny videos of cats. People fear the food we eat to the point that if it says organic we are willing to pay extra, and it does not take any time at all to find opposition to GMO’s. We live in an era that is caught in a whirlpool of fear and often we are caught as well. Daily you can tune into any religious radio or TV station and hear a sermon about how the end of the world is just around the corner citing numerous news reports as proof. But each of us has heard these sermons for our entire lives, I am not saying that it is not a possibility but it is not a guarantee.
I am going to go out on a limb here and say it is ok to fear to a degree. At times when we see a problem the initial fear can drive us to make changes and improvements. There is a reason average yields have increased in agriculture because we fear food shortages and are driven to increase. The key is not to live a life controlled by fear.
I mention this as we look at this scripture because I think that that is the very attitude and mindset of the first century people. They too were living in a cross road of a rapidly changing world. And Jesus says to them, “You are the Salt of the earth.”
Salt is an amazing substance. This crystalline powder we have just laying around the house is one of the most dangerous and harmless substances known to mankind. This one substance is used to bring flavor, healing, famine, preservation, and decay. It is a very loaded word. We use salt to preserve and slow the process of putrefaction in meat. But salt can also used to increase the rate of decomposition of organic matter. That is why beef jerky has a high concentration of salt, and why salt is present in many fertilizers. But salt was also used as a weapon of mass destruction in ancient times as they would spread it over fields to kill crops, this is also why over fertilization of our house plants can actually turn the tips of the leaves brown. Depending on the use salt can remove water or increase heat so it is very useful.
You are the salt of the earth. What do you think Jesus is saying? I want us to look at this from a different perspective than we usually do. As we read this statement our eyes immediately recognize the word you, so it is easy to look at this from the individualistic perspective, but I would like us instead to look at it from the perspective of the last word earth or the world. That is the place we the salt are to be, this crazy, chaotic, rapidly changing, full of fear world. What are we to be doing here?
You are the flavor of the earth, you are the preservation of the earth, and you are the healing of the earth. Or you are the cause of famine in the earth; you are the decomposition of the earth. What is Jesus saying? These are all uses of salt and activities we can participate in as humans living in this world. This passage of scripture just got very confusing didn’t it?
You are the salt of the earth. There is an aspect of salt that was not very common in first century Judea but one that we today this week are very familiar with, the ability to melt ice. I want us to begin with this aspect of salt in our crossroad analogy. Life controlled by fear often freezes us. It can harden our hearts and prevents us from moving. If we were caught unexpectedly in the center of an intersection fear would grip us causing us to stop where we are. If fear controls us at that point we would stand right where we were hoping that by standing we would be preserved. But we are the salt of the earth we cannot stay in the middle of the road but must get moving. Salt can begin to melt away the fear and hardness allowing us to think through the situation, we can begin to see a pattern and a rhythm to the traffic and begin to work our way across to the other side.
Salt can begin to melt the icy hearts of those caught in the world. You are the salt of the earth. You are to spread the salt over the people around you letting it work itself into their hearts where little by little they begin to open up to the Spirit of God.
You are the salt of the earth. As the ice begins to melt, we start adding flavor. This flavor is the relational aspect of faith. We build friendships, laughing and crying with one another. We share life and encourage growth. As we add salt the fear slowly decays and we begin to provide healing. As fears decay a hunger is created which must be satisfied, again we add flavor to fill the void. Little by little there is preservation.
You are the salt of the earth. The problem with salt is we can also miss use it. If you let the salt sit too long on your car it will eventually start to promote rust. If we eat too much salt it can cause our blood pressure to increase, which can cause death. If we dump salt on a field it will eventually cause that land to become unable to support life. So with the blessing also comes a warning. You are the salt but you are at work in the world. The world around us is fragile; a little salt can encourage and promote life, but too much could render our efforts dead. Relationships are important, learning to read and respond to others is important. To assist in the healing of others we first need to build a relationship so that we can know where to start. The Apostle Paul explained it as milk and meat. You give babies milk but eventually you build up into solid foods.
Light is another great word. You are the salt but you are also the light of the world. The words translated, as light in ancient Geek and Hebrew is pregnant with various meanings. Light is often referred to as the presence of God, which is why light was very important and still is important in many religious ceremonies. Light also references wisdom or knowledge from God, so it is the inspiration that drives our lives. Light like salt adds flavor. There is a reason we manipulate light. The stain glass of cathedrals casting the colorful designs of light can inspire and promote people in worship. The reflection of light is what we admire as we view classic and contemporary art. Light reveals things that were once hidden in darkness.
You are the light of the world. You are the promoter of wisdom and the teacher of knowledge, you are the inspirational and thought provoking work of art, and you are the awe-inspiring stained glass mosaic. You are the light of the world.
Jesus then speaks of righteousness and that to be a part of the kingdom of God our righteousness must exceed that of the most religious of His day. This too is loaded because what is righteousness? Is it the legalistic keeping of a list of laws or is it something fundamentally different? It is light of the world; it is salt of the earth. It is living a life encouraging others to take a step out of fear and inspiring others to emerge from the shadows. It is adding flavor and providing healing. It is building the relationships and walking the pathways of life with others nurturing the fragile souls around us.
With the blessing comes the warning. The source of the salt and light does not originate in us, we cannot be salt and light without first receiving it from elsewhere. The origin of the light within and the flavor of life is God himself. If we lose our saltiness, if we misuse what has been given to us we stop the flow of his power to us. Our salt what we once used to encourage becomes no better than blowing sand stinging the skin and driving people away from the very God who loves them enough to come to live, teach and die for them.
Being salt and light is difficult, because it requires us to constantly refresh. We cycle in and out in a rhythm of life. It requires discipline, study, and a lot of work. It requires that we sacrifice ourselves so that someone else might be preserved.
We live in an era that needs more salt and light. We live in a time with great challenges that require inspiration to overcome. We live in a time of rapid change with fears that need to be dissolved and icy hearts that need melted. We live in a day seasoned so heavily that we cannot taste what is good. You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world. God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting, or preserved life. You are, we are the ones God wants to use to facilitate the preservation of the world. How will we respond? Will we respond with coarse overpowering words and actions, or tactful flavorful deeds? Will we respond and will we be salt and light? Will we be a people loving God, Embracing the Holy Spirit, and living the love of Christ with others? And will you let God do His work through you?
Scripture: Matthew 4:12-23
I have found that one of the most relaxing and amazing things to do to pass time is to watch birds fly. As a child when riding in the car to town I would stare out the window and see the huge flocks of black birds jump up at once to take flight and do aerial acrobatic moves that were awe inspiring. Hundreds of birds moving in unison weaving and twisting, flipping and rolling only to settle back down onto the ground. I would stare in wonder watching the magic of nature noticing that not a single bird would fly into another while they performed their dance, each fitting in and doing their part to amaze the poor creatures that were not created with wings on the ground.
People have studied these birds and have tried to explain how and why they do these acrobatics but I could not tell you myself, to be honest I could not tell you what kind of bird they are, I just enjoy watching the show. But I do know that from observing the behaviors of birds like these people can determine things about the environment around them. From my days working outdoors I can tell you that if you have several birds in your lawn chances are very high that you would have a grub problem, and the birds are around to eat them. So if you happen to need some fishing bait you might observe the birds.
People have always observed their surroundings; they have studied how the animals and plants react. They study so they are able to survive and thrive in environments that are not always pleasant. As they studied and learned they were then able to use this knowledge to domesticate animals, to determine where the best land would be to plant crops, or when it was time to move. It is remarkable how well we have been able to do this. Just think for a bit, how did mankind eventually tame a dog, how did they learn to control a horse, the reindeer, cattle, or the largest mammal on land the elephant?
The world around us is filled with wonder if we were to take the time to slow down and enjoy it. We have yet to really observe and harness various amazing mysteries surrounding us. For example we have known and studied the forces of magnets for centuries but magnetism for the most part is still a mystery, after hundreds of years of study the forces of nature continue to cause many to wonder just as a child watching the birds perform outside a window.
Today, as we reflect on this passage of scripture, I would like us to focus on that sense of wonder and natural curiosity found in humanity. Jesus has moved from the banks of the Jordan, where John was preaching, to the Sea of Galilee. The cause of this move could be because of John’s arrest or just a change in the approach of ministry, either way the delivery method of the Gospel changes because of this move. In the ministry of John, the people would leave their homes and come to the Jordan to hear the message. In many ways that was the way the religious world worked. People would make holy pilgrimages to various sites to pay homage to God; the greatest example biblically would be the feasts that required travel to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. John’s ministry was transitioning the people out of this temple form of worship, basically telling them that God does not dwell only in a temple of stone but He can be worshiped anywhere. But the method was still similar it required a pilgrimage, people came out to listen to John. They left their community to worship God. Jesus changes the method, instead of having people come only to him, but he would go to the people. He moved to Capernaum and traveled the countryside teaching in their synagogues and ministering to the sick and hurting.
Jesus changed the method of ministry. The ministry is now active in the community, walking around and engaging people where they are, instead of requiring people to come away. This is interesting in many ways, because the methods do change at times. It like many things is cyclical. There is a time where the method is best in the heart of the community and at other times the gospel is best heard when one leaves their own community and get outside their normal routine. At times we build and people come while at other times we must go meet in the houses and parks within a community.
Jesus goes and he is walking on the shores of the sea. We do not know how long Jesus was in Capernaum before this story took place, but I would venture to say that he was there for a while. What we do know is that he was there long enough to walk around and attract the attention of the fishermen. It is the fishermen he first engages. Two brothers are casting a net into the see and Jesus calls out to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” or as other translations state, “I will make you fishers of men.”
Think about that statement. I will make you fish for people. It immediately makes one think of the art and science of fishing. One does not just simply fish. A true fisherman knows fish, like a rancher knows their cattle. They know how fish react to the climate and to the current weather patterns. They know how they react to light and what areas they inhabit at certain times of the year. They know what season the fish are mating, when they are hibernating, and how to effectively catch them in any situation. It is a skill that takes time to learn through observation and careful study; it takes years of practice and discipline. The men that Jesus is speaking to know their trade, they know when to take the boat out and when to stay home. They know where to go and what tools to use. Although it is not always an exact science, these men know their business because if they did not they would not survive.
They are also religious men. Last week we read a similar passage in the Gospel of John where two of these men were mentioned, they were disciple and students of John the Baptist. But today they are not on the banks of the Jordan but at home fishing in the sea. There is something about the Gospel that compels them, it drew them from their homes to seek out John, and it opens their lives to Jesus as well.
Jesus says to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” He is offering them a new trade, a new way of life. The discipline required to learn how to fish is now being applied to humanity.
Let us go back to the human’s natural curiosity. For us to survive in our environments we must observe and adapt, we must learn skills and develop tools to survive. Andrew, Peter, James and John were master fishermen. They knew the tools of their trade, they knew the best places to fish and they knew how to read the environment to get an idea of where to go next. These same skills apply to ministry. To fish for people we first must develop an understanding of people. We need to know where they are coming from and what they hope for. To be effective we must observe the cultures we are in and adapt our methods to present the Gospel more clearly. We must devise tools to use that will effectively reach the people. This takes time, discipline, and a willingness to adapt.
These fishermen know the task at hand. They know that to be good fishermen they must use nets; these nets must be constructed properly. They are designed to catch large fish but to also let the smaller fish escape so they will grow and repopulate. These nets are thrown out into the waters and then pulled in, and as they are pulled the nets close and capture the targeted fish. This is one method of fishing, but there are other methods as well. If you were to go fishing in around Kansas City you would not use nets but hooks and lines. We place various types of bait on the hooks to attract the attention of a specific type of fish. Again one must know the fish and the tools to do this effectively. And just so you know I am a terrible fisherman so do not ask me what to use.
But in dealing with humanity we are not catching them or baiting them, this illustration was made to specific people of a specific profession. The point is discipline. Jesus is presenting to these men the ability to observe and read people, and to adapt their ministry to reach people more effectively. How do we do this? What are the forms and methods of communication utilized by our culture? What are the interests of those around us? What are their needs and what are their fears? If we cannot adjust and adapt to the culture we live in our greatest ministry efforts will be like throwing out fishing nets without the netting, as it is pulled it catches nothing. To be effective we need to first be students. We must know the Gospel as well as the culture so we can adapt to minister to those around us.
This applies to all types of ministry in every culture. Those that minister in Rwanda must know the message of Christ but they must also be able to present that message in the language of the Rwandan. For the Rwandan to listen to the message the minister must have some understanding of the people. They need to know the political, economic, and other cultural aspects affecting the people in their daily lives. What about our community? What are factors here that would affect our ability to minister?
Jesus is calling us to follow him into his ministry and to do that we need to develop a discipline to read the culture around us. To begin we first need to follow Him. We need to develop in our own lives the rhythm that Jesus himself had in ministry: a lifestyle of prayer, worship, and service to others. Without this rhythm our best efforts in ministry are empty, without power or substance. In prayer we connect to Christ, in worship we are empowered and in service to others we pass the grace on. In prayer we interact with the Spirit of God as we engage scripture and observe our community. In worship we join together to encourage one another to embrace the Spirit’s leadings and to go out and serve. In prayer we get direction, in worship we get confirmation. Both lead to service. Our prayer and worship is empty if we do not serve others. And our service is misplaced and ineffective if it is not connected to God.
We are faced with a great challenge. Jesus is calling us as he did those first disciples to follow him and he will make us fish for people. The challenge is learning and observing taking a step back to gain understanding before we move forward. The challenge is putting our own preferences off to the side so that collectively we can serve our community more effectively. It is adapting our ministry to engage with culture we are called to serve. We have a great challenge before us, but one that is filled with promise. God is calling us to become His laborers and to participate in His Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven. The challenge is before us, but we are not alone in this task. The power that raised Jesus from the grave is available to each of us when we ask for it in His will and in His name. That is amazing power, power that we have only begun to understand after 2000 years of observance and study. But are we willing to rise up to the challenge, are we willing to drop the control of our own lives to follow Jesus into this great unknown? Are we willing to lose ourselves to gain the Kingdom of Heaven?
As we enter this time of open worship and holy expectancy, let us remember that curiosity of a child that would wonder about the dancing birds and other mysteries of our world. Let us remember the curiosity and the desire to know and let us apply that same curiosity to the challenge and joy God has set before us.