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word

A retelling of John 9:1-40.

The day started outed normally enough. The man woke, found his bearings, began his routine. His favorite street corner this morning was busy. Good, the man thought. Perhaps his efforts wouldn’t be in vain. But his begging only brought in so much. It was barely enough to get by.

The man was blind, yes, but that wasn’t his real problem. He could harvest crops, sew, tell stories from the heart. But most often he couldn’t get a job. People rarely gave him a chance.

And the religious types? Often, they were the worst. It was the religious types who kept him out of the synagogue. They kept quoting scripture as an excuse for their cruelty. He wondered if they knew what those passages meant.

This man too knew scripture.

He knew what the Lord requires:
To –
Do justice,
Love kindness,
Walk humbly with your God.

Why couldn’t the religious types focus on that?

Interruption
Then, in the distance, conversation. The man heard a group debating heavy topics like judging others, assigning blame, sin. Rabbi, one person asked, whose fault is it this man is blind?

The man knew, immediately, they were talking about him.

The Rabbi’s response sounded almost indignant. My disciples, the Rabbi said to the group, he was born this way. Made in the image of God.

The man couldn’t help but nod and agree. He knew, already, that he was enough. If only others could know it too.

The voices drew closer. The man then felt someone touch his eyes. Was that mud? Go, wash, the Rabbi implored.

The man went.
The man washed.
The man could now see.

He was ecstatic! Things like work, friends, community, going to worship, all that would now be easier, more possible. The man was sure of it. He began to make new, grandiose plans.

Neighbors
It was then when the conversations began.

First it was the neighbors. Seeing the man navigate the streets with ease the neighbors couldn’t help but gossip. Isn’t that the man that used to beg? Some nodded, yeah. Others disagreed.

The now sighted man, hearing the commotion, replied. I am that man.

He told them about –

the Rabbi,
the mud,
the water,
the washing,
the sight.

There would be no neighborhood picnic to celebrate. No words of excitement, enthusiasm, support. Why couldn’t they just be happy for him?

Religious types
Next it was the religious types. Hoping for clarity the neighbors took the man to them. How is it you now see, the religious types asked?

He told them, too, about –

the Rabbi,
the mud,
the water,
the washing,
the sight.

The religious types were conflicted.
Some said the Rabbi had sinned.

He broke the law.
It is the Sabbath.
No work is to be done.

The sighted man couldn’t believe his ears. There the religious types go again. They love to quote from their book. They love to use that book to judge.

The sighted man had newfound hope.
And the religious types?
They just wanted to keep him down.

Others weren’t so sure.

How could the Rabbi have sinned?
Look at the signs!

The cognitive dissonance between –

What the religious types knew from scripture,
(or thought they knew)
and the man that stood before them,

created a tension not easy to resolve.

What do you say about this Rabbi, the religious types asked the man.

The Rabbi is a prophet, he replied.

Prophets challenge unjust systems. The man knew this.
Laws that keep people like him down.

Parents
The man’s parents then chimed in. Kind of. Still flummoxed the religious types called for the sighted man’s mom and dad. Is this your son? If so, how can he see?

He is our son, they replied.
He was born blind.
He can now see.

We don’t go know how.
Ask our son.
He speaks for himself.

Hearing this disappointed the man. They knew how this came to be. Why wouldn’t they tell the truth? They could have said something like this is our son. With him we are well pleased. That would have been great, the man thought. Aren’t parents supposed to stick up for their kids?

Religious redux
The religious types returned to their original target.

We know the Rabbi has done wrong, they told the man. What say you?

I was blind, now I see, the man replied. What’s the problem?

But how did he do it? They demanded to know more.

The man had so much to look forward to. What with new ways to work, play, be in community, worship alongside others. Yet here was being interrogated by people unwilling to change.

I already told you, he replied to the religious types.
You wouldn’t listen.
Why do you want to hear it again?

Sensing their power being challenged,
The religious types were furious. Get out!

There would be no new access to sacred spaces for the man on this day.

The man realized, in that moment, he had seen the world around him clearly the whole time. For nothing, it seems, had changed.

Jesus
Enter Jesus. Hearing the religious types had driven away the person he’d just healed Jesus approached him.  I am the Son of Man, Jesus revealed.

The man worshipped.
The man believed.

I am here to give sight to the blind, Jesus shares.

And some of the sighted?
It is they who are blind.

The religious types,
overhearing the conversation,
couldn’t help but ask…

Surely we are not blind, are we?

The question lingers with us still.

The sighted man knew, without a doubt, the identity of this healer.

More than Rabbi.
More than prophet.
Jesus is Lord.

With that knowledge the man became a follower of Christ. With it he joined a group who welcomed him with arms wide open. Alongside so many other cast aside they built community, together. As a disciple the man learned of Christ’s call to –

love your God, and to
love your neighbor as yourself.

The man was that neighbor.
He now felt loved, accepted, whole.
He wanted others to have that feeling too.

Parallels
Today’s text, to me, is one of the saddest in scripture.

It shares similarities with –
the story of the woman at the well, and
Jesus healing the Geresene man.

The woman at the well, after being enlightened by Jesus, runs back to the city to tell others about the life-giving water she has found. She’s so excited! Her neighbors listen. They join her. They get excited too.

The woman was reunited with the community she was estranged from.
The woman was made whole.

The Geresene man had been running around naked on the outskirts of the city. Jesus healed him. The man put on some clothes, was now in his right mind. Return to your home, Jesus asked of the man. Share your story with others. The man did, proudly proclaiming throughout the city all Jesus had done.

The man was reunited with the community he was estranged from.
The man was made whole.

The narratives for both end well.

We can say –

Yeah Jesus!
Yeah new life!
Yeah reunions with God’s beloved!

The text today begins the same way.

Christ reunites the man with his community.

Yeah Jesus!
Yeah new life!

And then? The community loses it’s ever loving mind.

The man’s –
Neighbors preferred gossip over a block party to celebrate.
Parents preferred keeping their distance over fully supporting their son.
Religious leaders preferred exclusion over welcome as they too often do.

And the government? Odds are they didn’t do much to help either.

The man’s healing offered him the potential to rejoin the society he had been separated from. And the man’s community? They fought that every step of the way.

Pivot
Some biblical scholars see this as a story of physical healing. To others it is a metaphor of what it means to be truly seen. These days it strikes me as metaphor. We all know what it is to be overlooked.

This man had been unseen his entire life by –

neighbors,
family,
religion.

As it turns out it is they who were blind.

But Jesus?

He saw the man.
Really saw him.

He broke down barriers,
that kept the man out.

Welcoming him, to
a new community,
available to all.

Today
Judging, marginalizing, excluding.

It is part of our fallen human nature.
Left to our own devices we’re pretty good at it.

Jesus calls us to more.

We are called to welcome everyone into community.

Regardless of, well, anything. Reflecting on this text two recent conversations come to mind.

Friend
This past week one of our members came out to me. I’m gay, they said plainly. That’s great I replied. No worries. It doesn’t change a thing. They went on to share that they are always cautious about who they tell. And for good reason, for years it could have impacted their job. We embrace the LGBTQ+ community here.

Period.
No exceptions.

To varying degrees St. John’s has for decades. We always will.

Yet for us to be an inclusive faith community – and we have more work to do – we needed to change. We needed to evolve. We needed to break down barriers that kept some people out.

Thinking through the conversation I reflected on the various leadership positions this person has held here, the volunteering they’ve done, the many friends they have made.

What if we had chosen not to change? What if we had stayed blind to the LGBTQ+ community and kept them out? It would have come at an incredible cost for us all.

Mary
A little over a year ago, our Financial Specialist Mary Hall came to St. John’s for an interview. When the question of office space came up Mary paused. Until recently our financial offices had no elevator access. Mary, I think, would be the first to tell you that stairs are not her friend.

Mary walks with a cane.
Slow and steady.
She always gets where she is going.

“I hate to think I wouldn’t be considered for the job if I can’t climb the steps to the 4th Floor,” she said at the time.

You better believe we made the accommodation.
Our financial office is now on the main floor.

In the time we’ve known each other Mary has –

stabilized our financial reporting.
innovated many of our processes.
became the Godmother for three of our recent baptisms.
joined our choir too.

All while she’s brought with her incredible joy, laughter, fun.

Everyone here loves Mary. I count her as a good friend.

But for her to be part of our community we had to change. We had to break down some barriers that keep people like her out. While preparing this message I found myself imaging life here without Mary. Honestly that alternate universe made my sad.

One in four American adults live with some kind of disability, be it mobility, cognition, sight or hearing. In an older building like ours, when it comes to welcoming people with disabilities odds are high we’ll need to evolve some more in this way too.

Let us pray.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for breaking down the barriers that keep us apart. For we know you call us to be together, as a people of faith. To be united, as One. Thank you for all you have taken this congregation to and through. We are blessed to be a welcoming community in ways we can be proud of. Where there is more to be done speak to us, guide us, soften our hearts. Open our eyes to see each other as you see us, as beloved children of God. Strengthen our resolve to embrace all your children, without exception. Until your kingdom come. Amen.

Water

word

Two parts hydrogen,
one part oxygen.
Bonded together,
it is H20.

The formula is simple.
The ingredients few.
No recipe matters more.

You can’t taste it.
It has no smell (or shouldn’t).
You can even see right through.

It comes in a trinity of forms:
– solid,
– liquid,
– gas.
Each an important part of the whole.

It can –
cleanse,
cool,
quench –
offering relief when we need it most.

It –
grows our crops,
moves our products,
feeds our planet.

It is water.
It is life.

Without it we cease to be.

But not all water is good. Here are a few examples.

Hot and Cold
Earlier this week my wife Kathi mentioned her morning shower was running a little cold. Let me know how your shower is, she suggested. I got in, noticed it wasn’t quite as warm as usual, turned the handle to as hot as it would go. It was warm enough. Seems fine to me, I replied, dismissing her concerns.

That night, around 10:30pm, daughter Hannah came downstairs, hair dripping wet. I just tried to take a shower, she said, and it is ice cold! Hannah was furious. I can’t take a shower like that! Can you fix it please?!? She was begging us. It’s really late honey, I replied. We’re already in bed. I’ll look at it in the morning.

The next day, feeling rather optimistic, I hopped in the shower, hoping everything would be ok. And what do you know…the water was freezing! I yelled downstairs. Kathi, there is no hot water! We can’t live like this! It’s winter, in Iowa! What should we do?

Soon enough, Kathi found the cause: the pilot light on our natural gas water heater was out. Within minutes she relit it. Later that morning I tried the shower again. All was as it should be. Thank goodness for hot showers! I was ecstatic. Kathi just shook her head.

The difference between hot and cold water, at least for former Floridians who winter in the Midwest these days, matters a good bit.

Poison
Then there is the 2014 Flint Michigan water crisis. To save some money government officials opted to change their water source. With a bit of redirected plumbing they switched it from one river to another. Within days residents complained about the water’s taste, smell, appearance. Pure H20 shouldn’t have a taste, or smell, or much of an appearance at all. Something was wrong.

Travelling through old, decaying lead pipes, the impact of this change in water source soon became clear. The water was now poisoned with lead. As a result, twelve people were killed, another eighty-seven harmed, with up to 12,000 children at risk from the long-term effects these troubled waters brought.

Where you get your water from matters too.

Algae
When Kathi and I attended Valparaiso University – a good Lutheran school – apologies Wartburg, Luther and Grandview friends – she took an ecology class. During the course she researched the impact of fertilizer runoff on inland lakes. We were dating, so I tagged along to a local park, wanting to learn more. We noticed big blooms of green algae along large swaths of the water’s surface. The algae was seemingly everywhere.

Algae consumes oxygen and blocks sunlight, harming both plants and fish. Algae smells, making it no fun to be around. Algae attracts mosquitos. Pretty soon we were getting bit by them. The water was stagnant, stank, and breeding bad things. Research now complete we left what once was a nice park. Because who wants to be a part of that.

Well
But good water? The text of Jesus and the woman at the well has plenty to say about that. Here are some highlights.

First, good water unites us. That Jesus was in conversation with this woman at all is controversial. Jesus finds himself travelling through Samaria, away from home. Here he is the outsider, a stranger in a strange land. As a foreigner eyebrows would be raised.

John 4:9 plainly says that Jews and Samaritans do not share things in common. This is perhaps the greatest understatement in the entire Bible. When the two groups came in contact tradition requires that Jews return to Jerusalem for a ritual cleansing. Yet here Jesus and the woman sit all the same.

And that a rabbi is seen talking with an unmarried woman, in broad daylight? It is downright scandalous. Oh the rumors this could cause.

Good water washes away what separates us from each other. Good water overcomes the boundaries of –
Race,
Ethnicity,
National origin,
Religion,
Gender,
Cultural norms –
And so very much more.

Good water is also clean. It is much closer to pure H2O. The well Jesus and the woman gather over is deep. It is way down in the earth. Water from deep wells tends to last longer, requires less monitoring, offers more protection from contaminants. There would be no lead poisoning or algae growing in this water. For it is from a deep, pure source.

Good water sustains our body. “Give me a drink,” Jesus asks the woman. “You’re asking me,” the woman replies? She can’t help but be surprised the two are talking to begin with. Yet they both need water. It is why they came to the well. They know that water is life. Just a few days without it and we simply cease to be.

Really good water also sustains our soul. Jesus replies to her query with “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.” It is the first indication here that Jesus is talking about more than merely H2O. What is the nature of this living water?

Living water transcends our past. The woman asks Jesus, “Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob? He gave us this well. His sons and his flock drank from it.” This is the Jacob who –
– stole his birthright from brother Esau, trading for it with a bowl of soup.
– ran from his family to escape the wrongs he had done.
– wrestled with an angel to get God’s blessing and received it.

Jacob did some bad stuff. And then ran from his problems. Wrestling with his Creator had an effect. For God blessed him all the same.

In gratitude to God Jacob made this well. It is a well that has offered good water to God’s beloved for generations and generations. It is over a conversation, at this same well, where Jesus offers this woman more than she bargained for.

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,” Jesus responds. “But those that drink the water I give them will never thirst. For it is a spring that gushes up to nothing less than eternal life.”

Here Christ suggests that yes, I am more than Jacob. Christ infers he too can wash away your soiled past. He too can offer blessings from above.

The woman, beginning to understand they are talking about more than mere H2O, says, “give me this water, so I may never thirst again.”

Finally, living water offers a fresh start.

Baptism
This weekend we are blessed to celebrate four baptisms, three at our Saturday service, one Sunday morning. What I love about that is the baptisms are decidedly different. On Saturday a mom, her son and her daughter, called by the Holy Spirit, trusting in the grace and love of God said yes, we desire to be baptized in Christ.

Yes, they said, we want to be a part of the body of Christ.

And yes, we Lutherans totally baptize adults who have not yet been cleansed by this watery sacrament before.

Recent research suggests there are now more mainline Protestants in the US than non-denominational Christians and Baptists. All while the portion of religiously unaffiliated Americans continues to grow.

Based on that, as people continue to search for meaning in life, and ultimately God, perhaps we Lutherans will be doing more adult baptisms in the future.

Dear Lord, let us be all about that.

Then on Sunday we celebrated the baptism of a cute-as-a-button six-week-old girl, brought to the living water by her parents. With this her parents commit to help the young child grow in the Christian faith, encouraging her as she grows too.

Dear Lord, may we continue to be all about infant baptisms too.

For both we baptize with water, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

For both we give you thanks, O God, that through this water and the Holy Spirit you give them new birth, cleanse them from sin, and ultimately raise them to eternal life. Tho no rush on that last part just yet 😊.

For many of the rest of us this is an opportunity to remember our baptisms, and how we affirmed them as young adults in confirmation. We too are born anew, cleaned from sin in the living waters of our baptism each and every day.

And if you haven’t been baptized yet? You just need ask. For this living water is also for you.

As we say goodbye this weekend to our Transition Pastor Walter Still – and holy cow I’ll miss you brother – concluding our time together with a series of baptisms seems downright fitting. Pastor Walter, as you depart please know: St. John’s Lutheran Des Moines will continue to encourage, celebrate and embody this new life in Christ. We will continue to lean in to all this new life our baptism entails. On this you have my word.

Close
Two parts hydrogen,
one part oxygen.
Bonded together,
it is H20.

But living water?
That well runs deeper.

Living water’s formula is simple.
The ingredients few.
No recipe matters more.

You can’t –
taste it,
smell it,
see it.

But you can feel when it’s there.

It comes in a Trinity of forms:
– God,
– Son,
– Spirit.
Each an important part of the whole.

It can –
cool,
quench,
baptize –
offering relief when we need it most.

Receive it.
Remember it.
Claim it.

It is water.
It is life.
It is for you.  Amen.

God’s nature

word

An open question for Iowans.

What is the nature of God?

Yesterday, House Joint Resolution 8 was introduced to the Iowa legislature offering language that answers precisely that:

“In accordance with the laws of nature and nature’s God, the state of Iowa recognizes the definition of marriage to be the solemnized union between one human biological male and one human biological female.”

If ratified by voters the nature of God, as defined here, would become part of the Iowa Constitution.

We could talk about the 71% of Americans who believe gay marriage should be legal. We could reflect on how this acceptance has skyrocketed over the past three decades. Times have changed. The people have spoken.

We could consider the consequences of a law that limits a person’s right to marry who they love. A recent study shows 44% of LGBTQ youth in Iowa considered suicide in the last year compared to 18% of non-LGBTQ youth. Being treated as less than, by our government, for many of your fellow Iowans is literally a matter of life and death.

We could ponder whether religious language should be part of secular laws to begin with. Only 81% of us believe in God these days, a number that continues to decline. If God’s nature is used in our constitution to define who can and cannot marry, and you don’t happen to believe in God, then what? Perhaps it limits your ability to marry too.

But for now let’s return to the question, what is the nature of God? Because that is what the state of Iowa, with this attempt to amend our constitution, wants to define for you.

House Joint Resolution 8 would have you believe the nature of God is petty, controlling, judgmental, homophobic. HJR8 suggests God is more interested in limiting who you are than freeing you to become who you are called to be. It infers God screwed up with Creation somehow, and needs politicians to fix God’s mistakes. It codifies that basic human rights are for some of God’s children, but not for all.

Is this the God you know?

Because as a pastor I don’t recognize this God one bit.

The God I know created us in their image (Gen 1:26). At each step of creation the God I know saw everything they had made and called it good (Gen 1:4,10,12,18,21,24,28). Seven times God called creation good. Seven is a holy number.  It signifies completion. It signifies perfection.

The God I know is often reflected on and celebrated at weddings. Faith, hope and love remain. And the greatest of these? Love. (1 Cor 13:13)

The God I know gave us just two commandments: to love them, and to love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law. (Matthew 22:37-40)

The God I know encourages us to love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7-8)

The God I know doesn’t worry about gender, for there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

If this sounds more like the nature of the God you know too it is time to act. As people of faith we are called to give voice to those our society seeks to marginalize. Especially when harming God’s creation is being done in God’s name.

Here are a few ways you can get involved:

Talk to your Pastor or Priest. Ask them how they plan to respond to HJR8, and other anti-LGBTQ+ Iowa legislation currently being considered. Ask them if they have officiated a same-gender wedding. Ask them if they would. Ask them if a same-gender wedding can be performed in your worship space. If not, ask why. Ask them what the common church catchphrase All Are Welcome means to them, and how your congregation lives into it.

Many Christian denominations and faith settings have evolved considerably to better care for, honor, respect and embrace the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, including my congregation, St. John’s Lutheran in Des Moines. If your faith community is already part of this shift towards inclusion celebrate that. If they are not help them change. Not all churches care about equality. Many more should.

Contact your legislators. Tell them you oppose HJR8. Let them know the freedom to marry should not be up for debate. Tell them what you think of this attempt to define the nature of God. Let them know your name, the name of your church, your Pastor’s name. Make sure they know that, as a person of faith, you cannot abide as your government seeks to define God in ways that cause harm. To reach your legislators go here. 

Join Lutheran Day on the Hill. On March 14 join Lutherans from across Iowa, with our partners at Lutheran Services in Iowa. We will gather at the Capitol in Des Moines to amplify, advocate and empower our voices and our state officials. It is a great way to learn about advocacy, meet your legislators and state officials, and get more involved in issues like LGBTQ+ inclusion, supporting Iowa’s mental health system, and empowering refugees and immigrants. Register here. I hope to see you there.

Don’t let our legislators define God is such small, limiting, hurtful, harmful ways. Do better Iowa. Our Christian faith calls us to more.

Remember

word

As you might know, I was raised in another Christian faith tradition, the Assemblies of God. Because of that learning certain aspects of Christianity that differ from my Pentecostal upbringing came later on.

It wasn’t until my mid-twenties, after going to a Lutheran University, Valparaiso, meeting and marrying a good Lutheran girl, and finding a religious setting that worked for us both, it wasn’t until after all that when I began to understand the nuances of a mainline Protestant Christian faith.

One aspect I soon began to appreciate within our ancient traditions is the season of Lent. Instead of summarizing the death and resurrection of Christ into one or two or three days that culminates with Easter, we get six weeks to explore. Six weeks provides space for a longer arc of storytelling, a deeper dive into themes of mortality, wilderness, journey, triumph, sacrifice, new life. Themes that build, one on the other, culminating in a last supper, a cross, an empty tomb.

With Ash Wednesday’s recent reminder to –

Remember that you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.

– we now set our sights on the next theme of this season.

Bookends
Matthew 3:13 through the end of the gospel is a story in three parts.

It begins with Jesus being baptized in the Jordan. But who is this Jesus? The heavens open, a dove descends, a voice cries out, saying this is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.

This question of identity, for Jesus, is now clear.
He is the Son of God.

The story continues with Jesus entering into his purpose here on earth. Disciples are called, ministry begins. Preaching, teaching, healing kick into high gear. Life here on earth, ever so slowly, begins to better resemble heaven.

The question of purpose, for Jesus, is now clear too.
He is the savior of the world.

Between the story of Christ’s identity, and the story of Christ’s purpose, resides a third theme.

Temptation
After being baptized, and after fasting for forty days, Jesus finds himself in the wilderness. He is famished. If you’ve ever fasted for any length of time you understand.

It is in this weakened state when the tempter appears. Since you are the Son of God, the tempter says, command these stones to become bread.  With this Jesus has a choice. Will he succumb to temptation, breaking his fast early? Or will he continue along the path laid out from above? Said differently will he serve himself? Or will he serve God? One does not eat by bread alone, Jesus replies, but by every word that comes from above.

The first test is now complete.

Next the tempter takes Jesus to the top of the temple, a high place, saying Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. Surely you will be saved.  With this Jesus has a choice. Will he choose to test God? Or will he simply trust God? Jesus responds with certainty: do not test the Lord your God.

The second test has now passed.

Finally, the tempter took him to a high mountain, showing him everything in the world. All this could be yours, if you just worship me. It is another fork in the road. Will Jesus serve good? Or serve evil? Here Jesus almost seems annoyed, saying Away with you Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God. Serve only them.

With that the devil left.
With that the trials were complete.
Christ’s purpose, here on earth, could now begin.

The story of Jesus, told in three parts, can be summed to three words:

Identity,
Temptation,
Purpose.

These three words span the entire life of Christ.

Our Story
Our life’s journey is also a story in three parts.

Our story begins at the font, in the waters of our baptism. Here a specific claim of who and whose we are is made. Cleansed by the waters, freed from the bondage of sin, with us God is well pleased.

This question of identity, for you, is now clear.
You are a beloved Child of God.

Our story continues when we discover our purpose here on earth. We are called to serve and heal God’s creation in all its forms. With our help, and direction from above, life here, ever so slowly, begins to better resemble heaven.

The question of purpose, for you, is now clear too.
You are partners in fixing this world God so loves.

What that looks like? For each of us it is as unique as –

a fingerprint,
a snowflake,
our DNA.

Between the story of our identity and the story of our purpose, is the story of what can hold us back.

Voices
Just like Jesus we too face temptation. Often it comes in the form of fulfilling our wants and desires at the expense of God’s purpose for us. The struggle between our will, and the will of God, is real.

Consider these tempting voices.

Since you are a Child of God, why don’t you have second breakfast? Surely God wants your belly to be full. – and yes, that is totally a Lord of the Rings reference 😉.

Since you are a Child of God, why not have that third drink? Surely it must be ok to escape.

Since you are a Child of God, why not bet against the spread a fourth time? Those first three times? They led you to your next big win. Surely God must want you to be rich.

When temptation comes we too choose how to respond.

I raise these questions as someone who enjoys –

A hearty meal,
A strong drink,
An occasional Vegas trip to try the slots.

That said, it is worth considering when the temptation of excess might get in the way of God’s call on our life.

Because these too are voices we might hear:

Since you are a Child of God, why don’t you feed someone who goes without breakfast? Surely God wants their belly full.

Since you are a Child of God, why not offer heavenly, lifegiving waters to those that thirst? Surely God offers salvation to all from that which keeps us down.

Since you are a Child of God, why not give of your wealth so others have a roof over their head? Surely God must want everyone in the family to be cared for too.

For when we are asked to serve others, trusting that our needs will be met that can only be the voice of God.

Our story, told in three parts, can be summed to three words:

Identity,
Temptation,
Purpose.

These three words span our entire life.

Close
Our desire to serve ourselves, instead of our Creator, limits us. When this happens –

Remember your identity.
You are a beloved Child of God.

Remember your purpose.
You are a partner in fixing this world.

And when temptation gets in the way?

Remember your baptism.

Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God?
If so, say I renounce them.

Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God?
If so, say I renounce them.

Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God?
If so, say I renounce them.  Amen.

Transformations

word

In 1969, illustrator and children’s book author Eric Carle had an idea. With hole-punch in hand, he playfully went to work on a stack of papers. Looking at the result he thought of a bookworm. But his editor, Ann Beneduce, suggested a worm may not make for a very likeable character. “Why not make it a caterpillar,” she suggested. Eric replied enthusiastically “Butterfly!” The book soon took shape.

Looking back over 50 years later, the moment inspired a book iconic, memorable, colorful, and full of holes. Punch holes that is. Right there in the book, a brand-new form at the time.

The book wasn’t just creative, it was a commercial success. It’s been translated into over 40 languages, with sales of over 50 million copies worldwide. That equates to almost two copies sold, every minute of the past five decades.

For children, parents, grandparents and beyond there’s a good chance you’ve read this book, or had it read to you at some point.

We’re talking, of course, about The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Caterpillar
The book begins at birth, a little egg lay on a leaf, in the light of the moon.

One Sunday morning, in the warmth of the sun, out of the egg came a caterpillar. It was tiny. And very, very hungry.

On the first day the caterpillar ate one apple; a holepunch on the page marks the meal. But it was still hungry. The second day it ate through two pears, making two holes. But it was still hungry. Each day, it ate more, and differently, a new fruit on each new page. Every bite creating more and more holes.

And on the sixth day the caterpillar bit into all kinds of other foods; cake and cheese, pie and pickles, oh my.

With all this eating the caterpillar was no longer hungry. And no longer little. All this eating had transformed the tiny caterpillar into a big one. So the caterpillar built a cocoon around themselves, staying inside for two weeks.

Nibbling a hole in their case the creature then reemerged back into the world around. But in that time spent in the cocoon, magically, it had changed.

Sixteen legs became six.
No wings became two.

An insect, once grounded, then took flight.

As the book ends the old creature is no more. In its place stands a new creature. A bright, majestic, beautiful butterfly.

The metamorphosis, from one form, into a completely different one, was complete.

Path
The story of our savior reads similarly.

Jesus, born an infant, ate and drank and grew into adulthood, from tiny to full size, just as you and I. He was fully human after all.

As Jesus’s ministry unfolded people could tell there was something unique about the man. New life radiated from Jesus to all who were drawn to it. And a lot of people were. Enough so, that, 2,000 years later here we are, still talking about events and people long since gone.

A butterfly flapping its wings seems like such a little thing. But one small flap can create new ripples of wind, again, and again, and again. All going out from the original source. One small flap, enough to create a major weather event across the globe.

Most of the time Jesus walked the earth, among us, his light and life and truth, that people were drawn to, was more feeling, instinct, heart. All wrapped up in that still seemingly human form.

Yet change was in the air.

With each disciple gained, temptation faced, miracle performed, table turned the ripple effect, of Christ’s ministry, widened.

With every sermon delivered, tear shed, blessing given, prayer lifted, those caught up in Christ’s ripple effect changed for the better, little by little, day by day. The ripple, of a new movement, continued to spread.

Mountain
All this change, and transformation, already in process, brings Jesus and a few friends to the surprising events of Matthew 17.

Leading disciples Peter and James and John up a high mountain the human form of Jesus, seemingly, out of nowhere, transforms.

His face shone like the sun.
His clothes were brighter than bright.

And in this moment, what radiated from Christ, this light and life and truth, took on a physical nature. Transfiguring Christ into a more beautiful, spiritual state. A butterfly, seemingly, had appeared.

Suggesting, to all who were there,
Christ must be something,
beyond mere mortal.

Moses, and Elijah then enter the scene.

Suggesting God’s faithful,
from all ages,
are also included in the new.

Home
Peter, sensing a moment divine, offers to make homes for the three prophets. Imagine him looking around for building materials, right there on the spot. Ready to get the construction project started, ancient hammer in hand.

Peter desires to build a safe space, apart from the world, so they all can celebrate, and be content in the moment. His plans were not to be.

First, butterflies don’t have homes in this way. They’re travelers. The grand monarch travels distances of up to 3,000 miles, using air currents and thermals to go long distances.

Jesus said as much, saying; “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Second, a movement is just that. It requires motion, not a fixed space. Because this particular moment, of shining faces, and clothes brighter than bright was merely a small reveal of what was to come.

The moment would pass. It needed to. It had to.

For there was more learning, more growing, more transforming, in the life and ministry of Christ yet to come.

Growth
As a parent, at times my wife and I find ourselves watching Hannah and Graham grow up, wishing we could slow it down. Maybe we could bottle up all that life and energy in them we love so, lock it away, and hold onto it forever.

A few years ago, as our family of four read bedtime stories, I remember Graham, practicing the sound for words ending in ING. Ing, ing, ing, Graham and I would say, over and over and over. We put the syllable on repeat until I was sure he had this tiny reading lesson learned.

Story time now over, Graham went upstairs to brush his teeth. I then hear him parading up and down the hallway playfully shouting ing, ing, ing! He had learned, and applied, and was now having some fun with that word ending too.

I wanted to hold on to the moment forever, never letting go.
Because the moment, in all its simplicity and silliness, was beautiful.

But we can’t hold on too tightly. Our kids and grandkids and great-grandkids have more growth left to do.

Because soon enough for Graham ing, ing, ing, became sing, and ring, and playing and laughing and reading and writing, and learning and all sorts of other somethings. Somethings like loving and helping and volunteering and making a difference in this world God loves so.

At some point, our children will move from our home into their own – that’s really a thing, right? – with the chance to create and mold and help transform their own creatures into something bold, beautiful. With that the metamorphosis begins anew.

Metamorphosis
One sacred evening, in the warmth of a manger, Mary birthed a baby boy. She named him Jesus. The infant ate and drank and grew into adulthood, from tiny to full size, just as you and I. He was fully human after all.

But this baby turned boy turned adult was different. As the child grew he took in all sorts of things from his surroundings. For man does not live by bread, or drink, alone. Jesus ate and drank-in the world around him, listening to, praying with, speaking to and serving, saints and sinners alike.

Each person he encountered left transformed, never to be the same again.

All this eating and drinking in the world around led Jesus to the ultimate transformation. He endured a cross, a grave and a tomb, staying inside it for three days. With stone rolled away a new creature reemerged, back to walk the earth some more.

Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.

This we believe.

The old creature had been transformed, once and for all. In its place stood a bright, majestic, beautiful savior.

And the world would never be the same.

Close
The season of Lent brings with it language of journey, challenge, change. And with all that change comes a temptation, like Peter faced, watching Jesus’ face shine so brightly. A temptation to stop all that growth and transformation. A temptation to lock it all down, once and for all. Tying it merely to only one time. Only one place.

But when that happens we limit our faith to just –

A Christmas eve service,
An Easter day sunrise,
Or only our beliefs, as we understood them, as a child.

We see change occurring all around us at St. John’s.
We wonder, collectively, where it might lead.

As we look upon this upcoming season of change, we too, are called to lives of transformation. We too are asked to consider, what it means –

To love our neighbor, as much as we love ourselves.
To be open to those transforming, from one gender to another.
To better care for the unhoused, underfed, those chronically without.

For in Christ all things are being made new.

For in Christ we leave the old, broken creature within us behind. And instead begin to embrace our new creaturely forms. Forms majestic. Forms beautiful. Forms that radiate life. Living in perfect harmony with ourselves, our neighbors, the world.  Amen.