I have two questions for you today. The first is the question that Jesus
asks the disciples: “Who do you say that I AM?” Peter, by the power of
the Holy Spirit, gives this profound answer: “You are the Messiah the
Son of the Living God.”
At that moment, this was an incredibly radical statement – proclaiming
this guy from Nazareth wasn’t just a rabbi or a teacher but the Messiah
of the World. For those of us that have grown up in or settled into the
Christian tradition, it no longer feels radical. Like Peter, we proclaim
that truth that Jesus, son of Mary, Son of God, is our Redeemer, Messiah
and the Savior of the World. As they say on game shows: “Good
Answer! Good Answer.” Don’t misunderstand me. It is good to have
faith as a part of our heritage and baked into our DNA. It’s just that part
of my job is to remind you that what you proclaim can be and I dare say
needs to be transformational - which is why I’m asking you a second
question.
After having proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living
God, what difference does that make in your life?
Paul appeals to the Romans and to all believers, then and now, that on
the basis of God’s Mercy, to allow our faith in Jesus Christ, our Messiah
and Savior, transform our lives. Every Day.
But before we talk about transformation – look again at what we are
basing our transformation upon: God’s mercies.
God’s Mercy is the Rock to which Isaiah called the people of Israel to
cling. God’s mercy is revealed to the Psalmist as God’s steadfast love
and faithfulness which lasts forever. It is God’s Mercies of love and
grace and forgiveness which is the Rock on which we as faithful people
stand. As we will sing, “On Christ, the Solid Rock we stand.” Nothing
else is our foundation – nothing that we make or value or treasure is
above Jesus. Not even our church building. It is Jesus Christ – and
God’s Mercies.
Jesus, the embodiment of God’s love and mercy is our sure foundation.
And it is because we have this strong and solid foundation that we are
able to not only proclaim the Jesus Christ is Lord of all, but we are also
able to risk letting that proclamation make a difference in our lives.
Paul even urges us “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” So
what does that mean? Paul writes in a time in which animal sacrifice was
common. But Paul is not recommending killing ourselves or anyone else
but rather urging us to offer our whole living selves– body, mind and
spirit -- to God as a response to God’s loving mercies. As we proclaim
in our baptism, “we belong to Christ, in whom we are baptized.” This
means that God is the ONE to whom we owe our whole selves, the One
to whom we owe our loyalty and allegiance.
There are other entities that want to be first in our allegiance and loyalty.
That was true in Paul’s day and it is true now and so Paul’s words to the
Romans are good words for us too. He writes, “Do not be conformed to
this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that
you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and
acceptable and perfect.
That is a powerful sentence – write it down. Memorize it if you can.
Because this is our challenge in this day and age. We are bombarded
with messages about what to buy, who to trust, which “side” we are on,
and what is true and right and good. Some people make their living
being “influencers” trying to persuade others to buy this. Think that.
Watch this. You NEED this to be better, more beautiful or more
successful, or just more. Some of the influencers are not even human!
“Bots” are sending you messages. The airwaves are full of influencers
and messaging and it can be overwhelming. No, it IS overwhelming. But
it doesn’t have to be.
Last month I spent a few days hiking and camping in a Wilderness area
of Colorado with my traveling companion. For four days, my phone was
only my camera, capturing images of mountain flowers, rocks and trees
and no longer a device that sent me any messages. My ears were filled
instead with the sounds of birds singing, frogs croaking, cicadas chirping
and the wind whispering in the trees.
God’s creation is a beautiful antidote to the noise of the world. And you
don’t even have to go into the wilderness - we have parks and lakes and
flowers right here – look at the amazing collection of flowers around the
church, thanks to the Hennepin County Horticulural society and
Robbinsdale diggers. So take breath. Stop for a moment. Notice God’s
creation.
And then read again this line: Do not be conformed to this age, but be
transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern
what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Paying attention to God’s creation can help us set aside the noise of the
world, to silence the phone, turn off the TV and computer, lay down the
newspaper and messages – and be renewed by the power of God’s Word
and simply take some time in prayer and silence to be with God. This is
how we discern the will of God – what is good and acceptable and
perfect.
Because God is not just calling us away to hide in the mountains – even
though a retreat is a wonderful thing. God is calling us to live in this
world as the BODY of CHRIST.
Paul writes to the Romans to “not think of yourself more highly as you
ought to think” – in other words – don’t exalt yourself and in doing so
put someone else down in an effort to justify how good you are. That
can be a problem for us too – when instead of grading papers, we label
kids as “A-Students” or failing students – or we label people as good or
bad based on the color of their skin or where they are born. At the same
time, I think it can also be a problem when people think too little of
themselves. You all, each one of you, is a child of God, God’s beloved,
and you ALL have many gifts to offer. And that “You ALL” applies not
only to the people in this room but to all of God’s beloved children.
Paul talks about us as being one body – the body of Christ. And all of
the parts of the body are not only valuable but needed and wanted.
Notice the gifts that Paul mentions. We are tempted to exalt gifts such as
leading and teaching. But look – cheerfulness is also a gift that you can
share. So is being compassionate. Sincerity is a gift. Encouragement is a
gift. Giving is a gift. Together we have these gifts. Does Paul exalt one
over the other? No. And neither should we.
Instead, let us remember that all that we are, all that we have, all that we
hope to be is a result of God’s mercies of love and grace and
forgiveness. God’s mercies are what transforms us here at Faith-Lilac
Way, at the church down the street and across the country and around the
world into being the body of Christ and gives us the courage to use the
gifts that God has given to us – not for our own sake – but for God’s
mission.
What is that mission? Jesus calls us to care for God’s children that some
call “the least of these” – those who are poor, vulnerable, sick, hungry or
in need. We are called us to encourage one another, show compassion,
give, teach and proclaim God’s love and God’s way so that we are all
transformed into being and acting as the body of Christ – every day.
Brothers and sisters, siblings in Christ, today as we pray our affirmation
of faith proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God,
what difference will that make in your life? My prayer for myself and
for you all is that on the basis of God’s Mercies of love and grace, may
we allow our faith in Jesus Christ, our Messiah and Savior, our Rock and
foundation to transform our lives to BE the Body of Christ. Every Day.
Amen.