Your Light Shines

I liked to walk in the rain, being out in the rain was soothing, I was out in the world, a part of it, but also finding solitude. I have struggled most of my life with depression. In seminary, I was struggling with everything, especially wondering about my place in the world and if I was 'good enough.' One time I was out walking, and there was a tree that I would sometimes sit under to try to relax and slow down. It was raining so not a lot of people were around, they were inside staying dry. That evening, I poured my heart out to God, telling them how things didn't seem to be going well, how I felt inadequate, and my struggles. I don't know how long I did that but I was sobbing at the end. All of a sudden, I heard a twig snap behind me like someone was behind me and felt a presence. My head looked up and it had stopped raining and everything was perfectly still, no rain, no cars, no people. I felt all the emotions just drain away from me in that moment and I felt, really felt the peace that passes all understanding. It was amazing!! Amazing!!

The next couple weeks, I imagine my eyes were spinning and popping out of my head and I was telling everyone this great peace that I experienced. After a while it kind of faded, and my worries and all that came back. I had forgotten about it after a while, because it didn't last and all my problems didn't melt away.

We had a short story today and if you picked up the Bible and continued to read the story, you would hear that Jesus and the three would come down the mountain and find that the rest were struggling to heal a child and Jesus gets frustrated with them because of their unbelief and inability to help people. Jesus before this story tells them that he is the Messiah and that the Messiah has to be killed. Peter is like, "No Way! This is not the way." Jesus replies, "You are wrong Peter, this is the Way!"

Up on that mountain, Jesus is talking with Moses and Elijah, who represented the history of God's relationship with Israel. Peter, James, and John are there to represent the future of the church. The cloud descends on them, reminding all of when Moses led the people out of Egypt and slavery and God's presence descended on the Mount Sinai, the Ark of the Covenant, and out in the wilderness. A voice, God's voice speaks out, "This is my beloved! Listen to him!" And then, the disciples are alone with Jesus and it's time to descend and go back to the world.

You are loved! You are loved! What is our reaction to when you are told that? Some of us will respond with bravado, "Dang right I am loved!" believe we are entitled to the love, but scared that it can be lost. Some of us will respond with, "Yea, well, maybe, but you don't know..." thinking we aren't worthy or enough. Some of us will smile and maybe respond that I am love, all are loved, because we can trust in that and believe in that even when things aren't perfect, especially when they aren't perfect.

I have tried to get that peace that passes all understanding back. I have found it in small doses and in small ways, but the Spirit blows where it will. But as God tells the disciples, breathing in that peace, that mountaintop isn't our goal. My calling was not to sit under that tree. Peter, James, and John wanted to stay on that mountain, but were led away from it. Our goal is to listen and follow. It is to heal and love. It is to find our people, our community, and go together to transform the world. We start with our hearts, our minds, our souls, and our bodies, loving God, loving neighbors, and loving ourselves. We open ourselves to God's light by being still at times, then we set out to share it with the world. Amen.

A Tale of Two Females

In a book called, "The Year of Living Biblically" by A.J. Jacobs, he tried to follow all 435 commands found in the Torah or Pentateuch. One of those commands was that you couldn't touch a woman while she was having her period so he wouldn't hug, kiss, or hold the hand of his wife during her cycle. She learned that he couldn't sit where she sat, so when she became frustrated with him she would sit on every piece of furniture in the house so he would have to stand or sit on the floor the whole day. We don't know what kind of hemorrhaging this woman in the crowd was suffering, but for her to be so afraid of Jesus and the crowd that she didn't ask for healing, but just touched his cloak and had faith that she would be made well, we have to assume that she has spent twelve long years not being able to hug, kiss, or hold hands with her family and friends. This physical and social isolation seems to be more damaging as she persisted with this illness for twelve ...

Covenant of the United Church of Christ

That they may all be one! This was the dream of the these different denominations and churches coming together in 1957. That they may all be one! While many denominations were splitting and continually finding reasons that they couldn't be siblings with those Christians over there, a group of mainline Protestant leaders came together that united and uniting was the future of the Church. Yes, it was mainly four major denominations which are: 1. Congregational 2. Christian 3. Reformed (German) and 4. Evangelical Synod (Lutheran). There were many other smaller groups that joined as well, that included Back, Native, and Hungarian. But if you look at the first General Synod picture, it was pretty much white, middle class men. With global communication becoming easier, travel, television, and the United Nations, they had a dream and vision that all Christians could live together, worship together, and be one as we are one in God with Christ. That they may all be one! is the United Churc...

Sabbath

In the Five Books of Moses where also known as the? (Pentateuch) What was the last thing written of the Pentateuch, the last story? Hint: it was a poem. (The First Creation Story) The Seven Day Creation Story was put in its final form, the first time it was written down was while the people of Israel were in the diaspora spread throughout the Babylonian Empire in the sixth century BCE. It became widely shared because the prophet Jeremiah told the people to marry amongst the people wherever they were at and to settle in. Yes one day, they would return to the towns and Jerusalem, but for now, continue to live. The people of the nation of Judah were there for about seventy years, so there were a couple of generations happening and their children and grandchildren were forgetting their language, their heritage, and their God. Then, the poem about God creating the world in seven days was used as a reminder, a balm, and a way to remember who and whose they were. It centered on the sabba...

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