When I was a freshman in high school, I got confirmed in the Spring. I went to a camp, not church, and was bullied pretty bad. The last night was the breaking point, as two older boys and another freshman just kept piling it on. I ran up the hill to the bathrooms and prayed maybe my first real prayer, asking God to stop this. I was wailing, but as far as I remember, no one was around. When I got back to the dance, another senior saw what was happening and took my under his wing and helped me have some fun. The next morning, the camp was big that we had a bus filled up and a car to carry some of the campers. In the car was the three guys who picked on me. They invited me into the car. Now, any sane and reasonable guy would have said no or ignored them and got on the bus. I got into the car. If the adult driving was a 'let the boys be boys' type, the three hour drive would have been a nightmare piled onto week from H-E-double toothpicks. However, on the ride home, we somehow became friends and it changed the experience for me. First time I understood that prayer had some power. I remembering asking my pastor about God answering prayers and he responded about how bees or butterflies couldn't fly unless God was there to help them.
When I was in seminary, we had one class, an elective, not required on spiritual practices. A few of us students tried to do gather on Tuesday evenings to try some spiritual practices. But the focus was on scholarship of Biblical interpretation and theologies, professionalism, and how to care for people. Only one class on worship and preaching as well. Many mainline churches, including the United Church of Christ, have not put a lot of emphasis on spiritual practices or the gifts of the Spirit. We are slowing changing and working on it. I will continue to invite you to different spiritual practices, not because I am an expert, but because I want to grow in them (I hope you do to) and I don't think I can grow very much without doing this with you. For we are: the body of Christ.
In today's scripture, Jesus comes back from being baptized by John in the Jordan and on his journey home he spends forty days in the wilderness and was tempted as to find what kind of messiah he was going to be. He started healing and preaching and teaching and began to have a reputation that his hometown crowd heard about what he did. He tells that this Isaiah scripture, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.." is fulfilled in their hearing. This amazes some in the synagogue and angers others.
What will be happening tomorrow is the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump who embodies the worst tendencies of humanity and is filling his cabinet and leadership with those who are willing to follow him to hold onto the powers and principalities of Christian nationalism, white patriarchal supremacy, and gluttony, as in greed is good, as well as sexism, homophobia, and destruction of nature. We can't fight fire with fire, hate with hate, or denying their humanity as they try to deny ours and others. We will follow the path of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.
As a Just Peace church, an Open and Affirming church, we can't ignore what is going on. As I pointed out in my pastor's column this weekend, in our denominations sacraments and rites of baptisms, our confirmations, and welcoming our new members, we are asked if we will join with the church, local and wider, to resist oppression and evil and work for justice and to show love. It is the calling of any church and any Christian because today in scripture, Jesus said this is being fulfilled through him and those who follow him. May the Spirit of the Lord continue to descend upon us, blow through us, nudge us, heal us, and fill us with the love of God and the calling of Christ. Amen.
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