Month: February 2021

Our epistle for this week is 1 Peter 3:18-22.

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you— not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Peter is a first-person resource for the subject of forgiveness. This brash disciple who claimed he would follow Jesus to death didn’t even make it past the challenge of those who recognized him as one of Jesus’ followers, denying that he even knew Him. This failure was crushing, but Peter was repentant and Christ forgave him.

This is what Jesus came to teach us and do for us. He is well aware of our human frailty and our tendency to put ourselves first. Through His love and lessons we see that He always put others first, being willing to die that we may live eternally.

Jesus understands when we are embarrassed, pressured and afraid. Peter experienced all of these and although his first response was failure, it was not his final response. Jesus teaches us that even though we fail, through repentance we can be forgiven and restored.

Loving Lord, we bring our brokenness to You for relief and release. Help us to see that You came to overcome our wrongdoing and lead us to reconciliation with God. Amen.

Our scripture today is Psalm 51:1-12.

Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness; According to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings. Wash me thoroughly from my guilt And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my wrongdoings, And my sin is constantly before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in guilt, And in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in secret You will make wisdom known to me. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, Let the bones You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins And wipe out all my guilty deeds. Create in me a clean heart, God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the church season of Lent. It is a time when we are called to examine our lives and ask forgiveness for our failings. Confessing our sins is never pleasant, but it is the only way to get back on the path God intends for us.

Over the next 40 days we will have a chance to explore our relationship with God and renew our commitment to the tasks He has given us. If you check the calendar, it’s still more than 40 days until Easter – Sundays aren’t part of the count. Martin Luther said “every Sunday is a little Easter”. It reminds us that while we are called to look at things we have done wrong, there is hope.

With the assurance of pardon when we admit our faults, we can live in the love God sends and do our part to share that love in a hurting and often difficult world. Confession is a hard thing but it heals the separation between us and our Creator. Ask Him to forgive you and He will welcome you back to the connection for which we were made.

Loving Lord, renew our spirits and give us loving hearts to minister to all your children. Make us the people You want to share the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our Old Testament lesson is Genesis 9:8-17.

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

God makes a covenant with Noah and all living things when they have come out of the ark, sealed with the sign of the rainbow. It is His promise to never again destroy the world by flood. God is giving His creation another chance.

God has made covenants with us many times during our history, calling us into a relationship with Him. As with Noah, many of these were with individuals (Abraham, Moses, David) but God has also made covenants with His people as a whole, promising Israel a place and offering us eternal life through the New Covenant in Christ.

God makes a covenant with us that we might better understand His love and our responsibility to share that love in the world. A covenant reminds us that God is in control and regardless of earthly events, His promise is unchanging. When we put our trust in Him, we are empowered to be His representatives, sent out under His covenant to minister to everyone.

Loving Lord, we are thankful for Your gifts and Your promise given that we might share the blessing with all Your children. Help us remember our promise to live under Your covenant forever. Amen.

Our call to worship is Psalm 25:1-5.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

The Psalms are full of the depth of human emotion and experience. We hear praise to God, cries for help, confession and prayers for forgiveness. While there are common themes among the Psalms, each expresses a unique situation of connecting with our Heavenly Father.

This Psalm speaks of trust in the Lord, following His paths and the hope of salvation in Him. Jesus was intimately familiar with all Scripture and according to Matthew 27:46 was praying Psalm 22 as He died for us on the cross. Jesus knew that even in His suffering, God was there.

As we enter the season of Lent, we are called to a time of self examination and repentance, preparing us for the joy of His resurrection on Easter. I invite you to join us in studying the Penitential Psalms, a group of scriptures that deal with repentance and reconciliation. Each Monday in Lent we will read one of these Psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 & 138), and explore how they lead us to a deeper relationship with God through Christ.

Wise and wonderful God, we often encounter difficult situations and our actions toward each other don’t always reflect Your love and Your image in each of us. Hear our prayer and lead us to see the face of Jesus in all of Your children. Amen.

Our Gospel this week is Mark 9:2-9, taken today from the New International Version (NIV).

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Transfigured is a word we don’t encounter often in everyday conversation. The dictionary tells us it means “transformed into something more beautiful or elevated”. While this definition gives us an idea about the word, it doesn’t fit the context of what is happening in our scripture passage.

Jesus wasn’t changed, the disciples were finally able to see Him as He is. It is a wonderful but frightening experience for them, seeing Jesus in His glory, conversing with Moses, who had brought them God’s law, and Elijah, the greatest of their prophets. This connection is important for Jesus has told them “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

The disciples may see Jesus differently after this lesson. He shared this experience to help us understand who He is and what God has asked of Him. Jesus is unchanging but He has come to change us, that we might all have eternal life with Him.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son that we might be saved. Help us to accept the change needed in our lives, to go and tell the world what You have done for us. Amen.

Our Gospel lesson is Mark 9:2-9, taken today from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

And six days later Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here; let’s make three tabernacles, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For he did not know how to reply; for they became terrified. Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him!” And suddenly they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead.

Jesus took Peter, James and John up to the mountaintop and they experienced something no one else had. Jesus shared something special with them for His purpose, but they were overwhelmed by what they saw. Then “He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead” (v. 9).

Why wouldn’t He want them to say anything about this? Because at that time, it was for them alone and no one else would see the meaning of the experience. Jesus gives us lessons and gifts that we may not understand immediately, but there is a purpose behind each thing we are taught.

One of our blessings from Christ is the things He shares with us and we respond through our obedience to His instructions. Jesus knows us each individually and all of us as a whole. While we may not see the benefit of His lessons and gifts right now, we can be sure He has given us what we need to carry on His ministry.

Loving Lord, we are humbled that You want us to be part of Your plan. Help us to receive Your gifts, accept the call You place on our lives and go to share Your love with everyone. Amen.

Our Gospel this week is Mark 9:2-9, taken today from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transfigured in front of them, and his clothes became dazzling—extremely white as no launderer on earth could whiten them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here. Let’s set up three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— because he did not know what to say, since they were terrified. A cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him!” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

We often refer to spiritually enriching times in our lives as “mountaintop” experiences. That phrase could be taken from this Gospel lesson, referring to the joy and awe the disciples felt being in Jesus’ presence as His glory was revealed to them. These events are wonderful to recall and encourage us to continue our faith journey.

While the mountaintop is a marvelous place to bask in His love, it is not where we live. Our lives and our duty are back down in the “real world” where there are people in need of hearing the Good News. Jesus brings us to the mountaintop to refresh and energize us before sending us back to our mission field.

Like the disciples, Jesus has chosen each one of us to be part of His work here on earth. While we may not have the same wondrous experience they did, we are blessed just as they were with the gifts necessary to share Christ with the world. Enjoy time on the mountaintop but take that love and care back with you to share with all God’s children.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for the times when we share the joy of Your glory. Help us to remember these experiences and use them to ignite our work in Your name. Amen.

Our Gospel for this week is Mark 9:2-9, taken today from the English Standard Version (ESV).

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Jesus takes three of His closest friends to a mountaintop where they witness an extraordinary transformation of Jesus’ appearance and a meeting with Moses and Elijah. They are amazed as any of us would be by seeing their teacher in this way. Jesus gave them this wonderful experience but it only lasts for a short time and then they make their way back down.

Jesus showed them a glimpse of His glory and the joy they will know when He returns for us. However, they still have a mission to accomplish here on earth, to continue learning from Him until it is time for them to accept the responsibility to carry on His ministry. He tells them not to share what they have seen until after His resurrection.

Jesus shows us that we are gifted differently according to God’s plan for us. He took Peter, James and John with Him because this lesson was intended for them. We receive the gifts and knowledge needed for our individual calling, but we all receive the full measure of God’s love.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of knowledge we are each given for Your purpose. Help us to share our gift with all Your children that the world may know Your love. Amen.

Our Epistle lesson is 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.

But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake. For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

Paul writes to the church in Corinth about the Gospel being hidden by worldly powers. Earthly forces cannot deny the truth of Christ but they try desperately to keep people from hearing the Good News. We are charged to stand against these efforts, challenging the world to acknowledge its sin and turn to Jesus.

How can we hope to defeat the enemies of the Gospel? Not by our own strength but only with the love of God. We are called to tell others about what He has done in our lives and help them hear His promise.

God has given the gifts needed to spread the Good News, providing us the opportunity and the energy to testify to His mercy and love. He has placed His trust in us to continue what Jesus taught. We are His representatives, commissioned by Christ to make disciples of all people.

Gracious God, we are humbled that You choose us to be part of Your plan of salvation. Bless us to go into the world to share Your love. Amen.

Our Old Testament lesson this week is 2 Kings 2:1-12.

“When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on. Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.”

Old Testament lessons are sometimes difficult to put into perspective. In this story Elijah is about to be taken into heaven, and it pains his student Elisha to lose him. Even though Elijah knows this is coming, he continues about the Lord’s work and though he instructs Elisha to stay, he follows.

Before Elijah is taken up, Elisha asks for a double portion of his spirit. Elisha knows he will need God’s help to carry on the mission he inherits, and God blesses him with that gift. After Elijah is gone, Elisha is able to part the Jordan just as his master did, a demonstration that his faithfulness has been blessed.

We need to learn to ask for what we need without overstating or thinking we can do it alone. We can never do without God’s support and we can always go to Him with our requests. God’s gifts are given in love that we may do His will.

Loving Lord, we are thankful for the ways You bless us and teach us. Help us to use Your gifts well for the good of all Your people. Amen.