Last Week's Dialogue Column

Uh...I'm not sure what happened last week, but I just checked and I didn't post last week's column either. So, for those of you who don't get our church's newsletter or who just didn't get enough the first time, here it is:

Through a Glass Darkly—Rev. Chase Peeples

Two weeks ago on Sunday morning we read the account of Jesus’ transfiguration on top of a mountain. We stood with Jesus at this literal and spiritual high point in his ministry and considered what lay ahead. For Jesus, Jerusalem lay ahead, the place where he would suffer and die to demonstrate the extent of God’s love for humanity. Our journey with Jesus to Jerusalem is called Lent. In this time, we consider the violence and selfishness of human actions which lead to suffering for so many in our world. We also consider the places in our own lives where we through commission and omission cause pain for others and ourselves. Thanks be to God that the cross is not the final destination of our journey. The empty tomb is where our journey ends, and the resurrection stands as the ultimate demonstration that God can redeem all of our wrong-headed and selfish choices.

This past Sunday, our Lenten journey took us into the wilderness with Jesus. There we witnessed Jesus’ responses to temptations that would have enabled him to control the environment and the people around him. Rather than controlling others, Jesus chose to serve others and even to suffer on their behalf. By following Jesus’ example, we too can give up trying to control others by viewing them only as instruments for our convenience, through our attempts making them into carbon copies of ourselves or by using our religion to draw attention away from God and towards us. With Christ’s help, we can give up our vain efforts at control for Lent—both as individuals and as a church community.

On the coming Sundays, we will have more opportunities to give things up as we follow Jesus towards Jerusalem. I hope you will be a part of the journey.

My Lenten challenge still stands. I have challenged the membership of First Christian Church to be present in worship during Lent—provided you are physically and geographically able to do so. I know the snow kept many folks away this past Sunday, but even so, we had a nice turnout. I expect to see more of you this week. Worship is just not as good without you.

Grace and Peace

Chase