February 7, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sixth Sunday of the
New Year
“Transfiguration
Sunday”
Scouting Sunday
All Scripture is
from the AMP Bible
Ephesians 5:1-2
Romans 12:1-2
Luke 9:28-36
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Metamorphosisize?”
Prayer for the
Spirit’s leading…
A
reading from the Gospel of Luke, chapter nine, verses twenty-eight through
thirty-six…listen to the Word’s of Life from God to you and me, new creations
in Christ…
How many of you have ever heard of Transformers?
They are pretty cool. They are one thing at one moment and then something
completely different the next. They kind of morph…so to speak…from one thing to
the next. I think it would be pretty cool to be a transformer. I could be
completely changed from one thing to the next in the blink of an eye…
Most times change or metamorphosisizing…that’s right, I made up my own word… takes a
long time. Look at the butterfly; it takes a long time for it to become a
beautiful feather on the wind. They start out as a caterpillar crawling on the
ground. They live like that for a while and then it is time to begin the
metamorphose of their lives. They crawl up a tree and cocoon themselves…can you imagine how they must feel. It must
feel like have passed before they get to this point. Then they
wait…morphing…changing until one day they break free and are the beautiful
creatures we get to enjoy as fly on the wind displaying Gods beauty for all to
see.
This whole Metamorphosisizing…what would it look
like in our lives if we too could change from one thing to the next? How can we
transform ourselves into something that is yet to be?
OK…so, we have epiphanies, about who God is as we
remember our baptism when we remember also Jesus’ baptism in the waters of the
Jordan River. As we sit by the well of God’s never ending goodness we can drink
deep of the life-giving water resting assured that God is always there even if
we don’t perceive His presence as we travel the road of least resistance…that being the road of God not of man.
As we follow that road we will be transformed…transfigured into who God has
created us to be.
Wait…wait…transformed…transfigured?
What is that all about? I kind of like who I am already and now I am going to
be transformed? It’s OK…it only hurts a little…
Today…in the Christian Calendar…we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday. This is the last
Sunday of the year that is right before we begin the pilgrimage of Lent…how interesting that we celebrate this
Sunday now just before Jesus transfigured the world with His sacrifice on the
cross for ALL of humanity…
As I read the Luke scripture that talks about Jesus
being transfigured I can only imagine what the disciples that were with Him
thought. Jesus’ appearance changed and it may have been a little scary for
them. All the sudden He shined with all this light around Him and His clothing
was probably so bright they had a hard time focusing on the scene before them.
Then Moses and Elijah showed up and they were shining pretty well themselves
with glory. Then the voice…the voice from
the cloud…the voice of God telling them who Jesus was and that they should
do as He has taught them to do…how
frightened and awed at the same time they must have been?
Change can be scary at times but in most
cases…change for the better…change for our purpose…change for God is better
than changing for the world… Romans 12:1-2 tells us:
12 [a]Therefore I urge you, [b]brothers and sisters, by
the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set
apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your
rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to
this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be
[c]transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the
renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that
you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].(AMP)
We change because we are thankful and worship God
for all He has done…is doing…or will ever do. It truly is an act of worship to and for Him. By turning from the
world…making that change…that shift of our focus…we will hear God…we will know
His will for our lives…we will shut out the noise and listen to the quiet voice
of love and mercy.
Jesus showed humanity the way. He was the original
but the world was and is not one to play “follow the leader”. Humanity seems to
think that in order to be affective you need to “reinvent the wheel.” But the
way of Christ followers is something completely different. Ephesians 5:1-2
tells us:
“Therefore
become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved
children [imitate their father]; 2 and walk continually in love [that is, value
one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for
others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering
and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.”
We
have it easy…all we have to do is to follow what Jesus did in His ministry. We
don’t have to change anything…just follow what is already written. All we have
to do is to do is love others and love God as Jesus did. As a matter of
fact…Jesus loved and honored God so much that He didn’t think of Himself equal
to God and emptied Himself of His deity and became a fragrant offering for
something that He didn’t do but what humanity did and still continues to do. It
really is that simple…allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewing of our
minds…not minds of this world but minds of the next…
The
disciples were just every day ordinary men and women, just like you and me…nothing
special about them. They were sinners and tax collectors. They were outcasts in
their society. But…but…they were transformed…they
allowed themselves to be recreated…transfigured so to speak…into men and women
of faith and the church began…
Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, they are a new creation; old things have passed
away; behold, all things have become new.
Amen
February 7, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sixth Sunday of the New Year
“Transfiguration Sunday”
Scouting Sunday
All Scripture is from the AMP Bible
Ephesians 5:1-2
Romans 12:1-2
Luke 9:28-36
2 Corinthians 5:17
and sermon, “Metamorphosisize?”
(title was “Metamorphosis” in the bulletin)
text:
video:
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon
blog
meditation
blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Children’s
Message
“Scout
Promise/Scout Law”
by
Beth Martin and Scouts
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
January
31, 2016
&
January 24, 2016
Fourth Sunday of the New Year
Luke 4:14-21
Psalm 19
Habakkuk 4:17-19
Matthew 19:26
James 1:2-3
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
Hebrews 4:16
All scripture is from the Amplified Bible)
and sermon, “A Time of Trial. . .”
text:
video:
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
January
24, 2016
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usage. See all 40,960+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
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