Changing
O God, we ask of you today that we may be disciples of the Messiah and that our lives might be transformed by your love and grace. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
It would have been much easier if Jesus had just asked a simple question like "Do you want mayo or tartar sauce with that fish sandwich?" or “You want fries with that?”
We get asked perfunctory questions like that each and every day and we quickly come to an answer, because we don't have to invest much of ourselves in answering. And there's relatively little shame in either option that we pick. Choosing ‘neither’ as an answer does not have a lifetime consequence.
But being a follower of Jesus isn't like that. Jesus doesn't banter pleasantries with a fast food server, but goes right for the meaty questions that have consequences for the long haul. Paul doesn't either. Today's question from Romans is basically: "are you willing to transform your life for Jesus?"
Wow. Not a little bit of change. Not a half-hearted attendance at a worship service. To be sure, those steps are appreciated, but what this is, is a
in-your-face,
slamdown,
question.
A little history, here. Paul’s letter to the Romans is the last letter he wrote, around the year 60 AD, and it asks a question before any of the Gospels were written down. That might be news to some, but it simply means that in the oral tradition of the time, people told the stories about Jesus, before they were part of the written word.
This question Paul asks must be really important.
Why?
Paul is writing this letter to people he hasn’t even met yet. He is setting the tone for what he believes is a reasonable expectation for a follower of Jesus.
The mission, should you choose to accept it, is to use the gifts God gave you to make a difference here and now on this earth.
Please realize that it's not the gifts you may want God to give you; you may not become a social influencer or the town philanthropist.
The Spirit will pick. The Spirit will help and will choose the strengths you receive as a follower of Christ.
And doesn't that make us humble? Knowing that we must trust that God gives us the tools we need at the time we need them. Like clay, that is molded into something useful and beautiful, we will be transformed by the gifts of the Spirit.
To be honest, I’d much rather struggle with the question Jesus asked of his disciples today. Jesus is asking the question to his community because he is starting that journey towards Jerusalem. Things are getting tense, but the disciples do not yet understand the ramifications of the question Jesus is asking, or that he is heading towards eventual death and Resurrection. They don’t know that they are headed for really hard times.
Paul, however, knows how the Jesus story turns out. He’s already spent time in prison for his faith and his vision is tempered by hindsight. His question comes with an underlying expectation. We all have a vocation that God will give each and every one of us and our job is to live out that transformation.
Are we willing to change our lives for Christ?
Are you willing to change your life for Christ?\
Am I willing to change my life for Christ?
What would that look like? Over the past several months, we have seen worship services change. We have different expectations for social gathering. We are interacting in different ways with our community. Sometimes our church walls have been replaced by a digital space. Some of us have grown in our faith through injury, or illness, and others are responding by knowing that there is a new job or adventure waiting for us as the school year starts.
This translates into concrete action. Pam, for instance, has the patience to teach middle school kids science. Our St. John's children help their families. Annie's Acres is a labor that provides healthy local food to others. Corky has spent years opening the church up each Sunday morning. I could go on and on about the labors that each of you do for the community of St. John’s and for the community at large.
I could not do what any of you do. I don't have the structure or the skill set to do everything. And our congregation is filled with many many unique and different gifts, from ordering Scrip to praying without ceasing. The Spirit can use your gifts in ways that matter and build God’s Kingdom here and now.
Building the Kingdom and following Paul’s question to its conclusion is a hard ask. It's a change to put God in charge when our work is tedious or unfamiliar.
Change is never easy. Simon is renamed Peter in today’s Gospel as an indicator that his life as Simon the fisherman was going to be changed, transformed, and his life would never be the same again.
This also is not about one choice we make being good and another being bad. Change isn’t always binary. While my life hasn't actually turned out the way I have planned, and there has been pain along the way, I hear from Marcia that I am a wiser man than I was when we were married. Along the way I’ve asked questions as doubts crept into my life and I tried to negotiate just how much God wanted me to change. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve asked for forgiveness. I’ve stumbled.
What I have learned is that God can handle those questions I ask . God will help you dig deep and face your worries honestly and wholly. While you will not always be satisfied with the answers to the questions you receive, that intent to live your life by following the way of Jesus will be a mark that shines forth.
Are you willing to change your life for Jesus?
We ask this question when we renew our Baptismal Vows.
We ask this question for ourselves as we help those who are unjustly accused or unfairly incarcerated.
We ask this question of our children and grandchildren as we try to raise them in the faith.
Are you willing to change your life for Jesus?
The answer, then, must be tempered with the grace of the Spirit and the recognition of the talents of our community. Our response must allow others to tell us, with love, of both our strengths and our weaknesses. As we are many parts of this one Universal Church, I ask you today to consider yes to God as we are asked to answer the call.
Are you willing to change your life for Jesus?
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