Having considered the familiar where we are, we now raise our vision to the horizon and ask, “Where are we going?” Perhaps a better question is, “Who are we becoming?” Living in the light of the epiphany of the incarnated Christ, we are called to become more—more as individuals certainly, but also more as a community. In Part 2 of the “Where You Are” series, we will look at aspects of this beloved community and consider if this describes who we are and who we want to be. Some of this is within our grasp already, and we celebrate our strengths. But some of it may seem like a far horizon as we seek the Spirit’s strength to grow into our calling as the body of Christ.
Left Everything and Followed (February 9, 2025)
We are talking about priorities this week. In what do we put our trust? By what scale do we measure our value? This could be a day for a statement of faith to remind us where our allegiance lies. Like Peter in the boat, we have the opportunity to leave everything and follow Jesus—or to reaffirm our commitment to follow unhesitatingly.\
Rejoice in that Day (February 16, 2025)
We are familiar with the Beatitudes, Matthew’s version of these sayings from Jesus. We aren’t as well versed in the Sermon on the Plain, which is our text for this week. There is some overlap between the two, of course, but there are also some significant differences. We tend to turn to these sayings for comfort, to find blessings in our everyday life. Certainly, we can still do that. But there is more in these words, and some of it is a little hard to take. “Rejoice in that day,” Jesus says, not about good things that happen, but about suffering, about being hated, about being rejected. This is not something we want to feel joy about. So, what is the invitation that Jesus issues here and how do we practice that as we worship?
Do to Others (February 23, 2025)
You might argue that listening is something we do well. We gather week by week and listen to sermons, listen to the choir sing, and listen to the leaders guide us through the liturgy. But are we really listening? When Jesus says, “I say to you that listen,” he is asking for something more than people hearing words. He is asking for engagement, for what some call “active listening.” Some of the things he asks of us are hard to hear. “Love your enemies” isn’t something that sits easily on our ears. So, how do we make space for active listening to the word for today?
Astounded at the Greatness (March 2, 2025)
Transfiguration is about astonishment. It is about amazement. It is about awe. It’s something that might be hard to capture in worship in your overly familiar sanctuary with the people you know so well. So, how do we capture this sense in our weekly expression of worship? We sing it. And we see it. Art is probably the best way to evoke a sense of awe. This week, then, let us find the hymns that speak of the wonder of Christ, the amazing love, the transforming grace, the constant presence. There might not be a long list of familiar Transfiguration hymns, but there are many in praise of the Christ who was revealed.
Originally published by Discipleship Ministries. Republished with permission by ResourceUMC.