Mount Olivet UMC

The Oxford Dictionary says to be reconciled to another is to have "friendly relations" restored. As we know it, reconciliation can feel to be a human act, between feuding individuals or communities. But the Apostle Paul has another take on reconciliation. In our scripture reading he writes that "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Godself," meaning, that if we truly want to be reconciled to one another, we first recognize that we have been reconciled to God, by God, and not by our own hand. And this flips how we approach reconciliation as individuals and communities.

We focus on repentance today, of turning away from sin and in the words of Isaiah “learning to do good and seek justice.” We repent of our collective and individual complicity and perpetuation of racial injustice in our spheres of influence. May God challenge and comfort us in our wilderness sojourn.

Today is the first Sunday in our forty-day journey toward Easter. We trade the Alleluia's of worship for purple linens throughout the sanctuary. We trade the bright light of Epiphany for fasting and repentance. Today is also the first Sunday in our congregational study, examining racism in our lives, in the life of our congregation, and beyond. In the words of Jemar Tisby, today we begin to open a door to "explore the possibilities of a world in which racism does not define so much of our reality." Rather, over the coming weeks we will explore how we can celebrate differences while not using "them to dismiss or dehumanize." We pray this time of worship will be a blessing to you

As Jesus was transfigured before his disciples, the church (yesterday, today, and tomorrow) is transformed, transfigured by God’s grace, being made new in Christ Jesus.

We live in an exhausting world, but Jesus has –and is –the antidote. From The Message, Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired?  Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me   and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me –watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Are you tired? Worn out? Jesus’ grace comes with a peace that restores...

The light we bear is not our own; thus, our effectiveness is not entirely up to us.

As we continue to explore Epiphany together, we find Jesus today preaching to those who have begun to follow him. The sermon includes the beatitudes, the reminders that the peacemakers, the justice seekers, the meek are the ones who are blessed. Jesus gives us an idea of his priorities, revealing that his is a teacher as well as an active agent of God’s justice and kin-dom building in the world.

What does it look like to follow the call of God in 2023? Will we say yes to new opportunities? Will we take on new challenges? And will we do it with a sense of adventure?

The funny thing about our scriptures is the lessons do not stand in isolation, as the Holy Scriptures tell us a larger story than what often appears in a few verses.

Go into the world, enjoying your “belovedness” so much that it causes people to stop, stare, and wonder what is happening.