Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise

This is a special musical presentation of a violin solo of Bouree by Handel presented by Rachel Ngasala

This is a special musical performance of Joy & Elation by Dobrinski by the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical performance of Joy & Elation by Dobrinski by the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical performance of The Light of the World by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan with soloist Chris Lewis.

This is a special musical performance of The Light of the World by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan with soloist Chris Lewis.

“I will not keep silent.  I will not stop talking, proclaiming or preaching…. I will not pause.  I will not rest, for the sake of the precious city God loved and left, and I will keep this up until every nation and king can see that Jerusalem has been declared innocent and lifted up to a place of glory and honor.”  (Working Preacher, Anathea Portier-Young)

These are the words of the prophet Isaiah as he boldly acts as intercessor for Jerusalem.  Following the exile, the Babylonians may have been defeated, but when the Jewish people returned to their land, they found it decimated.  It looked rather like a desert.  The restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem met countless obstacles and delays.  The people had been full of hope, but now they are battling deteriorating morale caused by broken dreams and crumbling faith.  Their very identity had been battered by loss and they could no longer understand that God delighted in them.  They felt God had turned away in indifference.

          So, the prophet Isaiah laments and boldly protests, interceding on their behalf.  Seeking justice for his people, Isaiah will not remain silent as he holds God accountable.  Now, the notion of “holding God accountable” probably tends to make many of us squeamish.  But, the prophets did this.  Elie Wiesel, in “The Trial of God,” accuses God of being absent from the horrific genocide of the Holocaust.  And, the biblical writings we have been given suggest that what the Jewish people had experienced was something like the Holocaust.  In the depth of their despair, a place where they deeply feel the absence of God, the prophet speaks.  He names their despair and holds God accountable.  Then, the prophet promises newness, transformation and even new names signaling joyful union for Jerusalem and all the land around her.  He proclaims the dream of God for his people and promises there will be change and transformation.  The prophet proclaims the abundant life God desires for the people and says God will rejoice over you!

In today’s gospel reading, John gives us a story that presents significant need and emptiness in the midst of what is to be a grand party.  Jesus and the disciples are attending a wedding.  And, on the third day of the festivities, over in the corner of the room a nervous silence sets in.  There is the alarming discovery that the wine has run out.  Wine was a vital component of any wedding in that day, the sign of the harvest and the sign of God’s abundance for God’s people.  But, the wine has run out and the party is far from over!!  There are still four days of partying left to go!!  We can imagine the tension in the air.  For the groom’s family, this is not just an embarrassing situation, this is a major social faux pas. 

          Well, Jesus’ mother sizes up the situation and swings into action.  And, like the prophet Isaiah, she will not remain silent.  She tells her son about it.  The implicit command is: “Fix it!”  Mary is a prophet who will not take no for an answer.  In fact, she says to the servants, “Do whatever my son tells you.”  Mary speaks and acts as intercessor for the wedding party and all the guests.  In Mary’s persistence, she provides the leadership for the miraculous sign that takes place in this story by observing the problem, naming it, and taking action to help.   Then, when his mother tells the servants to do whatever Jesus says, Jesus performs one of the most understated, yet mighty acts in John’s gospel.  

There were six large jars for water to be used for washing according to various Jewish purification rites, each jar holding 20-30 gallons of water.  Jesus tells the servants to fill them to the brim and then he tells them to draw some out and take it to the man in charge of the feast.  When the steward tastes the wine, it turns out to be the best wine at the party.  Not only is it the best, but there is an abundance of wine, an amount equal to an additional thousand bottles of wine! 

People, in Jesus, Immanuel – God with us, God made flesh, there is abundance.  On the third day, a reference by the way to the resurrection, Jesus provides abundance.  And, in this first miracle in the gospel of John, Jesus provides more wine, joy, and blessings than the people could possibly have imagined or deserved. 

As we gather today for worship, I am very aware of the reality of deep need and despair in our world, even within our own country.  Many in the world go hungry.  Many in our own community go hungry.  And, as we gather together on this day, we cannot ignore what is happening in our present culture, the growing need people are experiencing from this government shutdown, and the growing need and pain of refugees seeking asylum.  We need a tangible miracle of God’s abundance.  In light of today’s gospel reading, we cannot help but come face to face with the creative word of a living God and we do not take no as an answer.  Today’s reading invites us to trust so much in God’s generosity and abundance that we, like the prophets of old and like Jesus’ mother, nudge God with our observation and our protest:  they have no wine!  Like Mary, and in the face of insurmountable need by so many people around this world, we too cry out and lift our voices in intercession for the hurting and powerless as we say to God, “Fix it; heal this land and bring comfort to the people!”   In the words of scripture, we find words that address the timelessness of human need and human tragedy.  And, we also discover that we, like Mary, can become God’s servants as God uses us to help fill the needs of the hurting.  Quite frankly, when we pray such a prayer, we are also called to action, which is something we are doing as we take noisy offerings to help those who are furloughed, to help any who are now without necessary government assistance, and to help our refugee project.

On this weekend, we celebrate the life of another prophet who would not remain silent, Martin Luther King, Jr.  He would not remain silent in the depth of people’s despair.  And, his speaking out brought about change.  Speaking out and seeking justice is a form of prayer.  As we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and remember the many prophets who have gone before him, we too, as people of faith, are called to cry out to God as we seek justice and change and renewal in our lives and this land.  That form of prayer also causes us to respond and act in ways that help bring about the newness of God’s promises and dream for all people.  Like Isaiah, like Mary and like Martin Luther King, Jr., we cannot remain silent in the face of injustice.  As we remember and celebrate King’s life and work, one of the best ways we can honor him is by remembering what he proclaimed as he called the church to work for justice.   In fact, he said, “A Church that has lost its voice for justice is a Church that has lost its relevance in the world.” 

          On the third day, when the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother, like Isaiah and like Martin Luther King, Jr., would not keep quiet.  Jesus addresses the problem and he turns scarcity into abundance.  In Jesus, the one who provides enough for all people, we see a God who is deeply responsive to human need.   In Jesus, we experience a God who is so responsive to human suffering that he entered the very depth of our need to suffer with us, even to the point of being nailed to a cross.  And then, on the third day, hope was born, and the new wine flowed freely!   Hope is deeply embedded in the Resurrection.  May we, like the prophets, continue to cry out and work for justice, and live into the hope of God’s dream for all people!

“I will not keep silent.  I will not stop talking, proclaiming or preaching…. I will not pause.  I will not rest, for the sake of the precious city God loved and left, and I will keep this up until every nation and king can see that Jerusalem has been declared innocent and lifted up to a place of glory and honor.”  (Working Preacher, Anathea Portier-Young)

These are the words of the prophet Isaiah as he boldly acts as intercessor for Jerusalem.  Following the exile, the Babylonians may have been defeated, but when the Jewish people returned to their land, they found it decimated.  It looked rather like a desert.  The restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem met countless obstacles and delays.  The people had been full of hope, but now they are battling deteriorating morale caused by broken dreams and crumbling faith.  Their very identity had been battered by loss and they could no longer understand that God delighted in them.  They felt God had turned away in indifference.

          So, the prophet Isaiah laments and boldly protests, interceding on their behalf.  Seeking justice for his people, Isaiah will not remain silent as he holds God accountable.  Now, the notion of “holding God accountable” probably tends to make many of us squeamish.  But, the prophets did this.  Elie Wiesel, in “The Trial of God,” accuses God of being absent from the horrific genocide of the Holocaust.  And, the biblical writings we have been given suggest that what the Jewish people had experienced was something like the Holocaust.  In the depth of their despair, a place where they deeply feel the absence of God, the prophet speaks.  He names their despair and holds God accountable.  Then, the prophet promises newness, transformation and even new names signaling joyful union for Jerusalem and all the land around her.  He proclaims the dream of God for his people and promises there will be change and transformation.  The prophet proclaims the abundant life God desires for the people and says God will rejoice over you!

In today’s gospel reading, John gives us a story that presents significant need and emptiness in the midst of what is to be a grand party.  Jesus and the disciples are attending a wedding.  And, on the third day of the festivities, over in the corner of the room a nervous silence sets in.  There is the alarming discovery that the wine has run out.  Wine was a vital component of any wedding in that day, the sign of the harvest and the sign of God’s abundance for God’s people.  But, the wine has run out and the party is far from over!!  There are still four days of partying left to go!!  We can imagine the tension in the air.  For the groom’s family, this is not just an embarrassing situation, this is a major social faux pas. 

          Well, Jesus’ mother sizes up the situation and swings into action.  And, like the prophet Isaiah, she will not remain silent.  She tells her son about it.  The implicit command is: “Fix it!”  Mary is a prophet who will not take no for an answer.  In fact, she says to the servants, “Do whatever my son tells you.”  Mary speaks and acts as intercessor for the wedding party and all the guests.  In Mary’s persistence, she provides the leadership for the miraculous sign that takes place in this story by observing the problem, naming it, and taking action to help.   Then, when his mother tells the servants to do whatever Jesus says, Jesus performs one of the most understated, yet mighty acts in John’s gospel.  

There were six large jars for water to be used for washing according to various Jewish purification rites, each jar holding 20-30 gallons of water.  Jesus tells the servants to fill them to the brim and then he tells them to draw some out and take it to the man in charge of the feast.  When the steward tastes the wine, it turns out to be the best wine at the party.  Not only is it the best, but there is an abundance of wine, an amount equal to an additional thousand bottles of wine! 

People, in Jesus, Immanuel – God with us, God made flesh, there is abundance.  On the third day, a reference by the way to the resurrection, Jesus provides abundance.  And, in this first miracle in the gospel of John, Jesus provides more wine, joy, and blessings than the people could possibly have imagined or deserved. 

As we gather today for worship, I am very aware of the reality of deep need and despair in our world, even within our own country.  Many in the world go hungry.  Many in our own community go hungry.  And, as we gather together on this day, we cannot ignore what is happening in our present culture, the growing need people are experiencing from this government shutdown, and the growing need and pain of refugees seeking asylum.  We need a tangible miracle of God’s abundance.  In light of today’s gospel reading, we cannot help but come face to face with the creative word of a living God and we do not take no as an answer.  Today’s reading invites us to trust so much in God’s generosity and abundance that we, like the prophets of old and like Jesus’ mother, nudge God with our observation and our protest:  they have no wine!  Like Mary, and in the face of insurmountable need by so many people around this world, we too cry out and lift our voices in intercession for the hurting and powerless as we say to God, “Fix it; heal this land and bring comfort to the people!”   In the words of scripture, we find words that address the timelessness of human need and human tragedy.  And, we also discover that we, like Mary, can become God’s servants as God uses us to help fill the needs of the hurting.  Quite frankly, when we pray such a prayer, we are also called to action, which is something we are doing as we take noisy offerings to help those who are furloughed, to help any who are now without necessary government assistance, and to help our refugee project.

On this weekend, we celebrate the life of another prophet who would not remain silent, Martin Luther King, Jr.  He would not remain silent in the depth of people’s despair.  And, his speaking out brought about change.  Speaking out and seeking justice is a form of prayer.  As we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and remember the many prophets who have gone before him, we too, as people of faith, are called to cry out to God as we seek justice and change and renewal in our lives and this land.  That form of prayer also causes us to respond and act in ways that help bring about the newness of God’s promises and dream for all people.  Like Isaiah, like Mary and like Martin Luther King, Jr., we cannot remain silent in the face of injustice.  As we remember and celebrate King’s life and work, one of the best ways we can honor him is by remembering what he proclaimed as he called the church to work for justice.   In fact, he said, “A Church that has lost its voice for justice is a Church that has lost its relevance in the world.” 

          On the third day, when the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother, like Isaiah and like Martin Luther King, Jr., would not keep quiet.  Jesus addresses the problem and he turns scarcity into abundance.  In Jesus, the one who provides enough for all people, we see a God who is deeply responsive to human need.   In Jesus, we experience a God who is so responsive to human suffering that he entered the very depth of our need to suffer with us, even to the point of being nailed to a cross.  And then, on the third day, hope was born, and the new wine flowed freely!   Hope is deeply embedded in the Resurrection.  May we, like the prophets, continue to cry out and work for justice, and live into the hope of God’s dream for all people!

Life at times seems filled with hard places.  There are few among us who have not experienced hard times, hard challenges in life.  This past week, I have experienced one of those hard places.  On Monday, it was the first anniversary of my father’s death.   And, on that morning, my son Andrew called me to tell me they had just gotten back from seeing the doctor and the baby Natalie was carrying had died.  I know, there are few among us who do not know what it feels like to be in hard places, or to be overwhelmed and even underprepared for life’s hard places, especially those that hit unexpectedly.  And, during those hard times, in those hard places in life, I think we long for and want to hear the words, “Do not be afraid.”  I think we want to hear words of comfort, and I think we long to hear a sure and certain word from God.  So, I find it heartening that the lectionary readings for this Sunday focus on these things as God’s message to us on this day tells us we are God’s beloved.

On this day, we begin with these marvelous words from Isaiah – words that are strong and gentle, unsettling yet comforting, revealing and deeply passionate.  Listen to them as I use my own words while imagining God speaking to each of us today.

But now, listen to a message from God, the God who made you in the first place.  I am the very One who made you; the one who knows your desires and longings.  I know your hopes and dreams.  I know all your disappointments and failures. I am the One who knows your every secret, all your thoughts and actions that go unheard and unseen by others.  I am the One who knows your inner most thoughts and feelings.  Yes, I am the One who created you, the one who formed you in your mother’s womb.

Don’t be afraid, I have redeemed you.  You really need not fear because you are mine.  You need not worry about being good enough because you are deeply loved just as you are.  And, whatever you do or don’t do, my love for you is constant and it will never go away.  No one can ever take it away.  And, you don’t have to try and earn what you have already been given.  You cannot become worthy because you are already worthy.  Don’t ever be afraid that I may not love you.  I already love you and my love is unconditional and steadfast.  When you are unable to feel it, my love is still there.  It is real, it belongs to you and you belong to me.  I am the One who created you, the One who formed you, and I am the One who knows all of you.

I have called your name and you are mine.  You – Ellen, Natalie, Andy, William, Ken, Deb, Walter, Isaac, Julianna, John, Maddie, Bruce, Katie, each and every one of you here, you are important to me.  I know what brings each of you joy and sadness.  I see your hope and despair.  I understand your fears and your dreams.  I hear all of your secrets and I see who you are.  I am with you in the depth of your struggles and all your questions.  I love you and my Spirit holds you close.

When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.  When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.  When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it will not be a dead end.  In those times when you cannot feel my presence, I am with you, closer to you than the air you breathe.  In all of life, I am there with you.  When you feel lost or unfulfilled in any way, when you face great disappointment and grief, when you don’t feel worthy of love, when life seems to fall apart, when you can’t pay the bills, when your marriage is challenged, when your parents don’t understand, when your children disappoint you, when your health fails you, when your church lets you down, when you have more questions than answers, when you are afraid, angry, lonely, uncertain, I am there with you and very present to you – loving you, holding you and protecting you.

For I am your God, I am the Holy One, I am your Savior.  You see, I am far bigger and greater than all your worries and fears and hurts.  I am the One who sustains life itself, and I am the One who gives peace.  I am the One who deeply desires for you to have joy and abundant life.  I am all that you know about love and truth and I am the mystery of love and truth.  My love for you offers wholeness and fulfillment, meaning and authenticity.  My love for you offers salvation.

You are precious in my sight.  You are honored, and I love you.  I see you for who you really are, in all of who you are, I love you.  I respect you and I value every part of your being – the good and the hurt.  I even love you in the brokenness.  I adore you and I long to be part of your life. 

Now, I ask you.  Can you begin to imagine what our lives would be like if we really believed these words?  If we allowed them to really be absorbed into our being and direct how we live?  Can you begin to imagine what our world would be like of we could live with and relate to one another as God’s beloved?  It is so easy to read these words, to hear them spoken, and it is so hard to let them into our hearts and live into this identity.  Can you begin to believe these words for yourself?  Can I believe them for myself?  Can you believe that God is speaking these words to you, today?  That you are good enough, worthy enough to be God’s own beloved?  That you don’t have to be perfect and that God welcomes you just as you are?  Just what would it mean for each of us if we were to live the life of the beloved?  How would our lives and our living be different if we lived from a place of knowing that we are precious in God’s sight; honored and loved?

Today, we also hear the story of Jesus’ baptism.  Luke tells us that when Jesus was baptized and was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.  A voice came from heaven, saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.”  When we were baptized, we were told that we have been named and claimed as God’s beloved child.  Yet, for so many of us, it takes the rest of our life to even begin to understand it, let alone live it.  Saying yes to a life of faith and living into our baptismal journey is a matter of becoming who we really are and discovering that we are, indeed, God’s beloved.  The words, “You are my Beloved, with you I am well pleased,” are not words intended only for Jesus.  They are words for every single one of us.  And, every single one of us needs to hear them again and again.  “You are God’s beloved.  You are deeply loved.  You are loveable.”

Theologian and Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr, suggests that for people of faith there are three fundamental questions. The first question that the gospel sets out to answer for us is “Who are you?” It is the question of spirituality. And Rohr says that right at the beginning, on our baptismal day, we are told, “You are beloved.” He writes,

All our life we hope to raise up our eyes and see someone looking at us and speaking that answer to our basic spiritual question… All of our lives we hope for that to be repeated and for someone to tell us what our soul of souls and our heart or hearts knows: I’m special, I’m good, I’m a beloved somewhere.

Rohr says the second question the gospel asks is, “Can we love?” Can I be a loving, intimate person? Can I walk through those doors of fear into intimacy? Can I reveal my true soul to at least one person? Can I take the big risk and somehow discover who I am in another’s eyes?

Finally, Rohr suggests, the gospel helps us ask: “Can I create?” He writes, “We’ll never discover that place of [God’s] passion within us until we find our creative place, that place where we can create life and love in another, in the world, in our backyard.”

Living the life of the beloved requires knowing who you are: that you are God’s beloved. Living the life of the beloved also requires risk and that risk is all about loving others—walking through those doors of fear into intimacy. Living the life of the beloved means responding to God’s call to create a world where we understand one another and treat all others as God’s beloved. God’s word for today is clear: You are good enough. You are worthy. God is with you in all of life. You are God’s beloved!

Oh, yes, I deeply needed to hear these words this week in one of the hard places of my life.

Life at times seems filled with hard places.  There are few among us who have not experienced hard times, hard challenges in life.  This past week, I have experienced one of those hard places.  On Monday, it was the first anniversary of my father’s death.   And, on that morning, my son Andrew called me to tell me they had just gotten back from seeing the doctor and the baby Natalie was carrying had died.  I know, there are few among us who do not know what it feels like to be in hard places, or to be overwhelmed and even underprepared for life’s hard places, especially those that hit unexpectedly.  And, during those hard times, in those hard places in life, I think we long for and want to hear the words, “Do not be afraid.”  I think we want to hear words of comfort, and I think we long to hear a sure and certain word from God.  So, I find it heartening that the lectionary readings for this Sunday focus on these things as God’s message to us on this day tells us we are God’s beloved.

On this day, we begin with these marvelous words from Isaiah – words that are strong and gentle, unsettling yet comforting, revealing and deeply passionate.  Listen to them as I use my own words while imagining God speaking to each of us today.

But now, listen to a message from God, the God who made you in the first place.  I am the very One who made you; the one who knows your desires and longings.  I know your hopes and dreams.  I know all your disappointments and failures. I am the One who knows your every secret, all your thoughts and actions that go unheard and unseen by others.  I am the One who knows your inner most thoughts and feelings.  Yes, I am the One who created you, the one who formed you in your mother’s womb.

Don’t be afraid, I have redeemed you.  You really need not fear because you are mine.  You need not worry about being good enough because you are deeply loved just as you are.  And, whatever you do or don’t do, my love for you is constant and it will never go away.  No one can ever take it away.  And, you don’t have to try and earn what you have already been given.  You cannot become worthy because you are already worthy.  Don’t ever be afraid that I may not love you.  I already love you and my love is unconditional and steadfast.  When you are unable to feel it, my love is still there.  It is real, it belongs to you and you belong to me.  I am the One who created you, the One who formed you, and I am the One who knows all of you.

I have called your name and you are mine.  You – Ellen, Natalie, Andy, William, Ken, Deb, Walter, Isaac, Julianna, John, Maddie, Bruce, Katie, each and every one of you here, you are important to me.  I know what brings each of you joy and sadness.  I see your hope and despair.  I understand your fears and your dreams.  I hear all of your secrets and I see who you are.  I am with you in the depth of your struggles and all your questions.  I love you and my Spirit holds you close.

When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.  When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.  When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it will not be a dead end.  In those times when you cannot feel my presence, I am with you, closer to you than the air you breathe.  In all of life, I am there with you.  When you feel lost or unfulfilled in any way, when you face great disappointment and grief, when you don’t feel worthy of love, when life seems to fall apart, when you can’t pay the bills, when your marriage is challenged, when your parents don’t understand, when your children disappoint you, when your health fails you, when your church lets you down, when you have more questions than answers, when you are afraid, angry, lonely, uncertain, I am there with you and very present to you – loving you, holding you and protecting you.

For I am your God, I am the Holy One, I am your Savior.  You see, I am far bigger and greater than all your worries and fears and hurts.  I am the One who sustains life itself, and I am the One who gives peace.  I am the One who deeply desires for you to have joy and abundant life.  I am all that you know about love and truth and I am the mystery of love and truth.  My love for you offers wholeness and fulfillment, meaning and authenticity.  My love for you offers salvation.

You are precious in my sight.  You are honored, and I love you.  I see you for who you really are, in all of who you are, I love you.  I respect you and I value every part of your being – the good and the hurt.  I even love you in the brokenness.  I adore you and I long to be part of your life. 

Now, I ask you.  Can you begin to imagine what our lives would be like if we really believed these words?  If we allowed them to really be absorbed into our being and direct how we live?  Can you begin to imagine what our world would be like of we could live with and relate to one another as God’s beloved?  It is so easy to read these words, to hear them spoken, and it is so hard to let them into our hearts and live into this identity.  Can you begin to believe these words for yourself?  Can I believe them for myself?  Can you believe that God is speaking these words to you, today?  That you are good enough, worthy enough to be God’s own beloved?  That you don’t have to be perfect and that God welcomes you just as you are?  Just what would it mean for each of us if we were to live the life of the beloved?  How would our lives and our living be different if we lived from a place of knowing that we are precious in God’s sight; honored and loved?

Today, we also hear the story of Jesus’ baptism.  Luke tells us that when Jesus was baptized and was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.  A voice came from heaven, saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.”  When we were baptized, we were told that we have been named and claimed as God’s beloved child.  Yet, for so many of us, it takes the rest of our life to even begin to understand it, let alone live it.  Saying yes to a life of faith and living into our baptismal journey is a matter of becoming who we really are and discovering that we are, indeed, God’s beloved.  The words, “You are my Beloved, with you I am well pleased,” are not words intended only for Jesus.  They are words for every single one of us.  And, every single one of us needs to hear them again and again.  “You are God’s beloved.  You are deeply loved.  You are loveable.”

Theologian and Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr, suggests that for people of faith there are three fundamental questions. The first question that the gospel sets out to answer for us is “Who are you?” It is the question of spirituality. And Rohr says that right at the beginning, on our baptismal day, we are told, “You are beloved.” He writes,

All our life we hope to raise up our eyes and see someone looking at us and speaking that answer to our basic spiritual question… All of our lives we hope for that to be repeated and for someone to tell us what our soul of souls and our heart or hearts knows: I’m special, I’m good, I’m a beloved somewhere.

Rohr says the second question the gospel asks is, “Can we love?” Can I be a loving, intimate person? Can I walk through those doors of fear into intimacy? Can I reveal my true soul to at least one person? Can I take the big risk and somehow discover who I am in another’s eyes?

Finally, Rohr suggests, the gospel helps us ask: “Can I create?” He writes, “We’ll never discover that place of [God’s] passion within us until we find our creative place, that place where we can create life and love in another, in the world, in our backyard.”

Living the life of the beloved requires knowing who you are: that you are God’s beloved. Living the life of the beloved also requires risk and that risk is all about loving others—walking through those doors of fear into intimacy. Living the life of the beloved means responding to God’s call to create a world where we understand one another and treat all others as God’s beloved. God’s word for today is clear: You are good enough. You are worthy. God is with you in all of life. You are God’s beloved!

Oh, yes, I deeply needed to hear these words this week in one of the hard places of my life.

This is a special musical performance by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan of Holy Spirit, Flame and Fire.