Lectionary Leanings

I'm beginning a sort of series at the church - each week is one way that we are called to be the church.

I'm tying in very loosly "I Am who I am" with "Who do you say that I am" from last week and the fact that although Peter gets that Jesus is the Messiah, he doesn't fully understand what it means.

Our word this week is "Accept" - it's not enough to have the right answer to the question, we have to live out our belief that Jesus is the Messiah and that the God who wouldn't even give us a name is the one who tenderly holds our lives in the palm of her hand.

Living it out is a lot different than just saying it. I think that's why Peter had such a hard time... he wanted to follow a Messiah who would save him here and now, who would elevate him, who would give them liberty without the struggle. And to be honest, that's how we have painted Jesus in our culture today - just say these simple words and believe.

But Romans tells us how we have to live - what embodying and truly accepting "You are the Messiah" means for our lives.

Last night, Michelle Obama said these words in her speech: "They’ll tell them how this time we listened to our hopes, instead of our fears. How this time, we decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming." It's a different context, but I think the words apply. We have to stop being afraid of what will happen to us if we truly follow Christ and we have to have hope that if we truly follow Christ, amazing things will happen and the world will be transformed.

That's where I'm going...