The Power of Your Voice

Mark 10:46-52

Do you know how to use your voice? When to use it? What to use it for? Do you know the power of your voice? The voice is a powerful thing.

Did you know your voice has healing effects? I found several articles that state that humming, singing and the sound of your voice can actually heal your mind. It can soothe anxiety and bring healing. This practice is called Sound Therapy and it is a relatively new therapy. Sound therapist Patricia  Janssen’s holistic approach to sound therapy involves finding and accepting your own voice, which is more than just your vocal folds – it’s an integral part of yourself. She says, “Sound therapy allows you to work through any internal emotional issues by way of the observation of your inner self. This is all accomplished without having to consciously explain them, be someone else, and without any pressure from the outside world. There are thought processes occurring in your subconscious about which you may be unaware, and sound therapy helps you to learn about them. Connecting to these subconscious thoughts with sounds can be very freeing, as it’s often very hard to talk about certain life events or to even acknowledge them consciously.

After allowing yourself to live through your emotional issues, fears, and limitations via your own sound, you are better able to accept them as part of who you are. As a result, you will feel relieved and reconnected to your true self. Using your voice in such a powerful way helps you to make greater contributions to the world because you are no longer afraid of allowing your voice – yourself – to be heard.”

In the scripture today we hear a story of a fighter not physical like a go-getter, using one’s voice and healing. In this story, they are all related. Bart that’s the nickname I am going to give him, fights for healing by using his voice. He believed in his voice- in his plea- in who he was.

This scripture shows us- If you want healing- fight for it. Don’t be silent. Believe that it is possible- even when everything tells you it’s not. We know healing doesn’t happen to all- but it does come to some and maybe it can come to you.

Bart was a beggar and he went out day after day- this isn’t a story of someone who didn’t have it all that bad. I gain a lot from the stories in the Bible because they aren’t cheap. They aren’t like the stories we tell our friends when we are trying to relate but really we can’t- you know when your friend drops a bomb on you that something terrible happened in their life and you try to make them feel better by being like yeah I feel you my car wouldn’t start this morning- not the same thing.

These stories don’t pretend to be something they aren’t. They can keep up. Bart. Has it rough. No one believes in him, no support, barely getting by, literally can’t see. A blind homeless guy. Seems pretty bleak. But that’s the great part about them because I think maybe there is something here- something real- no woe is me, or someone feeling bad for themselves when they don’t have it that bad.

Bart has faith that its possible things can be different- that his life can be different. He believes he can be healed. And he shows it. He goes out every day. Doing the only thing he knows to do. One day he realizes Jesus is passing by and he can’t help himself and starts yelling for him- he doesn’t have sight but he does have a voice- and he’s going to use it. People around him try to silence him and hush him but that makes him scream all the louder. He doesn’t care that he looks like a fool or is making a scene. What does he have to lose? He can’t see Jesus so uses what he has- his voice.  And it works.

Not that hard to imagine- even today. It’s not uncommon to see homeless people yelling but with Bart, he yells because he believes he’s worth Jesus noticing him. And Jesus does- Jesus heals him.

When we talk about healing it’s helpful to keep in mind the different types of healing. Different types of healing- physical like Bart, but also made his life situation better. And then there is Healing that comes in the form of emotional/mental healing. You need healing when you don’t feel whole. A modern definition is  Healing is a holistic, transformative process of repair and recovery in mind, body, and spirit resulting in positive change, finding meaning, and movement toward self-realization of wholeness, regardless of the presence or absence of disease.

I know a lot of people have questions about healing- it’s a sensitive topic because it feels personal- it brings up all types of questions about why some people are healed and others aren’t and why those people- why doesn’t God heal all people? What kind of God is this? Healing, like answered prayer- is available to all but it might not happen the way you want it to but I do believe it can accomplish what it’s supposed to- it can make you whole. Maybe the healing won’t look like getting what you thought would heal you- a cure of disease, relief from suffering, a life change- wholeness might come to you in a way you never expected. Bart. I’m guessing didn’t think that he would be made well by Jesus- he obviously knew who Jesus was and believed in his power- but what are the chances that Jesus would be walking by in earshot of him- he didn’t even know Jesus was coming until that day. He just wanted to make enough money to keep going and Jesus comes and heals him and then he throws off his cloak- a cloak that signifies how unworthy he was- one that identifies him as nothing more than a beggar- and he throws it off because he was healed more than in just his sight.

The thing is Bart was open though- he was open to being healed. He fought for it and was open to receiving it any way it was given. I wonder if part of his healing came in using his voice- in believing in himself. How much of our own healing has come from believing in ourselves- when we made a tough but right decision when we chose to do something hard for the greater good when we knew something would be better if we could just let go. How much of our healing comes from using our voice- standing up for ourselves- for our dignity, our worth, our identity.

This brings me back to my original question- do you know the power of your voice? The more I think about it the more I believe your voice can bring you healing. Something that I have realized through working with people is that most people even when they figure out what they want are too scared to ask for it or they don’t know how or they don’t think they are worth it. What if the biggest fight for healing is in the asking?

What is keeping you from being whole? What is the healing you need? Can this story- give you the courage to ask for it? If Bart, sees himself worthy enough to ask for it then surely you are. Bart thought he was worthy enough because Jesus thought he was worthy.

Every change we see today that was previously a different way came from voices- from people telling their stories, asking for what they need, believing it was a worthy cause. Those voices are helpful and have created change but I think it is only honing your own voice that can create true healing for you. Using your voice requires knowing who you are and what you want to say- that’s powerful. I meet with so many Georgetown students who are for the first time trying to find their voice- what are they about-what are their needs? How do they ask for them? Up until now, people have anticipated their needs- mainly their parents, maybe some teachers or pastors or friends. But now starting over not knowing anyone- you have to learn how to ask for what you need.  Otherwise, you end up squirming around for a while not knowing where you belong. When they come to me, I’m pretty sure they want me to tell them how to do this or how soon they will figure that out but I can because I know it’s a long hard journey. We don’t like to ask for things. I’m not sure if it’s because we feel like we are asking for too much, or then someone will ask us for something, or because we don’t know what we need or we feel weak. But those who are courageous enough to ask for what they need- well at least they have a chance of getting it because they at least asked. Bart couldn’t have gotten healed if he didn’t at least ask. We all have needs. I don’t know if everyone believes this- I think some people believe we have wants but we don’t have needs- you don’t need anything- maybe you want it but you don’t need it. Well, that’s a load of BS. I don’t care who you are but you have a lot of needs- we all do and we all deserve to ask for them to be met. Will they? I can’t promise that but I can promise they wont if you don’t ask. We all need to be loved- this isn’t a want it’s a need. You are human- just like you need food and water and oxygen, you need love, respect, support, to be listened to, you will need help time and again, you need affirmation, rest, friendship. You deserve these things and you deserve to ask for these things from this church,, from your spouse, from your friends, from society, from whoever has an impact on your life.

Think for a minute- what is one need you have that is being unmet- something that in the pit of your stomach you know you need. Can you ask for that need to be met? Don’t think about what it’s asking from the person you ask- that’s their responsibility to decide if they can meet it. You are allowed to ask- it is not your responsibility to do their work for them- I know this is tough for people who anticipate what others can or cannot give- not your job when it comes to your own needs- like these college students no one anticipates their needs anymore and that is good because now they learn on their own- and they will learn through trial and error- we are not doing anyone any favors by not asking for our needs to be met.

Why? Because if we are all going around less than whole- un-healed- then we can’t accomplish as much as we can if we are all whole. Or more whole. If you are so burnt out because you can’t ask for anything how can you help others become whole?

Use your voice to find healing- to make yourself whole. Take courage and strength from Bart- a blind homeless man who was yelling like a madman to get a word in with the holiest person on the planet. Maybe just maybe, your healing will come- but first, you have to ask for it.

Who Will You Serve?

Mark 10:35-45

Who will you serve? Will we always serve someone. Something. We live our lives in service… but to who? It could be all kinds of things. Noble things- living to serve your children, your parents. It could be purposeful things like serving your intellect, your career. It could be selfish- your ego, self-image. Whether it’s intentional or not- our lives exist to serve. So Who will you serve?

A study that came out a few years ago said the average person spends 33 years of their life sleeping, 13 years working, 11 years on screen time,  a whole year and a half of our lives cleaning- that’s just for women- men are half that- women will spend an average of 126 days getting ready and men 46 days leaving only an average of 8 years leftover- this is based on someone living to 79 years old. 8 years. In the end- you have around 8 years not accounted for. What will you do with them?

The past few weeks we have been hearing these scripture passages talk about how the first shall be last over and the least shall be the greatest and so on and so forth.  We know these teachings are important but why?

Why is it more important to be the servant, to be last, the least , to have little? Why is this such a big teaching?

I don’t know the science- the chemicals- dopamine or whatever that happy chemical is in your brain but I genuinely believe we were wired to experience the most joy when we are serving others. I never felt more enjoyment in my life than when I ran the Table at Hot Metal. There were countless nights were the joy and gratitude were palpable. Feeling like I played a part in making someone’s night better, did more for my quality of life than any amount of money or status or ease of life. It canceled out a lot of bad- loneliness, confusion, the stress of having 3 jobs, the shame of being a barista with a masters degree. I’m sure there is some scientific explanation for this- it’s in our dna- we were made to serve.

So why are we so focused on every other aspect of life making us happy. Finding a life partner, being successful at your job, traveling, finally being able to buy that dream purchase. All good things but the pressure we put on ourselves to obtain these things feels out of balance- especially if our real goal is fulfillment. Serving is something most often we do because we know we should. You think it’s the right thing to do and you’re a good person so you do it and yes maybe you even enjoy it. But it’s not the goal for most of us. We associate serving with giving, not receiving.

I wonder if it’s because serving is kind of terrifying. It messes with your emotions, boundaries, time, plans, it requires sacrifice and commitment. When I was at the Table- I didn’t have control over my emotions- we would have people go missing- some didn’t have phones or didn’t have minutes- were they in Jail, did they overdose? Did they freeze sleeping in the snow? Were they lost? I have thought all of these thoughts. I asked around if anyone knew anything- sometimes they did-sometimes they didn’t. I didn’t always have control of my time- you never know when someone would need to be taken to a shelter or hospital. It was a lot of hard work creating boundaries with people who don’t understand or cant follow boundaries- how do I serve them and keep my safety? The burnout is rough so it wasn’t sustainable but I still feel as though I would be hard pressed to find something else that made me feel as much like myself.

I also recognize that I left that job- yes it wasn’t sustainable but also subconsciously there was probably also the thought that me and this ministry would go unrecognized from the outside world. I would remain small in the worlds eyes if I stayed there. This isn’t something I am proud of but I am sure on some level it was there. You want other clergy to know who you are. You want to work at places where you can make a big difference on paper. At the Table there was no “on paper”. It was relational. The world doesn’t recognize this as success- the world doesn’t even notice it. How do you be content with the world not caring about what your doing?

Jesus asks James and John, can you drink the cup? Henri Nouwen’s last book that he wrote before he died was on this passage- called Can You Drink The Cup.  This was his reflection on the call on his life but also the call on all of our lives. I read this book because it was recommended by a friend when I told her I wanted to really discern my call for my life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Was it helpful in my quest? I think so. It didn’t necessarily give me answers but it did help me realize that I won’t really know until I can accept it as a yes. I need to accept the call in order to see if I can do it, in order to see if it brings me joy, in order to see what God has to offer me through it.

            Nouwen gets at this point by using the metaphor of The Cup. He makes the argument that the cup that Jesus drinks is both the cup of sorrows and the cup of joy. Knowing that this is the cup of sorrows, even Jesus pleads with the Father to “take this cup from me if at all possible” because it seems unbearable. Jesus then asks his disciples, namely James and John- “ Can you drink the cup that I drink from?” Can you drink from the cup of sorrows? They say that they can but do they really know what they are saying yes to? Nouwen says that to say yes to drinking the cup of sorrows we are doing three things. First we are taking a long hard look at our own sorrows (holding the cup), secondly we are sharing and celebrating life in community which means sharing your sorrows with one another (Lifting the cup) and Thirdly, accepting the sorrow and joy as the life that has been given to you (drinking the cup).

Can you drink from the cup of sorrows? I think that is the same question Jesus asks when he basically asks- can you live your life serving as I have? When I was younger I would hear passages like this and think we should do this because it will give us eternal life or then God will be proud of us but now I hear this and I think maybe this is Jesus trying to teach us how to have a fulfilling joyful life. I’m not sure if its brene brown- probably knowing me but someone says that when you numb one emotion, you numb them all. In order to feel true joy, you also have to feel true sorrow. Maybe drinking the cup is taking full advantage of living a human life.

What is the cup of sorrows? The metaphor of the cup is used many times in the OT-it is meant to mean our lives-what will we fill our lives with. When Jesus talks about drinking from the cup and asking God to take the cup away from him many interpret that as the cup of God’s wrath. I think more accurately it is understood as the cup of sin which is not God’s wrath. Sin itself is separation from God. Jesus had to be separated from God in order to fulfill this mission of ultimately connecting God and humanity once and for all. But this cup of sorrows- this cup of sin that Jesus drank is not punishment or wrath- it is the weight of the world’s loneliness, sadness, anger, desperation, pain, abandonment, shame, trauma- all the things that cause us separation from God- all the things that cause us to make decisions that we call sin. To drink the cup of sorrows is to take on the pain of the world. This isn’t punishment as much as what it means to serve each other.

I’m not a fan of bad things make your stronger and different sayings like that hoping to make us feel better but I do wonder if the sentiment people are trying to get at is this idea that in order to feel real joy you have to feel real pain. Not necessarily because that’s how you learn to appreciate things but that’s just how emotions work- they are like muscles- the more you use them the more you feel them. As if the more good and bad things we feel, the more we can feel- the more the feelings come alive- the more we need to be strong the stronger we get, the more we practice empathy the more empathetic we become, so and so forth with patience and acceptance and even anger- the more you get angrier the easier it is to get angry.  We just don’t know how to articulate this well  so we make up these optimistic sayings that really just upset people more than anything else.

.Jesus asks James and John and I believe us as well- are you willing to drink the cup from which I drink. Are you willing to serve the world through taking on the pain and the joy of the world?  I think in many ways I have held the cup and even lifted the cup but now the cup is at my lips and I have to decide if am going to drink it? Will I accept that it’s okay if the world doesn’t see me as successful? If the world doesn’t even notice me. Heck who cares about the world lets say the presbytery- am I okay if I never give the Presbytery something to talk about? If the pastors who shaped me never see my name in print or leading a conference or taking some high reaching job? Maybe that’s part of my sorrow as Nouwen says we have to look at. My sorrow of being invisible to most. Maybe that is a lot of our sorrows- in this success driven world it makes sense we don’t want to give this up. It makes sense this would be a big sorrow to us.

So I ask the question to you, who do you want to serve? The world or the people who need you? Do you want to be seen by those who don’t know you or by those whose lives you make a difference in?

Maybe this is part of the suffering Jesus says we will suffer if we follow him- this less than glamorous life- this behind the scenes, slow progress, a lot for a little life. I binged watched the show maid and you should all watch it- I linked the trailer in the Newsblast this week. But in this story it’s a single mom fleeing domestic violence without a dollar to her name. She can’t afford daycare or housing because she doesn’t have a job but she takes the first job she gets-being a maid- they can only give her one shift to start and she has to buy her own cleaning supplies and pay for her own gas to get there- at the end of the day after harder work than most people do in a day she walks away with $12 and to her this is worth it. She works a lot for a little. Throughout the show she continues to clean houses- sometimes indescribably foul places, sometimes her shifts gets canceled, sometimes her daughter gets sick and she can’t send her to pre-school so she has to call off work- she can’t get ahead and yet she keeps working because she is serving her daughter. She doesn’t aspire to a fancy life- she wants a save place for her and her daughter. The world looks at her and on paper would say shes a failure but I think she gets serving far more than most. She’s not trying to serve to get ahead like many of these bible characters we see- james and john want something out of the serving- they want greatness. The rich young ruler last week wanted assurance that his morality would benefit him in the after life. She is serving not get ahead or be noticed but because she wants to give her daughter a good life and if her daughter is happy then she is happy. End of story. I know it’s not that simple- that we can be happy because we made other people happy- but maybe that’s how it was intended to be. Maybe while it’s not that simple it plays a big part.

This isn’t necessarily a call to serve more- I know what a good bit of your lives look like and you serve quite a bit- whether it’s a foundation- one you founded or serve on, a friend who needs help, a family member in need, IPC, your spouse, your community. From what I see those 8 free years are being well spent. This is more about connecting what you do to how you feel. Have you made peace with the way you spend those years? Do you feel fulfilled even if you feel invisible? Do you allow yourself to feel happy when someone else is happy? Do you feel the joy as hard as you feel the sorrow? Sometimes we can know these things logically but it takes practice to feel them, to be real and not just a fact or chemical reaction. This next week ponder on whether you believe we were made to serve. When have you felt most like yourself? When did you feel most fulfilled? What were you doing in your life?

Amen.

Blinded by Riches

Mark 10:17-30

I always find this story a little comical. The man here asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life and Jesus eventually answers follow the commandments. Now I get that maybe it’s not that hard to follow the no murder and stealing ones but the lying or not honoring your mother or father?? C’mon. There is no way this guy has never lied or disrespected his parents. Can anyone here say that? Either this guy was incredibly arrogant or somehow we missed the fact that there was a sinless man other than Jesus walking around. The funny part is that being this perfect which isn’t even a thing wasn’t good enough. Jesus tells him to go sell all his possessions. I think this is for a couple reasons- we can look at the obvious claim Jesus is making about wealth which is most certainly important but what is more important is that the point Jesus is making is that you can’t achieve eternal life without God. 

This passage has a lot to say about what it means to depend on God – on something outside of yourself. What I think Jesus was getting at here is- you need to give away the things that give you too much security and safety so then you are forced to look outside yourself. There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting safety and security but when we start to believe we are all we need and we have created a life where can survive on our own without the help of anyone else then it gets dangerous. It gets dangerous because as humans we have needs, and insecurities and vulnerabilities and we can only become whole not by avoiding and pretending we don’t have them but by giving into them. We become whole by learning to open up, face the parts of ourselves that are hard to face, asking for help, and realizing we weren’t meant to do this all on our own. Wealth and possessions give us comfort but they also give us the illusion that we have it all together more than we actually do.  

One of the main Buddhist teachings is that suffering comes from our attachment to things and our desire for these things. I think our passage today touches on this idea of suffering coming from attachment. Many of us are very attached to our things, our power, our wealth or our social status- they give us identity and when we lose one of those things or they become threatened- we feel the effects of suffering. The man in the story thought he had it all under control- he kept all the commandments- was very disciplined and moral. But for Jesus that wasn’t cutting it. Jesus knows this man is rich and so he tells him to sell all his stuff which is a great amount. I think this shows that 1. We are called to sacrifice earthly things for the benefits that come with living this life Jesus is teaching us to live.2. We are called to be vulnerable beings who need the help of others to survive. 

This sounds simple but in our society it is increasingly more difficult. In order to ask someone for help first you have to admit a problem or that you need help- we don’t do so great with that. Then you need to be humble enough or rather secure enough to allow someone to help you. Most often we think it’s pride that keeps people from asking for help and it is a factor but from my experience it is more insecurity. When we are secure in who we are and are comfortable with “not being good at everything” or not needing to prove anything because you feel secure in your worth, you are more likely to ask for help because it does not threaten your understanding of yourself. When we are insecure and feel pressure to be perfect or better and are not comfortable with the fact that we are imperfect, it becomes difficult to ask for help because that feels like failure. With the development of social media platforms, insecurity is at an all time high in our society. Finally, if you find you are able to ask for help and it doesn’t threaten your sense of self, you have to be able to accept it- it being grace- a love that is underserved. When someone helps you, they do it because they care- they sacrifice for you simply because of who you are. This is grace. It’s hard to accept grace from others if you can’t give it to yourself so this also requires yet another thing that feels foreign to us. 

I think what Jesus is getting at is this idea of always having a need- now I know this sounds like the opposite of what we try to do on this earth- our goal is to get all the needs taken care of but if that happens there is no need for connection. It’s important to need people, need reflection, need time to feel. If we didn’t need anything you wouldn’t be connected to how you feel- when we need food we feel hungry, or water we feel thirsty or dehydrated. When we need connection we feel lonely, when we need comfort, we feel sad. On and on and on. To need is to be connected to yourself and others and the world. To need is not a sign of weakness it is a sing of being human. Jesus’ point was don’t let your wealth or money take away from the reality that you have needs. In this metaphor, Jesus thought this would be easier to accomplish by just not having wealth. I don’t think we have to go that far but I do think it’s a helpful practice to put in our lives.

In the next couple weeks you all will be receiving stewardship letters from me asking to give generously to the life of this church. The church is not an entity but a community of people and we all need help from each other to flourish. I know this a hard subject or an uncomfortable one and someone maybe even a pastor has used money to guilt you. As someone who comes from a finance family, I completely understand the responsibility to provide for your family and secure it’s safety. I am right there with you. What I will encourage though is to give just enough that you are uncomfortable. Just enough that you will need faith in order to obtain the same comfortability you had before. Just enough to feel your needs.  I’m not asking you to give anything that would hurt the health of your family but maybe look for ways to be creative in some budgeting areas. I’ll be the first to admit this is a challenge for me. As I get older I realize how much I love convenience. 

For my friend Bethany, doing the van life is not about exploring or being digital nomads but its about connecting- about being so aware of how much water they are using or if there is enough sun to heat the hot water tank. It’s about being connected to her body and her husband and the world around her and she just found she couldn’t do that living in a house in the suburbs with her desk job and all her responsibilities. I’m not suggesting we all leave our jobs and do the vanlife- I like the stable job, house, routine of living but I do agree that the more I have the more intentional I have to be to feel that connection, that need. I feel like she inspires me to think about how less could be more- about how convenience isn’t always best and about how the way I currently live my life doesn’t leave room for connection.

I think back to the passage and I realize maybe my attachment is to convenience and then I think what does it say about how busy my life is, if convenience is a major priority of mine. Becoming unattached goes further than adjusting a budget- it is adjusting your life to make yourself less attached.

Having or appearing to have all our needs met begins to blind us. We forget the little things- gratitude loses its meaning. We become blind to the little miracles and divine moments constantly happening around us. We become blind to what God is doing in our life.

When Jesus says give up your possessions to follow me, I don’t think he meant so now you can start your collection anew but so now that you can see clearly what is important. Part of this call is not just leaving a home or giving generously but living the life that that enables you to live fully and well to live faithfully. What does it look like for you to live faithfully. What makes a you THE church? 

How can we not be blinded to what God is opening our eyes too?

I have an exercise for us that is going to help us think practically about how we have seen God working in the world.

Dwelling in the world: different than dwelling in the word. Explain:

Step 1: Reflect back on the previous week. What is something in your life or your week that helps you pretend or distracts you from a particular need? What is that need? Go with you gut- what pops into your mind when you think about a need that you try and act like isn’t there? Maybe you feel like it shouldn’t be there- that you shouldn’t need that thing. Is it security, companionship, connection, safety, stability, rest, encouragement, affirmation.

Go back imaginatively into your week, what convenience have you put in place that leaves no time for connection? Where might you be blinded to the world around you or what your own body wants to tell you?

What would making space for connection look like? What would it feel like to acknowledge a need guilt free?

Step 2: Turn to your neighbor and spend a few minutes sharing something that came from this time of reflection- a realization, a need, a convenience.

Step 3: If you feel comfortable, please share your story/reflections or if your partner gave you permission you can share what you heard your partner share.

Amen.

How are you being set-apart?

Hebrews 2:5-12

Here is what we know of this story-

1. To be a part of mankind is to suffer- this was they key aspect of why God had to become human- so he could suffer.
2. God didn’t want us to suffer eternally- I don’t think this means hell because I think because of Jesus suffering can be eased on this earth. so God sent his son to “complete the journey- put an end to the suffering” – was already morally perfect but this is him being made perfect by fulfilling a role
3. God has put Jesus in control- when talking about mankind here he is talking about one man in particular
4. It doesn’t appear Jesus is in control of everything- acknowledges that at present it doesn’t seem like everything is under his control
5. We are brought to glory aka salvation through Jesus’ suffering- Jesus brings humans to glory by creating a way for us to be sanctified- to be made holy
6. This is not as punishment but as an honor ( one version says- kindness)
7. We are being asked to trust Jesus

You may not be satisfied with the information we have but God doesn’t try and hide what’s what. God doesn’t pretend that humans don’t suffer- God is aware and doing something about it. God is aware that for us- it doesn’t seem like Jesus has it all under control and we are asked to trust that even though we can’t see it that it is. God is not vengeful even though we make God out to be- it was out of kindness that Jesus takes on human suffering.

How many times have you heard the sentiment that a parent wishes they could switch places with their child and take on their pain- they wish it was them going through x thing- not their child or a spouse or someone they deeply love.  Well, this is what God does- God makes himself human and suffers death when he didn’t have to- Jesus takes our place.

In the following verses we hear some helpful bits of information- it says Jesus had to become human because only then can he be merciful. Interesting to think that mercy can’t be given unless you are experiencing the same thing. We also hear that because Jesus was tempted, he can help others through their temptation.

And this is where maybe the disappointment for some comes in- when we realize God is indeed Powerful but not magical- not a fairytale. The scripture tells us yes, Jesus defeated the “evil” so death is not the end for us but unlike our modern day fairytales- suffering still happens. The scripture says Jesus can help us with temptation which means temptation will still happen. Jesus helps us to figure out how to be human- not how to escape it.

The scripture asks us to trust Jesus. I want us to dig into this- Trust vs. mistrust is the first stage in Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. This stage begins at birth continues to approximately 18 months of age. During this stage, the infant is uncertain about the world in which they live and looks towards their primary caregiver for stability and consistency of care.

Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of hope. By developing a sense of trust, the infant can have hope that as new crises arise, there is a real possibility that other people will be there as a source of support. Failing to acquire the virtue of hope will lead to the development of fear. This infant will carry the basic sense of mistrust with them to other relationships. It may result in anxiety, heightened insecurities, and an over feeling of mistrust in the world around them. I think God asks us to trust Jesus not because he wants all control and power but because like an infant maybe it will help us with stability, hope, we will believe that in crisis we are not alone, it will ward off fear. I really do believe these words of wisdom from God are not because God is arrogant and egotistical but because God cares.

I’m sure if you went to church you talked about trusting in Jesus. But we’ve never met Jesus- He isn’t alive anymore. How are we expected to trust someone we’ve never experienced? I’m not going to ask you to do that because I don’t think that gets us anywhere. But I am going to ask you to trust in the things Jesus taught us- The scripture says basically Jesus lived this human life to help humans live and as much as we wish being sanctified looked more magical, it looks pretty mundane. It looks like forgiveness, empathy, humbleness, selflessness, suffering for another, compassion, grace. I urge you to try trusting in the lessons and teachings of Jesus. Jesus was more than just a man – he was also God but for those of you who can’t quite conceptualize this or figure out if this has meaning for your lives- stick for a minute that Jesus was a man-just a human- what difference can 1 person make in your life? For a lot of people- it has made all the difference in the world- Dana was one man- seemed to make his children who they are today. We have people all over that people don’t actually know that give them the strength and courage to be better versions of themselves or strive for something better. Look at what someone like Helen Keller has done for the deaf and blind community, what martin Luther king Jr or rosa parks has done for the black community, what Harvey Milk has done for the LGBTQ community, what Kamala Harris has done for the female community…on and on and on- people do put trust in people they have never met based on their teachings and actions. People do find courage and hope and wisdom from them. These individuals do alter the course of other peoples lives. So yes, we have never met Jesus and to put your life in someone else hands seems foolish but we already do it all the time. Maybe I don’t completely know what it means to trust that Jesus will take care of me, but I whole heartedly believe that if I take Jesus’ teachings to heart and try to be like him that my life will be so much more free and beautiful and fulfilling. I don’t think there is anything I believe more than that- I can get behind trusting in Jesus- I trust the power of love and forgiveness and grace and reconciliation and vulnerability and sacrifice.

So the scripture leaves us with this sense of you are now being sanctified- that is where we are in the story- we still don’t see Jesus having control of everything but we now have Jesus to help us through this process of sanctification so, What is sanctification? Sanctification means to be set apart- it’s the process or act of making holy. In my study of it- we are all sanctified in Christ so it is something that is already done in us and yet it is also a process- it is something that is already done in that we can’t lose it- this holy claim but it is ongoing in that it takes work and time to become set apart- to become different than the world. In our beings we are sanctified and now in our doings we have to learn to be sanctified.

How do we do this? Does sanctification just happen? Do we play a part in it? Just as sanctification is something that already happening and is continuing to happen so is it that it happens, and we play a part. I want to unpack 2 helpful ways of understanding sanctification. 1. Our Holiness is God’s holiness- and 2. self-awareness is awareness of God.

1.Our Holiness is God’s holiness- Ken Boa- Our culture teaches us that people are basically good and that their internal problems are the result of external circumstances. But Jesus taught that no outside-in program will rectify the human condition, since our fundamental problems stem from within (Mark 7:20-23). Holiness is never achieved by acting ourselves into a new way of being. Instead, it is a gift that God graciously implants within the core of those who have trusted in Christ. All holiness is the holiness of God within us—the indwelling life of Christ. Thus, the process of sanctification is the gradual diffusion of this life from the inside (being) to the outside (doing), so that we become in action what we already are in essence. Our efforts faithfully reveal what is within us, so that when we are dominated by the flesh we will do the deeds of the flesh, and when we walk by the Spirit we will bear the fruit of the Spirit- Ken Boa Saying that our holiness is Gods holiness because God lives inside us, I don’t think is an arrogance from God- that we cant claim any uniqueness or ownership of our person but rather a helpful explanation that we are so intertwined with God that the holiness within us comes from God within us- it doesn’t make our strength or beauty or wisdom any less special or something to be proud of as much as it helps us understand where it is derived from.

2.Self-awareness is awareness of God- John Calvin who is one of the founders of Presbyterianism- includes this peculiar statement in the introduction to his institutes: “Without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God.” It is such a strange statement from someone so focused on God first and foremost. I don’t know if you all know anything about John Calvin, but he was intense and very tight laced. This statement sounds like something that would come from a 20th century proponent of the therapeutic approach, rather than from a 16th century Reformer. I’m sure you have seen people who are very knowledgeable about God but can’t for the life of them seem to connect with other people relationally about how they are feeling- this comes from lack of self-awareness. And we also probably know people who are very self-aware but don’t know what that self-awareness connects to- its missing something- this comes from lack of awareness of God.

Both ways of thinking about sanctification show us that both who we are and who God is, is intimately involved in helping us to become set- apart. Knowing that it takes both knowledge of God and ourselves and that going from just being to doing comes from God is helpful in our understanding. Its really beautiful if you think about it- that we are set apart to be transformed into sacred, holy beings and that we are apart of that process.

Let’s step out of this for a second and think about it another way- what do you sanctify in your life? What do you set-apart in your life because it is more special than all the rest, because you have a special use for it? I think we all do this with things without even realizing it- but there are those things you take special care of or put in a certain place- these things that have greater meaning- maybe them symbolize hope or nostalgia or a piece of who you are or they help you be who you are. Maybe you sanctify time- time to yourself- that time in the morning before anyone is awake- or when you watch a sunset or sit with a loved one in silence. Maybe you sanctify a place- a getaway or a restaurant or a place in nature.

In a materialistic way I sanctify my engagement ring- it was my grandmothers and by far the prettiest and most lavish  thing I will ever own. In my house- its my bathroom- its unusually large and while hasn’t been touched since the 60’s I have made it my own oasis with candles and flowers and a huge shag rug with the purpose of setting it apart from the rest of the house. I sanctify parts of my personality- my authenticity- my marriage is already sanctified by the church. These things are set apart to me- not to be jumbled together with everything else.

To God we are set-apart. We are more important than the rest. We are for a greater purpose- to achieve a greater thing. We are worthy and meaningful and important. So, so important. Following in Jesus’ footsteps and acting like he acted- makes a difference. More of a difference than you could ever know. We are being sanctified for our own selves, For god’s self and for each other.

Take a look at your life- How is God actively setting you apart? How are you different than the world and how can you make that even bigger?