Living the Word: from now through Easter (April 20), we follow Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus shows us a loving God in his teachings, healings, and relationships with people pushed to the margins. His commitment to love leads him to Jerusalem and the cross.
“What’s going on? What does it mean? What the heck?!”
This week we meet a couple of the disciples in that liminal space between sleep and waking. You know the feeling- when you’re awake enough to question if you’re dreaming, but not yet awake enough to realize that the answer is ‘yes.’ Imagine being bolted awake by a flash as bright as lightning. And ghosts. Or are they visions? Or are they actually there? Am I still dreaming? What’s going on? Peter (of course it’s Peter) tries immediately to make sense of what’s going on, jumps in with an idea for action, wanting to have the right response for such a miraculous moment, and God’s voice intervenes with some clearer instruction, “This is my Son, the chosen one- listen to him!”
And with that, the disciples shut their mouths and keep them shut for the rest of the story, and just listen.
There’s a lot left unexplained. It’s a little frustrating. What are we supposed to make of this story? What just happened with Jesus? What was up with him losing his temper towards the end of the story? What are we supposed to do with this?
As we move into Lent, we’re going to be diving deeper into the confusion and the contradiction, exploring the ways we find Jesus amidst and between the extremes of the world. Just a heads up, it might get a little uncomfy. We might find ourselves, like the disciples, perplexed into silence. We might leave with more questions than we came in with. And that’s ok, because the heavenly voice reminds us that the call, for now, is simply to “listen.”
Join us on Sunday to wonder, dream, pray, sing, and listen together.
In faith,
Amy
Lent 2025 Theme: “Everything [in] Between”
Ash Wednesday – Intention & Action
March 9 – Faith & Works
March 16 – Stranger & Neighbor
March 23 – Rest & Growth
March 30 – Lost & Found
April 6 – Righteousness & Mercy
April 13 – Shouting & Silence
Maundy Thursday – Power & Humility
Good Friday – Acceptance & Resistance
Easter Sunday – Grief & Hope
Image: Transfiguration of Jesus, by Paul Osman
