March 2025

When Lost, The Holy Spirit Brings Us  Home To God’s Embrace Red Rock News March 28, 2025 Rev. Dona Johnson |March 30, 2025       The Prodigal Son is a beautiful parable of a father’s love for his rebellious son. Many a parent who has had a strong-willed child, understands very well this painful family dynamic.       Jesus provides a story of such a child, who felt entitled and emboldened to demand his part of his father’s estate before his father dies. Surprisingly, the father honored the callous request of his son. The son wasted no time in squandering every cent of his inheritance. Then a famine struck the land. The son found himself working knee-deep in the slop of a pig-pen. After the son hit rock bottom, he had a change of heart. He decided to come home. He pleaded with his father to take him back not as his son but as one of their servants. The son understood how his rebellious behavior had deeply hurt his father. He felt the shame and guilt of his sins. Now when the father looking out at the horizon, saw his son walking towards home, rather than scold him he grabbed him and kissed his son with a tight embrace. The boy’s homecoming was such an answer to the father’s prayers, it felt like soothing balm on the open wound of his troubled heart. The father responded with a great deal of love and forgiveness. In fact, the father’s heart was so moved by his son’s homecoming that he called to his servants to cloth his son in a robe, a sign of honor. Then he called for a signet ring to be put on his finger, a sign of authority. Then his father called for a feast to celebrate his son who was dead but came back to life. He was lost and now has been found.       So who is the hero here, the son or the father? This story should be called the parable of the loving father, for it demonstrates how the father’s love for his son eclipses the sin of his son. How often do we offer our forgiveness while also holding a grudge? How often do we offer forgiveness and continue to make the person who wronged us pay for it? Yet, this father expressed no recrimination towards his son only intense joy. When we repent, the Holy Spirit carries us home to Christ’s heart in heaven where we are covered by his righteousness, and we learn to follow and emulate a new way of life.      William Barclay gives a wonderous illustration of the father’s love. “Once Abraham Lincoln was asked how he was going to treat the rebellious southerners when they had finally been defeated and had returned to the Union of the United States. The questioner expected that Lincoln would take a dire vengeance, but he answered, ‘I will treat them as if they had never been away.’      Jesus’ parable points to the very heart of the Christian faith, the unconditional love of God for his people—all people. No matter how far we’ve strayed from God, no matter how deeply we rejected his love for us, when we do come home to God with repentant hearts, God responds in love as if we had never left.      God’s love can defeat the most hardened and rebellious of hearts. God is more merciful in his judgments than we make him out to be. Where we refuse or make forgiveness difficult, God, will forgive when we refuse to. God takes on the responsibility and the burden without counting the cost to find us and bring us home. That is amazing grace!Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all have prodigal strands of rebellious entitlement and we often fail at faithfully stewarding what you have so graciously given us. Call us back to our first order calling, to sit quietly at your feet, in your holy presence and experience your profound and unconditional love for us.In Jesus’ + name, we pray. Amen. Rev. Dona Johnson |March 30, 2025

Through Jesus, God’s Margin of  Mercy Is Made Wider Red Rock News March 21, 2025 3rd Sunday in Lent Rev. Dona Johnson |March 23, 2025         “The Jesus in Luke 13 is not the person we want in the modern world,” writes Pastor Scott Hoezee author for Excellence in Preaching. He continues, “We want Jesus to be soft and light, kindness and grace where he can mingle into the marketplace of religions and religious figures pretty easily. Let charming parables and memorable phrases of love and the gathering of little children and everyone is fine with him.” But that is not the Jesus we get here in the second Sunday of Lent. Instead we get a serious Jesus issuing a few terse warnings. Pilate had killed Galileans because he thought they were rebelling against Rome. But they were only offering sacrifices in the temple. The Pharisees, who were opposed to using force to deal with Rome, believed the Galileans deserved to die because they rebelled. Jesus dismissed the idea that human fate and cruelties that befall us are God’s judgment on sinners and bad actors. Whether a person survives or does not survive a tragedy or crisis is not an indicator of his or her righteousness. One very harmful temptation for those who are self-righteous is to blame someone’s suffering on their sin.         Jesus would have none of that bad theology. Instead, Jesus points out everyone’s need for repentance.   One temptation of many of us is that we put sin into categories or degrees of sin from the big and serious to the smallest and incidental. But this type of thinking is flawed. Sin is sin. It’s so easy to relax our guard on judging the sins of others. When we fear or feel troubled by the personalities, behaviors and the suffering of others, or by the beliefs and doctrines they practice, it creates in us an unsettled anxiety, so we judge them and put them into camps. I am in and you are out. In other words, my sin is ok because it’s a small sin and your sin is not for it is quite sizable. So, that makes you the bad person and I am a better person.         You’ve heard the well-known saying, “There but for the grace of God go I.” As legend has it, the pious martyr John Bradford uttered the expression using his own name when seeing criminals being led to their death, realizing it could be him. Sadly, he didn’t escape such a fate for long: He was burned at the stake in 1555. Thus, like Bradford’s revelation, Jesus warns us that if we judge the sins of others and yet do not use the same critical voice on ourselves, we are making a crucial mistake. Every Christian is in need of repentance.        Jesus closes his message with a parable of hope. There was a vineyard owner who wanted to cut down a sterile fig tree for it was not producing fruit. But the gardener advised him to give it more time, cultivate it, pay it special attention and wait a year. In other words don’t rush to judgment. For those eager to judge others as more deserving of God’s judgment than themselves, Jesus insists the unrepentant have escaped judgment not because of their relative sanctity—righteous piety, but through Jesus God’s margin of mercy is made wider.        Judgment is coming for all people. Perhaps the ax will strike the fig tree today. Maybe it will get a reprieve of a year or so. Jesus uses a temporal example to relate an eternal, spiritual eventuality. Repent. Or else. Trust his righteousness instead of your own. Turn back to God’s counsel. Hear what the Lord will speak. Believe.        Despite the fig tree’s history of sterility, there is always the hope that things can change, faith can grow, an obedience to God’s purposes can take root which brings to each of us clemency. Rev. Dona Johnson |March 23, 2025

Truth Sets Us Free Taken from a Red Rock News Article Rev. Dona Johnson |March 16, 2025       Jesus is on a mission. Luke tells us that he is  the region of Galilee but not yet in Jerusalem for  the events of holy week (Luke 13:31-35). A group  of Pharisees approaches Jesus to warn him that  Herod Antipas wants to kill him. Not all the  Pharisees were threatened by Jesus. But this is not  the case with Herod. His displeasure and jealousy  of Jesus runs deep. Jesus is gaining ground in his  popularity. His miraculous healings and teachings  are gathering quite an enthusiastic crowd. Jesus’  popularity is upsetting the power dynamics of  Herod’s rule. Of course with all power struggles or  impasses sooner or later something has to give.        Jesus does not flinch at the Pharisee’s warning. Instead he gives them a message to send  back to Herod. “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast  out demons and perform cures today and  tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.  Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and  tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be  that a prophet should perish away from  Jerusalem.’” Jesus is totally committed to his  mission. In no way does he shy away from a threat  against his life. For he has holy work to do, healing,  exorcising demons, blessing, curing and restoring  people to health and spiritual conversions. This  deep desire to redeem humanity comes from his  profound and sacrificial love for the whole human  family. He saw with the eyes of his heart the  prevailing brokenness and oppression of God’s  people. He saw in the religious leaders a spiritual  blindness. He also saw that humanity was caught in  the crosshairs of its own sinfulness with no way  out. Thus, no threat could change his mind or  thwart his universal mission, to be the Savior of the  world.        Now Jesus turns his attention towards. Jerusalem. Jerusalem represents the epicenter of  God’s dwelling place, the Jewish religion and  society. Pairing a fox on the prowl with a mother  hen who is willing to sacrifice her own life for the  safety of her chicks, Jesus mournfully cries out the  name “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. The city who kills  the prophets and those who are sent to it!” Even to  this day, pastors and priests are sent to lead  troubled congregations who know all too well how  to sabotage and kill those who God sends them.  Those who have a message we don’t want to hear  but need to hear, often their message, advice or  warning is so painfully true that it triggers anger, fear and resentment. So, we succumb to the age old practice of killing the messenger.         In this season of Lent or in any season of  your spiritual life, what message of truth is God  speaking to you about your life, about your  relationships? What truth do you need to hear but  act as if you didn’t hear it? Jesus said the truth will  set you free (John 8:32)? How does truth set us  free? Well, it creates within us a life of congruency.  Where the words we speak from our heart and our  actions are in alignment. That means we don’t live  with mixed messages. We get clear about who we  are and we commit to things without an exit  strategy. When we work out of a place of spiritual  alignment, its as if our souls have hit the sweet  spot of God’s love. And that is what feels so  freeing. It is like peeling back the onion on our sin,  and coming to terms with it—once and for all. It  takes a lot of energy to hold together a lie. Even  when the truth stings, if we embrace it, our souls  feel freer and less heavy. It’s so life-giving to live with clearness in your heart. A consultant I was  working with shared with me her motto in working  with others: “to always be clear and kind.”        What are you a slave to right now and long  to be set free – sin, guilt or shame (a troubled  past)? As Henri Nouwen writes, “Are we willing to  be fully seen by Jesus. Do you and I really want to  be known by him?” Who is the messenger that God  has put in your path to speak truth into your  longings and the troubled places in your heart?  Lent is an intentional time, a tender and life-giving  time to listen deeply to your life, for the beauty  and mystery that it is. It is a time to abide in hs  truth, to be set free in God’s never-ending, never changing love for you. Amen +.  Rev. Dona Johnson |March 16, 2025

Overcoming Temptation Leads to Spiritual Growth Red Rock News March 8, 2025 First Sunday in Lent Rev. Dona Johnson |March 9, 2025         Temptation and testing are universal throughout  human history and no one is ever immune from temptation, testing or spiritual attacks. Throughout  the Bible, we are given story after story of God’s  chosen people being tempted and tested – Adam,  Eve, Abraham, Joseph, Job, Daniel… An important  point to note is that when the devil (an evil force  that opposes the work of God) tempts us, he  doesn’t appear in hoofs and horns. He appears as  something desirous. He sows doubts to confuse  us, distorts the truth and creates a fog in which we  no longer see or differentiate God’s way from the  ways of the world. As Shakespeare said, “The devil  hath power to assume a pleasing shape.” The  serpent is described as crafty; very likely he was  also beautiful, like a beautiful emerald viper, not  like a hissing cobra or rattlesnake.           C.S. Lewis also reminds us the devil finds a  believer’s weak point and uses it to announce a  war on his or her soul. When the devil wants to  attack a person’s soul the first thing, he does is  create a “partition” between God and that person.  The first partition is the “desires of the flesh.” They  cover a broad range, not just sexual sins, but  desires for wealth, power, fame, success, and a  host of other things. The second partition is the  “desires of the eyes” refers to the many things that  capture our attention through our sight, the entry  point for many temptations. Here again we need to  discipline our eyes. What we allow ourselves to  look at and what we avoid to not draw ourselves into sin. And the third partition, the “pride of life”  where we boast of all the things we have  materially, and we brag about all our achievements  and popularity. The temptation to gossip about  other people and live out the lies we tell ourselves. We grow accustom to believing some of the bad  habits in our hearts are good. It’s quite all right to be selfish and self-centered. It’s quite all right to  express hatred and disgust towards others. Thus,  in our rugged individualism, we exalt ourselves, our  self-importance over God and others. Pride is at  the root of today’s narcissistic culture.          The first Sunday in Lent begins with Jesus  being led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be  tempted and tested by the schemes of the devil (Luke 4:1-13). After fasting forty days and forty  nights, he was hungry. Now the desert where he  was taken was truly barren and desolate. As  William Barclay describes it; the hills were like dust  heaps; the limestone looked blistered and peeling;  and the ground sounded hollow to the horses’  hooves and it glowed like the heat of a vast  furnace. It was in this place of devastation where  Jesus was tested. We’ve all experienced those  dark times in our lives where our spiritual,  emotional and physical strength and resilience  grow weak, where doubts begin to cloud our  certainty about God, what is and what is not sin.           In the temptation of Jesus, the devil tempted him with food. The devil also tempted him  with worldly power. He could have what was  already his if he worshiped the devil and gave up  his unwavering devotion to his Father. But with  every temptation, Jesus pushed back on the  devil’s deception with the very word of God, a  word that holds divine power and authority.  Though his own people in Nazareth rejected him,  the devil here recognizes Jesus as “the Holy One  of God.” Luke tells us that after the devil’s plans to  seduce Jesus were foiled, the devil left him until a  more opportune time. The devil does appear again  in the final days of Jesus’ life.           How do we overcome our temptations? The  devil always whispers in our ear what our itching  ears what to hear the most. First, prayer is a  powerful deterrent against temptation. The Holy  Spirit comes to our aid when we cry out to him for  help. Second, we cling to the word of God as  Jesus did, and use it as a source of power and  authority. Thirdly, those who are baptized and  clothed in the love and mercy of God wear a shield  of protection against the evil forces of this world.  Spending time daily in the Bible and prayer is not  optional for Christians. Rather, it is a critical part of  the process of renewing our minds and learning to  recognize and do God’s will and deal effectively  with temptation and testing “when” it comes. Amen.  Rev. Dona Johnson |March 9, 2025

Living Wholeheartedly With Integrity Red Rock News Feb 28, 2025 Rev. Dona Johnson |March 7, 2025       Throughout Scripture, much has been written on what it means to be wholehearted. Wholeheartedness means to live with your full heart, with “all” of your heart. It means to be fully engaged in what you are doing or with whom you’re spending time with. Christian psychologist Henry Cloud says, “There is nothing better than being all in with all your heart.” If you are half hearted about something this is not something to condemn, he says. It can be a significant sign that your heart is not in the right place.       Grace Pouch, content manager for Renovare writes, “The most famous part of the traditional wedding liturgy is the ‘I do’ or ‘I will.’ These two little words of assent—to give one’s self and have another fully and exclusively—are a Yes that involves a significant No.” Thus, true wholeheartedness (devotion) requires exclusivity. As you give yourself to your spouse, automatically you forsake all others and any activities, rights and privileges that are spousal. As you devote yourself to God, you automatically forsake other gods and take on the exclusive faith practices. Saying no isn’t about being selfish, unkind or dogmatic. Paradoxically, saying “no” helps us create the capacity to say a wholehearted “yes” to the things that count and to things God is calling us to.       God calls us to be wholehearted in our devotion of him. It is God’s number one expectation. It is no surprise that it is the first of his Ten Commandments. “You shall not have any other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3). Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matt. 22:37-38).  Again in Matt. 6:24 Jesus reiterates the danger of being half hearted: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” If taken seriously, how can anyone be genuinely devoted or loyal to a friend, a faith community or a career if their hearts are somewhere else. Sometimes though when we commit ourselves in obedience and our hearts gradually engage and we end up wholeheartedly devoted.      The real dilemma for many of us is that we live in a world with infinite opportunities and unconstrained distractions. It is so easy to allow the world to compete for our souls, a place where only God dwells. Whether it be our daily choices, professions, politics, ministry, or recreational and leisure pursuits, all of these things compete with our wholeheartedness and being “all in” with the Lord and all in with the people around us. Many of us have a well-rehearsed habit holding the things we daily engage in at great distances from what God desires of us. Thus, we live with divided hearts.        Parker Palmer in his book a “Hidden Wholeness,” writes, “We all long to be whole, but dividedness becomes an easier choice. A still small voice continues to speak the truth about me, my work, or my world. I hear it and yet act as if I did not. I break faith with one of my convictions. I keep silent on issues I need to openly address. I often deny my inner darkness, giving it more power over me, or I project it onto other people, creating “enemies” where none exist.” He continues, “dividedness is a personal pathology but it soon becomes a problem for other people.”      There are many benefits to being wholehearted in our devotion to things. First, it deepens our relationships because we are truthful before God, truthful with ourselves and others; we are free to engage our ministries with energy and vitality, our efforts yield good fruit and are multiplied in life-giving ways because our hearts are in it. And lastly, living wholeheartedly produces a life of integrity; as our hearts are unequivocally aligned with God’s call and his desire for us.Prayer: Lord help me to live wholeheartedly for you. Amen. Rev. Dona Johnson |March 7, 2025