Devotional

Lessons on the Road to Emmaus Taken from a Red Rock News Article Rev. Dona Johnson | April 21, 2024 ”So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’ And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread” (Luke 24:28- 35).        Many Christians have had an Emmaus experience, where we learn to see God with new eyes and in different ways. In the Christian journey there are times when our faith life gets dry. At times like these, we need to be inspired and renewed to get that spiritual hunger back— whether you are new to the faith or seasoned, it happens to all of us. Jesus had just risen from the dead. But some of his friends, his disciples, didn’t believe it. Some still didn’t get it. Two of them, on the same day this all happened, were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking over all the events of the last three days when suddenly a man came up and began walking with them. “What are you talking about?” He asked. The two seemed stunned. Did this guy have his head in the sand? Did he not know what happened? It seemed everyone knew.        They walked and talked. They told him about Jesus. Yet, they still did not understand who Jesus was. This stranger then opened up the Scriptures and told them all about Jesus. When they got to their destination, the man looked as if he was going to continue onward, but the two insisted he come with them into their home and stay with them. They invited him in. Then, as they were at the table and bread was broken, suddenly the eyes of their hearts were opened, the veil had been lifted from their eyes and they realized the stranger was JESUS. As soon as they recognize it was him, he suddenly disappears (From Luke 24:13- 35).       There are several truths we learn from the Emmaus story. First God meets us where we are— in our doubts, confusion and even in times of our disbelief. God doesn’t scold us in these times. Instead, he patiently waits and walks with us. He listens to our hearts. And while others turn away, Jesus remains close. Secondly, we learn Jesus isn’t pushy. He doesn’t force anything on us. The two disciples invited him to stay longer and so he did. Nagging someone about their lack of faith never works. In fact it drives them away. Thirdly, as Jesus broke bread with the two disciples God opened their hearts by grace to receive him by faith. In Holy Communion, God opens our hearts to the real presence of who he is and forgives us our sin. In communion God generously pours out his grace on us. And lastly, we learn that once we meet God face-to-face, just as the two disciples did, we are changed, we are never the same. God puts a hunger in our hearts, a burning desire to know him in deeper ways. Thanks be to God! Amen. When was the last  time you had a  burning desire to  know Jesus, to sit in  his presence and ask  him to stay a little longer?  

God’s Generosity On Full Display in the Early Church Taken from a Red Rock News Article (April 19, 2024) Rev. Dona Johnson | Jan 21, 2024 For the early church depicted in Acts, the  resurrection of Jesus Christ is less a creedal  statement of individual faith than a creative force of  community formation and fellowship. There was  great passion and fervor being expressed by these  first believers in Jerusalem. They had witnessed a  never-before-seen resurrection. And out of their  faithful witness, God’s divine power and grace was  poured out on them and on all who embraced their  message.          This community was strangely different than  the communities that surrounded it. There was a  deep compassion and love among the people for  one another. Out of this newly formed community,  each person took on an “intense responsibility” for  the other. So much so, they sold their homes and  possessions to provide for others. They shared all  they had. Luke writes, “All the believers were one in  heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their  possessions was their own, but they shared  everything they had…the apostles continued to  testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus…those  who owned land or houses sold them, brought the  money from the sales…and it was distributed to  anyone who had need” (4:32-35).          Generosity is a mark of true discipleship and  more importantly it is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).  Christian’s who claim to be rich in love towards  Jesus but poor in outward signs of generosity may have other things they love more than God. It’s that  simple. The real tragedy is that there is often some  part of our lives, some part of our activities, some  part of our time and some part or our energy levels  that we, for the life of us cannot let go of. And this  holding on to our lives, holding on to our money  and possessions with such a tight grip is very much  a spiritual issue and a misreading of the gospel.          Over the centuries, the church has been  extremely generous in its capacity to respond to  humanitarian needs. In a 2022 survey, Barna, a  research group found that people give because of  who they are. It is foundational to their identity and  personhood. According to Pew Research Center, 45  percent of adults who pray daily and attend church  weekly volunteered in the past 7 days and 65  percent donated money to the poor and had a  higher rate of care and concern for others.  Christians who devote themselves to worship and  prayer create webs of mutual knowledge,  responsibility and Christ-like support like no other  influence. Although many of us in our culture today  suffer from a consumptive lifestyle, and tend to have a greater desire to protect our lifestyles than  grow in outward generosity towards others, those  who devote themselves to the gospel message  “love God and love one’s neighbor” live in the  overflow of God’s grace and thus, have an insatiable  need to give generously.          Luke gives us a beautiful snapshot of the  early church’s radical generosity on the heels of  Jesus’ resurrection and the Day of Pentecost.  Witnessing Jesus death and resurrection, they had a  fire in their belly after seeing first hand God’s  ultimate self-emptying and sacrifice. Jesus dies  bankrupt and bereft, stripped of all earthly  possessions (including clothes, Luke 23:34.) It is out  of this experience of complete surrender that God’s  generosity is on full display. Losing his life, Jesus  saves it. Forfeiting “the whole world” of self aggrandizing profit, Jesus gains the true wealth of  God’s kingdom. The crucified and risen Jesus thus  inspires his followers even today to find “new” life  not in accumulating more wealth for self-serving  needs but instead relinquishing all they are and own  into God’s hands to experience the true joy of  giving! How might God be calling you to grow in  generosity towards others? Amen. 

Shut door? No problem for God. Taken from a Red Rock News Religion Column (4/5/24) Rev. Dona Johnson | April 7, 2024           Jesus appeared to the disciples on the first  evening of Easter Day. After Jesus’ resurrection, we are told the disciples locked themselves in the  upper room, the same room where Jesus had  shared the last supper with them only days  earlier. Knowing the intense bitterness of the  Jews, the disciples feared for their lives. And as  we all know, fear if left unchecked can be  paralyzing. Suddenly though without a knock or  forewarning Jesus appears. Stunned by what they  saw, the door still locked behind them, they  thought the figure was a ghost. At this point the  disciples were not crediting any of what they saw  as a resurrection. Resurrection was unheard of,  not an option to consider. So, Jesus reassured them by showing them the nail marks in his hands  and feet. Their hearts were pieced with the  inconceivable reality that it was Jesus that they  saw.              Jesus continued to reassure them with  these words, “Peace be with you.” His greeting  meant far more than the absence of conflict or  trouble. The peace he offered them is not the  fleeting peace of the world. No, it is a peace not  dependent on external circumstances. This peace  is a spiritual peace that only Christ can give. And if  you have ever been blessed to feel and sense this  peace in your life—you certainly know it is a  peace like no other peace you’ve ever  experienced. It is a Christ-given serenity—a deep  knowing that whatever trouble you may face in this life—God is with you in the thick of it.  Without any further conversation, Jesus commissions them, “As the Father has sent me, I  am sending you.” Jesus equips them with  everything they will need. He breathes on them  and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Amazingly,  Jesus’ breath is the same breath God breathes  into the nostrils of man—and God breathes his  Spirit into humanity (Gen. 2:7). In effect, as Jesus  breathes on his disciples, equips them with the  Holy Spirit, they too become a new creation, life  from death. They are to go into the world to  proclaim a ministry of repentance and  forgiveness. And what we know now that the disciples didn’t know then is that the disciples  were in for a headwind of resistance. They were  eventually martyred for keeping alive the Good  News—the risen Lord Jesus Christ.               If sin and death could not hold Jesus in the  grave, then moving through a shut door is a piece  of cake. God does not stop for a shut door. His  reach and his power extend far beyond our  comprehension and our capacity. God’s love can  penetrate anything that appears to us to be  stubbornly strong and resistant. God’s love can  pierce the most hardened of human hearts.            In our lifetime doors will open and doors  will close, that’s a given. And it’s so easy to stay  fixated on our losses—what could have been.  Often when a door shuts and we are left in the  wake of a lost opportunity, or we are disheartened by dreams unfulfilled, or we feel  disparaged by the injustices we see in the world,  or we feel as if all our options have run their  course and then you wonder why it seems like  good people always finish last, don’t throw in the  towel, not yet. It’s not over. To many, a shut door  means failure. But if you turn your focus away  from the closed door and look in the other  direction, you will see a variety of open doors  before you—possibilities you never dreamed of  or imagined. So take heart, God does not stop for  a closed door. We who believe live in the promise  and power of the risen Lord—Jesus.  Prayer: May each of continue to risk and welcome new opportunities in our lives—for we live in the resurrection power of the risen Jesus! Amen.

Listening for Easter’s Promise Taken from a Red Rock News Article (Mar 29, 2024) Rev. Dona Johnson | March 31, 2024 The Essence of Christianity is “I have seen the Lord”   It’s Sunday morning, it’s the third day since Jesus  hung on the cross and died a painful death (Gospel  of John 20:1-18). Those who loved him were still in a  state of shock. They were most likely still numb  wondering what they will do next, how they might  live their lives without him. But in the midst of all  this grief and uncertainty, there was one astonishing  moment in time when only one person in the whole  world, one person walking the planet who knew the  good news he’s alive. This ultimate “breaking news”  would forever change the course of human history.  For that one brief moment, this one person was the  first one to witness Jesus’ resurrection. Of course  this one person was Mary Magdalene or Magdala.  The name Magdala in Aramaic means “watchtower”  or “strong tower.” If you remember, Jesus had drove  out of Mary seven demons and healed her of a  demonic trauma. This miraculous healing sealed  Mary’s faith of and fidelity in Jesus. The whole Jesus  story hinged on what Mary would do with the truth.  Would she cherish and keep it to herself or share  with others and become what some have called her  “the apostle to the apostles?           Mary’s faith was a strong tower. She was the  first one to reach the garden tomb while it was still  dark on Sunday morning. She was the first one to  see the stone rolled away and the tomb emptied. As  she stood in the garden in front of Jesus’ tomb, her  eyes soaked and clouded with tears, she saw who  she thought was a gardener. Then the gardener  called her name, “Mary!” Mary recognized the tone   his voice. She had heard this voice before. Suddenly  her heart burst inside and she cried out, “Rabboni,”  which means teacher in Aramaic. As she reached out   to grab hold of him, Jesus said, “Don’t touch me.” He  wasn’t being unkind. There was no need to cling to  him. Immediately he sent Mary back to the disciples  with the message that what he had so often told  them was now about to happen—he was alive. He  was on his way to his Father and Mary came with the  news, “I have seen the Lord.”           Mary’s message is the very essence of  Christianity, for a Christian is essentially one who can  say, “I have seen the Lord.” Christianity does not  mean knowing about Jesus. It means knowing him  intimately, knowing his character, knowing his  unconditional love for humanity and his heart of  justice for the poor, the sick and oppressed. It does  not mean arguing about him it means meeting him,  listening for his voice. And when you meet Jesus for  the first or the thousandth time, you experience the  real presence—the incarnation of Jesus Christ.          The resurrection is the centerpiece of  Christianity. As N.T. Wright has said, It’s how God chose to demonstrate that all the biblical  prophecies, the claims made during Jesus’ ministry,  which reached their climax on the cross, were true.  “The resurrection demonstrates that the cross, so far  from being seen as the failure of Jesus’ messianic  mission, was its crowning achievement.”           So as Christian congregations gather this  weekend in Sedona and around the globe to  celebrate and worship Jesus who is alive, they look  beyond death and the grave and rejoice in the new  life God continues to offer the world. No doubt,  Jesus won the war on sin and death. Now it is left to  Jesus’ followers, empowered by his Spirit, to put into  effect his achievement by means of boldly claiming  and sharing with all the world, “I have seen the  Lord.”   Prayer: God of all mercy and grace, your only Son’s  death and glorious resurrection have delivered us  from the power of death and redeemed all creation.  Grant that we may no longer look for the living  among the dead and instead daily die to sin and rise  to newness of life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord,  who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one  God now and forever. Amen.

Good Friday Rev. Dona Johnson | March 29, 2024 Unwilling to allow the church to compromise  its most fundamental beliefs in the face of  Nazism, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran  pastor worked tirelessly to keep the true spirit  of the church alive in Germany, his resistance  cost him his life.   “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” While imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp Bonhoeffer composed prayers for the other  prisoners, circulating them illegally and he prayed for  the prison guards—he kept everyone going…                     On Sunday February 8, 1944 Bonhoeffer led a  worship service for the prisoners. He titled his  sermon, “Through his stripes we are healed”  (Isaiah 53:5). He continued with 1 Peter 1:3  “According to his great mercy, he has caused us  to be born again to a living hope through the  resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” Early the following morning Bonhoeffer was led  to the scaffold. The camp doctor watched:  through the half-door in one room of the huts I  saw Pastor Bonhoeffer, before taking off his  prison garb, kneeling on the floor praying  fervently to his God. I was most deeply moved  by the way this loveable man prayed, so devout  and certain that God heard his prayer. At the  place of execution, he again said a short prayer  then climbed the steps of the gallows, brave and  composed. His death ensued a few seconds. In  the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor,  I have hardly seen a man die so entirely  submissive to the will of God.  “Who Am I” is one of his well-known poems  written from his prison cell. Who am I? Who am I? They often tell me I step from my cell calm and cheerful and poised like a squire from his manor. Who am I? They often tell me I speak with my guards freely, friendly and clear, as though I were the one in charge. Who am I? They also tell me I bear days of calamity serenely, smiling and proud, like one accustomed to victory. Am I really what others say of me? Or am I only what I know of myself? restless, yearning, sick, like a caged bird, struggling for life breath, as if I were being  strangled, starving for colors, for flowers, for  birdsong, thirsting for kind words, human  closeness, shaking with rage at power lust and  pettiest insult, tossed about, waiting for great  things to happen, helplessly fearing for friends  so far away, too tired and empty to pray, to  think, to work, weary and ready to take my  leave of it all? Who am I? This one or the other? Am I this one today and tomorrow another? Am I both at once? Before others a hypocrite, and in my own eyes a pitiful, whimpering  weakling? Or is what remains in me like a  defeated army, fleeing in disarray from victory  already won? Who am I? They mock me, these lonely  questions of mine, Whoever I am, Thou knowest  me, O God, I am thine! 1  Prayer: Lord gives us the faith and courage to  surrender our wills to your will and live as  true and faithful disciples. Amen.  1 Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Translated by Nancy Lukens et al. Eberhard Bethge et al, eds. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 8, Letters and Papers from Prison (Fortress, 2010). 459.

When Jesus Stood Silent Taken from a Red Rock News Article (March 22, 2024) Rev. Dona Johnson | March 24, 2024           For any of us who have been falsely accused of something. For any of us who have been blamed for something we did not do, we know from experience the emotional pain it produces when the truth we attest to is denied or our voice is not heard. Over the years, there have been persons falsely accused in the criminal justice system, where the jury got it all wrong.           As Jesus stood in shackles before Pilate, two dark forces were at work, the false accusations and the jeering mop (Mark 15:1-20). The crowd yelled, “Nail him to a cross!” Pilate objected, “But for what crime?’ But they yelled all the louder, “Nail him to the cross!” Pilate gave the crowd what they wanted. He set Barabbas free, a criminal sentenced to death. And in his place took Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, a man without sin, a man who committed no crime, a man whose message was love and forgiveness and sentenced him to an agonizing death by crucifixion. Slander, lies and cowardice sealed Jesus’ fate.           When we refuse to own up to our responsibility for our actions, we choose Barabbas. When we allow any group, be it a political group, workplace team, media, or social group, to push us to act against the teachings of Christ, we choose Barabbas. At times, we may become part of the angry mob of a nation that turns against Jesus, calling for his crucifixion.          But these dark forces were bringing all of humanity closer to God’s plan of redemption. Pilate was feeling the mounting pressure and had to get this right. Professionally, Pilate could not afford an uprising. He did not want Jesus’ blood on his hands. Although he could not put his finger on it, there was something about Jesus, something about the way he stood before his accuser silent and that caused him to doubt his course of action.           It is without a doubt incomprehensible how Jesus stood silent before Pilate. The Prophet Isaiah describes his silence “Like a sheep being led to the slaughter or a lamb that is silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). What person in their right mind, a person who was falsely accused would not put up a fight for his or her life? But silence is a language and there are many types of silence. There is the silence of admiration. When your swept off your feet by something beautifully breathtaking, like a sunset. There is the silence of contempt. When you chose to respond to someone’s argument or excuse with a silence which shows they are unworthy of an answer and you walk away. There is also the silence of fear. Where people are simply afraid to speak up in front of others. There is the silence of the heart that is hurt. When people have been so wounded that it cuts them to their core and leaves them speechless. And then there is the silence of tragedy. This silence comes when a person surrenders their will to the circumstance because all options have run their course.           Jesus was silent before the Jewish leaders because there was no ground to be gained—both were at an insurmountable impasse. It is a terrible thing when a person’s heart is so broken by slander and lies that all one can muster up is silence. If you have ever found yourself at an impasse or a victim of lies and slander, Jesus is one with you in your pain and suffering.           As we move towards Holy Week and Easter, let us not forget that out of Jesus’ divine silence, when all those present thought he was doomed to death, God was working out his ultimate plan of redemption. Jesus’ silence would soon burst forth in resurrection power, the stone rolled back and death and sin conquered once and for all! Prayer: “Heavenly Father, we give You thanks  for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came  not as a conquering king but as a humble  servant—victorious over sin and death, paving  the way for our salvation. Amen. 

The Path To Greatness Taken from a Red Rock News Article (March 15, 2024) Rev. Dona Johnson | Jan 21, 2024        Jesus is walking with the disciples towards Jerusalem the final showdown (Mark 10:32-45). They are being followed by a crowd of people. Jesus takes his disciples aside and predicts for the third time what is about to happen to him—he will be accused, sentenced to death, die and rise in three days. This would be a very troubling piece of news to hear—death by crucifixion. And yet it doesn’t seem to register with the disciples. The disciples immediately start thinking of their own futures. James and John boldly ask Jesus to assign them places on the left and right of him when he reaches the heavenly realm. They want to be given the greatness and power of Jesus but they have no idea how true greatness is achieved. Are they willing to drink from the cup of suffering and sacrifice—betrayal, rejection and death itself?         Many of us dream of being great at something but it often ends there—it’s just a dream. Maybe you’ve had a dream of becoming a concert violinist, or a jet pilot or astronaut or even a surgeon. The dreams and aspirations we have are really our secret quest to be great at something, to be recognized in the world in meaningful ways. Unfortunately, many people reevaluate their dreams after learning all that is required of them— years of training, sacrifice and of course all the lost opportunity costs.        But in one single stroke, Jesus cuts through the disciple’s pride and ambition. Jesus tells them the only way they can be great in his Kingdom is to be a servant of all. Then Jesus gets more granular with the meaning of greatness: “Whoever desires to be first shall be the slave, not merely a servant of all” (10:44.)        Now this action taken by James and John did not sit well with the other ten disciples. It seemed to them that James and John were vying to take an unfair advantage. And the age-old controversy on who was the greatest began to rage again.        It is human nature to want to do as little as possible and get back as much as we can. It is only when we desire to put more into life than we take out for ourselves that we experience true happiness, peace and prosperity. In God’s Kingdom, greatness and the role of leadership is to suffer for the sake of others. To be a servant, to be great is not to be high, mighty and untouchable and it is not to be served by others. Instead it serves with boots on the ground, it rolls up it sleeves and suffers for the sake of others. And this reversal is something the world needs to hear over and over again, especially in our “Me” first culture.        Simon Sinek, leadership consultant and author of “Leaders Eat Last” explains how it became clear to him talking with a Marine officer what it means to be a servant leader —”officers eat last.” He watched the junior Marines eat first while the high-ranking officers went to the back of the line. What was symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield. Great leaders sacrifice their own comforts and even their own survival for the good of those in their care. Empathy is what drives great leaders to do the things they do.        The greatest example of servanthood ever witnessed is found in the life of Jesus, who without sin and who committed no crime died on the cross to absorb the sin and crimes of humanity. This is a picture of the suffering servant—love that suffers for others without a tinge of resentment. Jesus’ suffering death was the only way we could be freed from our sin to brought back into the love of God. Jesus was a servant leader, a flawless sacrifice, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Prayer: Jesus may we find our greatness in you  alone and may we put more into this life than we  take out. Lord have mercy on us. Amen. 

Jesus Cleanses the Temple of Injustices Taken from a Red Rock News Article (March 1, 2024) Rev. Dona Johnson | March 3, 2024 For many people, including many Christians,  their image and perception of Jesus is one of  meekness, gentleness and passive humility. And  that is a true picture of him. Jesus’ heart was  filled with mercy and compassion for people.  But many people forget to recognize the  assertive side of Jesus. For like any leader, it was  his assertiveness that allowed him to live his life  in total agreement—congruence with his faith.  Jesus spoke with a serious truthfulness— people’s salvation was at stake. His obedience  was unmatched and assertively flawless. And he  desired in the worst way that people live with a  zeal and a zest for God.          Being assertive means sometimes having  to admonish people but also being clear and  kind with one’s message. Many of us who are  risk avoidant when it comes to confronting  others in church, business and family, see  assertiveness as aggressive behavior. We often  fear our admonishment won’t be received well,  it might escalate the situation and or we might be disliked. Many of us due to our own shame  and guilt feel unworthy because of our own sins  to confront others of theirs. Some people  confuse accountability with judging others but  the two are worlds apart. The downside of our  reluctance to address issues not only  perpetuates unhealthy behavior but fractures  our Christian witness and leads people away  from Jesus rather than bring them closer.  Truthfully addressing inappropriate behavior  should not be done to provoke discord but  instead is meant to cleanse, restore and nurture  a zeal and a zest for God. No family and its  members or a faith community is perfect and all  of us at one time or another needs to be  counseled and shown correctives.       Jesus knew that the early church (the  temple) in his day had turned corrupt. Its  leaders weren’t above bribing witnesses,  plotting murders or charging exorbitant prices  on the sale of animals for sacrifice. The spiritual  welfare of God’s people was at stake and being  sadly ignored. He saw the people whom he  dearly loved being exploited and led astray.  Some leaders turned a blind eye and a deaf ear  to these infractions. Thus, leading people away  from God and toward an empty institution of  rules, regulations and self-serving agendas.        In John 2:13-22, Jesus walks into the temple and flies into a righteous rage: throwing  furniture, wielding a whip, driving out the  moneychangers and merchants. A fire in his  belly and a jealous gleam in his eyes. Have you  ever stopped to wonder why Jesus was so  angry? His spiritual heart immediately  quickened and he admonished the sin of the  money changers. A deep injustice was being  executed. Jesus’ assertive words and actions  towards the Pharisees was meant to penetrate  their hardened hearts and spoke volumes to the  religious powers that be. Maybe the Temple was  starting to look like just any old Jerusalem flea  market. Maybe the worldly influence and the  ever-expanding emporium of the moneychangers was casting a dark shadow on  worship and God’s house. Maybe Jesus was  trying to shake things up so the church could  remember its radical mission to be in the world  but not of its values and practices.        Each of us must ask God to cleanse our  witness, our worship, and our relationships— again and again—in the same way Jesus  cleansed the temple. Oh that we would ask him to turn over the tables in our hearts, churches,  and organizations, sanctifying our motives so  that our deepest longing would be to worship  him. What tables would Jesus turn over in  today’s churches? Amen. 

Who do you say I am? Taken from a Red Rock News Article (2/23/24) Rev. Dona Johnson | Feb 25, 2024       In the days leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, his opposition was closing in and the controversy surrounding him was heating up (Mark 8:27-38). All sorts of rumors were spreading and fueling accusations against him within the Jewish inner circle. For anyone in leadership trying to affect change in a corporate or religious culture knows all too well the resistance and pushback that can occur with those who are threatened by the change. Allies and alliances are like shifting sand. And it is hard to know where people are and who you can trust.          In this contentious environment, Jesus turns to those closest to him, his own disciples and asks. “Who do you say that I am?” In the company of each other, Peter speaks for the twelve and responds, “You are the Christ.” Peter speaks out with a clear declaration that Jesus is the “the anointed one by God. The one divinely elected and appointed by God. Peter, whom Jesus set apart in Mark 3:16 to play a decisive role in building up the people of God, now speaks his confession of faith. When Jesus selects the twelve, He makes a core unit of teachers and representatives that will soon become the nexus of the church. It means more than a new calling—it means a new identity.       Jesus conveys to the disciples that he must suffer, be rejected by his own people—the elders, chief priests and scribes and then be killed and raised three days later. Peter could not handle this horrific news. So out of fear of losing Jesus, he rebuked him. Jesus retorted back to Peter, “Get behind me Satan! Peter’s inability to accept Jesus’ suffering and death is a refusal to accept the will of God. Jesus continues with a prophetic announcement and warning: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”(Mark 8:35). To lose one’s soul can be an irrevocable loss. And yet so many of us sell out our souls daily for pleasures that are short-lived. Addictions will eventually kill us. The insatiable desire to acquire more money and power can temp us to run over and compete against others at the expense of those relationships. And the desire to seek the ways and gratifications of this world can put our faith life on the back burner and leave us in a spiritual desert.        There are big moral moments in our lives, times in which we must choose between allegiance to Jesus, the moral creed we profess and moral compass that guides our lives and our need for more money, power and popularity. In those moments, we should take on the spiritual struggle to make sure we don’t sell out our souls for the temporary pleasures and gains of the world. But every day we also recognize that our souls — our sense of what it means to be human beings — are being shaped day-to-day by the same systems of power and privilege we say we resist and have no part of.        Jesus’ question, “Who do you say I am?” still echoes to this day generations later. We gain our lives when we give ourselves to others, when we go the extra mile to love our neighbor, to love our enemy. We gain the joy of living when we put the needs and suffering of other people in front of our own comforts, needs and desires. We gain life when we die to self and confess the name of Jesus courageously without fear or embarrassment. Life is gained in the giving of life to others.    Prayer, Lord Jesus Christ, who do we say you are? Help us to life our lives in full integrity before you and others—to once and for all lose the ways of this world that when asked we will take up our cross for you. Amen.   

The Transfiguration A Snapshot Of Our Future Glory Taken from my article submitted to the Red Rock News Rev. Dona Johnson | February 4, 2024 Before the season of Lent begins, we are given a  glimpse of God’s glory and our future glory in the  transfiguration of Jesus Christ. It seems a little  crazy, but there was this moment on the mountain  where Jesus’ face, his clothes and body shimmered  with a brilliant glow of light. A light so bright it  looked much like polished steel when the sun  reflects on it. And then suddenly a cloud  overshadowed Jesus and his disciples Peter, James  and John.          The transfiguration is a famous and very  unique passage in the Bible and it’s not found  anywhere else in ancient literature. But it is  included in three of the four Gospel accounts of  Matt. 17:1–13; Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36. This  singular event gives us a clear picture of a  stunningly bizarre moment that provides us with  special insight into who Jesus really is, who he  came to be and how we should respond.        Jesus’ transfiguration if only for one  second, is like a shutter that opens on a camera,  and we are given a glimpse of a dazzling gleaming  light. The glory of Jesus is revealed and then it  instantly turns dark again and then a cloud moves  over them. In Jewish thought, the presence of God  is often connected with the cloud. It was the glory  cloud that led Israel out of captivity and the hands  of Pharaoh. It shone so bright at might it looked  like a pillar of fire. It was in the cloud that Moses  met God. It was in the cloud that God came to the  Tabernacle. And it was in a cloud that God filled the  Temple when it was dedicated after Solomon built  it.          Matthew’s account says, “There he was  transfigured before them. His face shone like the  sun, and his clothes became as white as the light”  (17:2). Here we have Jesus taking on the glory of  God. Jesus in human form takes on the  magnificent, superlative glory of God. And then  suddenly Moses and Elijah appear. Why were they  there? Maybe Moses and Elijah were affirming  Jesus’s mission to save humanity saying, “Go on!”  William Barclay believes, Moses and Elijah saw in  Jesus all that history longed for and hoped for and  looked forward.         Jesus is giving his disciples and the world a  momentary look at what the future glory of the  righteous will one day look like. Through his life, we  are now able to enter the very heart of God. Jesus  is our ultimate reality. Jesus is God whom people  can personally know and come to love. Of course  this ultimate reality eclipsed many of the other  philosophies of the day. Unlike the Greeks who saw  god removed from human history, a god who from  a distance held the universe together in a  harmonious alignment. God is now found in the  person of Jesus who is both fully divine and fully  human. A God who is no longer detached from  human affairs but is now is fully attached and  committed to us with a love stronger than any love  we can ever imagine or experience. This is nothing  to gloss over—true intimacy with God!         This was a dark time in the life of Jesus as  got nearer the cross. His disciples must have been  shattered knowing he was going to Jerusalem to  die. Jesus shone them his glory to give them  something to hold to. And like his disciples, Jesus  does not leave us without something to hold on to  when doubts and fears want to darken our hearts.  Not only through the transfiguration, but also  through his death and resurrection God gives us  profound snapshots of our future glory. And this  gives us the courage and confidence to “go on”  too! AMEN.