Loading more...
Stirring
Have you ever misplaced or lost something, and it stirs little worry? You just know that Read More
Mary C. Earle | Read Psalm 99:1-5
Most of us, truth be told, do not think of the Lord as king. At least, we don’t think of the Lord in images of the royalty of countries here on earth. If we do, we are missing the point of the good news.
The psalms were Jesus’ prayer book, which is why he quotes them in times of distress. As we make our way toward the Transfiguration, we are walking with Jesus, who prayed the psalms. His reign of love leads to justice and abundance of life.
I am led to remember John Lewis, whose skull was fractured at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, as he marched for voting rights. I am led to remember all who have marched chanting, “Black Lives Matter!” I am led to remember my friend Olga Samples Davis, an African American poet here in San Antonio, who said to me, “Marching is fine. Now Jesus is telling us to make justice the king.”
When we, both as persons and as communities, begin to notice inequity, a transformation is taking place. When we listen to the stories of immigrants, people of color, women and children who have been abused, we cannot un-hear them. The mercy and compassion of Jesus spring forth when we seek the justice and equity established in the beginning by God.
Imagine that. Imagine if this country, this community of nations, and this planet were places where all were given the respect due their sacred humanity. Imagine a planet transfigured by equity and compassion. Let that holy possibility take hold of your whole being, body and soul.
And then, today and throughout the coming season of Lent, ask God to show you what offering for the sake of justice you might make—not out of inflated heroics but out of that deep desire to embody the life-giving Spirit.
Grant me, gracious Friend, to act on your invitation to be your life here and now and to bring equity to all. Amen.
God’s glory is always revealed, even if never completely. When Moses encounters God on the mountain, his face undergoes a physical transformation as a reflection of God’s greater glory. The psalmist reminds us of how great God is and how even Moses and Aaron bow before God’s throne. Paul refers to the story of Moses, but because of Christ, God’s glory is now more openly revealed. There is no need to wear a covering as Moses did, for Christ reflects openly the divine radiance. Luke recounts the Transfiguration, when the face of Jesus, like that of Moses, begins to shine. God’s voice reinforces the revelation of the Transfiguration, declaring Jesus to be God’s Son and the revelation of God’s glory.
Read Exodus 34:29-35. Consider the ways you provide evidence of your faith. Do you display it for your glory or for God’s?
Read Psalm 99. How do you seek a healthy balance of awe and intimacy in your relationship with God?
Read 2 Corinthians 3:12–4:2. What “veil” separates you from God—a sense of unworthiness, a hardened heart, a lack of understanding?
Read Luke 9:28-43a. Jesus shines with God’s glory, but then he gets back to his work of healing. Consider how God might transform you to do better the work you are already doing for God.
Respond by posting a prayer.
I join many of those who will pray for you as you seek to discern what you are called to be at this moment. May God grant you the courage to fulfill that calling. May we all open our eyes and see the misery, open our ears and hear the cries of God’s people, and, like God through the Lord Jesus Christ, be incarnate amongst them.”
View a growing list of resources for the spiritual work of overcoming racism.
