Virtual Church 2021-01-17 Searching and Soul-Making!

January 17, 2021

It seems that even God needs help. In today’s passage Jesus is calling his disciples. How does he know who to pick? Jesus could see deeply into a person. He sensed their character are than their abilities. God, the Divine calls upon Humans to Help God fulfill God’s purpose on this earth. God calls us to help each other is Soul Making.

  • Jesus is choosing his disciples.
  • Phillip, decide immediately, Nathanael Can anything good come from Nazareth?
  • Lizard Lick is an unincorporated community in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The community is located at the crossroads of Lizard Lick Road and NC 97. Lizard Lick has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.
  • “Come and see!”
  • This whole passage is about seeing.  Orawo  emblepo—To see by searching deeply
  • How do you know me? Ginosko.
  • After the Sermon- Have you been in my mind lately?

I promise I have not. However, what I was inspired to share seem to resonate deeply with those people that day.

  • I look inward when I create a sermon. I have no idea where it is going to land and what effect it is going to have.
  • Renaming Simon to Chephas or as we know him Peter—The Rock
  • Jesus had a way to see deeply into people.
  • He did not judge them for their mistakes and lack of perfection. Not like Santa’s Helpers
  • He could see and discern their character, their soul. Jesus then invited them to follow.
  • After Nathanael senses Jesus has super natural powers he made his proclamation, ““Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
  • Jesus teases him a bit then tells him he will See much Greater things.
  • To follow Jesus was to enter into the Mysterion.
  • For our culture a mystery is a puzzle to be solved.
  • In the ancient culture of our scripture it meant, “A matter to the knowledge of which initiation was necessary.”
  • Not so much a mystery to be solved but rather a mystery to be experienced!
  • In the context of the Gospel of John it is Soul Making. It is the process of changing and deepening one’s inner self!
  • Sometimes we need others to help us see the greatness in ourselves.
  • I know that those whom I treasure as my mentors saw a greatness in me long before I did.
  • Jesus Called Disciples. He needed help!
  • God, the Divine calls upon Humans to Help God fulfill God’s purpose on this earth.
  • God calls us to help each other is Soul Making.

God, as we endeavor to offer our gifts to transform the world, remind us of the words of your prophet: “In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be…” Amen

(quote taken from― Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail)

  • God invites us to see the Mystery and enter the process of becoming Whole and Complete.
  • Sozo—Salvation

Call to Celebration

God, you have invited us to follow you.

You are calling us to stay awake.

You offer us a life of transformation.

We come to this space to immerse ourselves in your teachings.

You speak to the capacity within us.

We evolve as we trust the Spirit’s inner workings.

Come as you are is an open invitation to become fully ourselves.

May we embody the courage to stay open to the surprises of evolution.  Amen      

Offertory

God, as we endeavor to offer our gifts to transform the world, remind us of the words of your prophet: In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be…” Amen

(quote taken from― Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail)

   

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John 1:43-51

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  • Selfishly, I hope you keep as much of an online presence/experience as possible, even after the pandemic ends. Hearing the hymns, prayer requests, etc…, helps me feel more like part of the church. Heck, I get so much out of them that I post links to each service on Facebook & Reddit so others can benefit.

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