Passionate Christianity – Awe-Filled Journey. Come On Along!

As I quickly stride toward the 75 year marker of my life (I can’t get my mind wrapped around knowing that I have experienced three-quarters of a century!), I want to briefly tell my simple story about God, Jesus of Nazareth, and us – the centuries God has called us beloved sons and daughters. It’s only my story. Personal, as is, really each of our stories -- a human story, a simple story, a mystery story and a holy story that began long before our ancient people were wandering story-telling Arameans. The Story likely will continue for centuries beyond the lives of any of us now living on this planet. We will have gone from life to life. Yet, we have a major opportunity right now to shape how this Holy Story moves forward.

About God, I believe God is the mystery of more than we can ever know. I find that re-assuring and comforting. Back at the beginning of the Exodus when Israel was enslaved in Egypt, Moses asked God,

“If I go to the Israelites and tell them the God of their forefathers has sent me to them, and they ask me his name, what shall I say? God answered, “I AM, that is who I am; or I will be what I will be.”

I wonder why it is that we seem unsatisfied with God’s simple and clear response?

About Jesus of Nazareth, a knowledgeable and devout Jew and a beloved son of I AM. He believed it. He knew it. He had the courage and the knowledge of the Story to own it and act on it in his own life. Just imagine what our world could be like if we all believed we are beloved sons and daughters of I AM, said it and had the courage to act on it. Jesus of Nazareth radicalized The Story in three sentences. Three sentences! Matthew tells us in 22:36-40 that when Jesus was asked

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: 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. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Just imagine how those words, those three sentences hit the ears of the Pharisees. And we know how Jesus’ words and walking his talk riled the Establishment and the tragic end result of their fears. Crucifixion on a rugged, wooden cross.

Personally I’m not keen on calling either God or Jesus my Lord or my King. I Know the rationale; and yet I have no Lords or Kings in my life to whom I pay homage. God is the mystery of more than we can ever know, and Jesus, is our Christ, the Anointed One and our salvation, our healer. He is also our very much older brother who has taught us much.

About the Holy Spirit who lives and move through and among us today. It is the Holy Spirit that lives in community and guides us toward the future which God, the I will be what I will be, is calling us. Just imagine, if we created sacred time and space to just listen beneath the noise of the world, and encouraged each other to work with God to create God’s “community come on earth, what a powerful difference it could make it our common life together

What I’ve written, in brief, is at the deep root of my Christian faith and my passion as a Christian.

About the Episcopal Church. It is the gathering of imperfect people seeking to be together in community, to remember the Story told for centuries by our ancient people around campfires and that much later was written down (for better and for worse). We can weave our own weekly scraps of life (for better and for worse) into it. It is a Story alive, continuing to be told and written in the here and now. We are reminded who we are and whose we are; and, just as we are, that we’re beloved and forgiven sons and daughters of God. It is a high bar for us to stretch to reach; to love our God, the I AM who I am; to love ourselves and our neighbors as ourselves, not only with our lips but with our lives. We remember, gathered in community, the deepest heart of our Story offered to us by Jesus, our Christ and Savior.

We gather around the Holy Table, an Altar, to share blessed bread and wine together, as the broken body of Christ and the cup of Salvation, on behalf of a huge international banquet table with room and welcome for all the people of the world. It is a power-filled and awe-some act. The priest, as presider, at public worship re-presents Christ to us all, showing us how to go and do likewise. Strengthened by community who has offered one another Christ’s forgiveness, peace and love, and been fed a common meal of good bread and wine, we celebrate again that we are one Body, nourished to go forth into the world to love and serve our neighbors, all around the world, as Jesus who we anointed our Christ showed us how to do – perhaps risking our lives to do so. Just imagine along with me, that with God’s help and the support of one other, how we are empowered to go out and change the world, to risk transforming life on this land, our fragile island home.

Love God, love yourself and love your neighbors – especially the cranky ones and the ones who are weary and in need wherever they are in our world. Get to know them and their stories. Call them by name. Love and welcome them to Christ’s Table. They are members of the Body of Christ, too. All of us are one body.


May the Peace of Jesus, our Christ and Savior, be always with you.
MaryAnn