Let us pray.

 

Gracious Lord, here I am, here we are. Standing before you ready. Ready to hear what you have for us today, Open our ears, open our hearts so that we may receive your holy message. Lord God, I relinquish myself to you and pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable unto you. In the name of Jesus, who is my rock and my redeemer. Amen.

 

Good morning beautiful people, I am so glad to be with you today. I am grateful to Rowayton UMC and Pastor Michael Cobb who continued to provide God’s word for you while I was away on vacation. 2020 was not kind to us for vacation, and several have said to me that I took vacation at the wrong time. So maybe I am do for a do over. But clearly no time during this year will really be the right time unless it was done prior to the pandemic.

 

So I back and believe it or not I am renewed and ready to finish out 2020 strong. Since we last met together, we have lost two very prominent members of our faith community Sis. Susan Maddox on August 7th and Sis. Grete Nyrop on August 9th. They have been pillars in the faith and in our church and I am so blessed I was able to get to know them and spend time with them and know them. They strongly believed in serving God fully and did so until their very last breath.

 

When I spoke about Susan at her services, I spoke about her as a women with GRIT – Grace, Regeneration, Intentionality & Integrity and Toughness. I remember last year when we were celebrating Grete’s 90th birthday she was expressing to me and all of us that it was her stubbornness to preserve through that kept her throughout the years.

 

And so this morning I want to focus on those Transformative moments in our life. Those burning bush moments.There are moments in our life when we are shaken out of our reverie of life to move us beyond ourselves. It usually begins with something, one thing that first grabs our attention and alters everything as we knew it. The birth of a baby, the death of a loved one, a burning bush that is not b being consumed.

 

For Moses it was a burning bush. Sitting atop that mountain tending to his sheep, he’s eye caught sight of something that could impact how the sheep where moving and where they were going. He took notice and as he surveyed what was happening he realized the bush was not burning up. Now this drew his curiosity even more so he was compelled to go closer to examine what was happening.

 

As he approached, he heard his name being summoned from the bush. “Moses, Moses.” And notice his response, “Here I am!” Can you recall an encounter that might have been your burning bush, and you knew it was something specific for you to go through? Something that would changed everything? Did you know or even think God was in that moment and there with you?

 

When Moses was called to come closer he was instructed to remove his sandals as an act of humility and sacrifice, thus acknowledging being in God’s presence. God met Moses right where he was and it was a call to serve God fully. Moses, was initially afraid and actually hid his face from God. I wonder about this for a moment. For it to have been mentioned, leads me to believe that it was a great fear that could have been disabling.

 

It is a natural human response to hide, when we are scared, especially to hide when God calls us to move into action on his behalf. It is usually not a comfortable place to be because of the unknown of all that comes with it and especially because of the responsibility that comes with being chosen by God. Our initial response often is to hide and to turn away from that which is not familiar or comfortable. Fear can stifle and paralyze and cause more harm if we allow it to consume us. But when we recognize that it is God and come to know that God is for us, always. Always waiting for us, for our response and our trust.

 

God reminds Moses of the legacy of promise that has been given to the forefathers. And now he is the one that is needed to carry on the next leg. Well, I understand his fear, it is real. In hiding we think that because we can not see God, that God can not see us. But in truth God sees us even in the hiding places and dark spaces of our lives. God is ever present and always awaiting for us to turn to him and go with him.

 

We are not in this alone. Our life is not autonomous. There is One who knows and calls by name, even while we imagine we are unknown and not summoned.

 

And most of us get stuck in fear. And I believe this stifles the transformative moment. Things have completely changed in our life, but we almost refuse to alter the way we respond and move. We do not move in a new way and so things have a tendency to run a muck.

 

Romans 12: 9-16, gives us a clear guide in what to do when we are transformed. Paul wrote to the church at Rome at a time when the church was conflicted with differing views of the Christian Gentiles and the returned Christian Jews that were in Rome. They were struggling with how they were interpreting their role in the gospel. Especially since their transformation stories had different origins. But they were two sides of the same coin. The letter is addressed specifically to the “weak in faith”.

 

Romans 12 reads, “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good. Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one one in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

 

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.”

 

This is a statement of radical hospitality and faith. And lays out for us how to be doers of the word. I believe the church today often finds itself full of people who are good hearers of the word but struggle with being doers of the word. When we transition from being hearers to doers the word of God becomes our own. We embody it. We are transformed.

 

Moses was called for a specific purpose at a specific time. When God’s people were suffering at the hand of their taskmasters. A suffering that was inflicted not by their own doing, but one that was placed on them. Moses was called to lead the people to a new way of life. A life of freedom. And just like good humans they almost rather continue to ensure the harsh treatment than to go off with this Shepard to the unknown, and potentially unstable life.

 

Beloved, I believe this is our call right now. We are called to be transformed disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world. God’s people have been suffering for far too long and things have run amuck. This moment is a burning bush moment. The nation is in pure chaos and there God’s people of suffering at the hands of their taskmasters.

 

Unfair housing practices, inadequate healthcare practices, poor educational practices, unjust justice system, systematic oppression has been the very foundation of our government that was stated to be built in order for liberty and justice for all, or so it said.

 

But what are we to do? Begin and remain to examine the gospels and study who Jesus was. He was a renegade. He rebelled against the laws of the land that were inflicting continued injustice on the people. He knew the law of God and the desire God had to be reconciled with all creation. It is in the gospels that we are affirmed as God’s beloved.

 

Look to the Epistles, if you dare. I always felt like Paul spells it out for us, makes it practical and understandable, achievable. Be true to the heart that God has placed within you and let your love be genuine and really hate what is evil. Evil can be anything that causes harm, pain and suffering to another. Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. I am not sure it can be more clear than that.

 

Love and treat everyone as if you are responsible for their very life. Treating them better than you have been treated. And it stands for every person; especially the lowly, the orphan, the widow, the one who is of a different culture, race, gender and creed. Learn to see each person as a whole person.

 

I was talking with a friend of mine last night and she was saying she heard in an interview once with Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama use to throw on a ball cap and walk around the neighborhood of the White unnoticed. She literally was not seen. Even was overlooked as she stood with her children at an ice ream vendor with her daughters, waiting to give their order, another family came up of a different race, and began to give their order and The First Family was skipped. What would make it possible for three persons standing before you in living color to be overlooked? Not to mention this is Michelle Obama. But I guess that didn’t matter.

 

Understand that what you do can and will impact the life of another, even if and when you are not thinking of them. Actually, that’s just it, begin to recognize that when you are not thinking about them they are left out there. If our life is not autonomous then we can afford to leave anyone out there. Next time it could be us.

 

Continuing in the text, “do not lag in zeal and be ardent in spirit.” I think of the morning person on a Monday. That happy go lucky and feeling good person, who comes into work on Monday almost skipping and happy to see you and be there. Ever meet that person in church? Where the joy of being present overflows from them. I know it makes some of you uncomfortable, especially the introverts, like their joy takes too much energy. I have a fiend you call her answering machine she is almost singing with joy, like the message is just for you. Can you imagine if we all come to church or in contact with one another with that level of joy. Ready to listen, willing to learn, ready and willing to get involved and to serve the Lord.

 

Serving the Lord with Zeal and ardent in pleasure, oooo what joy that would be at the time when we are working on the Nominations report of the lay leadership of the church. There would be a level of expectation and yearning to roll up your sleeves and get to work, on behalf of God.

 

You know what it’s like when the pastor comes up to you and ask you to serve on which ever committee, it like the most dreaded conversation. And I think I actually am going to wrap up with this.

 

Where does that lack of zeal and enthusiasm come from? Fear of the unknown. Lack of confidence of what you are being asked. Or lack of confidence in your ability. When does the transformation happen? It happens when you take a chance to see what God is calling you to. To examine yourself and push yourself from your comfort zone. And trust that you are not alone. Not only is God with you, but there are always others around you that can help, resources that are available to help you grow in understanding. And even others that have done it before. What will it take for you to be ready to respond to God calling you to serve? To be a part of the mission to fulfill God’s purpose?

 

Let us no longer hide from God. Let us follow the way of Jesus and grow in faith. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to stir us into action for the transformation of the world. Let us be transformed in this very moment.

 

May the love and peace of the Lord be with you.