Romans 14:7-12 ⁷ We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. ⁸ If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

 

¹⁰ Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. ¹¹ For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ ¹² So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

 

Let us pray. Gracious and loving Lord, thank you for this day that you have made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us be grateful that we can come to this space and have an opportunity to hear what you have for us today. Lord God again, we pray that you open our ears, hearts and minds to receive your word and please Lord, decrease me so that you might increase and your word proclaimed. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen

 

The people of Christ have become lost in transformation.

 

Most of us are probably familiar with the terminology lost in translation. Often times as words and phrases are translated from language to another the translation of the words or phrase can change from its original meaning, especially if the phrase is translated back.

 

As we continue to discuss what it means to be transformed and to have a renewed mind, I have been recognizing and realizing that the church, rather the people of Christ have become lost in transformation. From the very day when we decided to come to church for ourselves, often times in search for a true relationship with Christ, our redeemer, we become entrenched and immersed in attending church. And can easily lose sight of why we came in the first place. We get busy with doing “stuff” as compared to getting busy in learning who Christ is for ourselves. So, today the conversation is what is it to be lost in transformation.

 

Again, we look to the text from Romans. The Apostle Paul is talking to the church at Rome that consist of both returning Jews and Gentiles, and teaching them and how to become a unified body. He observes that the human condition, in all of its form in nature, is often times marked by the ways of the world. Therefore usually, will work hard to bring down those who do not “belong” because of ritual or tradition.

 

Even the church of Rome had become tribal in nature with the church stuck in the clutches of racism or cultural identity between the Jews and the Gentiles, with a common denominator was that they were all human. I often times challenge my Bible study classes with the concept that at the foundation of it all, is that we are charged to believe in God. If we are lovers of God, that is all that matters not what other people believe. What matters most is that we love them because they are a part of God’s creation.

 

In 1965 there was a song recorded by Jackie DeShannon entitled ‘What the World Needs Now is Love’. And it says what the world needs now is love, sweet love, is the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love, not just for some but for everyone. And I reiterate with the world needs now is love not for some but for everyone.

 

And the challenge these days is that if the person sitting next to you when you’re sitting in church or even when you’re looking at the zoom screen looks just like you you’re not loving enough. It means that we have bought into this tribalism mentality that the systems of this world here on earth have created.

 

To love everyone, we need to see individuals as themselves and to get to learn who they are and what is their make up. Not only why they are here, but what it took for them to get here. Their cultural experiences, family experiences, and of course their life experiences. And then to love them.

 

To be transformed means to have a renewed mind and spirit. Where our souls can recognize another souls and can identify the heart of a person. When we can learn to see all the people in calm as our own then we are transformed.

 

You see the church has become lost in transformation, because we are quite comfortable coming to church every Sunday and sitting in the pews with people who look just like us. But when you can go into the homeless shelters and soup kitchens, and local YMCA or Boys and Girls Club and lead a prayer group – where you can sit down and hold hands with one another understanding that you are all equal in humanity. That is what it means live in your transformation.

 

This conversation is not one that is brand new to us and is one that is still uncomfortable for us to respond to. Isn’t it interesting how the church doors have been closed, so we cannot go into the building but does that mean that Christ was put on the cross again and that the church is dead. Quite the contrary. When the doors of the church were closed that is when the hearts of the people of Christ were opened.

 

When the doors of the church were closed, that’s when the church got into mission in their ministry field. When the doors of the church were closed, that’s when the church fought against systematic racism and systematic oppression, and was when the very systems of this country began to fall apart.

 

Like the Jews and Gentiles of the church in Rome in order for us to become a hospitable church we have to truly prepare ourselves to accept one another as creations of God. As long as we continue to place others in categories we will not get to a place of unity at all. Our call to be transformed is a call to accept one another more than tolerate each other.

 

When we the church talk about this is a new normal, that is a testament that we are lost in transformation. It means that we have become complacent in the way things were. I am here to challenge you, beloved, that as a transformed people we are renewed in our minds and know that God will make a way, even when there is no way. There is nothing we can’t do with Christ by our side, we can do the very impossible, if we truly believe. We just have to get creative and be bold and take risks.

 

So are you ready for a transformation? Are you awake now, and ready to be renewed. Because the time is now. You are needed. You must dive deep in your faith and you do that by learning who Christ is for yourself. I always start with the two easiest things that you can do by yourself without any real need of assistance; sit down, be quiet and talk to God. That’s a prayer. You don’t need to use any formula or extravagant words or even know scripture. Just sit down and be quiet and talk to God as if you’re talking to your very best friend. There’s no direction needed, there’s no negative consequence for having the conversation. There’s no real risk in even exposing yourself as God’s beloved.

 

Then, as I always encourage you read the word of God. Grab a bible, in fact, grab your phone, there are so many Bible apps on your phone or the computer just dive in. Start wherever you want. In the New Testament, the old testament, Mark or even. Genesis. If you find you are loosing you attention or getting lost, stop and turn to another book or another page.

 

Then, find someone who you can talk to about it. Tell them that you’re learning more about Christ. Tell them that you’re learning more about yourself and your ask then to walk with you in case you have questions. And guess what they might have questions too and now guess what you’re not in it by yourself. And you know what the beautiful thing is, you can do this while practicing social distancing, you can call each other on the phone, you can talk to each other on zoom, you can FaceTime each other, or even use Marco Polo and then it’s almost not even in real time. The opportunities for conversation is endless.

 

And then find yourself in service, not church service, but in servitude of your brothers and sisters who are in need because you never know one day it might be you. Now there are so many different things you can do. Get involved in feeding ministries, help by collecting bottle caps, talk to the man you see every day when you get off the exit, in fact, create a care package, that you can give to the homeless and keep it in your car so you don’t have to feel guilty about not giving money or food. Get involved with mentoring a youth, of volunteering at the local organization. You are needed.

 

Let us no longer be lost in transformation but let us be renewed in spirit and mind and show how we can be transformed together. We can live into this transformation as Christian practitioners as we practice our faith every day of our lives. With a renewed mind comes the fruits of righteousness, peace, love, joy, and reconciliation. Beloved, this is God’s word for God’s people. Thanks be to God.