Everyday Lutherans

Today is Transfiguration Sunday. The Sunday that we are celebrating and being reminded of this event in which the Gospels share that Jesus met with Moses and Elijah on the top of a mountain. But why then do we call it “Transfiguration Sunday”. Wouldn’t Mountain Top Jesus make more sense? It is here in the account that Jesus is changed, transformed, or transfigured. In the ancient greek that we have in this verse, we have the word “metamorphosis”. A word that means change, transformed. A word that can be used of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. However, it is not until the translation of the Vulgate, the Bible in Latin, that we have the word Transfiguration enter into our understanding of this event. However it is a powerful word that can give us great insight into our own faith formation and more specifically understanding our calling in this world. Now all of this history of one word is not the point of the sermon. However, it is important to know because so often, we can be...

Today’s gospel reading may leave you wondering, where is the gospel? Where is the good news? We hear rules and laws but not only the ancient ones that we have heard from long ago but Jesus takes them even further and declares that even if we think about doing them, we are now breaking those laws and rules that have been given to us. In doing this, Jesus highlights the idea that even if you think that just by acting like a person of the law or rules, that you would be saved. Sadly, you are not. Even one thought would separate you, would cause you to stumble and fall short so that you would be judged. But then who could be saved? However, that is precisely where Christ wants you to realize. While sitting in the pit of anguish, despair and wondering where is God in all of it. Without grace and mercy, no one would be saved. We can not accomplish things under our own power, under our own will, or desire. This is the reason that we are in need of Jesus Christ, the need for the Messiah,...

Every Sunday, when I was growing up, we would go to church and Sunday school. I would get to see my friends, family and learn more. But every Sunday, when we got home, we had a tradition of having eggs, sausage or bacon, toast, orange juice, coffee. On the toast, we always had homemade jellies or jams that were so good. I would always take a big knife full and cover every inch of that toast so that I could enjoy more and more of that delicious jelly. The bacon was a gift that my grandma gave to us from the hogs that she raised and shared the meat with the family. Now we sat around and loved to have that bacon too. We would fight over who would get the last piece. We would fight over the crispy ones vs the fatty ones. We shared that salted meat within the meal and it brought us so much joy and memories. Every Sunday, it was something that I looked forward to and the first time that I was away at college on a Sunday, I missed that. Now I realized that I could have easily gone o...

Today our Gospel lesson is one that we often known as the Beatitudes. Jesus tells us what it is God is truly looking for in the world. However, it is not what we expect to hear. We do not hear of the blessing of great power, great wealth, good standing or anything in which we hear of the person obtaining these things under their own power, or striving for them in this world. Rather, these blessings are given by God to a people who are not experiencing them in this world. Jesus teaches this to the crowd of people because Jesus knows of the broken and sinful ways of this world. The world will strive for something that is NOT god. The world will say one thing and will declare a person, role, or status as what it is we should all strive for and yet, the world is truly leading us away from God. Now please do not misunderstand what I am saying, the Creation itself will truly bear witness to the Work of God in the world. What I am talking about is the message of people in this world. Ti...