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Cape Elizabeth Church of the Nazarene |
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Texts:
Romans
12:1-21 Set Free: "Responding to God's Invitation to Holy Living"
Emily sings this song occasionally: “Fuzzy, wuzzy caterpillar crawled
across the floor. Soon he’ll sleep and sleep and sleep 20 days or more.
He crept into a corner and spun himself a home.
Then he slept and slept and slept 20 days alone.
Fuzzy, wuzzy caterpillar awoke one sunny day and out popped a butterfly,
ready to fly away.”
In message and in substance, this is exactly what the Apostle Paul says
when he writes “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed (metamorphosized)
by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God
-- what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
Metamorphosis, in substance, is what happens to us in the process of
becoming “holified.” That is what Paul has been communicating to us over these
past several weeks. Conformity to
the image of Christ -- holy, blameless, and perfect -- is not something we can
attain in our doing. We aren’t
smart enough; good-looking enough; strong enough or slick enough to measure the
ideal of Jesus Christ.
In metamorphosis the caterpillar undergoes the change which transforms it
into a beautiful butterfly. The
caterpillar slinks into a corner and makes a home.
For 20 days, there is no apparent movement in the cocoon.
In the final stage of biological metamorphosis the cocoon splits open,
and the fully developed butterfly, called the imago, emerges.
In that moment the “predestined” form of the insect is realized.
You and I were created in the Imago Dei, the image of God.
Lost in the Fall, this imago is restored in Christ.
The transformation by which we are changed from a mere worldling to a
Christian is all to one end, that the Imago Dei -- the image of God --
may emerge, that “Christ who is the image of God,” (2 Cor. 4:4), may
truly live and be seen in us. This
is what God is intent on, working faithfully within us by His Spirit until we
are “conformed to the image of his Son” (8:29).
In metamorphosis the caterpillar undergoes the change which transforms it
into a beautiful butterfly, so we are changed from within by the power of
Christ’s love. With our minds thus remade, we see the emptiness and futility
of the present world and its way of life. We
shed the world’s philosophy and value system just as the butterfly sheds its
cocoon.
Paul refers to this metamorphosis at other times as sanctification --
being made holy. Giving our lives completely and entirely to God frees us so
that we might become all he has created us to be.
“What am I created to be?” you ask.
(Good question!).
He has created you to be holy as he is holy.
He has created you and I to look like him, to act like him, to love like
him, to serve like him. He has
created you and I to love as he loves. From
the beginning of all time he has created his children to reflect his image in
this world! He has created you and
I to be Christ-like!
Christ-like living means loving genuinely.
Christ-like living means suffering patiently.
Christ-like living means persevering in prayer.
Christ-like living means giving to others, forgiving others, and blessing
your enemies. This is not a to-do
list. . . because you and I know we can’t live that way in our own ability.
We can only live Christ-like lives when the very spirit of Christ is
filling our hearts with his holy love.
This reality is what brought the Church of the Nazarene into existence.
The call of entirely consecrating ourselves to the disposal of God and
allowing his cleansing spirit to empower and energize us compels us into lives
of holy loving. This total
consecration is both a crisis and a process; an act and a life.
“Living Spirit-empowered lives to God’s greater glory” demands the
spirit of Christ blowing through our entire being emptying us everything but
love! Being filled with the
love of God compels our living! Being
filled with the love of God gives direction and intention to every action every
day! And it is out of that love that we worship; that we
minister in Christ’s name!
In my journaling I record glimpses of the kingdom -- of holy living.
This is a sampling of those glimpse I have recorded. . . 9/6/01
Lord,
Amazingly after over 4 years of pastoring I’m finally learning what it
means to be the Church. The last
two weeks our Wednesday evening prayer meeting has “gone on the road.”
Mysterious things take place as we gather in homes for prayer, praise and
fellowship. It forever alters our
relationships with one another. Last
night we went to visit with R. and E.
They were so grateful. Time
and again E. told us that this was the most wonderful things that has
happened in her life. That amazes
me. Something that took so little
effort on our part You transformed into a “holy experience.”
During our prayer time R. prayed! Faith
continues to take on new dimensions in his life.
Through these encounters I see those visiting beginning to open up and
share what You are doing in their lives. Leaving
the church building changes the whole dimension of Wednesday evenings.
I pray that I will continue to be open to Your leading and Your
prompting! What a marvelous
privilege it is to be Your child and Your ambassador! 10/10/01
Father,
It’s taken several days for me to process what happened this past
Sunday. To be quite honest I’m
not sure our finite vocabulary can adequately express the infinite manifestation
of Your presence among us.
For several months Jon and I had been planning this Service of Prayer and
Anointing. We publicized it for
several weeks inviting people to meet with me so that we’d be ready to pray
appropriately and directly for these needs.
No one expressed any interest or desire.
I wrestled with canceling the act of anointing due to lack of interest.
I preached from James 5 and talked about complete dependence upon You.
Prayer, I said, is not for the faint of heart but, rather, for the bold
of faith. I concluded the sermon,
explained how anyone who desired to be anointed could come forward and then had
Jon lead us in a time of singing, preparing us for prayer.
The flood gates opened. People
lined the altar and front of the sanctuary.
I prayed and anointed 15 persons (approximately 50% of the adults in
attendance). After prayer Jon sang
the Lord’s Prayer. We were all on
the mountain top as we experienced Your rich presence in profoundly personal and
corporate ways. Indeed, this
service brought us together like never before!
This experience has been echoed time and again by many who were in
attendance. Some have even dared to
say it was the greatest service they had ever been in.
What I hear being said in those comments is: “I am a different person
because I have seen Christ today!”
Please continue to invade our midst! 11/26/01 Father,
What a joy it is to live among Your people!
Not too long ago D. said, “we need to take small steps and
blow them out of proportion!” It’s
true. When we take time to look at
the small steps we’ll see a much larger picture -- a glimpse into Your
kingdom!
You are at work in tremendous ways -- albeit, at times, unknown ways.
Yesterday, M. responded about the sermon: “it clarified and
helped me to understand some things.” She
also reported here excitement about our compassionate ministries offering
calendar. Not only that . . . T. took the initiative and created new packets for our children on
Sunday (she’s only attended 3 times!). Not
only that . . . 29 people from our (no Your) church went to Windham last night
and what a blessing it was to be among them and worship with them.
Each day and each week I learn afresh that the Church is not an end in
and of itself. Rather, it is a conduit through which You work to draw all
Your creation unto Yourself.
I continue to be challenged and prompted, convicted and rebuked about
living and participating in Your kingdom at all times and in all ways.
I avail myself to You. Use
me in whatever manner You desire!
These samplings are those glimpses of the Kingdom among us of which I am
aware. For there are many of which
I am completely unaware, unless someone tells me!
Like Bob visiting those hospitalized.
Or Tom taking flowers to Grace. Or
Dick, Joan and Bernice volunteering regularly at The Root Cellar. Or Jon being in the schools three times a week.
Or Nancy delivering “Meals on Wheels.”
Or Grace running her cancer support ministry.
Or meals being prepared for others.
Or Roland visiting those unable to get out.
Or Melissa heading up our Root Cellar ministry.
And the list goes on! These
are glimpses of holy living!
Jon has been using the word “infiltrative” a lot recently.
I beginning to absorb it into my vocabulary as I continually try to
answer the question “what makes the church the church?”
One of the key components of being the Church is our understanding of the
Incarnation -- of God coming into this world. In fact, Paul’s entire letter to the church at Rome hinges
on one reality -- God breaking into this world.
In God’s incarnation, he became present among us.
As the Body of Christ a major component of being the Church is just being
present. This is nowhere more
obvious than in our relationships with one another and with the world.
Being a great church isn’t so much about great programs and slick
presentations as it is about being present for one another and the world,
especially in times of crisis. Being
present is being Christ-like! And
that is holy living!
Last fall the church board went through a process of identifying barriers
that may impede our ministry. The
barriers identified were: Community, Faith, Capital, Ministry Programs, and
General. Once those were identified we put together a plan to break
through the barriers. Let me share
briefly what the plan looks like:
In barrier #1 we identified a lack of presence in the community at large.
We are taking the following steps: initiate activities at Chancellor
Gardens and Viking Nursing Facility; greater publicity of events, more visible
signage, and the like.
In barrier #2 we identified the need for greater faith.
Our action steps include: highlighting our small steps forward,
explaining in greater and clearer detail the direction of the church’s
ministries, and communicating the level of sacrifice necessary to seeing the
Kingdom expand among us.
In barrier #3 we identified capital issues.
Our action plan includes: seeking to be wise stewards of our resources,
determining what God is calling us to accomplish here, and trusting Him
completely to provide resources and space.
In barrier #4 we identified ministry program concerns.
The plan states that we: vary our current ministry program offerings and
get a greater commitment for ongoing ministries and events.
In barrier #5 we identified “general” concerns.
In reality these didn’t fit into any category and we determined that
nothing could be done about them anyway!
Perhaps it sounds like I have digressed from today’s text.
Truthfully, it’s all part of “metamorphosizing” -- becoming all
that God has created us His children to be in this world! It’s all part of
realizing all He has created us to be -- His Holy People! Dare I say. . .
it’s time to burst forth from the cocoon just as Christ burst forth
from the tomb. It’s time to allow
the work of God in Christ to make us His holy children.
For the resurrection is the structure of grace out of which we live and
more and have our being.
Because of the spirit of Christ filling us with His holy love we are
energized and enabled to love genuinely, serve wholeheartedly, give generously,
and pray unceasingly. In doing so,
we are the Body of Christ -- the Church -- in this world.
And the Church -- the Body of Christ -- exists because people like you
and I have responded to God’s invitation to holy living; of reflecting the
image of God in this world! May we
continue to be conduits of His Presence in this world today, this week and
forever! “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints” (I Thessalonians 3:12-13).
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