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The author of Hebrews states: “And we are His house if we
hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope.” Confidence and
pride are definitely words that can be understood on both spectrums of Old Nature
thinking to the opposite of being an aspect of the New Nature in a particular
light.
Seeing the Biblical Greek helps a lot, for the meaning of
confidence here is actually having or harboring a bold resolve, leaving a
witness that something deserves to be remembered, taken seriously. The
understanding of pride here is truly centered in exulting the Lord. Only when both confidence and pride are
understood or centered around the self, we fail to see God’s purposes for not only
coming down to us but for dying, rising and transfiguring for our hearts to not
only change— but turn to the Lord and spiritually grow for the glory of the
Kingdom of God.
What gives God glory is not what we do consciously per
say but what happens when faith through Grace is incorporated internally going
beyond transforming us as that New Natured Creation but transfiguring who we
were, into who God wants us to be. Who we think God wants us to be is a part of
the struggle we have with even understanding Jesus’ role when He was here, in
teaching us about true faith’s evolution.
Could we go there and even understand what Peter was
experiencing seeing these fantastic things taking place, revealing Jesus’
Divine Nature? For what is our understanding of the Word, Divine— its powerful
meaning to us personally? Much like art, the true meaning and power eludes us
since we move all too quickly to centering the message around ourselves. What
does it serve if as said by the author of Hebrews if we boldly witness to the
Gospel and harbor little to no hope?
A world without hope is the beginning creation of hell—the
Evil One’s victory. For where there is no hope, how can we effect, share
Grace? How could we love not only our neighbor
but ourselves? The journey to hear someone prayerfully say they love you could
be a painful task for the heart to want to hear yet alone realize the light and
grace shed from those words.
Like a work of art, realizing the transformative freedom
of Grace for the glory of God means breaking through that Chrysalis shell to
emerge fully and completely as that New Natured disciple of Jesus whose heart
and efforts fly high! Amazing Grace—how sweet the sound could be to not only
save a wretch like me but “Find” the true me!
The Evil One would like us to fall off our path and truly
become lost. If we are already truly lost, what can we do? Those are words from
a faith challenged to grow, constantly seeking an understanding… instead of
simply living into it. Remember what I’ve
been saying the past several sermons:
You gotta LIVE it to Give it!
In order to live it, the heart—that first church, needs
to reap that New Nature seed. There, is the well of New Life ready and waiting
within you that only reaching out beyond the self has you see, feel and realize
the love and Grace of God at work! Almost 30 years ago, I had watercolor painting
published as the back page of a long since extinct Chicago arts and poetry
magazine, Strong Coffee. The painting
featured a “failed” art anatomy class skeleton exercise that I decided to embellish
with a cape, top hat & vaudeville curtains.
I jokingly titled the painting: “Mr. Destiny.”
Kind of ironic when you think of the end of an arts and
poetry magazine featuring a dancing off stage skeleton? Life is ironic
especially when you are growing up safe and secure in that little world of the
self; where the walls of the Chrysalis can become rather thick and set... We
all too easily settle don’t we? We nearly do have to have something as
life-shattering as a conversion experience or something traumatic to help
chisel through that hardened shell…
God certainly has His work cut out for Him and I’m sure
He is sad and disappointed in us often… But
He still Loves us! The love of God active in our lives is really hard and
painful for us at times to hear yet alone faithfully incorporate. The problem is, we often don’t really have
enough faith in ourselves, yet alone love ourselves as God wants us to love.
Just watching and hearing some of the news going on in
the world makes you wonder if we are falling off that path—walking off stage
and into a destiny that is purely death, destruction. Performing to an audience of one, a silence
that spreads no Gospel! What a tortured life that would be? Climb that mountain
over the Evil One’s stumbling blocks to truly see the Glory of the Lord by
breaking through that shell! Lay down and bury that Old Nature and rise by
truly and truthfully putting on Christ! I say as a Bold and foolish witness: Make
those tears baptismal! The glory of the Lord lies in our hopes—living faithfully
to the promise of the Gospel with a transfigured soul and a transformed Divine
purpose!
Modern author Thomas Moore from his book, ‘The Original
Self,’ quotes and explains Thomas More of a few centuries’ earlier: “Even when we
are negligent and slumbering on the pillow of our sins, He disturbs us from
time to time, shakes us, strikes us, and does His best to wake us up by means
of tribulations.”
The Modern author Thomas Moore explains this as: “When
things don’t go as hoped and planned, we may read our shock and disappointment
as a waking up to a deeper design.” He
continues to say: “We all fall asleep and allow life to rush by without reflection
and consideration. When we are shocked
into awareness by a tragedy or failure, this is the time not simply to make
resolutions for the future, but to choose to live an awakened life.”
My life awakened that fateful summer of 2003, when at my
conversion experience, I heard God’s voice speak to my heart that He had other
plans for me. The Chrysalis shell is still being taken down, chiseled away at for
I see glimpses of God’s glory for the future. Freedom is quite near, not
perfection!
It is truly a gift to harbor faith, hope and confidence
in a road we may never completely fully understand or realize but what truly
matters is Being, doing, living for the Love of God and our neighbor. It is
living with an “attitude of gratitude” that sees the glass half full never
empty. It is seeing that 29 year old
painting of the Old Man or Old Woman walking off the stage to open a whole New
Door and begin a whole New Journey!
Giving the heart wings to fly is a beautiful beginning,
Christ Jesus affords our hearts this reality—potential.
Let us hear this as a prayer like Peter on that mountain
witnessing Jesus’ transfigure:
“Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch
like me!
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I
see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my
fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares...
I have already come.
Tis Grace has brought me safe thus far... and Grace will
lead us home.
The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be... as long as life
endures.”
God’s Grace is amazing, His love secures our path, shapes
our hearts.
May we continue onward with a bold confidence and pride
As the children of Grace and promise—the Chrysalis of the
New Nature
Amen and Hallelujah!
February 7th,
2016; Transfiguration Sunday; Year C; SOLA Lectionary
Sermon by
Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins, FODM
Psalm 99;
Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Hebrews 3:1-6 & Luke 9:28-36
Below is a link to this sermon being delivered at the Grace Hub Lutheran Orthodox Church at 8am:
https://youtu.be/qkc1kYwg9oc
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