St. Marks United Methodist Church

Our text for Sunday is the recounting of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Three times the devil tried to get Jesus to question his identity as the Son of God and to choose a different way. Three times Jesus rejected the offer by remembering and embracing both who he was and whose he was. We too live in a world of great temptation and testing. Need proof? Glance through the headlines. So how do we resist it? How do we stay true to our calling to be faithful children of God amid all of the testing? Listen as Pastor Ben retells the story of Jesus’ temptation, Luke 4:1-13, and unpacks The Keys to Passing Every Test.

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Transfiguration Sunday is the bridge between Epiphany and Lent. In the text we read that Jesus led Peter, James, and John up the mount to pray and while Jesus was praying he was transfigured. Peter was so blown away that his gut reaction was to want to freeze the moment in time. He asked if he could build a dwelling place for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But Jesus demonstrated that freezing the moment in time was not the faithful response but rather that the call was to move on and to share the experience of God’s glory with others. Individually and collectively we have been to the mount as well and we often fall victim to what Pastor Ben calls “Peter Syndrome.”

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We too are tempted to want to freeze the moment for all time and just stay put. But Jesus will not let us. The dark would needs to see the light. Listen to the call – Don’t Conceal, Move on and Reveal.  Luke 9:28-43

Most if not all of us have experienced some unforgettable weddings and wedding receptions. Some were unforgettable because they were so beautiful and inspiring; others because something didn’t go according to the plan. From the silly to the heartbreaking, most of us can tell stories of things that happened at weddings that were not supposed to happen. Our text for Sunday, John 2:1-11 , is the story of Jesus’ first miracle. Note where it took place – not at a synagogue or the Temple but at a wedding reception. What does that tell us about Jesus and discipleship? It too is a story of something not going according to plan at a wedding reception. Jesus encountered that which was empty – the wine jugs – and filled them up – with water which became wine. It is the story of how Jesus transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary and saved the best for last. Furthermore he did it while celebrating and with great joy. So then, are we going to be Party Poopers or Party People?

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This Sunday marks the celebration of the Baptism of our Lord. We recall the story of how Christ journeyed into the wilderness and was baptized by John (Luke 3: 15-22 ). We also hear again Christ’s call to the church to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” For the baptized, this Sunday marks a time to reflect on how we are living out our baptism. What is remarkable, and what we so often forget, is that the same power that was made available to Christ at his baptism was also given to us at our baptism. Do we live like we believe it? Listen as Pastor Ben reminds you that in fact, You Are Full of It (and by “it” he of course means The Holy Spirit)! Let us be resolved in 2010 to live like we really are baptized, empowered followers of Christ!

If you or your children have not been baptized, and would like to know more about the sacrament of Baptism and what we believe at St. Mark’s, please contact Pastor Ben or call the church office at (919)787-0544.

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Is it a burden or a blessing? It all depends on how you look at it. For Mary, the angel’s news that she was to bear a son had to have initially been terrifying. She was just a teenager. On top of that she was unmarried. The punishment for such behavior was stoning. It didn’t sound like good news but Mary’s visit with Elizabeth helped Mary to see things differently. Suddenly what sounded like a burden became a tremendous blessing. Mary moved from fear and resistance to surrender. What about us? How do we understand the call of God to serve? Do we see invitations to ministry and mission as burdens or as blessings? Do we run from a chance to serve or do we leap at it with joy? Maybe we need to take a clue from Mary and learn to leap at chances to serve rather than understand them as burden or hardship. May today’s lesson ( Luke 1:39-55) be like Mary’s visit with Elizabeth – an invitation to us to move from saying “I have to do this for God or the church” to “Wow! I get to do this! What a privilege!” Are you ready to start Leaping at the Chance?

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