Going On to Perfection

Dingmans Ferry
Prayer Grove

Remember
Ukraine

And all of us, with unveiled faces,

seeing the glory of the Lord

as though reflected in a mirror,

are being transformed

into the same image

from one degree of glory to another. 

(from 2 Corinthians 3:12—4:2)

Imagine for a minute you have loaded up the car for a four hour drive to Wherever Park. The kids are really excited imagining it as a fun place to be for a week. Then two hours into the drive you hear from the back seat:

"Are we there yet?"

Behind my former church is a hill rising from a field making it a great winter sliding place.  One Sunday the youth group planned to go tubing and build a small jump for excitement. After MUCH coaxing, I chose to take my turn. Forgetting I was 65 and not 16, I picked up a tube, sat down and off I went. After 2 seconds of sliding, I realized I had no clue about guiding a tube. I slid out of control, flew over the jump, got separated from the tube and ended up in some bushes. 

I was there!

"Going on to perfection" is one of Wesley's teachings about God's grace.

Going on to perfection is much more than practicing something until you get it right. I could practice tubing for a long time and never slide flawlessly.

Going on to perfection Wesley believed, is through Sanctifying grace, which is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, as we follow Jesus towards union with God. 

As Paul says, it changes us "from one degree of glory to another".

Sometimes life can be like rough tubing. 

We find ourselves on a downhill slide realizing life is out of control and we don't know what to do. We hit a bump and go flying.

Going on to perfection, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, give thanks to God, and continue on our way following Jesus.

The rough tubing has ended in knowing we are loved by God as Jesus taught. 

Jesus says you'll make it. God loves you. 

Jesus' New Age

"Do to others

as you would have them

do to you."

(from Luke 6:27-38)

Life in the Old Age feels oppressive and brutal. 

We are still dealing with Covid-19 as people get sick and die even with vaccines available. Job losses continue, people fear catching the virus, and people are tired of wearing masks. People fear violence from prejudice or simple random acts. People are definitely grouchy and defiant. 

Fear is at the core of life in the Old Age.

Mercy is at the core of life in Jesus's New Age.

Mercy is the motivation for the multitudes coming to Jesus. They are looking for relief from their diseases and unclean spirits. The Twelve, the disciples, and multitudes looking for some sort of healing.

Mercy is the motivation by which Jesus heals their diseases and unclean spirits.

Jesus demonstrates to the gathered crowd how God's mercy is to be lived by God's people.

However, instead of a long list of merciful actions, Jesus summarizes the principle in what we call "The Golden Rule".

Of course anyone can do those actions, even people living in the Old Age. 

Expectations make the difference. Old Age people expect something in return. Jesus' New Age living says don't expect something in return. Whatever you do, do it with the best interests of the other person in mind. 

In other words, be a means of grace for someone. When you are, God is working invisibly to transform the one receiving your act of mercy.

God may also be transforming you so you are able to act more like Jesus.

Happy is the One...

Irish Fishing Vessels

"Happy is the one...

whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

    and who meditates on his law day and night."

(from Psalm 1)

Russia announced its intention to conduct naval exercises off Ireland's coast on Feb.3. It would cross boundaries into Irish fishing waters. Government officials held talks, but couldn't change the Russian plans.

The fishermen's income loss could be significant. 

With failed government negotiations, the fishermen decided planned a coordinated effort to head off the Russian fleet. The plan meant constantly having fishing boats in the exercise waters. The fishermen would—peacefully—prevent the Russians from conducting naval exercises.

On February 1, the fishermen headed out to sea. The plan worked. The Russian naval vessels remained outside the Irish fishing boundary. 

 

Sometimes it seems like one of our boundaries may be crossed. 

Psalm 1 is a wisdom psalm describing two ways of life beginning with happiness. 

“Happy”, the very first word in the Psalm, occurs over twenty times in them. Clearly the Psalms give a commentary on the word “happy.”

Being "happy" isn't about doing what we want. Instead, "happy" is about doing what God wants. That, the psalm tells us, is meditating on the law day and night. The "law" meaning teachings about God's will which Jesus summed it up in Mt.22:37-39.

Charlie, a middle school student, in Special Ed, didn't get boundaries. Riding his bike around town at 2 a.m. showed boundaries were not part of his life.

Charlie showed up at our parsonage several times. The last time, he stole an item. Elaine spoke with the school social worker who suggested reporting it to the police. That way he would be in a system providing the help he needed. 

Because we "meditate on the law", we chose the difficult, yet loving act of reporting.

Two years later, he showed up at an al-anon meeting at church. He saw Elaine, approached her, and apologized for the theft.