John 3:1-13, The Living Bible

After dark one night a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a member of the sect of the Pharisees, came for an interview with Jesus. “Sir,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miracles are proof enough of this.”

Jesus replied, “With all the earnestness I possess I tell you this: Unless you are born again, you can never get into the Kingdom of God.”

“Born again!” exclaimed Nicodemus. “What do you mean? How can an old person go back into a mother’s womb and be born again?”

Jesus replied, “What I am telling you so earnestly is this: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Humans can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven; so don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again! Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it will go next, so it is with the Spirit. We do not know on whom he will next bestow this life from heaven.”

“What do you mean?” Nicodemus asked.

Jesus replied, “You, a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I am telling you what I know and have seen—and yet you won’t believe me. But if you don’t even believe me when I tell you about such things as these that happen here among human beings, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven? For only I, the Messiah, have come to earth and will return to heaven again.

One thing I’m getting
from this wonderful
collection of readings:
we are going to be surprised.

Surprised by who’s in
and who’s not.

Surprised by grace,
surprised by love,
surprised by God.

Are we open to surprise?
Even if it seems to fly in the face
of what we thought we knew?

I want to be.
I want to be.

Ephesians 1:7-14, NRSV

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

The Seal,
the Promise,
the Comforter,
Counselor,
Paraclete,
Spirit.

The Holy Spirit,
who lives within us now,
preparing us for
the end of this journey.
Not this Lenten one,
but our earthly one.

It is the Spirit
who brings us 
Home,
through the work
of Jesus, the Christ,
into the presence
of the Eternal Father,
Three in One.

Another hallelujah?

Ephesians 1:3-6, NRSV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Blessing upon blessing.
That’s what is ours.
A good, good thing
to remember,
as we travel through
the wilderness.

What are you blessed to have,
to see,
to hear,
to remember,
to become

at this point in our journey?

1 Corinthians 1:18-25, NRSV

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

In our old(er) age,
the man continually surprises.
No fear of being the fool,
the clown,
the one who is child-like.

Wearing a costume
designed for a 4-year-old,
creating a staff tall
enough for a grandfather,
he enters in,
wholeheartedly,
entertaining
those kids he loves
and their parents, too.

Why do we fear being
seen as foolish?
Why?
The fools win out,
every.single.time.

Exodus 7:30-40, The Living Bible

On the morning of the third day there was a terrific thunder and lightning storm, and a huge cloud came down upon the mountain, and there was a long, loud blast as from a ram’s horn; and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because Jehovah descended upon it in the form of fire; the smoke billowed into the sky as from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook with a violent earthquake.As the trumpet blast grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God thundered his reply. So the Lord came down upon the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses up to the top of the mountain, and Moses ascended to God.

But the Lord told Moses, “Go back down and warn the people not to cross the boundaries. They must not come up here to try to see God, for if they do, many of them will die. Even the priests on duty must sanctify themselves, or else I will destroy them.”

“But the people won’t come up into the mountain!” Moses protested. “You told them not to! You told me to set boundaries around the mountain and to declare it off limits because it is reserved for God.”

But Jehovah said, “Go down and bring Aaron back with you, and don’t let the priests and the people break across the boundaries to try to come up here, or I will punish them.”

So Moses went down to the people and told them what God had said.

This story both
appeals and repels.
The mystery,
the trumpet voice,
the meeting on the
mountain top —
all of that draws me in.

The words, however?
They discourage
and confuse me.
Only the two brothers
could come near,
only they could
handle the encounter.

Can I?
Can you?

Thank God for Jesus,
the boundary-leaper,
the new mountain top,
the one who brings us up,
just as he brought God down.

Psalm 19, NRSV

The heavens are telling the glory of God;
    and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech,
    and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words;
    their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.

In the heaven she has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
    and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them;
    and nothing is hid from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
    making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
    enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
    and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
    and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can detect their errors?
    Clear me from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
    do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Gold.
Much, fine gold.
The beauties of this world,
catalogued in praise of . . .
the law.

Yet, more than the law, I think.
Perhaps the Word is closer.

The word.

Carries with it
the power to . . .
create,
inhabit,
transform,
cleanse,
heal,
destroy.

And we, too, have words.
And I join mine
with the psalmist,
asking that every word
that pours forth speech
from my mouth
would be worthy
of . . .
the Word.

Amen.