Oakridge, Oregon United Methodist Church

Oakridge, Oregon United Methodist Church Oakridge, Oregon United Methodist Church, members of the Oakridge area are responsive to God, seeking

10/21/2025

As you know, the Oakridge UMC and WE R SHARP have separated because of different viewpoints about charitable giving and some personal conflicts. As it stands now, We R Sharp will be distributing food to the community on Fridays at the Christian church on 1st St and the UMC will continue to distribute food on Tuesday from 5 to 630. The clothing closet will be opened by We R Sharp as soon as they can work out the logistics. The UMC will be opening a smaller version of clothing and other supplies as soon as we can. PLEASE be patient and kind with everyone during this period of change. Both programs are just trying to serve the community. We certainly dont need to fan the flames of contention any more than they are. Thanks for extending grace to your neighbor as Jesus gives grace to us all. Pastor Ross

05/22/2025

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,[f] you were doing it to me!’

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.[g] 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

-It says nothing about banning abortions, or stopping "trans" from transitioning, or arresting and imprisoning legal immigrants, or bombing entire people's out of existence, stopping feeding programs or healing programs or housing programs. As a matter of fact, the Bible says the opposite of most of that. Don't blame your bigotry and fearmongering on God.

11/24/2024

SERMON Nov 24 2024 The Truth
SCRIPTURES: 2 Samuel 23:1-7, Psalm 132:1-12, Revelation 1:4-8,
John 18:33-37
In 2nd Samuel its says, “These are the last words of David:… David, the man who was raised up so high… anointed by the God of Jacob… the sweet psalmist of Israel. The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue… The Rock of Israel said to me: The one who rules righteously, who rules in fear of God, is like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain… Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me… He will ensure my safety and success.” Yes, David rose from lowly shepherd to great King. He wrote beautiful songs for Israel. And the Spirit did speak through him, except when it was his own lies covering up for his sin. He did rule righteously, except when he used his power to unjustly murder his loyal general. His family had been chosen, except when his son Absalom tried to take the throne by force and David’s own army killed him. His son, Solomon, became a great King, but Solomon’s sons fought over power and eventually divided the country in a civil war. David says, “But the godless are like thorns to be thrown away, for they tear the hand that touches them. One must use iron tools to chop them down; they will be totally consumed by fire.” I think there were times when David didn’t know when he was following God and when he was following his own desires. It is easy to talk about “chopping down the godless with iron tools to be thrown in the fire” but it is much more difficult to examine your own heart… to admit when it is your thorns that have wounded those who depend on you to do justice. And I know what it is like to try to help someone who doesn’t appreciate it and the more you try to help them, the more they demand. I have been in that situation many times. But I think it is much more damaging to have a powerful person who claims to be helping others when, in fact, they are simply trying to help themselves or to cover up for their wrongdoing. Those are the thorns that gouge deep wounds in the fabric of society and leave everyone bleeding.
In Psalm 132, we have the story of the Ark and God’s covenant with the house of David. David wanted to build a permanent temple for the Ark of the Covenant. But God told him that his son, Solomon, was going to do that. David brought the Ark back to Jerusalem and placed it inside a special tent tabernacle he had erected. It says that God promised David that one of his descendants would always be on the throne, as long as they follow the laws that God teaches. As we know, David did not always follow God’s laws himself, and after Solomon, his royal line descended into civil war and betrayals and Baal worship. A cycle of tyranny and revolution left Israel vulnerable to powerful invading armies that destroyed both Israel and Judah. But then, hundreds of years later, Jesus was born. He was a descendant of David through his father Joseph. The authors of Luke and Matthew go to great lengths to trace Jesus’ lineage back to King David. To them, he was the Messiah King, the descendant of King David who would restore Israel to power. Jesus told people that his Kingdom was not of this world. But that didn’t stop people from believing that Jesus would someday return as the conquering Messiah King at the end of time to rule the world.
In the Gospel reading from John, Jesus tells Pilate exactly what kind of King he is not. Pilate asks him, “Are you king of the Jews?” Jesus replies, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?” You see, Rome didn’t care about Jewish thrones or religion, all they cared about was whether Israel and Judah paid their taxes. When the leading priests arrested Jesus, they were afraid to kill him themselves because only Rome could impose the death penalty. So they brought him to Pilate, the Roman governor. They told Pilate that Jesus claimed to be King. The Romans backed the Herod’s as the royal line because the Herod’s were Roman puppets. So Pilate really wanted to discover if Jesus was a legitimate threat to their power. But Jesus says, “You say I am king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” Jesus never claimed himself as a worldly king in all his teachings. Even Pilate did not believe that Jesus was a threat to Rome’s puppet kings. Pilate pronounces Jesus innocent. But the High Priests had placed their followers among the crowd and they got the crowd chanting to crucify him. So, Pilate bowed to public pressure and crucified an innocent man to pacify the crowds. But, like Jesus said, he came to bear witness to the truth and truth could not be as easily killed as a man. So after 3 days of the disciples hiding, Jesus rose and appeared to Mary and the others. He told them to spread the Good News to all people of the world. And the Word slowly spread across the globe about a new way to worship God, a new Spirit that reconciles all things, a single sacrifice that offers grace to all people, and an everlasting kingdom that exists within the hearts of humanity.
A little after the Gospel of John was written, around 100 AD, many apocalyptic writings began to appear… Jewish and Christian. They used a common theme based on visions of “end times” and “signs” of a new era to come. Revelation was just one of the many apocalyptic writings around at the time. Why it was included in the Bible canon and the others were not, I don’t know. Revelation 1 says, “This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come: from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.” Asia was the Western part of Turkey at the time. “The one who is, who always was, and who is still to come” refers to God Almighty, who is also referred to as Alpha and Omega, or the Beginning and End. The Sevenfold Spirit obviously refers to the Holy Spirit and its connection to the Seven churches in Asia. And Jesus Christ is the “the first to rise from the dead and the ruler of all the kings of the world.” John, and many of the disciples, believed that Jesus was returning to end the world as we know it and rule all kings as the Christ, or the Messiah. It says, “All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God and his Father… Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him – even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him.” Most of these words come from Matthew 24:30 and a few other places in the gospels. But it contrasts distinctively with John 18 and Jesus’ response to Pilate. If Jesus’ “kingdom is not an earthly kingdom.” If Jesus’ followers were not fighting to rescue him from the hands of the Jewish leaders. If his “kingdom is not of this world,” then why does John’s vision in Revelation have Jesus returning in the clouds. Why does John’s vision say that everyone sees Jesus, even the people who killed him, who are now dust 2000 years later? Why does it say Jesus is the first to rise from the dead when Elijah raised people from the dead, Jesus raised three people from the dead, and it says many people were raised from the dead when Jesus rose from the tomb? It seems like there is a disconnection here, just like there is a disconnection in Samuel with the facts surrounding David’s righteousness and royal lineage. Revelation and Samuel have some good things to say, but they also have an agenda. Revelation was intent on the idea that Jesus was returning on a cloud to end the world and rule a new earthly kingdom, which comes directly from the Messiah legend, a legend which Jesus refuted. And Samuel is intent on the idea that King David was promised a royal line that would last forever as long as David’s descendants obeyed God and followed his laws. But forever only lasted a coupled generations and then descended into chaos. Jesus did not claim David’s royal lineage, but claimed his kingdom to be spiritual in nature. In John, its says that Jesus came to testify to the truth and that people who love truth would recognize it as truth.
I wish that I could tell you that I could straighten it all out for you… to tell you what’s true and what not true. There are many obvious contradictions to me. And I have an idea what I believe and what I don’t. But the truth is that you have to figure a lot of it out for yourself. I do want to get one idea across though… especially when it comes to the Bible, but also in all writings and TV broadcasts and Facebook posts and internet blogs… that truth is seldom easy to find and deception is all too common. When Jesus said that he has come to testify to the truth, and those that love the truth will recognize that what he says is true… I want you to give a lot of thought to what Jesus says and does, but even more thought to what Jesus doesn’t do. Jesus stands up against deception and lies, but he turns away from violence and bloodshed. Jesus protects an adulteress and tells people the hateful are just as guilty as a murderer. Jesus does not avoid and condemn Samaritans, but offers them Living Bread. Jesus heals all comers, even touching lepers clean. Jesus washes feet like a servant and says the first must be last. Jesus tells people to forgive over and over again with no thought for vengeance. Jesus rises in spirit, even after being killed on a cross. Do you hear the truth that Jesus speaks through his actions and his words? I do not know about Kings and royal lineage. I do not know what the future holds. I do not know what happens to you when you die. But I recognize the truth of Jesus’ love for the world and I want to be a part of that. I want to heal rather that wound. I want to forgive rather than condemn. I want to stand up against deception but still love mercy. That is my dream, my vision, my revelation. What do you see in your dreams? Amen

11/17/2024

SERMON Nov 17 2024 Birth Pains
SCRIPTURES: 1 Samuel 1:4-20, 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Hebrews 10:11-25,
Mark 13:1-8
In 1st Samuel we heard the story of Elkanah and Hannah, the mother of Samuel. Elkanah was a priest who had multiple wives, which was very common in ancient Israel. Priest’s would take the offerings from the people of Israel, and burn part of them on the altar as a prayer to God, but save most of it to bring home to his family. His wife Penninah had children, so he would give her a portion for herself and one for each of her children. But his wife Hannah did not have any children, so she only got one portion for herself. In that time and place, a woman’s value was related to her ability to produce children. It says her husband’s other wife would taunt her about not having any children. But Elkanah loved Hannah anyway, saying, “You have me – isn’t that better than having 10 sons?” One day, Hannah was praying in tears in the Tabernacle, which was a tent complex at that time. As she prayed for a son, she vowed that he would be dedicated to the service of God. Eli, the head-priest saw her praying, and thought she was drunk at first. But Hannah assured Eli that she was just discouraged and pouring her heart out in prayer. So, Eli said, “In that case, go in peace! May the God of Israel grant your request.” And Hannah returned home, no longer sad. And soon she became pregnant with Samuel, which means “God has heard.”
I don’t know why Eli thought that a woman praying silently in anguish must be drunk. But I’m glad that he accepted her sobriety and gave her his blessing. I think it is sad that a woman had to have children in order to be valued in that society, but I am told by women close to me that there is still a social stigma about being unmarried and/or choosing to not have children in today’s society. And why did Eli assume Hannah was drunk while she was praying silently? It’s as if a woman crying and praying in the Tabernacle was unheard of. Was Eli out of touch with women in his flock?
In the 2nd chapter of Samuel, we have Hannah’s prayer: My heart rejoices in the Lord!... Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance!... Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full… The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away… The Lord makes some poor and others rich… he lifts the poor from the dust… and sets them among princes… For all the earth is the Lord’s, and he has set the world in order… He gives power to his king; he increases the strength of his anointed one.” I don’t know how you feel about this prayer, but I’m a little disturbed. It kind of starts out as Hannah’s joy in God’s blessings, but soon turns into revenge against Peninnah, her husband’s other wife who taunted Hannah when she had no children. And then it gets even worse with “those who were fed are now starving… those with many children are now wasting away…” Then it ends with extolling all the reversals of fortune that God inflicts: “God brings some to the grave but raises other up… he lifts the needy from the garbage dump… placing them in seats of honor.” While I do believe that reversals of fortune happen, and that if you are powerless and in poverty, you do not have to despair because it’s not impossible to climb out of it. But this idea of retribution and revenge against those who have taunted you when you were down… I think it is a natural reaction for human beings to treat others the way you have been treated. But Jesus said to “treat others the way you would like to be treated,” which is quite a bit different than “treat others the way you have been treated.” And I hope you understand the subtle difference. It is a hard calling to treat someone with respect when they have treated you with disdain… to have compassion for someone who kicked you while you were down… to return love for hate, truth for lies, and turning the other cheek when you have been metaphorically slapped across the face. But right now, we have a unique opportunity to show who we really are as Christians. Not by giving in or being quiet, but by standing up for truth, while we exemplify love and compassion, even for those we stand against. That does not mean to turn our eyes away from injustice and fraud, but to seek justice and still love mercy. To be open to opportunities of collaboration but also be ready to stand up for what you believe in a constructive way… to reject retribution and revenge even if the other side got away with it. I believe that God speaks to us through scriptures and this prayer of Hannah is full of praise and gratitude to God, but it is also full of hate and vengeance. And I understand how Hannah feels. I want to scream and shake people. But that won’t do any good. It says, “Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.” And I say we have been shattered enough. I do want to build bridges and come together, but I will not do that by sacrificing innocent lives ending our rule of law.
In Hebrews 10, it says, “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds… I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” This was taken from Jeremiah and other scriptures. Jesus, our High Priest offered himself as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. It says, “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Many Christians believe that the Messiah will return on a fiery chariot with an army of angels after the rapture to destroy all the evil goats and save the earth for God’s leftover sheep. It doesn’t make any sense to me and I’ve never read anything in the Bible that makes sense out of it. The Apocalyptic writings that this idea comes from is mostly outside the Bible in ancient Jewish and Christian prophetic, end-of-the-world, over-throw of Rome, writings that are similar to Revelation. But the words that stick out for me are “acts of love and good works” and “meeting together to encourage each other.” But right now, more people seem to be coming together in acts of hate, fear and condemnation than love, good works and encouragement. How can we turn that around? We have been trying to do that for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. I think the disciples and the writer of Hebrews really expected Jesus to return as a conquering Messiah so he could physically change the world.
In Mark 13, Jesus said, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” It is not unusual for charismatic leaders to rise up among Christians, claiming themselves as the Messiah, or as God’s anointed one, or as God’s wrath against sinners, leading the people in all kinds of destructive ways. The torturing Inquisitors, the anti-Muslim Crusades, the witch burnings, all the non-stop wars claiming God’s righteousness for themselves… they were all led by people who claimed God’s will as their own. And the violence goes on today in more subtle ways, but still based on God’s favoritism for one people over another. But Jesus gives us a clue here, “They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of war, but don’t panic.” They deceive people by preying on their fear. Fear of being murdered and r***d by immigrants. Fear that their way of life is being lost. Fear that they are losing power and privilege. It is an old story that repeats itself throughout history. Nations war against nations. Earthquakes and famines happen over and over again. But Jesus doesn’t say he is coming back in a fiery chariot to fix all our problems and rule the earth. Jesus says, “But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” All these conflicts and disasters and death and destruction, they are not signs of a conquering Messiah returning with an army of angels, they are birth pains. We are going through a time of panic and massive lies and cult-like figures that prey on our fears. We have been through it all before. But what kind of society will we give birth to this time. Will we empower a Holy Roman Empire to control the world again? Will we empower violent dictators to form the world in their image? Will we give into a world of vengeance and retribution against our enemies as many Christian societies have done before. Or will we begin to understand that the birth image Jesus is talking about is more about humility, protecting the refugee, lifting up the poor, and following a star that leads us to a place where we are given the opportunity to bring about God’s good will for all people. Advent is coming. It is a time for hope to be reborn. It is a time for peace to begin with us in our hearts. It is a time for joy to be rekindled in our soul. It is a time where love rules in a spiritual kingdom of oneness, a kingdom in our hearts that can never be destroyed. Amen

06/02/2024

SERMON June 2 2024 Speak, Lord, Your Servant is Listening
SCRIPTURES: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18, 2 Corinthians 4:5-12,
Mark 2:23-3:6
The story from 1st Samuel is about a little boy who hears God speaking to him, but he mistakes it for his master. Twice he hears the voice calling, and twice he runs to Eli’s bedroom, but Eli tells him that he didn’t call and to go back to bed. But on the 3rd time, Eli realizes that God is calling to Samuel, and he instructs Samuel to reply, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” And God told Samuel that he was removing Eli and his sons from the temple as a punishment for their blasphemy. Samuel was brought into the temple to serve God as a very young boy. And Eli, the priest, raised him like a father. Eli already had other sons who were older, and they would normally take their father’s place, but Eli’s sons used their positions of power in the temple to seduce women and to enrich themselves. Eli was an honest priest and an upright man, but he covered up for his son’s wrongdoing and allowed them to abuse their power. Eli was an old man and nearly blind, so he could not continue as head-priest much longer. Even after Samuel told him what God had said, Eli took Samuel as his apprentice and everyone knew that Samuel was a prophet and the next in line to replace Eli. This is a pretty remarkable story. For Eli to willingly give up power without a fight… for the head-priest to allow an outsider to take the place of his own sons was pretty amazing. But I think Eli knew his sons were not what Israel needed, they were selfish and dishonest, so Eli embraced God’s chosen apprentice even though it would mean disgrace for him and his family.
In Psalm 139, it says, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me… You know what I am going to say, even before I say it… You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb… Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed… and when I wake up, you are still with me.” God knows us better than we know ourselves. The miracle of birth and the growth of new living beings in every species is amazing. And it is comforting to know that God is still with us from one day to the next. But passages like this one are frequently used to push the idea of predestination: that every moment of every day is already predetermined and we are simply living out God’s plan for our lives. John Wesley believed in “free will” and broke ranks with some of his closest friends over the predestination ideas of John Calvin. I could quote several scriptures that promote the idea of “free will”, but I don’t like to quibble over scripture like that. I believe that God knows everything about us and has set in place the process of creation for every living creature, but I believe that God allows us to make our own choices in life… we are not trapped by fate or held captive to a plan… God has blessed us with freedom. Eli’s sons chose to betray their faith, and God chose Samuel as a result of their choices. Eli chose Samuel even though it was tradition to promote his own bloodline. We all make choices and live with the consequences.
In 2 Corinthians 4 it says, “You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake… We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but never driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” I have spoken to a lot of people who don’t understand Paul’s ideas about suffering bringing us closer to God. No one wants to suffer. We spend most of our lives trying to avoid suffering. Of course we have to understand that the early Christians were actively being persecuted by the both the Pharisees and the Romans and any other official who felt threatened by the teachings of Jesus. So Paul, in a sense, was giving his companions a sort of pep talk in the face of persecution and violence.
But the teachings of Jesus have been twisted and used as an excuse to persecute others and enrich those in power. Jesus exposed that same sort of corruption in the temple. When people suffer, we all should suffer with them. When people are persecuted, we should stand up for their rights. When people are defrauded we should expose the lies. When people are starving we should feed them. When people are forced to leave their homes, we should give them shelter. In suffering with others we learn compassion and the need for justice.
In Mark 2, the Pharisees were looking to catch Jesus in defiance of Mosaic law so they could denounce him as a heretic. In the first story, the disciples were passing through a grainfield on the Sabbath and they picked off a few heads of grain to munch on. The Pharisees questioned Jesus about this, saying that it was “working” on the Sabbath. So Jesus told them the story of David and his men eating the holy bread reserved for priests only, saying, “the Sabbath was made to meet the needs of the people, not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.” The next story was about a man with a crippled hand whom Jesus saw on the Sabbath. Jesus said, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” Jesus was saddened at the hard hearts of the Pharisees. Then he healed the man’s hand. The Pharisees went away with the supporters of Herod and began to make plans to kill Jesus.
The Pharisees held no interest in healing or feeding if it did not further their power. They had twisted the Sabbath laws to serve their own interests rather than be a day of rest for the people. Eli the priest had allowed his sons to use their power for their own selfish desires, corrupting the temple until Samuel came along. God knows everything about us, knitting us together in the womb. But God chooses to give us freedom… to make our own choices, right or wrong. We are meant to suffer along with the world. We are meant to learn by the poor choices we make. We are meant to choose Samuel over our own sons if they have become corrupt… to learn by our mistakes. But sometimes it seems as if we keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Will we keep twisting the words to serve our own power, or will we become the servants we are called to be? Will we ever stop talking long enough to say, “Speak, Lord, your servants is listening?” Amen

02/11/2024

SERMON Feb 11 2024 The Transfiguration Shines Through Us
SCRIPTURES: 2 Kings 2:1-12, Psalm 50:1-6, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, Mark 9:2-9
Today is Transfiguration Sunday. It says Jesus went high up on a mountain with Peter, James & John to be alone. Suddenly his face and his clothes became dazzling white and he was visited by two revered figures from Israel’s history, Moses and Elijah. Although its not in our scriptures for today, Moses was transfigured very similar to Jesus. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments, his face was shining so brightly that people couldn’t look at him directly without being blinded. Elijah was transfigured in a different way. Kings 2 says Elijah and Elisha, his apprentice, were traveling through Israel. They started in Gilgal, the place where the Israelites first camped when they came out of the wilderness into Canaan and set up circles of stones on the land and in the Jordan River. From there they traveled to Bethel, the place where Abram pitched his tent, where Jacob had his dream of a stairway to heaven, Then they go to Jericho, near Gilgal… the first great Canaanite city to be conquered by Israel. Then they go to the Jordan River. All along prophets from these villages and cities tell Elisha, “Did you know that your master is going to be taken away from you?” Elisha tells them, “Of course I know, but be quiet about it.” Finally, Elijah strikes the Jordan with his cloak, the river divides and both cross on dry ground. Before Elijah is taken away, Elisha asks him for a double share of his Spirit and to become his successor. Elijah replies, “You have asked a difficult thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” Then “suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” and he tore his clothes in distress.
This is a sacred, ritualized journey of death and succession for Elijah and Elisha. They start at Gilgal, the beginning of Israel’s struggle for a homeland in Canaan, then travel back to Bethel, the place where the dreams of Abraham and Jacob began hundreds of years in the past, then come back to Jericho, the first major victory of Israel through God’s great miracle, and then to the symbol of “crossing over” from this life to the next… which is the Jordan River. And prophets along the way recognize that Elijah is passing on and appointing Elisha as his successor. But, just like Jesus, Elisha wants them to “be quiet about it”. He doesn’t want it to become shouting crowds and political speeches with a circus-like atmosphere. Elisha asks for a double share of Elijah’s Spirit. It seems kind of funny to think of the Spirit like that. It is not as if we have a limited quantity of Spirit within us. Perhaps Elisha meant faith or power or the ability to tap into God’s Spirit. Elijah tells Elisha that he will get what he asked for if Elisha can see him as he is taken away. And as Elijah is taken away on a fiery chariot, Elisha finds that he can see it all. Elisha would go on to perform many miracles, saving Israel from famine, saving widows from oppression, raising dead children back to life, healing leprous generals, and other miracles.
I guess death is the ultimate transfiguration. Our state of being is changed from physical to spiritual. Elijah was probably the greatest prophet since Moses and he foretold the life and ministry of Jesus in his miracles and his call for unity and faith in times of betrayal and corruption. Transfiguration means to be transformed into a more beautiful state of being. Elijah is taken up by a flaming chariot with horses made of fire. It is quite an impressive image of power and energy. Most people think of fire as a destructive force, but fire (heat energy) powers our world. Fire not only destroys, but when harnessed it makes our homes warm in winter and our engines move products across the world. The proper utilization of fire makes our expanded human existence possible.
Psalm 50 says, “The Lord, the Mighty One, is God, and he has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets… Our God approaches and he is not silent. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around him… Bring my faithful people to me – those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices… Then let the heavens proclaim his justice, for God himself will be the judge.” God is not only the God of Israel, or the God of Christians, or the God of Americans… God summons all humanity. The sun rises and sets on every part of our earth. The power of God is apparent for those who will open their eyes to it. The power of fire and storm surrounds God, but we have learned to control those powers and even use them for our own benefit. God calls all humanity to honor the covenant and make sacrifices. Does that mean being baptized, or taking communion, or donating our time and resources, or bringing the first-fruits as an offering to the Lord? For us, that may be how we fulfill our covenant. But there are faithful all over the world who fulfill their covenant to God in many ways. And as long as it fulfills the commandment to love God and love our neighbors, then it is good no matter what form it takes.
2nd Corinthians 4 says, “If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News… You see we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let there be a light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” In Psalm 50, we heard the words, “From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance.” If Mount Zion is the perfection of beauty… if the light of God is only seen in the face of Jesus Christ… then this world is darker than it has ever been. Zion is decimated with violence and bloodshed. The teachings of Jesus are twisted into fearmongering and hate. The Good News is buried under the rubble of lies, politics, ignorance, prejudice and arrogance.
We believe in the teachings and the living presence of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. There are many Jews and Christians and Muslims who believe in the beauty and spiritual significance of Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. But it says the “HEAVENS proclaim God’s justice… ALL humanity is summoned from where the sun rises to where it sets.” God does not exclusively favor those who are raised in our faith or who come to believe in our faith. Satan is NOT the God of this world unless we grant him that power over us. Fire is not only about destruction and death, it can also be about life and spiritual energy. Our mindset and our heart’s compassion make a difference in the light we share and the light we see.
In Mark 9, Jesus takes Peter, James & John up on a mountain to be alone. As the disciples were watching, Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white, and Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking to him. Peter doesn’t know what to say, so he offers to build shrines for all 3 of them. Then a cloud covered them and they heard a voice from the cloud, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” Then, suddenly, Moses and Elijah were gone. As they went back down the mountain Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until he was risen from the dead.
Moses was transfigured. Elijah left the earth on a fiery chariot. And now Jesus’ clothes shined whiter than any bleach could ever make them. Of course, this story symbolizes the transfer of spiritual leadership to Jesus from the leaders of the past. Jesus says he is the fulfillment of scripture, he came to fulfill the prophesies of Moses and Elijah. Jesus preached from the books of Moses and the Prophets. But he also taught that some scripture was actually human tradition passed off as God’s law. I assume Jesus did not want the disciples to talk about it because he was already dealing with huge crowds that would not allow him to find rest and solitude. He probably also didn’t want his ministry to be used as a religious hotbed of political turmoil and violence.
The Transfiguration of Jesus is also a sign of God’s presence. Moses’ face shone brightly because he had been in the presence of God while up on Mt. Sinai. Elijah rose to God in heaven on a fiery chariot. Jesus’ shone brightly because God was present in him and through him. Moses and Elijah passed their leadership on to him. Peter wants to memorialize that moment in time by building shrines to them. But the presence of God is not limited to shrines or churches or temples, God is present with us wherever we are. Jesus even tells the disciples to be quiet about it until “The Son of Man is raised from the dead.” This structure we are in is not the church. You are the church. We are the church. And church happens wherever the Good News is spread. We spread the Good News by sharing our light in the darkness… not by closing our doors shutting the darkness out. We have to be a part of the world. Like Paul said, we have to share in people’s weakness in order to bring Christ to them. And that may mean getting our hands dirty. It may mean sorting food shoulder to shoulder with addicts and mentally ill and homeless and flawed people. And through that act of contrition and charity, perhaps we may come to understand our own flaws and illusions.
We have inherited this church from the good work and faith of hundreds of people. Their vision and hope, their sweat and resources, built this building for us. 2024 is the one hundredth anniversary of this church building in its many variations and forms. Like Elijah passed his mantle on to his apprentice Elisha, we have received the mantle of all those people who invested their time and effort and capital and hope in this church. But it is important to understand that the church is much more than the building. We also inherited their Spirit and hope for the community. We inherited their faith and love for God and his Son’s spiritual presence with us. But God’s Spirit links us all together from where the sun rises to where it sets. The legacy of this church’s 100 years is not limited to this community or what happens within the walls here. It spreads like a wave across the water. The Good News that is generated within these walls should spread like light in the darkness… like seeds in the wind… like a ripple of truth in a sea of lies. The transfiguration of Jesus shines out to the world through us… through the Good News that we share with all those who need it. Amen

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48137 E 1st Street
Oakridge, OR
97463

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Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm

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+15417823647

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