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This week we are departing from the lectionary readings to talk about the roots of faith and how our faith can be rebooted for the future as we build on the promises of God. The theme is the Olive Tree. From Genesis to Revelation and everywhere in between, the olive tree is a metaphor for our faith. From the olive branch returned by the dove to Noah to the great olive tree in the new heaven and earth of Revelation, anointing oil inaugurated kings, blessed believers, and it was on the Mt. of Olives that Jesus wept over Jerusalem. You will never look at the olive the same way again!
Our faith is rooted in God’s promises and the saving work of Jesus Christ. What is the last promise you made? How did it go? Sure, sometimes we make promises and don’t keep them. When that happens what do we do? That’s right. We apologize and ask forgiveness. Figure out what may have interfered with keeping those promises and keep them next time! Promises are the roots of faith. From Genesis to Revelation and everywhere in between, the olive tree in the Bible is a metaphor for our faith. Taste these amazing olives. The Olive Tree has deep roots. Try one. Next time you see an olive, remember God’s promises for you in Jesus Christ! God loves you!
People don’t usually ask, “What costume are you going to wear for halloween?” No, instead we ask, “Who are you going to BE this year?” Halloween isn’t just about putting together a clever “costume.” It is about creating a personal “image.”
Mask wearing is always associated with this time of year for more than two millennia, and ironically, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther pulled the “mask” off of the Church when he posted his 95 complaints on the neighborhood billboard. He saw the Church hiding and pretending to be something very unlike Christ. Along with John Knox in Scotland, John Calvin in Switzerland, and other reformers, he fanned the flames of the Great Reformation across Europe.
We all wear masks, and some masks are authentic and appropriate ways for us to interact in the world. But some masks we wear mey help us hid or pretend to be something we are not and not be part of a costume, at all. In this week’s text from Mark 10:46-52, we meet a man named Bartimaeus who becomes “uncloaked.” He shows us that when we come “face-to-face” with Jesus, any mask or pretense must fall away and our most basic needs and desires are revealed to the Son of David who has the power to heal us and heal the world, transforming us to be our real selves.
Romans 8:29-30 The Message (MSG)
“God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.”
Now, that’s transformation!
Who are you on Halloween? You look costume looks great, by the way! What does your very cool image say about you? Bright colors? Character-like qualities? Stylizing for attention? Sure. All these things. If Jesus were to dress up for Halloween, who would he be? Well, he’d be who he was all the other days of his life, too. Jesus was authentic. He presented himself as he was. He treated everyone with dignity and respect. He showed amazing love for everyone, all the time, and in every context of life. The Bible says he is the true image of the invisible God. If we have seen Jesus, we have seen God! So this Halloween, be creative with your cloaks and masks. It’s good fun. But who we are for Halloween, and every other day of our year ahead, can also be who we are for real! A child of God who looks like Jesus. Be uniquely Christ for Halloween, and every other day!