February 27th Reflection - The Door - by Bill Lynch

2 Peter 1:16-21
 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

 So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Reflection - The Door
"Can Billy come out to play?" That was the question. Not from a mountain, but from a front door. A dream yes. Perhaps a childhood flash of memory of a story told by a Sunday School teacher or perhaps a piece of a sermon that jumped into my memory banks as I was drawing on a piece of paper in church. Or perhaps just a message with meaning. I don't know and it doesn't matter really. But this one sentence has stayed with me all of my life.

A dream of Jesus, Moses, Elijah and someone else I didn't recognize at my front door on Washington St. in Sidney Ohio. Jesus knocks at the door and I answer and Jesus says, "Can Billy come out to play?"

Well sure! That's my response and off we go. That's it. The end of the dream... or perhaps more than that... the beginning of a life.

It seems to me that Peter had experienced a similar experience on the mountaintop when he heard a voice...

"For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain."

It's a moment that sticks forever. It's a moment that revisits your thinking all of the time. It's a moment you try to rationalize away but discover that you can't. It's a moment with God... on the mountaintop or at my front door or even out in the world to play. It's a mysterious and majestic moment and gift from God.

It's also a moment that all of us share in. The moment when Jesus comes into our lives and the moment that we look forward to when Jesus will come again. A moment that propels Peter into the world to proclaim the Gospel about the love of God in Jesus. A love that comes to each and to all people. A love offered up on a cross as our perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of our own sin and all of our sin. Jesus our Savior. Jesus our Lord. Jesus the first risen to live eternally from the dead. Jesus our King who leads us into eternal life. Jesus who graciously calls the Holy Spirit to descend upon us and lead and guide us as we walk this earth and wait for that next special moment when Jesus comes again. Jesus who shows us how to love God and how to love one another. Yes, it's also a moment in real time and in real space that be upon the mountaintop, at the front door, at the baptismal font, at or in so many and various spaces and times, when Jesus comes to us to share his eternal life with us.

It's a moment to go out and play in this world with the people God gives to us each day. Was that "other" person, Larry or Ernie Tate as my brother Jim tells me? Or was that other person whomever Jesus chose to bring along for the day? I don't know. But I go out to play each and every day by the invitation of Jesus at my front door with Moses, Elijah and some "other" person. I go out and know that Jesus will come again... some time and in some way.

Jesus' return will bring light and joy and play. A joy and play understood in the heart of all believers. A play initiated by Jesus my Savior. Thanks be to God!

Here is a song that remind me of my childhood dream.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMiz7kqDXkc

Prayer
Jesus, I'm coming! I'm coming, I'm running to the door... let's go out to play... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen