Dear Faith Family,
Who do you look to as the example of faithfulness? What pastor or person, organization, or church is the gold standard for living out a life of faith? It's okay; I know you have one (or several), and our faith family is probably not it!
Whether through publications, promotions, podcasts, or participation, we all have those we look to and want to be like. In the first centuries of our faith, the standard was the church of Ephesus.
In the spiritual epicenter of the empire, in a city flourishing through the economics of religious goods and services, the women and men of Ephesus somehow managed to discern how to remain distinctly Jesus' people. Boasting leaders like Priscilla and Aquila, Timothy, and later John the Beloved, it is no wonder that Paul's epistle to this faith family is the only one of his letters not addressing some significant failing or struggle. And so, even today, the Ephesians continue to provide a model faith for many churches, including ours. Still, as we were reminded on Sunday, even worthy models are not the model.
Lent, across all the traditions, is a journey of examination. A chosen season to open our hearts and lives to the pangs and glories of revelation. The light of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection revealing the depth of our neediness and His love deeper still. And, being prepared as we are, the examination does more than reveal; it invites us to respond in kind, to live the life we've received.
While our various rhythms and resources are each meant to aid us in the examination, the Letters of Lent, the words of Jesus to His church, provide the most direct revelation for our church. It is here, in Revelation 2:1-7, that we come to see that loyalty to Jesus is more than dedication to distinction, though not less. Life through His life, life lived whole and holy, is a life that shares His drive: love. Love for the lowly, the lost, and even those losing out because they think they are neither. Love that does not compromise conviction but does calibrate convictions and is distinct for its absurd compassion.
In our first Letter of Lent, Jesus reveals that loyalty to Him is, yes, faithfulness to what is true, but just as important, life with Him is loyalty to the Way who is Truth: a life of love because we are loved. To the church of Ephesus, and to our faith family, Jesus says,
‘Remember then from what you have fallen,
repent and do the works you did at first
…To the one who conquers,
I will grant to eat of the tree of life,
which is in the paradise of God.’
(Revelation 2:4,7)
So this week, amid the Lenten journey, let us consider what the Revelation reveals and the response that Jesus' light invites. Listen to or read the sermon if you missed Sunday (or need a refresher). Then consider:
Can you remember your first love, what it was like to be loved and show the love of God at first?
Are your actions of faith a loyal (in kind) response to that love, or driven by something else?
How might Jesus be inviting you to return to that love today, in this journey of Lent?
Love you, faith family! God bless.