Have you ever heard the voice of Jesus? We might say that we hear his voice as we read scripture; we might say that we hear his voice as we watch little children at play, or take a walk in the woods; we might even say that we hear his voice through our grandparents or even through our own children. But, have we actually HEARD the voice of Jesus?
This Sunday is the last Sunday before the season of Lent begins. We have spent the weeks of Epiphany in the book of Matthew, specifically in the chapters that make up the Sermon on the Mount. This Sunday, you will have the opportunity to HEAR the voice of Jesus from the mountaintop. While most of us enjoy reading and do it often, taking the time to listen is something that is often lost in our busy world.
In his book, Whistling in the Dark, Fredrick Buechner speaks of hearing in this way:
“A deaf man coming upon me listening would think that nothing of importance was going on. But something of extraordinary importance is going on. I am taking you more fully into myself than I can any other way. Hearing you speak brings me by the most direct of all routes something of the innermost secret of who you are.”
My prayer is that we may all “take” Jesus more “fully into ourselves,” as we hear his words this Sunday and that we will be awakened to the “innermost secret” of who he is and what his call to each of us can mean. I hope you will join us in worship, as Jesus speaks directly to us from the mountaintop.
-Pastor Jane