Scripture | 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 (NIV)
7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Sermon | Opening Up – Contemplation
Pastor Thanael Certa-Werner
Our goal in 2021 is to work on our spiritual muscles through spiritual exercises called disciplines. Each week, we have practiced a different one to add to our library of exercise. Up to this point, we have looked at Spiritual Disciplines which have to do with worship and which teach us how to worship God at all times. Last week was our last Sunday as we wrapped up the worship section. Now we are moving on to our next section which focuses on opening ourselves up to God. These disciplines are more personal than the corporate disciplines we’ve worked on thus far. But before we start, we need to practice our new memory verse:
“Trust in God at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” – Psalm 62:8
How many of you have ever driven on an Interstate before? How many people like to drive a little more quickly than the speed limit might suggest? You can be honest; there’s no one there to hear you! All the hundreds of cops that are watching our service stream, listen up because I am telling the world that I like to go quickly. I don’t speed crazy fast or anything, I just like to get where I am going. To that end, I think that the national speed limit for Interstates should be 80 miles/hour.
Whether you’re a law-abiding citizen or not when it comes to the speed limit, there is one thing that we can all agree on: the people who go 35 mph down the interstate need to have their license taken away! (Only joking of course) Has that ever happened to you? You’re driving along and then you have to TURN OFF YOUR CRUISE CONTROL because there’s a slow car in the passing lane trying to pass an even slower car in the driving lane? OR WORSE! Someone is driving, maybe even the speed limit, but is driving in the passing lane and just stays there – never getting over. If you do this, we need to talk after service because this is one of my biggest pet peeves of all. All of us have to drive around YOU to continue at a decent speed.
All joking aside, I readily admit that I am a little bit of a speed demon – not that I ever go too far above the speed limit, but I do like going fast. But we all have our driving pet peeves. These are the things which make us doubt whether or not God put brains in all people who drive. These are the things which make us wonder what on earth the driving license test givers are on when these people took their tests. When you see these drivers, it might send you into a rage – road rage as it’s called. I am a pretty easy-going driver. Often, I assume the best in most situations and rarely use my horn – if ever! But when I do, it’s because someone’s not moving at a stop light that’s turned green. Why? Because I like to keep going.
This appreciation for getting where we’re going and getting their efficiently if not quickly is something that America in general seems to like. This is evidenced by our Interstate and highway systems. At one time, our roads would wind through the country side matching the typography and geography of the land. Now we have our roads which slice through the earth to give us straight lines to bring us where we want to go as fast as we can get there without flying. If you doubt this, just head over to either of the Dakotas. You’ll be driving straight for so long; you can take a nap so long as you have a rope to tie the stirring wheel straight!
This, in many ways, is how we live our lives. We like get where we’re going and get there quickly. We don’t want to dilly dally by wasting our time doing things we don’t want to do. We pack our schedules and our children’s schedules full of activities and engagements to keep us and them from missing out on anything. We’ve talked before about how much our society loves to be busy – how we brag about how busy we are.
In our scripture for today, Paul is addressing some of the aspects of the culture of his time. He talks about the difference between living in the ways of Moses and in the ways of Jesus. He begins by comparing the two. He calls God’s work on earth before Jesus the ministry of death – because this was before when Jesus had made it possible for eternal life. This ministry of death, as he calls it, is so glorious that people could not even look upon it! Even though this ministry was only for a time until the Messiah would come, even though it was temporary – as Paul says – it was still glorious beyond measure.
So how much more glorious is the ministry of the Spirit? If the ministry of death which brough condemnation before God was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry which makes us right before God and teaches us how to live? And if the ministry of death was glorious in it impermanence, then how much more glorious is the ministry of that which will last forever? Therefore, Paul says, because we are a part of this glorious ministry, we not only have hope but are bold. Christ has taken away that which keeps us from learning and living into the true ways of good lives. We now can truly know what it means to follow God and how that looks lived out. Because not only do we have the life of Jesus, but we are surrounded in the freedom of the Spirit – the Spirit which frees us from slavery to sin and death.
Paul ends with: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Paul is pointing out a shocking revelation for the people of God. Until this point, the Jewish culture understood that God’s Spirit resided only in the Temple in Jerusalem and only the high priest could enter once a year and hope not to die from the glory of the Spirit of God, but because of what Jesus of done, the Spirit has been given to the world.
This Spirit is one of freedom and glory in God and it is permanent and everlasting. When we take time in contemplation, or in other words, to dwell in the Spirit, we come to know Her more and become more like God. This message has another important meaning for us today. Many of us know that the Holy Spirit is not bound to one place or time. Some may think that God resides in the church building, but we know that these walls do not keep the Spirit of God prisoner. Yet, while we know that we can come directly before the very presence of God by means of the Spirit, we often don’t. In many ways, we have built interstates of the soul which bypass all of the winds and curves of our spiritual lives to streamline and quicken our exchanges and interactions with God. We go to church once a week and listen and participate for an hour. Maybe we read our Bible once in a while and remember to pray before a meal or two. But just like driving on the interstate in real life bypassing many places and things, so too does the interstate of our souls.
In our want for productivity, action, and experiences, we have forgotten how to contemplate and stay still. In our Spiritual Discipline reading for this week, Adele Calhoun says, “A contemplative person recognizes that every experience offers more than meets the eye. They know that ‘bidden or unbidden, God is present.’ Consequently, contemplatives are open to seeing the unseen world. The sift the days for symbols and scan the sunsets for meaning. They enter into the being of life, alter to transcendencies in ordinary things, they believe God may be found and reverenced if one is prepared to notice how marvelously mysterious and personal life in this world is.”
Both Adele Calhoun and Paul mention contemplation as an important means of Spiritual Formation. For Calhoun, contemplation of our daily lives and being open to noticing God’s constant involvement in our lives, opens us up to the marvelous way in which we can come to know God. In a similar way, Paul says that when we contemplate in the Holy Spirit, we come to know Her better and, in turn, come to be more like God by the sheer knowing more of God.
Both point to the fact that in a hurried life which enjoys pushing the speed limit, we must take time to slow down and be willing to take an off ramp or two in order to contemplate and dwell within the Spirit. Our challenge this week is just that. To take time away from the constant sense of “going” and to be willing to stop and contemplate in the Spirit. Take time to be with God, to learn more about Him, to notice His presence throughout your life and reflect on the many ways in which God has touched you in all of your days. Amen and Praise be to God!