Listen to Readings and Sermon 29…[Jesus] went on to ask, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the messiah!” Audio readings and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20090913_6.mp3)
Listen to Readings and Sermon
29…[Jesus] went on to ask, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the messiah!”
Audio readings and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20090913_6.mp3)
Listen to Readings and Sermon View Readings and Sermon The Written Word The Light of the Buddha “With the relinquishing of all egotism, the enlightened one is liberated through not clinging.” Wisdom 7.28-30 (The Inclusive Bible, Priests for Equality) God loves the one who finds a home in Wisdom. She is more beautiful than the [...]
Listen to Readings and Sermon
View Readings and Sermon
The Written Word
The Light of the Buddha
“With the relinquishing of all egotism, the enlightened one is liberated through not clinging.”
Wisdom 7.28-30 (The Inclusive Bible, Priests for Equality)
God loves the one who finds a home in Wisdom. She is more beautiful than the sun and more magnificent than all the stars in the sky. When compared with daylight, She excels in every way, for the day always gives way to night, but Wisdom never gives way to evil.
Mark 8.27-30, 34-36 (The Inclusive Bible, Priests for Equality)
27…Jesus asked the disciples this question, “Who do people say that I am?”28They replied, “Some say John the baptizer; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.”
29“And you,” he went on to ask, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the messiah!” 30But Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him… 34Jesus summoned the crowd and the disciples and said, “If you wish to come after me, you must deny your [self-interests], take up your cross and follow in my footsteps. 35If you would save your life, you’ll lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake, you’ll save it. 36What would you gain if you were to win the whole world but lose yourself in the process?”
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, September 13, 2009.
27…Jesus asked the disciples this question, “Who do people say that I am?”28They replied, “Some say John the baptizer; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “And you,” he went on to ask, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the messiah!” (Mark 7)
Before we talk about Mark, I want to remind you of another story.
In the 32nd chapter of the book of Genesis, Jacob wrestles with a stranger, do you remember? They wrestle all night. And Jacob refuses to let the stranger go until he gives Jacob a blessing. The blessing Jacob finally gets is to learn who he really is. The stranger says, “You are no longer Jacob. Your name is now Israel, for you have struggled with God.” And then Jacob, or now we should say Israel, asks the stranger, “And what is your name?” And the stranger simply says, “Why do you ask MY name?”
You see, Jacob had deceived his brother Esau, deceived his father, had been deceived by his father-in-law, had been on the run from his brother whom he feared had a vendetta against him, and after all this dishonesty and running and struggling to find his way, Jacob’s struggles are symbolized by an encounter with a stranger. Maybe it was a dream he had where the subconscious mind was dramatically helping him work out his issues, who knows? But after struggling for so long to know who he was and where he fit in, he learns who he really is. The struggle to know himself was a divine struggle, and so he is Israel… the one who engages in a divine struggle. And the blessing that results from that struggle is to know who he is. When he asks the stranger, “What’s your name?” The stranger basically says, “That’s not even the right question… what you needed to know is who you are… and now you do.
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