Sunday January 25th, 2026 Worship

I am not the best tourist when it comes to following specific pilgrimage paths, since I take things a bit too literally than is recommended in the tourism industry. Walking the path of Jesus in the Holy Land, I often found myself skeptically casting aside all of the comments that were made about Jesus having touched this rock or that portion of beach. How can they prove that he touched this specific rock?! This focus on the specificity kept me from engaging more fully with the actual purpose of this journey, admittedly, learning more about what it means to follow Christ.
Ultimately, our faith is not hinged on whether Jesus touched this rock or that rock, but it is centered on our understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ. There is actually a lot at stake for us and the world in how we answer this question because it will shape the way we interact with the rest of creation around us. Today’s stories give a witness of what it means to drop everything and follow Christ, exemplified by Peter, James, John, and Andrew, as well as what can happen when we lose focus on the center and begin to let divisions crack the relationships between us. And, we often find ourselves today somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
As we try to navigate between these stories and the reality of our world, I want to look at what they have to teach us in our discernment. Beginning with the Gospel, I am always amazed at the way these men just drop everything and take off after Jesus. I always think about poor Zebedee, left in his boat to pull in all the nets, mend any broken ones, and clean everything up by himself when he finally makes it back to shore (Matthew 4: 22)! While many of us are not in the position of these four men, even dropping responsibilities just to take a full day off feels daunting most of the time, we do see the ways that God is calling these men to use the gifts and skills that they have already been given. They are invited into the work of ministry to ‘fish for human beings’ (Matthew 4: 19b). They are not called to cast off everything about themselves, to become completely different in the process, in order to participate in the work of God. Jesus doesn’t tell them that they are now going to build houses or prepare taxes, but they are going to lean into what fishing has taught them in regard to how they can engage with the world around them, beyond the shores of the lake.
We have each been given our own unique gifts and skills, and we are called to bring those with us as we embody our ministry in our own spaces. We get to lean into those things, whether it be caring for others, stewarding finances, maintaining properties, teaching, or anything in between. We do not have to completely give up our lives in order to follow Christ, but God does invite us to see the ways that our gifts and passions meet the needs of the world in order to help advance the flourishing of all creation. We are invited to lean into the communities that surround us too, because this work is not ours alone to carry.
This emphasis on community, especially in following the way of Christ, is going to be inherently countercultural. Christ was often at odds with the leading figures of his day, as his teachings were set to dramatically impact the way that systems were structured and people were controlled. The same is true in our world today too, because it shows us a way forward that recognizes the dignity and worth of all creation, while also asking us to interrogate the ways that this societal emphasis on individuality is harming us in the long run. The powers that be don’t want us to actually follow Christ; they just want that to be a cute little catchphrase that we don’t act on, but they can capitalize on. We may not be asked to change everything about our reality like these disciples who leave their lives behind to follow Jesus, but their story does prepare us for the reality that this calling does require some sacrifice and changes from us for the sake of the larger community.
Yet, we also know that being a part of community comes with its own challenges, and there will be conflicts and divisions that begin to appear. This is not to say that this work is easy or that we are always going to get it right, but Paul’s lecture to the Corinthians today is a strong reminder that sometimes we need to check what we actually believe and who we are putting our trust in. After all, the powers that be have often wanted to couch their behavior in Christian language so that we put our trust in them as our leader and guide, and thus see their actions in a kinder light that still somewhat align with our values…maybe? This is not a new phenomenon. But, Paul reminds the people of Corinth today that we are called to follow Christ, not a human leader.
I love the way that Paul seems to get a little sassy, saying ‘Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?’ (1Corinthians 1: 13). I can hear him say this, and we can certainly use similar questions today with some of the names being changed to reflect our current situations. Following Christ means that we are called to follow in his ways and speak when the ways of the world are acting in opposition. I’ll let you decide if you want to be sassy like Paul! This isn’t even meant to be done with judgement and shame, setting ourselves as better than the others, but to help us all grow in faith and in care for one another. Because we are called to follow Christ, to proclaim the Good News, not to co-opt it for ourselves or empty the cross of its power in order to push our own agenda. We can all use some help seeing the ways we can grow; that’s one of the beautiful things about living in community too.
I know that it feels terrifying and discombobulating to try to process everything that is happening in our world right now. The events in Minnesota hit really close to home for me as someone who grew up in the Twin Cities. Anxiety levels are high for so many people, and we don’t know how to respond to what we are seeing and feeling. It makes me want to laugh a bit when I hear the words from the Psalmist today, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). When we hear these words, it can make us question our faith and whether we are faithful enough, which only adds to more complicated feelings for us to wrestle with. This is a statement of promise, not a test of our faith. So no matter how you are feeling this day or in the days to come, I want to remind you that you are loved and you are called to share your gifts and skills with others. You are enough, and together, we can do so much more to support one another than when we feel we have to do it all on our own. There may be days when we are afraid or anxious, and on those days, we get to lean on each other. To see the ways that our faith, our trust in God is communal, and can help us through even the most challenging days when it feels like the darkness will not end.
It doesn’t matter, in the end, if Jesus touched this rock or that one, what matters was that he was a fulfillment of God’s promise that “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined” (Isaiah 9:2). There was never a promise that life wouldn’t have its challenges, and that there wouldn’t be things that cause us fear or anger. After all, just look at Jesus’ story to see the way he dealt with these challenges too; flipping tables, breaking tradition, and ultimately being executed by the Empire. But, God does promise to be with us in the midst of that, even when we have a hard time trusting that God is there. When we walk in the path of Christ, we are choosing to move in a way that challenges the authorities of our times, just as he challenged the authorities of his. That is going to come with its own set of struggles, yet we are invited to see the ways that God uniquely equips us and supports us for all the difficulties we may face. Standing hand in hand with our communities; a gift that God has given to us, as we wrestle with what it means to be human and to follow Christ, learning from one another and supporting each other along the way. This is what we say yes to, the joys and the struggles, when we listen when God calls our name and invites us on this path forward. May we help one another see how the light still shines in the midst of all the weariness and grief, as we lean on one another to help trust the promises of God.