#Following Jesus Is a Journey!
Sloughing Towards Galilee!
In loving Memory of Nex Benedict!
First Sunday in Lent
February 25, 2024
"Practicing the Cross!"
Following Jesus Is A Journey!
Mark 9:2-10
2. Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain on their own by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured:
3. his clothes became brilliantly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them.
4. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus.
5. Then Peter spoke to Jesus, 'Rabbi,' he said, 'it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.'
6. He did not know what to say; they were so frightened.
7. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.'
8. Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.
9. As they were coming down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of man had risen from the dead.
10. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what 'rising from the dead' could mean.
-----------------------
The time Jesus spent in the wilderness was a needed time of preparation. He needed to get his mission clear in his own heart so that he wouldn't be captivated by the expectations of adoring fans or intimidated by the threats of furious critics.
The Transfiguration is Jesus presenting to the disciples his glory, as a means of strengthening them for the journey they will encounter in the days ahead.
If we dare to follow Jesus and proclaim the radical Reign of God, present here and now, as the good news, as he did, we will face the same twin dangers of domestication and intimidation.
We can not just sit on the roadside and call ourselves followers of Jesus. We must do more than praise him for his generous love and sacrifice. We do not hear Jesus grumbling about the challenges and demands of his way of life. We do not see him "talking a good talk" but doing nothing about it. He describes his vision and then encourages others to join him moving those teachings of love into action. The Transfiguration is presenting to the apostles the glory, and the divinity of Jesus for them to come down and truly "Set their faces towards Jerusalem."
Nex Benedict, a sixteen-year-old, died on February 7, from serious injuries at school.
Nex was a "non-binary" or "gender-fluid" teen which means they did not see themselves as either male or female, identifying outside the gender binary.
Nex was brutally assaulted in a bathroom by their classmates. Nex had bruises all over their face, and eyes, scratches over the back of their head, and severe head injuries and school officials did not even call for medical help or an ambulance. This is completely unacceptable for they would be alive today if that had been done.
Nex will never get to draw, read, play video games, or play with their cat Zeus ever again.
What happened to Nex is a result of disgusting violent rhetoric and legislation. Simply because of prejudice and judgment, most of which was religious.
It is difficult for many to understand the different categories of gender roles. We have been indoctrinated into two gender roles, male and female for centuries. But it is time we take our blinders off and see how these roles around gender and sexuality are outdated, primarily because it has only been in recent years that individuals could be their true selves and scientific evidence has been available.
As a result those of us who keep our "blinders" on encourage discrimination and violence. In turning our heads away, in our discrimination we are just as guilty as those who harm our brothers and sisters who are nonbinary.
The word "Christian" is more familiar to us today than the word "disciple" . These days "Christian" often seems to apply to the kinds of people who would push Jesus off a cliff than it does to true followers.
Through the years as a result of being queer, I have been beaten up, rejected, and persecuted by "Christians" .? Baring the name, "Christians" proudly have taunted me on the street, and have told me I am going to hell giving me various scriptures to read. I prefer the word "disciples" to that of being called Christian.
Perhaps the time has come to rediscover the power and challenge of that earlier, more primary word "disciple"(which occurs more than 250 times in the New Testament, in contrast to the word "Christian", which occurs only three times. Maybe those statistics are trying to tell us something!
To be alive in the adventure of Jesus is to hear the challenging good news of today, the good news of the love of Jesus, a love that transcends all of our differences-- gender, sexual orientation, and race, and tells us that sin is not who we are, but how we treat each other. Jesus tells us simply to Love our neighbor!
Rewording Paul's words to modern times we hear:
?"There is no longer Jew or Greek, straight or queer, gender,? slave or free, there is no longer male or female, for you are all one in Jesus (Galatians 3:27-29).
Today let us remember Nex Benedict and her family, and commit ourselves to work towards living discipleship our lives in a way where this tragedy will not happen again!
So let us heed the thrilling invitation to follow him. . as a disciple in love!
---------------------------------------------------------
Thirtieth Anniversary Celebration
October 5, 2024
6:00 p.m.
Victor's Piazza pm Polk
----------------------------------
Fr. River Damien Sims, sfw, D.Min., D.S.T.
P.O. Box 642656
San Francisco, CA 94164
snap chat: riodamien2
415-305-2124
---------------
We will be having our Annual Good Friday Remembrance of The Haunting!" on Good Friday, March 8, 2024 beginning at 11:30 a.m. If you would like to participate by reading one of the Stations please let me know!
?