CORINTH

-Sermon Notes-

June 30, 2024

 

“Lightning Strikes”

(Psalm 130, Mark 5:35-43)

     The Empire State Building is struck by lightning around 500 times each year.  Thankfully, a lightning rod is on the roof of the building which conducts the electricity to a grounding cable.  That lightning rod is used as a conduit of current, as powerful electricity flows through the metal components.  In the same way, it seems God chooses people as his conduits for his presence, power and purpose.

     130 is known as an “ascent psalm.”  As folks were on a pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem, they would be walking upward since Jerusalem was in an elevated position, including the temple.  Psalm 130 are words people would be singing as they made their way upward toward the temple, and in these words we find a desire for the presence of God to “strike them,” to make the transforming power of God’s presence known to them in a special way.

     In the passage from Mark, we find Jesus bringing the power of God to a young girl—restoring her life in a dramatic way, returning a seemingly lost child back to the arms of her family.  A lightning strike of restoration is connected from Jesus to the child. 

     It is interesting to me who Jesus selected to be his conduits for power (the disciples.)  If you look at a lightning rod on a building, it is not impressive looking.  In fact, lightning rods are quite ordinary looking, just a metal pole with a cable attached.  Yet, they are conduits for powerful amounts of current.  Think of David was first anointed King by Samuel he was just a young, ordinary boy.  When Jesus chose the disciples they were ordinary men of ordinary, even low stature.  Yet David and the disciples allowed themselves to be used as conduits for God’s power and presence.

    Today I invite you to make yourself available to God to be used as a conduit of love and grace.  Husband to wife, wife to husband, parent to child, child to parent, pastor to congregation, congregation to pastor; let us invite God’s current into the center of our hearts and minds as our journey continues.  May powerful ministry flow through us as we are used as conduits for God’s current.    

     As United Methodists, we embrace three forms of grace: prevenient grace is the working of God in our lives before we are aware of this working (“pre” meaning “coming before”) while justifying grace is grace which justifies us as we place our faith in Christ.  Sanctifying grace is grace that is with us as we work toward Christian perfection.  We come to church, pray, sing, study the scriptures and learn together as we work toward this sanctification. Silver is the best conductor of electricity, although copper is typically used because it is less expensive.   As we practice spiritual disciplines at home and in church, we are working toward sanctification that transforms us to silver, as we seek to be the most effective conduits for the presence of God possible.  Amen?