“Only transformed people transform people.”
Richard Rohr
Dear Friends,
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been addressing the question concerning the purpose of the church in my Sunday morning messages. I have suggested that our purpose can be best be defined by the word, “transformation.” Transformation, I believe, lies at the very heart of the gospel message. Jesus invited people toexperience a personal (internal) change that led to a social (external) change. As our conference missionstatement has suggested, “We are called to makes disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. What we experience personally in our faith leads, inevitably, to a social expression.
With this premise in mind, I would like to focus my attention on what I believe to be an excellent case study in transformation. I am thinking about the story of Zacchaeus as it is shared in Luke 19: 1-10. This is, of course, a familiar story to many of us, but I invite you to re-read it in preparation for this Sunday’s message. As you do so, you might want to reflect upon the nature of Zacchaeus’ experience of transformation. Do your best to crawl inside of his skin and feel what he was feeling.
One thing is clear. Zacchaeus was a changed man and the evidence of that change within him can be found in his decision to make amends for his past practice by giving away half of his possessions to the poor and repaying anyone whom he had wronged four times the amount! That, of course, was no small sum of money as he, as Chief Tax Collector, had undoubtedly wronged a lot of people!
While the experience of transformation can be difficult to measure or quantify, the evidence of transformation can often be found in the way an individual chooses to treat other people. As Richard Rohr suggests, “Only transformed people transform people.”
See You in Church,
Ron
Rev. Ron Dunn