Ain't No Rock

Today was Palm Sunday, and this morning I preached on the text from Luke describing Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. I focused on the reply that Jesus gave to the Pharisees when they asked him to silence those who were praising him: "If these were silent, even the stones would shout out."

I spent some time talking about how we, as humans, are created to be in relationship with God and to worship God. We lifted up several Bible verses that tell us that creation itself - from the heavens to the mountains to the trees to the rocks - offers glory to God. Then I made the point that we are the chief creation of God, and we are called to lead the rest of creation in the worship of God - not just by singing praises or attending church one hour a week, but by our entire lives being offered to God. Finally, I challenged the congregation not to let the rocks cry out in their place, but to live their lives as an act of worship to God. I invited everyone to take a small rock with them and to place it somewhere they would see it everyday to remind them not to let the rocks cry out in our place.

I, too, took a rock and am placing it in our bathroom (not sure Nancy will be too thrilled about having a dirty rock laying around, but whattaya gonna do). The bathroom is pretty much the first place I go in the morning when I wake up and the last place I go before climbing into bed in the evening. My hope and prayer is that this simply rock will remind me to live my life as an offering to God each and every day, and at the end of the day it will challenge me to reflect back and see where I have fallen short and resolve to do better through God's grace tomorrow. If you received a rock today, I pray the same for you.