Who Do You Say That I Am?

Troubling Words

Mark 8:27-9:1

March 22, 2012

Simple question

“Who do people say that I am?”

Our recitation of other’s opinions

Elijah

John

Prophet

Spurred his curiosity

The real question

“But who do YOU say that I am?”

Peter leaped

Messiah!

He did not dispute

Instead ordered silence

We knew

For a moment we knew

Clarity of moment

Dissipated into fear

Troubling words

Rejection

Death

Rise again?

Peter once more leaped

Rebuking, pushing, rejecting

Troubling words

Anger fierce, fast

“Get behind me, Satan!”

Peter the devil?  Or the devil in him?

Insight into divine

Came through such

Troubling words

We could not

Take them in

We could not

Understand his intent

Fathom his reasons

Such terrible trouble

Predicted in these

Troubling words

So many more

Gathered there, gathered

Round and he spoke

Of crosses

Roman death for

Criminals and traitors

He claimed his cross

Called us to claim

Our own

Necessary to carry

If we wanted

To follow him

Moment of clarity

Dissipated into

Confusion, pain, loss

Could we give up

Old beliefs, ideas

Relics of time past

Could we give up

Our lives for

his sake?

Carry our own cross?

His question remains

“But who do YOU say that I am?”

Crosses must still

Be claimed

Hefted, hoisted, lifted up

Their weight threatening

To break us

But in the breaking

We are made new

Washed

Anointed

Claimed

“But who do YOU say that I am?”

Troubling words

 Written for the Ecumenical Lenten Service, United Presbyterian Church, Shawnee, OK