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Rev. Missy Turbeville *From the March 2026 FUMC of Bartow Newsletter
Jesus saw them [us] following and asked, “What are you looking for?” -John 1:38
What are we looking for? Who do we follow? Why? As we continue on our Lenten journey talking about our understanding of who Jesus is, we will be looking at Jesus as our friend, teacher, healer, source of forgiveness and Messiah. On Easter, we will celebrate who Jesus is as resurrection and new life. These are some of the most beautiful ways that we understand who Jesus is.
At Homeland, as we remember the past and create new memories into the future, we will be talking about how Jesus is our friend using two scriptures from the gospel of John. The first story is from John 15 when Jesus calls the disciples his friends. He is sharing with them some of the hard truths of discipleship and letting them know that they have the right to understand what they have gotten into. The second reading is from John 21 and it is when Jesus is talking to Peter after his resurrection and asking Peter if he loves him. Jesus uses the word agape which means do you love me unconditionally and Peter responds by saying that he loves Jesus with philia which is brotherly love. Finally, Jesus meets Peter where he is and asks him if he loves him with brotherly love. Jesus does this because that’s what Jesus does: he meets us where we are. And just like with Peter, Jesus does not leave us where he meets us, but helps us to move into a deeper relationship with God and each other.
We find this happening again and again as we talk about what we are looking for in our relationship with Christ. We have talked about seeing Jesus as the Lamb of God, one who delivers us and is a victorious protector. We have looked at our expectations of Jesus as king, prophet, fulfillment of the law, high priest, and light. These days are a journey of discovery where our expectations of Jesus and the reality of having a relationship with the living Christ meet. Often we find that we start in one place and grow into another.
Before the cross… Before Jesus’ death… Before Easter morning… Before the world was changed, resurrection meant being brought back to physical life. This is what happens when Jesus resurrects Jairus’s daughter and Lazarus. But when Jesus rises, there is a new understanding of resurrection. It is what Jesus tries to talk to Nicodemus about in John 3 when they discuss being born again by the Holy Spirit. This new life and resurrection is eternal and more than what a single lifetime can comprehend.
It is a new and abundant life that starts now. It is also a life lived more and more fully into God‘s perfecting love that changes us. It is a life, to quote Charles Wesley, that changes us “from glory into glory until in heaven we take our place.”
As we continue on this journey, let us pray that we will all be changed. May we learn from the friendship of Jesus to love more than just “as a friend”, but unconditionally, in all circumstances. May our teacher help us to have eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds to be learn, so that our hands and feet will reflect our hearts that love in ways that we may have never imagined. May we experience such healing of mind, body, and spirit that we are inspired to practice healing in the world around us. May this lead to a spirit of forgiveness that echoes Christ, who on the cross forgave us even as we, as part of humanity, were crucifying him.
Where we have been less than a loving friend, hardheaded, hard hearted, wounded and wounding, wanting forgiveness with unmerciful hearts, may this time and these days help us to acknowledge that, but not be resigned to it. So that by being open to the love of Christ and the empowering of the Holy Spirit we continue be changed into something new and glorious.
With love in Christ,
Pastor Missy
Jesus saw them [us] following and asked, “What are you looking for?” -John 1:38
What are we looking for? Who do we follow? Why? As we continue on our Lenten journey talking about our understanding of who Jesus is, we will be looking at Jesus as our friend, teacher, healer, source of forgiveness and Messiah. On Easter, we will celebrate who Jesus is as resurrection and new life. These are some of the most beautiful ways that we understand who Jesus is.
At Homeland, as we remember the past and create new memories into the future, we will be talking about how Jesus is our friend using two scriptures from the gospel of John. The first story is from John 15 when Jesus calls the disciples his friends. He is sharing with them some of the hard truths of discipleship and letting them know that they have the right to understand what they have gotten into. The second reading is from John 21 and it is when Jesus is talking to Peter after his resurrection and asking Peter if he loves him. Jesus uses the word agape which means do you love me unconditionally and Peter responds by saying that he loves Jesus with philia which is brotherly love. Finally, Jesus meets Peter where he is and asks him if he loves him with brotherly love. Jesus does this because that’s what Jesus does: he meets us where we are. And just like with Peter, Jesus does not leave us where he meets us, but helps us to move into a deeper relationship with God and each other.
We find this happening again and again as we talk about what we are looking for in our relationship with Christ. We have talked about seeing Jesus as the Lamb of God, one who delivers us and is a victorious protector. We have looked at our expectations of Jesus as king, prophet, fulfillment of the law, high priest, and light. These days are a journey of discovery where our expectations of Jesus and the reality of having a relationship with the living Christ meet. Often we find that we start in one place and grow into another.
Before the cross… Before Jesus’ death… Before Easter morning… Before the world was changed, resurrection meant being brought back to physical life. This is what happens when Jesus resurrects Jairus’s daughter and Lazarus. But when Jesus rises, there is a new understanding of resurrection. It is what Jesus tries to talk to Nicodemus about in John 3 when they discuss being born again by the Holy Spirit. This new life and resurrection is eternal and more than what a single lifetime can comprehend.
It is a new and abundant life that starts now. It is also a life lived more and more fully into God‘s perfecting love that changes us. It is a life, to quote Charles Wesley, that changes us “from glory into glory until in heaven we take our place.”
As we continue on this journey, let us pray that we will all be changed. May we learn from the friendship of Jesus to love more than just “as a friend”, but unconditionally, in all circumstances. May our teacher help us to have eyes to see, ears to hear, and minds to be learn, so that our hands and feet will reflect our hearts that love in ways that we may have never imagined. May we experience such healing of mind, body, and spirit that we are inspired to practice healing in the world around us. May this lead to a spirit of forgiveness that echoes Christ, who on the cross forgave us even as we, as part of humanity, were crucifying him.
Where we have been less than a loving friend, hardheaded, hard hearted, wounded and wounding, wanting forgiveness with unmerciful hearts, may this time and these days help us to acknowledge that, but not be resigned to it. So that by being open to the love of Christ and the empowering of the Holy Spirit we continue be changed into something new and glorious.
With love in Christ,
Pastor Missy
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Worship on Sundays at 10:30AM both at the sanctuary and streamed online on our Facebook page.
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