Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.
Mark 8:34-35
I hear this a lot: I don't have time to pick up a cross. I'd like to follow Jesus, but I don't have time for all the meetings and worships and projects. I barely have time to get food on the table and get to work and do the laundry and drive the kids around and volunteer at their activities. I don't have time for this...
Jesus gets it. Jesus saw the busyness of the lives of people he met. Women who had to grind grain to make bread, make clothes and shoes for their family, raise children. Men who had to work with their hands to feed their family and serve their neighbors with their skill. The people who worshiped in the Greek and Roman traditions had many gods to bring offerings and prayers to and attend their festivals. The people of Jesus' time were busy. Just like us.
So what? What does it mean to follow Jesus and fit Jesus into our lives today? If you read through the Book of Mark, you see that some people showed up occasionally to hear Jesus teach. Some people hung around for small group lessons. Some people took three years off to learn everything they could. Different options for different people and different life stages.
Where are you at? Maybe your best bet is to listen to a podcast in the car driving for work. Maybe your most consistent Bible reading will be reading a kid's Bible at bedtime with your children. Maybe raising your kids or grandkids is your evangelism for sharing your faith. Maybe you organize a volunteer event for your workplace as a way to love your neighbors.
Find a way - your way - to check in with God through prayer regularly, read or listen to the Bible regularly, be part of a group growing to become like Jesus, serve a neighbor and share your faith story. Do each of these things in the way that you can fit into your life right now.
Jesus calls us to "take up your cross." Your cross. Not mine, not your neighbor's. Your cross. The cross of love and grace and service to God and neighbor that is yours alone. Your cross will look different each year of your life. You have different resources of time, energy and money each year, and your service to God and neighbor will change every year. Some years, you get to make a big investment in time and money with God and neighbor, some years, your service is the daily duties of your daily life.
Jesus is walking with you every day, in every place, with every person you meet. You have the time to be with Jesus anywhere. Just say hi, and let him be a part of your busy life. Amen.
Pastor Anna-Lisa Hunter
February 7, 2023
