Hello friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in docks,
And welcome to I Am,
Our journey through Lent reflecting on the I Am statements of Jesus.
And as we begin today,
I invite you to take a deep breath in,
To slowly exhale,
To settle into this moment right now,
Letting go of the distractions that are around you.
I invite you to imagine yourself standing before a gate.
It's not just any gate.
It is strong,
And yet it's open.
It is simple,
And yet it is inviting.
And on the other side,
There is peace.
On the other side,
There is safety.
On the other side,
There is life.
In John 10 verses 7 to 9,
Jesus says,
Very truly I tell you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.
Note that Jesus does not just stand at the gate,
And he does not merely open the gate.
Jesus is the gate.
He is the way to God's presence.
He is the way to healing,
And he is the way to abundant life.
So what does it mean to step through the gate?
What does it mean to move through the gateway that is Jesus?
To enter through Jesus is to enter into a life shaped by his love.
It is to walk into a place of belonging,
A place of rest.
It is to trust that he is the way,
Not just to salvation in the future or wholeness at some time later on,
But to grace and peace and transformation and full healing here and now.
But every doorway requires us to move.
And to step through a gate,
We must leave something behind.
So take a moment to reflect.
What do you need to release in order to step forward?
Perhaps it's fear,
A hesitation to trust where Jesus is leading you.
Perhaps it's shame,
A weight you've carried for far too long and one that Jesus has already likely forgiven.
Perhaps it is distraction,
The many worries that keep you from being present to God's love.
Or maybe,
Maybe it's self-reliance,
The belief that you must figure everything out on your own.
Whatever it is,
You do not have to carry it any longer.
Jesus invites you to leave your burdens at the gate and to step forward through the gate,
Completely unburdened,
To literally walk into grace.
I invite you now to a moment of silence.
Picture yourself standing for the gate once again.
Jesus is there,
His presence warm,
Welcoming,
And he calls you by name.
And as he does,
You look down at your hand.
What is it in your hand that you need to let go of?
And now imagine placing that at the threshold,
Surrendering it to God.
Now take a step forward.
Cross the threshold.
Step into grace,
Into love,
Into newness of life.
And as we pause to reflect silently on this moment,
Breathe deeply.
You are in the presence of the shepherd.
You are home.
Jesus,
Our gate,
Our shepherd.
You invite us into life,
Into love,
And into peace.
Give us the courage to step forward,
Leaving behind what weighs us down.
Help us to trust that when we walk through you,
We walk into the fullness of God's presence.
May we know that in you,
We are always welcomed,
Always known,
And always safe.
Let us walk forward in faith,
Unburdened and free in your grace.
As we come to a close,
I invite you to breathe in.
And as you go forth today,
May you remember that Jesus is your gateway to peace,
To healing,
And to abundance.
May you step forward in trust,
Knowing that on the other side of surrender,
There is life.
And may grace,
Peace,
And love go with you every step of the way.
Amen.
Grace and peace,
My friend.
Until tomorrow.
Bye for now.
