The Passion: Keep journeying… There is more to come!

Let us celebrate God is with us, Halleluiah! God is with us, Halleluiah!!!

How long have you been on your journey with God? Pause for a moment and think about it. For many of us, it’s likely been a lifetime. Though there may have been times when we felt distant from God—maybe even times when we questioned where God was in our lives or where we were supposed to go in our faith journey. Maybe we’ve even walked away from the church for a season or sought a different place of worship, searching for something deeper, something that resonates more profoundly with where we are in life.

But the beauty of the journey with God is that, regardless of where we are or what we’ve been through, God is always with us, guiding us, drawing us closer with every step. Today, as we celebrate God with us, we celebrate that the Kingdom of God surrounds us and that the Messiah—our Savior—is here, ready to meet us on our path.

Our passage today brings us face to face with Jesus, who is traveling toward the fulfillment of His mission, toward the cross. As He journeys, He invites us to walk with Him, to walk toward a deeper relationship with God. In the Gospel of Mark, we witness a pivotal moment when Jesus is anointed with perfume by a woman who recognizes Him for who He truly is. Her act of worship is misunderstood by those around her, but Jesus affirms her devotion. "Leave her alone," He says. "She has done a good thing for me. She has anointed my body ahead of time for burial."

This powerful gesture teaches us that even when others don’t understand our journey with God, we are still called to honor Him, to worship Him with everything we have. It’s a reminder that we may not always see the path ahead clearly, but we are called to walk it with trust, devotion, and a willingness to go where He leads. Jesus tells us, wherever the good news is proclaimed, her story will be told in remembrance of her. Her faith, her understanding of Jesus, is something we are called to emulate.

But even as Jesus moves toward the fulfillment of His mission, we see the disciples struggling with misunderstandings, confusion, and even pride. They argue about who among them is the greatest. Jesus, however, flips this notion of greatness on its head. He tells them, "The greatest among you must become like a person of lower status, and the leader like a servant." Jesus shows us that true greatness in the Kingdom of God is not about power or recognition—it’s about service, humility, and love.

The journey with God is a lifelong one, and along the way, we often think we know the destination. We may have a clear idea of where we think God is leading us, or we may feel confused and uncertain about the path ahead. But, as we see in the Gospel passages, we can never truly know the end until we walk with Jesus. We may stumble, we may veer off course, but God is always faithful. As we travel, God is shaping us, molding us, and preparing us for something greater than we can imagine.

I’m reminded of a story about a man stranded on a deserted island who was eventually rescued. When asked about the other people on the island, he replied, “There are no others. There are three huts: one for me to live in, one for the church I go to, and one for the church I used to go to.” It's a funny but poignant reminder that, like the man on the island, sometimes we get so caught up in where we've been, in our own desires and disagreements, that we fail to see the bigger picture of what God is doing in our lives. The journey with Jesus is not about what we expect or think we need; it's about trusting that God is working in and through us, even when we don't understand the path.

Twenty-five years ago, I was on a mission trip to Tres Zapotes, Mexico, working with Habitat for Humanity to help build homes. During that trip, I met a young man named Michael who had a dream to be a health worker for his village. His vision and passion nurtured my soul, and before I left, I promised to return to help. Fast forward to today, and I find myself working in a similar region, just over 100 kilometers from where that journey began. The work I’m doing now helps train health workers and teach building techniques to communities in need—exactly what Michael dreamed of all those years ago.

I look back on my own journey, and I see how God has been leading me, step by step, often in ways I could never have imagined. From Wyoming to Phoenix, to Denver, to Salt Lake, and now here—I could never have predicted the course my life would take, but God has been faithful through it all. Sometimes, we don’t understand why things unfold the way they do, but if we trust in God, we see that every part of our journey has been part of His greater plan.

As we journey with God, we may not always know where we are going or why we are where we are. But the beauty of this journey is that we are never alone. We are called to trust that, no matter where we are, God is with us, drawing us nearer to God’s heart. We may not see the full picture now, but we know that the ultimate destination is life with God, the fulfillment of God’s promises to us.

The path may not always be easy, but it is a journey that will bring us closer to the glory God has planned for us. Each step, even the hard ones, leads us closer to the Kingdom of God, where we will feast with Christ, sitting at His table.

So, as we journey with God, we are invited to remember that there is more to come. There is more to discover, more to experience, more to understand about God’s love and grace. Our path may not be straight, but God will use every twist and turn to shape us into the people we are called to be.

Together let us walk this path with faith, with trust, and with hearts full of hope, knowing that God is guiding us every step of the way. Let us celebrate God is with us, Halleluiah, Amen.