I wonder sometimes if we don’t treat our churches, our congregations, like little schools because we don’t want to face another graduation. We don’t know how we would answer the question, if anyone were to ask, “what is it you plan to do with the wild and precious community you have created here?” So instead we imagine it to be school without end. Faith formation without Christian vocation.
I want to encourage all of you to make every effort to be present for this Sunday’s meeting. Even if you feel you’ve already heard all that will be said. Even if you feel you’ve already said all you need to say. The value of this gathering is found not only in the content of our opinions, but in our presence with and for one another. To the person for whom this meeting is painful and scary, your presence may be a sign that they do not suffer alone. To the person who has spent countless hours planning, meeting, strategizing, and preparing, your presence may be a show of support and an expression of gratitude. We are not simply making one more decision, we are making all of these decisions together.
Texts: Genesis 32:22-31 + Psalm 17:1-7,15 + Romans 9:1-5 + Matthew 14:13-21 “What is your name?” “What is your name?” is the question the divine figure asks Jacob at the end of a long night of wrestling by the river. On its own it’s not a very remarkable question. In fact aside from, perhaps, “how … Continue reading Sermon: Sunday, August 3, 2014: Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
