Hi everyone,
My goodness summer went by fast. I can’t believe it’s almost September already and the kids will be back in school. And not only that, if all things go well, we will be heading back into the church building for worship too! Although, that didn’t seem very fast. In fact, it feels like way longer than the 18 or whatever months it has been.
Actually, it might feel even longer as when we get back, it won’t exactly be business as usual. We’d probably still have to wear masks, have more hand sanitizer around, and forgo the coffee and goodies after the service. We might not have as much singing, as much interaction with each other, or as many people even in the building. We have been waiting a long time to get back into the space, but the truth of it all is that we might not recognize what we come back to.
And you know what? That is ok.
I understand that we have our traditions and customs, but what really matters is that God is praised and that we are together. Although I believe that we would be together wherever we are (like at home through a screen), but being in the same space is just the first step into realising a perhaps fuller and deeper kind of worship. One that is isn’t reliant (but can be enhanced by) customs and traditions, but one that is solely dependent on seeing one’s position in God’s love.
And that is unchanging and immovable. No matter how our worship looks, we remain as God’s children residing in God’s love.
Here are the readings for next week:
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
Psalm 15
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
So in seeing this gospel text, maybe you can see where I’m getting at. It isn’t our traditions or customs (or perhaps lack thereof) that defile us, but our attitudes toward holding or not holding said traditions. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we need to throw everything out and have some kind of vanilla style worship, but I’m saying that even if by some strange far out reality that comes to pass, then it’ll be ok.
We’ll be ok.
Because God is, has been, and will always be with us in our worship, in our gathering, and in our individual homes in isolation. It is my hope and prayer that this always be apparent to all of us, that we can more freely love and serve God and neighbour for the sake of God’s gospel through Jesus our Lord.
Thanks be to God! I hope you all have a great week!
Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash