Hi everyone,
As many of you know, we had a joint worship service with All Saints Anglican down the road from us today. It was a great time of meeting new people, community building, and learning. Not just learning from the riveting sermon that was given (by me), but also in learning how a community other than ours works, how they operate, and how they view the world.
Because if we’re honest, it will be different from us.
This isn’t a bad thing, of course, it’s just different. Different lived experiences lead to different ways of interpreting life. And different ways of interpreting life allows us to see God in different ways, different places, and different manifestations throughout our journey.
When we see God in different ways, we might find ourselves expressing that experience differently as well. We might show our joy at different times, show our woes in different ways, and maybe even be confused over different things. We just need to be mindful of that.
I say these things because our communities and congregations are meaningful to us, that is why we are a part of them, and they with us. That is why we choose to attend, participate, and be involved with. That is why we defend who we are and how we see ourselves.
It will be interesting to see where this new-ish relationship with All Saints will take us. If anything, we have much to learn from them and we have areas in which we can grow, be strengthened, and move further in our faith as a community.
Here are the readings for next week:
The reading from James reminded me of the saying, “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I think there is some truth in that. At the same time, there is a lot wrong with that saying.
Because words CAN hurt. Like, a lot. Whether it be from an intentional insult or dig at someone to a simple misunderstanding or to a justified rebuke, words can really put us in our places. Words can obliterate our egos. Words can sting to the point of tears.
But in these words that we give and receive, we mustn’t forget God’s presence with us and among us. In our interactions and communications, we mustn’t lose sight lose sight of what we are called to be and how we are led by the Spirit. In our trying to make sense of this world, we must remain mindful of what our words can do, at times in spite of our best intentions.
This doesn’t mean that we should never talk to anyone again. This doesn’t mean that we will always be misunderstood or misunderstand others. This doesn’t mean we can’t ever live in or build the community that we have always dreamed of. But it does mean that misunderstandings happen. It does mean that our words might not always have their intended meaning. It does mean that in all our interactions, we need grace.
But at the same time, sometimes our minds are just focussed on human things, and not on divine things. Sometimes, we just can’t help it. Even then, though, let’s remember God’s grace given to us, the love of Christ that saves us all, and the community of the Spirit that joins us all together.
Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!
Photo by Rachel Powell on Unsplash