June 12, 2016 - Fourth Sunday after Pentecost - God's Tears

We often listen to God's word in worship. When God's word connects it is memorable.  Pastor Michelle opened worship expressing a deep, heartfelt grief and concern regarding the morning's news that most of us heard before the serivce.  It was memorable.  She choked up at moments and led the congregation in a spiritually engaged prayer.

The last seven days have been historic.  As consequential state primaries closed on Tuesday Hillary Clinton became the first woman presumptive presidential nominee of a major American political party. We moved from that high to coping today with news from Orlando of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

I experienced today others throwing themselves into their concern for life and the world, from the heart of their Christianity.  They inspired me today a passionless absorbing of the news to having my spiritual imagination and eyes of compassion activated.  I came back home with a different heart and different eyes than before.

It was a movement into the simple complexity of God's grace. In today's Gospel (Luke 7:36 - 8:3), like last week's passage from Luke, Jesus encounters another woman weeping out of love, only this time not for someone she has lost but what she has found, or is about to find, through her love and gratitude to Jesus.

The Pharisee, who is in the role of host, does not see this woman for who she is.  Jesus questions him and asks directly "Do you see this woman?".  For whatever reasons, the Pharisee cannot.  He even doubts Jesus to be a prophet because Jesus allows this woman to touch him.  Jesus responds with the language that Simon, the Pharisee can understand.  Jesus asks which of two debtors will love a creditor more, and Simon answers that the one with twice the debt will love the creditor more.

In worship today I viewed this through the prism of engagement (or the lack of becoming involved).  Simon was not engaged as a host to Jesus, or with the actions of the woman, or understanding and respecting Jesus in the role of a prophet.

As a member of the congregation I felt inspired and engaged today together with others.  In the Adult Forum the attendees began telling their stories of engagement in the Christian journey we are in together as well as best we could.  Sometimes the language and "messiness of life" we tried to describe, defied our best efforts to share with one another and yet, like hearing groans to deep for words, something profound was communicated.