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Amy Jones,
Agape Coordinator
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Dear God, we come to worship you today.
We come to pray, and listen.
You always hear us.
Help us to hear you. Amen
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Luke 3:7-18
7John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
10And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"
11In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." 12Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" 13He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." 14Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."
15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
18So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
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I recently downloaded and subscribed to the popular app, “Calm.” You’ve probably heard the advertisements for the meditation app. They tout that “millions” experience better sleep, less stress, and reduced anxiety. I’ve always wanted to be better at meditation and have even tried many contemplative spiritual practices. I remember one Lent when I spent all six weeks learning a contemplative prayer practice where we sat quietly “following our breath” for an hour each time. It was a very long Lent.
One reason I struggle with these types of meditation is that I do not want to experience my own thoughts. I live with them every day! Slowing down and breathing quietly sounds like an invitation to experience all those thoughts at once. It does not sound peaceful, to me. The thought really stresses me out, actually.
Imagine my surprise when one of the app’s meditations addresses this very topic (turns out, many of those “millions” have this same fear). The disembodied voice that leads the meditation said that it is normal for thoughts to “race,” and the point wasn’t really to slow them (though, I would suppose that would be ideal), but only to notice them as an outside observer. I realized that meditation wasn’t an act of passivity, allowing myself to be bowled over by my own mind, but an active pursuit of not reacting to all those thoughts and ideas all the time.
It is hard to read scriptures like this one and feel much comfort, particularly at this time of year when we seek “comfort and joy.” News of tornadoes and school shootings remind us that we live in a dangerous and violent world. John’s address to “a brood of vipers” hardly feels like the “good news” the gospel says he proclaimed.
Peace is still possible, within ourselves and for the world in which we live. A friend recently posted a quote to his social media page (which wasn’t attributed to anyone in particular), “Peacemaking doesn’t mean passivity. It is the act of interrupting injustice without mirroring injustice, the act of disarming evil without destroying the evildoer, the act of finding a third way that is neither fight nor flight but the careful, arduous pursuit of reconciliation and justice.”
John reminds us that there is a lot of work to be done, but little is accomplished if we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all. Neither is seeking “comfort and joy” a passive act. There is peace in deciding which injustice to interrupt. There is peace in finding the one thought you will follow, the idea you want to chase. There is peace in the simple act of refusing to add fuel to the firestorm of ideas, claims, and ideologies.
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Grant us to see your face in the lightning of this cosmic storm, O God of holiness, merciful to men. Grant us to seek peace where it is truly found. In your will, O God, is our peace. Amen.
Amy Jones
Agape Coordinator
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Amy Jones, Agape Coordinator |
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Amy Jones our Agape Coordinator is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church. In this tradition, deacons are ordained clergy who bridge the ministry of the church with the needs of the world, and vice versa. In more than 15 years of ministry, she has worked in churches, in children and family ministry, higher education, and nonprofits. In each setting, her focus has been on matching the resources of the church with the needs of the world. Agape Community Kitchen is exactly the type of work she was called to do.
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The Presbyterian Church in Westfield continues to burn as a light in the darkness as our community weathers this fearsome storm of illness. Our reach of care continues to extend far beyond our immediate borders. You can help us make a real impact in the lives of others by joining in our work through your time, your talents, and also in the fruits of your labors. |
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Please watch your email, our church website and Facebook page
for updates on the ways in which you can worship at home!
We are so excited for worship using Facebook Live Sunday morning at 10am, as well,
and we hope you can tune in!
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