Interdependent, Interconnected

by Crawford UMC | Jun 12, 2020 | Conversations

Crawford community at the kitchen island baking, laughing, caring and finding Jesus in our midst.

This week a friend said, “I’m a Mary surrounded by Marthas. And it feels kinda crappy.”

In the last umpteen weeks of sheltering in place and homeschooling, one would think that there would be all the time in the world to slow down but really they have just been layered on — more work, more demands, more busyness without the luxury of space to attend to it all.  For me, this time has upped by Martha-ness but in my soul I wish I could be more like Mary.

Do you remember the story of Mary and Martha?  In the Gospel of Luke, after Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan, he goes to the home of Mary and Martha where Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to him, and Martha works like mad in the kitchen to get things prepared for their guests.  Martha resents her sister for not working with her; Mary doesn’t care. She knows this is an opportunity that she may not have again. After Martha tells Jesus to make Mary help her in the kitchen, Jesus, in his gentle way, reminds Martha, “One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her” (Luke 10:38-42).

What about you?  Do you identify more with Mary or with Martha?  Do you ever feel drawn to be the other?  Do you ever feel called to sit and listen for God in the midst of all the tasks, all the chores that need to be done?  John Wesley, the founder of our denomination, taught us that prayer should lead to action and action should lead us back to prayer; that we should not act without praying nor should we pray without acting.  These two, prayer and action, are interconnected, interdependent.  Or in other words, Martha needs Mary and Mary needs Martha; they too are interconnected, interdependent.

As my friend and I continued our Mary and Martha conversation, another friend chimed in and said, “In my image of the story all three (Mary, Martha and Jesus) have moved to the kitchen island and are chopping carrots and listening and laughing together, even Jesus who is also juggling a baby on his lap.” She went on, “Don’t let anyone make you feel less than you. You bring to the kitchen island exactly what God designed you to bring—all of your beauty and wonder, compassion and passion. The time for shaming and dividing is done.”

Today I hear God in these very simple, very wise, and very direct words.  We all bring to the kitchen island exactly what God designed each of us to bring. It is not the same but it is all needed. Especially in this day and time when nothing is normal, with all that demands our time and our attention, let’s  make a commitment to be who we are (not who others want us to be or demand us to be) and notice Jesus with us listening, laughing, chopping carrots, juggling the baby, and loving us as we are.

See you for worship,
Hope

Break the Cycle

by Crawford UMC | Jun 5, 2020 | Conversations

Considering all that is happening around us and in us these days, my colleague, Steve Garnaas-Holmes from St. Matthew’s UMC in Acton offers this reflection.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. —2 Corinthians 13.5 

How do you live through the siege? Whether it is climate change, police brutality, a viral pandemic or 400 years of white supremacy, how do you live faithfully when there is sickness and evil around you?

First, examine yourself. Keep paying attention. Before you judge others test yourself. The only person you can control is you, so do so. What are your basic values? Do you apply them to yourself and others equally? See that they are foundational values, not just self-benefiting wishes. (Here’s the test: Will you—do you—sacrifice to confer the benefits of your values on others?) What is the world you hope to live in? Live in it. Follow its rules. Demonstrate its value. Be light.

Serve each other. Let every action be for the sake of the wholeness of all, not merely your own advantage. Let compassion guide you. Love.

Bear witness. Be transparent. Do not hide your sorrow or your rage. They are part of your power to care. Don’t silence yourself if you are grieving while others are happy, or joyful when others despair. Honor your heart. Don’t whine; don’t spend energy wishing for what is not; don’t blame or judge. But give your broken heart freedom to speak its truth, to sing its song. Start the conversation: not the bitch session, but the dialogue about where to go next, what we can do. We can.

Protect the vulnerable. As the Bible says, “care for the widows and orphans:” for those most at risk, marginalized, or disenfranchised. We are all part of one whole; you are not whole unless your neighbor is. Check yourself when you want to defend your own comfort at another’s expense. Tend to one another. Belong to the whole.

Disrupt. Interrupt your own participation systems that perpetuate harm or injustice. Whether you would transmit racism, plastic waste or a coronavirus, seek ways to stop the spread. Break the cycle. Practice a new way of living. Do justice.

Hope. Hope is not wishful thinking but trust in what is unseen. God’s grace is at work in ways we can’t know. Notice the signs, small and great. Stay in touch with others who care and keep each other’s vision alive. Shield your joy. Practice gratitude. Seek healing. Set the burden of your dread or despair or guilt in the hands of the Gentle One who heals, who radiates blessing, who even now is creating life. We do not know the end; but we know the journey of life is full of grace. Walk it.

You can’t save the world, but you can bless it. Do justice; love mercy; walk humbly with God. Trust God, and work like hell. You are not alone.

See you,
Hope