Weekly Liturgy : August 17-23
- John
- Aug 17
- 3 min read
Matthew 16:13-20
NRSV
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
17-20 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
REFLECTION
from John
Yay for Peter! He figured it out.
But not before the Magi in chapter 2.
Or the Roman Centurion in chapter 8.
Or the Canaanite woman in chapter 15.
(All outsiders who understood what Jesus was up to before Peter and the disciples).
It’s easy to celebrate when we see God clearly, when the full picture of reality comes into view. Very surely though, others have arrived ahead of us, and Matthew’s gospel is keen to remind us how just how often it can be those we least expect and those we might call enemies of God whose vision exceeds our own.
All the more reason to loose the burdens clouding one another’s view.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Before you offer critical feedback to someone, pause and list as many things that they’ve done that are positive or that you appreciate. Notice what changes about the feedback you desire to give.
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
Sometimes we use the phrase “I feel like…” before launching into a judgement about something or someone. See if you can catch yourself doing this. If you do, can you replace your judgement with a true emotion word?
Pathway Toward Center
Tradition (Loving God through ritual and symbol):
Find a song that is familiar to you from your distant past. Listen to it once per day this week. Each time it plays, reflect on the parts of you that have grown since the first time you heard the song.
Questions for Reflection
Whose worldview do you consider immature, immoral, or misguided? Consider what that person is seeking to love through their perspective. What does their love have to teach you about your own love (and worldview)?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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