Weekly Liturgy : January 5-11
- DJ
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Matthew 3:13-17
The Message
13-14 Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. John objected, “I’m the one who needs to be baptized, not you!”
15 But Jesus insisted. “Do it. God’s work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism.” So John did it.
16-17 The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God’s Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”
REFLECTION
from DJ
John and Sterling shared a conversation via our podcast this past week. In it Sterling shared how the harshness and the punishment of the judicial system and the prison life never invited him into goodness. It was actually empathy, human connection, and the invitation to non violent goodness that invited him into a path and life of meaning.
In this weeks text, Jesus is receiving his Baptism and commission from both John the Baptist and the Spirit of God. In this communication God know what Jesus and all humans really need. Love and acceptance. This act of communication is important because we hear the voice of the Father only three times throughout the Gospels. Twice, the Father says the same thing: first at Jesus’ baptism and again at the Transfiguration. Both times, the Father is giddy with delight. We might think the Father’s voice is a reward for good behavior, but Jesus hadn’t preached any sermons, healed any sick, or cast out demons prior to his baptism. What’s center stage is not Jesus’ obedience, but God’s head-over-heels, unrestrained delight.
If there is a path to becoming fully human, and nurturing communities of human flourishing, this is it. It’s in and through delight and acceptance that we make our baptismal journey. It’s delight that allows us to die to all that is false and rise up to all that is true. It’s delight that leads us out of the sacrificial systems that enslave and into the dwelling place of mercy that frees. This is not a journey driven by duty, but one drawn by the voice of delight: “You are my child whom I love, and I really like you.”
Can you hear this message for yourself? At the start of your day. At the start of a new challenge. You are beloved, accepted and a delight. From this solid place you will live your most beautiful and good life.
Reuniting with Family
Antwone Fisher (2002)
In this scene, the main character, Antwone, meets his biological family for the first time in his life. Can you imagine yourself in the place of Antwone, the character’s grandmother as the person of God, and the aunts and uncles and cousins as the embodiment of the Beloved Community that God desires for us?
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
This week, try to refrain from saying anything negative about others.
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
How many different emotions can you name off the top of your head? Can you increase that number by the end of this week?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Tradition (loving God by engaging ritual and symbol):
Choose a small ritual to close your work day and help you transition out of work mode. Practice it at the end of each work day this week.
Questions for Reflection
What spaces, experiences, or people help you feel most beloved in the world?
What spaces, experiences, or people do you have the most influence toward and might help to experience their own sense of belovedness this week?
“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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