Weekly Liturgy : June 15-21
- John
- Jun 15
- 3 min read
Matthew 10:24-39
The Message
24-25 “A student doesn’t get a better desk than her teacher. A laborer doesn’t make more money than his boss. Be content—pleased, even—when you, my students, my harvest hands, get the same treatment I get. If they call me, the Master, ‘Dungface,’ what can the workers expect?
26-27 “Don’t be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don’t hesitate to go public now.
28 “Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.
29-31 “What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.
32-33 “Stand up for me against world opinion and I’ll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I’ll cover for you?
34-37 “Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don’t deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don’t deserve me.
38-39 “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.
REFLECTION
from John
Last week, Jesus asked his disciples to trust that consistent kindness is enough to change the world. This week, he encourages them to persevere when that kindness becomes the reason others threaten or ridicule them, or even end relationship. Maybe those of us listening today can hear Jesus word’s like this:
When kindness sets us apart from the crowd… it’s ok. We’ll just be ahead of the curve.
When kindness makes us vulnerable… it’s ok. Violence is impotent in the face of eternity.
When kindness gets mistaken for weakness… it’s ok. Even if it were in fact weakness, God’s got us anyway.
When we insist on kindness so much that others walk away… it’s ok. We’ll still find ourselves in God’s community.
Amen.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
When you encounter an idea from someone else that is beyond your capacity to fulfill, be transparent about constraints instead of defensive. For example, provide context around limited resources rather than just saying “no.”
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
Express appreciation toward someone each day this week, using observation and feeling language. For example, you might say to a coworker, “I saw you respond to that group email quickly with clear questions. I felt really grateful and at ease because you did that.”
Pathway Toward Center
Intellection (Loving God by pursuing knowledge):
Instead of vegging out to your favorite tv series, watch a documentary!
Questions for Reflection
When do you feel tempted to compromise your kindness?
When do you feel encouraged to sustain your kindness?
How can you encourage someone else to choose kindness?
“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.
Copyright (C) 2023 Church at the Park. All rights reserved.
