Weekly Liturgy : June 16-22
- Church@thePark
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 10
Luke 8 : 26 - 39
CEV Translation
26-27 Jesus and his disciples sailed across Lake Galilee and came to shore near the town of Gerasa. As Jesus was getting out of the boat, he was met by a man from this town. The man had demons in him. He had gone naked for a long time and no longer lived in a house, but in the graveyard.
28-29 The man saw Jesus and screamed. He knelt down in front of him and shouted, “Jesus, Son of God Most High, what do you want with me? I beg you not to torture me!” He said this because Jesus had already told the evil spirit to go out of him. The man had often been attacked by the demon. And even though he had been bound with chains and leg irons and kept under guard, he smashed whatever bound him. Then the demon would force him out into lonely places.
30-31 Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?”
He answered, “My name is Lots.” He said this because there were “lots” of demons in him. They begged Jesus not to send them to the deep pit, where they would be punished.
32-33 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and Jesus let them go. Then the demons left the man and went into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
34-35 When the men taking care of the pigs saw this, they ran to spread the news in the town and on the farms. The people went out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they also found the man. The demons had gone out of him, and he was sitting there at the feet of Jesus. He had clothes on and was in his right mind. But the people were terrified.
36-37 Then all who had seen the man healed told about it. Everyone from around Gerasa begged Jesus to leave, because they were so frightened.
38-39 When Jesus got into the boat to start back, the man who had been healed begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him off and said, “Go back home and tell everyone how much God has done for you.” The man then went all over town, telling everything that Jesus had done for him.
REFLECTIONS
In this story, we encounter a man without clothes, unhoused, and abandoned by his community. He was literally living among the dead (v. 27), and the demons kept bringing him back to lonely places like this (v. 29). We often meet people in lonely places: sleeping in a tent, waiting at a bus stop, or walking along an empty sidewalk. Will we take the time to honor their humanity and restore their dignity — or will we add to their bondage?
I'm struck by the different stories that are produced from the same situation here. What was the story that the farmers told after they saw their herds of pigs run down the hillside and drown (v. 34)? What was the story that the townspeople told about what they saw (v. 36)? And finally, what was the story that the restored man told about his new-found freedom (v. 39)?
For some, their response to Jesus was anger. How upsetting for this travelling Rabbi to visit and upend their entire economy! 2000 pigs would have been worth more than a million dollars today. It seems pretty clear that Jesus counted this man's wholeness and well-being as worth the cost.
For others, they couldn't believe the transformation they saw in this man's life, now clothed and thinking clearly. How many times do we hold people's past against them and refuse to see the change and growth they've experienced?
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
As you meet people this week, ask yourself, "What are their needs right now?" Be ready to shift your schedule/expectations/agenda to help meet those needs.
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
Are there any spaces you participate in which feel accommodating and validating of everyone’s unique needs? How might the boundaries of those spaces begin to expand?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Did you know: In the Summer, only 8 to 10 minutes of sun exposure at noon (the most direct sunlight of the day) produces the recommended daily amount of vitamin D? Find some time each day to go outside and enjoy the sun.
Questions for Reflection
What is the story you tell yourself about who and how you are? Does this story match the story you hear from others? Whose story are you going to believe?
“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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