Weekly Liturgy : June 22-28
- DJ
- Jun 22
- 5 min read
Matthew 10:40-42
10:40 "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
10:41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous;
10:42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple -- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
REFLECTION
from DJ
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus offers a vision of the Kingdom so small we might miss it entirely. “Whoever gives even a cup of cold water…” That’s it. No grand miracles or heroic faith. Just a cup of water.
It’s easy to assume this passage is about being sent, doing something important for God. But Jesus shifts the focus. The action doesn’t center on the one going, but on the one receiving. “Whoever receives you receives me… and the one who sent me.” God isn't arriving with power and spectacle, but hidden in the fragile exchange between people.
This creates a kind of holy chain reaction: to receive the other is to receive Christ, and to receive Christ is to receive the One who sent him. Which means the smallest act of welcome becomes the place where God shows up. Not later or somewhere else. Right then and there.
And notice who holds the power in this story. Not the messenger, but the one who offers the cup. The disciple is the “little one” — sent out without status, without control, dependent on the response of others.
Many of us – especially those working in ministry, nonprofits, or social-service settings – have been formed to see ourselves primarily as the givers. We assume that we’re the hosts, helpers, teachers, and problem solvers. Even with the best intentions, we can begin dividing the world into those who have something to offer and those who need something from us; but Jesus refuses this kind of division. In this passage, there’s no discussion of what the disciples can provide in return. The act of welcome itself becomes sacred because the one being received bears the presence of Christ.
This has incredibly profound implications for those of us who work alongside poor and marginalized communities. Too often, even our helping systems unconsciously assume that value flows in one direction. Jesus completely disrupts this framework and prompts us to ask instead: What if the presence of God isn’t found primarily in the one extending hospitality but in the one receiving it? What if the poor are not simply recipients of ministry but bearers of divine presence? What if those whom society deems powerless are actually the ones revealing Christ to us most clearly?
Last week I experience one of these thin liminal spaces where it seems the Spirit of God dwells. I was walking downtown and a young women was watering flower baskets. She introduced herself and shared how she had stayed at the Young adult shelter. She is now living with and working for the Isaacs Room community. The gracious space she created in conversation and gratitude opened up into a holy moment.
In God’s economy, even the smallest act of welcome becomes holy when we take a moment to see who stands before us. Perhaps this is why Jesus consistently moved toward those on the margins. He understood that God’s presence can be found in places that require a double-take.
The Guest House
Rumi
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
Prayer
This week, the call to prayer comes from the Street Psalms Prayer of Vocation:
Let us pray.
Jesus, like the disciples who were blind to your real presence until they dined with you in the resurrection, we too are blind until you dine with us. You are the stranger among us, revealed as the Loving Host and Forgiving Victim of the meal of reconciliation. Open our eyes, Lord. We want to see and celebrate you at work in the world, especially in the hard places, creating, sustaining, and uniting all of creation in love. In the same way, you took the bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to your disciples, and said, “This is my body, broken for you.” May we too be taken in love, blessed in love, broken in love, and given in love, that we might become the spoken word of your love in a hurting world, and find ourselves part of the ever-expanding Body of Christ. May we become what we receive.
Amen.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
With someone you are experiencing relational friction with, find a new way to welcome them when you see them. When you first encounter them that day, what are they seeking, what are they thirsty for, and how can you see them as a human being with real needs and wants?
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
Who is someone in your life that might benefit from a cup of cold water 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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