Weekly Liturgy : June 30 - July 6
- DJ
- Jun 30
- 4 min read
Luke 10 : 1 - 11, 16 - 20
NRSV Translation
1-11 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way; I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on that person, but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
17-20 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. Indeed, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
REFLECTIONS
Thoughts from DJ:
Last week, Jesus was rejected by a Samaritan village (a town outside the city). Sound familiar? James and John were quick to seek vengeance: “Shall we call down fire from heaven?” Shall we just give up on Monmouth, Dallas and those who do not understand our mission and values?
This week, Jesus goes back to the drawing board. He sends out more messengers, but this time with clear instructions. No weapons. No money. No backup plan. He sends them out in small groups, two by two — exposed, dependent, and vulnerable — “like lambs among wolves.” On the surface, these instructions are absurd. He’s giving the competitive advantage to the wolves, who are already wired to dine on stray lambs.
We went back again and again to Monmouth and Dallas over coffee and in living rooms. We stepped away from the mic and gave people power to ask all their questions.He (Jesus) further instructs the disciples to enter potentially hostile homes with a blessing: “Peace to this house.” If received, peace rests. If not, they are to move on in search of hospitality elsewhere. No argument, no retaliation. Just dust shaken off and the quiet insistence: “The Kingdom of God has come near.” We have been required these past to years to hold the tension of not being accepted by everyone or in every place.And here’s the really weird part. It works!
The mission trip is a wild success, a rarity for the disciples. After two long years we have not one, but two shelters operating in Polk County. The assignment has invited many on our team to practice vulnerability, active listening and humility.
In a world where might makes right, the Gospel reveals another way — a power made perfect in weakness and vulnerability. A power that is capable of breaking the cycle of violence and opening the door to new creation.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
The next time you find yourself frustrated with another person’s behavior, allow yourself to ask: what might they be responding to?
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
In our culture, it can be easy to intellectualize our emotions, processing them in our mind, rather than feeling them with our bodies. What is a word or phrase you can say to yourself as a reminder to feel your emotions fully?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Caregiving: Offering care and compassion to other.
Is anyone in your life carrying grief right now? How can you offer your friendship as a source of connection for them?
Questions for Reflection
Is there a context that currently feels inhospitable to you? What might it look like to show up in that space with a message of peace?
Who do you experience as a welcome companion in the journey of loving the world? Whose friendship sustains you when it becomes difficult to live in our culture and context?
“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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