Weekly Liturgy : November 10-16
- Monica
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Luke 21:5-19
The Message Translation
5-6 One day people were standing around talking about the Temple, remarking how beautiful it was, the splendor of its stonework and memorial gifts. Jesus said, “All this you’re admiring so much—the time is coming when every stone in that building will end up in a heap of rubble.”
7 They asked him, “Teacher, when is this going to happen? What clue will we get that it’s about to take place?”
8-9 He said, “Watch out for the doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, ‘I’m the One,’ or, ‘The end is near.’ Don’t fall for any of that. When you hear of wars and uprisings, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history and no sign of the end.”
10-11 He went on, “Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Huge earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. You’ll think at times that the very sky is falling.
12-15 “But before any of this happens, they’ll arrest you, hunt you down, and drag you to court and jail. It will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You’ll end up on the witness stand, called to testify. Make up your mind right now not to worry about it. I’ll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters.
16-19 “You’ll even be turned in by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. There’s no telling who will hate you because of me. Even so, every detail of your body and soul—even the hairs of your head!—is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. Staying with it—that’s what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry; you’ll be saved.”
REFLECTION
from Monica
We are living in some unsettling times. It feels a lot like what Jesus is talking about in this week's scripture. I’m won't pretend to be an expert in prophetic writings, nor do I feel called to spend a lot of energy in end-times discourse. So when headlines make me feel shaky or uncertain, there’s an invitation to turn my attention away from scrolling and instead borrow hope from scripture and patrons of the faith. These voices, comfortable with the paschal mystery, remind me that prophetic hopesprings up in the face of darkness. That kind of faith, rooted in hope & love, is:
...brave and risk-taking,
...communal and compassionate, ...anchored in unseen promises, and ...ever-hopeful amid trials.
In these qualities, I’m reminded of the kind of “Hidden Hope” Henri Nouwen describes, one that doesn’t shout, but gently sustains week-to-week:
“Are there people who come together, who come around the table and do what He did, in memory of Him? Are there people who keep telling each other the stories of hope and, together, go out to care for their fellow human beings, not pretending to solve all problems, but to bring a smile to a dying man and a little hope to a lonely child?
“It is so little, so unspectacular, yes, so hidden, this Eucharistic life, but it is like yeast, like a mustard seed, like a smile on a baby’s face. It is what keeps faith, hope, and love alive in a world that is constantly on the brink of self-destruction.”
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
This week, identify an area where you might be living out of your “inward style” (Need to be seen as, I deserve, etc.) What a small change you might make to be more responsive to the needs of others?
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
Create an opportunity for someone to give you some real feedback about how a tough conversation is going. Try something like, “Am I on the right track with this conversation?” or “Let’s pause here. How are we doing resolving this issue?”
Pathways toward Centeredness
Caregiving: Offering compassion and service to others.
Take a moment this week to care for someone or something that has been ignored. Take a minute to think about who or what comes to mind? What’s a reasonable action you can do to offer love and compassion.
Questions for Reflection
What do you do when you feel despair or despondent? How's that working for you?
“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.
