At the Edge of the Enclosure - "Belonging and Breakthrough"
… An essential part of wholeness is the sense of belonging. Belonging within nature. Belonging to one another. Belonging in your own skin.
Meditation One (Open to the Whole World)
… but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go--the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
In any case, the woman does not back down. Dog indeed! She keeps right on nipping at Jesus’ heels, which showcases not only her debating skills, but her faith. She dares to take his metaphor and turn it back on him. “Children get fed before the dogs? You’ve got that right, Lord! But even the dogs get to eat the children’s crumbs; even the pets get the scraps that fall from their master’s table!” She is arguing that even on his own terms, there should be something from him – some scrap of grace – for someone like her who comes to him in faith. (Maybe) She is challenging him. “What are you going to do, Lord: Judge me by externals only – or judge me by my heart?” …
The day the gospel went to the dogs was the day it came to us. We are some of the “dogs” who have received the good news of the gospel! When Jesus opened himself up to mission to the whole world, he opened his church to the world. Now we are to open ourselves to the whole world in mission.
-Heidi Husted, Christian Century, August 16, 2000
Meditation Two (No Matter How Lonely)
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
-Mary Oliver
Meditation Three (Intimate Belonging)
The Last Word
Master of the Universe
Grant me the ability to be alone.
May it be my custom to go outdoors each day
among the trees and grasses,
among all growing things
and there may I be alone,
and enter into prayer
to talk with the one
that I belong to.
-Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav 1770-1811
Suzanne's Meditation
Not worthy to gather up the crumbs...
He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” Mark 7:27-28
It's not fashionable to cower before the Divine Presence. That's good in one way. For generations, “I'm not worthy” became an excuse for not taking risks on behalf of the Gospel and acting on behalf of justice and peace in the world.
On the other hand, there's a kind of arrogance in current cultural Christianity that postures, “I'm forgiven once and for all” so my actions toward others don't count against me. I focus my sole attention to my own personal salvation; everyone else be damned. God gave me dominion over creation so I'll take what I need now, because heaven will be awesome when my time comes. I am totally worthy!"
You know the kind of thinking I mean.
I grew up with the “prayer of humble access” from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer which imprinted on my soul an allusion to the Canaanite woman. “We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Thy table.” I loved this prayer as a child, an adolescent, a young woman. And while I deeply appreciate the liturgical reform that erased it from the communion service, I hope I still approach the table once in a while with awe and fear of God.
The Canaanite woman shatters a long held exclusionary mindset. And she does not cower before Jesus. But she also appreciates what she was asking for. He says,“Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.” She replies, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” (Mark 7:27-28)
Nevertheless, I know that from time to time I am NOT worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs from beneath the table. And while I know I'm invited to the table anyway as a guest of honor, I hope I am continuing to learn to both repent quietly and alone and to act boldly in the world.
Here is the whole prayer…
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to partake of this Sacrament of thy Son Jesus Christ, that we may walk in newness of life, may grow into his likeness, and we may evermore dwell in him, and he is us. Amen.
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Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithfuland kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created,
and you shall renew the face of the earth.
MAY GOD’S BLESSING ABOUND ALL THE MORE – IN 2024!
May God Bless you and yours as we journey in this Pentecost Season…
May God’s Spirit empower us to
“expect great things from God and to attempt great things for God”…and
May God Continue to Bless Union Church!
-Pastor Mark
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