July 8, 2015

“It's just another manic Monday.”
The Bangles

On Sunday, June 28, the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 8, the gospel passage from Mark was the story of Jesus going to the home of Jairus to heal his terminally ill daughter.  On the way there, Jesus was interrupted by a woman who had touched his robe in an attempt to be healed of her chronic bleeding.  Jesus eventually arrives at Jairus' house, but only after the girl has died.

One of the two areas I preached on was the idea of holy interruptions.  How do we deal with interruptions?  Can we learn to see interruptions as grace-filled moments?  Can we use them to express God's loving presence?

This past Sunday, July 5, the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 9, I preached on where we are able to hear and see God at work in the world around us.  The people of Jesus' home town were not able to hear or see God at work because they thought they knew who Jesus was.  They thought they knew what he had to say, and they couldn't see him for anyone other than who they thought he was.

In that sermon, I asked how we heard the word of God being preached and where we might see God at work in the world about us.  What I didn't say was, “Maybe we need to listen more carefully, and look more closely, at how God is being revealed in the world.”

Between Sunday, June 28 and Tuesday, July 7, I have had ample opportunity to live into these ideas of holy interruptions and looking for God in unexpected places.  Last week I met with parishioners after the Sunday services.  On Monday I assisted people with gas and emergency lodging.  On Tuesday I gathered with others for the Men's Breakfast, had a lunch meeting and met with two people regarding visa issues.  And on Wednesday I met with a parishioner and spent a good amount of time following up on the visa issue.

This past Monday and Tuesday I worked with a family member about her deceased father, dealt with someone referred to me for help with a bus ticket (and was also dealing with other legal issues), fielded yet another request for financial assistance, spent 11:45 p.m. to 1:15 a.m. with a self-destructive person who had too much to drink, delivered the man from yesterday to the Greyhound terminal and spent the rest of the day in a form of intervention with said recovering alcoholic and another mutual friend at the hospital working out a productive plan for life.

It has been a busier than normal week.  And the question remains, “Can these interruptions to my life be grace-filled moments, and can I hear and see God working through those same moments?”

I hope so.  I hope the man on the bus was able to see the face of God in my effort to help get him home.  I hope the woman looking for a visa extension can see God working through perseverance.  I hope the parishioners and the fallen alcoholic can hear God speaking through me.  I hope they all see God caring for them through my actions.

More importantly, I hope I can see all that has transpired as not just another manic Monday, but as grace-filled moments where God is present and working in this very messy and broken world.

Amen.