PASTOR'S PEN
Inconvenienced!
"People were bringing babies to Jesus so that he would bless them. When the disciples saw this, they scolded them. Then Jesus called them to him and said, 'Allow the children to come to me. Don't forbid them, because God's kingdom belongs to people like these children...The blind man shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy." Those leading the procession scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David, show me mercy."... Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight! Your faith has healed you." At once, he was able to see and he began to follow Jesus, praising God."- Excerpts taken from Luke 18
At our church retreat last month, our speaker
talked about 'being inconvenienced' - and why it bothers us so much. Although I
remember this being more of a 'side illustration' during the retreat, it got me
thinking further about convenience, and being inconvenienced. We
live in a world which is all about conveniences. We love conveniences!
Convenience stores that sell a variety of things so you don't have to shop at
different stores, convenience foods that help you prepare meals with almost no
preparation, convenience of instant information and communication via the
internet...
We don't like it so much, though, when we are
inconvenienced - having to shop in multiple places in order to finish running
errands, having to take the time to make that slow-roasted meal, having to live
without (gasp!) internet access when it is down... and although we often talk
about the importance of taking time, I would be the first one to admit that our
realities rarely reflect this.
So why do inconveniences bother us so much? After
all why would God allow such ineffective uses of time? God would never allow
such inconveniences if God had a choice! But, wait... does the Bible passage
above state that Jesus, the Son of God, was inconvenienced from time to time,
too?
Actually, it was the disciples that were
inconvenienced, not Jesus. Parents were bringing their children to Jesus to
have them be blessed by him. But the disciples scolded them and told them to
stop. Maybe it was because they couldn't hear what Jesus was saying due all the
noises that the children were making. Maybe it was because the parents were
being disruptive from trying to push through the crowds. Maybe it was because
children shouldn't deserve to be blessed by the Master - children were
commodity, after all in those times.
There was also blind person who heard that Jesus
was passing through. In order to get Jesus' attention, the person began
shouting. Those who were leading the procession tried to make him stop. Maybe
it was because they were running late to taking Jesus' to his next appointment.
Maybe they didn't want to be associated with someone blind, someone 'unclean' -
or else they would have to go through a ritual to be 'clean' again. Again, it
was those with Jesus that were inconvenienced, not Jesus.
So, what does Jesus do in these 'inconvenient'
situations? He blesses the children and confirms their worth. He takes the
blind person and heals him, on the spot. These 'inconvenient' situations became
the times of blessing and healing.
Could it be that God actually sends (or allows)
these moments that seem to be inconvenient - and uses them to be moments of
blessing and healing? Could God be permeating through our 'culture of
convenience' to somehow reach us with times of grace? Could we be, unwilling to
be inconvenienced, losing out on those holy moments?
I don't like being inconvenienced as much as the
person next to me. But perhaps next time, I'll try to look a little harder for
the 'holy' - the blessing, the healing, the grace - in those moments where I
feel I've been inconvenienced. Who knows? Maybe the Holy One is trying to teach
or show me something...
Looking for holy moments,
Pastor Grace
CLERK'S REPORT
A
letter from the Japanese Benevolent Society of California (Jikeikai) regarding
the Day of Peace event on 11/13/11 was presented to the session. This will be a
luncheon in honor of clergy who serve the Japanese community in the Bay Area.
Christ United Presbyterian Church will be sending a representative to the
event.
Old
First Presbyterian asked CUPC to co-host the Presbytery meeting on Tuesday
11/8/11. CUPC was asked to provide and help serve refreshments during the
registration and early hours of the meeting.
Session
approved to form a CUPC team for the 2012 Relay for Life fundraising event for
cancer research. This will be coordinated by Mission and Outreach Committee.
Note: Everyone is invited to attend our regular
session meetings. If you are interested in how the session, our governing body,
discusses ministry at CUPC, please come and join us!
COFFEE FELLOWSHIP:
The Deacons would like to thank the individuals
who have contributed to the coffee fellowship during the month of October.
The Deacons are aware there are others who do not
sign up on the list, but contribute. We would like to thank you all!
Jan Der, Co-moderator
