Life, Worship, and the Power of God’s Story
This past Sunday morning we had to begin the service in a (thankfully) unusual way—announcing the passing of a long-time and faithful member of our church family. Many of us knew Astrid as someone who’d always been here, welcoming us when we first came to the church, getting to know our names, inviting us to coffee after worship, making sure we felt welcome and included. She’d long sung soprano in the choir (though not long enough, apparently, for Jerry to call her or her sister Esther by their own names). And Astrid had served in any number of official positions in church leadership over many, many years. We’d seen her in church on January 5th and some had had wonderful conversations with her then. But this week she was suddenly gone and it was a shock to all of us, and that news was the context in which we entered into our worship together.
Sunday’s hymns were all familiar. The scripture passages about God’s protection of his own from Isaiah 43, and the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist from Luke 3, were familiar texts. Mary’s special music, the hymn “Blessed Assurance,” was one most of us could have sung by heart. But all these familiar words took on fresh meaning in the context of the news we had just heard.
What did you think of when Isaiah said, “I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you… I will gather you; I will say ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth’—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Didn’t you have a special tear in their eyes when Mary sang, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine, O what a foretaste of glory divine,” knowing that our foretaste had so lately become Astrid’s long-awaited reality. Was anyone able to join Mary on the final chorus without a catch in their throat?
Sometimes people ask why we continue to look into a Bible that is presumed to be so familiar to us by now. Why repeat the same stories of Christmas and Easter, and the same rites and rituals of worship, and sing old songs and new songs all about the same thing? How can we ever claim to hear something new in the “same old, same old.” Isn’t it because our life experience changes? Isn’t it because the contexts in which we hear “the old, old story of Jesus and his love” effects how we hear that story this time, what it means and how it informs and assures us in light of what we’re going through right then?
The introduction to our scripture readings each week ends with a phrase borrowed from Randy Frazee and “The Story,” a Bible reading experience he helped design. We hear, “Let’s see if we can find our story in God’s story again today,” inviting us to hear scripture and experience worship afresh, to look for how God speaks through his Word and by his Spirit to what we’re facing right now.
What life experience will you bring with you to church this next Sunday? How will your story be illuminated by God’s story that we share in together this week? Be sure to look for your story in God’s story at every opportunity. May God bless you in this discovery.
One other note: don’t forget the invitation to be part of our Inquirers’ Class, coming to this church near you very soon. If you’re curious about some aspect of our church, the ministries we share, or our affiliations and missions through our denominational family (The Evangelical Covenant Church), this is your chance to ask your questions and benefit from the questions of others. And it’s not just for folks newer to our fellowship or those pursuing church membership—anyone and everyone is welcome to participate and contribute to the discussion. This series will likely run over several Saturday evenings beginning in February. Please just express your interest to Pastor Bob or myself right away and we’ll be happy to include you.
We wish you well,
Interim Pastor Tom (& Cheryl) Ek