Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista UCC (276 F St) – Page 63 – No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey… You are welcome here!

August 4, 2018

“The Blessing Seed” (Creation Justice)”

“The Blessing Seed (Creation Justice)”

A meditation based on Psalm 78:23-29

August 5, 2018

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista

Dr. Sharon R. Graff

* * * * *

Today, we begin a 5-week sermon series to introduce you to a really important part of the United Church of Christ: Statements of Witness. Have you heard of them? Good! Statements of Witness are various ways for congregations to live out who they really are already…to be public and open about their particular special witness in God’s world. And there are over a dozen Statements of Witness that can bolster a church’s identity within its larger community! You, for example, already carry 3 of these Statements as your public witness:

You are “Accessible to All,” meaning that you have ramps and an elevator and accessible bathrooms and large print in worship and wheelchair areas in the sanctuary, so that a variety of special needs are met here on a regular basis. More importantly, you have an awareness of various special needs, and you are willing to be sensitive to meeting those needs, be they hearing, mobility, sight, etc. Good job!
You also carry the Statement, “Inter-Cultural, Multi-Racial.” Look around this sanctuary! Check out Bradley Hall during any fellowship time, and you’ll see the beauty of God’s creative variety assembled! More than that, when it comes to making a Statement about multi-racial and inter-cultural matters, you do so with deep sensitivity and acute awareness of one another. After 15 or more years of practice, you wear this Statement of Witness like a comfortable piece of clothing, and when guests are here, they feel the closeness of this family of faith. Good job!
A third Statement of Witness you wear well is “God is Still Speaking.” This Statement, unique to the UCC, assumes that the Bible isn’t the complete and finished record of God’s work in the world. Rather, the “God is Still Speaking” initiative affirms that God is still at work in our lives, 20 centuries later, and that God is still speaking to us and through us. I’ve watched you for these past 2-1/2 years. I’ve lived with you here in this sacred place. You’ve repeatedly shown me that you believe—you know!—God is still speaking. Good job!

In addition to these three Statements of Witness, the UCC has several others. You can read about them online—address is on your bulletin insert today. For the next few weeks, we’re going to learn together about a few of these Statements of Witness, starting today, with Creation Justice. This is summer…a season for doing things a bit differently. To tell the stories of these various Statements of Witness, I thought storytelling itself would be a most helpful approach. So I’ve selected 5 children’s stories, paired them with scriptures and am excited to teach and learn with you about these important UCC Statements of Witness over the next several weeks. Today’s story, teaching us something about the necessity of Creation Justice, is called “The Blessing Seed.” I invite you to sit back, relax, and hear this familiar creation story in a new way.

The Blessing Seed: A Creation Story for the New Millennium

In the beginning, God sang everything alive. God sang the sky, the land and the seas. God sang the plants and trees. God sang the moon, the sun and the stars. God sang animals to live in the sea, in the sky and on the Earth. Then God, Mother and Father of All, sang of Man and Woman. God said to them, “This Earth is your garden. The rocks, plants, trees and animals are your family. Go and explore your home.” The Man and the Woman thanked God. They greeted every stone, plant, tree and animal. They learned what each living thing could do. The Man and the Woman found a tall tree in the middle of the garden. It had four paths leading away from it. “What is this for?” they asked God. God said, “That is the Tree of Life. On it grows the fruit of knowledge. But it isn’t ripe yet, so you mustn’t eat it. The four paths are ways to explore this world. When the fruit is ripe you will be able to walk them all.” The Man and the Woman sat together and watched the stars grow bright in the sky. Then the Woman said to God, “Everyone in the garden has their special gift. The squirrel can jump, the snake can crawl, the bird can fly. What is our special gift?” And God answered, “In all the world, you and the Man are most like me. You have a special duty. You will care for everything on Earth. Your special gift is to learn and to care.” “How will we do that?” asked the Man. “Listen for the song that I sang at the beginning,” said God. “My song is in everything and it will help you to learn and to care.” The Woman listened to the song of the Tree of Life. It sang a song of laughter, a song of tears, a song of beginning and a song of coming home. She said, “Maybe I will understand our special gift if I eat the fruit?” She picked the fruit and tasted it. It was sweet and bitter, soft and sharp. As she swallowed it, things began to change. She felt like a cloud looking down on the land far below. The birds, trees, animals and rocks felt far away. She shared the fruit with the Man. When he tasted it, he felt different and frightened. “Why do the animals run away from us?” he cried. God came that evening and said, “You are frightened and upset. Have you eaten the fruit of the Tree of Life?” The Man said, “We did. And now the animals hide from us. We don’t understand what is different.” The Woman said, “We ate because we wanted to discover our special gift.” God smiled and said, “I made mountains to last forever. I made flowers and trees for beauty. I made birds, fish and animals for their many gifts. But I made human beings for their longing to know—it is time for you to explore the four paths. Come!” And God led them to the Tree of Life and showed them the paths. “The four paths are called the path of wonder, the path of emptiness, the path of making, and the path of coming home. These four paths of life will help you to learn and to care. On the path of wonder, you will remember when you were sung from the Earth. When you see the moon and stars at night, or the sun sparkling on the water, when you hear birds singing in the trees, when you hear the song of creation, then the gift of caring will be born to you. On the path of emptiness, you will remember when you ate the fruit and felt different. When things go wrong, when no one understands you, when you lose the things you love, when you feel sad, lonely or frightened, then the gift of learning will be born to you. On the path of making, you will remember the song that is inside you. When you have good ideas, when you make something beautiful, when you tell stories and sing my song, then the gifts of learning and caring will start to grow. On the path of coming home, you will remember that you are part of everything. When you look after the Earth, when you defend the helpless, when you speak for those who have no voice, when you enjoy and respect my creation, then you will be most like me. Your learning and caring will shine out everywhere. You will be separate no more.” “Must we leave our home and all we love?” cried the Man and the Woman. “All places are your home. Everything I have made is your family,” said God. “Must we leave you?” cried the Man and the Woman. “I will always be with you on your journey,” God promised. “Will we really find the gift of learning and caring?” asked the Man and the Woman. God said, “Yes. You ate the fruit of the Tree of Life before it was ripe. But the seeds of learning and caring will grow inside you.” And God blessed them both, saying, “I will ripen your gift as you walk the paths of light. Your gift will be a blessing seed. It will leap from your hearts into the hearts of others. Go now and spread my blessing throughout the Earth.” The Man and the Woman thanked God. They walked out into the wide world, taking the blessing seed in their hearts. The End.

But not really the end…! In Creation Justice churches, there is a commitment to care for the earth by recycling, not using Styrofoam, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, learning about climate change, using solar energy, melding together the truths of Bible and science, working and praying to save this beautiful Earth from destruction. And in Creation Justice churches, the work that God describes in this story goes on and on…remembering that you are part of everything and living like it…looking after the Earth…defending the helpless…speaking for those who have no voice…enjoying and respecting God’s creation. These are the sacred choices that make us most like God. These are the sacred choices that foster our learning and caring. These are the sacred choices that cause us to be separate no more. And these, my brothers and sisters, are the choices that are available as you walk the path of the UCC Statement of Witness called Creation Justice.

This is a path uncovered by God in many places in scripture. Today’s psalm passage is one of those. It’s a beautiful collection of verses. God commands the skies to rain food on the hungry people; God causes winds to blow from east to west and south to north to bring the free food closer to the people. The passage ends with the inspiring scene described in these words, “And the people ate and were well filled, for God gave them what they craved…”

It’s inspiring, isn’t it? A generous God providing for a hungry people.

Yet, the larger context is that, in this particular scene, God is really angry with the people. Once again, they have failed to follow God’s instructions. Once again, they have walked a path of dis-ease and dis-comfort. Once again, they have turned to their own ways and away from God’s heart. And God is divinely angry. That’s an important context for us, as we learn about Creation Justice. For in Creation Justice, God is THE model of caring. Even when God is angry, God feeds the hungry people. Even when they don’t follow the rules, God feeds them. Even when they turn aside, God turns toward. This is who God is.

And this is who God has created us to be also. People who turn toward Earth. People who turn toward plants and animals and enjoy and respect God’s creation. People who do what we can to defend the helpless and speak for those who have no voice. No one of us has to do it all. But God has created each of us to do something to care for our Earth home. Maybe your caring action will be to speak the truth of science and climate change to your doubting neighbor. Maybe your caring action will be to walk more and drive less. Maybe your caring action will be to read a book that gives you ideas of how you can care for Earth more actively. No one of us can do it all, when it comes to caring for our Earth home. The challenges have always required cooperative people. So do your part, whatever that part may be. Even though you may be angry about the direction things are going now with the environment, even though your anger may tempt you to inertia, resist temptation! Follow the example of our God who loves through the anger and loves despite the anger and promises that, as we act for and with Earth, we too will be blessed.

Amen and Blessed Be

Children’s Circle with Communion

“When I hold a piece of bread, I look at it, and sometimes I smile at it.

The piece of bread is an ambassador of the cosmos offering nourishment and support.

Looking deeply into the piece of bread, I see the sunshine, the clouds, the great earth.

Without the sunshine, no wheat can grow. Without the clouds, there is no rain for the wheat to grow. Without the great earth, nothing can grow. That is why the piece of bread that I hold in my hand is a wonder of life. It is there for all of us.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

July 28, 2018

2018-7-29 “Abundance All Around”

“Abundance All Around”

A meditation based on John 6:1-13; Isaiah 6:8

July 29, 2018

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista

Dr. Sharon R. Graff

With joyful help from

Dr. Norma and Rev. John DeSaegher

* * * * *

Same day. Same crowd gathered to hear Jesus teach. Same hungers we’ve heard before. Today, we’ve heard another version of the same story with the same ending: with Jesus, there is always enough. With Holy Spirit, there is plenty. With God, you get leftovers…12 full baskets in fact…left over from the crowded feast on that long ago mountainside.

What does that mean to you, Community Congregational Church? What does having enough mean to you, in this season in which you search and pray for a new permanent pastor? Well, thanks to Dr. Norma and Chaplain John DeSaegher, you’re about to find out: what it means to have enough…what it means to be cared for…what it means to have your needs met. And warning: you’re probably going to laugh along the way!!!

Welcome to the Gospel of Holy Humor, a skit specially adapted by John; the skit is called, “Finding the Right Pastor is Never Easy!”

[skit: see next pages]

FAITH 101. She—or he—will be a real blessing to you! How do I know this? Not because I have any inside track… Rather, I know it—and you know it, too—because God is in this search. Because Holy Spirit has always had your backs. Because, with Jesus cooking up this search for your new pastor, there will be MORE than enough!

Amen and Blessed Be!

July 20, 2018

2018-7-22 “Jesus’ Summer Staycation”

“Jesus’ Summer ‘Staycation’”

A meditation based on Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

July 22, 2018

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista

Dr. Sharon R. Graff

* * * * *

For a summer, it’s been a busy time around here. Pelito painting in the office. Amber and Victoria tag-teaming surgery and illness, and now both, thankfully, healthy and back at work! Volunteers training to do various office and church jobs. Women’s Fellowship leaders actively preparing for their upcoming Card Party…that lively annual fundraiser from which they do so much good throughout the year. Search Committee busily interviewing candidates to be your next permanent pastor. Yes, this church remains busy, for a summer. One of the only groups to take a break has been the choir, and we welcome them back today with joy! Yet in their absence, our worship services were deepened by Cameron and Earl and our own youth from this congregation. There is no lack of talent and gifts around here! Amen??!!

This summer’s busy-ness is to be expected. After all, this whole interim season has been focused on preparing for your next permanent pastor. So what remains to be done? Another way of asking the same question: what prevents you from moving forward with your next pastor? Those of you who are concrete literal thinkers will be responding, “Well, Sharon, duh…we don’t yet have our next pastor…so we can’t really move forward yet…” Truth. Yet not the whole truth. For this church runs on Spirit’s energy—Holy Spirit fuels this place and always has—and the rest of the truth started by our concrete thinkers is that Spirit, right now, is helping you move forward to receive your next pastor. Let me hasten to add that such forward movement for you is, in no way, a judgment against or indictment of our pastoral relationship. I don’t take any of this personally! This movement forward is your work and your path from God to seize. Your forward movement is my joy! Because it means you are spiritually ready to receive the next pastor God has put in your path. So, in Spirit’s reckoning of these things, we can logically assume that you still have some preparatory work to be accomplished. To return to the same question: what might that be? What prevents you, Community Congregational Church, from moving forward to receive your next pastor?

Some might still look back at history and claim it is fear holding you back…fear standing in your way. After all, long ago, some poor pastoral choices led to a lot of pain that nearly everyone here felt. Yet, I look at you now—15-20 years later than those painful days—and I see fewer people, yes, but I also see resilience and gratitude and a unified strong multi-cultural congregation that enjoys learning about each others’ lives and cherishes one another’s stories. Do you know how many churches would give a lot to be in your place?

When I speak of the effect of long ago on the present, I’m talking systems theory…for when churches survive such traumas, there is often residue remaining that new people assume. To heal from trauma requires strong and steady attention to that healing, and you seem to have accomplished that healing here through your deep love for God and for one another. So I don’t believe fear is the main deterrent keeping you from moving forward. I see your trust in Spirit as stronger than any fear you may harbor.

The scripture reading today, not surprisingly, gives us a glimmer into one possible answer to the question of what may be holding you back just now. Let’s look at it more closely. [verses on screen] Before we get to these verses, we see a very busy Jesus, and we’ve been reading about his busy-ness for several weeks running. He’s been teaching large crowds, healing individuals like that young girl and the woman bent over with pain for twelve long years. He’s calmed one storm and, after questioning the disciples about their own level of faith, he later assures them they have it in them to go out and do the same kind of healing he does. Jesus entrusts them with his ministry. As we meet Jesus and the disciples at the beginning of Mark’s 6^th chapter, they have just arrived in his hometown of Nazareth, where his credentials are doubted by his former neighbors, and he replies with that famous saying, “A prophet has little honor in his hometown.” Remember, that passage goes on to note: Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. And so he left and went on a teaching circuit of the other villages. It is then Jesus emboldens the disciples to go out in his name, two by two, and while they are gone, we hear about the death of John the Baptist, which we read and studied in last week’s message.

Whew! If you weren’t tired when you came into church today, you ought to be exhausted now just listening to the ministry Jesus and the disciples have been doing in just a few days time. Point: at the beginning of today’s gospel reading, Jesus and the disciples can’t help but be tired. They badly need a vacation. Three times in today’s reading Jesus tells the disciples to take a break…three times they get in a boat for that time off…and three times, ministry happens instead. Their attempted vacation isn’t exactly a “staycation” in our sense of the word, where they would actually get that needed rest by seeing sights around home. Rather, Jesus and the disciples go back and forth and back again across the water to get away from the crowds, to take a break from the work, but it is the work of ministry that stays with them wherever they go. Their VAcation turns into a STAYcation, and it is the work itself that takes no break.

Now what does all this have to do with Community Congregational Church? Plenty! Just as Jesus and the disciples keep busy, so do you. Just as Jesus and the disciples give their energy and attention to ministries of healing, so have you. Just as Jesus and the disciples face the work before them in each sacred moment, so do you, Community Congregational Church. You are attentive to the day-to-day work of ministry, and you do that work with faithfulness and with grace. If I may meddle a bit, for that’s my job as your interim, you do not do that work of ministry with speed or with efficiency. You take your sweet time to do most everything that happens around here. And no matter the age or generation. Slow pace, thoughtful prayer, careful and gentle responses, being present to God and to one another in this present moment—these are your signatures—as we see they were also a part of the ministry of Jesus and the disciples. Look again at the first slide: “his heart broke…so he went to work teaching them…” And on the second slide: the image of people darting and pushing to simply touch Jesus, and all who touched him were made well. Jesus and the disciples gave themselves to the work of the people. So do you. In so many of the moments of your life together as a congregation. And that is good energy…gentle energy…soft and loving energy. Like Jesus.

Now, however, at this point in this interim season, you need more than gentleness and kindness. You need the ability to make a change. Here, again, Jesus and the disciples help with that. For embedded in the busy-ness of the schedules of Jesus and his disciples are little jewels of wisdom about how to navigate change. The first is on the first slide, first line: “after going out two by two…” Remember that? Remember Jesus delegating and empowering the disciples? That was a change…for Jesus…and for them. And the impetus for that change came from the work itself. From the work itself, Jesus saw the need to empower the disciples to take up that work. So his ministry changed in that moment, from singular (all about him)—to plural (all about them). Change was—and continues to be—inherently part of the Christian journey.

A second jeweled piece of wisdom is seen more clearly in another translation—the one you have in the pews. [also 2^nd slide] If you wish, check out page 41 in the New Testament, and at the beginning of verse 53, we read, “After they had crossed over…” Simple as it may appear, that phrase “crossed over” gives biblical scholars a lot to think about. Crossing over. Starkly, it can mean death, as one crosses over from this life to the next. It can also mean intentional action, as in choosing to cross over from one point to another. At the very least, “crossing over” suggests some sort of change and change that is successful. They crossed over! Hallelujah! They made it! Praise God! No storms. No lack of faith. They got there. And so did you, repeatedly, my dear friends, and so will you.

One more, quick story to make the point. It comes from an email meditation I received this week about a word new to me: the word is imperturbability, and the story is from the writer’s martial arts training. Here’s what he has to say about imperturbability:

“In my martial arts training, we talk a lot about imperturbability. Imperturbability is the ability to remain calm, peaceful, loving, and discerning even in a moment of high agitation. In my training I was invited to consider the image of a rock dropping into a body of water. Sometimes we are a like a puddle. When a rock is dropped into a puddle, it will HIGHLY disrupt the water. There will be a huge splash, and it will actually change everything. Our goal, however, is to be like the ocean. Virtually any size rock dropped into the ocean will be easily swallowed up and unnoticeable.”

Community Congregational Church, you’ve got this. You know how to be an ocean. You know how to receive changes with grace. More than that, you trust in God and in Christ, and you are fueled by Holy Spirit. Seize this moment of change, sisters and brothers, imagine getting in the boat to cross over to the other side with your new pastor, whoever she or he might be, and know, in the words of 14^th-century Christian theologian Julian of Norwich, that “…all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well…”

Amen and Blessed Be!

July 7, 2018

2018-7-8 “Delegation, Jesus Style”

“Delegation, Jesus Style”

A meditation based on Mark 6:1-13

July 8, 2018

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista

Dr. Sharon R. Graff

* * * * *

“Are you a Christian?” The question was tentative, the voice trembled almost as if asking such was treasonous. “Yes, I am,” I replied. With a smile, she softened. “Me, too…” she said, and then continued to tell me the story of how she left one church she’d been attending because the pastor was telling the congregation they needed to vote for the “Christian candidate.” She herself was repulsed by that candidate’s public behavior, bullying, harassment, and equally offended by the Christian pastor’s support. In our exchange, she was asking a question on many of our lips, “What does it mean on this day and in this season to be Christian?”

What does following Jesus, the Christ, look like in 2018 America? I have some thoughts on this. Today’s scripture lesson also provides us with some helpful responses. But, first, what do you think? What does following Jesus, the Christ, look like in 2018 America?

Think on that for a moment, and let’s hear what you think… [share aloud…]

That little vignette I shared with you a moment ago, actually occurred at a recent Chula Vista breakfast I attend each month. Somewhere between 60 and 100 of us community leaders gather on the first Friday of the month, with one goal in our minds: to do our part to help Chula Vista be the best it can be. We do this by pledging to work together and learn together. My job each month is to begin the breakfast with prayer, and from there, various leaders of organizations offer programs that enlighten and inspire us. We sit at circular tables, not unlike those back in Bradley Hall, which encourage conversation and eye contact. Together. The whole event is about “together.”

That’s a powerful concept, isn’t it—together—especially when we reflect on what it means to be Christian in this day and age. Let’s turn our attention to the passage from Mark’s gospel, and hear what Jesus might say in response to our question. Seeing the crowds of people flocking to hear his teaching, being so exhausted that he and the disciples move away from land—not once but three times in as many chapters—Jesus knows that the concept of “together” is the only way to get the work done. He cannot go it alone. And, in this passage today, Jesus puts into practice that concept of “together.” Let’s hear and see that again…this time, from The Message Bible, a modern language version of scripture.

Jesus left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. “We had no idea he was this good!” they said. “How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?”

But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “He’s just a carpenter—Mary’s boy. We’ve known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?” They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.

Jesus told them, “A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child.” Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching.

Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions:

“Don’t think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple.

“And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave.

“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”

Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits.

You can just feel the energy of “together,” right?! Whereas a few verses before, we encounter a sleeping, spent Jesus, here, he and the disciples are re-energized by the simple act of choosing to not go it alone.

Two by two…not just for Noah and the ark, friends…far beyond procreative purposes…two by two is the way to get the work done. You know that. You know the power of “together…” You practice it regularly around here. The quilters, for example, don’t make those beautiful quilts working alone; together, they encircle the fabric with precise needles and practiced fingers. The choir, now taking a little vacation, knows that it takes all parts—sopranos, altos, tenors and basses—to bring the music to life. Even a sermon, though it appears to be the product of singular work, is only as effective as the congregation hearing it. This we know by looking at the two crowds of people in the gospel lesson from Mark. With one, in his hometown, even Jesus is ineffective. “Jesus wasn’t able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that’s all. He couldn’t get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching.” Not one to linger, the gospel story says, Jesus left their stubbornness in the dust, just as he would later teach his disciples also to do. He, and they, turned their attention to those whose hearts and minds and souls were open to learn and be well. And the gospel describes their effectiveness with that second group, “…right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits.” We know when the spark that the gospel calls “healing” occurs—whether it is healing in body, mind, soul—when we’ve been touched by thoughtful words or kind actions, the effect is marked by our own receptiveness. Jesus knows this. He knows that healing is an exchange between the healer and the one being healed. He knows that learning to the point of transformation—the gospel calls it “repentance”—that kind of learning is also an exchange between teacher and disciple. And we know it, too. When our lives have taken a turn for the better, it’s because we have participated and heard and put into practice that which we’ve received.

In our age there is rampant individualism that seems to care not for its effects on community or the environment. In our age, Jesus’ teaching on the absolute necessity of “together” is counter-cultural, controversial, even to some naïve. Yet this lesson that Jesus teaches—with words, with actions, and by practicing it with his disciples—has found voice throughout human history. Nearly 500 years ago, poet and cleric John Donne wrote the same and I invite you to hear his words as a sort of blessing of the choice you have to go it together:

No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent,

a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less,

as well as if a promontory were,

as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were;

any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

In other words, we are in this together. Humans, creatures, plants, sky, earth, fire, democrats, republicans, independents, and all. We are in this together. And together, Jesus calls us to make it better. To work together. To learn together. To care together. To offer compassion together and to be healed together. To love our God and love our neighbor… together. This is radical. This is even controversial. And it is certainly still counter-cultural, part of what it means to be Christian in America in 2018.

Amen and Blessed Be!

June 30, 2018

2018-7-1 “Touching Moments”

“Touching Moments”

A Meditation & Prayer Experience

Based on Mark 5:21-43

July 1, 2018

Community Congregational Church of Chula Vista

Dr. Sharon R. Graff

* * * * *

What to do on this Sunday closest to the Fourth of July…in the two years past, on this particular Sunday, we’ve read many of this country’s signature documents…and been reminded of the great values upon which the United States was ostensibly founded. Today, I choose a different route, a route that is timely and especially relevant for you. For one of your great strengths, Community Congregational Church, is your ability to pray…and to pray with great love…to pray in ways that make a difference.

So today, in place of the usual meditation from me, I invite you into prayer. As you see in your bulletins, I will share a prompt for your praying, and we will all respond, “God in your mercy, hear our prayers…” followed by 1 minute of silence for you to pray in response to that prompt. Then I’ll offer another prompt, we’ll all say together, “God in your mercy, hear our prayers…” and pray in the minute of silence that follows. We’ll do that 9 or 10 times, so our prayers this morning will be quite a bit longer lasting than usual.

Let’s start with two stories. First, the Jesus Story we’ve read and heard this morning. Jesus uses the gift of touch—first with a woman then with a child. And in both those instances, through touch, healing happens. A woman, a child, dispensable in many cultures, including, now, our own. Yet Jesus sees them. Jesus hears their plight. Jesus does the unthinkable and the illegal: he touches them…he allows them to touch him. And in that exchange—a simple human touch that carries the healing energy of the Divine—they are made well again. You have the same power in you, my friends. You have that power through prayer, and in a few moments, you’ll be invited to offer that power, to use that power for good.

But first, another story…one I shared with you last year and the year before; it’s a story told in 1971 by former-share-cropper-turned-civil-rights-activist Fannie Lou Hamer; it is the story of an old man:

“This old man was very wise, and he could answer questions that was almost impossible for people to answer. So some people went to him one day, two young people, and said, ‘We’re going to trick this guy today. We’re going to catch a bird and we’re going to carry it to this old man. And we’re going to ask him, ‘This that we hold in our hands today, is it alive or is it dead?’ If he says ‘Dead,” we’re going to turn it loose and let it fly. But if he says, ‘Alive,’ we’re going to crush it.’ So they walked up to this old man, and they said, ‘This that we hold in our hands today, is it alive or is it dead?’ He looked at the young people and he smiled. And he said, ‘It’s in your hands.’”

In her spirit, knowing that Jesus has given you the power of healing touch—this country, this world, they are in our hands today—let us receive them, hold them, and pray together…

For immigrants awaiting a new life at so many of our world’s borders…