Rest and Reflection
Dear Friends,
It is hard to believe that has been 12 weeks since we began worshiping together inside the church after a year-long hiatus. This past Sunday was, for me, the first time I simply forgot (at least for a moment) that we had ever been apart. The church felt full again, and the spirit of worship felt like St. John’s.
However, I’m keenly aware that many of us, including myself, will be in a phase of reorientation, adaptation, and adjustment for a while, now that things are “returning to normal.” And because of that, this week’s reading for the Gospel of Mark is particularly insightful.
The story begins with the disciples coming back together again with Jesus after a time of separation. Some time before, Jesus broke up the band, sending the disciples out two at a time to teach and preach and heal. He sent them without much notice and with no special equipment or preparation, other than knowing him and witnessing what he did when he went out on the road. They didn’t know what to expect from that unusual time, and often they missed the company of the other disciples. But they got through it. And here’s what happens when they get back together:
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”
I’m struck by the way Jesus welcomes the disciples back into community: he listens. I imagine that the stories pour out of them -- some elated and proud, others carrying weight of the more difficult moments. They need to talk, and Jesus gives them the floor and listens.
As we return to gathering in person, I wonder if we too might need to tell stories of all that the past year has brought to us and hear stories of what the year brought someone else. What would that look like at St. John’s? How can we set the table for people to gather and bring all the good and hard moments of pandemic life and tell their stories, to listen, and to be heard?
After listening to the disciples’ stories, Jesus invites them to take time together for some holy rest. I think this is important for us to consider at St. John’s, too. Now that our doors are open and we are eager to start “all the things” “all at once” -- we need to remember that for some, the pandemic offered a much-needed break from over-scheduled lives. How might we honor our own need for holy rest during this time of transition?
Finally, Jesus’ plan for the disciples to rest and reflect together for a while doesn’t last very long. They end up surrounded by crowds of people seeking healing and nourishment--and Jesus rolls with it. He doesn’t push the crowds aside in order to stick to his plan; he teaches and feeds and heals whoever shows up. As we return to in-person gatherings, who do you think might show up seeking healing from our community? How can we be attentive to unexpected needs that arise and ready to respond with compassion, like Jesus?
Whatever the next few months look like for St. John’s, trust that the Spirit of Jesus will be among us, gathering us in, listening to our stories, inviting us to rest, teaching, and healing and feeding us, and then sending us out, all over again.
In Christ,
Amelie+
