Rev Tania writes:
This week it’s all about listening – to God’s word – and to living it out in compassion, integrity, and justice – which requires listening to others. This can be harder than it sounds with all the noise that bombards us each day. That’s why the discipline of worship is so important. It gives us the time and the space to learn the practice of listening well.
Truth and lies; prophecies and the silencing of prophecy; sitting at Jesus’ feet or serving; Christ as the image of God, and the Gospel as the saving message that reconciles us with God.
This week it’s all about God speaking, and the question of whether we will listen or not. As tempting as it might be, based on the Gospel reading, to create a clash between listening and serving, hearing, and doing, the other readings don’t allow us this. Listening to God’s word is inextricably connected to following God’s ways of justice, truth, and compassion.
Perhaps Jesus simply wanted Martha to listen before she acted, rather than assuming she knew what needed to be done? Whatever the case, the message of this week flows easily out of last week’s theme. Not only are ordinary things powerful in the work of God’s reign, but it is also as we listen to God’s message and implement God’s saving reconciling word through simple acts of justice, compassion and a commitment to truth and integrity, that we find ourselves living out the reality of God’s reign in our lives and our world.
May our listening abilities be enhanced by our worship this week.
In prayer, Rev Tania.