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Hello St. John’s Family,
I recently read a reflection from the late author, Henri Nouwen, on the power of story. Nouwen writes:
One of the remarkable qualities of the story is that it creates space. We can dwell in a story, walk around, find our own place. The story confronts but does not oppress; the story inspires but does not manipulate.
As I read that, my mind jumped to a story that was shared with me this week. I was chatting with one of our Vacation Bible School Crew Leaders, and the conversation quickly led to one particular child. This child was, shall we say, a bit of a challenge.
Throughout the week, the child was standoffish, bordering on antagonistic with the leader. Patience was extended at first. As the week progressed, though, patience was in short supply. Redirections, pauses, and deep breaths were losing their effectiveness! Yet that leader listened and observed. Even though patience was wearing thin, the leader tried to understand – focusing not on the challenging behaviors but instead seeking out what might be causing those behaviors. That leader’s heart remained open, allowing God to work. And by Friday morning, the leader knew a conversation was needed.
As the children arrived on Friday, this child was dropped off early, providing an opportunity. The leader asked if it was ok to sit down beside the child and talk. The child’s head nodded yes. A simple question was asked: is something bothering you? The child’s head nodded again. From that question, a conversation ensued. Some challenging interactions with an older sibling were shared; interactions that were clearly impacting this child.
After a pause, the leader felt a nudge. “It was the Holy Spirit…” was the quote, as that leader told me of sharing about a book called The Gratitude Diaries, which details a woman’s experiences when she chose to respond to hurtful actions with gratitude. They talked together about what gratitude is, and the leader suggested that, maybe, the child could give gratitude a try. Perhaps tell the sibling how certain actions are hurtful – yet the child is still thankful and grateful to have an older sibling. As they talked briefly, the child shared that they wanted to try gratitude.
A nice story, right? Yet that doesn’t capture how the child’s heart was powerfully impacted by their brief conversation. The leader then shared with me how the child’s attitude and demeanor was completely different on Friday… it was like a different person was present. All because a young child experienced someone truly seeing and caring for them… caring enough to lovingly and humbly offer (not mandate) a different approach. A story created space for that child to find their place in it, and space for God to work. I see this as another beautiful and powerful example of our St. John’s family living our mission – being people of open arms and serving hands, transforming lives through Christ! Thank you for your commitment to living out our mission, our story, for the world to see… and know that your efforts are impacting lives.
I hope you’ll join me this Sunday for worship! We’ll explore one of the most intriguing conversations in scripture, as Abraham appears to question God’s righteousness while bargaining with God. Across Genesis 18 and 19, themes of hospitality, justice, mercy, righteousness, compassion, sin, judgement – just to name a few – are all emphasized. Some of the worst oppression humans can perpetrate against each other, including rape, are mentioned. I want to note that for anyone who has experienced abuse; while that aspect of the account will be named in worship, it will not be the focus. Our message will focus on Genesis 18:20-32, but to get the full story, I encourage you to read Genesis 18:1-19:29. Then join us on Sunday and see how God hears our cries, responds with mercy and justice, and always looks to save.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Brad
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