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Listening for God: Persistence
Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon."
But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him,
saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us."
He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me."
He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."
She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that
fall from their masters' table."
Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your trust!
Let it be done for you as you wish."
And her daughter was healed instantly.
– Matthew 15:22-28
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We heard and contemplated this challenging story (above) during worship this past week. Theories abound as to why Jesus speaks words of seeming rejection when an “outsider” gentile (non-Jew) seeks God’s healing help through him.
While we may not know for certain why Jesus challenged her initial request for help, what we see is that this mother persistently claims her belonging. She trusts that God is for her. She trusts that help is available to her. She trusts that even if she is outside the realm of a particular religious or ethnic label, she is not outside the realm of God’s care and presence. She trusts that she and her daughter belong to God. She trusts that Canaanite lives matter. She persisted. And we hear that healing flows through this woman’s trusting her belonging.
Many of us have internalized the idea that we are on the “outside” when it comes to the realm of the Spirit: we do not believe enough, we are not worthy of care, we do not deserve God’s attention or love, we are not good enough, etc. The Gospel story calls us to claim our belonging. We are reminded to practice asking for help, even if we feel like we are not heard. We are challenged to turn aside from any message that tells us that we are unworthy of attention, care, and wholeness, and to claim that these gifts belong to us, not because we earned or deserved them, but because we are children of God. We then listen for how God is still-speaking, how we can know our wholeness and healing.
I encourage us to ask for God’s help and leave time and space for silence to contemplate and listen for ways the Spirit may be leading you. Ask other people for help, support, or whatever you may need. These practices help us to be healed, to be integrated in our bodies, minds, and spirits. And, like the Canaanite mother in the Matthew story, we find that our belonging and healing can bring healing to others. We help others to know that they matter, they belong. And the gift keeps on giving.
Love,
Pastor Michael Bush
One of our CAUCC community thought of this quote when pondering people who help us listen for the Spirit:
A colleague told me that he thinks of his life as an orchestra. Reclaiming his integrity reminds him of that moment before the concert when the concertmaster asks the oboist to sound an A. ‘At first there is chaos and noise as all parts of the orchestra try to align themselves with that note. But as each instrument moves closer and closer to it, the noise diminishes and when they all finally sound it together, there is a moment of rest, of homecoming.’ That is how it feels to me,’ he told me. 'I am always tuning my orchestra. Somewhere deep inside there is a sound that is mine alone, and I struggle daily to hear it and tune my life to it. Sometimes there are people and situations that help me to hear my note more clearly; other times, people and situations make it harder for me to hear. A lot depends on my commitment to listening and my intention to stay coherent with this note. It is only when my life is tuned to my note that I can play life’s mysterious and holy music without tainting it with my own discordance, my own bitterness, resentment, agenda, and fears.’ Deep inside, our integrity sings to us whether we are listening or not. It is a note that only we can hear. — Rachel Naomi Remen
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Welcoming Brigid to the Pulpit on
Sunday, August 23
This Sunday Pastor Michael will lead worship and Brigid Waszack, our volunteer Spiritual Nurturer, will share the message. This seemed like a good opportunity to remind folks about the nature of this experimental role ongoing this year. See below for that reminder and see you on Sunday for worship!
Sabbatical Gifts Continue: New Volunteer Position, Spiritual Nurturer
In 2023, a second series of Congregational Conversations resulted in discernment of priorities for CAUCC. The top 2 included our spiritual lives and building relationships, including “continue to nurture a Spirit of caring within us that empowers our sharing/caring for each other.”
During the 2025 Sabbatical we had the opportunity to try out some different staffing configurations, primarily designed to allow continuity in absence of our Senior Minister, but also to provide thematic opportunities to be nurtured in the Spirit in the context of “awe.” Also, the Sabbatical postcard project lifted up some feedback that people could use more opportunities to communicate around their faith and that people in our church are often struggling with loss/isolation.
These streams have led to an experiment endorsed by our clergy, approved by our Personnel Committee, and affirmed by our Church Council that speak to some of these priorities and perceived needs by creating this volunteer position with Brigid Waszczak serving us in this role. Brigid is a retired, ordained Episcopal deacon (which requires theological and pastoral care training) who comes to us with experience in pastoral care, spiritual direction, preaching, and teaching (and many of you have experienced her leadership already in some of these capacities within CAUCC). In this new role, Brigid will engage our individual and communal spiritual life by offering hospitality of the heart. She is here to companion us on our spiritual journeys together. Church leadership will be evaluating this experimental role in Spring of 2027 to discern how we might move forward.
Brigid will be available to meet with you upon request. Please reach out to her at 520-891-3299 or email here.
To see the Spiritual Nurturer Staff Position Description, click here.
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Upcoming Schedule
All Links to Zoom or to sign up are in the calendar below
Ponderings Class
Wednesdays, 10:00 am, on Zoom
Ponderings Topic Aug 19: Space Ships and Aliens and Other Unworldly Creatures
Centering Prayer
Wednesdays, 12:00 noon, on Zoom
Centering Prayer
Tuesdays, 12:00 noon, meets in Room 1
Spiritual Tiramisu Tuesday Tuesdays, 3:00 pm on Zoom
Join us for an interfaith time of fellowship and reflection with members of Christian, Baha’i, and Jewish communities. Share a prayer, poem, scripture, and reading in a warm, welcoming space, or just be present. It is a spiritual tiramisu. Lift your heart and connect across traditions. You can come once or come weekly.
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Listening Prayer Exercise
- Speak your joys and concerns authentically to God. Do not hold back. If you are angry, pray it. If you are lonely, pray it. If you are thankful, pray it.
- Move into a time of silence, inviting God’s response. Leave 15 minutes or more, if you can.
- Mentally repeating (or praying) a word during the silence may help you be open. Here are some words to try:
• Yeshua - the name of Jesus in his own language (“Jesus” is a Greek word).
• Elohim (El-oh-heem) – A Hebrew word for “God.”
• Ruach (Roo-ack)- Hebrew word for “Spirit,” “breath,” and “wind.”
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Celebrate with Staff!
20 years!! Darryl King; 9.1.2006
7 years! Pastor Michael Bush, 9.2.2019
11 years!! Pastor John Angiulo, 9.4.2015
13 years David Craig; 9.19.2013
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Wednesday, August 19
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10:00 am Spiritual Life Group, Ponderings Zoom Click on Study Link or use Meeting ID: 622 421 179 and Passcode: 118704
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12:00 Noon Centering Prayer Zoom Click on Centering Link or use Meeting ID: 890 1364 9732 and Passcode: 769422
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2:00 pm Worship Arts Team Meeting Zoom
Thursday, August 20
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8:30 am Men's Breakfast Beyond Bread on Ina and Oracle
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9:00 am Stitch Witches McNear Hall Rooms 5/6
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6:30 pm Summer Series Justice/Injustice 6:30 pm, Zoom (Sign up at www.cauuc.org/unite)
Friday, August 21
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10:00 am AA Meeting McNear Hall Rooms 5/6
Saturday, August 22
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9:00 am AA Meeting McNear Hall Rooms 5/6
Sunday, August 23
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8:30 am Communion and Contemplation Service Chapel
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9:30 am Worship Service Sanctuary and Online Worship; click on the Livestream and Recorded Services box on that page. (click on the box after 9:25 am)
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10:30 am Coffee and Community Time Rooms 7-10
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11:00 Monster Summer Funday School Funday Link or use Meeting ID 781 14 384; Password 883239
Monday, August 24
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2:30 pm Custodial Campus Cleaning Entire Campus
Tuesday, August 25
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12:00 Noon Centering Prayer Room 1
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3:00 pm Spiritual Tiramisu Tuesday Zoom Click here or use Meeting ID: 890 2939 3533 and Passcode: 225495
Wednesday, August 26
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10:00 am Spiritual Life Group, Ponderings Zoom Click on Study Link or use Meeting ID: 622 421 179 and Passcode: 118704
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12:00 Noon Centering Prayer Zoom Click on Centering Link or use Meeting ID: 890 1364 9732 and Passcode: 769422
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Brigid on vacation through Thursday, August 20th.
Janet on vacation Wednesday and Thursday, August 19th and 20th.
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Scam Alert
Always check the email address of messages received--
if the email is not from the
ministers and office staff addresses above, SCAM!
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Emails usually say something similar to: "Do you have a minute?" or "Can you get me a gift card?" or "Do you shop at Amazon (Costco)?"
Sometimes they ask for the Members and Friends Address book.
We do not email that out! And we ask that you do not email it out either!
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To support the ministry and mission of CAUCC,
please donate online here:
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