Your Journey, My Journey, Our Journey

Driving to and from Cedar Rapids each day for radiation treatments has given me time to think. Something I’ve been revisiting this week is the sermon from last Sunday.

I realize not all of the people who read this article were in attendance or have viewed the service, so let me set up the readings. The first Scripture was from Jeremiah, where the new governor of Jerusalem works with the people lifting rock to rebuild the Water Gate. The Water Gate was the way in which much of the water used by the people entered into the city. The Epistle reading makes a metaphor between the parts of the body and the varied spiritual gifts in the Church as a whole. And the Gospel takes place at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry where he returns to his hometown of Nazareth, proclaims in the synagogue that he is the fulfillment of the prophecies about the Messiah, and ends up getting run out of town.

We all seek love and acceptance, but even Jesus faced rejection. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus speaks in his hometown synagogue, initially receiving praise but later provoking outrage when he states, “No prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.” He is driven out of town for challenging their comfort.

This theme of prophetic rejection echoes today. Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde’s recent sermon at the National Cathedral called for mercy and inclusion for marginalized groups, sparking both support and criticism. Prophetic voices, led by the Spirit, often disrupt societal norms, even when their intent is unity

Jesus reminds us that there are many ways to show leadership and be a prophetic voice. Some approaches work better than others. This is a moment where Jesus is human, and can empathize with rejection.This should remind us that we all have different gifts AND we all need each of us to be an effective community.