Sour milk
A place for you.
This has been the theme, the “red thread,” talked about as St. Paul fourth graders have worked on their Communion Milestone. The point is pretty simple. At God’s table (or in God’s church or in God’s heart) there is a place for you, and by “you” it means everyone.
Maybe due to my participation in the Communion Milestone (as a dad), this idea of a “place for you” has been ringing in my ears.
If you missed last evening’s Lenten Evening Prayer, you missed a good one. Pastor Sara talked about our lives and faith when we get sour, and she likened our sourness to a bottle of milk left alone for too long. It festers in its own juice and becomes sour because of its un-use and isolation. The remedy for milk is to use it, to empty it.
The remedy for us when we get sour is the same, to let God empty us for God’s good purposes; to not fester in our own hurt, self-pity, fear, anxiety, whatever it is, and mix and mingle and build community with others because there is always a place for you.
In my still relatively young tenure as one of the pastors at St. Paul, I have learned that people are here and call this their church home for a number of reasons, but one theme that I hear more than the others is the community this place offers. It is the groups, the diversity of people, the joy in being together. The spirit of togetherness permeates this building, and it permeates our gatherings outside of this building too. This is a special place because there is a place for you.
Please consider this reminder to empty yourself and find your place at the table as an invitation to find ways of building those communities for your life. Find a new way to empty yourself here and not become sour milk.
If you feel the need to dive deeper into the Bible, there are three weekly opportunities to do that, we call it Heart|Soul|Mind here in addition to the Bible for Worship podcast. If you want to engage in open and fruitful conversations at the intersection of faith and culture, we have a monthly group for that. If you want to find a way to empty yourself in service, a new small group is forming called Spontaneous Service.
No matter where you find yourself on life’s journey, there is a place for you here; but you probably know that already, that’s why you are here!
I think now is a good time for all of us to really be intentional about finding our place at God’s table. The opportunities to sour in our lives and relationships are plentiful and all of us need to be very intentional about how we are engaging in communities that keep us from becoming like that bottle of milk.
So, please, find your place. It is there waiting for you.
Marcia Willi
Pastor Mark… seems as if you read my mind,( lol) just what I needed to hear today, about “ finding my place” now I just have to work my way back( thx)
Marcia Willi
Pastor Mark, seems like you read my mind! Finding “ my place “ reminding myself there’s a “ place for me@ the table or wherever thx for reminding me
Audrey Keeney
I like how you advanced on Pastor Sara’s message. Excellent suggestions for emptying ourselves and building community together.