July 4th
Last Sunday, as we welcomed you all to Sunday service, I remarked on how much I appreciated Pastor Scott’s July 3rd sermon on “Benevolent Detachment.” I kept my reflection brief because there wasn’t time to unpack the reasons I was appreciative and I kicked myself for some of the things I failed to express. So, I’m grateful to have the space here.
The thankfulness began before the message on Sunday. I was thankful that I didn’t have to brace myself for an Independence Day message that blurred the line between the Cross and the flag. To be frank, I was really wrestling personally with what celebrating the 4th of July would look like this year. The week prior, there were several rulings from the SCOTUS on a variety of issues including women’s rights, EPA protections and Gun control policy (those were just a few). And then there was also the beginning of the January 6th hearings. As people processed the daily headlines, more partisan divisions and vitriol were unleashed. Whatever people’s opinions on those issues, the lack of compassion and sensitivity shown by my siblings to my siblings was deafening. It’s not that I am not thankful for the freedom we have as U.S. citizens. It’s that I grieve the disparity in who has full access to that freedom. And I grieve how some choose to wield that freedom.
I had avoided the news and social media much of the week leading into Sunday the 3rd. The message that Sunday felt like a soothing balm, but I didn’t realize how much I would need to dip into it in the coming week. I spent Independence Day gathered with family in a way we hadn’t really done since the pandemic began. On the ride home, I opened my newsfeed to see #JaylandWalker and #HighlandPark.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
As I reopened my email, social media, and newsfeed on Tuesday July 5th, I felt bombarded. I repeatedly dodged the unsolicited video of the decimation of another unarmed Black man murdered by police bullets. I quickly flicked past the pictures of another broken young man, taken into custody alive, who tried to shore up his backbone with a high-powered rifle and play god. My sister (a close friend and fellow WOC clergy) called and we processed. The call wasn’t a surprise. These calls have become a habit, a discipline. Habits are a result of practice, repetition. We’ve made these calls to one another a lot because we know we can’t and are not intended to deal with the weight alone. “I know what Jesus said about His yoke, but this is NOT easy, and this crap is HEAVY!” I remember saying in our conversation. However, it was the Message version that Pastor Scott read during his sermon.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
On July 3rd, Pastor Scott spoke about the concept of “Benevolent Detachment.” It was a reminder that God created “unforced rhythms of grace”; that there are times for doing and times for resting, and both require obedience. It was a reminder that, even though a constant prayer of mine has been “Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours”, I don’t have to carry that heartbreak alone. It was a reminder that I have siblings who carry the heavy with me; that I have a Creator who carries the heavy with me. It was a reminder that taking a break from the weight is not the same as turning a blind eye; that God wants to delight with us and in us and through us! The “unforced rhythms of grace” are both the sunscreen and aloe for what burns us.
Thank you for the reminder Pastor Scott.
Blessings,
Pastor Marissa