Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here.
How wonderful to have two services the way we used to at St. David’s this past Sunday! We are starting to feel ‘back to normal’. Almost. Whatever the new ‘normal’ is, now. This return and re-entry may not feel exactly ‘normal’ yet. Still masked, still uncertain. Most likely not what we expected.
In our gospel from Sunday, Peter is experiencing a messiah but not as he expected. Jesus tells Peter that he will suffer and die. Peter had expected a messiah who would be powerful and make all things right. Peter wanted to be on the winning side and have God’s favor; he hadn’t bargained for pain, defeat and suffering. Surely God can’t be in the trouble, the struggle, the loss.
So often we pray to the God we want and expect - a God who agrees with us, grants our wishes and makes good things happen - rather than the God we need. Jesus knows that struggle and suffering and uncertainty are part of the human condition. Jesus knows that rather than take trouble away, we need a God who will be with us through the hard times, who understands our suffering and has suffered too. A God who may not magically fix things, but will give us the strength and assurance to hold on through the uncertainty. A God who works in and through the anger and frustration to bring peace and forgiveness. A God who is especially present when we feel most alone, and who promises never to let us go. Perhaps not the God we expect, but exactly the God we need, in these times, more than ever.
Blessings in these unexpected, yet holy times.
Mk+
In our gospel from Sunday, Peter is experiencing a messiah but not as he expected. Jesus tells Peter that he will suffer and die. Peter had expected a messiah who would be powerful and make all things right. Peter wanted to be on the winning side and have God’s favor; he hadn’t bargained for pain, defeat and suffering. Surely God can’t be in the trouble, the struggle, the loss.
So often we pray to the God we want and expect - a God who agrees with us, grants our wishes and makes good things happen - rather than the God we need. Jesus knows that struggle and suffering and uncertainty are part of the human condition. Jesus knows that rather than take trouble away, we need a God who will be with us through the hard times, who understands our suffering and has suffered too. A God who may not magically fix things, but will give us the strength and assurance to hold on through the uncertainty. A God who works in and through the anger and frustration to bring peace and forgiveness. A God who is especially present when we feel most alone, and who promises never to let us go. Perhaps not the God we expect, but exactly the God we need, in these times, more than ever.
Blessings in these unexpected, yet holy times.
Mk+
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St. David's Episcopal Church & School
43600 Russell Branch Parkway Ashburn, VA 20147 703-729-0570 703-729-7481 (Pastoral Care emergency line) Church office: office@sdlife.org School office: psfrontdesk@sdlife.org Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 9-4, Fridays by appointment Masks are required in all campus buildings |
