Read the Order of service.
Most of us take a lot of care to keep our most wounded, most vulnerable parts of ourselves as out of sight as possible. We want to show the world our strengths, not our weaknesses. Yet all deep spiritualties agree that our woundedness is, paradoxically, our greatest strength. Can our wounds heal? Dare we try?
[Note: This is a Story Sunday, and the Congregational Meeting will follow the 2nd service.]
Theme Question: What does it mean to be a community of healing?
Abigail Van Buren, the original “Dear Abby,” has been quoted as saying, “A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.” This echoes words attributed to Jesus, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” We UUs don’t use words like “saints,” “the righteous,” and “sinners” all that often, yet we ought to listen through those particular words to hear what’s being said – religious communities exist, at least in part, for the work of healing. And each of us can no doubt think of a great many things in need of healing – from our own personal heartaches, right up to the health of the planet. What would it mean for us to see TJMC as “a community of healing?” What might we do differently? How might we be different? This is a month to explore such questions.
