Brookmeade congregational church, ucc*
“still”
Becca Griffin
Reign of christ
Sunday, Last sunday after pentecost, next sunday starts advent
Introduction:
Brenda
Perez, a fellow divinity student
community
organizer,
Daca
recipient, having come to the US with her family at 6,
she
is an advocate for immigration reform
she
tells a story about a nonviolent protest, a disruption
she was a part of at one of the
detention centers where they were bussing in children.
the group she was there with wanted
to cause disruption, to protest, but didn’t want to scare the children or
stress them more than they already were…
So, they drew a Quetzal, native bird
to guatemala, a symbol on the coin which it’s named after, and the bird on the
guatemalan flag. it’s a beautiful bird with a long tail—it looks magical and
it’s bright and these advocates for immigration reform knew it would be
familiar for a child immigrating, seeking asylum, scared and away from home. they drew the quetzal and wrote things like “you’re not alone” on signs as they
waved at the children and made funny or kind faces until the children were
inside. then they continued a protest
where they barricaded the road, disrupting what is happening at detention
centers, protesting immigration, seeking immigration reform. before more direct and, perhaps, aggressive
protest, there was a moment of stillness, paradise with these children and the
quetzal and the protestors who took a moment to consider these vulnerable
children caught up in the middle of a time of violence.
BIBLE, CHURCH STUFF (LITURGICAL), BOOK
Days' Readings: Psalm 46 (Be Still and Know that I am God), Luke 22:33-43
Today
is the reign of christ sunday (according to the revised common
lectionary). what does the reign of
christ look like? how is it depicted in what we read today in the reading of scripture? in luke 22:33-43, as christ and others are
being executed, during this time of violence, a snapshot into christ’s
interaction.
we
find jesus, with those condemned by empire
which
seeks to maintain itself through violence, war at the cost of life, at any cost
in
the midst of such a time of violence, jesus, still, says to another receiving
the death penalty,
“today
you will be with me in paradise,”
you
are not alone
this
violence will come to an end
you
are not eternally a criminal
BEING STILL
this
is what “still”ness means
what
it means to “be still” according to psalm 46
in
zion, the unshaken residence of god—paradise—in contrast to the tumultuous,
calm,
where there is enough room for everyone
zion,
this place of stillness is “not just defeating violence”
but
ending war
this
is what “still” means in psalm 46
“Be
still”
“stop
what you are doing and embrace what the peace of yahweh has achieved”
zion
is the place
paradise
is the place
the
residence of god
is
most visible and most appropriately praised
when
there is no more violence
and
there is an end to war
what
does it mean that the reign of looks like
a
rabbi (jesus was a rabbi) proclaiming that the one who the state condemns to
death is the one who belongs in the house of God, right now, not in the future
those
condemned are those in whom christ finds friendship
and
shares friendship
and
this is where we find christ
this
is what the reign of christ
what
“being still” looks like, an end to violence, an end to war,
standing
in awe when there are no more children in detention centers
for
that will mean we have found zion
paradise,
that
will mean we have made it
to
god’s house
and
that vision
when
it is achieved,
will
be a day worthy of great thanksgiving
we’re
on our way
this thanksgiving
may
we be mindful of the peace of god that is possible
of
friendship
grateful
for what
we have
sharing
it how we can
inviting
those condemned or outcast into
stillness
this
is what it means to “be still”
LOOKING INWARD:
may
we seek out news stories of where folks like brenda perez and others are
working for things like immigration reform,
“for
the babies” as brenda says
to
get babies out of cages
may
we seek out new of that kind of zion
where
the death penalty does not have the final word
this
is the reign of christ
come
behold the works of the lord
may
our times of devotion find us caught up
and
in awe as wars and violence come to an end
may
we be part of the house of god, forever
sharing
paradise with christ and those condemned
ENDING:
i am
grateful for what this place, brookmeade, means for me
as
one condemned by some, excluded in ways, marginalized for part of my identity
where
i have found an end to wars of shame
that
can be deadly for some
may
we continue such work here and in our lives
inviting
folks into paradise
seeking
and asking for paradise to come, too,
demanding
it
for
ourselves and others as well
may
our marching to zion end with no violence and with smiles
for
this is what it means to “be still”
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