Words That Mean Everything

Three verses:
"When the Lord saw the widow, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep." (Luke 7:13)
"Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50)
"Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." (Luke 8:39)

These three simple verses are from the scripture readings we have used in worship June 6, 13 and 20. Spoken to a widow, an unnamed woman "whose sins were many" and a demon-possessed man who lived in the tombs--these words meant the world to them. Words gave them comfort in the midst of pain, pardon from guilt and shame, and direction and purpose. Words!

They mean a lot to me too. I have the great joy and responsibility of wrestling with these words and the Word on a weekly basis in preparation for worship. Weekly preaching is the hardest thing that I do; it takes a great deal of mental energy as well as lots of lonely time staring at a blinking cursor on the computer screen. But weekly preaching is also the best thing that I can do in response to the grip that God has on my life. My sermons may be good or bad, yet the Living Word always brings good news. Good news like "do not weep" and "go in peace." Good news that inspires us to go tell our friends what God has done for us.

My vision--actually God's vision--for this church is to be a community that is excited about the possibilities of encountering the Living Word in worship on Sunday mornings. Fruitful congregations are made up of people like you and me who are committed to hearing the "wonderful words of life" as often as we can. Our lives are filled with words--without spending time with God and God's people, where will you get the words of life? peace? hope? love?

God still speaks to people through the gift of Holy Scripture. God still speaks words that mean the world, that mean everything. I invite you to be a part of worship on a regular and customary basis this summer. Not because you want to, but because you can't live without it. Jesus says: "I have something to say to you." (Luke 7:40). We respond: "Teacher, speak!"