“Inspire Witness: Delivery” by The Rev. Stephanie Kendell

Beloved Church,

We are anxious. We are on the cusp of something new- a resurrection. These past few days have felt like Holy Saturday. Living into and with the unknown is a challenge and is part of our journey. We have been here before with Mary at the foot of the cross and at the tomb. We wait. Wait for the rumble of transformation. It’s coming. We know it in our bones. Something new is happening. Will it be obvious? Will we be able to spot it? It is complicated and complex. My friend’s daughter told me, “It feels like America ordered a pizza together with different toppings on each slice. And now the pizza has been delivered and we are all hoping that when we open the box, our order is right, and we don’t have to pick too many pieces of pepperoni off the veggie slice.” I think she was hungry when we spoke. I think we are all hungry- for lots of things. And while it is not a perfect analogy, I think it is helpful because it reminds us that things move during delivery and no matter what- we are being moved as we are being delivered.

And there is hope in movement.

You who wish for the Day of God to come—
why do you want it?
What will the Day of God mean to you?
It will be a day of darkness, not light!
It will be like running from a lion
only to meet a bear,
or like getting home safe at last,
only to get bitten by a snake hiding in the corner!
Rest assured:
the Day of God will be darkness, not light.
It will all be gloom, without a single ray of light.
I despise and reject your feasts!
I am not appeased by your solemn assemblies!.
When you offer me burnt offerings,
I reject your oblations,
and refuse to look at your sacrifices of fattened cattle!
Spare me the racket of your chanting!
Relieve me of the strumming of your harps!
Instead, let justice flow like a river,
and righteousness flow like an unfailing stream.
[Amos 5:18-24 (ILB)/ Amós 5:18-24 (NVI)]

Shalom Y’all,
Rev. Stephanie

A quick prayer for your week: O Lord, I deliver my heart and my hope to you. Amen