Weekly Meditation - July 1, 2012

 

Allow Me To Touch You

 

Although we have transformed the exchange of “The Peace” to a time for social bla bla bla; it is in fact an opportunity to interact with each other, by shaking each other's hand. Touch is a very important sense in humans that unfortunately, we have the tendency to neglect. We take a lot of things for granted. The time of peace has become a time to: congratulate someone for wearing a nice dress, to make an observation on the sermon, to gossip on issues not even related to church. This time should have deeper meaning and should be a powerful moment of worship.

 

Touching each other is evidence that we have put aside hostility.
Touching each other is to acknowledge we are of the same matter.
Touching each other is to place others in each other shoes.
Holding each other is about sisterhood and brotherhood.
Holding each other is about affection and respect for each other.
Holding each other is, without words but also without the fear to be contaminated, being able to give and receive the power of God's love.

 

What is the purpose of attending church?

 

I come to church to meet God because He is present when only 2 or 3 are gathered in his name.
I come to church to be TOUCHED by the testimonies of my people.
I come to church to TOUCH others with my personal testimony.

 

We are always in so much of a hurry that important moments of worship pass by and just go unnoticed. Worship has become boring because we shake hands with each other but we don't feel each other. There is no real communion, no real communication. Our behaviors are meaningless, our gestures are robot like. A behavior, in light of today's gospel, can be redeeming. A simple gesture can rescue if we put faith in what we do. Words are not really necessary. Faith is essential. What if we were to take 2 seconds to look deeply into the eyes of this brother or this sister, trying to reach out to them with that simple phrase: “The peace of the Lord”? What will we receive and what will we give back saying: “And also with you”? When a gesture is motivated by faith, it

 

1) Puts in evidence the needs of the one seeking...
2) Liberates the capacity of the one in power to donate
3) Procures the balance required to create cohesion.

 

The Rev. Nathanael Saint-Pierre

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost
July 1, 2012