Since the beginning of the pandemic I have been a one-woman choir at my tiny little church. I make singing videos, and at first we used a little crappy projector to play them on the wall of the church. It was a way to have music when it wasn’t safe to sing together.
When we did start singing hymns in the sanctuary again I figured they wouldn’t want my little videos anymore. I waited to be told to take my projector home and go back to sitting in the pews. Instead, the board voted, and bought a real screen and a better projector. They still wanted my music. I was so grateful to be given a way to be of service.
Today our pastor was on vacation and we had a guest pastor. He didn’t understand all the tech needed to do the music and also the livestream of our service, which we also started at the beginning of covid. I had my phone doing the livestream and my iPad doing the music, and I kept running from my seat by the projector to the front of the church to adjust the livestream so people at home could watch communion. We got almost to the end of the service. I played my video (https://youtu.be/qiJXrJq9v3g) and then I somehow caused the $600 projector to fall off the tippy music stand we had it on. It fell on the floor and broke.
I texted our regular pastor, asking her to text me when she got home, and when she did I told her what I’d done and said I’d replace the projector and I was falling all over myself apologizing and crying (luckily via text she couldn’t see that part). I waited for her reply. She was so kind to me. She forgave me. She said I didn’t have to replace the projector and she would order a new one. She actually *thanked* me for everything I’d done to make the service happen in her absence, and she told me she loved me.
I realized right then that I still, at the age of 51, expect people to respond to my mistakes with violence and abandonment like it was in my childhood. I’ve believed in the concept of Jesus’ forgiveness for years, and chose to be baptized 3 and a half years ago by this very same pastor. But I haven’t figured out how to truly accept that forgiveness. From God or from another human being. Right after that text conversation I decided to listen to this sermon. Thank you, for leading me to the path of acceptance of forgiveness and grace. May I have the courage to keep walking it. 💜🙏🏻
“A man humbled daily by the knowledge of his own failing will treat another sinner with a care that heals rather than with a heavy-handed arrogance and superiority that intimidates and shames.”
CAN WE JUST POST THIS ON THE DOORS OF EVERY CHURCH IN AMERICA?
Thank you for posting the weekend my grandmother died. I need to be reminded I'm forgiven for the hours not spent talking to her, or worse those spent thinking ill of her. God forgive my mind.
Beautiful. As I stood beside my husband, Jim's, bed in the hospital, I heard, "whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's." And I knew I could let go. And I called the pastor to do the anointing rite, and we discontinued the vent and stood beside him until all was still. The weeks since January 19 have been hard. I'm never prepared for the daily (almost) surprises--sometimes happy, sometimes not. But that moment remains, clear as crystal, and I cling to it.
You've changed your 'look'; I hope that is a sign of better times.
It's taken most of my 50 years of Faith to come to the conclusion you make in your message from the pulpit. I now believe that the endings of all sentient beings in the Universe have been known since Creation. We can never surprise Creator; we only surprise ourselves. As far as I can recall [an upcoming project], Jesus never said that people need to believe in Him in order to be saved. His conversation with Nicodemus ended in confusion for Nicodemus. Jesus wasn't speaking literally. Early in the Gospel of John, it says that Jesus came into the world to bring Light. Light was given; and so many have not seen that light. But there are no losers. I still have to come to an understanding as to what happens to a lot of people in Congress who break moral law and get away with it.
If you have never seen the movie, "Arrival" there is a lot of Grace woven into the script. As well as the presence of Kairos and a redefining of Chronos.
Oh, Nadia, that was a sublime exegesis. Forgiveness is such a beautiful (as you noted) thing, but also intensely terrifying, I think, because it cuts against our learned and inherited tendencies towards revenge, towards a sort of pitiless justice, and towards the ease of hate over love.
What an inspired message to my heart right now as my mom, on hospice, is slowly checking out. Put the rock down, she is forgiven! If only she could have believed that! But, I choose to believe that boundless love (as well as truth) awaits her and true freedom is coming. So much to think about. Many, many thanks. ❤💙
I rarely watch videos as I am impatient and prefer text so I can zoom through it faster than the speaker can walk the contemplative garden - er, I mean than the speaker can say her own words. However, I took your advice, Nadia, and listened/watched you instead. Good advice you give, sister!
I know so little about the whole Jesus timeline - today in the church I so rarely get up in time to attend, they offered the reading about the stoning of Stephen, and I was kind of shocked to hear that story for the first time. I loved your 'coat-check' guy reference; even if I know very little of the Saul-Paul transition, it did catch my attention in Church and again in your sermon.
However, what I most wanted to thank you for is that you spoke of both the unfairness in "all being forgiven", and the amazing release you found in "But what if you have already been forgiven of all that". I, too, felt a huge shift when you shared your 11 words with us, and yet I feel that knee-jerk frustration about how unfair it feels (about others being forgiven). Thanks for connecting those two darn dots...
I'm so glad you listened! Preaching is supposed to be heard (or seen) no read. I mean, imagine seeing that there is a new stand-up special on Netflix and then just thinking "I'll be sure a read that later on-line"! :)
love that stand-up connection. Damn, busted again!
Um, I have gone back and re-listened to this sermon... which, as I don't usually listen (as referenced above) is kind of shocking to me. Yet also quite exciting, that I can still learn new things about how I can respond to information - the medium really can be the message
When you started to say the people that you're angry with are already forgiven got me. I've been holding on to so much anger at some folks and it's only hurting me. They're forgiven and so am I!!! Thanks so much!
When I get really angry at someone -- especially self-righteously furious -- the one phrase that brings me back from the brink of madness is, "Yeah, well, Jesus died for him/her/them, too." It’s not a comforting thought when I'm feeling hurt, but it's a truth that reminds me that I am not the arbiter of forgiveness. (And that's a good thing.)
Outside a mediocre Mexican restaurant yesterday, a new friend told me that when they find themselves plunged headlong into road rage or the heart equivalent in other contexts, they remind themselves that "that person is God's masterpiece, too." Talk about tough - and necessary - love.
Oh wow. I so needed to hear this today.
Since the beginning of the pandemic I have been a one-woman choir at my tiny little church. I make singing videos, and at first we used a little crappy projector to play them on the wall of the church. It was a way to have music when it wasn’t safe to sing together.
When we did start singing hymns in the sanctuary again I figured they wouldn’t want my little videos anymore. I waited to be told to take my projector home and go back to sitting in the pews. Instead, the board voted, and bought a real screen and a better projector. They still wanted my music. I was so grateful to be given a way to be of service.
Today our pastor was on vacation and we had a guest pastor. He didn’t understand all the tech needed to do the music and also the livestream of our service, which we also started at the beginning of covid. I had my phone doing the livestream and my iPad doing the music, and I kept running from my seat by the projector to the front of the church to adjust the livestream so people at home could watch communion. We got almost to the end of the service. I played my video (https://youtu.be/qiJXrJq9v3g) and then I somehow caused the $600 projector to fall off the tippy music stand we had it on. It fell on the floor and broke.
I texted our regular pastor, asking her to text me when she got home, and when she did I told her what I’d done and said I’d replace the projector and I was falling all over myself apologizing and crying (luckily via text she couldn’t see that part). I waited for her reply. She was so kind to me. She forgave me. She said I didn’t have to replace the projector and she would order a new one. She actually *thanked* me for everything I’d done to make the service happen in her absence, and she told me she loved me.
I realized right then that I still, at the age of 51, expect people to respond to my mistakes with violence and abandonment like it was in my childhood. I’ve believed in the concept of Jesus’ forgiveness for years, and chose to be baptized 3 and a half years ago by this very same pastor. But I haven’t figured out how to truly accept that forgiveness. From God or from another human being. Right after that text conversation I decided to listen to this sermon. Thank you, for leading me to the path of acceptance of forgiveness and grace. May I have the courage to keep walking it. 💜🙏🏻
I'm so grateful she showed grace.
“A man humbled daily by the knowledge of his own failing will treat another sinner with a care that heals rather than with a heavy-handed arrogance and superiority that intimidates and shames.”
CAN WE JUST POST THIS ON THE DOORS OF EVERY CHURCH IN AMERICA?
(...and Airdrop it, too).
Thank you for posting the weekend my grandmother died. I need to be reminded I'm forgiven for the hours not spent talking to her, or worse those spent thinking ill of her. God forgive my mind.
I relate.
I relate also.....
Thank you for saying so!
Beautiful. As I stood beside my husband, Jim's, bed in the hospital, I heard, "whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's." And I knew I could let go. And I called the pastor to do the anointing rite, and we discontinued the vent and stood beside him until all was still. The weeks since January 19 have been hard. I'm never prepared for the daily (almost) surprises--sometimes happy, sometimes not. But that moment remains, clear as crystal, and I cling to it.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
My dear sister I've never met-
You've changed your 'look'; I hope that is a sign of better times.
It's taken most of my 50 years of Faith to come to the conclusion you make in your message from the pulpit. I now believe that the endings of all sentient beings in the Universe have been known since Creation. We can never surprise Creator; we only surprise ourselves. As far as I can recall [an upcoming project], Jesus never said that people need to believe in Him in order to be saved. His conversation with Nicodemus ended in confusion for Nicodemus. Jesus wasn't speaking literally. Early in the Gospel of John, it says that Jesus came into the world to bring Light. Light was given; and so many have not seen that light. But there are no losers. I still have to come to an understanding as to what happens to a lot of people in Congress who break moral law and get away with it.
If you have never seen the movie, "Arrival" there is a lot of Grace woven into the script. As well as the presence of Kairos and a redefining of Chronos.
Remember to Breathe
With Agape, Marty
Oh, Nadia, that was a sublime exegesis. Forgiveness is such a beautiful (as you noted) thing, but also intensely terrifying, I think, because it cuts against our learned and inherited tendencies towards revenge, towards a sort of pitiless justice, and towards the ease of hate over love.
What an inspired message to my heart right now as my mom, on hospice, is slowly checking out. Put the rock down, she is forgiven! If only she could have believed that! But, I choose to believe that boundless love (as well as truth) awaits her and true freedom is coming. So much to think about. Many, many thanks. ❤💙
I rarely watch videos as I am impatient and prefer text so I can zoom through it faster than the speaker can walk the contemplative garden - er, I mean than the speaker can say her own words. However, I took your advice, Nadia, and listened/watched you instead. Good advice you give, sister!
I know so little about the whole Jesus timeline - today in the church I so rarely get up in time to attend, they offered the reading about the stoning of Stephen, and I was kind of shocked to hear that story for the first time. I loved your 'coat-check' guy reference; even if I know very little of the Saul-Paul transition, it did catch my attention in Church and again in your sermon.
However, what I most wanted to thank you for is that you spoke of both the unfairness in "all being forgiven", and the amazing release you found in "But what if you have already been forgiven of all that". I, too, felt a huge shift when you shared your 11 words with us, and yet I feel that knee-jerk frustration about how unfair it feels (about others being forgiven). Thanks for connecting those two darn dots...
I'm so glad you listened! Preaching is supposed to be heard (or seen) no read. I mean, imagine seeing that there is a new stand-up special on Netflix and then just thinking "I'll be sure a read that later on-line"! :)
love that stand-up connection. Damn, busted again!
Um, I have gone back and re-listened to this sermon... which, as I don't usually listen (as referenced above) is kind of shocking to me. Yet also quite exciting, that I can still learn new things about how I can respond to information - the medium really can be the message
Hard work : Reading and imagining the way you would have said it . But still fabulous .
yup, maybe go find the link (first image in this post) and try the new thing that I tried!
New haircut is indeed gorgeous but wow, what an eloquent message! There is way too much shame and guilt in this world
“Perhaps there is no justice.
“Perhaps there is only love.
“Perhaps that is enough.”
—Street
Powerful Sermon!
And I love the hair :)
When you started to say the people that you're angry with are already forgiven got me. I've been holding on to so much anger at some folks and it's only hurting me. They're forgiven and so am I!!! Thanks so much!
How nice. Yep, it is God’s job to say who gets forgiven, and He has no need of our “help” in making such decisions.
When I get really angry at someone -- especially self-righteously furious -- the one phrase that brings me back from the brink of madness is, "Yeah, well, Jesus died for him/her/them, too." It’s not a comforting thought when I'm feeling hurt, but it's a truth that reminds me that I am not the arbiter of forgiveness. (And that's a good thing.)
Outside a mediocre Mexican restaurant yesterday, a new friend told me that when they find themselves plunged headlong into road rage or the heart equivalent in other contexts, they remind themselves that "that person is God's masterpiece, too." Talk about tough - and necessary - love.
Best message I have heard from the many from Nadia!
The Good News for everyone.