Living well

As you may know, last week’s btw theme was about facing our fears about going to the other side. We saw Jesus and his followers go through stormy times and come to peaceful resolution… then they landed on the other side and did some serious healing of a very strangely needy man. The healed person went out to spread the word all over this foreign territory, that Jesus was the one to get you connected: to health, to joy, to God.

This week we see continue the voyage back to the “home turf” side of the sea. As soon as we land on the shore, it becomes obvious that our homeys are just as in need of Jesus’ connecting-force as the foreigners over there. Our readings and prayers can serve to launch you into this exploration of what it means to be in dire need of wellness… and what it means to find it… and then share it.

Reading #1 is from a song written by Jim Strathdee, and some words of prayer follow:

When pain of the world surrounds us with darkness and despair,
when searching just confounds us with false hopes everywhere,
when lives are starved for meaning and destiny is bare,
we are called to follow Jesus and let God’s healing flow through us.

The church is a holy vessel the living waters fill
to nourish all the people, God’s purpose to fulfill.
May we with humble courage be open to God’s well.
We are called to follow Jesus and let God’s Spirit flow through us.

We praise you for our journey and your abundant grace,
your saving word that guided a struggling human race.
O God, with all creation, your future we embrace.
We are called to follow Jesus and let God’s changes flow through us.

God, we do see so much pain, in our world and in our own lives. As we reflect on your Word tonight, help us to hear your call to follow Jesus and to sort out just what that means. Let your healing power flow into us tonight… and let it flow through us, here in this community, and outward into your world. In your name we pray… amen.

Reading #2 is part one of our story from Mark’s book of the Bible:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%205:21-34;&version=65;

Healer Jesus, you encouraged this frightened woman to tell the truth, to tell her story. You helped her become well, in body and soul. You called her, “Daughter,” and praised her faith. Help us to find that kind of healing in you, as we tell our truths and listen to others, as we discover what it means to be your daughters and your sons. In your name we pray… amen.

Reading #3 completes the account:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%205:34-43%20%20%20;&version=65;

Lord Jesus, you answered the cry of a desperate father, not listening as the cynical crowds made fun of you. You went forward on your journey, lifting up this little girl into new life with you. Lift us up, too, out of our deadness. Help us explore what is separating us from the fullness of life in you. Be for us our refreshing well of salvation and healing. In your name we pray… amen.

This is a story of two desperate souls who push their way through curious crowds to humbly ask Jesus for help: one a nameless woman cut off from community, and the other a well-connected Jairus wanting wellness for his dear daughter. The irony of the story is that these two desperados are the “healthiest” ones of the bunch. Their health comes from knowing their need, from knowing the truth that on their own they have nothing. But with Jesus’ touch, they are connected… and all is well.

How strange it is that Jesus praises the faith of a woman who is trembling with fear while she tells her story. Fear and faith are not opposites in this story; they compliment each other. Fear (and truth telling) lead you into God’s hands where faith and healing can be found.
~ Think of how fear and faith flow in and out of your life. Does your fear lead you toward God or away from God?
~ Have you ever found healing just from telling the truth, from telling your story?

When Jesus calls this woman, “Daughter,” he is bucking the system bigtime. The system says that this woman who is hemorrhaging is untouchable, cheaper than dirt, not worthy of a name or a place in God’s graces. The system is far sicker than this woman, because it divides people into those who are “good with God” and those who aren’t. Those who assume they’re good with God just because of their status or what they do… they’re the ones the most in need of a wake-up call.
~ What systems operate like that in our world? And how would Jesus buck those systems if he were here? Assuming Jesus is here (like the first reading says), how is healing flowing through you and me as we challenge unjust systems?

Jairus and Jesus keep heading toward J’s sick daughter even when the crowds deliver the grim news of her death. They know a truth that the crowds don’t know: that at the hand of Jesus, death is only sleep… that death is temporary in the hands of God. The wellness Jesus gives us is a confidence that even death cannot separate us from God’s enlivening power.
~ What kind of wellness are you hungering for? How (if at all) is God a deep well of healing and salvation for you?
~ What other insights or questions do have after dwelling on these stories of healing?

Please feel free to join the conversation. Be well as you live your days, swimming between fear and faith, between questioning and confidence, feeling God’s healing flowing into you and out through you to our world.

Peace,
Kari