Pastoral Thought--May 18

In his beloved little book, Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen wrote these five little words that have been with me all day and apply to my faith journey. I have always appreciated how Nouwen could simply, and clearly, say so much to the church in very few words. In his book, Nouwen wrote: 

“Taken, blessed, broken, and given.” 

They are five simple words. Five words that I have ready over and over again. I have said them out loud today and muttered them in prayer. These five little words express so much to the church as we continue to transition out of the pandemic and back into our community and ministry. While primarily applied to missionary work that reaches into its community, “taken, blessed, broken, and given” feel to my heart like the needed response to covid for us. 

For have we note each of us, been ’taken’ in by Christ? Redeemed. . . Adopted. . . Predestined. . . Loved and supported by the act of Christ’s incarnation, his suffering, his death, and his resurrection.

When I consider this truth, and I remember that Jesus made those choices for me, I can only conclude that I am truly ‘blessed.’ God willingly came down to earth for us. God willingly endured so much. Jesus chose this life when he could have chosen something else. 

And yet, covid has made me feel “broken”—as I know that it has made you feel broken at times as well. I have felt wounded by what happened to me buy this virus and how I was unable to live, serve, and care for others as I did before 2020 began. Most of you have expressed to me some form and level of grief in your own life because of covid. 

But that does not diminish the work of Jesus, or his presence, or his choice in my life and in yours. I may have felt broken by what our world became during the covid pandemic, but those feelings have begun to change as restrictions and recommendations also have changed. . . 

As they change, I begin to realize again that I am ‘given’ by God to my community. You are ‘given’ by God to your community. We are given to them because together we have endured much of the same thing—covid. As we have a common experience in society, we then can have a common interaction with God in Christ that can be shared in our community

I wonder how the words “taken, blessed, broken, and given” might journey with you today? I wonder who do you know who might need to hear them? 

Blessings

Rev. Derek