Reminded of Our Deep Connectedness

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” From Luke 10:25-37

As we continue to hear about the lives lost in the flooding in the Hill Country, one thing is abundantly clear: this is not an abstraction for anyone. The common adage that San Antonio is a big city that feels like a small town has been confirmed in countless ways as we’ve heard stories from the floods. I’ve not spoken to anyone who doesn’t have a direct connection to all that has unfolded there. Like many of you, I’ve heard from countless people across the country checking in. It is sobering and hard—but also a gift, reminding us of our deep connections to one another.

Intentionally gathering during difficult times is important—not because the gathering can remove pain, but because it gives us space to bear it with one another. We will hold a simple service of quiet lament and remembrance this Sunday, July 13, at 4 p.m. With readings, hymns, and silence, we will gather as a community to honor all that has been lost.

I chatted with St. Mark’s rector emeritus, the Rev. Mike Chalk, after church this past Sunday. Mike is from Kerrville, and we talked about the notable Old Testament scholar Dr. Walter Brueggemann, who recently died. Dr. Brueggemann always made a point to remind us that many of the Psalms are texts of lament. They, of course, would also have been set to music. To lament in community is not the same as complaining—it is offering our very real sorrow and grief to the One who promises to help us bear that suffering.

Allowing ourselves the gift of lament is a faith practice we sometimes avoid. We think that if we are faithful, we should not express that level of disappointment to God. However, it is precisely because of the intimacy we have with God that we can be as human as we need to be.

Of course we are devastated and grieving. We know the price of love means being deeply pained at the loss of earthly relationships. We know our smallness amid a created order that does not always behave in ways we can control. Being human means we are put in situations where easy answers are not always available. Suffering is part of our human condition—but it is not meant to be endured alone.

Please join us for our service of lament and remembrance. Gather in the quiet of community, and seek the solace of prayer and presence.

Peace, Beth +