The Grace of Gratitude

Every church visit I have made has been completely inspired by God.  At each of the places I have gone I have experienced something new, learned something new or been reminded of something I had forgotten.  Today was no different.

Today's church visit I went with a friend and she actually planned this trip.  We went to the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  Really it just doesn't get any better -whether you are a church nerd like me or have never stepped foot in a church. 

We decided to attend two services (yes, she is a church nerd too).  First we attended their Contemporary Folk Eucharist.  (note to self for another blog topic using the word "contemporary" in regards to Episcopal worship, what does it really mean?)  The service takes place down within the Cathedral where there are 3 intimate chapels.  We were in the St. Joseph's chapel.

My picture does not do it justice, I wish my daughter had been there because she would have remembered to use the flash and create her magic (most of the photos I use on my blog are hers).  As you can see a very simple, intimate chapel.  In fact the stairs you see on the sides - people sit up and down these stairs.  I have to tell you I got goose bumps being in this chapel.  I couldn't help but ponder if this is how it was when Jesus was alive, sitting in a room such as this the Great Teacher in the midst of the crowd.  This service has an interactive sermon, meaning the priest begins the discussion and then steps back to facilitate the on-going conversation with those who have come to worship.  It was great stuff. 

Let me step back for a moment and tell you who was in the room.  There are times that I have thought I was in the Kingdom of God on earth and this was one of them.  Every age was in this room from very young children through seniors and every nationality was also present, and I mean every.  The diversity of races was such a glorious rainbow of God's creation of humankind.  There were college kids in jeans and sweatshirts, some baptized, some not.  There were doctors and professor's in suits, there was a homeless person or two and there was every mix in between of every education and socio-economic level.

Now for the readings, how perfect for this gathering of the Kingdom - it was 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c and the Gospel of Luke 17:11-19.  Just to highlight: the first reading is about Naaman, a commanding officer in the army of the king of Aram - not one of God's chosen people/tribes at this point in history.  This was a military man who would be considered "pagan" by our terms.  Very powerful man, very respected in society, he had the house, the wife, the clothes, the food, the servants.  In one of his many raids he had taken captive a young Israelite girl for a slave in his household and she ended up serving Naaman's wife.  This tells you that she was very capable at her duties to be a household slave.  Well Naaman gets struck with leprosy - this is devastating and humiliating - he will have to be kicked out of his society, everything will be taken from him, leprosy is the worst contagious disease that he could get and it is physically highly visible so everyone is going to know he has it.  The Israelite slave girl shows great Faith and great courage when she speaks up to her master and says "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria!  He would cure him of his leprosy."  She is speaking of Elisha.

As the story goes on Naaman ends up pulling up in all his pageantry and with splendid gifts in front of Elisha's house.  This part is funny - so Elisha sends out one of his helpers to give the prescription for getting rid of the leprosy.  Naaman is fuming!  How dare this prophet send out this mere helper - he should have come out at once and "call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy".  Instead Naaman was told to go jump in the river 7x.

-Let me stop here for a second - how many times have we done this?  How many times have we shown up at the church and demanded of a priest - Pray and fix me, Pray and fix this situation, You must Pray and get God to take care of X, Y and Z?  And how many times have we fumed at the Church or at a particular priest for not waving a magic wand and "cure"ing our "spot"?

Just like Naaman learned we must learn - it is our responsibility to pray.  There is no magic.  If we get quiet and listen to God when we pray and invite our own healing we have to be willing to hear God and to do what we are told to do - be it jumping in a river 7x or getting counsel from a doctor, or taking our hat in hand and apologizing for a wrong we have committed, or swallowing our Pride so that we might begin to restore X, Y and Z.

Now moving on to the Gospel - this is where I knew the Holy Spirit had divined this whole day for me.  This is the Gospel reading that changed my life so many years ago.  This was a turning point for me (pun intended).  "Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God in a loud voice."

"On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee.  As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him.  Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests."  And as they went, they were made clean.  Then one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice.  He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him.  And he was a Samaritan.  Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean?  But the other nine, where are they?  Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 

Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."  Luke 17:11-19

The word "well" has been translated from a Hebrew word that also translates "whole".  "your faith has made you whole."  I could write another page or two on this lesson, there are so many things to talk about.  But for me, today, as I learned just 2-3 weeks ago when talking to the priest who proclaimed this Gospel and preached her sermon that changed the course of my life  - as she reminded me - I am the Leper who returned.  I received the 2nd miracle.  The first miracle the leper receives is his physical healing - which will also lead to emotional and spiritual healing as he will be brought back into society and not outcast into the wilderness on his own.  When this healed leper turns back to Jesus and rushes to him singing and dancing and prostrating and praising God he receives his second miracle - he is made Whole.  His faith has brought him back into relationship with God.  His Gratitude has brought him back to God and restored his Life.

This is my life today.  I begin my day in Thanksgiving and end my day in Gratitude with the Grace of God interweaving every breath I take with the Holy Spirit.

I quickly need to add that we also attended the High Church Cathedral service and it was all the pageantry and elegance and beauty that one would expect and cherish from the National Cathedral - and the sermon was excellent.  In attending both though I felt a staggering difference - for me personally the first service, in it's intimacy and surroundings brought me into complete worship and I could feel the wind of the Holy Spirit moving amongst us - and I could see evidence on the tears flowing from more than one person as they received Eucharist.  I felt more separated at the larger service, less connected to the music, the peace was very short and quick and the brilliance of my surroundings kept me firmly on the firmament, no suspending into the ethereal.  BUT for the first time ever I received Eucharist from a Deacon - way cool!  I wanted to meet him but he was a smart man and I couldn't find him anywhere ;-)

Happy Sabbath my friends, remember to BE the church this week in your daily vocation no matter where you were "church"ed today!