ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
June 24, 2021
Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Thought for the Day: Every Sunday we close our services with a common prayer that reconnects us to our mission of Putting Love First In All Things. In the middle of the prayer, we say together, “…may Jesus be our mentor and our model…” Hebrews uses the language of “pioneer and perfecter” to communicate a similar idea. I have been thinking a lot about the attributes of the Jesus-life, specifically those he pioneered and perfected that we should note as exceedingly significant. He did not pioneer and perfect these attributes for us to just applaud and post in a meme. He blazed a trail for us to follow. Hebrews mentions the Great Cloud of Witnesses, those who have gone on before us. If we are having a difficult time determining what those attributes might be, I believe it is helpful to look to the lives of folks like: St. Francis of Assisi, Harriet Tubman, Victoria Mxenge, Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, Dorothy Height, Rachel Held Evans and the list goes on. These are just a few of the voices in the Great Cloud of Witnesses.
Prayer: We give you thank, Lord God, for Jesus who offered us an understanding of life and love, and how to share in them fully. Continue to provide us enfleshed reminders who will challenge and encourage us to represent Jesus to the world in this moment. Amen.
