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Posts Tagged ‘Mary Magdalene’

Supposing Him the Cable Guy

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , on September 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 20:15
“Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” [New American Standard]

When I finally started going to church after becoming a Christian, I ended up at a Pentecostal Church called the Rock Church on East 62nd Street in Manhattan. At that time, the service time suited me quite well, 3:30 in the afternoon. The pastor, whose name eludes me now, was from Norway. He brought this scripture from John 20:15 to light for me one Sunday and it’s stayed with me ever since.

Mary didn’t recognize Jesus because he looked ordinary. And this is the message for us today. Jesus is among us in the ordinary. So often, we hope for the extraordinary: a miracle, a healing, a transformation. And these are all fine to pursue, but we must remember Jesus in the commonplace. He is the person on the road holding the “Slow” sign; he is the person at the toll booth; he is the bus driver; he is the cable guy.

Life is a gift. Each day has its mysteries. But let us not forget the every day occurrences and people.

Today, Rabboni, make me mindful of your presence in the things and people I take for granted… in the things and people I have relegated to “unimportant” or “insignificant.”

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One of the Others

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , on April 28, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 24:9-10
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. [emphasis mine]

Are you just among the others? There are such a lot of “big names” out there, the “stars” of Christendom or even in our local churches… you know, those obvious leaders of the church, the worship team, the choir director, the pastor, the lay leader, etc. And so often, we feel as though our small contribution to the big picture is unworthy of mentioning.

But I tell you today, the Lord is lifting up “the others.” Perhaps they are not mentioned by name, but they were there! The others who went with the Mary’s and Joanna to the tomb… they were there. They saw the angels, they saw the empty tomb, they had a story to tell. And the others who were with the Eleven… they heard the story, they communed together despite their fears, they were there. Who knows, perhaps they also ran to the tomb.

Sometimes, it’s important just to show up. We will never know what will happen… but if God speaks, we need to be present to hear. We need to be ready to “witness” what we see and hear. Your story is important. Your witness is important. Let us be present today to see God’s hand.

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