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So this will either excite you, disturb you, or evoke an overwhelming wave of indifference. (I would guess the last option is most popular). Here it is: I’m preaching (at? for? with?) San Marco Church this Sunday. It’s been a while since I’ve preached in a formal setting, i.e., a worship service in a building we call “church.” There have been seasons of my life where I preached in such settings regularly, even weekly. And as I was sifting through the lectionary texts for this coming Sunday, trying to listen for any inkling of divine inspiration, I faced the same existential dilemma I’ve always faced when tasked with preaching in a formal setting: how do I communicate what I’m supposed to communicate to “all” the people present? Thankfully, it only took an instant for me to remember how to alleviate that dilemma. (There were times I’d forget this entirely, and things didn’t go so well). I was reminded that God communicates, works, speaks, acts however God can with each individual. It’s not my job to try to make sense to “all” the people. My responsibility is to be faithful, honest, and transparent, and, If I am, God can work with that to do what God wants to do. God is pretty good (and pretty consistent) at using whatever is important to us (to me, to you, to others) in order to communicate. A seminary professor once told me, “If it’s important to you, then it’s important to God.” I don’t think this means God obsesses over the multi-layered meanings of the world of Middle Earth and Lord of the Rings lore like I do (but let’s at least admit God is probably way into Samwise Gamgee … if you know, you know). But it might mean that because God wants to be in relationship with me, God chooses to hone in on the things that are important to me. And God does the same in relationship with you. I’m saying that God speaks our language, whatever that language may be. This may be one of the most amazing things about God in Christ: God becomes like us, so that we may become like God. For many reasons I won’t go into here, Jeremiah is my favorite prophet. Jeremiah’s ancestral land was very important to him. He wasn’t a priest, like Ezekiel, so the temple didn’t carry as much weight with him. And so, God worked with Jeremiah in the ways, things, and language that were meaningful to Jeremiah. God called Jeremiah to take action in an area that was important to him. And through the simple act of Jeremiah’s response, God speaks hope to an entire nation. So I guess I’m saying whatever I preach this Sunday, I trust God to speak to you (and me, and “all” of us) in a way that’s meaningful (even if I mess up). My big goal is to not get in the way, so that we all can respond in faithfulness, honesty, and transparency. When we do, it seems God can work with that. This is what grace looks like, if we choose to see it. God is extending grace to us in ways we can understand, all the time. And when we respond: look out! Our little corners of reality might be transformed: yes San Marco, and yes Jacksonville, and yes the world. Thanks be to God. —Brian Niece
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