The Beauty of a Broken Heart

Moving into a New Year, we need to do so remembering that everything that matters to us flows from grace.  That is true not only during those times when we are aware of things going well, and live in the realization that we are the beloved of God . . . but also during those times when we are also very aware that we are very flawed.  Perhaps it is because of grace that we are able to honest about the flaws.  As loved and valued as we are, and as secure as we are in the love of God, the reality is that we remain flawed in many ways - and flawed people may often have to pause, retrace their steps, and make right things that have gone wrong.  In fact, the truth is, that we are more than capable of making a huge mess of things - and more often than we would like to admit, we do.

In Psalm 51, David reflects on this reality as it has impacted his life.  As we listen carefully to him, we may also find echoes of our own experience, and our own need, to own where we have failed, where we need forgiveness, and to seek restoration and healing.  One of the amazing things about being a part of a church community, is knowing that you are in the company of other people who are profoundly flawed, and yet profoundly loved, and are doing their best to embrace both of those realities.

One of the ways we share in and celebrate this reality together is through the celebration of communion.  It is a time of honesty, confession, repentance, forgiveness, being reminded of God's graciousness, and finding healing once again.  It is an occasion that invites us to be real with ourselves, each other, and with God.  That is what we experience and celebrate together when we gather for church, and in a special way when we gather for communion.  That's what we're doing as a community this morning as we gather.  And that is how we would like to continue to live as we scatter into the world - those other communities we are also a part of.