Mary… sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. –Luke 10:39
For a long time now, I have had a vision of creating a community of listening. I have called this place, “Gracepoint.” A point of grace. Gracepoint would be a place apart from the frantic pace of life in today’s world. A place that holds sacred space open. A place of healing. A place dedicated to prayer and reflection. A place where people could stop for a bit to hear the still small voice of God, contemplate the Word, and sit at the Lord’s feet and just listen. I realize there are already such places in the world. Retreat centers. Monasteries. Bible camps. But there are not nearly enough of them.
There are plenty of places where Martha would be comfortable. Places where people are dedicated to building and binding and mission and ministry and witness and teaching and preaching and doing God’s work with our hands. Places of action and advocacy. Places of service and compassion. Places where Samaritans care for people who have been cast into ditches. People the world walks by unnoticed. Places where people dive into the frantic brokenness of the world and work tirelessly to share the love of Christ. This is important work! Holy work! Gospel work! But sometimes, I fear that we risk getting so busy with our ministry that we lose our moorings and our roots and Jesus winds up just getting honorable mention in what WE are doing to save the world.
I live and work in Martha’s world. But, I yearn for Mary’s. Both are important and necessary in the life of the Body of Christ. But I confess that, there are days, when I would step out of Martha’s world in a heartbeat if God opened the door to bring the Gracepoint I have imagined into being. But, right now, there are still dishes to be done. And, like the rest of us, I have to settle for finding those points of grace to reconnect to Christ wherever I can in the midst of the busy-ness of life.
Peace,
Bishop Mike
I pray that you can find times to sit at Jesus’ feet and just listen. Thanks for reading.