08-08-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 8, 2023
Guest Writer: Kay Smith, Church Board Member
At the recent General Assembly, our denomination’s national gathering, I heard a speaker, Dr. David Anderson Hooker, speak about the important of coming to the table.  We have heard the words about communion over and over, “On the night Jesus was betrayed, he met with his disciples and took bread and broke it, and said, “This is my body broken for you, and later, he took the cup, blessed it, and said, “This represents the new covenant, for the forgiveness of sins.  Do this in remembrance of me”.  Dr. Hooker reminded us this was a Seder dinner.  What happened between the bread and the cup?  In the Jewish tradition, the attendees sing a song about Dayenu (pronounced, Dah-yeah-new).  It literally means, it would have been enough.  It would have been enough that God helped the Jewish people escape Egypt. 

We might expand this thought to our current problems we have overcome.  It would have been enough that my son survived a bad car wreck.  It would have been enough that our church had a space to worship after the Harvey flood.  It would have been enough if a sponsor had donated money for the organ in the Centrum.  It would have been enough if experts were able to exclude the colony of bats who decided to take up residence in the Centrum Narthex.

The point of Dayenu is to express gratitude to God for our many blessings.  It also serves as a vehicle to share our stories with each other.  As polarized and divided as we have become, we need to share our stories to help us understand each other.  As numerous issues, such as gun violence, racial inequality,  immigration, LBGTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, all divide us, we need to share our stories to find common ground in our humanity.  We are all children of God, made in God’s image.

Gracious God, by your Spirit you inspire our efforts to feed the hungry, house the homeless, comfort the oppressed, preach the good news and share your love. Your people, all your children, are hungry for food, for shelter, for friends, for peace and for the Good News. As you have blessed us, bless our efforts to love each other. Dayenu. Amen.