Beautiful Neighborhood

I keep a little book on my desk called Life’s Journeys According to Mr. Rogers; Things to Remember Along the Way. If you’re not familiar with Mr. Rogers, he hosted a children’s program on PBS for over 30 years, teaching about everything from being kind to good eating habits to surviving the behavior of bullies. One of my favorite things about watching Fred Rogers was the intentional change of his jacket for a sweater and his wingtip shoes for sneakers as he entered and invited us into his home for a talk and a reflection on life. He changed his clothes to soften his appearance, to make us feel comfortable and at home.

In much the same way, Jesus invited the disciples and a multitude of followers to a level place, a plain place, where he would teach and heal and eventually preach to all who gathered in our Gospel this week. Just as Mr. Rogers changed his sweater to create an atmosphere of connection and community, Jesus took his place on the plain, in and among the people.

From that place, Jesus offered what we know as “Blessings and Woes,” which are Luke’s equivalent to the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. Luke proclaimed a litany of blessings and woes that echo blessings and curses from the Hebrew Scriptures, and these establish a roadmap given by God so that life may go well for us and for all creation. When we are poor, hungry and grieving, we are blessed by God’s promise that God is with us. When we are rich, hungry, and laughing, we are called to be alert and to share our abundance with others. It is in this spirit that we are called to and live out beloved community.

In this continued season of shining the light of Christ, we are mindful of blessings and woes as we remember Jesus teaching from the plain and Fred Rogers invitation to a beautiful neighborhood.

See you in church,
Pastor Stephanie