Beloved friends,
Many in my generation have inherited things from our parents; some physical, some emotional, the aggregate of which represents various aspects of who our parents were and perhaps still are in our lives.
Over the years on one wall or another, either above my desk or in some other special place in our home, hangs this little, grainy, black and white picture given to me by my mother years ago. I am not sure where it came from our why she had it above her desk. But I have a vivid memory of seeing it on her wall for years, and it brings me a kind of comfort and connection whenever I see it on mine. And yet, it is a strange talisman of connection. To the best of my knowledge our family never attended any Second Baptist Church, so maybe the comfort comes not only from having something precious of hers but, I suspect it could be the 8 words below the church name: “Broken Hearts are Mended, Wounded Souls are Healed” that offer something I can sense perhaps more than articulate.
I also smile whenever I see this photo because it makes me think of the ministry my mom offered in the Episcopal church as a deacon for many decades using these words as an unspoken mission; quietly and faithfully feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and those in prison, and teaching and preaching the gospel at all times- mostly without words and always from behind the scenes. And now, on our best days, as a community of faith here at Trinity, I feel we are, more and more, doing the same-
-talking about Community Engagement
-leaning in to the dream of who God is calling us to be through our 2030 vision
-expanding our monthly mobile food pantry to include a health clinic
-exploring new ways of supporting local organizations including: Mom’s Demand Action and Equality Toledo All of it- taken together feels like a deep drink of life-giving water to quench the thirst of a world needing a place and a people where broken hearts are mended and wounded souls are healed.
Thank you for all the ways Trinity as a whole is stepping up and into how we too are called to live out those 8 words individually and together.
We are now near the end of Holy Week- the season in which we cram every possible human emotion into every ancient liturgy we inherit. It is in a word, intense. We go from the Palm Sunday “parade” this past Sunday waving our palm branches as Jesus enters Jerusalem hailing him as our chosen king, to eating a simple meal of love remembering how Jesus ate with his disciples for the last time and then kneeling down to wash their feet to model servant leadership, to today- Good Friday, the day we walk with Jesus for the very last time as he makes his way to the cross. A walk that is filled with the inevitability of suffering, torture and eventually a horrific death.
This pattern of worship and these ways of following Jesus are also part of our inheritance as followers of Christ. Both physical and emotional forms connecting us deeply to our past and to the call of who and how we are commissioned to live each day. As I think about where we are as a community, a nation and a global community, I find comfort and hope thinking about those 8 words in the context of our Holy Week faith journey. Death for us is never the last word or the end of the story. Jesus, the light and guide for us in these otherwise dark times did, among other things, offer us a rich inheritance, a way of being and serving and giving and receiving where “Broken Hearts are Mended, Wounded Souls are Healed.”
“Come home” in all the ways we offer at Trinity- either through Trinity@Home (on-line) or Trinity@316(in person) this weekend. Walk the way of the cross dear ones with solemn intent and a hope-filled heart trusting we will meet each other Easter morning with joy and gladness in our hearts.
May you never forget that you are loved,
Lisa