Good News and common cathedral.
One of the pivotal moments in Jesus’ ministry happens when he goes back to his hometown of Nazareth to preach in the synagogue (Luke 4:14-30). We call it his “inaugural” sermon. The congregation is bristling with excitement, waiting to see and hear how their favorite son has grown “in wisdom and stature.” Jesus preaches from Isaiah 61. Which is all well and good until he starts interpreting it, basically saying that the Good News is for everyone, not just for those who believe like we do. The crowd is so pissed off that they run him to the edge of a cliff.
And thus begins a controversial, provocative ministry.
As our nation inaugurates the new term of an avowed narcissistic demagogue, it’s important for us to think about what is the Good News of Jesus and Isaiah and how we live it and share it and embody it.
On Sunday, we’ll welcome one of our favorite guest preachers, the Reverend Carrington Moore, to open up this passage for us in light of our current day. Carrington is the executive director of one of our favorite partner ministries, common cathedral, Boston’s outdoor church for the unhoused.
Carrington writes:
“In Luke 4:14-31, Jesus announces His mission, declaring the Good News of liberation and healing for all. But this declaration isn’t without consequence—it’s both a promise of hope and a challenge to systems of power. The Good News of the Gospel unveils God’s love and justice, making it available to everyone. Yet, the bad news is that this radical love threatens those invested in maintaining economic, cultural, and religious systems that exploit the marginalized.
What does it mean for us to navigate this terrain today? How do we confront the same dilemmas of inequity and injustice in our country and neighborhoods? One thing is clear: we need the anointing of God to move forward. Together, we will explore what it means to live under that anointing and embrace the transformative power of the Gospel in our lives and communities.”
On Sunday, we invite everyone to share in some Good News work with us:
• at 9:45am in our Parlor, preparing 120 bagged lunches for common cathedral
• blessing those lunches in worship
• joining us after our 11am worship to go to Boston Common and worship with the common cathedral community.
It’s a new era in the United States of America, full of lots of trepidation about what it will look like, especially for those on the margin. Come join us on Martin Luther King Junior weekend, as we renew our practice of bringing the Good News.
In faith,
Kent
Image: United Parish congregation members serving at common cathedral in February 2020.
