Living the Word: from now through Easter (April 20), we follow Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus shows us a loving God in his teachings, healings, and relationships with people pushed to the margins. His commitment to love leads him to Jerusalem, and ultimately to the cross.
In our weekly church school teacher Bible study, we were discussing the text for this Sunday, in which a woman described only as a “sinner” tearfully approaches Jesus and anoints his feet with oil, drying them with her hair. One of our members described how they envisioned what came next as a cinematic moment, where the murmuring and movement of the other characters present quiets and blurs so that all we see and hear is Jesus’s voice lovingly reassuring the woman, “your sins are forgiven,” a poignant, almost-private encounter between humanity and the divine. Did the woman come to the dinner seeking forgiveness? Did she show up because she’d heard of Jesus’ message of forgiveness and wanted to show her gratitude? Or was it some other reason? We don’t get any answers to that, but opportunities for how we read ourselves into this story are rich and varied.
This Sunday, we have the honor of welcoming the “What the World Needs Now Interfaith Coalition Singers,” a powerhouse group of singers, performers and social activists featuring Walter and Stephen Cooper (Montclairs, Authentics, Gospel Love Tones), Belle Linda Halpern (singer, story teller, educator, activist, founder of Inspiring Educators), Jenny Bonham-Carter (West of Willow, Poor People’s Campaign, Swedish School of Boston), and our own Merle Perkins (acclaimed Boston singer, actor and founding educator and actor with Urban Improv – Rehearsal for Life). As an ensemble, their mission is to spread love, hope, unity and togetherness, and to inspire action through the God-given language of music. I can’t imagine a more fitting ensemble to lead us in worship and song as we explore the themes of forgiveness, love, and gratitude together.
Join us on Sunday morning at 11am in the Sanctuary and on YouTube to sing, pray, learn, and grow together!
In faith,
Amy
