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August 15, 2020
Persistence
He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs. “She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
From Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28
Dear Lake B Family and Friends,
I want to share with you excerpts from an article I wrote for a newsletter called “Word from Below”. Writing it spoke to me in significant ways especially as we become a community of faith that is committed to seeing Christ’s work at the margins of our society.
In this week’s reading, we see a Canaanite woman who comes to Jesus, pleading for him to release her daughter from demoniac possession. At first, it looks like Jesus (and the disciples) were not going to grant this woman her request, presumably because she was a Gentile, an outsider.
Who was she?
I wish I knew her name. She wasn’t even given that dignity.
She was ignored when she pleaded for help—even though it was on behalf of her suffering child! She couldn’t get a response from anyone. At first, even Jesus didn’t say a word.
She was diminished by the disciples as they urged Jesus to send her away.
She was discriminated against, reminded that she didn’t belong to the “right group of people,” at least not the group of people Jesus was sent to. (Note to self: ask Jesus about this when I see him one day).
If you’ve never lived with this kind of discrimination, it may not be easy to understand what she must have felt like in this moment.
Commentaries provide helpful perspectives on the theological and cultural nuances that surface in this story: who Jesus was sent to, what he meant by ‘bread” and “dogs,” etc. That’s where I was always trained to find meaning and make sense of this passage.
But today, I am much more interested in the life of this sister. Again, I wish I knew her name.
We often make her a “hero” because of her persistence. It’s a persistence that I see in many women, especially women of color, and others who are marginalized. It’s a persistence that will not easily allow them to quit—no matter the hurdles, no matter the discrimination, no matter the closed doors, no matter the silence, no matter the disrespect or the imposed feelings of insignificance. No matter if it feels like no one is listening.
Where does this kind of persistence come from?
We can look to the work of Chanequa Walker-Barnes and the framework of womanist theology to gain a hint about how persistence is shaped:
“In any society, the most marginalized people best understand the rules of the system, because they need to know the politics and dynamics in order to avoid being crushed by them. Women of color are often the most marginalized among the marginalized. Our very survival depends upon knowing how the “isms” (or as I prefer to think of them, the “powers and principalities”) work. (“I Bring the Voices of My People”, Chanequa Walker Barnes, pg. 13)
Persistence is a matter of life and death. It's a matter of survival. It’s a life skill, not an option.
She also writes:
“The lives of black women and other women of color are rich with two gifts: The gift of intersectionality and the gift of a deep desire to bring a wholistic view of healing and liberation—not just for themselves but for all those around them. (Barnes, pg. 13)
She Knew
I believe the persistence of our Canaanite sister came from deep understanding and lived experience of the power dynamics that existed between her and the world she lived in. On this particular day, all of this came into play in her request of Jesus. She knew who He was. AND I believe she was also fully aware of the gift of her intersectional identities of culture, gender, ethnicity and religion. She understood and knew the “rules” as she navigated all of the “isms” of her day. And with confidence, she engaged Jesus at every turn. It was skillful. And her daughter was ultimately healed.
Such persistence is borne out of more than determination. It originated from the Creator whose image she bore and whose breath gave her life and pushed her to advocate on behalf of life.
Friends, this Canaanite woman can teach us – not only what persistence looks like BUT also where to find it. Those whose identities have been deemed “other” are equipped to persevere in all of the complexities and challenges we are facing. Their very lives are a gift to help navigate these times, helping us to persist, and not lose faith, for the sake of healing and wholeness in our communities.
May we learn to seek, welcome and receive these gifts with thanksgiving.
Grace and Peace,
Lina
- We are postponing Sunday services until further notice. In light of the advisement and guidance given by the King County Public Health Department related to the coronavirus outbreak, we feel this is the wisest course of action. All Sunday school classes are also canceled.
- In lieu of being together on Sunday mornings in the sanctuary, we will be posting Facebook live broadcasts at 9:30 Sunday mornings. It will be a conversation with our pastoral team along with musical worship. If you are on Facebook, please be looking for us on the Lake Burien Presbyterian Church Facebook page for live broadcast updates. It will be a great way for us to connect virtually.
August 15, 2020
Persistence
He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs. “She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
From Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28
Dear Lake B Family and Friends,
I want to share with you excerpts from an article I wrote for a newsletter called “Word from Below”. Writing it spoke to me in significant ways especially as we become a community of faith that is committed to seeing Christ’s work at the margins of our society.
In this week’s reading, we see a Canaanite woman who comes to Jesus, pleading for him to release her daughter from demoniac possession. At first, it looks like Jesus (and the disciples) were not going to grant this woman her request, presumably because she was a Gentile, an outsider.
Who was she?
I wish I knew her name. She wasn’t even given that dignity.
She was ignored when she pleaded for help—even though it was on behalf of her suffering child! She couldn’t get a response from anyone. At first, even Jesus didn’t say a word.
She was diminished by the disciples as they urged Jesus to send her away.
She was discriminated against, reminded that she didn’t belong to the “right group of people,” at least not the group of people Jesus was sent to. (Note to self: ask Jesus about this when I see him one day).
If you’ve never lived with this kind of discrimination, it may not be easy to understand what she must have felt like in this moment.
Commentaries provide helpful perspectives on the theological and cultural nuances that surface in this story: who Jesus was sent to, what he meant by ‘bread” and “dogs,” etc. That’s where I was always trained to find meaning and make sense of this passage.
But today, I am much more interested in the life of this sister. Again, I wish I knew her name.
We often make her a “hero” because of her persistence. It’s a persistence that I see in many women, especially women of color, and others who are marginalized. It’s a persistence that will not easily allow them to quit—no matter the hurdles, no matter the discrimination, no matter the closed doors, no matter the silence, no matter the disrespect or the imposed feelings of insignificance. No matter if it feels like no one is listening.
Where does this kind of persistence come from?
We can look to the work of Chanequa Walker-Barnes and the framework of womanist theology to gain a hint about how persistence is shaped:
“In any society, the most marginalized people best understand the rules of the system, because they need to know the politics and dynamics in order to avoid being crushed by them. Women of color are often the most marginalized among the marginalized. Our very survival depends upon knowing how the “isms” (or as I prefer to think of them, the “powers and principalities”) work. (“I Bring the Voices of My People”, Chanequa Walker Barnes, pg. 13)
Persistence is a matter of life and death. It's a matter of survival. It’s a life skill, not an option.
She also writes:
“The lives of black women and other women of color are rich with two gifts: The gift of intersectionality and the gift of a deep desire to bring a wholistic view of healing and liberation—not just for themselves but for all those around them. (Barnes, pg. 13)
She Knew
I believe the persistence of our Canaanite sister came from deep understanding and lived experience of the power dynamics that existed between her and the world she lived in. On this particular day, all of this came into play in her request of Jesus. She knew who He was. AND I believe she was also fully aware of the gift of her intersectional identities of culture, gender, ethnicity and religion. She understood and knew the “rules” as she navigated all of the “isms” of her day. And with confidence, she engaged Jesus at every turn. It was skillful. And her daughter was ultimately healed.
Such persistence is borne out of more than determination. It originated from the Creator whose image she bore and whose breath gave her life and pushed her to advocate on behalf of life.
Friends, this Canaanite woman can teach us – not only what persistence looks like BUT also where to find it. Those whose identities have been deemed “other” are equipped to persevere in all of the complexities and challenges we are facing. Their very lives are a gift to help navigate these times, helping us to persist, and not lose faith, for the sake of healing and wholeness in our communities.
May we learn to seek, welcome and receive these gifts with thanksgiving.
Grace and Peace,
Lina
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Lake Burien Presbyterian Church - affectionately called “Lake B” - is a growing, diverse congregation of people from all different backgrounds and cultures. We have a common commitment to love courageously, take risks and challenge what we think we know in order to see Jesus more clearly. We desire “the gospel fully alive” in us – that is, that the good news of Christ would not just be heard but experienced through the way we live, serve and love.
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MISSION: |
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"The Gospel Fully Alive"
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The ministry of Lake Burien Presbyterian Church exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that witnesses to the love of God for all people and to demonstrate that love in tangible ways to one another and to the community.
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Location & HoursJoin us for our weekly gathering & worship service
Sundays at 9:30 AM Lake Burien Presbyterian Church 15003 14th Ave SW, Burien, WA 98166 OFFICE HOURS MONDAY - THURSDAY 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM FRIDAY 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM SATURDAY - SUNDAY Closed Contact us: (206) 242-6023 or office@lbpc.org |
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Lake Burien Presbyterian Church
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