Worship Guide - Year B, Ordinary 30 (Proper 25)

Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
~Mark 10:46

There’s a lot being undone these days…deconstructed, if you prefer a technical term. And if what has been con-structed does harm or just doesn’t work anymore, then we wouldn’t really want it any other way, would we? Sometimes you have to tear down what stands in the way of the good, of progress, of blessing—even if it can cause some of us discomfort, or make us a little less sure-footed.

In the center of the story in Mark for this week, right after Bartimaeus raises his voice to call out for mercy, Mark tells us that Jesus stands still. It is a striking image, especially amidst the frenzy of the scene, Jesus stopping. Standing still. Listening. Bartimaeus calling out. The crowd shouting him down. And then, Jesus calls him to the still, quiet center and lifts his voice for all to hear.

Our last of four encounters with the book of Job is striking for its similarities. Job, after finally receiving a response from God, lifts his voice and is restored. But what does he say? It is not as clear as we might hope. We need the voice of suffering to be raised for truth to be present, even if it undoes us a little bit in order to remake us all.

Enter into worship.

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