As we prepare to welcome people to our ministry campus this Sunday for our annual Community Picnic, I am reminded of the many needs that will be represented by those present, church members and guests alike. There are those in need of emotional and physical healing, those in search of spiritual fulfillment, people seeking a safe and nurturing place of welcome, those simply wanting to have a fun afternoon, and people seeking to be fed in some way. In other words, our Community Picnic is a representation, en masse, of what we experience every time we open our doors, be it for a community outreach or for worship.

How do we respond to those daring to show up and be present? How do we answer when one is so bold to risk articulating their need?

This Sunday, our worship will be grounded in two Biblical texts (Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 & Mark 7:24-37), the latter being a most difficult and even disturbing encounter with Jesus. The disturbing part of the text is not found in the behavior of a woman who came to Jesus seeking healing for her daughter, but rather the offensive and sexist manner in which Jesus responds, in calling her and her daughter "dogs." There is no way to clean up or justify the behavior of Jesus - there are no excuses to be made, it is a simple case of Jesus being wrong in his response.

As we reflect upon this troubling encounter, in worship we shall do so by setting it next to some of the Wisdom Literature from the First Testament, the book of Proverbs, which affirms the unity of all people, rich and poor, as children and creations of God, while also calling "blessed" those who share their bread with the poor.