Lectionary: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 & Psalm 48; Ezekiel 2:1-5 & Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13 

Introduction: 

Now in retirement I am finding myself doing the things I’ve always wanted to do: writing, reading, kayaking, building models and … cooking. I can hardly believe I am saying that! All my life I have done the traditional handyman work around our home: repairing, renovating, fixing, cutting, digging, etc. but now we live in a newer, low maintenance home, my wife enjoys small maintenance projects, so I’m realizing how much I hated that stuff before. Now I find myself watching cooking shows, checking out recipes and mixing and chopping and experimenting in a new world of creating food. So weird for me. So backward!

St Paul wrote about backwardness of sorts:

Read: 

I will boast only about my weaknesses. If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  – 2 Corinthians 12:5b-10 (NLT)

Consider:

Do you know yourself? If you know who you are: what you can do / can’t do; what you enjoy / don’t enjoy. If you know those things, you will be better able to give your best to what you should do and to say no to what you shouldn’t do.

Richard Rohr writes that ‘You come to God not by being strong, but by being weak; not by being right, but through your mistakes; not by self-admiration but by self-forgetfulness. Surprise of surprises!’

Thérèse of Lisieux called herself a little flower in God’s big garden. Blossoming where I am without being more or less.

Reflect:

How is it that weak can be strong?

How many examples can you think of where our culture has this 180 degrees backward?

Do you accept your weakness with pride and grace?

How can your current weakness become a strength? I know it’s cheesy but, how can you blossom in God’s garden?

Pray:

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When I am weak, You are strong.