The Olympic broadcasts this year have focused on telling the human stories that underlie athletic competitions. They have told the stories of several swimmers, highlighting the struggles they have overcome and their difficulties living up to expectations or trying to succeed as underdogs. The women’s gymnastics even earned a nickname before they set foot in London. Through these stories, the competitions cease to be about athletics alone. Viewers can see the personal struggles and narratives that shine through successes and failures. Although some of these stories are less gripping than others, they reminded me of the human longing to see our lives as part of a grander narrative.

Our lives are part of the narrative of redemption that we hear and participate in each Sunday. This story starts with God’s invitation. We then confess that we have not lived perfectly and cannot help ourselves. We hear the promise of forgiveness and then we give thanks to the one who forgives us through song. The stories of God’s people and a reflection on them remind us of this promise and encourage us to live out this story beyond the church. For this task, we are given the necessary strength in communion.

Hearing and participating in this narrative have been foundational for me as I try to seek and follow Christ outside the church walls. I trust the same is true for many of you. It is one thing to be able to know this story and another to participate in it each week in a community. The challenge is to invite others to be a part of this story. It is not a story that can be complete within the walls of a church. Broadcasting this story is a challenge. But, as the Olympic broadcasts, however imperfectly, remind us, people long for narratives into which their lives fit. May we be a part of telling others this story we know so well and which never fails to be gripping.

Contributed by Philip
Monday August 6, 2012
Liturgical Year B: Week 37
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading:
Lectionary 18 (Proper 13)
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost