Precious, Not Worthless

SCRIPTURE
- Jeremiah 15:19
"Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear. "

REFLECTION
- Sarah

MUSIC
- Be Thou My Vision

- Benedictus by Karl Jenkins

NOTES
- 

PRAYER OF LETTING GO
To You do I belong, O God,
 into Your hands I surrender my life.
 Pour out Your Spirit upon me
 that I may love You perfectly,
 and serve You faithfully
 until my soul rests in You.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:43

Good morning, brothers and sisters in Christ. If I sound a little groggy this morning, it's because my air conditioner kicked the bucket last night in 85 degree heat and 97% humidity at 10 o'clock at night, lying there sweating. But it made me realize how blessed I am. I mean that I even have an air conditioner that would break. Thinking about all those people who can't afford to even cool their homes or even have a home to cool. So, friends, I come before God with all of you today with a grateful heart and a hand raised to the heavens in majesty as we begin our great prayer. Welcome. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Psalm 121, inspired to wonder. Our vision stretched, our eyes focused. You invite us to see beyond the horizon, with hearts opened, spirits raised. You inspire us to wonder and call us to praise.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

In every waking moment, you hold us close. Though earth may sleep, though eyes may close, you are always active.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

You moved within us and without us, welcoming us in this new day.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

We find you are always blessing. May you find a home in our hearts, so we might love and serve you.

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless, you shall be my mouth. The word of the Lord. Today the church celebrates three siblings Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Isn't that interesting? We usually think of saints one at a time, but today we're reminded that holiness can grow right in the middle of family life. I know a little something about siblings. I have four brothers and two sisters. If you come from a big family, you know that siblings have a unique way of keeping you humble. They know every embarrassing story. They remember every bad haircut. But they're also the people who can make you laugh harder than anyone else with just one sentence. Now we all know the story of Martha and Mary. When Jesus came to visit, Martha was busy preparing everything while Mary sat at his feet listening. I can totally see Martha thinking, seriously, I'm doing all the work while she gets to just sit with Jesus. It's such a sibling moment. But Jesus wasn't really settling an argument over chores. He was gently reminding Martha that while the work mattered, the relationship mattered even more. That brings me to Jeremiah's words. If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless, you shall be my mouth. It's so easy to let the worthless slip out. A sarcastic comment, an old grievance, a criticism. Sometimes the people we love the most get the least careful version of us. I guess because we assume they'll always be there. But Jeremiah invites us to something different. God says that when we learn to speak what is precious, we become his mouth. The precious isn't always profound. Sometimes it's simply saying thank you or I'm proud of you. Sometimes it's the courage to pick up the phone to say I'm sorry or I miss you. Or to forgive, even when the other person may never realize just how much they've hurt you. Sometimes it's choosing not to win an argument because the relationship matters more than being right. I don't imagine Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were a perfect family. They were a real family with different personalities and different ways of showing love. Yet their home became a place where Jesus loved to visit. So whether your family lives down the street, across the country, or have already gone home to the Lord, maybe today is an invitation to ask ourselves, what words am I giving them? Am I holding on to what is worthless, or am I speaking what is precious? When we choose what is precious, when we let forgiveness and love have the final word, our homes become places where Christ feels welcome, and our voices begin to sound a little more like his.