Congregational Corner: Take on, An Active Presence

  1. Congregational Corner: Take on, An Active Presence
  2. Congregational Corner: Take on, A New Perspective
  3. Congregational Corner: Take On A Life of Sacrifice
  4. Congregational Corner: Take On A Life Out of the Tomb
  5. Congregational Corner: What it all comes down to

By Rev. Jordan B. Davis (M.Div.‘14)
Congregational Corner

Every year, I watch the posts fly about what individuals are “giving up” for Lent. The crash diets and motivation to finally clean out the closets are worthy of being posted on social media, but I question if they really challenge us to understand the meaning of Lent and the sacrifice which we remember during Holy Week. As I pondered how I would approach this Lenten season, I decided that I wanted to turn things around in my own life and rather than give something up or give something away, I will take something on, just as Christ took on the sins of the world in his own death.

Over the next several weeks, I will strive to “take on” one new thing each week, in turn striving to take on more of the love and grace which Christ exhibited throughout his life, death, and resurrection. I hope that you will join me and share your own experiences!


30 and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
31 The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself.
No other commandment is greater than these.”
Matthew 12: 30-31 CEB

The first post in this series focused on our call to love and care for ourselves – now, I want to think about how we love and care for others. This may sound a bit cliché but as I watch the news and observe the people around me, it seems that we still need to think deeper about how we approach our relationships with others.

Throughout Christ’s ministry, we read stories of his presence with those who he encountered. Christ didn’t just smile, say hello, and move on his way. Christ was actively present with each person he met. Christ sat with them, ate with them, talked with them, listened to them, prayed with them, and lived with them. There was nothing passive about the way that Christ related with those who he met and that is the active presence that we are called to take on.

I will be first to say affirm that always being present is hard (one of the many reasons self-care and love is needed!) but no one ever said it was easy. I imagine Christ was exhausted after many, if not most, of his encounters. I imagine there were times when that “fully human” part weighed heavily as he felt the pull of having fun with his friends, or time under a tree, against the need to be actively present with someone. The “fully divine” part is what set Christ apart though, and what we should strive to emulate in our own lives.

To be fully and actively present with an individual means that we put our phones away and don’t worry about what notifications might be coming in. It means putting our own stressors and to-do lists aside while we listen to the needs of another. It means sharing what is on our own heart and mind when appropriate and looking into the eyes of the person we are with, rather than at the clock behind them. The act of being fully and actively present is uncomfortable and draining at times, yes, but so many other times it is filling and nurturing not just for the person “in need” but for each individual who is present.

When I think about this presence, I think about the youth I work with. In several instances of service, I have stood by in awe at the way the youth opened their whole being to the people they were serving. The way they listened, spoke with, laughed with, worked with, and even sang with those who they were “serving” brought tears to my eyes. The service wasn’t the meal provided or the clothes sorted, the service wasn’t the hours signed off on for school – the service was a genuine, uplifting, loving, present relationship between individuals limited by society based on (at the very least) their age and economic status. Those are the moments in my life when I have seen Christ most clearly and those are the attitudes of presence that I strive to take on this Lent.

As our foundations shook, you sent your Son to strengthen us,
showing us that what we believed to be weak was indeed strong
and what we thought was ugly was in fact a masterpiece.
Christ ate with us when we thought we should be alone,
reminding us that no part of this journey has to be
done through only our individual efforts.
In his death, Christ showed us that our true value lies in you
and he opened the door so that we can more easily enter your Kingdom.
Creating God, remain with us as we strive to take on an attitude
of active presence and Christ’s love for all who we meet.
Amen.


Alumna Jordan B. Davis is associate pastor for youth and young adults at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church in Cary, North Carolina, and editor of Congregational Corner.

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels