Devotional for the Week

Hear Me, O God!

Devotional for the week of October 27, 2024

This week we get a beautiful little glimpse of scripture that mirrors real life. Here is Bartimaeus, shouting to be heard. The crowd tries to shush him, but it just emboldens him to be louder. Perhaps you can relate: Have you ever seen a child trying to get their parent’s attention, tugging on their pant leg and getting louder by the minute?

In worship it might feel like we are stuck in a “groundhog’s day” kind of repetition, trying to get God’s attention: “O Lord, have mercy on us! Bring your justice. Bring your peace. Forgive us.” Week after week, most of the liturgy we hear, speak, and sing together is the same. The needs in the world around us seem constant, and sometimes it feels like God is ignoring our requests. And yet, this gospel story is a good reminder that repetition is not a bad thing.

Jesus stands still, calls Bartimaeus over, and asks him what he needs. In the end, not only can Bartimaeus see again, but he begins to follow Jesus.

Liturgy—the word means “the work of the people”—is essential to who we are as Christian community. Within our worship each week, we give voice to what is in our hearts and minds, entrusting it all to God’s care. The repetition might feel tedious, and it is hard to trust the slow work of God. But perhaps hearing these words over and over again shapes us into seeing God more clearly in our everyday life. As we continue to show up and ask for Christ’s mercy, perhaps our ears and hearts become more open to listening to our neighbors’ voices as well—especially those who are marginalized and sidelined in our midst: people of color, women, those who are differently abled, and even our little ones. How can we have empathy for those who have to speak louder and more often just to be seen and heard?