I have so much to learn about compassion. On Sunday we talked about justice for the poor, oppressed, disenfranchised, and discriminated, and I found that it’s a lot easier to talk about justice for those who are crying out in frustration than it is to actually do something about it. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be guilty of just feeling something in my soul, but when it comes to applying it, find myself lacking.

I’ve done quite a bit of research into the idea of compassion and let me share a couple of ideas that may help you as well. First, compassion has to be received before it can be given. That means the people who best show compassion are the ones who have come to know the love, mercy, and grace of our Heavenly Father. That’s why it was so good to experience communion together on Sunday as we wrapped up our time together. It was a reminder of the length God went to and Jesus suffered through in order for us to be recipients of His love.

Once we have experienced radical compassion, then we can begin to open our hearts to the pain and suffering of others who need someone with resources to come along and offer them support. Henri Nouwen wrote quite a bit about compassion. Here’s just one quote:

“Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken. But this is not our spontaneous response to suffering. What we desire most is to do away with suffering by fleeing from it or finding a quick cure for it. Yet perhaps our greatest gift is our ability to enter into solidarity with those who suffer... When I reflect on my own life, I realize the moments of greatest comfort and consolation were moments when someone said, 'I cannot take your pain away, I cannot offer you a solution to your problem, but I can promise you that I won't leave you alone and will hold onto you as long and as well as I can.' There is much grief and pain in our lives, but what a blessing it is when we do not have to live our grief and pain alone. This is the gift of compassion." The Way of the Heart

Wow, that was such a clear description of the process of learning to be compassionate, which brings me to this second idea. In order to be deeply moved to show compassion, we must experience the pain, suffering, vulnerability, and brokenness around us. In other words, as Bryan Stevenson wrote, “We must get proximate.”

We must get near to those who are hurting in order to learn what it’s like to be in their shoes. We can only be truly empathetic as we allow ourselves to take off our white gloves and get near to those who are crying out for help. We can’t begin to be truly generous with our compassion unless we realize our prejudices and judgments. That’s another point we made on Sunday. In order to show justice, we must ask God to show us where we’re predisposed to judge those who are crying out from the pain of their oppression, exploitation, and discrimination. Then we can truly do a moral inventory by being honest about our own defenses.

In order to apply Sunday’s message clearly and concretely, we’re going to receive a special offering this Sunday to help Hospitality House – the community organization charged with helping some of the most vulnerable in our midst. Hospitality House has been hurt, as many nonprofits have been, by the COVID restrictions. They’ve had fewer volunteers and fewer donations while the needs have skyrocketed. You can give online (just look for the Hospitality House line) or at church while you’re here. Please pray and remember as you give that every dollar helps.

On Sunday we’ll also continue our RISE UP series by looking at Nehemiah 6. For the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen how Nehemiah handled the opposition that rose up and could have derailed the entire project of rebuilding the wall. In this chapter, we’re going to see how he was able to be wise enough to withstand the attacks that came at him personally. This is going to be informative and helpful as we see how wisely he withstood those temptations.

Even though we’re live again in person onsite, it may be weeks before we can all be together again at church, so please make sure to stay engaged online. 

Our services will continue to be streamed live at 9:00 and 11:00am, or you can watch them on demand any time you want right from our website or APP. If you haven’t downloaded the TCC APP, just go to the APP store and search for TCC GRASS VALLEY and download it today.

We are now offering an outdoor venue for people who want to be able to sing and sit outside during the service. Last week we were able to get tents and fans outside, and each week we’ll continue to adapt and flex as we expand that opportunity at both 9:00am and 11:00am. You’ll find the shaded area on the West end of our building where our children usually hang out (near the bears). Speaking of children, we’re inviting our young families to join both the indoor and outdoor services in this time when we can’t safely have our normal children’s programs, so please enjoy the children and the energy they bring. We’ll have chairs available, but if you want to bring your own comfy recliner type chairs that’s good, too. Even though it’s outdoors, our Nevada County Health Department still requires social distancing and facial coverings, but we get to sing as loudly and as enthusiastically as we want.

During this season we are a church of people who gather together both online and onsite, indoors or outdoors to offer our worship to God.

Joyfully living everyday life on mission in intimacy with Jesus and others,