Soundings July 20 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, and welcome to Soundings, a presentation of iHeartMedia.
Each week we gather together to discuss the scriptures and
how they apply to life and the world. My name
is Shannon Jamal Hollmans. I am the pastor at First
Congregational United Church of Christ in Lowell, Michigan, and I

(00:21):
have two of our regulars here with us today. I
will allow them to introduce themselves, starting with Father Mike
Hi I have.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
My name is Father Mike Krishanka, a Polan Catholic priests
serving at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew in the Hartside
neighborhood of Grand Rapids.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
And good morning. I am Reverend Ruth bell Olsen, and
I serve as the senior minister at Mayflower Congregational Church
on the southeast side of Grand Rapids.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Good morning to both of you.

Speaker 4 (00:51):
Good morning, hey morning.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Have you been able to enjoy this beautiful weather so
far this summer?

Speaker 4 (00:59):
A little bit, A little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
I was in Chicago for Fourth of July for a
couple of days around fourth of July, and that's been nice.

Speaker 4 (01:09):
But yeah, otherwise, just hanging around here.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
I guess I went to another priest and I we
went to Michigan's Adventure a couple of weeks ago. That's
an annual trek that we do because we both love
the roller coasters and water slives, all that good stuff.

Speaker 4 (01:28):
That was fun.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
That's awesome, Oh, Michigan's Adventure. Yeah, that's yeah. I just
returned yesterday from Berlin. I spent two weeks in Europe
and the start of the trip it was ninety six
degrees my goodness, and we were completely melting. And then

(01:55):
the end of the trip it was rainy and like
fifty eight. Berlin was a drizzly mess cold. Oh. I
feel like I've you know, experienced the extremes summer extremes,
and yeah, not both extremes were kind of terrible.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
But yeah, where did you go?

Speaker 3 (02:15):
I already in Luxembourg and uh, and then part of
France and then kind of uh several different places in Germany,
and then ended in a homeland. So yeah, many places
I hadn't been, so that's not a part of the
world I had traveled before. So it's very interesting, very

(02:36):
very interesting. Lots of lots of cathedrals, which of course
really really fun. Yeah, that was kind of a highlight.
Lots of different lots of cathedrals and churches and beauty.
And yeah, that was really like for sure, mm hmm. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
I've been spending a lot of time at home lately,
and one of the things that living out in Lowell
is really helpful for as we get to be in
nature a lot more.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
So.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
I have been picking excuse me, I've been picking a
lot of berries this summer. So I started picking strawberries
and I've picked some cherries and now it's blueberry season.
It's been a lot of fun. There's a lot of
you pick places around here where you can go outside
and sort of experience the goodness of creation and pick

(03:31):
some of your own berries to cook and bring home. Yeah,
oh I love that.

Speaker 3 (03:35):
And you know, blueberries are so satisfying because they just
kind of fall in the bucket. Like strawberries, raspberries, you
know those are those are more work. But me on blueberries,
that is just so satisfying. Oh that is great. Yeah, great,
that's so fun. Good for you.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
Well, why don't we get into our passage this morning?
And the electionary has us in Luke ten and we
will read this morning from Luke ten, verses thirty eight
through forty two. And this is often called the Story
of Jesus Visiting Mary and Martha, beginning at verse thirty eight. Now,

(04:20):
as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain
village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. She had
a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus's feet and
listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted
by her many tasks. So she came to him and asked, Lord,
do you not care that my sister has left me

(04:42):
to do all the work by myself. Tell her then
to help me. But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha,
you are worried and distracted by many things, but few
things are needed. Indeed, only one Mary has chosen the
better part, which will not be taken away from her.

(05:05):
This is the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Speaker 3 (05:08):
Things speed to God.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
Well that's a familiar story, Yeah, and I've heard lots
of interpretations of it over the years, ranging all different ways.

Speaker 4 (05:21):
I agree the.

Speaker 2 (05:22):
Same and and I think, depending on where I'm at,
I interpret it differently as well.

Speaker 4 (05:35):
Today I would, I'd say, and there are like religion.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
I know of a community of religious sisters who basically
structure their life like this. Where like they have a
definite period of time for prayer and contemplation and then
a different payer of time for service. And so Mary
here is representing the person who's who's he's she's with

(06:03):
the Lord, she's spending she's spending time with the Lord,
and that's her form of prayer, and Martha is the
one who's serving. And I think, I think what what
Jesus is warning Martha about really has to do at
least partly with burnout. I think we've as in as

(06:26):
as pastor, as ministers. I think it's something that we're
always cautioned about that there's always so much to do.

Speaker 4 (06:35):
And so much service that we could do, but.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
It's if we don't, if we don't tend to our
life of prayer, sirritual life and spend time with the Lord,
then it is very easy to burn out, as very
easy to get resentful, which is what it seems like
Mary at least is partly resentful in this, in this
passage of her sister that she's not helping her. And

(06:59):
so I think the two of them, we need to
learn from both of them. Mary her the importance that
she places on prayer and contemplation and the selves outbuilding
resentments and then alienating people and then moving people away
from God rather than toward God, which.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
Is what we want.

Speaker 3 (07:17):
Yeah, it's so I think, so easy for us to
kind of read this with our own cultural lens of course, right,
and you know, I think from from that standpoint of
there's a lot to do when you're hosting people, and right,
you're hosting people, and Jesus would have traveled with an entourage,

(07:39):
and it says it's Martha's home, which, of course we
now we look at it's her home, which would have
been very unusual. Where where's the husband, where's the father?
Like why is she the homeowner? Like there are all
these layers of this is very unusual on the cultural context.
We know that there's a brother Lazarus. Is it not

(08:00):
his home? Right? We have all these things kind of
going on that she's this is her place, So she's
she's she's shouldering a tremendous amount of responsibility already because
it's her home. And what would that have been like
in that context, and this entourage of people are coming
and she's doing a lot. It's so hard not to say,

(08:23):
like and then she's got this like sister who's not
doing anything, and she's just loafing around, and like it's
so hard not to be like why why is yeah,
why is Jesus not taking her side? Like she's doing
all this this work? And yeah, there's always I always
have the sympathy for her because I know what it
is to entertain and I know what it is to

(08:44):
have a group of people come, and I know, like
why she gets such a bad rap, right, And I
think I have to pull back and say, but but
Jesus says, you're distracted, you're distracted, And I think then
when I do put on the cultural of what does
it mean to be distracted and not not focusing on

(09:05):
what's really important? And I think about, you know, even
just in our cultural context with our phones or you know,
my mind spinning on things that aren't important instead of
focusing on what is important. That that word distracted, I
think is such a key word in this passage that
I think Jesus is calling out. He's calling out something

(09:26):
that I think is very real for all of us.
What are you doing on that's not important? Yeah, and
when the Lord is right and standing literally right in
front of her, but for all of us but for
all of us, God is right in front of us
all the time saying like I'm right here, I'm right here,
I'm right here. And what are you spinning on? What

(09:46):
is what is occupying your what are you distracted with?
Instead of focusing on what God is trying to show
you what is right in front of you that's so
valuable and beautiful and right. I think that's a call
to all of us. What's distracting you from what is
really good and right and true and beautiful. So that's
kind of where I have to remember, Like, no, when
you're saying Mary chose the right thing, Mary's not being

(10:07):
distracted right now, when when she's sitting at God's feet
and you know that the Savior's feet, And that's maybe
the call to all of us right to not be
so distracted.

Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah, yeah, because it's easy to do, right. I mean,
Martha's doing the things that she should have been doing.
It's not like they were the things that she was
off doing something you know, unnecessary. She was doing what
was needed to be done and what was culturally expected
and what was in a lot of ways, the right

(10:41):
thing to do. But Jesus points out that that isn't
necessarily what's the right thing to do in that moment? Yeah,
that you bring up a good point. What does it
mean to be distracted? Even while we're doing all the
right things right, working, paying our bills, taking care of
our families, We can still be distracted while we're doing

(11:04):
all the right things from God, who's standing right in front.

Speaker 3 (11:08):
Of us, and he says, worried. I mean, you're worried
and distracted, right, And maybe those two things also are
kind of a double whammy, because what happens when you
get worried you don't trust God and we do. And
I know, I mean, there are all kinds of things
that we can get really worried about. And then where
does that spiral us? If I get worried about There

(11:30):
are a lot of things currently can get us really
worried and really get us off track and distracted from
the way of Jesus and from just remembering to come
back right, come back to Jesus' feet, come back to
what's really important. And I think that's what Jesus is saying,
like you're in need of one thing, you need one

(11:50):
thing to rely on me, And that's what Mary's doing.
She's remembering just come back to me, come back to me,
and man, worry can really set us off. Yeah, yeah,
it doesn't serve us well right, No.

Speaker 2 (12:10):
Yeah, I think that's a it's a key piece to this,
this passage and in the it's just a little differently
in the in the Catholic lectionary and worried about many things.

Speaker 4 (12:21):
And I think that we use we have.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
Anxious instead of I'm distracted, and and I think that
like just a couple maybe suggestions for those who are
listening about prayer in terms of like, because I think
a lot of us can be worried, distracted, anxious about things,
but we don't always know how to deal with that.

(12:45):
And one way I think is, you know that when
we're in prayer, we often get distracted, We often worry
about things, and it can be helpful. Like we we
sometimes try to just like block that out and like
stop it stop and stop, I need to focus on
the Lord. But it can be helpful to at least

(13:09):
entertain that thought. And even if it's only just say Lord, please,
you know, I'm I'm this this worries me, like it's
going to worry me, you know, please help me out
with this or please allow me to come back to
this later, because I know it's not just going to

(13:29):
go away on its own whatever it is, but I
want to focus on you right now, and just please
help me to focus on that and then come back
later to it.

Speaker 4 (13:38):
So rather than like just just saying.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
Like, oh I wish I weren't, you know, why do
I always go why I always think about this?

Speaker 4 (13:44):
I would think about this just like acknowledge it.

Speaker 2 (13:47):
It's okay to acknowledge it and say, you know, I
want to you know, I want to come back to this.

Speaker 4 (13:52):
I want you to help me Lord with this.

Speaker 2 (13:55):
And then the other thing that is, there's a there's
a priest that I live with who's a very big
proponent of something called centering prayer, and it's I'd like
to sort of sum it up.

Speaker 4 (14:07):
I guess it's a way of.

Speaker 2 (14:10):
Just sitting in silences, using a sacred word that you
kind of coincides with your slow breathing, and use that
sacred word to center yourself. And so when distractions come up,
you can sort of acknowledge them and let them pass

(14:30):
what and by, but then focus back on that word
that you have. It's a helpful way to center yourself
when there are a lot of distractions, there are a
lot of anxieties coming up. They're just two thoughts on
how how to deal with this kind of thing in prayer?

Speaker 3 (14:48):
Yeah, that's good.

Speaker 1 (14:50):
Yeah, what else can we do when we're worried and distracted?
You know, Prayer, a conversation with God, I think is
always sort of the starting point in a lot of
our minds. But what are some other things, other ways
that we can do that. I know, for me, sharing
it with the Christian community through whether we're in a

(15:12):
Bible study or talking after church. Just sharing some of
the things that I'm worried and distracted by, and having
friends who can encourage or hold me accountable. That's really helpful.
And just remembering that life is bigger than me and
my worries and the distractions that sort of get in
the way sometimes of my relationship with God.

Speaker 3 (15:36):
Mhmm. Yeah, and really living in the living in the moment,
being fully present here and now. So much of worry
is ruminating in the past or anticipating something in the future. Yeah,
And I know I often have to just remember like
right now, I'm a I'm okay right this minute, and

(15:57):
live in this part. The only thing we have is
the moment. Right all we have is now. And you know,
I often use the phrase don't anticipate a problem that
doesn't exist, that we so often do that we're anticipating
something that isn't isn't right now my reality. It might
be in two minutes, five minutes, twenty years, but right now.

(16:20):
I have to sometimes practice that, like right now, I'm okay,
right now. And maybe that's kind of what Jesus is
saying right now. And really, maybe Martha is anticipating. Maybe
she does know what's coming, and maybe she is someone
who is forward thinking. Maybe she is she's seen the
writing on the wall and she's looking ahead and saying

(16:40):
like things are going to get bad. Yeah, that is
part of what is distracting her. And maybe that is
part of the lesson. I mean, you know, we don't
can't get into her brain, but maybe that is part
of what Jesus is saying right now. Mary is choosing
right now to be fully present with me. Yeah, right
now she's choosing. And were sitting at the Rabbi's feet

(17:04):
is marks you as a disciple, So so Mary's a disciple.
And what he's saying Martha, you are too. Mm hmmm, right,
there's plenty. There's a place for you. He's he's saying,
she's choosing to sit here. And and Martha, you you
can choose that too. You're also a disciple. And of
course for a woman in the in this time, that's

(17:26):
a that's a big deal, right, I mean, of course
for a rabbi to say you you can follow me.
You you are my disciple, and you have a place here.
And right now Mary is choosing Mary. You know, Mary
is choosing the right she's making the right choice. And
Martha you can. I don't know. I just love I

(17:50):
love that. I just love that. That's that's the mark
of a disciple sitting here.

Speaker 1 (17:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (17:57):
And Martha, you you are too. Don't forget that, right.

Speaker 1 (18:05):
One of the things I've always wondered about is why
Jesus says Martha's name twice. You know, I think the
reading that I had as a as a kid was always,
you know, Jesus was sort of being condescending with her, like, oh, Martha, Martha.
And lately I've wondered if it's more of a she's

(18:25):
running around so hurriedly that he has to say her
name twice to get her attention, that that she said
this thing to him and then ran off and did
something else, and and he's like, Martha, Martha. I don't
know what are some of the ways or have you
heard any other ways to read that or understand that.

Speaker 4 (18:44):
I haven't. I haven't really thought about it before, but
it is interesting.

Speaker 2 (18:48):
And I mean, the only other way I can think
of is that it's just his way of like saying
this is important, like please listen to what I'm about
to say. So he says the name twice to really
call attention to it. But I can imagine also, you know,

(19:10):
her running around and yeah, I've also heard that, you know,
the kind of like oh Martha, Martha, Martha. And I said,
that's probably unlikely given their relationship, and.

Speaker 1 (19:27):
But you know, but.

Speaker 3 (19:29):
Yeah, yeah, I mean there's the there's the scolding saying
it a couple of times, and then there's this that
super tender leading. Right, But if you really love someone,
you might say their name a couple of times, yeah,
Martha or Martha Martha, right, Martha. Yeah, I mean we

(19:54):
don't know the intonation. Yeah, it could have been so gentle.
It could have been just so gentle, and loving, and
it could have been like trying to get her attention.
It could have been kind of like almost as sharp,
like hey, wake up, get over here. But yeah, maybe not.

(20:16):
And anytime we call someone by name, there's power, right,
there's power in dressing somebody by their name versus like hey,
you or that person. When people are called by name
in scripture, that's that's significant. Yeah, that's significant when people
are named versus like the demon possessed man or the

(20:38):
person on the by the shore, the person by the river. Right,
But when people are named, that's super powerful. I think,
especially when women are named, because so so many women
just were never acknowledged. Yeah, didn't didn't have value, didn't
have a name. And and here Mary and Martha mentioned
again and again. There's such a vital part of Jesus's story.

(21:01):
And he loved them, and he loved their brother, and
wept with them and was in their home, and so
it's very evident that they were extremely important to his
life and ministry. For him to say their names and
say them again and again I think is really important.

Speaker 1 (21:19):
Yeah. Yeah, And that Jesus saw her right, that Jesus
saw what she was doing, that he knew her, and
he knew that she was worried and distracted. Right, I
think I don't know if to me that brings me
a lot of comfort as I go about my life
and all the things that occupy my time. That Jesus

(21:42):
sees us and that he knows us, and that he
understands us. That's something that's really powerful because so few
of us, I think, feel seen and known and really
understood by others around us sometimes, right, we can get
so busy in our different roles in life that sometimes
people see you only as mom or grandpa or the

(22:05):
guy who works at the corner store, or you know,
whatever role we're fulfilling. And and we're more than our roles, right.
We're people with emotions, with with goals, with concerns. And
Jesus sees Martha in the middle of all that and
and meets her where she is and talks right to
her and to the things that are, you know, really

(22:29):
burdening her and weighing her down. That's that's powerful. I
think that that that's kind of power that I don't know.
As I think about Christ and and the love and
the light and the power that he brings in my life,
that's that's the power, right to meet someone intimately in
a quiet space and and say I know you, I

(22:50):
see you, and I'm with you. You know, he's not
scolding her. He's he's inviting her to sit with him.
And and that's that's what's really beautiful about this passage.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
I think, Well, and she feels comfortable enough with him
to say, you know, do not care that she's lucky
to do the work? Like yeah, she put him aside, like, hey, buddy,
you know like that's that shows too, a pretty close relationship. Yeah,
you know that she would feel free to say that, right, Yeah,

(23:28):
to an honored guest. He would have been an honored guest.
And for her to say like, you know, hey, my
sister's bailing on me, like that shows that you're good friends,
or you wouldn't say that.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah, for sure. Any closing thoughts on this passage.

Speaker 2 (23:44):
I think I just I like the idea of the
kind of kind of staying in the in the moment,
that emphasis on that. And Ryan's here, there's another Paul
has a brother priest of mine who would say he's
a real like he liked to use puns and punster
and he'd say be present to the present of the

(24:06):
present in other words, like be in the moment of
the present, the gift in other words, of the of
the present moment.

Speaker 4 (24:16):
So the presence of the present.

Speaker 1 (24:21):
That's great, that's great, and we will end with that
because I really like that. That's a good way to end. So, friends,
on behalf of Father Mike and Pastor Ruth and myself,
thank you for joining us today. As you go into
your Sabbath day, we pray it'll be a RESTful one,
that you will not be worried or distracted, but that
you will be present in for the present, in the present.

(24:45):
How does that go again, Father Mike.

Speaker 4 (24:47):
The present to the present of the present.

Speaker 1 (24:50):
All right, go and bes friends,