A Cloud of Witnesses

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us [...] run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” ~Hebrews 12:1

Yesterday I ended up driving through every row of Zur Ruhe cemetery before I found the gravesite I was looking for. I saw some familiar names and many unfamiliar ones, too. And Hebrews 12:1 came to mind. The old, weathered stones and the ones that had just been carved and set that week all together in one place tell part of the story of the history of Cedarburg, the people who lived here and helped to make the community what it is.

How often do we pause to think about the people who came before us, who made it possible for us to be here today? Who has shaped your life and helped you become the person you are today? Who have you shaped, or made space to flourish, wherever they are now?

Oftentimes in the church, we talk about kids as though they are the future of the church. But really, anyone who is here right now IS the church. When we receive communion, we receive the real presence of Jesus and the whole communion of saints– people past, present, and future– who make up the Body of Christ.

May our eyes be open for the great cloud of witnesses we are surrounded by, that we can see and acknowledge all the people who have helped form us and whom we help form, knowing that God is at work in us all. Amen.