During every celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the Episcopal Church, one of the priests pronounces a quote from Holy Scripture that serves to transition the liturgy from “Word” to “Table.” This is known as the “Offertory Sentence.” By far my favorite Offertory Sentence is a quote from Ephesians 5:2, “Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.”
I love the quote because it seamlessly rolls of the tongue, but I also love it because of the universal truth about the life of faith to which it points. Each of us is living a unique journey of faith filled with both blessings and challenges. None of us can fully understand or appreciate the experience of another traveler on the way. As such, we should never presume to know what someone else is going through, but rather walk with them, together in love, offering prayer and support.
Of course, walking together works both ways. I, for one, prefer to offer support more than I prefer to receive it. Requesting assistance makes me feel vulnerable. That’s one reason I like to use this Offertory Sentence. It reminds me that I need to walk with others on their journey AND I need to let them walk with me.
I wonder how you might be intentional about walking with someone else in their hurt, pain, or suffering. Yet, perhaps more to the point, I wonder how you might be intentional about allowing someone else to walk with you?
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