In stillness and silence, we are offered the possibility of withdrawing from the noises in our of lives. You know our cell phones, our IPads, our computers, the TV and radio, and the constant chatter and committee meeting in our heads.

When we are still and quiet, when we can stop and pause and reflect; we can then have the chance to see ourselves differently, we see life differently.

When we are still and quiet, we have the opportunity and invitation to see through the eyes and heart of God.

Psalm 46 reminds us to “Be Still and know that I am God.” In essence, relax, and come and sit with me for a bit. Stop the madness, stop and just be with me – fully present, fully aware. Surrender and let go.

Christ was such a wonderful role model of how to rest in this stillness and silence. He knew how to take time to be alone. The gospels speak of his practice of rising early in the morning and withdrawing to a deserted place to pray. He knew to rest and withdraw often so that he could step back and see what was really important. So that he could minister to those in need, those who were outcast and excluded and seen as different.

It was his ability to stop and be still that allowed him to keep focused and renewed and stay true to his ministry.

We too are invited to be still, renew ourselves and go into silence so we can stay true to our calling, our ministry, our acts of service to one another.

Disability Awareness Sunday is about being awake and present and noticing others around us. It is a Sunday to pause and take inventory of our actions and our work, and to see if we are living out our core values around inclusion, community, and acceptance.

Resting in the stillness and silence of God grants us the energy and courage to continue our work for equality and justice for all of God’s children.

In the stillness is our God. In the silence, I see your beauty and I see you as my brother and sister and I grow to love and honor you as I grow to love and honor myself.

Life is so sacred, so very short. God is reminding each of us today that we are so special in the eyes of God.       Each one of us has gifts, talents, unique ideas and unique ways, each made in the image of our Creator. Each of us has a unique contribution to make in this world. Each of us has a special calling.

But unless we slow down, unless we withdraw and get still from time to time it becomes increasing difficult to remember this about ourselves and especially about others. God’s word and Jesus’ example to love, respect, value, and honor each unique person gets lost and drowned out by the busyness, distractions, and noise of our lives.

Disability Awareness Sunday for me is about stopping, pausing and getting still and going within. It is a chance for all of us to remember who we truly are in the heart of God.

This Sunday is a chance to really be reminded of our own beauty and wonder and abilities that can so often go unnoticed. Today, I invite each of us to give the gift of acknowledgement to each other. Find one person today and thank them for something that is unique to them. Thank someone that participated in the service today – how did their gift make a difference to you; say what you value in them. Thank someone you work with who is here; thank someone who is a member of this church for sharing their Sunday with us. Look deeply and see if you can see with the heart of God.

In preparing for today, I came across “The Living Stories Project, where ordinary people are invited to tell the stories of their lives.  I found the following quote and thought it so appropriate for today.

“We do this project  to remind one another of our shared humanity, strengthen and build connections between people and communities, show the value of listening, and weave into the fabric of our culture the understanding that every life matters. We believe the simple act of sharing stories helps bring people together. Our hope is to inspire people to listen to one another, to pause and reflect, and create a permanent record of our stories for generations to come,”

Every life matters caught my attention as well as the reminder of our shared humanity and connection. I was also reminded when my 5 year old granddaughter Julia was in the car singing a song and she said the words – everyone counts, a song she is learning in school. Every one counts she sang, everyone counts. Just imagine a world where all of our children never learn or experience anything different than that everyone counts and every life matters.

Out of the mouths of babes we learn, praise God for little children, praise God for projects that help us remember that every life matters. Praise God for Disability Awareness Sunday and for each of you that help to make this such a beautiful and unique world. Praise God for Jubilee and for the work it does to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ each and every day. Praise God for our core values of respect and human dignity, community, mutuality and service, self determination, justice, ethical practices and spiritual care.

Today, we stop to pause, we get still and we go into silence and we hear that sweet, precious still small voice of God. Today, just for a little while, we are resting in God’s stillness and silence and we are hopefully transformed to action.

Indeed our time with God should equip and prepare us for action; to do just a little more today than we did yesterday. In his wonderful book on Prayer – The Hidden Fire, Tom Harpur writes about transformative worship. He says, “Praise or worship that is solely made up of rites, songs, affirmations, or other verbalizations, and that stops there, is in the end vain and false. The true test of integrity of any worship – whether private or public – is what leads to (or doesn’t) in terms of changed lives for the worshipper and changes conditions for the poor, oppressed, the neglected and those who don’t have a voice.” And as I heard Ike Leggett share on Friday at our open house for Falling Creek – “changed lives for those in the shadows of our society.”

Today, we have another opportunity to be still and know God in a fresh and exciting way. Today, we can make a difference in the lives of so many. And as we do our work, we will hear our God whispering in our ears, “You are my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased. I love you just the way you are. I created you for myself and you are whole, perfect, and complete in my eyes.”

Let us receive the word of God and be transformed to continue our holy and blessed work now and forever.

Amen