Sharing the Kingdom by shedding our cares

 

I vividly remember when I first started attending Divine Liturgy. 

One of the most powerful moments in the Liturgy for me each week was when we would sing, “Now, lay aside all earthly cares.” Slowly. Methodically, Repeatedly...

One particular Sunday, I was going through a very difficult season at my work. I came to Liturgy with loads of cares, dragging me down. It felt like water rising up to my chin that I couldn't stop. I felt completely immobilized by my cares. And as someone who struggles with claustrophobia, feeling immobile and under threat is the most terrifying metaphor I can imagine! Then came, “Now, lay aside all earthly cares.” I had the thought: This is a real invitation! I am being invited to literally lay aside all earthly cares, even the ones I had no idea how to resolve… No! Especially the ones which seemed insurmountable and unanswerable.

So, I did. And in that moment I encountered the Living God who invites us to “cast our cares on Him for he cares for us.” (I Peter 5.7) The challenges were not resolved in that moment. But my perspective on them was completely altered. I was free to commune with God and my fellow worshipers. I was freed to live in the ultimate reality of God’s Kingdom and gained an eternal perspective on my temporal cares.

This week’s gospel contains a command to not worry:

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6.25)

 

As Christians, we are invited to live a life that is not dominated by anxiety. It is a life where we routinely “Lay aside all earthly cares.” Ultimately this passage is about our allegiances being to God alone. Many people and things call for our allegiance. Nations. Brands. Jobs. Money itself. But we are instructed to “Seek first the Kingdom of God” and to not have divided loyalties of any kind. And the payoff is clear: God provides all that we need. “... and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6.33)

Now, how do these truths help shape us into a welcoming community? New people are regularly coming to the Orthodox Church to “seek the kingdom.” They may not have that language or even be comfortable if we frame it that way. However, I believe at their core people are seeking the kingdom when they come to Liturgy and the Liturgy does not disappoint! It is completely oriented toward this desire for the Kingdom and culminates in actually landing us there!

So now the question remains: How can we help the newcomer experience the Kingdom of God? We invite them in to experience as much of the fullness as they can bear. While the Chalice is reserved for only Orthodox Christians, all else is open to the newcomer. We can start by encouraging their participation. We welcome them to venerate an icon or the cross. We encourage them to light a candle. We encourage their participation by showing them where we are in the service book or handing them a bulletin when we’re singing the hymns appointed for the week. We gently guide them when they are perplexed and patiently answer their questions as they make the journey to their spiritual home.

And we always assume the best. We assume they are coming to seek the kingdom. If we assume they are present with good intentions, that will come across in our tone and even our facial expressions.

Ultimately the best thing we can do for others is to be fully at peace ourselves, freed from all our anxieties and “earthly cares.” If we truly do this, those around us will be drawn into the net of God’s Kingdom. Like St. Seraphim of Sarov said, “Acquire the Spirit of Peace and a thousand souls around you will be saved.” As we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in this Pentecost season and then week by week “lay aside all earthly cares,” may our light so shine that those around us will be drawn in to glorify God with us. (Matthew 5.16)