“Prepare A Way”

Midweek Lent

March 18, 2026

Luke 8:1-3

Now soon after this, Jesus journeyed through the towns and villages proclaiming the Good News of God’s reign. With Jesus went the Twelve, as well as some women he had healed of evil spirits and sicknesses; Mary of Magdala, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza; Suzanna; and many others who were contributing to the support of Jesus and the Twelve with their own funds.

Message:

In today’s mini devotional, the narrator talks about preparing for a race with her friends. They were excited as they gathered, talking about shoes and stretches and training plans. But her husband wasn’t a runner. He wasn’t excited about the training. He wasn’t part of this group of active adventurers. Instead, he got excited about a different kind of preparation. He was ready to help set the tone for the race. He said, “I’ll make signs and sandwiches!”

Signs of encouragement along the path. Sandwiches and other forms of sustenance that would meet them at the finish line. It reminds me of a video DeAnn Cudly showed me one time. Someone recorded her along the route of a marathon. She was singing and clapping and yelling words of encouragement. She couldn’t run. But she was there. She was as much a part of the race as the runners. And she didn’t just encourage the ones she knew—she was there for them all.

The women who surrounded Jesus were limited in what they could offer—not because of their ability but of society’s barriers. But they were there. For all of it. They gave everything they had available. Some could only offer emotional support—signs and singing. Others, like Joanna, had access to funds which she shared at great risk to her own life. In the end, these women would be the ones who remained at the foot of the cross and the ones who would first witness the empty tomb.

Their presence was at least as valuable as the proclamation of the men who followed Jesus. But we have been taught to dismiss the women’s support. Because they weren’t ‘of the twelve.’ Just as we are taught to dismiss the work of those who support ministries of the Church just because they aren’t the pastor. This has done horrible damage to the Church and her livelihood. It has placed the core of ministry at the feet of one person—lifting them up as THE face of the congregation.

But what good is an orchestra director without musicians? I find myself most fascinated with the percussion section when I watch a performance. We were at the Boston Pops concert as they performed music from Star Wars last month. There were, I think, five percussionists. One could flow from a trap set to the chimes to the tympani and then pick up a triangle. And while a great many non-musicians might scoff at the triangle, the music just isn’t complete without it played in just the right place.

It makes me think of the SNL skit with Will Farrell and Christopher Walken. Farrell plays the cowbell with the band as they record the song, Don’t Fear the Reaper. “We don’t have a whole lotta songs that feature the cowbell…And I’d be doing myself a disservice, and every member of this band, if I didn’t perform the hell out of this!” And Walken responds, “I got a fever. And the only prescription is more cowbell.”

There is no instrument or person that is inconsequential. We have been written into the music of faith. Without each person playing their special part, the music in incomplete.

In fact, a Church without a pastor leans on lay leaders to move them through worship and ministry. But without a congregation, a pastor just walks in circles talking to themselves. Without our current and past treasurers, the last two weeks could have meant some pretty big financial consequences for us. Imagine our community without the altar guild, the people who sign up to do hospitality, those who clean the pews, the custodian, the yard workers, the musicians, those who visit and call on our homebound.

You are the Body of Christ in the world. You are the preparers of the way. You are the musicians in God’s orchestra of faith. And together, we give what we have. We give from who we are. You are each a unique and beloved child of God, created for good. Nobody is inconsequential. Nobody is unnecessary. Nobody is expendable. You matter. You belong. God says so. And so do I.

Pastor Tobi White

Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church

Lincoln, NE