It Would Have Been Enough
Each year during the Passover seder, our Jewish sisters and brothers retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt, acknowledging God’s kindness and faithfulness to the Jewish people throughout history. Traditionally, part of their remembrance includes singing a song in Hebrew titled Dayenu (Hebrew: דַּיֵּנוּ), translated as ”it would have been enough.” Here is an excerpt from the liturgy:
If He had split the Sea for us and had not taken us through it on dry land, it would have been enough for us.
If He had taken us through it on dry land and had not supplied our needs in the wilderness for forty years, it would have been enough for us.
If He had supplied our needs in the wilderness for forty years and had not fed us the manna, it would have been enough for us.
If He had fed us the manna and had not given us the Torah, it would have been enough for us.
If He had given us the Torah and had not brought us into the land of Israel, it would have been enough for us.
This public and formulaic remembrance of God’s faithfulness through history is a beautiful practice for a few reasons: 1) it unites people in a shared story; 2) it inspires humility, gratitude, & praise for God’s enduring goodness; and 3) it gives the community hope and direction for the way forward—(God has been faithful in our past, so God will be faithful again in our future). It is important that, as individual followers of Jesus and as a community of faith, we are able to articulate our own narratives of God’s faithfulness in our lives from past to present to future, and the Dayenu formula can help us get started in the right direction.
On October 8th we began a new worship series called “It Would Have Been Enough.” For each of three weeks we’ll focus on narrating God’s faithfulness to & through WDMCC in the past (October 8), the present (October 15), and the future (October 22). During the month of October, the pastors encourage you to think about how you would tell the story of God’s goodness in your own life. What important moments or milestones stand out for you as being both life-altering and the result of God’s presence/provision in your life? Christians often refer to this sort of reflection-narration as “testimonies.” Whether you find occasion to share your testimony / story of God’s faithfulness with others in the coming season (we hope you do) or let it be a private practice, please be intentional about reflecting on God’s constant presence in your life. (*We’ll be looking for people to share 1-2 sentences as part of a video project celebrating God’s enduring faithfulness.) The church as a whole will be doing this same reflection work as a community.
A year and a half ago, the WDMCC Church Board assembled a Visioning Task Force to help the congregation start to imagine our future together—the next chapter in the narrative of God’s work in and through WDMCC. We’ll shape our vision for the future by being honest about the stories that make us who we are as a church, and deciding together which stories to carry forward and which may not serve our shared future. Doing this work faithfully as a congregation begins with our understanding of who we are in Christ and how specifically He’s calling us to worship, connect, and serve in His name. As we seek to discern where God is leading WDMCC in the future, it’s important that it be a journey we walk together as a congregation.
In the coming weeks/months, you will have a variety of opportunities to join the conversation through small group discussions and a general survey. You will also begin to notice some organizational changes in the new year, which will better guide our community life together and provide more opportunities for both study and service. We encourage you to participate in these forums and in the resulting opportunities for spiritual growth as fully as you are able.
“See, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”
God has been so faithful. It would have been enough for God to work in & through WDMCC, inclining hearts toward Christ and serving neighbors in need since 1890. And yet, the story of God’s faithfulness within & beyond this community of faith is far from over. Keep your eyes and ears open to the new thing God is doing, church! The Kingdom of God is among us here and now!