October 12th, 2026
Sunday’s Recap: Empowerment
Guiding Scripture: Mark 6:30–44; Mark 10:46–52
It’s OK to take up space.
This is a message a dear friend and colleague shared with me a couple of years ago, and it is a message I shared with you all yesterday morning. It seemed to resonate deeply with many of you who were part of yesterday’s worship. In a world that seems to pressure us to make ourselves small, the reminder that we are permitted to make space for ourselves is something many of us need to hear.
This is our final week of our Changemakers worship series. Changemakers risk something big for something good in response to something wrong. Moved by compassion, they work together, using what is already available to them to respond. This week, we are called to be changemakers who also empower one another, the people we serve, and those around us to become changemakers themselves. This ensures that power is never one-sided. We are changemakers who lead differently, using our own influence to empower others, just as my friend did for me with her words: It’s OK to take up space.
In the story of Jesus healing Bartimaeus, Bartimaeus is not afraid to take up space. He exercises his own agency, but the crowd around him wants him to stay quiet. In response, Jesus makes space for him without making himself small. He creates an opportunity for Bartimaeus to stand out from the crowd and voice his desire for mercy. Jesus does not assume what Bartimaeus wants or needs. Instead, he gives Bartimaeus the space to voice it himself.
Healing is something we rightfully celebrate. We often pray for healing in many forms, including the healing of a broken world. Sometimes that healing is literal, and sometimes it is metaphorical. The compassion that drives us to make change is often rooted in a desire for healing. Yet healing is not the end goal. Transformation is.
Transformation is about more than changing a bad situation. Being a changemaker means creating the conditions that allow more people to join in the work. It means making space for discipleship and making space for more people to participate in the solutions our world so desperately needs.
This is exactly what Jesus does when he tells his disciples, “You give them something to eat.” Feeding the crowd addressed the immediate problem of hunger, but empowering the disciples created the possibility for that work to continue long after Jesus was no longer physically present with them.
If we are to do likewise, serving others should not be only about solving their problems. One-sided service can perpetuate unhealthy power dynamics and dependencies. Furthermore, it rarely addresses the root causes of a problem, which are often tied to some form of injustice. Meaningful, compassion-driven changemaking instead empowers the people we serve to be active participants in identifying needs, considering solutions, and implementing meaningful change.
Monday’s Call
This week, our invitation is to take up space ourselves while also noticing where space needs to be made for others. As we conclude this series, consider this question: Who is already doing good work around me, and how can I help them have more voice, resources, or opportunity?
As you move through your week, consider trying one or more of these spiritual practices:
- 🙋 Take Some Space: Notice a place where you tend to make yourself smaller than you need to. Perhaps you hold back an idea, hesitate to ask for help, or stay quiet when you have something meaningful to contribute. This week, take one small step toward claiming your space. Remember, you do not have to diminish yourself to make room for others.
- 🤲Empower Others: Look for someone whose voice, gifts, or ideas are being overlooked. Invite them to share their perspective, connect them with a resource, or support an idea they want to put into action. Rather than immediately offering a solution, ask what support would be most helpful to them.
- ✍️ Reflect and Journal (by Rev. Kathi McShane):
- Think about the stories of Jesus and some stories of mythical or historical heroes. How are they different? In what ways did Jesus resist the notion of heroic action?
- Think about your expectations of leaders at work, in the world, and in church. What makes a good leader? What makes people want to follow?
- How might it change the ministries we do as a church if we thought of our work as empowering the people we serve?
- ⭐ Bonus: Explore the Changemaker Initiative website to learn more about the movement that inspired this series.
As people empowered by God, may we respond to evil with goodness.
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