This week's readings are Hebrews 12.18–29 and Luke 13.10–17.

They are, I think, readings that ask us about our expectations. Expectations about what the 'church' is, and what it is here for.

Of course the word 'church' isn't one we find much in the gospels, but regular, gathered religious worship certainly was: our gospel reading is set right in the midst of one such moment – we meet Jesus 'teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath'. I love this little insight into Jesus' life – we get a picture through the gospels of a man who was committed to being regularly present at the gathered worship of his faith, something that I suspect is often overlooked.

That doesn't mean he was entirely on board with how it functioned though, or the general expectations of decorum or purpose – as we see right here. At this regular meeting, from a position of trust (allowed to teach), he does something utterly outrageous – he dares to offer healing, freedom, and peace to someone and release them into praise! Outrageous!

Of course, I'm sure most of us would agree that finding those things is surely meant to be part and parcel of the worshipping life of a community of faith; and probably, to give him some sympathy, the leader of the synagogue in this story would also agree. The thing he pulls Jesus up for, or, more accurately, goes about muttering about behind his back, is not healing the woman per se but doing it here, at this time, in this way, 'But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.”'

(As an aside, I love that 'kept saying' – doesn't that so capture the human tendency to chunter about things that displease us? It's fabulous when we realise certain behaviours are nothing new! But I also hate that 'kept saying', because of how damaging it must have been to his community to have that negativity repeated again and again.  How many people, I wonder, decided because of his attitude and behaviour that this would be their last sabbath there... How much better if their lasting memory had been the woman's voice raised in praise... a thing to think about in our own time as well!)

Back to the main point – the leader (and presumably a few of the people in the crowd also nodded their agreement) had missed an incredible example of empathy, faith, and healing.  He overlooked an act of love and kindness that really hit the spot and led to the outpouring of praise that any worship leader should want to see people reaching. And he'd missed it because his eyes and mind were so hampered by his own expectations of the right way, place, and time to do things.

Here's the thing though – the right place, time, and way isn't up to us, it's up to God.  Sometimes that will accord with our hopes and expectations, but oftentimes it won't - and that's where we need to trust him. He knows when, where, and how to act in such a way as to release each and every one of his children into praise, and that's what he'll be up to, whether we like it or not! The writer of Hebrews puts it like this: 'You have not come to something that can be touched... But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering'.

We may want to approach things we can touch, control and understand, but the reality is our God is way, way, way beyond that. And if we're serious about getting to know him, and being reconciled to him, then we have to be ready to be made uncomfortable, and surprised by him, and give up our expectations and pretence of being in charge.

What are you hoping to get out of coming to church this Sunday? I invite you to take that thought, and treasure it. It's beautiful.  Now put it on one side. Replace it instead with the question, 'what does God want me to give or receive this Sunday?', and come with your heart and mind open to finding out. There begins worship.