5th Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 14: 21-27
2. Psalm 145: 8-9, 12-11, 12-13
3. Revelations 21: 1-5a
4. John 13: 31-33a, 34-35

1. The perseverance of the every day
• What is the most challenging part of being a disciple?
• What could the rest of us do to make that better for you?
• If you knew to the second when you were going to die, why not take it easy, indulge, enjoy, and then do a deathbed conversion just in time?
2. Joining in with all creation
• If all of creation praises God's name, what can we learn about relating to God from the rest of creation?
• Take a look at As Kingfishers Catch Fire, a poem by Gerard Manly Hopkins (a Jesuit in good standing by the way) about being what we're created to be.
• Why is it that we find it so hard to step into our own destiny as God's children?
3. Tabernacling
• Reading Genesis, the intimacy between our first parents and God is so poignant, and God has been working to bring that about anew ever since.
• How can we companion Jesus in our lives this day, this week, this month?
• How can we better stand with Jesus as He lives and moves among us today?
• Where is Jesus suffering, lonely, despairing among us now?
4. When I said Ecumenical outreach I was thinking the Jesuits!
• Some of you may remember Andy Anderson.  He received much of his early training in the Franciscan community.  That's where he first heard about ecumenism.
• Is there anyone in your life whom you love, who feels very differently about something of importance?
• How do the two of you keep the relationship healthy in spite of that?
• Do you think that your differences stand in the way of a deeper relationship?
• Why are the two of you still together?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How is my life spreading good news today?
2. What can I learn from creation about worshiping God?
3. Do I have time to waste with God?
4. How am I loving the difficult people in my life?

All Rocks Go to Heaven

God is about renewal, not replacement.
Making all things new again,
Not just making all new things.

The trees of the forest sigh in the breeze,
The hills sing of God's glory,
Brooks pray loudly in the spring of the year.

Each of them showing us, leading onward
How to truly find harmony with who we are
And what we are here for.

Only we can choose else from our destiny
Only we can turn our backs on who we are,
Only we can forget what Eden was like.

Creation is far from over.
God's visitation here still unfolding.
And he's looking for partners, companions, lovers

To build the Kingdom right here, and now
That when we go out to greet Him in the end,
We bring everyone, everything, all creation with us.

Shalom!