1st Sunday in Lent

Our readings for the 1st Sunday in Lent are:

1. Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
2. Psalms 51: 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17
3. Romans 5: 12-19
4. Matthew 4: 1-11

• The origin of sin
• Think back to those sins that are most persistent in your life.  Do you see any pattern to them, anything that is common across those sins?
• If you could change one thing about your life in an effort to reduce the sin in your life, what might that be?
• Has it always been this way for you, or have the most annoying sins in your life changed over time?

• Victimless crimes
• The notion of a victimless crime has a lot of appeal.  If no one gets hurt, then where is the crime?
• When I commit a sin, is it always the case that someone gets hurt?
• Is that someone necessarily directly involved in that sin?
• What role do we have in repairing that damage to the cosmos?

• Amazing grace
• When I was young, we would occasionally have someone get up and "witness".  If you've never been to such a gathering, such sharing can be rather enlightening, particularly if you yourself have led a rather placid life.
• Even if you have led a relatively placid life, can you think of places where God's grace to you was "over the top" abundant?
• Was there anything that made it difficult for you to receive that blessing?
• What can we do to be better receivers?

• I don't have anything to prove
• In our culture, we're strongly motivated to succeed.
• Have you ever felt that you were, in one measure or another, failing?
• Did that experience draw you closer to Jesus and those around you, or did you feel isolated, alone?
• Do you think Jesus ever felt the weight of loneliness?
• Do you think that the two of you might have something to share with each other in that regard?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What are the occasions to sin in my life?
2. Where has God been merciful to me this past week?
3. How am I being the mercy of God to others?
4. What am I doing to prepare for the temptations that are awaiting me?

It wasn't the apple

Every once in a while, someone would start a sentence with "if only"

And wild speculation would ensue, on how much different life would be

If our first parents had not let sin into the world, and left us a better legacy.

If only Adam had been more diligent, none of this would have happened.

If only the two of them had backed each other up in the face of temptation,

If only they had not been so gullible, if only ...

If only I was more trusting, then I would be able to let go and let God.

If only I was more humble, things denied me would have no allure.

If only I was more indifferent to the outcome of things, I could hear God's voice better.

If only I had more time in a day, I could learn to relax more

Be more attentive to my family, pray more regularly

If only these pressures would relent for just a week, a day, an hour even ...

If only ...

If my image of success were to walk with Jesus day in, day out

Be there by His side to support Him with my weakness,

Sustain Him with my brokenness, share my failings, faults, and fears -

Then, maybe then, I would have the courage to pray honestly

Reach out to others deeply

And given generously.

If only ...

Shalom!

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Leviticus 19: 1-2, 17-18
2. Psalm 103: 1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13
3. 1 Corinthians 3: 16-23
4. Matthew 5:38-48

• I'd love to forgive you, but I have to be honest
• Have you ever been wronged so deeply that you could not think how you were ever going to face that person again?
• What kept you from confronting that other person and letting them know how much grief they caused?
• How can we give ourselves, and each other, permission to be more honest?

• Healing of the heart
• When God restores us, is our new state just like it was before we were injured, or something better?
• How is "healing" different (better?) than "getting over" something that has happened to you?
• Do you think that there is a place in a good Christian's life for psychological therapy?

• Becoming wise without becoming a wise guy (or gal)
• What would you think are the differences between a wisdom that is of God versus a wisdom of humanity?
• How does one gain in the wisdom of God?
• Do you think that Godly wisdom is always easy to identify?
• Why or why not?

• Toxic giving
• A friend of mine used to say to those who wanted to pick a fight with him "If you have to be right about this, then fine, you're right."
• When we extend love to those who hate us, how can we do it in a disarming, winsome way?
• If that love doesn't help the other person, what does it do to/for us?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Whom do I need to forgive today?
2. How am I sharing God's mercy with others this week?
3. Am I willing to be humble enough to be a fool for Christ?
4. How is my love changing the world around me?

Shalom!

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Sirach 15: 15-20
2. Psalm 119: 1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
3. 1 Corinthians 2: 6-10
4. Matthew 5:17-37

• You don't understand
• How often have you heard a teenager lament "you don't understand" to an authority of some sort as a defense for their actions?  What does "you don't understand" really mean most often?
• Have you ever longed for someone else to really understand you?
• What did you do to help impart that understanding to them?
• How did it make your life better once there was someone else who really "gets you"?
• To what extent do you think that God "gets you"?
• Why?

• Give me a discerning heart
• How would you define discernment?
• When would you see using that gift?
• Do you think that there is a community use of discernment as well as a personal one?
• What are you doing to become more discerning?

• Maturing is hard to do
• Thinking back on earlier times in your life, have you ever wondered whether maturity is really worth it?
• What would you say is the most painful thing about maturing?
• Do you think that we can accelerate that maturing process?
• What are the benefits of genuine maturity?
• Are they worth it?

• Ignorance is not bliss
• If someone injures you, and you never make that known to them, are you being the bigger person, or are you denying them the chance to make things right between the two of you?
• Is it better to forgive them and never let them know that they have injured you, or let them know, risking that they may never ask forgiveness?
• If you decide to not tell the person who injured you, but you do

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What am I doing to understand God's motives?
2. How intentional am I about my discernment?
3. Where do I want my maturing to take me?
4. What do I need to truly forgive?

The Lord loves a cheerful forgiver

To a truly bitter person, injury is sometimes the only thing they have.
Friendships have dried up through the years.
Abandonment scars their hearts.
Forgiveness seems foolish.

Real forgiveness starts with introspection.
Looking for my contribution to the whole mess.
Seeking out where I thought, acted, spoke to make it worse.
Sometimes the way to forgiveness begins with "I'm so very sorry."

It's a rare day indeed when a really first rate mess
Is a solo expedition.
Usually it requires careful cooperation between a large cast
All working together to cause true tragedy.

The conceit that you were the only innocent party
In the midst of that emotional battlefield
Should seem unlikely at best in the cold light of day.
Causing you to see opportunity in the cold gritty dust.

Maturity is at least partially about taking responsibility
For what is mine, and forgiving the rest.
Not laying everything on me, because that's easier
Than holding someone else accountable for what's theirs.

If I bear the burden, that makes me a martyr.
And everyone knows that martyrs are saints.
Or maybe you prefer to blame it all on someone else.
And cast yourself in the role of detective.

The only way to true healing is humility.
Tearing away the veil of conceit from life.
Being willing to bear the pain of confession,
And the uncertainty of forgiveness.

Humility needs to embrace trust
Before it can really shine forth
Two sides of a single coin are they
Each supporting the other.

I say pray for both at once,
And while you're at it add courage to your shopping list.
Because both humility and trust
Ask for courage pretty routinely.

No one said this life was easy.
Just that it was joyous.
Now it's up to you to find
What joy can really mean.

Shalom!