5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 6: 1-2a, 3-8
2. Psalms 138: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8
3. 1 Corinthians 15: 3-8, 11
4. Luke 5: 1-11

• Hot lips
• The prophets had the annoying trait of telling the people of God what they needed to hear at that time, in that circumstance, regardless of what they wanted to hear.
• Do you think that God still has prophets today?
• Do you think that those prophets are necessarily "professional"?  By that I mean that they somehow make a living as a prophet.
• Do you think that God only speaks through the so-called professionals?
• How do you know if you're called to be prophetic in a given time and place?
• How do you know that you're not?

• I am a piece of work, or was that handiwork?
• Looking back over your life, how do you think that your past experience has prepared you for how you are serving God today?
• Given your ministry today, what do you think God might be preparing you for tomorrow?
• How will you know when you're ready for "that next big thing" in your life?

• Back to the basics
• When you get down to it, there are really very few cardinal concepts in our beliefs, yet they seem so hard to live.
• When all is said and done, what do you think really divides Christians these days?
• What would a truly unified Body of Christ look like?
• What would we be able to do as a unified Body of Christ that we are not doing now?

• OK, if you say so ...
• I love Simon's response when Jesus tells him to put the nets out.  I've felt that same way so often.  I try hard not to sound that way, but sometimes the temptation to whine a little is just too hard.
• How do you think that those first disciples saw beyond the immediate issues of sinking ships and breaking nets and realize that Jesus had revealed Himself?
• I'm pretty sure that even if I had realized what was really going on, I would have had to take some time to process all of that, and decide what to do about it.  How about you?
• If one or more of those present that day had come looking for Jesus a day or two later to join him, would they have been welcomed?
• Why or why not?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God sending me today?
2. When was the last time that I told anyone how grateful I was for something God had done in my life?
3. How am I passing along the joy of the Gospel to others?
4. Am I willing to let a miracle into my life today?

Shalom!