13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. 1 Kings 19: 16b, 19-21
2. Psalms 16: 1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
3. Galatians 5: 1, 13-18
4. Luke 9: 51-62

• Succession plan
• Think about the various ministries that you have served in and are serving in.
• How did you get invited into those ministries?
• How were you discipled into that ministry?
• If you had to do it over again, what might have been a better path to bring you into that service within the community?
• How are you bringing "new blood" into your ministries today?
• Why don't we just stick with the same folks doing the same thing, year after year?

• Bargaining with God
• In Genesis 18: 16-33 we see the amazing story of Abraham bargaining with God over the fate of the city of Sodom.  You would think that someone in Abraham's position would have no bargaining chips.  Interestingly, he appeals to God's own nature and character to influence God.  That is the mark of a true friend.  Today, our psalmist does something similar.
• In what ways is your relationship with God a friendship?
• In what ways is it not?
• In John 15: 15 Jesus calls His disciples friends.  What prompted Him to say that?
• Do you treat any of your other friends the way that you treat God?
• Would they stay with you if you did treat them that way?

• Freedom in giving yourself away
• When do you feel the freest?  That feeling of unlimited possibilities, when anything is possible, when you have no idea what is next and you are able to punch through the fear into a wide space of awe.  What are you doing at that moment?
• How do you achieve such freedom?
• Do you think that we should be/feel/do that sort of freedom all of the time?

• Humble is as humble does
• Jesus never forces Himself on us.  Yet He is always available.
• How might we make ourselves more available to those who need God's love?
• Is there a balance between programs - defined services offered by an established group on a set schedule, versus spontaneity, freedom in ministry? 

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is the next generation of disciples coming from?  How am I helping bring them forth?
2. Where is my friendship with God going?
3. How do I give myself away?
4. Who is God calling me to reach?

Sons of Thunder

Here in the 'hood we don't take no disrespect from anybody
Least of all the likes of you.
You run along now and come back
When you learn to show proper respect.
And not a moment sooner.

Hardly the words out of Jesus' mouth.
Yet, so often, we tell others they are not welcome.
Maybe they dress oddly,
They smell badly,
Their tatoos are in bad taste.

Yet Jesus somehow always found a way to connect,
Draw others out of their fear,
No matter how many times they had been refused,
No matter how many times they had been turned away.
They knew that they could trust Jesus to be kind.

He even welcomed Judas, His betrayer
Celebrated the first Eucharist with him,
Let him give Him a kiss of greeting in the midst of betrayal.
Can we do any less?
I just don't know how to follow His example.

Maybe you can help.

Shalom!