25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Amos 8: 4-7
2. Psalms 113: 1-2, 4-6, 7-8
3. 1 Timothy 2: 1-8
4. Luke 16: 1-13

• Our God is a god of justice
• With global competition so fierce, it's easy to believe that mere economic survival calls for "creative financing" these days.
• Do you think that being totally honest in your dealings with others ever puts you at a disadvantage?
• Is that over the short term, or the long term?
• Does that seem fair?

• The power of God
• Think of folks in your life who have power of one sort or another.  It might be a teacher that you had once, a manager, maybe a local politician.
• What made that person powerful?  Where and how did they get that power?
• If that power was granted to them by someone else, how did they get to be powerful?
• How did they administer that power?  Did they achieve good with it, or not?
• Why is it that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely?"
• Why does that saying not pertain to Jesus?

• We're all in this together
• What difference do you think that it makes to God whether all of us are saved, rather than just some of us?
• Remembering that God "rebooted" humanity with Noah and his family, and God wanted to create a new chosen people from Moses, how many of us do you think God needs to save?
• If everyone on the planet were saved, what would be different from where we are today?
• What can we do to bring that vision closer to reality.

• We belong to you
• Trevor Thompson wrote a song called We Belong to You.  See the lyrics at: https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Trevor-Thomson/We-Belong-to-You.
• Think of the things that you have in your life.  Ultimately, where did all of those come from?
• How have you used those gifts?
• When you made decisions about how to use those gifts, how did you make those decisions?
• What would you change about some/all of those decisions?
• Why?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Do I believe that God will provide my every need if I trust Him?
2. How do I administer the power of God in my life toward others?
3. What difference has salvation made in my life?  Why do I want that for others?
4. How am I as a steward of God's blessings?

Seashore

I come here from time to time to get away
Away from the pressures and deadlines
Away from the shoulds and the have tos
And just be.

I used to wait here on the shore for Jesus
Hoping that he would walk up as He used to
Calling me to bring others into His circle.
But I've learned that He is here, I just have to listen.

This sandy beach, the cliffs behind me
The water surging in towards the coast
The sun in the sky
All march their solemn procession

From this morning until tonight
And again from twilight to dawn
In harmony across all of creation
Counting an all of us to be creative in creation.

The sea, the sun, the cliffs hardly change to my eye
They all are emerging to their own heartbeat
All that I have to do
Is give them room to be the best that they can.

My children, my spouse, my dearest friends,
All deserve that same space, that same respect,
That same attentiveness and support.
And in doing so, I take my place in the dance -

The dance of the cosmos toward fulfillment
Not a place nor a destination, but a process
Unfolding our destinies together in chorus
Of praise to our common maker and God.

Shalom!