2nd Sunday of Advent

Our readings for 2nd Sunday of Advent are:

1. Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11
2. Psalms 85: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14
3. 2 Peter 3: 8-14
4. Mark 1: 1-8

• The courage of hope
• Cynics are cowards.  The cynic expects the worst of people, events, new developments because they are afraid to be disappointed.  The prophet, on the other hand, reminds us of where our actions and attitudes are taking us, where they are leading us, giving us the bigger picture if you will.
• What do you hope for in life?
• How well do you think that hope is grounded?
• Where did that hope come from?
• Why do you think that faith, hope, and love are the three cardinal virtues?
• How do you think that hope supports faith and love?

• Justice and peace
• Pope Paul VI once said "if you want peace, work for justice."
• If he had said "if you want peace, pray for justice", how would that have changed the meaning?
• Which is more meaningful for you?
• Which gives you more hope?

• Who issued your passport?
• Advent calls us to look at both of Christ's comings to Earth in the context of each other.  Same Earth, same Christ, but very different in many ways.
• How do you celebrate, remain faithful to, shine your true eternal identity in the midst of getting the laundry done, washing the dishes, and caring for your family?
• Do you feel that you have any sort of an advantage over someone with no faith?
• What might that be?

• OK, now what?
• John the Baptist's message seems so stark: "repent of your sins to prepare for Him who is coming".  Makes you wonder what sort of follow-up ministry John had.  Maybe he had "people" for that.
• What, or who, are you preparing for this season?
• How will you know when it/they arrives?
• How will that arrival change you?
• How long do you think that change will last?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How is my hope changing me?
2. Is there some small way that I can bring some justice to those around me?
3. Where, ultimately, am I from?
4. What is God transforming in me?

Finding the courage to repent

Repentance is like the wings of a butterfly.

One wing: the regret for the outcomes of our actions, our thoughts, our failures to act.

The other wing: what we will do instead.

Long have I been reluctant to repent of some of my actions

Because I feared what that other wing would call forth from me.

Knowing that the butterfly cannot take flight on only one wing.

But now I am a little older, ever older.

I trust my God a little more, and even myself.

And I am sure that as I ease into the first part of repentance

As I ease into the first part of repentance,

The second will emerge

With God, gently holding my hand.

Holding my hand as I make my way into the change

That my heart calls for in faith.

Giving me the courage to enter the journey of repentance

Towards a shore at best shrouded in fog.

Knowing that life lines the path,

And growth the final outcome.

Shalom!

1st Sunday of Advent

Our readings for 1st Sunday of Advent are:

1. Isaiah 63: 16b-17, 19b; 64: 2-7
2. Psalms 80: 2-3, 15-167, 18-19
3. 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9
4. Mark 13:33-37

• Lord show yourself
• Let's face it, humility can be annoying.  It would be so much simpler if God would do something dramatic, prove that He's here among us, and show those foolish heathen who's boss so the rest of us can get some peace.  If only.
• What, in your personal experience of God, has been truly awesome?
• Have you, do you tell anyone about that event?
• Why or why not?
• Why do you think God chooses to be anonymous?

• The God of second chances
• Giving someone a second chance is dangerous.  They could disappoint us again, make us look foolish to friends and family alike, break our hearts.
• Can you think of a time when God called you, you declined, and you got a second chance?
• Why do you think that God bothers?
• Can you think of any times in which you gave anyone else a second chance?
• Why is that?

• Ready
• Jesus sent His disciples out to tell the world about Him, and I'm sure that at least a few of those early apostles thought "you have got to be kidding!"
• Have you ever accepted a call of some sort and felt unready?
• How much more time, more training, more study would you have needed at that time before you really felt ready?
• Why do you think God pushes us into the deep end like that?

• Each with his own work
• I invite you to look here, and read about the power of having a purpose?
• Why do you think that you were put here?
• If God came to you and asked you what purpose you wanted in life, what would that be?
• What makes you so sure that's not your purpose?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How can I show the glory of God?
2. Where is God calling me to show His mercy?
3. Where might God be calling me to step out of my comfort zone?
4. What is God's calling in my life?

Is there a poet in the house?

We have all seen those dramas where disaster strikes,

Someone desperately needs medical attention,

Too soon to get them to a hospital.

And the plaintive call goes out "is there a doctor in the house."

There once was a young man, humble of circumstances and attitude,

Who loved to connect with those around him.

Put him alone in a train station, and within minutes,

There would be a small swarm of folks wanting to talk to him.

He never took notice, he was always just glad

That no matter where he went, he was never alone,

He always found other's stories so very interesting.

He would remember them in detail for months and months.

And when someone would share their story, 

He could recall another story very like it.

And he would share that other story with his companion,

And they would feel a kinship, a community,

That had never been there for them before.

Depending on the story that he shared, he would weep,

Rejoice, laugh, sometimes even sing a little,

Whatever the moment seemed to call for in the telling.

Finally, an old friend of his asked him

"What are your stories, what have you experienced?"

To which he said "oh, nothing worth telling really.

Except maybe how folks encourage each other who've never met."

"But how do you decide what to share with someone.

How do you know what to tell them?"

To which the young man said "I am but a mirror,

Reflecting back to them how much they matter."

"This exchange that I have, one story for another,

Is just my way of celebrating the meaning of the life in front of me,

And the story that I have heard elsewhere.

A building of community one experience at a time.

The beauty is that I never am poorer for giving myself away.

My listeners always give me more than I can ever offer.

I make no grand conclusions,

I don't change anyone's mind.

I just help them see their own life in a larger frame,

Get their attention out of the "right this minute"

And soar a little, even just a minute.

To know that they are not alone, have never been alone."

I had to go.  A little girl was waiting impatiently.

To tell him about a tooth that she had lost.

And he listened with rapt attention,

Taking it all in, applauding her courage and tenacity.

That young man helped others to see the meaning

In and of their lives, whether they knew it or not.

His was the ministry of being a poet, without fanfare.

And a community growing by the day.

Shalom!

Christ the King

Our readings for Christ the King Sunday are:

1. Ezekiel 34: 11-12, 15-17
2. Psalms 23: 1-2, 2-3, 5-6
3. 1 Corinthians 15: 20-26, 28
4. Matthew 25: 31-46

• Servant Leadership
• We've been through a grueling several weeks as a nation.  We used to complain that the campaign leading up to the presidential election seemed to take an eternity.  Now the bitterness, accusations, legal maneuvers after the election have become a season all its own, and there is still no end in sight apparently.
• When you pray for our leaders, for the world's leaders, what do you ask God for?
• When you think about elections, what sort of framework do you long for?  Is it a gladiator winner take all, perhaps vindication of the right perspective over the wrong perspective, maybe preservation of all that's good against the forces of evil, a chance to discuss different point of view and forge a consensus, a time for prayer and reflection, several of the above, ...?
• If you could bless every one of our leaders with just one virtue which would that be?  Maybe courage, integrity, patience, ... those are all good.  Personally, I'm going to vote for humility.
• How will you pray going forward?

• Giving what you deserve
• Luke 6:38 "Give and it shall be given unto you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
• The hardest thing about spiritual discernment is often knowing when to say "no" to a request that comes our way so that our "yes" can really mean something.  How do you know when to say "no"?
• Once you have said "yes" to something, how do you know when to review that "yes" at a later time?
• What are some things that prevent you from becoming an altogether cheerful giver?

• Finding the real enemy
• Mary & I watched a movie about prayer called War Room.  Very moving.  One of the lines was to the effect that we are often fighting, be it with a heartless manager, a lazy coworker, a self-absorbed child, but the real enemy remains hidden because he likes it that way.
• What are some of the things/people that you are fighting in your life?
• How do you pray about/for them?
• Do you ever stop to think about what the root/source of those problems might be?
• Should that change the way that you pray?

• Playing to your strengths
• I call it the service inoculation.  Your church has a vibrant ministry to some group of marginalized and needy constituency, and part of you wants to say "great, we have that covered, glad that's done."
• "Needy" comes in lots of forms.  It might be someone who never learned to read, someone who's never learned the life skills to manage a budget on their own, or someone who's been abused as a child and can never trust anyone, or the result of a broken marriage, or ...  Who are the needy in your circle?
• Which of those needs calls to you in some way?
• How qualified do you think that you have to be, in order to be useful to the needy?
• How deserving do you think they have to be before Jesus would ask you to help them?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How can I help our leaders to lead more wisely?
2. Does my generosity need a tune-up?
3. Do my prayers go deep enough to make a difference?
4. How am I giving myself away?

Happy New Years

The liturgical calendar reminds us of an alternate reality,

One not governed by month end closing, or Black Friday specials,

But one framed in signs, and wonders, and memories near and distant.

The warp and woof of this hidden life has been gradually a weaving

Since our first parents gazed into the heavens and recognized the hand of God

And gave thanks in return.

It can all seem disconnected, unreal.

What is Advent without Christmas Carols, big family parties, shared football games?

How are we to truly celebrate in this quarantine?

But still, we turn the calendar page, and there it is,

The end of this year, the start of the next,

Seemingly indifferent to all that has gone on this year.

Or maybe we have it all wrong.

And the steady march of seasons, feasts, remembrances,

Is there to remind us not that recent events are petty, or small,

But that they fit into a much larger story that is easy to miss

Simply because it spans so much time, so many lives, all peoples,

The story of God's faithfulness in our midst through it all.

So I pray that this Thanksgiving, wherever and however you celebrate,

You take a little time to ponder whatever heavens arc above you,

And be as specific as you know how to be

As you breathe your prayers of thanks.

Shalom!

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Proverbs 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31
2. Psalms 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5
3. 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-6
4. Matthew 25: 14-30

• An unfading love
• When I hear of young women battling bulimia, anorexia, and other body image problems, I feel a little guilty for fueling that obsession with the superficial in my own life, I resolve to look deeper than the surface, try to see with God's eyes.
• What is true beauty?
• From whence does it come?
• How can we make this world more beautiful?

• Getting what you deserve
• Injustice steals many things from the oppressed.  Injustice robs them of the benefits of their hard work, it robs them of tranquility and peace of mind, it robs them of their sense of worth within the community.
• Have you ever been the victim of an injustice?
• How do you know that you really get what you deserve?
• Do you think that God can ever transform an injustice into a moment of grace?

• Awake!
• When I was young, we would accuse someone of "majoring in minors" when they missed the bigger point, the grand scheme of things, by obsessing on the little stuff.  Easy to do.
• What is the big picture perspective on your life?
• Where do you think we are all headed as a community?
• What is the point, the meaning, the value of what we are going through right now?
• How does that broader perspective help living in the day to day?

• Playing to your strengths
• It's easy sometimes to feel like the poor servant with just one talent.  You do not know what to do with yourself, you feel that the consequences of failure are steep, you do not even know what your true talents are.
• How would you define generosity?
• Can one give generously if they do not have much?
• What then can we say of Luke 21: 1-4 (the widow's mite)?
• How can you tell what to give of yourself and when?
• What happens if you botch it?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How am I beautiful?
2. Where can I bring about justice?
3. How am I living God's big picture of my life?
4. How am I giving myself away?

The Heartbreak of Arrival

Comes to every one of us

When arriving at some hitherto distant shore

Brings a harsh reality with it: we are there.

"There" might be that coveted job, 

That longed for spouse,

Or even a new maturity.

And the shoes that got us there no longer fit.

Growing into arriving,

Shedding the skin of the pilgrim

Requires attention to the objective of the journey

Balanced with attention to the shrines and holy places along the way.

The meaning of the destination

Can often be found in the footprints that led to it

Regardless of who left them.

Shalom!

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Wisdom 6: 12-16
2. Psalms 63: 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
3. 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18
4. Matthew 25: 1-13

• An unfading love
• A true friend is the one who inspires you to be your best self, the one who helps you find courage when you need it, to draw on strength you never knew that you had, to persevere when you were ready to give up.
• I would say that Wisdom is just another name for the Holy Spirit, the author and finisher of all truly great friendships.  How have friends in your life inspired you to go "above and beyond" what you thought yourself capable of?
• How did they manage that?
• How do your truest friends inspire trust in you?
• Does God have your trust?
• Why or why not?

• Wants, desires and longings
• The world around us conditions to want lots of things: fame, affirmation, appreciation, security, the next iphone, whatever the model might be.  Satisfaction from these things lasts awhile, but never for very long.
• What satisfies you, really meets your longings, and keeps satisfying you?
• When did you discover that about yourself?
• How has that longing, and its satisfaction changed you?

• The ultimate diversity
• Much has been said of late about solidarity, that we are all one by nature of our shared humanity.  I would like to humbly posit that one divide that we don't talk about much has nothing to do with gender identity, skin color, culture, but the divide between the quick and the dead.
• Think of someone that you have lost, someone who inspired you when they were alive.  Say that they were, by some means, to appear before you right now, and that they were totally up to date on how you have lived your life since they passed.  What expression would be on their face when they see you?
• If you knew that they were here to stay and not just an apparition, would you live any differently?
• What would you say to them?
• What makes you think that they are not here?

• Sprint, marathon, or journey?
• Most of us spend a good deal of our time preparing for the future.  You read briefings ahead of a meeting, you talk to friends to prepare to vote, you attend college to prepare for a career.
• What is it that you feel your life has prepared you for?
• Is that very much different from what you are doing now?
• Why or why not?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Do I have the courage to let Wisdom guide me?
2. Where is my treasure in this life?
3. How am I honoring those who truly love me?
4. How am I preparing for the rest of my life?

Pilgrimage

The old man on the trail almost blended in with his surroundings.

His boots scuffed and worn, his backpack clearly an old model.

Yet he made his slow, deliberate way with his head high.

His eyes taking in every inch of the scene before him.

Instead of passing him, I settled in behind him, matched pace.

And I asked him what brought him to this lonely stretch of wilderness.

"Memory, and sure death" he said, daring me to continue.

Taking my cue from his response, I asked "Memory of what?"

"When I was a teenager, I used to hike here with friends.

We would pit our strength, our equipment, our resolve

Against the inclines of these mountains, 

Against the uncertainty of this weather.

And we told ourselves in guarded whispers,

That if we were strong enough to meet the mountains on their terms

And come home safely, that we would have the strength

The strength to face whatever lay before us in life.

All of those old friends are gone, I stand alone of that company,

The one member on this side of eternity to mourn and remember.

I can only hope that they too have learned

That life is not so much about overcoming things

As it is about letting them go."

"And what of certain death?"  I asked, not sure what he would say.

"Death, in its proper time, is gift.  But to properly appreciate it,

You need to train a bit before you get there.

On this hike, I have no schedule, I camp where sunset finds me.

I carry just enough water for the day, trusting God to provide.

If I see a trail that I've not explored before, and it calls me

I walk it, wide eyed, full of awe and expectation.

Never knowing where it might take, nor how long I'll be."

"But," I said, "you could get lost, or hurt, 

And no one would know how to find you."

He stopped there, and turned to face me.

"To let fear of the unknown govern your life is to die before your time.

If you only go where you have gone before, you are lost before you begin."

Shalom!