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!

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Exodus 32: 7-11, 13-14
2. Psalms 51: 3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
3. 1 Timothy 1: 12-17
4. Luke 15: 1-32

• Giving them what they want
• Pity poor Aaron.  In Exodus 32: 1-6 the children of Israel come to him looking for leadership in Moses' absence.  They have despaired of ever seeing Moses again after he disappeared on Mount Sinai.  Cell phone coverage was atrocious, and there was no way to contact Moses to even tell if he was alive.
• The people needed a sense of purpose while they waited for Moses to return and lead them from that place.  In a way, we are all waiting as well.  Waiting for our own salvation to emerge, waiting for the 2nd coming, waiting to see where God will lead us next.
• How do you find the time and energy to make sure that you are ready for all of those things?
• Do you ever get tired of such waiting?
• How can we help each other in this time of waiting?

• He's all that
• I'm not sure where that expression came from, but my kid's generation will say derisively "he think's he's all that" of someone who is a "legend in their own mind."
• Can you ever have too much true humility?
• How do we grow in this virtue?
• What is the benefit of authentic humility?
• Think of anyone that you have known who was truly humble.  Were you drawn to them?
• Why is that?

• Sins of the fathers
• As Westerners, I think that we tend to emphasize individual sin because sins of a culture, nation, race seem too distant, and hence unreal.
• But such group sin is very real to those who have been oppressed by such sin.
• How can the wounds from such sin be healed?
• What are our responsibilities for bringing that healing about?
• How do you think God will help in that healing?

• Finding what's important
• The parable of the two sons would have shocked Jesus original listeners for many reasons.  One of them being that the father did not write off the younger son.
• The parable depicts the father watching for his son to return, scanning the horizon daily, hoping against hope that he will return, having no way to tell when, if ever, his beloved boy will ever find his way back.
• Have you ever become distant with a friend or relative over some wound between the two of you?
• If you helped bring about healing, how did you do that?
• What was different about the relationship after that event?
• Is such healing an event, or a process?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How am I increasing my hope in God today?
2. Where do I insist on my own way, my own schedule, my own path instead of God's?
3. How has God been merciful to me in my life?
4. Where is God calling me to show mercy?

Ode of the Older Brother

There goes father again, off to keep watch for that worthless son of his.
Meanwhile, the rest of the village laughs at his patience, counting it foolishness.

They look with pity on me in the market.  I hear them talk, if only in my own head:
"There goes poor Raphael, the responsible one, the one who stayed home."

"Look at what he got for being faithful.  Half his inheritance gone.
No girl in the village will even look at him because of the shame of his brother."

My father seems oblivious to it all.  Barely going through the motions day by day.
The light gone from his eyes, the spring gone from his step.

I try to keep it all together, keep the vineyards and flocks prospering.
As much from stubbornness as anything, to prove the rest of them wrong.

For we all know that God favors His beloved children with prosperity.
I try to prosper to prove that God has love for this family, in spite of everything.

I will never forgive my thoughtless brother for bringing this upon us.
Selfish he is, without concern for anyone else.

In the dark watches of the night I try to forgive my father for his devotion
To this son of his who deserves nothing but death.

I do not know what sustains my father.  Is it stubbornness, or love?
What kind of love can bring such despair?

As for me, I will stay here, in the village, with my father
Until death finally releases him from his grief.

After that, I have no idea.

Shalom!

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Wisdom 9: 13-18b
2. Psalms 90: 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
3. Philemon 9-10, 12-17
4. Luke 14: 25-33

• If I knew then what I know now ...
• The passage of time usually gives us a different perspective on the present, and perhaps, if we're lucky, we can look back on today and say "it all turned out for the best."
• If you were able to choose between two outcomes, how would you judge which one was the best?
• Would you consider just the impact of that choice on you?
• Include your family?
• Your parish?
• ...
• How do you think God makes such decisions?
• How has He communicated His desires/wishes/dreams for you to you?

• In every age
• We in our mechanistic Western culture tend to have short memories.  Other cultures, like the Jews, are different in that they intentionally and deliberately celebrate, remember, make themselves present in, and through their shared stories.
• What stories of God's faithfulness do you have?
• Who have you shared those stories with?
• Who will share those stores when you are gone?
• What might we, as a community, do about that?

• Taking one for the team
• There is room for depth and greatness in every moment of the Liturgy, and the rest of our lives as well.  The prayers of the faithful can bring us into unity with those suffering in an ever wider, more inclusive, and more effective way if we allow them to.
• How wide is your prayer circle?  Do you pray for anything/anyone outside of your immediate circle of family and friends?
• When was the last time that you felt truly drawn to embrace someone else's need?
• What was it that made you take that risk?
• How did it change you?
• Would you do it again?

• Finding what's important
• As quickly as possible, name the five most important things in your life.
• What do those all share in common?
• How do you tell when something in your life has become a distraction from your life in Jesus?
• How do you shake that attachment?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How is God guiding me today?
2. How am I celebrating God's faithfulness to me in my life?
3. Where am I reaching out in prayer, in action, in contemplation in my life?
4. What of my life truly makes my essence?

Spiritual Beings Having a Physical Experience

To term death "throwing off this mortal coil"
Makes our demise sound like a liberation.
I prefer to think of it as a homecoming.

A mystic once said that our problem is simply this:
We see ourselves as physical beings occasionally having a spiritual experience.
But actually, we are spiritual beings, currently having a physical experience.

Not too long ago, a person's education was not complete,
Until they had made the grand tour through Europe,
Drunk from the wellsprings of Western civilization

See works of art, hear music unavailable elsewhere.
Learn the cultures that contribute to what it meant to be Western,
And bring all of that home again, transformed, and larger then when you left.

Revelation pours forth through, in and through creation every moment.
This time we have here is privileged, an abundant gift like no other.
To see God's face in ways seen nowhere else.

So sad that we lose the forest for the trees,
Mistake creation for the creator,
Latch on to managing the properties and so miss the play.

Lord, make my vision ever larger.
Broaden my heart and give it the courage.
To greet each day with open-eyed wonder and reckless desire.

Shalom!

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Sirach 3: 17-18, 20, 28-29
2. Psalms 68: 4-5, 6-7, 10-11
3. Hebrews 12: 18-19, 22-24a
4. Luke 14: 1, 7-14

• The value of atonement
• If we think back far enough, we can all think of things that we wish that we had not done, things that we wish that we had not said.  But God doesn't seem interested in erasing events in the past.  He would rather make use of them.
• How are you giving yourself away these days?
• Why do you do that?
• Do you think that the way that giving makes you feel is just a coincidence, maybe reward for being good, or could it be the Spirit guiding you?
• How do you think that plays with the old saying "no pain, no gain?"

• Generosity has a name, and that name is Yahweh
• For a great deal humanity, sustenance comes in flocks, herds, and crops.  When the land prospers, we all prosper.  When we learn to tend the land, rather than rape it, we leave our children a lasting legacy.
• How has God prospered you?
• Do you expect to hand any of that on to future generations?
• Why?

• Perfection at hand
• Do you think that everyone in heaven is perfect?
• What does that mean?
• Do you think that my perfection might look a little different than yours?
• How do you suppose we each find that perfection?
• Do we have to wait until we're dead?

• After you
• When I open the door for someone, I try to say to myself, "whatever errand you are about is probably more important than what I'm doing, so let me help you how I can."  That attitude helps me stay in touch with the humility of Jesus.
• Do you think it makes you any less when you defer to someone else?
• What do you think might "false humility" actually be?
• How do you know the difference between real humility and a fake?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How am I healing the damage that I have left behind in my life?
2. How am I sustaining the world around me?
3. What in my life is holding me back from perfection?
4. Where am I finding humility in my life today.

Our Dog Taught me Priorities

Our Guide Dog Puppy's name is Riker, from Star Trek Next Generation.
Life is pretty simple for him most days.
Breakfast as soon as he is out of bed in the mornings.
Followed by a trip out to the back yard to take care of business.

Steady supply of clear, cool water in his dish.
Someone around to talk to during the day, toys to play with,
A warm bed to sleep on at night,
And he's good.

One day, God willing, he'll be helping a blind person navigate.
And their needs are pretty simple too.
All they want is someone there to help them get around,
Whenever they need to get somewhere.

That someone has to be ready 7X24X365.
Faithful, loyal, ever attentive, ever alert.
The blind person's needs are pretty basic too.
It doesn't take much to make them happy either.

I think it's not about settling
So much as its about seeing clearly
And realizing what's really important in life
Before all of it, important or not, goes away.

I just hope that my vision clears soon.
So that I can see past the distractions in this life.
And maybe see what I've been missing out on
By having as much as I have.

Shalom!

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 66: 18-21
2. Psalms 117: 1, 2
3. Hebrews 12: 5-7, 11-13
4. Luke 13: 22-30

• Hey, who are you calling "brother"
• The term Balkinization refers to a geopolitical process that breaks a region up into smaller and smaller units based on culture, ethnicity, or other shared traits.  For a sad commentary on how that can happen within Christianity, read https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/2gg7dr/heresy/.
• If you look at the person next to you in Church, what do you assume about them?  Do you assume that they believe in the same God that you do, have the same values that you do, pay their bills on time, vote one way or the other, ...?
• Why do you think that it's important that we be welcoming to others?
• What are some tangible, meaningful ways that we can make that welcome clear and effective?

• God's fidelity
• No one likes a flaky friend.  We want to know who that we can really count on, so that we don't waste time with so called "fair weather friends."
• Think of a time of real hardship for you.  How was God present with you through that?
• How would you describe that Presence as an expression of God's fidelity?
• If a friend of yours had treated you that way, how would you have taken it?

• Feeling the love
• Athletes like to quote the saying "no pain, no gain".  Which does not necessarily mean that there is always gain from pain.
• Looking back over tough times that you have had in life, how have those made you a better, stronger, more empathetic person?
• Were those gifts?
• Would you go through those tough times again, if you were given the chance?

• Is heaven big enough for all of us?
• In Calvin & Hobbs, Calvin creates an exclusive club where no girls are allowed.  That exclusivity makes Calvin feel important, part of an elite, someone with advantages that might even be enviable.  We laugh at such childish sentiments.
• Would you be disappointed to find people who have betrayed you in heaven?
• What would that tell you about God?
• What would that tell you about those other people?
• What would that tell you about your sense of betrayal?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Do I have the courage to welcome everyone?
2. How can I mirror God's faithfulness in my life?
3. Am I grateful for everything that God brings into my life?
4. What is lacking in my generosity toward others.

You must be new here

I've heard of a church with a sign at the entrance to the parking lot:

"If this is your first time hear, please turn on your headlights."

That signal calls forth an usher standing by, a valet if you will.

Who guides you to one of the VIP parking stalls close to the door.

That valet then stays with your and your family through the service.

Showing you where the worship aids are, how to use the kneelers,

They introduce themselves and their family to you and your family,

Invite you to their table for coffee and doughnuts after the service.

Then, in the weeks following, they call you from time to time.

No pressure, just interest.  Asking how you are doing, 

Asking if you have any needs that the congregation can help with.

Making sure that you never fall between the cracks and disappear.

And the welcome continues.  In time, someone taps you.

Asks you whether you would like to join the parking lot ministry,

Or if you have the time on a few Saturdays to feed the hungry,

Or serve coffee some Sunday morning.

When does a good welcome really end?

To whom does the Church really belong?

What does our welcome say about who we are?

What would you like for our welcome to say about us?

Shalom!

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Jeremiah 38: 4-6, 8-10
2. Psalms 40: 2, 3, 4, 18
3. Hebrews 12: 1-4
4. Luke 12: 49-53

• The art of the unpopular
• Jeremiah's message from God to His people was that they needed to surrender to the Babylonians.  Not a message calculated to ignite patriotic fervor, or broad approval from his fellow Israelites.
• When have you felt called to speak up, knowing that you were not going to be well received?
• How did you decide whether or not to "rock the boat"?
• How did you realize that you were the one to share that message, and not someone else?

• What does it all mean?
• The terrifying thing about quicksand is, the more that you flail around, the faster you sink.  When our best efforts just make things worse, we can make poor choices.
• Think of a time when you were under a great deal of stress.  Maybe it was at the loss of a job, someone close to you attacks you for no apparent reason, you and your spouse have a big argument, you name it.
• Was your first reaction the absolute best reaction?
• How did you get past that first reaction to a better response?
• Was prayer a part of any of that?
• Are you sure?

• Finding the essentials
• An old Jesuit priest once said "as my earthly mobility steadily declines, I find that I am more and more able to run toward God."  I suspect that the definition of "aging gracefully" really comes down to how well we embrace the overall paring down of our lives one piece at a time that is so much a part of aging.
• An old friend of mine has observed "of all the things that I have lost in life, I miss my mind the most."  What do you fear losing as you look forward to old age?
• Do you see any way that losing that (whatever it is) could possibly make your relationship with God, others, yourself deeper or better?
• My father in law once observed "my only hope is that I don't linger at the end".  What do you think he meant by "linger"?  Is there any possible good that could come of that seemingly endless span of time at the end of your life?

• Sticking out like a sore thumb
• Yesterday was the feast day of St. Lawrence Martyr.  He probably takes the prize for courage under fire.  In AD 258 the Romans decided to roast him to death on a gridiron.  At one point, Lawrence told his torturers "I'm cooked on that side, turn me over".  Lawrence stood up to the Roman persecutors, and gladly paid the price.  I'm not sure that I would have carried my sense of humor to the end like that.
• When you see others marginalized, taken advantage of, silenced, what is your first reaction?
• What do you think that you should do about those feelings?
• Do you think that "taking the high road" would make any difference in the end?
• Does that make a difference to you?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Do I have the courage to do/say what's right regardless of the consequences?
2. Do I trust God to get me through today?
3. What are the things that I really want to hold onto until I die?  Are they worth it?
4. What are examples in my life of God's faithfulness?

Comfort in unlikely places

I once worked for a manager fond of the information grenade.
He'd go to a meeting, toss out some bit of inflammatory information,
Wait a few minutes for the meeting to burst into flames,
And then he would have somewhere urgent to get to.

He took an odd comfort in discomfort.

Others find comfort in the predictable, the well worn path
Knowing what they know, content with what they don't know
Thinking, living, being inside the box all of their lives
Because the unknown is the lair of the unexpected.

These find comfort in control and predictability.

Others give to distraction
Generosity to a fault
Always shedding themselves in all directions
Hoping to atone for sins not yet committed.

These find comfort in self-inflicted penance.

Still others look to those around them for validation.
Every person that agrees with them is another friend.
Everyone else a danger, a hazard.
Closing off their minds and hearts to anything new.

These find comfort in sick solidarity.

"Peace give I to thee" Jesus says
"Not as the world gives, give I to thee"
I cannot promise everything will turn out the way that you think it should.
I cannot promise that you will always feel consoled or at rest.

But I can promise that every fiber of your being will be engaged

If you learn to find peace in living full throttle
No holds barred, no "plan B" no escape hatch
Trusting Me to be with you
As long as you are with Me.

The brave man dies but once, the coward dies a thousand times.

- Final stanza adapted from Julius Caesar by Sir William Shakespeare Act II Scene II
Shalom!

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Wisdom 18: 6-9
2. Psalms 33: 1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
3. Hebrews 11: 1-2, 8-19
4. Luke 12: 32-48

• Burning bridges?
• You have to wonder whether there were any of the Jews who stayed behind in Egypt when the Exodus took place.  Once the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, there was no going back, figuratively or metaphorically.
• When you have started a new venture, be it moving to a new job, leaving a home that you have been in for years, breaking up with someone that you have been with for a long time, is it easier if there is no going back, it has to be a clean break, or is it easier if you can change your mind later?
• When you make those sorts of big changes in your life, it represents a commitment on your part.  Who are you committing to?  Yourself, your family, your community, God Himself?
• What does it mean if things don't "work out" when you make such a change?  Was God unfaithful, did you maybe get His direction wrong, was the timing wrong, ...?
• How do you know if such a change actually "works out".  What does "works out" really mean?

• Waiting for God
• In some ways, all of us are waiting for union with God.  Some are more intentional and focused on that than others.
• What do you think that eventual union will entail?  Vindication for all of times that others have not appreciated your devotion to God, reward for your faithful service, finally understanding the meaning of life, reuniting with lost loved ones, freedom from having to mow the lawn each week, ...?
• Given your expectations, how ought you to be preparing for that?
• How much time and attention should you put into the preparation?
• Is there any part of your life that is not supporting that preparation?

• What legacy?
• 20 years after you are gone, what do you think of your present life will still be around in any form?
• Is that encouraging, or discouraging?
• What sort of a legacy do you want to leave?
• Do you think that is at all realistic?

• Losing my way
• "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is attributed to Lord Acton in 1887.  I suspect that observant folks have felt the same way long before then.
• Are there any servant leaders in your life?  These leaders put their people first.  Servant leaders see their first obligation to serve, to protect, to foster the growth of their people.  Everything else grows out of that.
• Are such leaders always successful?
• Define success.
• All of us lead in some manner.  What sort of leader are you?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How committed am I to the course that God has set me on?
2. How am I getting closer to God today?
3. What's on my "bucket list" for this life?
4. How can I be more Christ like toward those who depend on me?

Clearly we Needed a Plan B

My mother hen instincts are raging full throttle.
I'm sure that the tribe straggles over far too much terrain
To be safe out here in this howling wilderness.

So far, our most visible companion is not the God of our fathers,
But the buzzards circling effortlessly on the rising thermals.
In my experience, the buzzards are never disappointed.

This Moses character told us that we would be free
Free from the shackles of our Egyptian task masters
Free to worship our God with all our heart, soul and mind.

From the looks of things, that freedom will be cut short
By lack of water for us and our flocks,
Lack of food for our bellies, and lack of shade.

This God we worship seems to have a sick sense of humor.
First getting us past the clutches of the Egyptian army
Only to abandon us to a far worse enemy, the desert.

Maybe there's still time for me and my family to go back.
Sneak away from the community late at night.
Find our way home in time for a hearty breakfast.

This nomadic life that we seem to have embarked on
Was not what we voted on at the last meeting.
I wrote the minutes, I ought to know.

I'm pretty sure that I would not have signed up for this
This wanton deprivation, if anyone had asked me.
The risk of failure is too high, the consequences too dire.

I'm not even sure that anyone did a cost benefit analysis here.
And yet, there is still singing in the camp.
Dancing even around our camp fires at night.

Folks here are giddy with delight that they have been delivered.
Confident that things will somehow work out in the end,
If only we stick together and rely on our God.

I suppose that if I and my family bail on this venture,
We could start a trend, and avalanche of departures,
And ruin it for everyone.

Out here in the desert, we need each other more than ever.
Finding God here in the desolation is easier.
Fewer distractions than we've ever had before.

Maybe not knowing for sure where my next meal will come from
Helps me focus on things that are even more important.
Maybe its better to support my tribe, this nation, this people,

And hope that God who got us on this journey so dramatically,
Plans to stick with us to the end.
Wherever that "end" might be.

Shalom!