3rd Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the third Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19
2. Psalms 4: 2, 4, 7-8, 9
3. 1 John 2: 1-5a
4. Luke 24: 35-48

• Point of view
• In 2008 a movie called Vantage Point was released that presented an assassination attempt on the president from various vantage points.  Each vantage point provided more missing pieces of the total narrative until the audience finally understood the whole story arc near the end of the movie.  Life in general can often be like that.
• How does God generally reveal the meaning, the big picture of current events to us as Church?
• How do you decide what events going on around you mean?
• Does that big picture really make a difference?

• God's shining face
• Most of us would agree that God watches over us constantly.  But we often let our thoughts end there.
• When God is watching you, what expression do you see on His face?
• What have you done lately that you think made God smile?
• What have you done lately that you think might have brought tears to God's eyes?
  
• Does that have any impact on any decisions that you're faced with now?

• Perfecting the love of God
• It sounds presumptuous to desire to perfect the love of God in our lives, by our lives.  But in some way, that is exactly what God asks of us.
• One way to define love for another is to dedicate yourself to working so that they become the best version of themselves.  So how do you find out what that "best version" of those that you love might be?
• Does that sort of work on our part make the world a better place?
• Does that sort of work make better people of us?
• Is it easy?
• Why is that?

• Peace be with you
• Jesus wishes peace on His disciples a lot during the Easter season.  They seem to have needed it.
• Why do you suppose that it's important that Jesus appeared to His disciples in the flesh, rather than just a vision of some sort, a booming voice from the sky?
• What brings peace to your heart?
• Where is God in that process of achieving peace?
• Why do you suppose that Jesus wished peace on His disciples first, then showed them that all that they had gone through was the fulfillment of Scripture?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What is going on in my life today that I need to pray about?
2. Where am I giving God joy in my life?
3. Who  in my life might be waiting for generosity from me?
4. Where in my life do I need more peace?

The Empty Upper Room

Pilgrims used to visit here.

Hoping to somehow touch the place, the bench, the cup

Where it all happened, where Jesus appeared, first in bread and wine

Then in His resurrection garb,

Wishing us peace, sending us forth.

Finally, we realized that 

Just like those looking for Him in the tomb,

Or gazing after Him at His ascension, 

We were looking for Him in the wrong places,

Hoping that we could still find him where He had been.

Instead, we eventually realized

That we most earnestly felt Jesus' touch,

Heard His deep laughter,

Found our deepest peace,

Was in the washing of the feet.

Offering ourselves to those in need,

Reminding ourselves that to serve is privilege,

Finding the Face of Jesus in the afflicted, the worn, the forgotten.

As long as we looked for Him there, our memory of Him would be fresh -

And refreshing.

So, there's hardly any point to coming here anymore.

Jesus has left the building.

The only ones who come here now are students of the past.

Trying to find the meaning of life in history's cadaver.

Stretched out safely on a cold table of indifference - to those Jesus came to save.

Shalom!

2nd Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the second Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 4: 32-35
2. Psalms 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24
3. 1 John 5: 1-6
4. John 20: 19-31

• Stewardship
• I remember reading how the early disciples conducted themselves, and thought to myself how wonderful that all sounded, how simple, how clean, how focused.
• Do you ever feel as though you need to declutter your life in some profound way?
• What would you remove first?
• What makes you feel as though you could do without that?
• What is stopping you?

• God's track record
• In some ways, trying to predict God's actions is both a lost cause, as well as presumptuous.  Part of the thrill of following Him is that you never know what sort of new horizons He will open up in front of you when you least suspect it.  On the other hand, we do know a great deal about what motivates God, what His values are.  One of them is mercy.
• Have you ever been in a position to show mercy to someone else?
• How did you respond in that situation?
• Did they appreciate the mercy?
• Even if they did not, should that matter?

• Transformation
• Just about all of us are convinced at some level that Jesus will be victorious in the end.  We are just unsure about what path He will take between here and that eventual victory.
• What does victory look like?
• How does God triumph in this life?
• How has God triumphed in your life?
• Do you think that those triumphs make any difference in the long run?

• Jesus the gentle
• I took Thomas as my Confirmation name for two reasons: it was my father's first name, and I have an admiration for Didymus.  He always seemed very honest to me.
• When Jesus has led you into something new, something unexpected, how did that come about?
• Do you feel as though Jesus took you one step at a time, or was the invitation forward a total surprise to you?
• Why do you think that it went that way?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God inviting me to let go?
2. Where is God inviting me to show His mercy to someone else?
3. Where is God ready to triumph in my life today?
4. Where is God calling me to new horizons?

Shalom!

Easter Sunday

Our readings for Easter Sunday morning are:

1. Acts 10: 34a, 37-43
2. Psalms 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23
3. 1 Corinthians 5: 6b-8
4. John 20: 1-9

• Border walking
• Acts 10 chronicles how the apostle Paul was first invited to preach to the Gentiles.  Lucky for us, he listened to this unlikely invitation, luckier still that the Holy Spirit elected to take him out of his comfort zone.
• Think of a time in your life where you felt a call to do the unlikely.
• Did you feel ready to take that step?
• How did you finally decide to move forward into that uncharted terrain?
• Are you glad that you did?

• Patterns of mercy
• Finding the mercy of God in our past can be hard sometimes.  Tragedy strikes, calamity works to separate us from our loved ones and family, and years later we look back on those events and wonder where God was in all of that, or what we had done to deserve His anger, or even what sort of God would allow such to happen.
• Do those questions have answers?
• Should they?
• Where have you found your answers to those questions?
• What do those answers tell you about God?

• Transformation
• The Gospel of John portrays a risen Jesus with mortal wounds still evident.  A meditation on this can be found here.  It would seem that the wounds of Christ are not eradicated, but transformed.
• What are some of the biggest changes that you have come in your life?
• Were any of those caused by a tragedy, hurt, disaster?
• What gave you hope in those circumstances?
• Does that hope color your perceptions today?

• Meta cognition
• How we learn things, what it really means to learn, and what is worth learning are all important questions.  An even deeper one is where lies the distinction between faith information and faith formation.
• The first disciples had the reality of the empty tomb to bear witness to the resurrection.  What, in your life, gives witness to that resurrection today?
• Jesus made several appearances to His disciples before He ascended.  Where is He making His presence known in your life today?
• The Liturgical seasons are gateways, doors to the sacred realities that are always with us.  Those realities are eternal, transcendent.  Hence, it is always Advent, always Lent, always Easter.  How is it Easter in your life today?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God calling me to reach out to the untouchable today?
2. Where has God's mercy been hardest to find in my life?
3. What hurts of mine does God want to transform?
4. Where is God calling me to hope unexplainable?

Shalom!

Palm Sunday

Our readings for Palm Sunday are:

1. Isaiah 50: 4-7
2. Psalms 22: 8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
3. Philippians 2: 6-11
4. Mark 14:1-15:47

• Talk is cheap
• We have all known people who talk a good game, but who have no follow through.
• What are some issues that are important to you?
• What have you been doing to bring about change in those areas?
• Has that work of your been enough?  For you?  For those that you're trying to help?  For God?

• <your name here> the evangelist
• Who in your circle of friends/relatives wants to be happier?
• Do you feel that a stronger/deeper relationship with Jesus would help them?
• Why don't you say so?

• Disordered attachments and letting go
• Jesus strives always to help us gain our freedom.  Freedom from sin, in all its forms, includes freedom from attachment to anything that God gives us - respect from our peers, the things of this world, our ancestors, all these and more can become a liability if we get too attached to them.
• What are you most attached to?
• If God called on you to give that up, so that you could draw closer to Him, what would be your reaction?
• How can you be better prepared to make that decision in a generous way?

• Random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty
• We value efficiency, effectiveness, success.  Who could argue with that?  When we take action, speak up, seek change, we want to make sure that our efforts will make a difference, that they are worthwhile.  But is that really important to God?
• Has there ever been a person in your life that was in real need.  Maybe they had lost their job, their investments suddenly tanked, they had a health crisis, ...  How did that need make you feel?
• Did you get closer to them in the midst of that crisis?
• What made that time difficult/awkward/uncomfortable for you?
• What made that time difficult/awkward/uncomfortable for them?
• Do you think that it made any difference that Joseph gave Jesus his tomb, that Simon helped Jesus carry His cross, that Veronica wiped Jesus' face, that Peter tried so hard to be faithful to the very end?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What am I willing to give up for the pearl of great price that God is offering me today?
2. Who needs to hear about God's love from me?
3. What do I need to give up?
4. Am I willing to give, even it it looks like a lost cause?

All Alone and Yet, All One

The same sun that warmed my back along the dusty roads of Judea and Galilee,

Now parches me with thirst as I crouch here on this humble instrument of torture.

Those crowds of hopeful sons of Abraham who joyfully welcomed me to Jerusalem,

Now take comfort knowing that they finally can tell who and what I am: a hoodlum.

The very wood of this instrument of torture was once a great shade tree, a solace.

But it's fiber has been tormented into this purpose, yet I still feel the sapling within.

I know that the heart of Abraham still beats within the breast of Gods people,

Here and everywhere.  All of God's children share that heritage of hope and joy.

This sun that smites me now with its light and heat, danced when my Father,

Looking over all creation, rejoiced in what He had made, and counted it very good.

And so I hang here, melting in agony, to bring my Father's creation full circle

That His plants, animals, and the cosmos, may once again find peace in purpose.

And find purpose in Him.

Shalom!

4th Sunday of Lent

Our readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent (using the Cycle A readings) are:

1. 1 Samuel 16: 1b, 6-7, 10-13a
2. Psalms 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
3. Ephesians 5:8-14
4. John 9: 1-41

• A discerning heart
• Preconceived notions save a lot of time.  Doubtless our ancestors benefitted from them.  If you see a saber toothed tiger walking up behind you, it's a safe bet that your on the breakfast menu.  But sometimes preconceived notions get in the way of genuine growth.
• How do folks get selected for ministry in your church?
• If someone is shy, or uncertain of themselves, what are the odds that they will ever get invited to serve?
• How do you think active discernment, like what we read about in Acts 6 might work in your communities?

• How verdant are your pastures?
• How good has God been to you?
• Do you feel as though His followers deserve to prosper?
• Do you feel as though prosperity is a mark of divine favor?
• If not, then what is the benefit in this life for being a child of God?

• Blissfully ignorant
• During COVID 19, some folks have gotten news overload, and find themselves so depressed by all of the bad news, that they just stopped watching/reading.
• As children of God, what do we need to be aware of in the world around us?
• How do we know what it is that God wants us to "stay on top of"?
• What sort of help can we expect from God in our efforts to bring about the Kingdom?

• The meaning of disabilities
• Every day thousands of children are born into this world with birth defects of one sort or another.  It's heart-wrenching to see and can call into question our notion of a merciful God who loves all of us.
• Have you ever had something befall you in your life or those close to you that made you wonder about why God would let that happen?
• Did you ask God yourself?
• How did He respond?
• Do you think that he would like to hear your take on that event today?
• What is stopping you?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Who are the anointed ones around me that I'm not seeing?
2. What do I feel that I deserve from God?
3. What do I need to wake up to?
4. Where do I need to be more honest with God?

Nothing to Lose

The old man shuffled back out into the sunlight with a weathered wooden bowl held proudly aloft.

"I found it" he said.  "I knew it was back there somewhere!  No one would believe me."

I felt the weathered curves on the bowl, imagined the beggars who have used it through the years,

Finding comfort in its familiar contours and tangible weight.  A consistency in their lives.

"How much do you want for it?"  I asked, little caring about the bargaining soon to ensue.

I only played the game to honor the old man, and let him know I was no tourist.

"It's yours."  He said.  "I can tell a mystic when I see one.  You made a connection just now.

You would honor me and my family if you accept this as a gift and honor it in your home."

Knowing that to refuse would be an insult, I thought of a way to save face for both of us.

"A thousand thanks my friend.  I am famished, and I was wondering if you would share my lunch?"

Passers by stared at us as an unlikely pair.  I asked him "how did you come by this relic?"

"No one knows anymore.  It's been in the family for generations.  We passed it, and the story along."

"Why would the man born blind leave behind his beggar's bowl like that in the first place?"

The old man looked off into the distance and said "perhaps he used it to leave a lot of things behind.

Being a beggar is a hard life.  No one wants to be seen with you, plenty want to be seen giving to you.

People make up stories in their own minds, and share them with others, to make sense of it all.

But the fact of the matter is, who is born whole and who is not does not make sense, 

And it does not have to.  Our God never guaranteed us that this life would make sense."

"Have you ever eaten from this bowl?" I asked on impulse.

"Yes, I have.  To remind myself to be humble, to appreciate what I have, take nothing for granted."

"Then I shall do the same." I said, thinking that this would help me stay in better touch,

Touch with the world as it really is, touch with those that no one ever sees."

"Thank you for the gift.  And the reminder that I, too, am a man with many blessings.

Who needs to share them with others.

Shalom!

3rd Sunday of Lent

Our readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (using the Cycle A readings) are:

1. Exodus 17: 3-7
2. Psalms 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9
3. Romans 5: 1-2, 5-8
4. John 4: 5-42

• The meaning of adversity
• The children of Israel get a bad rap.  In the Old Testament reading, they make a valid point.  They are herdsmen.  If their livestock dies, they die.  So they had every right to voice concerns over water in the desert.
• Think of the last time that you went through a hard time.  Maybe it was a death in the family, loss of a job, the year 2019, you name it.  When you hit that hard time, did you ask yourself why that happened to you?
• Did you come to a conclusion?
• Do you have to come to a conclusion?  In other words, do tragedies, suffering, calamities have to make sense?
• Did that hard time impact your relationship with Jesus?
• If so, how, and why?
• Should that hard time have had that impact on you?

• Testing God
• Have you ever been angry at God?
• How did you process that anger?  Did you talk yourself out of it, were you to horrified at the though of being angry at the creator of the universe to even think about it, did you pray honestly and heatedly ...?
• How did God answer you?
• What do you think God wants of us when we are angry, sad, bruised and beaten by life?

• The power of hope
• The theological virtue of hope helps us to "keep our eye on the prize".
• At the end of your life, what do you hope to accomplish?  Give that some serious thought, and try to boil it down into one sentence.
• How is your relationship to God helping with that goal?
• What have you done today towards that end?

• The benefits of water
• The woman at the well had monumental courage.  Doubtless ostracized by her community because of her rocky marital status, upon meeting Jesus, she becomes an apostle.  I sometimes wonder whether anyone dismissed her because they had all dismissed her.
• Why is it so hard to reach out to someone in real need?  Maybe they have lost a loved one, lost their job, fallen into an addiction, ... we just never feel comfortable around such folks.
• Why does Jesus never seem awkward around those in need?
• What can you do to become more like Jesus?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How can my challenges, hurts, afflictions make me a better child of God?
2. Am I totally honest with God?
3. What difference does my hope make in my daily life?
4. Who are the invisible ones the ones that I scarcely see, in my life?

Worn Stones

Whether or not this was truly the site of Jacob's well had stopped mattering to me.

I could feel the great cloud of witnesses who have been here before me,

Hallowing this spot with their hopes and fears, prayers and longings.

As they sought to find their tentative way forward.

I ran my hand reverently over the worn stones bordering the well, 

Still warm from the afternoon sun, warn smooth through the centuries.

I sat down where so many others have rested, and prayed.

Prayed that I too might see the world through new eyes.

Like the deep well before me, fear of the unknown, 

Uncertainty over tomorrow yawned.

Dark, impenetrable, yet alive with possibilities, 

If only I had the courage to plumb their depths.

I touched the hearts of those before me who have found hope here.

Asked them what drew them to this lonely place.

And where their newfound hope sent them.

And most of all, what brought them hope, when all seemed cold, still, dim, lost.

I asked myself what right I had to look for peace, joy, fulfillment,

At this point in life.

When I had already received so much, from so many, over so much time.

After all, there must be a limit to the supply of grace for any one man.

And finally, after sundown, it came to me.

That the graces that I needed now were different from what I needed earlier in life.

Now I needed strength to continue, courage to persevere, and a prophetic voice to speak.

Now I needed to finish well, no matter how long it took.

Bones creaking and sinews complaining as I stood in the cold of early evening,

I once again turned toward the town and started waling.

Ready to minister peace and solace to those lost and alone.

Ready to give hope on those who have given up.

Shalom!

2nd Sunday of Lent

Our readings for the 2nd Sunday of Lent are:

1. Genesis 22: 1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
2. Psalms 116: 10, 15, 16-17, 18-19
3. Romans 8: 31b-34
4. Mark 9: 2-10

• Take nothing for granted
• Survivors are never the same.  Anyone who has survived a close call with death never looks at life the same, never looks at everyone else the same.  I'm sure that Abraham doubtless never looked at Isaac the same.
• Who are some people in your life that you tend to take for granted?
• Do they have any idea of how much you appreciate them?
• How do you think that you can be more appreciative towards them?

• Finding God in afflictions
• Think of a time when you felt far from God.
• What questions did you ask of God through that time?
• What answers did you receive?
• What/who helped you through that time?
• What did you learn through that?

• Give me Jesus
• Jesus does not pay the bills, confer degrees on you, shower you with gifts, or anything else that's terribly practical.  Yet so many of us firmly believe that we could not get along without him.
• How has Jesus transformed your life lately?
• How did that happen?
• What can you do today to make sure that you are more open to His gift to you in the future?

• The blessing of memory
• I have to believe that Peter, James, & John spoke of the Transfiguration among themselves.  They doubtless wanted to make sure that they were not going crazy.  They probably wanted to know what it all meant.  They probably struggled to understand how Jesus Himself fit into that picture.
• Is there anyone in your life that you can share deep faith experiences with?
• What happens to you when you do share?
• How does that sharing change your perceptions of your experiences?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God trying to open my eyes to those around me?
2. What can I learn from suffering in the past, and present?
3. Where is Jesus looking to be my sustenance, my all?
4. Where/with whom am I sharing my faith?

Shalom!