17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. 2 Kings 4: 42-44
2. Psalms 145: 10-11, 15-16, 17-18
3. Ephesians 4: 1-6
4. John 6: 1-15

• Reckless generosity
• Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.  So goes the conventional wisdom.  Such thinking asks "how can we make this aid sustainable, how can we structure the help that we give others so that they do not need it?
• Do you think that God wants to fill all of our needs of the needy?
• If so, how is He going to perform that?
• Which is better, to share what you have, knowing that it is not enough, or wait until all of the resources needed are available, and then go minister?

• What do you need?
• The problem with losing a loved one is that right after they pass, your house is full of condolences, offers of help, people, even strangers.  But pretty soon, that all thins out and you are left behind with no company but cherished memories.
• Think of a time when someone you knew really needed support, but you didn't know what you could do for them that would make a difference.  Did you offer help?
• Were you specific about what sort of help you were offering, or did you leave it open-ended?
• How did you know when you were done?

• Perseverance
• I think that it's a common experience that as we get older, life becomes more and more about just showing up, and being being flexible.  I just saw a saying semper gumby that sort of sums that up.  For those of you too young to know who Gumby is, well, you had to have been there ...
• Do you think that there is ever any benefit from simply accepting something that you know is not going to change in your life?
• Is such acceptance a loss of hope?
• How do you know when it's time to stop looking for improvements?

• Unquestioning obedience
• I'm often struck by the seemingly nonsensical things that God asks of His people when He wans to perform a miracle.  See 2 King 5: 9, Joshua 3: 8, John 9: 7, Luke 17:14.
• Why do we consecrate bread and wine at Eucharist rather than grain and grapes?
• Why do the sacraments each have a physical component at all?
• Why do we?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God calling me to be recklessly generous?
2. Who of my neighbors is in need?  How can I help?
3. Where is God calling me to change my attitude about something troublesome in my life?
4. Where am I being called to offer what little I have?

Shalom!

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Jeremiah 23: 1-6
2. Psalms 23: 1-3, 3-4, 5, 6
3. Ephesians 2: 13-18
4. Mark 6: 30-34

• Subcultures within
• All of us want an immersive cultural, and especially religious experience: to be situated in a context that supports our values, affirms our priorities, and tells us that we are in good company.  But particularly this generation comes from so many places, cultures, backgrounds, such contextual harmony is all but impossible.
• What does someone else have to believe before you would feel comfortable worshiping God together with them?
• What does that same someone have to believe before you would feel comfortable working with them on some common goal?  That might be a Habitat for Humanity build, community cleanup, serving the homeless, ...
• What does that same someone have to believe before you would feel comfortable having dinner with them?
• And what would that same someone have to believe before you would feel comfortable with them proposing to your son or daughter?
• Why the difference?

• Protection from what?
• All of us feel that we can count on Jesus.  He's been faithful for years, maybe in some families you can even say generations.  Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to do what is right, in spite of your fears.  Put those two notions together ...
• Name three things that you are certain that Jesus would never allow to happen to you.
• Why is that so hard?
• If we cannot count on Jesus to protect us from specific calamities in life, what do His promises amount to?
• How does that change your prayer?

• Trinitarian invitation
• I guess that I am getting old.  Some of the music that has most shaped my life is getting rather old.  One such piece is Rory Cooney's One Is.  Here Cooney's lyric poetry extends the Trinity's invitation to all of us to be one with, in, and through the relatedness that is God.
• When you ponder the word "reconciliation", does that have more of the feel of a noun, or a verb?
• What part does God call us to in reconciliation?
• Can God do His part without us doing ours?
• Why is reconciliation so hard?
• What can we do to learn to be reconcilers?

• Perseverance
• Jesus sometimes seems like some sort of superman in robe and sandals, oh, and a beard.  He never seems to lose His patience (well, maybe with His disciples from time to time), He never whines or complains, yet His life seems chock full of needy people.
• What goes on inside of you when your plans get disrupted by unexpected demands?
• What is your first response?  Do you react to the person making the demand, the demand itself, or something else?
• Do you necessarily always have to "give in" to every demand, or is it OK to say "enough already, I need to recharge, rejuvenate, get better perspective?
• Do you think Jesus ever had to say "no" to anyone?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Who is God calling me to welcome?
2. What does my faith tell me about God's protection?
3. How can I be more inclusive?
4. Where am I in danger of burnout in my life of service to God?

Welcome

I have always hurried past the greeters at the door,

Barely acknowledging them as I dashed inside, looking for a good seat.

Never looking at their name badges, never saying hello,

Regarding them as a service that some folks needed, but certainly not me.

But today, I needed to wait there by the door for a friend,

To catch him on his way in to service.

I had no badge, no winning smile, but everyone else did.

Soon I was paying attention to all those coming by.

I remembered to thank the lector for her wonderful work.

I remembered to ask after a mutual friend I'd not seen in months.

I heard stories of how others were doing, where they had been,

And I realized that I was not welcoming them, they were welcoming me.

I never did find my friend, but Jesus certainly found me.

And reminded me that we are all connected, whether we know it or not.

And the best celebration of who we are happens between us

And that revelation can happen whenever we let it.

Shalom!

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary are:

1. Amos 7: 12-15
2. Psalms 85: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14
3. Ephesians 1: 3-14
4. Mark 6: 7-13

• Against the flow
• Apparently, no one becomes a prophet to win a popularity contest.  Or win much respect, or make a lot of money.
• Who are some of the prophetic voices that we have in our world today?
• What do you think motivated them to speak out the way that they do?
• Do you think prophecy is a full-time gig?
• How do you know that you have never been called to that ministry?

• Justice & peace
• Some have described homelessness as a blight, as though the homeless were some sort of disease that need to be cured.
• Is there a justice lens through which we can view homelessness, poverty, disease?
• Who are the prophets speaking of such things today?
• Are those prophets speaking and we just don't hear them?

• Jesus, the man with a plan
• Revelation has come to mean something that can be written down.  But that form of revelation has its limits.
• Think of someone that you really care about.
• How did you come to care that much about them?  Was it things that they wrote down, said, or was it their actions, or even just a feel about them?
• How have you come to feel about God & the Trinity?
• So what is it about God that inspires your trust?

• Urgency
• Working for Boeing, I always wondered were project deadlines came from.  After all, I often sacrificed nights and weekends to help make those dates come true, I figured I was entitled to know.  Funny thing was, the answer never really seemed to make a lot of sense.
• What sort of urgency does your life have?
• Do you have a "bucket list" that you are working on?
• What do you want to accomplish this year?
• What do you think God wants to accomplish in you this year?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Am I open to being lonely, misunderstood, ignored for God?
2. Where is God calling me to look at the poor with new eyes?
3. How are God & I getting closer lately?
4. Where am I running out of time?

Shalom!

14thSunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary are:

1. Ezekiel 2: 2-5
2. Psalms 123: 1-2, 2, 3-4
3. 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10
4. Mark 6: 1-6

• Appreciation is over rated
• Who does not want to be successful?  And a sure measure of success is how well we are received, affirmed, appreciated.  But all that God desires of us is that we are willing to serve.
• If you suddenly stopped receiving tokens of appreciation for your service, be they thanks, your picture in the parish directory, even a stipend, would you begin to doubt your calling to that ministry?
• If human appreciation for our work is an uncertain barometer of how God sees our work, how do we tell if we are in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing?
• Is it necessarily a bad thing to feel lonely in your ministry?

• For the greater glory of God
• Thomas Merton in New Seeds of Contemplation makes the case that the truly humble person is able to accept complements graciously because they know without a doubt that the complement goes straight to God who made us all.
• What are you proud of in your life?  Maybe its professional accomplishments, the respect of your peers, the respect of your family (often much harder to earn than respect from your peers), things that you have learned ...
• How often do you thank God for those?
• Why do you think that is?

• Dealing with the baggage
• We all carry baggage in our lives.  Maybe is the sting of divorce, or resentment over suddenly losing a cherished job, maybe a friend who betrayed you when you needed them the most, maybe just general disappointment that life didn't turn out the way that it was supposed to.
• If someone asked you for a catalog of the baggage in your life, would you be able to list those things pretty quickly?
• Is that from steady practice listing your baggage?
• If you don't feel as though you are carrying baggage, why is that?  How did you resolve/heal from those experiences?
• Where was God in those experiences, and your healing from them?

• The power to grow
• None of us like change, particularly in those around us.  When they grow, deepen, mature, it either inspires us to do the same, or intimidates us.
• Who are some of those from your life who have really matured over the years that you have known them?
• How did they manage that?
• What might you learn from them?
• Do you think that it's too late for you to grow/change?
• Why?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Why am I afraid of losing other's approval?
2. Where is God calling me to more gratitude?
3. How can I find more healing in my life?
4. Where is God calling me to grow beyond my comfort zone?

Coming Home

The journey home was a long one.

At first the young inventor wanted to show them all,

That he was more than they had seen in him as a youth,

That he had realized the potential that no one saw.

Then he realized that wasn't what he was after.  

What he really wanted was for them to appreciate his accomplishments,

To realize that he had potential long years ago when they knew him,

And it just took some hard work and courageous mentors to awaken it.

Then he realized he didn't really care what they thought, then or now.

What he really wanted to to show his old crush what a great opportunity she passed up.

And let her know that her rejection of him had inspired rather than beat him,

And maybe give her a genuine "thank you" for being honest.

Then he realized that he didn't really have anything to prove to anyone.

Instead, he wanted to reconnect with the frightened young boy that he was so long ago,

Embrace that young man, let him know that he was treasured and complete,

And let him know that he had always been loved, never left behind, 

Just forgotten for awhile.

Shalom!

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary are:

1. Wisdom 1: 13-15, 2:23-24
2. Psalms 30: 2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13
3. 2 Corinthians 8, 7, 9, 13-15
4. Mark 5: 21-43

• Creation emerging
• Creation can be destructive.  Hurricanes, drought, unseasonable cold, earthquakes and many more events can cause huge devastation and death.  All of these events and more are labeled "acts of God" in insurance circles to signify that no human agent is the direct cause, so there is no one to litigate when trying to get compensation for damages done.
• Think of some inexplicable tragedy in your life.  Maybe it was the loss of a loved one, unexpected loss of a job, ...  What did you conclude about God from that?
• Was your trust in God shaken by going through that trial, or was it maybe just reshaped?
• How has your trust toward God changed through that event, and others in your life?
• Has that been a good thing?
• Do you think that change might have happened otherwise?

• Mourning into dancing
• Rescue is a potent word.  It conjures up images of desperate people about to be engulfed by flood or fire suddenly plucked from disaster by daring heroes risking their own lives to save others.
• What are some things that God has rescued you from?  Maybe not a fire or flood, but maybe He's rescued you from being self-centered, or judgmental, or an addiction ...
• How did that rescue take place?
• What was your part in that rescue?
• What might God be anxious to rescue you from today?

• School of generosity
• I think that many of us fear the "bottomless pit" syndrome.  You probably know it by another name.  You see someone in need, maybe it's a homeless person parked near the freeway offramp, or someone that you see at church every Sunday, always all alone, and you perhaps feel like reaching out to them, but you ask yourself, "what are they going to ask of me?  Where will it end?  How will I know that I've done all that I can/should?"
  
• If someone came to you and told you "I want to learn how to be generous towards others" what would you say to them?
• Maybe you would get them involved in an existing program at your parish.
• Maybe you would tell them to start using their envelopes on Sunday.
• Maybe you would tell them to start praying for guidance.
• Is there any way to practice generosity so as to get better at it?
• What does better generosity look like?

• Do you see me?
• Deep need can isolate us from one another.  The one in need can find themselves totally defined by their needs, unable to give to anyone else.  Those others fear deep need because they think that they have to somehow fix things, at least help in some material way.
• Think of someone that you reached out to in need.  Maybe they had lost a loved one, or they were new in town and didn't know anyone, or their car broke down and they had no idea of how to get needed repairs.
• What were your fears at the time?
• Did any of those fears come true?
• Did it matter?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Why am I afraid?
2. Where is God transforming a tragedy in my life?
3. How can I be more generous, and more effective in my generosity?
4. Where is God calling me to reach out to another today?

Shalom!

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 12th Sunday of Ordinary are:

1. Job 31: 1, 8-11
2. Psalms 107: 23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31
3. 2 Corinthians 5: 14-17
4. Mark 4: 35-41

• Creation emerging
• One theme of Ignatian spirituality is that creation is not over yet.  God continues expressing, revealing, celebrating His creative self in us and all of creation in an ongoing basis, and that God invites us into that process.
• Looking back over your life to date, can you name any places/times/events when you can say that God was creating in and through you?
• How did that feel at the time?
• How does it feel now?
• How do you think that you can help God help you to be more creative?

• Houston, we have a problem
• Losing control is never easy, no matter what your personality type might be.  But sometimes that's the key to moving forward, becoming a better version of yourself.
• What were some of the worst fears that you've had over the years?
• Did you feel that God was going to be by your side through those times?
• Was He?
• What difference did that make?

• Paradigm shift
• Falling in love can be more than mildly disorienting.  Suddenly the very air you breath is alive with perfume, light permeates the fabric of your existence, you suddenly see the good in that cranky neighbor that you have disliked for years, and you have a whole new reason to get out of bed in the morning.
• Maybe "coming to Jesus" is not quite so dramatic.  Maybe the shift from merely surviving to glorying in the eternal Now of serving God takes a little more time.  But the implications are no less dramatic.
• What is the single biggest change that God has made in your life?
• How does that work itself out in your life today?

• At least show that you care
• There is no way to tell for sure, but I have this theory that Jesus was just faking being asleep in the stern of the boat.  He was waiting to see how long it would take before His disciples would panic.
• Do you ever wonder if God cares?
• Do you think that He has a funny way of showing His love for us?
• Do you ever bring that up in prayer?
• What does He have to say for Himself?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God calling me to create today?
2. Where can I be less controlling and still be fully alive to the possibilities?
3. Where is God calling me beyond the confines of my comfort zone?
4. Where do I doubt God's care for me?

Best Possible Outcome

Do you not yet have faith?

Faith for what is what I ask.

Those disciples on the lake with Jesus were no strangers to water.

If they were afraid, I'm pretty sure that I would be too.

Were they supposed to have faith that Jesus would somehow come to in time to save them,

And they would all make it to shore in one piece?

Or maybe He expected them to still the waters on their own,

And leave Him to a well-deserved, but doubtless soggy nap.

Or maybe they were to have faith that another boat, hopefully larger,

Would come to their aid and rescue them from the storm.

Or maybe their faith was supposed to be that God would care for them somehow

And totally leave the details up to Him.

Or even, sorry to tell you this fellas, but today is it for you.

Your tour of duty as a disciple is over.  Good job.

Whatever Jesus meant by His question, my answer is going to be

"I'm working on it.  Give me some time."

Shalom!

11th Sunday in Ordinary TIme

Our readings for the 11th Sunday of Ordinary are:

1. Ezekiel 17: 22-24
2. Psalms 92: 2-3, 13-14, 15-16
3. 2 Corinthians 5: 6-10
4. Mark 4: 26-34

• New beginnings
• This prophecy in Ezekiel came to the people of Israel in exile in Babylonia.  In this prophecy, God promises that He will always be faithful to His people, that He is the one constant in their history.
• What are some of the constants in your life, things that never really change, that you can count on?
• What do those constants tell you about our God?
• What do they tell you about yourself?

• What are you thankful for?
• Genuine thankfulness is actually harder than it looks.  The self-serving Pharisee who thanks God that he is not like other people, or even that tax collector over there, is an easy trap to fall into.
• What are you thankful for today?
• Is that any different from what you were thankful for yesterday?
• What would you like to be thankful for tomorrow?

• Spiritual beings having a physical experience
• We speak of the dead as "gone home to Jesus" which is a good reminder that we are not home just now, we are on a pilgrimage whose beginning and end are shrouded in mystery, and wonder.
• Picture yourself on your deathbed.  Family and loved ones are gathered around to see you off.  Oddly, everyone there, yourself included, are at peace.  In that gathering is a precocious child who asks you to recall your favorite memory.
• What would that favorite memory be?
• What would it take for your favorite memory from your life to happen to you today?
• What's stopping you?

• Stay in your lane
• We have all heard that phrase.  Usually it serves as a warning to pay attention to our particular job, and leave the rest to others.
• If God is ultimately responsible for the success of our ministries, just what contribution do you make?
• How successful are you at leaving God's responsibilities up to God?
• Are you any better at that now than you were 10 years ago?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What is God calling on me to count on Him for today?
2. Where is God in my life that I might not be noticing?
3. Where is God calling me to be bold?
4. Where am I trying to take over for God? 

Shalom!