12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Job 38: 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
   

• Part of God's revelation
  
• Every one of our experiences can reveal God to us, if we let it.  Sometimes, we don't get the answer that we want from our questions and our prayers because we are asking the wrong question.  Rather than ask "when will this trial be over?" the better question is "how can I use this experience to draw me closer to God?"
• Think of a trying time in your life, particularly one that you thought was more than you could handle.
• What was your prayer at that time?
• Did your prayer change as you moved through that experience?
• Why did your prayer change?
• If you went through something that difficult today, would you be any different in how you responded?
  

• The storm within
  
• Chaos around you, loss of control, nothing is predictable, plans lie in rubble at your feet, all seems senseless and hope begins to flicker.  The storm outside of us: our circumstances often threaten our peace within.  It is that peace within that must be tended, even in the most dire of moments.
• Have you ever lost your faith in God?
• Was it God God's self that you were losing faith in, or your faith that God would come through for you, or your faith that God really cared, or your faith that you really mattered to God, or your faith that any of it really matters, or ...?
• Do you feel that God failed you at that moment?
• Did you feel that way at the time?
• What's changed?
• Why?
  

• Paradigm shift
  
• Your paradigm is an organizing principle, the lens through which you view the world.  Fr. Peter would often term this your theology.  If we truly embrace the paradigm that the highest  everything in life is to bring about the Kingdom of God, it changes everything.
• Think of some people who have made a profound impact in your life.
• What sort of relationship did you have with them?
• How did that relationship enable them to be so influential in your life?
• How are they (even if they are gone from our midst) still blessing you today?
• When was the last time that you thanked God for them?
  

• At least panic with me!
  
• God can seem distant if we let ourselves get distracted.  It's easy to believe the lie that He has no skin in the game.  That God is somehow above our petty disasters, our minuscule mishaps, even our moments of deeply dire prospects.
• Think of a time that you saw no way out, that looked as though certain ruin was going to come your way.
• Where did you look for counsel, comfort, advice, support?
• Did you feel lonely in that moment, that you had been abandoned?
• Were you?
• How do you know?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. What are the things in my life that threaten to bring me to despair?
   
2. Where might God be showing me how to trust?
   
3. Is God calling me to be His Presence to another?
   
4. Where can I be more open to God's presence in my life?

Just in Case

My father always told me that the bad mistakes were the ones we didn't learn from.

So Jesus, next time we're in a boat with you,

The waves keep crashing over us with no end in sight.

The water keeps rising no matter how fast we bail.

Just what are we supposed to do?

Waking you up doesn't seem to have been the thing to do.

It seems as though you expected us to somehow respond?

Were we supposed to:

Let the waves overwhelm us and send us to the bottom?

Keep bailing until we can do so no longer,

Hoping for a lessening of the storm?

Scream louder, hoping that God will hear us?

 

Smiling, he shook his head at each question.

Finally I ran out of questions.

He gently asked "are you ready to listen now?"

I mutely nodded. Exhausted.

There is no single answer to your question.

What's called for from you might be very different in the next storm.

Every catastrophe ahead of you has its own lesson to impart,

Its own blessing to bestow.

The virtue required by calamity is peace and trust.

Peace is not the absence of chaos.

Rather peace springs from deep commitment,

Discernment of our Father in all things.

 

Peace is the fruit of connection.

It is watered by seeing the world through my Father's eyes.

Feeling His touch in all that is.

Celebrating His longing intimacy in every touch.

 

Trust affirms that peace.

Gives it strength, courage, perseverance.

So that, in the stillness at your center,

You don't shut out the loud clamor around you.

 

You hear our Father whispering to you through all that is coming at you.

And when you get there, you will know what to do.

So begin now, by celebrating our Father in all things.

So that you are ready to see him clearly at all times.

 

Shalom!

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time 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
   

• Part of God's revelation
  
• God reveals Himself, His nature, His priorities to us every day.  By using easily dismissed people like Dorothy Day and Mahatma Gandhi, God reveals His love for all of us, no matter what our station in life is.  He reveals that riches in this world are not what brings power in the truest sense, but humility.
• Who is someone in your life who has helped your relationship with God deepen?  Maybe that's your spouse, or some other family member who has shown you what God is like.
• What was it about them that revealed God's true nature to you?
• Have you ever thanked them for that gift?
  

• Bearing fruit in old age
  
• As I age (and not very gracefully mind you) I have become more and more aware that things that I can do now I will not be able to do forever.  So I need to prepare myself for losing one ability after another, perhaps (if I'm lucky) discovering other ways to contribute along the way.  It would be hard to bear not being able to bear fruit in old age.  Aging is enough of a bear as it is.
• What are the ways that you are bearing fruit for God today?
• How much longer do you think that you'll be able to keep doing that?
• What are some new ministries that you might see opening up for you in the future?
• Or, some ministries that you will be able to emphasize more in the future?
• How will you know when it's time to make those transitions?
• How can you make that process easier?
  

• Pleasing to God
  
• At least in principle, all of us want to please God.  Sometimes though, figuring out whether we're getting it right can be a challenge.
• How do you know when you're pleasing God in any particular thought, word, or deed of yours?
• How, and how often, do you check in with God to find out His reaction to are thinking, saying, doing?
• In those times when you come to realize that you acted out of fear, selfishness, or some other vice, what have you done to get things right again?
• Are you getting any better at this?  Do you feel that your conscience is becoming more finely tuned, that you are more sensitive to God's will in your life?
  

• Come Holy Spirit
  
• No matter how scientific you get about your farming, I'm sure that there will always be room for divine intervention, mystery, wonder about growing things.  We do our part to prepare the soil, sow the seed, irrigate, maintain the land, harvest the results, but in the end, without God's intervention, nothing would come of our efforts.
• What is a case in your life in which God took work that you had done, and blessed it, made it into something much greater than you could ever achieve on your own?
• Were you expecting that?
• Would your work have succeeded without God's intervention?
• Define success.
• How can we be more open to that gift of God in our work, our prayer, our lives?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where is God calling me to reveal Him to others?
   
2. Where might God be showing me how to age?
   
3. Is my life, right here, right now, pleasing to God?
   
4. Where can I be more open to God's presence in my life?

Deep Down

The earthen farrows lie expectant under the April sun.

Moistened with just enough water to help the seeds to take root.

Carefully fertilized for maximum effect.

Ready to receive the final ingredient needed

To bring in the next harvest.

 

The old farmer blessed himself and his tractor before climbing in.

His neighbors had seen him start his sowing thus for many years.

They used to kid him about his unscientific methods.

He only smiled and said

It's not just about me and my work.  Now I hand it off to God.

 

The old farmer's luck with his crops wasn't especially better

Nor was his luck with his crops especially worse than his neighbors either.

But when the hard years came, and they always did,

He seemed to always weather those trials better than anyone.

In spite of blight, blizzard, and destroying insects, he never lost hope.

A longtime friend once asked him

"When all seems lost, your land forlorn, the banks after you, do you hope for abundant yields?"

"Nope", the old farmer would answer.

"Well then, do you think that God will somehow make it all better, even without good crops?"

"No necessarily" the old farmer shook his head.

"What then, do you hope that God will do for you?"

"Be faithful to me His servant.

Reward my faithfulness with His Presence.

I believe that serving Him, in whatever capacity He calls me to,

Makes this world a better place.  Maybe in ways I'll never know.

And that's all I know, all I ask for, all I care about.

Maybe this family farm will someday go under.

Maybe me and my family will have to endure poverty.

Maybe we'll all be forgotten before we're even cold in the grave.

But none of that matters, but one thing.

At each turn in the road of my life, was I where God called me,

Doing what He was calling me to at that time?

Every time I can say yes to that question,

I know I'm a success.  I know I've planted a seed that will yield now and forever.

No matter what the rest of the world thinks of me or my life.

When you see me bless myself each Spring,

It's a prayer to God, rededicating myself, my strength, my all

To His service, whatever that might be, wherever it might lead.

Knowing that I and my kin are but sojourners in this place.

Knowing that this is just a stopping place in our journey."

Shalom!

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 10th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Genesis 3: 9-15
   
2. Psalms 130: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
   
3. 2 Corinthians 4: 13 - 5:1
   
4. Mark 3: 25-35
   

• Where are you?
  
• Most of us have at times longed to hear God in our lives as an audible voice, speaking bold and true, bringing consolation, peace, direction.  Be careful what you wish for.  Anyone who has that close a relationship to God is also going to hear the heartbreak, the agony of God when His children, lost and alone, cry out and they don't even know who to call upon anymore.
• If Jesus were available to you visibly, audibly, for one hour each day at a set time and place, would you show up?
• What would you want to discuss with Him?
• How do you think that conversation would evolve over time?  Do you think that you would bring up the same things over and over again?
• How about Jesus?  How do you think His conversation might change with you over time?
• How would you see your life changing in the wake of such an experience over time?
• What's stopping you?
  

• Saving from error
  
• Sometimes, our actions are driven by beliefs that are very deep within us, but which we can hardly articulate in words.  Sometimes these beliefs can only be expressed in pictures, or other media.  But they are just as real, and when they are wrong, they are just as devastating.
• How would you define God's mercy?
• When, in particular, has God been merciful to you?
• Did you have any trouble trusting God for that mercy?
• Is mercy ever easy or cheap?  Is it just some sort of easy excuse from the true consequences of our actions?
• If not, why not?
  

• Will we wear name tags in heaven?
  
• I'm really bad with putting names to faces.  If I go before Mary does, I'm in trouble because I'm afraid I'll keep bumping into people in heaven who remember me very well, and whom I cannot recall to save me.  Mary is much better at that.
• What of our time here on earth will carry over into Eternity?  Would it be the trust that we have in Jesus, our awe of the world around us, the relationships that we have here on earth, our sense of humor, ...?
• Given that, how can you better concentrate on the things that last.
• How can you use the things that don't last to build things in your life that do last?
• How do you tell the difference between them?
  

• Work/life balance
  
• Once word got around about Jesus, His preaching of hope, His healings, His mercy, it always seemed as though there was not enough of Jesus and His disciples to go around, to meet all of the clamoring needs that rushed Him.  His family feared burnout.
• How do you think that Jesus protected/protects His disciples from burnout?
• How can we be better at at bringing more of God's people into active ministry?
• Every year we confirm a batch of young people.  Many of them disappear.  What's with that?
• What can we do to make our parish more vibrant and alive?
• Where can we start?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where is God calling me to deeper prayer life?
   
2. Where might God be showing me His mercy right now?
   
3. Where are my priorities?  Where do I spend my time?
   
4. Where can I be more inviting to others?

Where Are You?

I gave you a hug this morning from your four year old daughter.
You seemed more aware of the pizza sauce on her little hands that made you change your shirt.

I kissed you on the cheek this morning at sunrise when you were on your way to work.
You thought it was just a wisp of a breeze caused by the sun's heat on the dewy grass.

I called you to prayer in the rainbow.
But all that you saw was the slowdown on the freeway caused by the unseasonable rain.

I tried to comfort you when your boss laid his hand on your shoulder.

But you were too afraid of what he wanted of you to feel me.

I showed you my love in the lunch that your wife packed for you.

All that you remember is that she gave you one of the kid's spoons by mistake.

I tried to call you to prayer when you had some time left over after your lunch.

But all that you could think of was getting back to that that quarterly report due tomorrow.

You cry out without lifting your eyes to me.

You don't want to be disappointed yet again by silence from me.

But I'm calling you night and day.  But your worry and insecurity has made you blind and deaf.

I have so much to share with you if you will only open your heart to me.

You scatter your energy before rapacious strangers who only want to take advantage of you.

And you miss my breath, my caress, my consolation when I offer them over and and over again.

Come with me and find beauty in all of the places that I have hidden it in plain sight.

Let my out poured love for you give you peace.

Then you will hear the choirs of angels,

Hear them, and join in.

Join in and find your place in the grand orchestra that you you are in -

And find your one true purpose in this life -

And the next.

Shalom!

Corpus Christi Sunday

Our readings for Corpus Christi Sunday are:

1. Exodus 24: 3-8
   
2. Psalms 116: 12-13, 15-16, 17-18
   
3. Hebrews 9: 11-16
   
4. Mark 14: 12-16, 22-26
   

• Exchange of gifts
  
• The blood of the covenant that Moses sprinkled on the people made them one with the sacrifice that the nation offered that day.  The sprinkling of holy water on us reminds us that we are one with Jesus, and hence, with each other in our baptism.
• How does that oneness of the Body of Christ color the way that you look at God's children?
• How does that oneness of the Body of Christ influence the way that you treat others in the Church parking lot?
• How does that oneness of the Body of Christ influence the way that you treat your family members?
• How should it?
  

• Taking the cup of life
  
• Drinking of a cup has no reservations, no ability to pick and choose what you partake of.  Either you down it, or you don't.  Throughout the Bible there are a number of cups celebrated, each a blessing, each an adventure into greater trust.  To choose to drink of God's cup is to choose not to drink of so many other cups.
  
• What is a cup that you have have to set aside?  It might be the cup of revenge, bitterness, anger, greed, envy.
• How did you come to know that you had to set that cup aside?
• Was that "setting aside" a one-time event, a process, or is it still ongoing?
  

• Standing unblemished before the Unblemished Lamb
  
• Jesus came in the flesh to redeem us, not from the flesh, but in the flesh.
• What are some of the ways that you have found God in your flesh?  Maybe it's the the cool feel of holy water on your forehead when you bless yourself entering Church.  Maybe it's the freshness of the morning on your skin when you first leave your house to greet the dawn.  Maybe it's the touch of a loved one, calling you in the gift that you are.
• Do you think that your flesh helps, hinders, or some of each in your walk with God?
• Why do you think that God gave us these bodies?
• Do you think that we'll have them in the resurrection?
• How should we treat them now, if that's the case?
  

• Worship in the preparation
  
• Between Lazarus' sisters Mary & Martha, I tend to be more like Martha.  I like preparation.  It helps me feel invested in the experience to come, to feel a part.  Once a celebration begins, I try to switch gears into Mary mode and be more for the moment, but it's hard.  The disciples had to get everything ready for that first Mass.  I wonder if they knew how many precedents there were starting that evening?
• Have you ever let the preparations for a liturgy, prayer service, presentation, ... run away with you so that you cannot enjoy the event itself?
• How do you know when you have prepared enough?
• How do you know what needs to go into the preparation?
• Have you ever been surprised at the Spirit for stepping in and making a miracle happen when you least expected it?
• Why do those happen?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where is God calling me to deeper respect for His Presence in others?
   
2. Where might God be inviting me to set aside a distraction in my life?
   
3. How can I be more sensitive to God's Presence in my body?
   
4. Where might I be missing God of the moment?

Every Night is Holy

The sun hovers over the horizon.
Giving us precious minutes more before the start of Passover.

Hours have flown by as we readied this room for the meal.
Transforming it from a rude loft into a sanctuary of remembrance.

A place where we, Jesus' friends, can tell the sacred stories.
And remind each other of who we are, the roads we have trodden, where we are going.

Stories that have, of late, all come together and found their culmination in Jesus.
Stories that all lead here, right now, tonight.

Once again we will remind each other that we are delivered,
Free of Pharoh, free of our own sins, free to worship in spirit and in truth.

Once again we will step into Eternity and walk with Father Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Take the hand of our ancestors and again let them lead us to the Promised Land as God's People.

This night is special above all nights for we celebrate deliverance.
This Passover is special above all Passovers that we have celebrated with Jesus.

The rest of the disciples are arriving, and this moment breathes wonder like no other.
So much so that every evening for the rest of our lives is made sacred.

Every night can be a Passover if we let it.
Every touch a sacrament if we allow it.

Come Lord Jesus and recline with us.
Let us share ourselves with you, and you with us.

Let us find our way to radical generosity and reckless love by the light of Your Presence.
Let us light the way for others as well.

Help us to step into deliverance in our giving away of ourselves.

Shalom!

Holy Trinity Sunday

Our readings for Holy Trinity Sunday are:

1. Deuteronomy 4: 32-34, 39-40
   
2. Psalms 33: 4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22
   
3. Romans 8: 14-17
   
4. Matthew 28: 16-20
   

• Why am I here?
  
• My in-laws were married for more than 60 years when Jean, my mother-in-law died of cancer.  Bob, her husband, was not the sort to complain much, but I got to spend a fair amount of time around him in the years after Jean's death.  Every once in awhile, Bob would ask "with Jean gone, why am I still here?"
• Jesuit theology tells us that each of us is here to participate in the ongoing unfolding of God's creation.  That creation is a process, not an event, not a big bang.  And we're a part of that process.
• What are some things that you have done that were particularly creative?  It might be a proposal for a new organization structure, raising children, building a house, writing poetry, you name it.
• Where was God in that?
• Would the world be a poorer place if you had refused to do that bit of creating?
• How do you see God preparing you for that creation experience?
  

• Finding trust
  
• Usually, we learn to trust another by observing their behavior over a period of time.  We begin to develop a sense of what that other person's principles are, what they value, how they live, and from that we learn to trust them.
• How well do you trust God?
• What is that trust based on?
• Has God always given you what you asked for, when you asked for it?
• Did God always/ever explain God's self to you so that you could tell why He behaved the way that He did?
• If someone were to tell you "I cannot believe in a loving God who allows such misery and pain in the world, what would you tell them?
  

• Suffering with Jesus
  
• Brad DuFault once told me of a story that has stuck with me for years.  Brad used to work at the Long Beach Rescue mission three times a week.  He would show up in his work grubbies, and just start in with whatever needed to be done that day.  A prospective donor came by to check the place out, and seeing Brad, he immediately presumed that Brad was one of the homeless, and he treated Brad with that assumption.  Upon reflection, Brad saw that as a gift, to get just a glimpse of what Jesus' ministry was, and is like.
• What are some ways that you have gotten close to the people that you minister to?
• How did that change you?
• Did you come away from that experience feeling more grounded, authentic?
  

• Comfort in the Journey
  
• We are a pilgrim people.  If you define a shrine as a place that has become holy, a place where God frequently visits, then, in some ways, we are always en route from one shrine to another.  Sometimes we are called to rebuild a shrine that has been forgotten and desecrated, other times it is to form a new shrine by celebrating God's ongoing action and tabernacling in our lives.
• Where are some sacred places in your life?
• What makes them sacred for you?
• What about sacred times, seasons, people?
• Is it also true that God is everywhere, at all time?
• What does that tell you about the here and now and these people around you?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where is God calling me to deeper trust?
   
2. Where might God be showing you love that you are not ready to recognize as such?
   
3. How can I be more sensitive to God's direction in my life?
   
4. Where might God be inviting me into my next pilgrimage?

Shalom!

Pentecost

Our readings for Pentecost Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 2: 1-11
   
2. Psalms 104: 1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
   
3. 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13
   
4. John 20: 19-23
   

• Revelation among us
  
• Pentecost was a transformation.  The Spirit transformed a band of confused and fearful followers of Jesus into focused, and courageous apostles who set out to transform the world around them.  Sometimes, it's hard to believe that that call is still there, or that it applies to all of us.
• How are you making the world a better place?
• Are you more effective at that than someone in your position who doesn't know Jesus?
• Where is God transforming you lately?
• Where would you like for God to transform you?
  

• Finding renewal
  
• Renewal should be an ongoing process, rather than a tectonic upheaval that ambushes us at seemingly unpredictable times.  Renewal draws us into reevaluation of our faith practices to make sure that they are still relevant to the challenges facing us in the moment, and still a reflection of our core principles.
• Where do you see renewal in our Church?
• Where do you see renewal in our parish?
• Where do you see renewal in your family?
• Your own life?
  

• Job description
  
• I once recommended to a directee that he build a spiritual resume.  List his experience as a Catholic, where he felt that God had met him in particularly palpable ways, ministries that he had participated in, places in his life where he felt that he had made a difference, and finish it off with a summary of the position in God's kingdom that he was looking to fill.
• What would you put into such a resume?
• What do you think that God has prepared you for?
• Does any of that sound exciting?
• Do you think that you'll be surprised by what God leads you into in the years ahead?
• How does that make you feel?
  

• Peace be with you
  
• Peace can be an elusive quality in life, particularly when there are multiple forces all clamoring for our attention, all urgent, none of them willing to take a back burner.
• Why do you value peace?
• What happens to you/in you when you are not at peace?
• How do you achieve piece?
• Do you think that you can make a habit of peace?
• If peace can be defined as "harmony between God's will in your life and your actions", do you think that it's possible to achieve such peace more and more in your life?
• Is stress the opposite of peace?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where is God calling me to face a rewrite of my world view?
   
2. Where might God be renewing you today?
   
3. How can I be more sensitive to God's direction in my life?
   
4. Where might God be inviting me into greater peace?

Planting the trees

The special auger truck pulled up in front of my house one day.

Carefully positioned the giant bit, and dug a perfect hole in just the right spot.

A few hours later, another crew came and filled in each hole, and left.

I caught up to one of the crews filling in the holes, and asked the obvious question.

They told me that the guy who puts the trees into the holes had called out sick that day.

I never seemed to fit in anywhere when I was a youngster.

I envied superheroes that had unique and valued powers.

Not so much because I wanted to be a hero, 

But because I wanted to be useful.

I wanted to always know my cue to march onto the stage, fulfill my destiny, and exit.

I figured that if I was particularly gifted at filling in holes, 

Then every time I saw a hole, my calling would be evident.

I would fulfill my destiny by filling that baby to the brim, tamp it down, 

And know that I had done what I was born for, come what may,

Without having to agonize over what I brought to the table that day.

I'm slowly getting better at this superhero thing.

Some days, my job is to go grab some trees and plant them before the holes gets filled.

Some days, my job is to get the crews making and filling the holes doing something else.

Some days, my job is to find someone else to plant the trees.

Some days, my job is to improve the scheduling system.

I don't have to be the best at anything anymore.

I think its more important that I show up on time, see the need in front of me, and meet it.

By whatever means the Spirit calls me to in the moment.

I don't have to be wildly successful anymore.

Just recklessly available, courageous in the face of uncertainty, humble before all else.

After all, no one likes a holier than thou attitude.

Shalom!

Ascension Sunday

Our readings for Ascension Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 1: 1-11
   
2. Psalm 47: 2-3, 6-7, 8-9
   
3. Ephesians 1: 17-23
   
4. Mark 16: 15-20
   

• Jesus has left the building
  
• I often wonder what it was like for that first couple of generations of Christians after Jesus left them.  If I had been there, I would have wondered why He had to leave at all.  If I had been one of the apostles, I might have felt abandoned, and inadequate for the work that Jesus had so suddenly bequeathed to His us, His followers.
• If you were asked to find someone to replace you in one or more of your ministries, what would you look for in that new person?
• Doubtless, you would want to train them in their expected new role.  How would you train them?
• How would you know when they are ready to take over?
• How would you pass your roles and responsibilities over to them?
• How would you gracefully step aside when the time came?
  

• God mounts His throne
  
• As Americans, we tend to reserve judgment regarding our leaders.  Absolute power corrupts absolutely.  So an unrivaled monarch strikes us as nothing less than disaster waiting for an opportunity to strike.  But our God is incorruptible, because He is ever true to His true nature, His principals are unfailing, His integrity eternal.
• Just because God is incorruptible doesn't mean that His servants are incorruptible.  Is it even possible for us to aspire to being true, and faithful to the destiny that God has planted in each of our hearts?
• Can you think of anyone who has encouraged to live up to your destiny in one way or another?
• How did you react to that call at the time?
• Who are the ones that you are calling to step into the fullness of their potential in God?
• How could you get better at that encouragement and affirmation of others?
  

• Welcome home
  
• You only die once.  It might not hurt to do a dry run or two at your own death.
• Imagine yourself outside of the heavenly city.  A vast throng is coming towards you, rejoicing that you have made it.
• Who are some of the folks you hope to see in that welcome delegation?
• What do you hope that they will say to you when they draw near?
• What are you doing today to make sure that reunion is joyful and joy filled?
  

• Finding freedom
  
• The disciples' following Jesus' retreating form as He ascended reminds me of those folks who stay in the theater after the movie is over, hoping for some good out takes, or an Easter egg of some sort to indicate what the next sequel will bring.  I suspect that deep down, they were wondering to themselves "now what?"  They had to move on.
• What is something that you have had to move on from before you could be truly free, truly able to step into the next chapter of your life?  It could be saying goodbye to the child to make room for the adult, finding it in your heart to forgive another, moving into a new way of celebrating your faith ...
• How did you know that you needed to leave that behind?
• How did you mourn that loss?
• Would it have made any sense to try to speed up that mourning process?
• How did your community help in that process?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where is God calling me to face a rewrite of my world view?
   
2. Where might God be revealing Himself through me to another?
   
3. Where is God calling me to take a longer view of my life?
   
4. Where might God be inviting me into greater joy?

Proclaiming the Gospel

The elderly apostle shuffled to the front of the meeting room, lovingly supported on either side.
They gently lowered him into the chair reserved for him and quietly took their seats.

"Children", he began, "I learned something the other day that I want to pass on to you."
"I was telling another church about the time that Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed Jesus.

Suddenly, I was back there with them so many years gone by.  I could smell the perfume.
And I could feel the tension in the room when Judas objected to such reckless love.

I remember thinking to myself that I, too, wondered at such an expense.
Wondering at such extravagance.  Wondering whether it was a waste.

And for the first time, I realized that was the whole point.
Our God pours out His graces and blessings on us day after day.

He never runs out, not now, not tomorrow, not ever.
And if we follow Him faithfully, neither will we.

In the telling of the tale, in the reliving of that blessed experience, in the giving that away,
In the giving it away was when I finally realized what it meant.

And I realized that there was doubtless more for me to learn from that encounter with Jesus.
And it is only in sharing that, experiencing it again and again with others -

That I'll ever really get to know the ongoing revelation of Jesus in my life and yours.
Don't just sit there waiting for me to speak from cherished memories.

Instead, let us renew each other, strengthen each other, be the Presence of Jesus for each other
Be the Gospel for, with, and through each other, that in the sharing of our stories -

In the sharing of our stories, we may deepen the revelation of Jesus to us
All of us, through each of us.

Shalom!