October 31, 2021 Reformation Sunday

 John 8:36  (The Promise)

“36 So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.”

To be set free is not to be able to do what ever I want to do when ever I want to do it.  To be free is to be a different person than I was, with a heart open to being willing to forgive;  willing to encourage;  willing to help;  willing to be a servant of compassion in a world of hate, bringing light in the darkness.  

To be set free by the love of God is to become, as Luther once said, “Little Christ’s” who go about doing good, not because this is the way to earn heaven but because this is the way to show that we are free from the fear of losing heaven and to show not only that we love God, but that God first loved us! 

Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, let your light shine through me;  

set me free to love!”  Amen

October 24, 2021 22nd Sunday After Pentecost

Mark 10:46-52  (The Message)

46-48 They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”

49-50 Jesus stopped in his tracks. “Call him over.”

They called him. “It’s your lucky day! Get up! He’s calling you to come!” Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.

51 Jesus said, “What can I do for you?”

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

52 “On your way,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved and healed you.”

In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road.

In the passage just preceding these words, the disciples miss what Jesus is saying to them three times.  So he gives them an object lesson.  He heals blind Bartimaeus even as they too needed their eyes opened to see him as the Suffering Servant.

It is not easy to connect suffering with the way we would have it with our God.

We want a God who puts things right and keeps things right, so bad things do not happen to good people.  We don’t want a God who is so human he suffers and we don’’t want to see anything good in suffering.

Yet God came as a suffering servant and God is present even in the silence of suffering.

The cross, an instrument of great suffering, is also a sign of great love.  A love which is greater then all the suffering possible;  a love which nothing can separate us from;  a love which is eternal! 

"It is when things go wrong, when the good things do not happen, when our prayers seem to have been lost, that God is most present.  We do not need the sheltering wings when things go smoothly.  We are closest to God in the darkness, stumbling along blindly."  Madeleine L'Engle

Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, help me to see your goodness when bad things happen.  Open my eyes to see your love even in my suffering.”  

Oct. 17, 2021 21st Sunday after Pentecost

Mark 10: 41-45   (The Message)

41-45 When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”

The lesson the disciples needed to learn - and we do too - is that they (we) were chosen not for special rewards but for special tasks.  We are to be servants, slaves, ambassadors, disciples,  all things to all people, and the rewards are in God’s hands.  Not to worry!

The primary reason for the Christian life is not so that I can get something after I die.  The primary reason for the Christian life is so that I can give something to this life here and now.

God will take care of heaven for us!  Our task is to be servants in the care of all God’s creation.  To be servants in his “kingdom on earth”.  Which Jesus reminds us is “within us”.  Luke 17:21

What does this mean?  Fr. Richard Rohr describes it this way:  The phrase “kingdom of God” on Jesus’ lips, then, means almost the opposite of what an American like me might assume, living in the richest, most powerful nation on earth. To a citizen of Western civilization like me, kingdom language suggests order, stability, government, policy, domination, control, maybe even vengeance on rebels and threats of banishment for the uncooperative. But on Jesus’ lips, those words describe Caesar’s kingdom: God’s kingdom turns all of those associations upside down. Order becomes opportunity, stability melts into movement and change, status-quo government gives way to a revolution of community and neighborliness, policy bows to love, domination descends to service and sacrifice, control morphs into influence and inspiration, and vengeance and threats are transformed into forgiveness and blessing.  Indeed, as the hymn Lead On, O King Eternal says… 

“for not with swords loud clashing, 

nor role of stirring drums,

but deeds of love and mercy

the heavenly kingdom comes.”

Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord, help me to not just pray ‘Thy Kingdom come’ , 

but to help it come on earth, even a little like it is in heaven. ”  

October 10, 2021 20th Sunday After Pentecost

Mark 10:17-22 (The Message)

17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?" 18 Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. 19 You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother." 20 He said, "Teacher, I have - from my youth - kept them all!" 21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye - and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me." 22 The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.

I know of only one person who took the words of Jesus to the Rich Young Ruler literally.

He was a young, self-made millionaire at age 29.  But as his business prospered, his health, integrity and marriage suffered.  When his wife left him the shock led him to re-evaluate his life’s values and direction.  He reconciled with his wife and then took a drastic step:  they decided too sell all of their possessions, give the money to the poor and begin searching for a new focus for their lives.

 

They went to Koinonia Farm, a Christian community near Americas, Georgia where Clarence Jordan had established what he called 

“A demonstration plot for the Kingdom of God.”

They  worked on the farm for some time, feeding the pigs, harvesting the crops and spending time in contemplation prayer and conversation with Clarence Jordan,  looking for practical ways  to apply Christ’s teachings - to follow Jesus as Jesus tells the RYR to do.

The result today is known as Habitat For Humanity which has provided housing for millions of people around the world and is still going strong.

A ‘heavenly wealth” indeed!

What could the RYR have done had he followed Jesus advice?

More important, what can we do to follow Jesus advice and not let anything be more important in our lives then walking with Jesus in the face of life’s  challenges and opportunities?  

“I see life as both a gift    

and a responsibility. 

My responsibility is to use 

what God has given me to 

help his people in need.”

Millard Fuller

 

Prayer thought for the week:  “Lord help me to surrender what keeps me from following you and take up the responsibility to be Your presence in my world.  Making a heavenly difference in someone’s life.  Amen

October 3, 2021 19th Sunday After Pentecost

Mark 10:13-16  (The Message)

13 The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. 14 The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. 15 Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." 16 Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

The Kingdom of God is ours as a gift - all we have to do is accept it,

openly, freely, confidently, joyfully, like a child. 

It isn’t difficult for a child to accept a gift - it is a natural response, often with joy.  The child doesn’t think about deserving the gift; the child just accepts the gift.

A child also has a great capacity to trust.  When we trust we believe the offer of a gift, and  accept the gift without thought to why or how or why me?  The gift doesn’t depend on me.  It is freely given out of love; like a child I can accept  it, in  love.  And live in confidence knowing no matter what, I am loved!

Prayer thought for the week:

“Lord, keep me mindful today and every day that I am loved as a child and can trust in

your never ending grace.”