Sunday Homily 5-16-10, Ascension

Readings: Acts 1, 1-11; Psalm 47, God Mounts his Throne to Shouts of Joy, a Blare of Trumpets for the Lord; Ephesians 1, 17-23; Luke 24, 46-53.  

Ascension  of the Lord – Intro to the Readings

Today, we have a whole lot of Luke and a reading from Paul, or someone who knew him very well!

 

Tony begins 5-16-10

 

Our first reading is from the beginning of Acts and because of the feast, we leave aside John’s Gospel today and hear about the ascension from the very end of Luke’s Gospel.

 

 

 

The Gospel of Luke ends as it began (Luke 1:9), in the Jerusalem temple.

Luke brings his story about the time of Jesus to a close with the report of the ascension. He will also begin the story of the time of the church with a recounting of the ascension. In the gospel, Luke recounts the ascension of Jesus on Easter Sunday night, thereby closely associating it with the resurrection. In Acts 1:3, 9-11; 13:31 he historicizes the ascension by speaking of a forty-day period between the resurrection and the ascension. The Western text omits some phrases in Luke 24:51, 52,  perhaps to avoid any chronological conflict with Acts 1 about the time of the ascension.

 

 

Tony & Buddies 5-16-10

Homily for the Feast of the Ascension

 

 

Faith is one of those items, which, try as we might, we will never be fully able to explain.  But I think there is a clue to this challenge in our second reading today.  There is a little phrase in there about the eyes of the heart.   I have never heard of the phrase “eyes of the heart” before, but the more I thought about them the more it started to make sense to me.

 

 

For most of my life beginning with my first catechism my faith seems to involve learning stuff:  information, ten commandments, seven sacraments, seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, twelve apostles names, mortals sins and venial sins.  The list goes on and on.  As humans, today, we are almost obsessed with information, data.  I don’t think that people at the time of Christ were quite so obsessive as this.  Here is why:

Coffee Time 5-16-10

 

In our first reading today from the opening chapter of Acts, Luke tells us that Jesus ascended to heaven forty days after the resurrection.  Yet in the gospel reading, also by Luke, if we pay close attention to the last chapter of that Gospel, Jesus ascended to heaven the same day as the resurrection!  Both readings are from the same writer.  Both readings coming from close to each other in their respective books, the last chapter of the gospel and the opening chapter of the Book of Acts, and yet this contradiction did not seem to matter to Luke or his audience. 


 

The only conclusion is that the detail, the facts themselves were not that important.  The event was looked at thru the eyes of the heart.  As I said on Easter Sunday, the fact of the Resurrection cannot be proven; neither can the fact of the Ascension.  They can only be seen thru the eyes of faith, thru the “eyes of the heart”

Old Geezers 5-16-10

 

This week I was watching a new TV program “Into the Universe” from Steven Hawkins, the world's most famous living scientist which is all about the origins of the universe.  Even as intelligent a person as Hawkins cannot find God in our universe, and I believe the reason is quite simple. 

 

 

He is not looking with the eyes of the heart; he is looking through the eyes of a scientist who looks for hard data.  Our God is outside all of that.  Our God is in a totally different world.  His is the world of caring, the world of loving, of taking care of the poor, the sick and the lonely.  Our God has one simple rule, love one another. 

 

Bill 5-16-10

This kind of stuff is only visible thru the eyes of the heart.  And so today, as we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, we can only celebrate it emotionally, not intellectually, because the notion of someone rising from the dead and going up where-ever doesn’t make any sense from a scientifically observable point of view, but is easy to accept in the context of a God who loves you and me unconditionally.

 

Picture 1:  Fr. Tony Begins

 

Picture 2:  Fr. Tony & Buddies, Marianne, George, & Ron

 

Picture 3:  Coffee time, Curtis, Warren, Ken & Cindy, Teresa & Tom, & Mabel

 

Picture 4:  Old Geezers, Tony, Jerry, David, & Stack

 

Picture 5:  Backpacking talk, Lynda, Bill, Daniel, & Claire

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  • Sunday Homily, July , 2007, 16th of the Year

    Readings: Genesis 18, 1-10; Psalm 15; Colossians 1, 24-28; Luke 10, 38-42

    Genesis: the word means "origin," and that is what the book details.  Our selection today comes after the creation, Cain & Abel, Noah & the flood, & the tower of Babel.  The big three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob. 

    In our reading Abraham is now old, as is Sarah, his wife. They have no son. After their hospitality to two strangers, guess what happens?

    Activist or Contemplative?

    The years I lived in Tanzania I used to travel constantly giving retreats & seminars.  When I finished a stretch, I would return to our little Jesuit house near Kilimanjaro to catch up on perhaps 2 or 3 months of mail, to work up more seminar material, and to relax. 

    One morning I was working at some task at my desk next to a front window when I saw the car of one of my best friends coming in the gravel drive.  He was a French Canadian priest who, when he was not working with me on one of our programs, lived in Dar es Salaam, the capital of the country.

    As soon as I saw him I remember feeling uncomfortable.  As Rosemary says, I can get anal about projects. I am sure that morning I had my time all mapped out with various projects.  My friend’s arrival meant he had driven up from Dar es Salaam and I was going to have to go be hospitable for a while. Maybe he wanted to spend the night.  We did not have phone service, so you could not communicate.  You just showed up and the African custom was hospitality above all, day or night.

    Somehow I must have managed, and I can’t even remember how long he stayed. 

    All the people in the world are divided into one of two categories: activist or contemplative.  Today we call it Type A or Type B.  We are born into our group, like being right or left handed.  Both groups have their positive characteristics and their negatives. 

    Type A, for example, is efficient, economic with time, likes to start on time and finish on time. As you know, I am Type A.  When I notice we are running over an hour with our Mass, I get antsy.  Type A people get energy from projects and love to tackle problems and challenges.  The energy enables these people to work long hours, even without breaks. Work schedules are established and followed. When you were in school, did you turn in term papers early or start work the night before they were due? Type A’s turn in early.

    The down side is summed up in the slogan, "Projects over People."  Whatever I was doing that morning was more important than greeting my good friend.  It is hard for me to stop and chat with a neighbor when I am mowing the grass.

    The contemplative, on the other hand, is laid back.  Projects can be postponed for suitable reasons without stress. Starting & ending on time is easy, no stomach knot if late. A day off can begin without any schedule other than waiting to see. Type B’s can focus on whomever they are with in a very complimentary way. Being over doing. 

    The weak side of the Type B, of course, is accomplishment.  That term paper may not get in on time because it was begun just last night. Meetings can start late and go on without limit. 

    We have cultures that lean one way or the other.  Tanzania was more contemplative.  People were patient.  Hospitality, a prize. 

    What about U.S. culture?  Obviously Type A. This, of course, makes it more difficult for a contemplative to live happily in the U.S.  Want to be a young lawyer, a CPA, go to SMU’s MBA program?  Total Type A life style. 

    So which types do you think Martha & Mary were?  And the writer, what type was he? Of course, one type can drive the other type crazy. My sympathy goes out to Martha because I’ve been in her shoes.  The writer obviously thinks the contemplative Mary is better. But really? I admire Martha for voicing her complaint, even though she gets shot down.

    Actually, self redemption and maturity involves me as a Type A moving more into the contemplative side of the continuum. And vice-versa. The unredeemed Type A turns into a driven obsessive.  The unredeemed contemplative spends life doing nothing.

    One of the things I have learned to do is take time off during which I do nothing.  Funny thing, even during this time, I will find myself setting a goal to read, say, fifty pages of a book today. I have to say to myself, "No, Stack, stop that." I can pull this off in Mexico or Italy or at Clare & Joe’s in Hilton Head.

    It would be fun to bring in someday the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator and offer it to the whole community, then explain it for a few Sundays.  I taught this in Tanzania. You might find out more about yourself, and see how your type is good, whatever it is, Martha or Mary.

    What type do you think you are? How do you know?

    AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-07-22.mp3

  • Sunday Homily, October 21, 2012, 29th Ordianry Time B

    Readings:    

    Isaiah  53, 10-11,  The Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity.

    Psalm 33,   Lord, Let you mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

    Hebrews 4, 14-16,   Let us confidently approach the throne of grace.

    Mark 10, 35-45,  Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.

    Leo 1021-12

    Leo arriving with tie.

    Isaiah:

    A review:  

    Authors: at least 3 because there are 3 distinct parts to Isaiah the book.    

    Time of Composition: near the end of the Babylonian Captivity, i.e., ca. 550 BCE.

     Subject Matter: warnings about impending doom because of the badness of the people in part 1 up to chapter 39.  The remaining two parts are called the Book of Consolation, letting the people know that a more peaceful & prosperous time is coming. 

    IMG_2116 Harper

    Harper cruising the neighborhood with her bus

      

    Today’s Selection:  (read all of chapter 53), Isaiah II,  4 observations—         

              A. This chapter in 2 Isaiah is not included as one of the 4 Suffering Servant Songs, though it presents the same theme.           

              B. The he, the servant that is talked about is

                        –for the Hebrews, the Jewish nation/people;

                        –for Christians, Christ.         

              C.  False Belief number 1?  The Jews thought Yahweh demanded suffering or sacrifice of valuable items ( e.g., sacrificial lamb, scape goat ) as payment for badness.   

              D.  False Belief number 2?  The Jews & Christians believed that an original great sin had been committed by our ancestors & that sin could only be paid for by a human-divine hero, Jesus.  He had to be sacrificed to this god.  Or as the first line of our official reading says, “The lord was pleased to crush him with infirmity.”  

    Do you think God crushes people with infirmity?   Was there really an original sin?   Contemporary theology says no.

     

    Cathy 10-21-12

    Harper's granny, Cathy.

    If I don’t want to be 1st, do I have to be a slave?

    I want to talk today about being first and being a slave, or if I don’t want to be first, do I have to be a slave?  A story. 

    You all know that Rosemary & I love to ride our bikes around White Rock Lake.  We go south on the White Rock Creek Trail from Royal Lane, then circle the lake clockwise with stops at the north bridge and the boat house at the south end, near the dam.  About 20 miles.

    Leo & Harper 10-21-12

    Leo & Harper, buddies

    Homeward bound from the boat house we use West Lawther Drive, a beautiful little lane running between the lake and gorgeous mansions. Lots of bikers use this road and walkers and runners use the path meandering along closer to the lake.

    There can be mini, spur of the moment competitions on this road heading north.

    Leo & Sienna  10-21-12

    Leo & Sienna, buddies

    One day I come down the hill near the boat house and see ahead of me about 3 bikers.  That sight can give me motivation and adrenaline.  “I am going to take those people.”  And so I do, two of them.

    The third guy, a young black man, I pull up behind him.  After hesitating a bit because he was moving pretty good, I pass him too.  And I kick on the gas expecting to leave him behind. 

    Leo at altar 10-21-12

    Leo visits the Altar

     

    About a mile later I look in my little helmet mirror to see if I can still see him way back there.  Where is he?  Right on my rear wheel.  I am stunned.  So 2-3 times more I go all out thinking I will get some distance.  Never.  He stays with me all the way under the Northwest Highway Bridge, where Rosemary had her accident, and all the way up the Creek trail to Royal Lane. 

    As I prepare to turn off to the parking lot, I signal him to come along, and I thank him for an excellent ride.  He laughed and agreed.  We parted.  I have never seen him again.   

    Rob 10-21-12

    Rob gets a Cupcake of The Week for Sixty Years!

    Anybody not want to be first once in a while?  Be best in something?  Absolutely normal.  Look at sports, academics, appearance.  Despite having long ago accepted the fact that I am not first in anything, and that is okay, even at 72 I find the competitive passion kicking in occasionally.

    So does that mean I have to be a slave or servant?  Very tricky statement psychologically. 

    Sandra 10-21-12

    Sandra receiving Chuck's Cupcake of The Week for Seventy Four Years!

    3 Observations:

    1.  It is normal and okay to want to be first.  Certainly kids without much experience in life have the desire.
    2. When Mark says “servant” and “slave,” do you see Mark’s hyperbole, his exaggeration, and his use of infinite demand?   This is his literary tool to make a point.  Which does not mean we dismiss it straight off.
    3. Here is where I have seen the danger.  A person who is religiously obsessed poorly trained, spiritually & psychologically insecure, or scrupulous, this poor person can take the servant idea literally.  The motto, “Always better to give than to receive.”  No way.

    I have known & worked with people in this situation.  The person cannot allow anyone to do anything for them.  For that matter, I have some of that stuff.  I don’t always like to be on the receiving end.  Giving and serving can be quite satisfying.

    Holly 10-21-12

    Our dear and U.T.'s special, Holly, with her brother, Ben.

    Maturity does two things. It helps me to accept myself as I am.  It also challenges me to make a difference in our world.

    How do you handle not being number one?  How do you make a difference? 

     

  • Sunday Homily 6-27-10, 13th Ordinary Time

    Readings:  1 Kings 19-21; Psalm 16, You are my Inheritance, O Lord; Galatians 5, 1, 13-18; Luke 9 51-62.

     

    Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time

     

    Introduction to the Readings

     

     

    Our three readings today come from the First Book of Kings, the Letter to the Galatians and Luke’s Gospel.  I suspect that the only reason for the selection of the first reading is because it contains a sentence which is very similar to one found in today’s gospel, namely a request to say good bye to my parents, similar to the gospel response to a calling namely “let me first say farewell to my parents”. 

     

     

     

    The Book of Kings selection describes the transfer of power from the prophet Elijah to the prophet Elisha.  Don’t be confused by the fact that in the reading Elisha slaughters the oxen and burns the plow.  This is to show that he is abandoning his old life for the new one. 

       

    Mass Begins 6-27-10

     

    And maybe the second reading was selected because the word “yoke” would connect it to the first reading!  And of course the word plow shows up in the gospel, tying the three readings together!!   But we have been reading from this letter for the past several weeks. 

     

     

     

    Remember Paul is trying to show that having Christ inside is all that is really needed, not observance of the Law of Moses.  In fact we will see a very powerful statement that the whole law is fulfilled by loving your neighbor as yourself.  

    One clarification about the gospel reading; when the young man asks to be able to bury his father first, Jesus’ response seems harsh to our ears.  However, you need to understand that custom had it in those times that the eldest son would live on the land of his parents and was responsible to bury them when they died.  His father is not dead, the son simply wants to put off following Jesus until some unknown time in the future.

      

    Communion 6-27-10

     

    Homily

    Reconciliation and Forgiveness

    Last Saturday I had a chat with an aunt of mine in Dublin.  She is an Ursuline nun and will be 95 in September.  I asked her if she was following the World Cup and she said, “Oh yes, we keep hoping that England will be beaten”!! 

     

     

    It is an attitude not unlike what Jesus came across in the gospel today.  To the Jews the Samaritans were the modern day English to the Irish!   There are several references to Samaritans in our gospel stories, the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan woman at the well and if we don’t understand the animosity that existed between the two groups we miss a whole lot about those incidents.  To talk about a ‘good Samaritan’ is like talking about a good Palestinian to an Israeli or a good English man to my Aunt! 

     

     

    When apartheid was abolished in South Africa and Nelson Mandela was elected president, in order to try and create a single unified country he established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to try and put the past in the past.

     

     

    The week before last, the Saville Report was issued in England and it was a 10 year study of a very sad day in Derry in the North of Ireland when 13 civil rights people who were marching in a parade back in January of 1972 were shot dead by British troops. 

     

     

    The report finally laid to rest the claim by the army that they had only fired in self-defense, the report said the army had lied, the victims were all unarmed.  The new British Prime Minister, David Cameron, publicly apologized for the incident.  These were first steps in reconciliation over a terrible wrong.

     

    Chloe 6-27-10

     

    The need for reconciliation doesn’t stop just with countries and nations.  Most of us know only too well the pain caused by separations within families or longtime friends.  I find it funny when you see little kids playing and they get in a row over something.  One will run home saying “I am never going to play with Jimmy again”.  Just as the parents are getting ready for a face off, they had better look around, because the kids will be back together as best friends. 

     

     

    But by the time we are adults something seems to change.  Fear, blindness or pride seems to enter into the equation and keep us apart.  And then pretty soon we are finding all kinds of additional items to throw on the resentment heap to justify our position. 

     

     

    We can’t afford to let this happen.  We need to reach for forgiveness, we need to remember the words of Jesus, “Peace be with you”  “Take the mote from your own eye before reaching for the splinter in your brothers eye”

     

     

    Each one of us at least knows of situations where family members have become estranged from each other, or lifelong friends have parted ways over some perceived or real wrong done.  These are very sad situations, because we will never have the chance to recapture and live the time days, weeks or years lost.  In our gospel today we see a classic example. 

     

    Zoe 6-27-10

     

    The Samaritans and Jews had parted ways during the exile.  In the eyes of the Jews they were not fully Jewish because they had intermarried with pagans and I’m sure the list is long.  After the Exile, when they returned to rebuild the Temple, the Samaritans did nothing but harass their efforts.  By the time we get to Jesus there is nothing but pure hatred between them.  When Jesus is passing thru a Samaritan village and is not welcomed, James and John want to call down fire on the place.  Jesus simply moves on.

     

     

    Irreconcilable differences can be over come, but it takes both parties to want this. At least we must ask ourselves, have we done everything we could.  Then be at peace.

     

     

    I am going to keep working on my aunt’s opinion of the English! 

     

    Picture 1:   Mass begins

     

    Picture 2:   Communion

     

    Picture 3:   Chloe

     

    Picture 4:   Zoe    

     

  • Sunday Homily, August 9, 19th Ordinary Time

      Harper 1

                       Harper says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in."

     

    Readings:

     1 Kings 19 4-8, Elijah prayed for death.  Plus Chapter 18, it is so good.

    Psalm 34,    Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

    Ephesians 4, 30-5, 2,   All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you.

    John 6, 41-51, I am the bread of life. 

     

    Genevieve 1

                           Hi, Genevieve, Welcome in to You.

     

    Kings:  a review–

    Subject: The kings of Israel.  The Big 3 kings were Saul, David, & his son Solomon.  The 2 Books of kings follows the 2 Books of Samuel, which describe the lives of the the kings up to the death of the Great King David, my favorite.  1 & 2 Kings takes up the life of Solomon, David's son, his building of the temple, his death, and the fate of the kingdom following his death, that is, it divides and is conquered. 

    Time Period:  from ca. 900 – 555 before Christ, or from Solomon to Nebuchadnezzar & Cyrus.

     

    Zoe 2

                              Zoe says, "Wow, it is fun to be here."

     

    Authors: a compilation of many sources that was put together at the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ. 

    Our Selection: focus is on one man, the prophet Elijah.  The kingdom has already been split.  Our story takes place in the northern state, Israel.  Time of severe drought.  The king is Ahab; his queen, the famous Jezebel.  The prophet Elijah has scolded them for turning to false gods to end the drought.  

     

    Cole

    Cole & Angela holding hands during the Our Father.  Cole says to his mom, "Mom, she needs me to hold her hand…She doesn't have anyone."  Wow, Cole, you are The Best.

     

    There has been a contest in chapter 18: Elijah vs the 450 prophets of Baal, ultimately to see which side would be more effective in bringing rain.  2 bulls were slaughtered.  Naturally, Elijah wins when Yahweh answers his prayer, sends down fire, and consumes the bull Elijah has slaughtered.  When he wins, he slaughters the 450 prophets of Baal.   

    We enter at a point where Jezebel is furious with Elijah for killing her favorite prophets and aims to kill Elijah.  He is going to run away all depressed.   

    We will read an expanded chapter 19, from 1-13.   

     

    Diane

    Cole's grandmother, Diane, one of the numerous                             positive influences in Cole's life.

     

    Kind, Compassionate, and Forgiving

    I would like to talk about what Ephesians brings up, being kind, compassionate, and forgiving.  It happened to me.

    Folks, I unexpectedly had another one of those special weeks.  Not on the Kilimanjaro level of my Ragbrai week, but still special.

    I don’t know if you saw in the news that this past week the Jewish Community Center was hosting the Maccabi games.  There are two or three places where these games take place every summer for Jewish kids from, say, 12 to 16.  Kids come from all over the world.  Some games are even scheduled in Europe and Israel. 

     

    Linda & Hue

    Linda and Hue at 40 years today.  Give that marvelous couple a cupcake!

     

    Dallas hosts the games every 5 or so years and it is big.  9 venues are involved where the events take place.  Kids came from Australia and Israel, to name only two that I saw, plus from cities all over the States.  26 programs were involved with over a thousand kids playing soccer, basketball, volleyball, and even ping pong, to name just some . 

    How did I get mixed up in the show?  You know I do spin classes at the Jewish Community Center every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 6:00.  Two of the women in the class whom I like a lot are part of the organizing team.  They were looking for volunteers among even non-Jewish people, not to host the kids, but to volunteer.  So I volunteered. 

     

      Paul

    Would you trust this man to give Carrie her birthday                       cupcake?   Mr. Paul  has been known… 

     

    The first thing I noticed when I came on board was that, despite the fact that there was a tsunami of kids at the J, which was ground zero, that same spirit of trust was there that I noticed in Iowa.  Backpacks were lying around all over, inside a lot, but outside everywhere.  I was again moved by this trust atmosphere.

    Secondly, I noticed the security.  My car had to be tagged, I had to be tagged, photo ID at all times.  Guess why.  Remember the Munich games?  These kids are potentially a target.  About that, I am sad.  These kids were beautiful and charming.  And there are people who would be happy to kill them.  I am reminded of the Holocaust and I always have a hard time getting my mind around that. 

     

     

    Marlene

    A Cupcake for you on your Birthday, Marlene.

     

     

    My role in the event?  I was involved Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, mostly in being a score keeper and line judge in girls’ volley ball and in being a timer in swimming.  I was at the Sportsplex on Alpha Road behind the old Valley View center.  This was where I met kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

    I met it because I messed up the score at least 5 games out of the 10 or so I scored and even flubbed being a line judge.  At least three times the volleyball games had to be stopped so the score could be made right.  For me it was not so simple because the scoring is different today.   Plus I would get emotional and cheer a spike or some wicked serve and forget to flip the score. 

     

      The Team

    The Team.  No white alb this morning.  The alb got left at the wedding venue the night before.

     

     

    And you think being a line judge is simple.  No way.  It goes against all my Jesuit training and psychological formation.  My training was don’t judge the book by the cover, no black or white, no right or wrong.  So I had to think about what I saw.  On the one had, this shot could be in.  On the other, maybe it was out.

    One time I even judged a ball out, which favored the team I was closer to.  The main line judge, however, over ruled me and then the girls on the team said to him, “But he said it was out!” 

    Despite all my dufus mistakes, all these people were kind, compassionate, and forgiving. 

     

    Offertory

    The Offertory Team  John & Connie, Marsha & Joe.

     

     

    Moreover, I even fell in love with the Dallas girls’ volleyball team.  I had watched them so much.  Trouble was, they lost the final.  I could not stay to watch after they had lost the first 2 out of 5 to L.A.. 

    The week was special for me.  What was special this week for you?

     

    Genevieve 4

     Says Genevieve, "Wake me up, please when that old                         geezer stops talking."

     

  • Sunday Homily for December 9, 2018, 2nd Advent, C cycle (the Luke cycle)

     

    IMG_4695

     

    Welcome in, Everybody, as we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent.

     

    Readings:  

    Baruch 5, 1-9, Jerusalem, put on the splendor of glory from God forever. 

    Psalm 126,  The  Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy.

    Philippians 1, 4-6, 8-11,  I pray always with joy for all of you.

    Luke 3,  1-6,  The word of God came to John.

     

    IMG_3035

     

    Excellent reading, Dear Buddy, thanks.

     

    Reflection on Luke

    Author: The gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles make up a two-volume work which scholars call Luke-Acts.  According to an early Church tradition, the author was the Luke named as a companion of Paul in three of Paul’s letters, but Scripture scholars say there is a problem with this.

     

    IMG_4696

     

    And thanks to you, Dearest Tori, for lighting our candles for the 2nd week of Advent while your brother reads The Blessing of the Candles.

     

    Though the author of Luke-Acts admired Paul, his theology was significantly different from Paul’s; there are countless contradictions between Acts and Paul’s letters. Bottom line: we don’t know who author of Luke-Acts is.

     

    IMG_4726

     

    3 Members of our Girls' Board, Emma, Zoe, and Tori.

     

    When written: The most probable date is around 80-100 AD, and there is evidence that it was still being revised well into the 2nd century.  The author takes as sources the Gospel of Mark, written around 70 AD, the sayings collection called the Q source, and a collection of material called the L source (L for Luke).

     

    IMG_4713

     

    Mike sharing his graces from the Love for Kids' Picnic.

     

    Audience: Luke was written to be read aloud to a group of Jesus’ followers gathered in a house to share the Lord's supper. The author assumes an educated Greek-speaking audience, but attends mainly to specifically Christian concerns rather than to the Greco-Roman world at large.

     

    IMG_4715

     

    What is this sitting down on the job?  It is called lumbar stenosis, which was improved by one stretch suggested by the physical therapist last Thursday.  And that was only the first appointment.  Lots of hope for future appointments twice a week for a while.

     

    Today's Homily

    I was disappointed that I could not volunteer at Love Kids picnic Saturday.  I always am struck by the presence of grace in all these kids and volunteers.  Since I could not share the graces with our community, I asked Bill Hammond to keep his eyes open and to share what graces he experienced. 

     

    IMG_4717

     

    The second elevation.

     

    Bill, in turn, invited Mike and David to share their experiences of the presence of grace.

    So we really had a triple header homily, and it was most touching.  

    Next Sunday Mike will have the homily, a really good one.  Welcome.

     

    IMG_4711

     

    For sale: Donna Dinsmore's hand made jewelry.

  • Sunday Homily, May 31, 2015, Trinity, B

    Readings:

    Deuteronomy 4,  32-34, 39-40  Moses said to the people.

    Psalm 33,    Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

    Romans 8, 14-17,   Those who are led by the Spirit of God are people of God.

     Matthew  28, 16-20, The disciples went to the mountain.

      Harper 1

    Says Harper, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in."

     

    Deuteronomy observations:

    What:  This work is the 5th and last book of the Pentateuch/Torah.  The first 4 books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, & Numbers.  Deuteronomy has basically 3 speeches delivered by Moses before the people enter the promised land.  He reviews all they have endured the past 40 years and how Yahweh has shown his care and power to save them.

    Author: Moses may have spoken some of the ideas in the speeches, but others have put the work together.  In fact, in chapter 34 the death of Moses is described.  Someone other than Moses probably covered this episode.

    Date: 700 years before Christ.

    Our Selection: the end of the first speech.  Moses is reminding the people of how Yahweh cared for them and why they must honor him for this as their one and only god.

     

    Cathy, Jackie, Rick

     

    And says Harper's grandmother, Cathy, and Jackie and Rick,        "Welcome Folks."
     

     

    A God of Relationships

    Want to know what makes for happiness?  Old Stack will tell you this morning.  I have talked about some of this in the past, but it is so good it is worth reviewing.  I do this especially on the feast of our three person god.  Our god is a relationship god and that is what I want to talk about.

    The ideas this morning come from a study of 268 male Harvard students starting in 1937, a 7 decade longitudinal study that is almost unique in its breadth.  The identities of the students are secret unless the student identifies himself.  Ben Bradlee, the editor of the Washington Post did so, and it was deduced after he died that President Kennedy was one of the students.    This write up comes from a June Atlantic magazine.

     

    Emma 5

                       Emma the Candle Lighter with Georgie's help.

     

    The question was not how much trouble or how little they encountered in life, but how and to what effect they responded.  How they adapted and became happy -healthy or sad-sick people.  Psychiatrist George Vaillant has spent the last 40 years organizing the data coming from the study.

    He has come up with the following suggestions taken from the lives of these 268 men.  Here are 7 factors that contribute to happy-healthy people:

     

    Mabel

                               Cupcake of The Week to Mabel at 83.

     

        1.  Education.  For you kids who just finished a long school year, it may feel so good to be out.  However, your education is a big factor in you being a happy-healthy person, in the future and even now.  I would include ongoing education.  We never cease to learn new things, even how to dance, yoga, languages, history, geography, and so on.  In Plano, look up S.A.I.L., Senior Active in Learning, an excellent program

        2.  Healthy & mature adaptability.  Vailant identifies 4 ways of adapting, from psychotic, immature, and neurotic, to healthy, like humor, altruism, forgiveness.  See the link to get his complete explanation. Try 3 things, laugh, forgive, and accept.  And try it on yourself to start with.

     

    Occhi-Brent 23

     

                        Cupcakes of The Week to Ray and Brent

     

        3.  No smoking.  Never too late to stop if you already have started.  You kids, you will end up looking uglier than me if you start the habit.  Beware of copping out on the electric cigarette.

        4.  Moderate use of alcohol & no abuse.  College kids and even high school kids get caught up here so easily.  The culture of drinking excessively.  However, a new phenomenon is emerging as our population ages, geriatric alcoholism.  A bench mark?  2 glasses of wine or two beers a day.  More than that and look for two results: alcoholism and denial.

     

    Renee 2

    Cupcake of The Week to Renee for coming home with her degree after 5 years at Kansas State.

     

        5.  Exercise.  Want some exercise next week?   Come with me to the J tomorrow morning, 6:30 spin class.  Make it fun, make it daily.  At least a few times a week, like take a walk.  

        6.  Weight control.  My visit to McDonald's.  Kids loading up on layers of fat, salt, and sugar.  A very seductive place.  

     

    Zaile

     

                   Cupcake of The Week also to Zaile, a week late. 

     

        7.   Relationships: loving and long term.  Vaillant suggests that this is the factor.  Loving is life-filling, it is motivational.  Because I love another, I exercise, I study, I approach life with moderation and spirit.  After all the data he has evaluated, Vaillant states that a relationship of love is the only thing that really matters in life. 

    How are you doing with these 7?

    Who is the person you love most in the whole world?  

     Source, Atlantic,   http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200906/

         

    Kevin 6

    Not a cupcake to Kevin, but, from The Community, a $550 gift and a standing ovation for not only his high school graduation, but even more for his years of faithful, reliable help each week.             The Best to you, Kevin, because you are The Best.