Readings:

Habakkuk, 1, 2-3, 2, 2-4 , I cry for help, but you do not listen. 

Psalm 95,  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

21 Timothy 1, 6-8, 13-14, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God.

Luke 16, 19-31,   Faith the size of a mustard seed. 

 

Says Charlotte with her big sister, Chloe, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

 

Observations on Habakkuk

Who:  one of the Minor Prophets.  His book, 3 chapters.

When:  555 before Christ.  Clear from the text, because he mention the evil Babylon.

 

 

Peighton, too, says, "Hi, Folks, Come in."   Notice Peighton already has his running shoes on.  

 

Message:

    I am watching the wicked triumph, ruin & violence evereywhere.

    Curses on the oppressor, Babylon.

    God will win in the end

Our Message:

1/2 I see ruin and violence everywhere.

1/2 God says the just will live.

 

 

 

And Genevieve, who has never met a stranger, says, "Wow, it is so nice to see everybody at my party."

 

 

Unprofitable Servants?  Faith the size of a Mustard Seed?  

Wow!  What do you think when you hear this reading?  How do you feel?   Got faith enough to remove a mulberry tree?  I need the faith to remove an overgrown Live Oak tree out of our back yard.  I, for one, don’t get good vibes off of this reading.  And many of the other readings we have had this year from Luke.

Therefore, I would like to dispute with Luke.  From my psychology experience, am I seeing a man with a slightly split personality? 

 

 

 

Hi, Nora, You look very pretty this morning.

 

While Luke has the touching Nativity narrative and the magnificent story of the Prodigal Son, and, even, the lost coin and lost sheep, look what else.  

We have had the master and his debtors, leave your parents and take up your cross, the narrow gate that only a few get in.  Likewise, be ready because he comes like a thief when you are not ready and guess what happens—you go straight to hell!

You know my bias.  I believe in a God who is unconditional, unconditional in his love for us.  Forget about hell. 

 

 

Hi, Harper, you may tell your grandmother that we can repeat the homily for her any time, since she missed part of it.  And we know she hates to do that.

 

As another alternative to this discouraging passage I would propose a simple, favorite line of mine from the Old Testament and from one of the Minor Prophets, Micah, only 7 little chapters.   

Says Micah in chapter 6 verse 8, “The Lord has told us what is good.  What he requires is this: to do what is right, to love unconditionally, and to live in humble fellowship with God.” 

Initially this may sound pretty easy.  However, is it always easy to do what is right?  Like to stand up for peace when everyone wants war?

 

 

The Magic, Leo and John

 

Easy to show constant love?  To troublemakers, to other races, to other religions, to the political candides in this fall’s elections?

To walk in humble fellowship with our God?  Can this fellowship eliminate fear, fear that I am headed for hell? 

How do you do what is right, love unconditionally, and live in humble fellowship with our unconditionally loving God?

 

 

 

Happy 16th Birthday, Kara.

Readings: 

Isaiah 7, 10-14,   The virgin will conceive and bear a son.

 

Psalm 24,  Let the Lord enter, he is king of glory.

Romans 1, 1-7,  Grace to you and peace.

Matthew  1, 18-24, She was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 Christmas observations:

1.  Celebration of Christmas was banned in Boston up until ca. 200 years ago.  The Puritan influence.  They had seen the corruption of Rome and the inquisition.  They feared and hated Rome and Catholics.
2. Rome had a feast of Saturnalia, which was connected with the Winter Solstice.  It was a feast of the harvest and of light, light returning in the northern hemisphere.  For centuries Roman Catholicism refused to honor the feast, but eventually adopted it as a date for Christ’s birth.
3. The winter solstice had been celebrated for 10,000 years, back when humans started farming.
4. Christmas Eve, Kinshasa, Zaire, 1977.  I was in Kinshasa, Zaire (now, The Congo), Christmas, 1977 and attended a Christmas Eve Mass that was marvelous, singing that went on forever and dancing on the part of the African priest in a very colorful set of vestments.  Having a good set of kidneys helps because the celebration goes on  2 ½ hours.  

 

 

Seen The Spirit Lately?

Ever get the feeling that the world is just getting worse every year, more wars, more killing, more kids being hurt, everything worse?  Where is the spirit of peace and caring?

I would like to propose the spirit is here.  Good things are taking place.  Let me give you 4 examples that have just taken place.

 

 

The first I heard about took place during the ice storm the week after Thanksgiving.  I35 going north through Denton became a parking lot when 18 wheelers got stuck and blocked the highway.  This happened that Friday afternoon and the highway was probably down for the night. 

The pastor of some church in the area heard about the people on the highway.  He gathered a bunch of his community and out they went to the highway with food, hot drinks, and blankets for those who needed them.  Some people were even invited into people’s homes.

You folks would do this.

 

 

At the same time that afternoon our neighbors called to invite us to lunch on the grill because our electricity was off.  They had a gas grill.  The lady across the street offered to let us stay at her house.  She had electricity.  We were on the second of our two day return drive from Thanksgiving at Rosemary’s sister’s house in Hilton Head.

Secondly, you remember that I worked in Oklahoma after the tornado.  I heard of a lady who is making special Christmas ornaments for people who have lost all their precious ornaments.  I thought about those people whose houses I helped to clear out and thought what a nice idea.

 

 

Thirdly, three celebs, two sports stars and one singer.

Ever hear of Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans, a wide receiver.  For the 7^th year in a row he took 12 underprivileged kids on a shopping trip at Kids R Us.  They had 80 seconds, his number, to grab what they wanted.  He even chipped in an Xbox 360 for each kid.  17 thousand bucks.  Sounds like Love for the Kids.

 

 

Also, Damien Lillard, 23, a hot new player for Portland.  He took a whole bus load of kids on a shopping trip.

Then, the singer Beyonce went into a Wal-mart, bought 750 $50 gift cards for everyone that moment in the Wal-Mart. 

 

 

Fourth.   Out of bad stuff, good stuff.  A grandmother was caring for 9 young kids somewhere here in Dallas.  She had bought their presents and had them hidden in her apartment.  Yes, you guessed it, they all go stolen.  The story got out and she received more presents than she could ever have afforded. 

Where are you seeing The Spirit of peace and caring this Christmas?  How are you contributing to it?

 

 

Genesis 15, 1-6; 21, 1-3 ,  Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.   This is the official selection.  But for us, I've included 16, 1-10; 17, 9-12; 18, 1-3 & 9-15.  This stuff is too rich to pass up.

Psalm 105,    The Lord remembers his covenant forever.

Hebrews 11, 8, 11-12, 17-19,  By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called.

Luke 2, 22-40,   The purification of Jesus.

 

 

Genesis obserevations :

What : the very first book of the bible beginning with Adam & Eve, the two creation myths, Cane & Abel, Noah and the flood, the Tower of Babylon, and then the big 3 patriarchs of the Jewish nation.  They are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The book is a fun read.  It is not history, but speculation and tribal myth. 

Date: contemporary scholarship thinks that the work was composed either before or during the B.C., the all important Babylonian Captivity. Why?  Give the Jewish people a sense of historical identity and tribal cohesion. 

 

 

 

Today’s selection: all about Abraham, the first of the 3 Great Patriarchs.  Abraham is crying and lamenting the fact that he has no children.  Why?  Sarah was childless and Abraham was 99 years old.  A “we have a problem, Houston” situation.  The Lord hears Abraham and uses a beautiful metaphor to show Abraham what is going to happen. 

Because the editor of this reading has so taken the fun out of it, I want to read a bit more.  Sit back and enjoy the story of how Abraham and Sarah had a baby.   I'm including parts of three other chapters between chapters 15 and 21.

 

 

Another Christmas Story

On Christmas Eve I told you a Christmas story and said that it was a Christmas event.  And what is a Christmas event?  It is an event where a person receives peace, joy, and light.  It usually happens between people.  But I can have the same event in a place, for instance, the Meyerson, or riding across Iowa on my bike, or backpacking in Yosemite.  It happens often to me here with you people.

 

 

 

In fact, somebody asked me why don’t you just take this Sunday off?  We were here just a few days ago.  I know why.  I am having too much fun here.  This is not an obligation, it is a treasure.

Anyway, our story goes like this.  It comes from Steve Blow, the columnist of the Dallas Morning News, December 25.  You may remember Steve has written Rosemary and me up a couple of times. 

 

 

He says there was a lady named Renee of Lake Highlands on her way to work the morning before Thanksgiving.  She pulled into the neighborhood Whataburger drive through to get a pick up.

When she got her diet Coke, the girl in the window, who was very cheerful, said like, “This ought to pick you up.”  There was no one in line behind Renee, so she chatted, saying, “Well, at least, I’m off Thanksgiving and we can have a nice Thanksgiving meal.   How about you?”

 

 

The cheerful girl said, “No, she had to work and the Thanksgiving meal would have to wait until she could earn the money to buy the food.”  She had two jobs to make enough for herself and her two children.

By now a new customer had pulled up behind Renee.  She had to move.  Before departing, she blurted out, “I’m going to get you Thanksgiving.”

Jazmen Woods, the Whataburger girl, said customers tell her stuff all the time.  She pays no attention.

 

 

But that afternoon, Renee called the Whataburger and later took a whole Boston Market Thanksgiving meal to Jazmen’s apartment in the Vickery Meadow area of northeast Dallas. 

That was only the beginning.  Renee discovered that Jazmen had hardly any furniture for herself and her two young children.  So she went on line to her neighbors, telling the story saying, “If you would like to contribute to making Christmas special for this sweet family, please feel free to join me.”

 

 

You know the rest of the story. 

Another Christmas event that gives peace, joy, and light. 

Like I asked Christmas Eve, When were you touched in this special way? 

And to whom do you share peace, joy , and light?  (Besides to me.)

Source, Steve Blow, Dallas Morning News, December 25, 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sez Luke, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in.  This is my first time here."

 

 

Readings:  

 Numbers 11, 25-29,  Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets.

Psalm 19,  The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

 James 5, 1-6, Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.

 Mark 9, 38-43, 45, 47-48,   If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out

                   

 

 

 

Welcome in, Ben, Cody, and Olivia.

 

 

The Book of Numbers

The fourth book of the Pentateuch.  It leaves us with the impression of a carefully structured and organized religious society moving through history under the sustaining and guiding hand of God.  It is a complex collection of historical, legal and liturgical traditions spanning a period of about a thousand years! 

An outline would identify three broad divisions of the book: The sojourn at Sinai, chapter 1-10 covers the last 19 days the Israelites spent at Sinai. 

(Story of Sinai by bus from Cairo to El Arishe & Tel Aviv.)

 

 

 

 

Pardon me for needing your help, Hue, but even at 78 I need help getting dressed & suited up.

 

 

The second section deals with the journey from Sinai to Moab, chapter 10-22 and covers a span of about 38 years. 

The third section, chapters 22-36, covers events in Moab  over a period of 5 months. 

Today’s reading is from the beginning of the second section, when the people are just starting out on their journey.  Moses is getting concerned with the responsibility of all of the people, so God shares the spirit, which is on Moses among 70 elders, even two who were not part of the group gathered around the Tent.

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Music with Shonda & Ben.

 

 

The Letter of Saint James

This is the final Sunday  (Hooray!) for the second reading to come from the Letter of St. James (Santiago de Compostella), which we have listened to for the past five weeks.  In the reading today the mood is very stark!  “Your wealth has rotted away”.  The audience for this letter is the communities outside of Jerusalem.

Again, remember the letter is a collection of moral observations and instructions, and in today’s reading James’ does not have much that is positive to say about the rich.  The bigger context is to encourage the Christians who are suffering at the hands of the powerful.  James reminds his audience that Jesus is coming again very soon!  Immediately following today’s reading he says “Be patient brothers until the Lord’s coming.”

 

 

 

 

Tori Lights our Candles of the Week.

 

 

If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out  (the homily that I passed on because I accidentally read the wrong Gospel for today.)

 

Two comments about this line in the reading.

First.  I spent the years 1968-72 studying theology in Toronto.  We had a lot of gray days in Toronto seeing as it is on the northern shore of Lake Ontario.

One of those days, the news came out in the Toronto newspaper, the Globe & Mail, that a young guy had intentionally blinded himself.  Guess why.  Yep, he read this line in Mark and figured his eyes were a source of temptation.  Doing what?  Maybe just girl watching.

I remember all the guys (there were around a hundred of us) were repelled by the news.  There was a gut level response that what this poor guy did was sick.  It was self mutilation combined with religious extremism. 

 

 

 

 

The Offertory Team, Cheryl, Grace, & Diane

 

 

That for me is the negative.  Any way it can be positive?   As a motivator?  Yes.  I’m reminded of how important self motivation is to all of us.  I am reminded by the St. Marks Boy School running by our house in the morning before school.  I am reminded by Tom & Paul & Carrie running their marathons.   I am inspired by Richard losing weight & keeping it off when told he could get diabetic..   I am reminded at the JCC (Jewish Community Center) 6 AM spin class where Haya, a little lady older even than I am who rides with a slightly bummed right shoulder M, W, F. 

I look upon God’s position on this as infinite demand, yes, coupled with infinite acceptance.

What do you need?  Motivation?  Look around you.

 

 

Wake up, Luke, it is time to sing and dance.

 

 

Readings:

 Deuteronomy 4, 1-2, 6-8, The commandments to Moses

Psalm 15,    The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

James 1, 17-18, 21-22, 27,  Every perfect gift is from above.

Mark 7, 1-8, 14-15, 21-23,  All these evils come from within.

 

 

                        Zoe says, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Observations on Deuteronomy

What is it about: Moses is addressing the people just before they are to enter into the Promised Land, the land of the Canaanites.  They have escaped from Egypt and have been wandering around in the desert for about 40 years.  Moses is dying and knows he will not go into Canaan.

The theme of the staged talk is that God has saved and blessed his beloved people.  To help them live better he has given them the 10 commandments and a whole bunch of other laws.  This is a book on the laws.

 

             Buddy says, "Last day here?  Dunno, I like it here."

 

This is the 5^th book of the original bible and the fifth of the Big 5, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy

Authors:  Inferring from the work, it is obvious that the judges and teachers of the people compiled the material.

Time composed: as with so much else, after the Babylonian Captivity, around 500 before Christ.

 

               "Hi, Tori, Want to see how you like Sigler?"

 

Observations on James

1.   We have James for 5 Sundays
2.   James was not an apostle, but head of the community after Jesus.    He gets stoned in 62.

 Sources: The New Interpreter’s Bible Study; The Good News Bible

        3.    Ever hear the story of Santiago de Compostella?    There is a large, ancient basilica in the Spanish province of Galicia, which, even up to today, has been a pilgrimage site for centuries, one of the big 3 sites in the world.  The other 2? Jerusalem & Rome.

The tale?  Briefly.  

 

 

        Genevieve says, "Well, it is all new to me.  Let's try it."

 

The Apostle James supposedly went from Jerusalem to the North West province of Galicia in Spain to convert the people.  He baptized with a sea shell which is his symbol on the pilgrimage route.

He went back to Jerusalem, was killed, and buried.  The angels transported his body to Galicia and buried it there.

One day a little shepherd boy was in the fields and a light shone from heaven on a spot.  A voice told him to tell the bishop to dig there for St. James' bones.  He did, the bishop dug up the bones, and he built a chapel over the site.  

 

        Leo says, "I like this place and I'll have fun at Sigler, too."

 

This was about the year 700, just after the time the Moors had crossed into Spain from Africa and swept all the way up into France.  From this time until 1492 when Queen Isabella finally kicked them back to Africa, the Moors lived a lifestyle and culture that was far superior to Spain and Europe in those times.

Meanwhile, James became the patron of the effort to remove the Moor. He was called the Matamoros, killer of the moors.

Over the years the chapel gave way to bigger and bigger until this large basilica was built.  It was a great economic boon, because thousands of pilgrims came.  Cures were apparently taking place.

 

           After 32 years working at TI, John is retiring.  Give that                       man a cupcake.

 

The basilica is famous for its huge thurible, which is swung at the end of most Masses from side to side in the apse, not the nave.  This was supposedly to lessen the aroma of the unwashed pilgrims who were allowed to shelter in the balconies around the basilica.

Rosemary & I & even Mary Ellen have visited Santiago de Compostella. Moreover, a former Jesuit classmate of mine from Washington State is this day making the pilgrimage which goes from Europe, like from Paris, over the Pyrenees, and along the northern part of Spain to Galicia.

 

 

            Harper says, "What is that man talking about now?" 

 

Grateful Reminiscing

Seeing that this morning we are doing our last regular Mass in our old home, I would like to do a little grateful reminiscing.  This started out pretty simple, then it got overwhelming, and finally I have narrowed it down to 4 main points.

First, remember the first time we celebrated Mass here, Thanksgiving weekend 10 years ago?  I can remember it clearly.  It had been about 5 months since I had seen most of you and certainly all those people who poured in that Sunday.  I was at the entrance greeting everybody with tears rolling down my cheeks.

 

                               Leo the Candle Lighter.

 

There used to be a middle aisle here.  Remember?  That Sunday I walked down the aisle, turned around, and then could not say anything for probably half an hour. 

That was one of the special events in this room and one of the special events in my life.

Secondly, three special events. 

1.  Christmas Eve celebrations with the little kids presenting the nativity.  Remember some of those days when we had a whole bunch of baby Jesus, both boys & girls?

 

                 Offertory, John & Jean, Louis, Judy & Mike

 

    Connected with that is the way the community has welcomed the kids     each Sunday, and the babies, like Genevieve and last week, Vivian.      Those kids give me so much spirit to my life.

1. Another special event was Fred’s memorial.  One of our best buddies. 
2. Then there is our music, with Ray and Shonda pulling it all together.   I get so high on what we sing I can dance all week.
3. After all this, thirdly, I have been touched by three special people who give me life, Mike, John, and Tony O’Donovan.

 

 

 

                           The Best, Shonda, Bethany, & Ray.

 

I remember that it was at Sigler one Sunday when his son Paul brought Mike to the community. 

Without John & his open spirit, I would really feel tied down.  You two help keep the community together.

With regard to Tony, do you realize that we would have been in a bind if he had not stepped forward before I was out some months with my new hips?

The final event I am grateful for is you folks, you people.  I am both touched that you keep coming back, week after week, and because of your presence I begin the week on a high, full of joy and sacred memories. 

Thanks for the 10 years of marvelous memories.

 

             Genevieve says, "Wake me up, please, when he is finished                   talking. 

Tom escorting his daughter Katy.  Richardson Women's Club.

 

 

Readings:

2 kings 5,  14-17, Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan 7 times.

Psalm 98,  The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power

2 Timothy 2, 8-13,  If we have died with him, we shall also live with him

Luke 17, 11-19,  10 were cleansed, were they not?

 

 

 

Welcome, Katy and Enza.

 

 

Homily

Because of a mix up on who was handling the homily today, we ended up with no one prepared.

 

Consequently, in the spirit of giving thanks, which is one of my favorite topics to share experiences, and which was the theme of some pretty good Scripture choices, I talked about my mom's advice when I got ordained in 1971, St. Rita's on Inwood Road, across the drive from Jesuit, in the old church.

 

 

Dani doing a reading.

 

I had received numerous gifts from people I actually did not know well, if at all.   They were my mom's friends.  And she had a  lot!  What to respond to the people who sent the gifts?  I was all for simply accepting the gifts and moving on

 

Not my mom.  She told me I needed to do the better thing, which was to send a note to every single person who gave me a gift.  Ugh!   This was pre-computers.  I had to write a note, address an envelope, put a stamp on the envelope, and send it off.  It took me forever!

 

 

Have you freely  and without reservation come here to give yourselves in marriage?

 

Because of my mom's advice (not really, her demand), I have continued to try to thank every person who touches me or the community with a gift, and that includes God on a daily basis.

 

 

Katy reading her personal vows.

 

 

If the only prayer you say in your entire life is Thank You, that would suffice.

 Meister Eckhart

 

 

 

A perfect setting & evening for a large & gracious wedding.

 

 

 

Welcome into a new and delightful life, Katy & Enza.