Readings: Proverbs 8, 22-31; Psalm 8, O Lord, Our God, how Wonderful you Name in all the Earth; Romans 5, 1-5; John 16, 12-15.

Trinity Sunday – Intro to Readings.

Our readings today come from the Book of Proverbs, Paul’s Letter to the Romans and John’s Gospel.

The Book of Proverbs is one we don’t often read from.  It forms part of what is known as the Wisdom Literature, along with the Book of Job, Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus and the Book of Wisdom. 

Wisdom literature was very popular throughout the ancient East, particularly Egypt.  In fact, much of the contents of the Book of Proverbs is also found in other more ancient Egyptian writing.  Proverbs is interesting from the point of view that unlike the rest of the Old Testament, where the focus for a relationship with God came from the top, from God thru various covenants and laws, the writers of Proverbs find reason for a relationship with God from man’s own life. 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”.  In this phrase, repeated a couple of times in Proverbs, the word fear is best understood as respect.  The emphasis throughout the book is on the need for recognition on man’s part for the importance of a proper relationship with God.  Much of the writing is very practical in nature.  The material is quite old, with the books being put together in their final form sometime after the exile, around the year 500 BCE.  Much of the book has traditionally been attributed to Solomon and he probably did contribute some of the sayings.

The Letter to the Romans contains the familiar phrase about justification by faith which caused the Church at the time of Luther to have such a difficult time, since Luther took the position that faith alone was all that was needed for salvation, based on this letter, and the Church was holding out for good works also.

Our Gospel from John comes from the long discussion which takes place within the context of the Last Supper.

Trinity Sunday Homily

I spent about 21 years working at IBM and one of the words which is ingrained into every IBMer from a very early stage is the word “Think”.  It was something which Mr. Tom Watson Sr. decided should be the catchword for the company, and which I suspect we would find tattooed on Bob McGrath’s chest.  

Well in matters of God, I feel we are better off with less thinking and more doing.  Today’s feast is a case in point, the feast of the Holy Trinity.  I know that I have said this both at Easter and again on the Feast of the Ascension, “the minute you have managed to understand God, be sure you are in heresy”!  Our God is too big for human contemplation, plus our God is a God of action.  A quick look at Jesus’ life will show that He was either doing or praying, but not thinking!

 

If we accept that the basic message and life of Jesus was about breaking down barriers between people, about freeing people from the unnecessary burdens of guilt, about loving people, then the question we need to be focusing on is “how am I doing?”  Is my life lived bringing joy and encouragement to those around me, not just the people I like but the ones I can’t stand too!  Do I live a life of forgiveness, or do I find myself collecting resentments?  Am I busy building people up, or busy tearing them down either through criticism or gossip?  Is my life lived honestly, or do I play games and pretend to be what I am not?  The questions could continue.  But this is the reason we come here each week to stand before one another and our God, to take the time to reflect on our lives and to resolve to improve them in the days or week ahead.

Picture 1:   The Celebrants

Picture 2:   Choir, Wendy, Shonda, Ray, & Celeste

Picture 3:   Offertory, Grace & Mary Ellen

Picture 4:   CCAC monthly $2000 contribution, Claire & Bobby

Readings:  

Acts 2, 1-11, They were all in one place together;

Psalm 104, Lord, Send out your spirit and renew the face of the earth;

1 Corinthians 12, 3-7, 12-13, There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit. 

John 15, 26-27; 16, 12-15, I Have much more to tell you.

Notes on the readings, Mike Carrell

 At the end of Luke’s gospel, the apostles receive instructions from the Lord. First of all they were told that he fulfilled the expectation of the Law, Prophets and Psalms for the coming of the Messiah. 

Then they were told that as the Father had sent him to bring forgiveness to humankind, he was sending them.

John Cade & Kevin beginning Mass

Finally they were told to wait in Jerusalem for the Father’s gift of the Spirit.  In our reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples receive this gift, that Christ is alive to them through the power of the Spirit.

 In the letter to the Corinthians we are reminded that God has no favorites.  The Spirit is alive within the hearts of all who welcome the good news and put it into practice by their words and actions.

Pentecost Homily, Mike Carrell

 If you haven’t heard the story of the Master violin-maker, I share it with you now.  His violins when used by a skilled violinist produced tones so true that they resonated within the hearts of those who listened to them.  Violinists traveled from all over the country to his workshop in the mountains to seek the opportunity to purchase or play one of his violins. 

This master violin-maker had been taught by this father that the most important step in making a great violin was the choice, curing and aging of the very best wood available. This meant that the wood used to construct a violin was in a preparation process for years before the violin’s construction could begin.

Delgado Corner with Zoe, Buddy & Torri, and Leo

 This master violin-maker wanted the process begun by his father to be followed after he had died, so he wrote it down and began instructing one of his skilled wood crafters everything his father had taught him.   One day in the dead of winter, he asked the one he was grooming to follow him to enter the forest with him for it was time to choose another tree for his wood cutter so that its wood could be to put into the process of curing and aging.

It was a cold day, with some snow swirling in from the north.  The master handed a compass to the younger man, and took a colored piece of rope from the wall of his office along with a ribbon to identify the tree.  The younger man walked with him until they reached a downward slope on the parcel of land that had been given to the master by his father.

It felt much colder now, and after placing the rope, that required a certain diameter tree to be chosen, around several trees, he choose one.  Now the trees along this slope were bent and rugged looking, not like the ones where the workshop was located. 

Mike homilizing

‘Why this tree,’ asked the younger man?  The master replied, ‘Look at the compass. You will see that these trees face due north. This tree has received for the last 100 years the brunt of the incoming north wind, snow and ice, and it has endured.  This wood is your friend: it is about to give its life to you. Its cross section will give witness to a life well lived for it has been pruned many times so the sound of your violins will be vibrant and true….  

Now, what is the meaning of the story? The wood that was chosen to make great violins is another metaphor of God’s plan of salvation for us.  Each of us is the young apprentice to whom the metaphor was explained, and the music played by the violinists, that resonates within our hearts, is the Spirit.   

Leo

 The teaching in which we find today’s gospel reading begins, ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,’ and that we are Christ’s friends because he has made known to us everything that he has heard from the Father.

We have been empowered by the Spirit to live what Christ has taught us.  So, we are reminded at this feast of Pentecost and the 50^th anniversary of Vatican II to be servants of the least among us who yearn to do God’s will. Continue to extend to them peace and justice, for we have all been made in the same image, to share the same bread, to have the same Father and to be bound together by the same Spirit.

Bethany, Shonda, & Ray

Readings:

Acts of the Apostles  2, 1-11,  Arrival of the Holy Spirit

Psalm 104,   Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth

1 Corinthians 12, 3-7, 12-13, different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

 John 20, 19-23,   Peace be with you; receive the Holy Spirit. 

Welcome back home from Arkansas, CC  I really miss you when you are not here.

Pentecost

This morning I want to talk about the feast of Pentecost.   I propose that a Pentecost event takes place often in our lives.  It is a light bulb happening.  I see more clearly.  I have more energy.   There are light bulb events and light bulb people.  For example.

I know a lady who graduated from high school some years ago.  She was 18 and decided she would go to college.  She signed up, went to her accounting class, and got a D.  “That decided me,” she told me, “college was not for me.”

So she met her husband, got married, and had three kids.  Much more fun.

Says Olivia, "Welcome, Everybody."  Olivia, do you realize what a megawatt smile you have?  It brightens my day.

Fast forward about 30 years.  Her kids have grown up and they have graduated from college.  One is continuing studies to become a doctor.

It is Christmas.  They are all sitting around the table.  Somebody asks, “Is there anything in your life that you regret not doing?”  Various answers come in. 

My friend says, “I regret not getting my college degree many years ago.”  “Well, why don’t you go and get it?,” everybody says. 

Emma, you make my day.  Welcome back after a bunch of weeks missing you.

So she decides to take the entrance exams at CCCC (Collin County Community College).  See how it goes.  She takes two exams, math and reading.  She barely flunks the math, which is her long term weakness.  Remember the D in accounting. 

The reading exam?  She flat out fails the reading exam, also.  The college admissions office tells her they cannot admit her. 

Yeah, Ben is back everybody.  What a treat to have you and Sophia back, Ben.
 

What a blow!  Is that the end of it?  In fact, no!  She decides to appeal to take the reading test again. 

End of story, end of college career?  Nope, she aces the reading exam and is allowed to enter the college. 

What a scene.  The Girls' play station with Harper, Tori, and Zoe, with Olivia watching over the whole scene.

She proceeds to pass two years at CCCC during which time she takes a, you guessed it, an accounting course.  Fortunately, she has a husband who understands these arcane concepts.  Like, he says, “ You see this dollar?  That is an asset.”  And so on.  With his help she gets even a good grade in the class. 

After the two years at CCCC, it is time for another big step.  By the way, all during this time she is working full time.

Offertory with Carol Ann & Doug, Caroline & David.
 

The next big step is Texas A & M at Commerce.  Do you realize how far it is to Commerce.  Also during this time she is not taking a light load, like 9 hours.  Oh, no, once she even takes 18 hours.  This is a monster load for a full time student. 

After two years of A & M she is finally ready to graduate.  She even wins an award, not a cum laude, not even a magna cum laude, but a summa cum laude.  With the Highest Honor.  Latin.

My little buddy Seth is helping me to celebrate the wedding of his mom & dad, Monique and Zack, last Friday evening at The Rectory.
 

Karen Anderlick, thanks for being my inspiration and our Pentecost Person.

Who is your Pentecost Person?

Karen Anderlick, Summa cum Laude.

Readings: Wisdom 12, 13-19; Psalm 86; Romans 8, 26-27; Matthew 13, 24-43

Wisdom:

• Author: not Solomon, but an unknown Jew from Alexandria
• Original Language: Greek
• Time: 1-2 centuries B.C.
• Message: Yahweh rewards those faithful to him.
• Means Greek Philosophy common in Alexandria (Platonism & Stoicism) and Jewish traditional  teachings (wisdom of Solomon).
• Uniqueness: one of the ca. 11 deutero-canonical books (not originally part of the Jewish bible).

The Kingdom

Almost every morning of the year I grab a rocking chair on our back porch, sip a cup of coffee, and admire the beauty of the day.  Since our house is situated on a corner, from my rocking chair I can see a small street called Camellia which comes from Royal Lane and passes our street, Tulip Lane.  Camellia can get busy on school mornings when parents bring their kids in the back entrance to St. Mark’s Boys’ School.  Normally, however, I watch joggers & walkers pass by, some of them on their way to or from the Starbucks on the Preston & Royal corner.

This past Wednesday morning I was sitting on our back porch as usual.  The joggers & walkers were passing by.  At some point I look up and see a couple and their dog approaching.  I have never see them before, but they certainly caught my attention.  They were both talking on their cell phones.   

At first I could not believe that I was seeing what I was seeing.  I do not want to judge this couple in any way.  They may have been talking with their kids or their parents or some very important people. 

In todays’s Matthew reading we have three metaphors or parables attempting to show what the kingdom might be like.  Three more agricultural parables.  Last week we had the seed sewn on four types of soil, one of which was good.  Today we have a mustard seed, a bit of yeast, and a field infected with weeds put there by an enemy.

Let me make four observations about this kingdom that comes up so often in the gospel writers.

1. First, I would suggest that the kingdom is inner peace, peace with my neighbors, peace with my friends, peace with my lot in life, and peace with who & what I am.
2. Secondly, I would suggest that the peace of the kingdom is present tense. It is available now, in this life. It may also grow, as the parable of the yeast and the mustard seed indicate. I may be more peaceful next year than I am this year.
3. Third, the peace is a gift. We have the yeast in our spirit. We have the mustard seed inside of us. We are created to have inner peace.
4. Fourth, the growth of the seed of peace inside of us sometimes involves effort, self-discipline, and self-defense against the enemy. And who is the enemy? Part of me. I can scapegoat something outside of me, saying, “The devil made me do it.” However, the real enemy may be my inclination to miss the beauty because I am sidetracked by all the metaphorical cell phones in my life. Serious enough, these cell phones are called addictions.

Paradoxically, the form my self-discipline and self-defense may take is acceptance, that word I have put forward so often.  Acceptance of others, of my place in life, and acceptance of myself, even with my shortcomings. 

The couple I was watching Wednesday morning may have definitely been in the kingdom that we are talking about.  They may be peaceful people.  However, they might find even more peace if they discard what may be an enemy to their peace.

What is the enemy keeping you from entering the kingdom, from inner peace?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-07-20.mp3

 Readings:

Isaiah 43,16-21, In the desert I make a way.

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

Philippians 3, 8-14,  For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things.

John 8, 1-11,  They brought a woman who had been caught in adultery

Think it is hard to get Leo to Mass on Sunday?

Emma, too.

 Isaiah Observations:

The scene: the Jewish people are captives in Babylon ca. 550 years before Christ.  Isaiah the great prophet had warned the people that their bad ways were going to lead to this. 

In this chapter 43 Yahweh reminds them of how much he has done for them in the past and lets them know that they are still his people.  Their lives will get better.   The writer is Isaiah 2.  There are at least 3.

The first 5 verses of this chapter are some of the best in the Bible, telling the people to not be afraid because he is with them. It goes— 

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.  I have called you by your name.  You are mine.  When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you…  When you pass through fire, you will not be burnt. 

Soul's Harbor truck which the community filled. Patrick shared his marvelous history of recovery with us, which is why we have no homily today. Patrick is going through drug recovery at Soul's Harbor, which we support.

Philippians

Philippi was the first church Paul set up on European soil.  He is in prison.  He is basically saying that for him nothing has any importance beyond his relationship with Jesus.

Guess who this is.

Cole with his dad, Chuck.

Video: Cupcakes of the Week, Ken, John, and Brooklyn (2, today; 30 sec.)