Sunday Homily, August 2, 18th Ordinary Time
Readings:
Exodus 16, 2-4, 12-15, You had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine.
Psalm 78, The Lord gave them bread from heaven.
Ephesians 4, 17-24, You must no longer live as the Gentiles do.
John 6, 24-35 I am the bread of life.
Georgie says, "Welcome in, Everybody. Beware, The Old Geezer is back."
Exodus observations:
What:
Exodus is a fun book and a good read. It comes after Genesis & it has three main sections.
One – the struggle between stubborn old Pharoah vs Moses & Yahweh. Pharoah loses. You can imagine the Passover had a significant impact.
Two – the time of wandering in the Sinai desert and the covenant, that is, the 10 Commandments
Three – the coming into the Promised Land.
This all took around 40 years, and so we have stories in-between. Today’s is one of these, showing Yahweh feeding his grumbling people.
Welcome Home, Celeste. Celeste, who has played in our music section, has just come in from a year teaching in Hungary, and is departing to spend a year teaching in Albania. Does the girl love adventure?
When written:
Toward the end of the Babylonian Captivity, around 550 before Christ
Who wrote it:
Not Moses, but people who lived centuries after this mythical character. How much of this is historical is a question. The story greatly encouraged the Jewish people enslaved in Babylon.
And welcome home to you, Sabrina. You did everything for us for years. Sabrina is returning to the Illinois Institute of Technology for her junior & senior years.
Our selection:
An amusing account of the Jewish people grumbling against Moses. They say they would prefer to be back in Egypt than in this infernal desert where they are wandering in the heat & sand. We can sympathize with them in these days of 100’s. They did not have a/c. So Yahweh feeds them. See how.
Hi, Morgan, Welcome to you, too.
Kilimanjaro Events and Ragbrai
This morning I would like to talk about Kilimanjaro events in our lives. Kilimanjaro events give life in ways similar to what John is talking about in the gospel, spirit life. They are peak events.
I choose the word Kilimanjaro because I had the privilege of climbing that mountain in Tanzania 5 times when I lived there. Each was literally and figuratively a peak event.
Genevieve says, "I bet you I don't weigh 6 pounds anymore."
A week ago I had another Kilimanjaro event, the week long, 500 mile bike ride across Iowa from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, with about 15 thousand others. Iowa or Ragbrai was such a peak experience, full of spiritual life moments. Let me talk about 3 of them.
One of my most favorite places to eat dinner in the evening and to get coffee and 4 bananas in the morning was a supermarket called Hy-Vee, the Iowa equivalent to Central Market or Whole Foods. They had carbo dinners for Ragbrai.
And Welcome to You, too, Mr. Peighton. Delightful to have you with us.
When I would ride up to one of these markets, you would not believe what I would see. Not just hundreds of bikes. But hundreds of bikes with absolutely no locks or security. Bikes everywhere, even inside the entrance ways. The majority of these bikes would start at a $1000 and go up as high as $10,000. Lots of beauties.
Trust, folks, this was trust. I don’t think anybody was afraid of being robbed anywhere, all along the ride and in the villages and towns. I found this atmosphere of trust so moving.
Mr. Peighton, obviously a quick learner, says, "Wake me up when that Old Geezer stops yakking. Thank you."
Secondly, I was moved by the spirit of congeniality among everyone, for example.
I have a favorite concession where I would stop every afternoon on the road. Concessions were all along the road, which was dedicated to us. The concession I love and the only one I regularly stopp at is the Amish homemade pie and ice cream stop, always on the right shoulder of the road and always on the second half of the day’s journey.
This is way below Sabrina's talent level. But in honor of all the years she did everything around here, today she gets to light the candles.
On Wednesday I rode up and asked for credit from Henry, the Amish kid who collected the $3 for pie and the $2 for ice cream. I had forgotten my money that morning. I knew the only place I needed $5 on the road was the Amish.
There was a line of people behind me waiting to pay Henry. As he said yes, the lady behind me popped in and said, “Oh, I can pay for you. No problem.” I was most touched, but told her that I would probably never see her again, so I could not pay her back, while I would see Henry the next day. And Henry chimes in, “Yes, he is here every day, so it is okay.” The next day, Thursday, I chipped in about $10 as a token of gratitude.
This lady touched me with her spirit.
2 cupcakes here this morning. Cathy generously is standing in for her son, Brian, who is celebrating 10 years married. Mike and Judy are celebrating 51 years married. And they are from Kiokuk, Iowa.
During the homily I added this little memory, which, in fact, made me forget the final point of the homily. I remembered and shared it after communion.
In the context of congeniality I talked about what was a group of maybe 20 Air Force bikers. They not only rode, but they stopped whenever they saw someone down with a flat or a slipped chain. At one point I rode up and along side of them. I mentioned 2 things. I was jealous of their beautiful blue & white bike wear with the white wings on the back & shoulders.
I also told them how touched I was at seeing them helping people along the road. They were super appreciative and called me "Sir" a dozen times. (Chebino, do you belong to the A.F. Bike Unit?)
Watch out, Folks, Dawson is 18 years old.
The third Kilimanjaro event. Friday here in Dallas, on a routine visit to my dermatologist, she asked me what was the biggest event, the most special. As usual, I even got a bit choked up in telling her.
It was just the joy, the exhilaration I experienced in riding, riding with so many congenial people, riding over beautiful green farm lands, passing through achingly beautiful little villages, and all at age 75.
What more can a kid look forward to in the summer than to get up, ride his bike all day, and then camp out in his tent at night with friends?
Watch out, Cole, Emma, and Zoe, TI is hiring Whiz Kids.
What is you latest Kilimajaro event?
What is your next one?
I can tell you my next 2, the Hotter N’ Hell Hundred the last Saturday of August and taking about 10 close friends to Yosemite the first week of September. Summer is so good.
You people in this community are a Kilimajaro Event.
So, your next Kilimanjaro event?
Brent, you are a Kilimajaro Event, and we are privileged to be able to support the work you do with Souls Harbor.