Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2020,

Readings:  Wisdom 9, 13-18; Psalm 90, In every age, O Lord, You have been Our Refuge; Philemon 9-10, 12-17 (expand, 4-22); Luke 14, 24-33

 

Philemon observations:

Author: Paul in prison in Rome.

Time: around 60 C.E.

 

Actors:

—Paul

—Philemon, a leader of the Christian community in Colossae ( in Turkey today), maybe a slave owner

—Onesimus, maybe a run away slave, maybe a brother to Philemon.  This letter was used for centuries by slave owners to justify slavery.  Right up to the Confederacy.

 

 

What is going on:  Paul is writing to Philemon to request a warm welcome to Onesimus, who, as slave or brother, has apparently run off with money or goods of Philemon.  When Onesimus ran away, he met Paul and they became close, with Onesimus helping Paul while he is imprisoned.

 

 

We’ll read verses 4-24 for a broader picture of the letter.

 

 

Wisdom observation:  a book of counsel on behavior.  Basically, be good thrive, bad burn alive.  Not written by Solomon.

 

 

Sources: Good News Bible; Christian Inconnect (on line); New Interpreter’s Study Bible, pp. 2147 & ff.

 

 

Hate My Parents?  Renounce My Possessions?

 

 

I would like to talk this morning about the Hotter 'N Hell Hundred bike ride in Wichita Falls last Saturday.

 

Approximately every ten miles of the HHH there is a rest station.  You can get water, gator aide, pickle juice, pickles, bananas, watermelon, and other specialties.  The pickle juice & bananas are for potassium to prevent muscle cramps, which I have to fight.

 

 

I stop at every rest station except the ten mile station.  Last Saturday I was at the 30 miles station, a favorite because the ladies there bake chocolate chip cookies.  Trouble is, I can only eat one.  Or I’ll throw up.

 

 

I had made a resolution to lie down at each stop for a few minutes.  So I lie down in the grass near my bike.  Almost immediately another rider says to me, “You okay?”  I was perfectly okay I told him.  Thanks.

 

 

This caring for one another really touches me and seems contagious throughout the event.  Other people have asked me how I’m doing (maybe they think the old geezer can’t make it) and I ask others. 

 

 

My buddy and mentor Hammond tells me another story of people helping people.  He goes by a girl with a flat tire.  He remembers her well because she was all in pink, pink jersey, pink pants & shoes, pink helmet & bike, long blond hair.  Bill said there were about 5 guys all helping her.  I asked him if shortly there was a sixth.

 

 

Bill said he was telling Greg Moldovan the story at the next rest stop.  A guy near them in the crowd said, “Hey, I was one of those guys and we were only three.”

 

 

I tell stories about caring for one another to broaden Luke's demanding  message today.  Hate my parents?  Maybe not so hard to do sometimes.  My brothers & sisters?  Renounce all my possessions?  Hey, I’ve done this, actually twice.  It ain’t the answer.  What is the healthy approach?

 

 

Three observations.

First, we have here the old Christian dynamic of infinite demand—coupled with infinite acceptance.  It is not meant literally, but symbolically.

 

Secondly, this infinite demand can be healthy & useful.  What about healthy detachment for a greater good?  High school & college football practice is in full throttle right now.  When I played a bit of high school football, in order to get in shape we did all sorts of conditioning exercises. We did pushups so often I hated them for the rest of my life.

 

 

To achieve a greater good I may have to detach from my parents & my possessions. 

 

Thirdly, I have 4 examples of the caring-for-others-way being a greater good.

a.  Paul’s care for Onesimus in the second reading.

b.  Luke’s very own story of the Good Samaritan.

c.  The guy asking me if I was okay.

d.  Greg Mortenson’s stunning book, Stones into Schools, about building girls’ schools in Afghanistan

 

Whom do you care for?

 

Picture 1:   Mass Begins

 

Picture 2:   Mass Ends

 

Picture 3:   Georgie & Zoe enjoy the celebration

 

Picture 4:   Normally the one taking the pictures, Jan is caught by the eye of the camera.

 

Pcture 5:   The Gang, Sandra, Mike, John, Chuck, & Geri

 

Readings: Job 7, 1-7; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 9, 16-23; Mark 1, 29-39

Job:

Author: Unknown.  No book in the OT or NT has less known about it.  Called the most profound book of the OT.  It deals with the problem of evil,  personal justification, and why bad things happen to good people.   Job himself could be historical, a literary creation, or a combination of the first two.

Date: It is guessed to be before the time of Moses and Egypt, i.e., earlier than 1300 BCE.

Structure: 3 poetic dialogs preceded by a prose introduction and ending with a prose conclusion.

Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People

The Book of Job is considered so profound because it gives one person's idea about why bad things happen to good people.  This also is told in the form of a fable and challenges us to figure out what we believe.  Let me tell the fable.

Once upon a time there was a good man named Job who lived in the land of Uz.  He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, a sign that he was especially blessed. 

One day Yahweh was walking around heaven talking with his buddies when he ran into the devil.  "What have you been doing?" he asked.  "I have been walking around here and there," the devil responded. 

"Have you noticed how good my man Job is?"  "Yes,' says the devil, "but I bet he will curse you to your face if you stop protecting him and take away all his goodies."  "It's a bet," says Yahweh, "Just don't hurt him."

So a few days later while all of Job's 7 sons and 3 daughters where having a feast with their families, a storm blew up killed them all.  A messenger runs to tell Job of the horrible news. 

Shorty after that, another messenger runs in and says lightening has just killed all his sheep and the shepherds.   Other messengers then run in saying Job's livestock have been rustled by robbers who killed all the farm hands.

Job is devastated, of course, but responds with the famous statement: "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing.  The Lord gave, and now He has taken away.  May his name be praised." 

So Yahweh wins his bet.  But when Yahweh and the devil meet up to settle their bet, the devil pushes him saying that he bets Job will curse Yahweh if the devil is allowed to hurt his body.  No death, just hurt.  "Bet," says Yahweh.

The next day Job comes down with sores all over his body, like leprosy, and he has to go outside of town where the lepers go.  He sits in the town dump.  His wife now comes and his friends.  They all grieve. They also encourage Job to see what he has done bad, to curse Yahweh, and to confess.  Job proclaims his innocence.  But he is depressed and discouraged. 

Finally, while not cursing Yahweh, he cries out his anguish saying (chapter 3): 

"Oh, God, put a curse on the day I was born; put a curse on the night when I was conceived!  Turn that day into darkness, God." (verses  2-4) 

"I wish I had died in my mother's womb or died the moment I was born.  Why did my mother hold me on her knees?" (verses 11-12) 

"Why let men go on living in misery?  Why give light to men in grief?" (verse 20) 

"Everything I fear and dread comes true.  I have no peace, no rest, and my troubles never end." (verses 25-26)

After some time in this situation, Yahweh comes along and speaks with him:

"Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words?  Stand up now like a man and answer the questions I ask you.  Were you there when I made the world?" (verses 2-3)

"Job, have you ever in all you life commanded a day to dawn?" (verse 12)

"Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea?  Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? "(verse 16)

"Have you been to the place where the sun comes up or the place where the east wind blows?" (verse 24)

After hearing all the numerous ways that Yahweh reminds him of how insignificant he is, Job apologizes to Yahweh and promises to be a good man from now on.  Yahweh restores his wealth and gives him 7 more sons and 3 more beautiful daughters.  He lives another 140 years as a prosperous and happy man.

So does this answer the question why bad things happen to good people?  What is the lesson for me?  Contemporary scripture scholars find evidence that the happy ending of Job's story was a late addition, that the story ended simply with Job apologizing.  Not always is the Job story a happy ending.

For example, I do not know if you heard or read this week the story of Timothy Cole.  He was a freshman at Tech in '85.  He was studying in his room in the apartment of his brother one evening.  There were other kids in the house.  Timothy was accused of attacking a coed that same night and he was convicted.  The girl mistakenly identified him from a picture.  He was given a 25 year sentence. 

This past Thursday Timothy was finally acquitted of the attack by a DNA match and the confession of another prisoner who did the attack.  The trouble was, Timothy died in 1999 in his cell of an asthma attack.  Found dead in his cell.

Ironically the girl attacked repeatedly noted that the attacker smoked non stop.  Timothy, because of his asthma, never smoked.  Moreover, when the guy who really did it tried to tell the local authorities in Lubbock, they did not even respond.  The guy had to write to the family of Timothy, who died before he could be exonerated.  The guy who attacked the girl said he heard Timothy crying in his cell and saying he never did it.

Timothy is a a Job without a happy ending, a good kid who had a really bad thing happen to him.  This happens every day, folks.

So, why do bad things happen to good people?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-02-08.mp3

Picture 1:  Mass with Sierra & Noah

Picture 2:  The result of 69 years

Picture 3:  Paul, Rich & Carol, Bernadette, Mary Ellen, and Maureen

Picture 4:  Grandma Denni, Chloe, & Maggie

Best reference on Job: The Voice: Biblical & Theological Resources, Dennis Bratches (on line)

 

 Readings:

 Isaiah 61, 1-2, 10-11,  He has sent me to bring glad tiding to the poor,  (excellent, though not in Handel’s Messiah)

  Psalm – Luke 1,    My soul rejoices in my God.

 1 Thessalonians 5, 16-24,  Rejoice always.

 Mark 1, 1-8,   I am the voice of one crying out in the desert

 

 

Isaiah observations– 

Who:   This is Isaiah 3.  Isaiah  1 goes to Chap. 39, Isaiah 2 goes 40-55.  From 40 on we have what is called the Book of Comfort.  Our selection today is all about comfort.  The writer is consoling the Hebrews after returning from Babylon to a destroyed Jerusalem  around 555 before Christ.

The first marvelous couple of verses are repeated more or less in Isaiah 42, i.e.,  Isaiah 2.  Also, Luke puts these words into Jesus mouth in chapter 4 of his gospel.

 

Advent Wreaths: This little liturgical practice came to the Catholic liturgy, believe it or not, from the German Lutherans in the 1500's, the time of Martin Luther.  It was more than just decoration.  The circle symbolized eternity.  The greens Christian life in a dead time of the year.  The candles represent each of the 4 weeks of Advent, each candle symbolizing the greater light brought by Christ.  Their color purple symbolized penance and purification for the Coming.  The Rose  candle says, 'We are almost there!

 

 

Our Friend, Curtis Ekes

For the Second Sunday in a row, Folks, I come before you with unfortunate news.  Another of our best buddies, a good friend, and great supporter, Curtis Ekes, moved to the other side last Sunday evening at Presbyterian, Dallas. 

I had the honor to be with him just an hour before he died.  He had moved that day from San Remo Rehab Center to Presbyterian because of trouble breathing and maybe pneumonia.  Because of the move, Rosemary and I had missed our usual Sunday visit with him.  From the hospital Sunday evening Marlene called to let us know he may not make it through the night.  I was stunned. 

 

As a look back I can claim I received three things from Curtis, an example of how to be gracious, an example of how to be grateful, and an example of how to treasure people, in particular family.

Long before Curtis could not come to Vines and even before he would come in with his walker, I would meet him at the door as he came in.  Always it was, “Good Morning, John.”  He was delighted to chat and ask about myself.   I was touched by how gracious a gentleman he was.

 

 

As far as gratefulness, every time Rosemary and I would visit him at home, it was, “Thanks for coming.”  This would be repeated frequently.  If he could have, he would have said it in the hospital.

In fact, the example of graciousness and gratitude came equally from Curtis and from Mabel.  You two were twins, Mabel, and I was touched so often and learned a lot.

 

 

The third gift I received was simple appreciation of people and, especially of family.  There is an awareness in the Ekes family that family is built upon having fun together.  The custom you folks have of getting everyone together for a Sunday meal at Curtis’ and Mabel’s house is as good as it gets.  Marlene and Cindy put it together these days.  If Rosemary and I were not so busy on Sundays, we would come begging to your door at the time you are serving.

Thanks, Curtis, for the beautiful example you have given me of graciousness, gratitude, and people appreciation, especially of family.  Thanks for Mabel, Bobby, Billy, David, Marlene, and Cindy, and all the family. 

 

Here is a response I hear from Curtis, a Hoppe Indian poem about the soul’s transition:

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there,
I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight
On the ripened grain.
I am the gentle Autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there.
I did not die.

 

 

 

Says Our Dear Harper, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Readings:

Matthew 21, 1-11, Jesus enters Jerusalem, (the entrance)

Isaiah 50, 4-7.   I gave my back to those who beat me.

 Psalm 22,  My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

Philippians 2, 6-11,   He emptied himself

 Matthew 26 & 27,    The Passion.

 

 

Palm Sunday procession beginning.

 

Sorry, we have no homily today.  Long readings. 

 

The Wedding of Scott and Giana at The Windsor at Hebron Park.

 

Frank Costanza ring bearer.  Of all the weddings I have had the privilege of performing, Frank at 93 is the prettiest ring bearer I have ever seen.

 

Mr. & Mrs. Giana and Scott Booth.

 

The beginning of a new life.

 

 Readings:

Matthew 21, 1-11, Jesus enters Jerusalem

Isaiah 50, 4-7,   I gave my back to those who beat me.

Psalm 22,  My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?

Philippians  2, 6-11,  Because of this God greatly exalted him.

Matthew  27,, 11-54,  The passion & death.

 

Sorry, Everybody, because of the extraordinary length of so many readings, especially the Matthew Passion, we don't have a homily.  Tune in for a good one this Sunday, Easter.  Welcome, also.  You might find an Easter Bunny attending.

 

 

Readings:

Acts  12, 1-11,   The chains fell from his wrists.

Psalm 34,   The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

2 Timothy  4, 6-8, 17-18,  The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.

John  21, 15-19,  Simon, son of John, do you love me.

 

 

Acts, a quick review–

Luke wrote this and his gospel, around 65, covering the time after the resurrection and onto Rome.

Our selection describes Peter's imaginative escape from jail.

 

John: I want to use the gospel passage from the Vigil Mass, the story about Jesus asking Peter, "Do you love me?"  Watch how this story can be unpacked from something fairly simple to something  with more finesse.

 

 

Do you love me?

I want to talk this morning about the little dialogue between Jesus and Peter.  It looks pretty simple and straight forward.  Jesus says, “Do you love me?”  Peter responds, “You know I love you.” 

You have probably heard the simple explication that it is a triple statement of love after a triple denial.  It ain’t so simple.  You may have heard me talk about this in the past, but it bears repeating. 

By way of an introduction, let me tell a little story.

 

 

Last Monday I am at the “J” for the 6:00 A.M. spin class, the Jewish Community Center near our house.  There are about 20 people there, all ages, males and females, some in pretty good shape, some not.  The instructor or coach or whatever he is, is a tall slender, in shape black guy.  He knows everybody’s name, calls you out during the class, like, “Come on, John, you can do better than that,” when I am already putting out so much I am about to faint. 

Most of all he has the mouth, the language.  He’s beautiful.  He says a lot of crazy things to get us going, and if I was not going so flat out, I could enjoy him even more.  So, I love to tease him.  He asks everyone how they’re doing 5 minutes before the end of the session and after all the others have said they are doing great, I say I am dying and I say I know that makes him happy. 

 

 

So after dying in Monday’s class and while I am cleaning up the stationary bike, I say to him, “Hey, Ben, if you really love me like you profess (he’s never told me he loves me, rather the contrary), in three weeks you would come with me to ride across Iowa in the Ragbrai bike tour.”

You can imagine what he says.  He does not deny that he loves me.  But he says that he is not the stud biker like I am.   Pretty slippery.  Of course, I make some smart response like, “So much for your love for me.”

This story exemplifies a bit how the dialogue between Jesus and Peter can be seen.

 

 

There is play on the word love here that is totally lost in the English.  Two Greek words are used for love, agapo and phileo.  Let’s say that agapo means love, but phileo means, say, care for.  Watch what happens with the 3 back and forths.

The first time, Jesus says, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others do?”, he uses agapo, do you love me?  

Peter responds, “You know that I love you.”  Guess what.  He uses the word phileo.  I care for you.  Does that not make a significant difference?

The second time, Jesus only says, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”  Again he uses agapo.

 

 

Peter responds exactly the same, “You know that I love you.”  Guess which word he uses.  Phileo.  I care for you.

Third time, Jesus says, “Simon, son of John, do you care for me?”  Jesus switches word.  This time he uses phileo, care for.   

Peter responds, “Lord, you know everything.  You know that I care for you.”

So what is the author John trying to convey by crafting this little vignette?  Who knows really?  Apparently Peter has become a more humble, less braggadocio person.  Look at where it begins with Jesus asking about loving more than the others.  What would the old Peter have said?  And look at where it ends, Jesus lowering his expectations and Peter sticking to his first statement.  Beyond that, who can say? 

Question this week: how do you deal with the mystery that is this bible?