3rd Sunday in Lent, March 3, 2024

Exodus 3:  God replied, “I am who am.”  Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you.”

1 Corinthians 10:  These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.

Luke 13:  ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future.  If not you can cut it down.’”

John Cade's Homily from last Sunday:  Download 03-16-25 Homily -2nd Sunday in Lent

 

 

Another Reminder for the 3rd Sunday in Lent, March 23, 2025

2 Kings 4:  Elisha said, "Pass it around to the people to eat."  His servant said, "For a hundred men? There's not nearly enough!" Elisha said, "Just go ahead and do it. God says there's plenty."   And sure enough, there was. He passed around what he had – they not only ate, but had leftovers.

Ephesians 4:  You have one Master, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

John 6:  When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted."  They went to work and filled twelve large baskets with leftovers from the five barley loaves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rosemary's sister, Clare recuperating from knee replacement.

 

Readings:

Wisdom 18, 6-9,  You people awaited the salvation of the just.

Psalm 33,  Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own (Everybody?) 

Hebrews 11, 1-2, 8-19,  Faith is the realization of what is hoped for.

Luke 12, 32-48,  Do not be afraid any longer.

 

 

 

The Team says, "Welcome."

 

 

Observations on the Readings: note how there is one positive line and a whole bunch of fear focus.

 

Do not be afraid any longer, Little Flock

I would like this morning to pick up on that line from Luke, Do not be afraid any longer, Little Flock.

A week ago this past Wednesday I was coming home from working out at the Jewish Community gym.  It was about 7:00 A.M. and sunny.  It had been dark when I set out at around 5:30.  I parked in our driveway, turned off the Prius, and prepared to get out and enter our kitchen door.

 

 

 

So Ben goes off for summer vacation and returns 5 1/2 inches taller.   How did you do that, Ben?  Last time I measured I was 2 inches shorter.

 

Suddenly through the left corner of the windshield I noticed something white just off the cement and in the grass.  “Nuts,” I thought.  “I have forgotten again to leave at the J my hand towel used for sweat."  But, I had not noticed it when I departed.

As I exited the car I more or less kept my eye on the white spot when suddenly I saw a movement.  I walked over and the white towel turned out to be the prettiest little pure white cat.  It was lying on its left side, facing our back door, and its right hind leg twitched once in a while.

 

 

 

 

"Connie, I bet you are in the market for a mint condition red car."

 

It had obviously had a bad night. I thought I could see tooth marks on its neck and on its left shoulder an open wound.  It had somehow walked almost to our back door (to find help), lay down exhausted, and was dying.

 

 

 

The welcome team, Alison and Jan.

 

I ran inside to get Rosemary.  We decided to take her or him straight to the vet just around the corner.  We put a towel on a piece of cardboard.  Rosemary took some gloves and placed the little cat on the towel. 

 

 

 

Thanks, Leo, for a delightful second Homily.

 

I confess that I was scared to pick up the cat because I thought her spinal tendon might be damaged.  There was no obvious pain, but as she was picked up the little cat, it opened the sweetest little light blue left eye and looked at Rosemary.

At the vet’s office we all decided that the little cat needed to be euthanized out of her pain.  It had no ID and the vet said she was in bad shape.

 

 

 

Just in case you lose your way, Buddy's shoes will light your path.

 

I walked out of that office with tears running down my cheeks and for a couple of days the cat was on my mind and in my heart.

Let me now refocus.  I would propose that my heart goes out to that little cat only a tiny fraction of how God’s heart goes out to all of us.  Could we be God’s cats?

Do not be afraid any longer, Little Flock.

 

 

 

Sophia lights the candles while Buddy reads the blessing.

 

Could it be that all this emphasis on fear, on being caught off guard, and being punished (even forever) is partly the tribal leaders of the people trying to control the unruly tribe?

If you are plagued by this fear, what can you do to not be afraid any longer, Little flock?

 

 

The offertory team, Louis, Cheryl, Frank, and Mary.

Mark 11:  Hosanna!   Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Isaiah 50: I gave my back to those who beat me,  my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;  my face I did not shield  from buffets and spitting.

Philippians 2:  Rather, he emptied himself,  taking the form of a slave,   coming in human likeness;  and found human in appearance,  he humbled himself,  becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Mark 14: The Passion of the Lord

 

 

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben 

 

  Expenses: $    790.00

  Outreach: $   260.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

The Godfather (Steve) and Godmother (Frida) hold Harrison as he is baptised

 

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Says Our Dearest Tori, "Welcome, Everybody."

 

 

Readings:  

 Amos 7, 12-15,  The Lord said to me,”Go, prophesy.”

 Psalm 85,   Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

 Ephesians 1, 3-14, In love he destined us for adoption to himself.

Mark 6, 7-13, Jesus sent them out two by two. 

 

 

 

 

 

They are back, Folks, Shonda & Ben.  So good to have you both with us like usual.  Thanks, David, for carrying the load often.

 

 

Amos  observations:

Author: Amos or his scribe.  He was a shepherd of sheep & tended sycamore trees.  One of the 12 minor prophets of the OT, minor because of smallness of the works.  Amos has only 9 chapters.  Usual pattern of prophets: 1. predictions of dire times for evil behavior; 2. predictions of better times in the future. 

Date: Ca. 777 (a memory help), after the kingships of David & Solomon, time of King Jeroboam of the northern kingdom, called Israel vs the southern kingdom, called Judah (where Jerusalem is).   The northern half of the state is still undefeated.

         

 

 

Time for thanks to our God.

                

Geography: Note the two kingdoms, Judah in the south, Israel in the north.  Amos tended sheep in a little town called Tekoa, 10 miles south of Jerusalem, in Judah, the south.  He is sent by Yahweh to Bethel, a small but important town in the northern kingdom, 10 miles north of Jerusalem, to warn the people of Israel & their king Jeroboam that Yahweh was mad at them.  The wicked high priest of Bethel, Amaziah condemns Amos for his interference.

 

 

 

 

Who let all these crazy people in??

 

 

The Setting: a time of prosperity.  But Yahweh is mad at the greed of the wealthy and their oppression of the poor (which ties into our gospel talking about walking lightly through life).  We know the people of this kingdom of Israel are headed for annihilation by the Assyrian nation.  And they will disappear as a significant body.  

Our Selection, chapter 7:  Amos describes three visions or dreams he has had.  Amaziah, the priest, gives it to him for spreading these visions around.  Then, Amos responds and socks it to Amaziah with a hammer.

 

 

 

 

Emma doing her magic with our candles.

 

 

Take Nothing for the Journey

I apologize this morning for telling you a story that some of you will probably remember.  However, the event so speaks to the gospel this morning that I can not pass it up.  Another African story.

One evening in Tanzania I boarded an overnight train in Dar es Salaam, the capital.  I would get off the next morning in the region near Kilimajaro where there was a Jesuit house that I used as a base when I was not on the road giving seminars or retreats. 

 

 

 

Thanks for bringing up our gifts, Kevin, Connie, & John. 

 

 

I had bought my ticket just the afternoon of the trip.  No compartments were available, which were not much anyway.  Two shared the compartment and an upper bunk came down.  You had to be careful in the little stations, because thieves would look in the window and grab.  So, no big loss.

I had to take general booking.  This entitled me to a place on the train, not necessarily a seat.  It is not air conditioned and can be a bit warm. 

I started out sitting on a suitcase I traveled with.  There were mothers with little kids and a few chickens all around my area at the end of one train car.   I expected it would be a long night, but I would get where I wanted to go and then sleep extra.

 

 

 

Cody & Ben, you are having too much fun.

 

 

About midnight the train stopped, like in the middle of nowhere.  We sit there.  No explanation, nothing.   I finally join others getting off.  I lie down on the rocks on the edge of the track, my case under my head so no one would snatch it, and wait.  And wait.  We sit there with no explanation until about 7:00 the next evening. 

Just like Mark recommends in the gospel today, I had boarded that train with nothing to drink or eat.  Looking back, I cannot believe I was so stupid.  Normally I would never have set out without water. 

 

 

 

 

 Communion for Bill.

 

Why did I not ask the Tanzanian ladies for a drink?  I could easily talk Swahili with them.  Trouble was, they did not often purify their water and I was afraid of it.   So there I sat, now in the shade.  I look around.  Everyone on that train is Tanzanian.  I am the only white guy, which I am at home with.

Suddenly I see up the track maybe 4 or 5 cars ahead of me a white couple.  They must have extra water.  Hooray.  They are Germans, but speak English with no problem.

We hang out.  They saved me, and let me tell you a quickie about how I saved them.

 

 

 

Communion for Dee & Ray.

 

 

We were  seated in the shade of a Frangipani tree I can still clearly remember.  All the passengers were seated along the train in the shade.  Next to us was a momma with her baby.  At one point the momma gets up and goes into the train leaving her baby in the shade on a small blanket.

The German guy who was about 6, 4 gets up and takes a picture of the baby.  Bad move.  Someone on the train sees him, tells the momma, she tells her husband, and he comes out yelling with a bunch of people.  He wants the camera.  He wants to take the German to the police, wherever that might be.

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome back, Sophie, so nice to see you with us.

 

 

So, I stepped in.  We all sat down under the trees and I talked.   I finally got the father to allow the German to go to his compartment, cut off the baby’s picture, and give it to the man.  

He cuts off  the end of the film, brings it back, and gives it to the man.  It is black, of course, and the man is angry again. 

I explain how all the film is black until it is developed.  The crisis comes to an end. 

 

 

 

 

So good to see you, too, Dear Leo.

 

I ended up climbing Kilimanjaro with the couple, which ended up being amusing.  He was an Alpine Mountain rescue expert, like a 4 on a 5 scale.  He could crawl across your ceiling holding on with his fingernails.  When we got to the top of Kilimanjaro he got altitude sickness and I carried his back pack.  Of course, I teased him mercilessly. 

I never saw them again, although they were begging me to come to Germany on one of my homeward trips.  I wanted to see the Berlin wall and never did.  She was East German, he West.

 

 

 

Hang in there, Buddy, we are almost up to Cupcake Time.

 

 

The story simply tries to show how literal reading of the Bible can get you into bad places. 

What  would you suggest is a positive in this story about traveling with nothing? Could this be what Francis is emphasizing when he talks about Less is Better?  Consumerism?

How is Less Better for you?