Sunday Homily, May 22, 2016, Trinity
Readings:
Proverbs 8, 22-31, When the Lord established the heavens I was there.
Psalm 8, Lord, Our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth
Romans 5,1-5, We have been justified by faith.
John 16, 12-15, I have much more to tall you
John's Homily
The fruits or signs of the Spirit, what you see when a person lives in the Spirit of Jesus, are the behaviors that descrobe love, joy, peace, patience or tolerance, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness or self-control.
I have shared with you in the past my having sisters who no longer speak with one another and the pain this signifies. Well, this whole past week I have experienced the signs of the Spirit. Lambrini’s older brother George had never been to Dallas in the 22 years since Lambrini and I were married.
On the occasion of his mother, Kalliopi’s, 90th birthday, George agreed to come. I already knew George as a man of love and joy and peace. He lives with his wife, on their farm in Pelaponesia near a town called Crimidi. In addition to love, joy and peace, George demonstrates amazing patience.
Guess who lit candles today.
I’m able to practice patience in some aspects of life, but fall down, especially in the areas of mechanics and technology. I lose patience with machines that I want to do something they won’t do. E.g., my lawn mower ‘died’ last year at the beginning of mowing season. I found someone who would cut my yard for a reasonable cost and didn’t buy a new machine. This year I took it in and the shop guy said it wasn’t worth fixing, and he could sell me a new one for $300. When George got here, he little by little found out what was wrong with it, and then fixed each problem, one by one.
I was amazed. George reminded me of what Scott Peck said in his classic book, The Road Less Traveled’. He said that he, like many others, said “I can’t do this or that.” Peck said what we mean is “I won’t spend the time learning how to do that.” Anyone graced with normal intelligence can learn to do anything, if we exercise the patience required to learn how.
Then yesterday my family got together to welcome George to Dallas and to celebrate Kalliopi’s and Lambrini’s birthdays. Lambrini’s sister-in-law Debbie, and her daughter Leah with her one year old son, flew in to be with George and the family. Our two daughters and grandson Freddie also came.
Viking Sea docked at Stockholm, Sweden last night, a Spirit Event.
I experienced their love and peace and kindness with one another all day long. Everyone showed their love for Leah’s 1-year old CJ, and Joey’s 5-year old Freddie—total acceptance and joy. I saw Patience, which includes tolerance, in how the 5 carnivores and 3 vegetarians respected one another and showed great tolerance for our different life choices. Faithfulness includes self-control, and I experienced this sign of the Spirit in their total lack of judgement in sharing personal stories with each other. What a day of blessing.
I also experience this ‘Spirit event’ each week when we gather here to celebrate together. Remember Stack talking about the ‘Christmas event’ and the ‘Easter or Resurrection event’. At Pentecost time we celebrate the ‘Spirit event’. Be on the watch for Spirit events; they are happening all the time.
How do you experience ‘Spirit events’, in yourself and with others?
Sunset around 9:00 P.M. Saturday night, Stockholm. The Ending.
Yes, we have just returned to Dallas, Ro & Jo
