Sunday Homily, February 22, 2015, 1st Lent, Ordinary Time, B
Readings:
Genesis 9, 8-15, The waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all mortal beings.
Psalm 25, Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
1 Peter 3, 18-22, Christ suffered for sins once.
Mark 1, 12-15, The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert.
Genesis: observations–
What: First book of the Bible, starts with creation & ends with the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob (Israel).
Author: Not Moses as was thought for centuries before people began to study the work. At least 3 sources:
- a Y (or J) source for the group that addressed God as Yahweh;
- an E for the group who addressed God as Elohim (Like two historians calling NYC The Big Apple or New York City, or Denver by its name or Mile High City);
- and a P group that focused on the priestly class, activities, & customs.
Time: compiled and put together from 950 to 500 BCE.
Today's Selection: the flood has just receded and Noah is receiving a promise (called covenant) from Yahweh that never again will people be wiped out by a flood. Guess what the sign of the promise is.
A Happy Lent
I want to talk this morning about having a happy Lent. Why? Because God created us to be happy.
I admit again that this is my least favorite season of the year. I always look for something positive to do and am never really satisfied with what I come up with.
However, this past week I got something good. During the week Diane McClurg sent me a facebook note that she had something. Then she sent me another more insistent facebook saying she was waiting. So I opened it up. And am I grateful.
What she had sent was a copy of an article by a woman named Karen Ehman. Karen Ehman says, ‘For this Lent don’t give something up; take something up.’ She has five ideas that are pretty good. Here they are.
- Take up note writing to people with whom you don’t communicate that often, but who are friends. She says she buys 40 cards, envelopes, and stamps. Each morning she sends one out to a friend, just saying that she likes the person.
- Take up the phone and call someone every day or once a week and tell them you are calling just to tell them thanks for being a good friend.
- Take up a simple gift for a friend or family member. Like bring flowers to someone, bring a Starbucks, offer to wash the dishes, or clean or dust the house, mow the grass (welcome to Tulip Lane). Invite someone to lunch. This is a once a week or occasional take up.
- Take up a simple gift for a stranger. Like the recycle men, the garbage men, the checkers at the grocery. Compliment the checker on her finger nails, give $10 to each of the garbage men (watch out for their over the top gratitude).
- Take up visiting someone in retirement or in a hospital. (This is my addition, not Karen’s) We got lots of people you may choose from, starting with Rita.
As you can see, some of these suggestions are occasional or once a week ideas. Plus, what we have here are only seeds. Even while you were listening to the five I put forward, you may be been thinking about other possibilities.
How can you have a happy Lent?
Source: Karen Ehman, on line.