Readings:

 2 Kings 4, 42-44,  “They not only ate, but had leftovers.”  

Psalm 145,    The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

Ephesians 4, 1-6,   “Pour yourselves out in acts of love; and be quick to mend fences.”

Alleluia – “A great prophet has risen in our midst.”

John 6:1-15 (also in Matt 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17) – “Jesus took the bread, and having given thanks, gave it to them.”

                   Genevieve says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome."

Introduction to the readings:

The Jewish people wanted to have a king like other nations had.  Wasn’t God’s idea; the people kept demanding a king; he let them have a king.  The idea was that the kings, starting with Solomon, would represent the sovereignty of God by being good kings. 

For 500 years there were 40 or so kings, and of course they were mostly rather pitiful, a few were pretty good.  Today’s reading is from the second book of kings, so during the time when kings ruled the Jewish people, starting with Saul about 1000 years before Jesus, and ending about 500 years later with the Babylonian captivity (555). 

       Leo & Shonda, too, say, "Good Morning, Folks, Welcome."

 There were prophets and holy men before there were kings.  They are the ones who kept tabs on the kings and represented God’s take on issues. 

Today’s reading introduces Elisha, a holy man respected by Joram, king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.  This little story of Elisha feeding a crowd of 100 with 20 loaves of bread was chosen to connect with the story of the multiplication of loaves in the today’s Gospel story. And the letter to the Ephesians teaches what sharing in the meal should signify and bring about in one’s behavior.

Emma, too, says that she and her buddy welcome everyone.

HOMILY:

We have heard many times the reading about the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish.  This is the only miracle story repeated in all four Gospels. 

How appropriate that feeding those needing food was the best miracle story known; it could be told today with equal impact.  I forget the stats, but it’s millions of people, including children, who are hungry every day and without food (who knows the number or percent). 

                  Harper says she thinks it is fun being here.

Also in each of these four repetitions of the story, there is a formula or ritual stated: “Jesus raised his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to his disciples.”

So first, the story is a story about Jesus performing a miracle, which is how writers in those days made someone ‘famously big’ or a ‘god to be reckoned with’. 

Secondly, this story was well known, since all four Gospel writers or compilers used it. 

And thirdly, one line in the story became part of the shared meal starting with early Christians all the way down to today. 

            Victoria having just too much fun with her mom.

The reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, liturgically, seems to teach what flows from sharing in this ritual meal.  And his answer is unity, recognizing that we are called to be one body, united in love.  Paul describes our call from God as pouring yourself out for each other in acts of love, accepting other’s differences and being quick to forgive.

 Three questions to mull over: 

In your family (at home, here, friends group) how do you see acts of love being shared, and differences accepted?  

How quick are you to mend fences and forgive one another? 

Do you make the connection between sharing bread here at Mass, and experiencing connection and oneness with others in your everyday life?

Genevieve, who has learned already from previous Sundays how to turn it off, says, "Wake me up when the fun begins."

Readings: From the Midnight Mass, the best–Isaiah 9, 1-6; Psalm 96, Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord; Titus 2, 11-14; Luke 2, 1-14.

Isaiah: author, date, subject–

  Author: Isaiah is one of the three great OT prophets along with Jeremiah & Ezekiel.  This is partly because of the size of the work, 66 chapters, but even more so because Isaiah is so beautiful and influential in the Christian story. 

There are really three Isaiahs, chapters 1-39, 40-55, & 56-66.  How do we know?  Simple.  Different styles of writing, different vocabularies, different slants to the message.

Date: 1 Isaiah, our selection is put together ca. 700 BCE.  2  Isaiah, ca. 500 BCE; 3 Isaiah, ca. 400 BCE.

Subject: As always, there has been predictions of doom & destruction.  This passage, however, is the flip of this.  Listen for words like rejoicing, making merry, joy, peace, a God-hero Child is born.

Source: Bishop John Shelby Spong

Where is the God-Hero Child?

This past fall Gloria Eshelbrenner got married in Seattle.  She is Richard & Carol's daughter.  Rosemary & I got invited to perform the ceremony, beautifully located over water at a yacht club.

Rosemary & I went on the Monday before the wedding so that we could visit the city, which was the first time for both of us in Seattle.  A great city.  Just do not look at the weather forecast today and for the past 4 weeks.  

One morning we walked down hill into the center of town and went into a Starbucks, what else, just across the street from the Pike St. Market.  It was a marvelous old corner location with a high ceiling, mirrors on the walls, and wood paneling.  Must have once been a bar.

We got our lattes and went looking for a place to sit.  There were the usual tables & chairs and also groups of four leather easy chairs squared before wooden topped coffee tables.  All were more or less occupied. 

One square, fortunately had only one person, a late middle aged woman.  The woman wore bulky clothes without much color, a shawl over her shoulders, a stocking cap on her head, a coffee on the table in front of her, she was slouched and she was asleep.  I thought she must be a street person come in to take a nap & a coffee. 

There was no other place, so we decided we would give it a try, as long as she did not smell.  

We sat and began to enjoy the lattes when the woman, now on my left side, stirred and reached for her coffee.  I said something like, "Good Morning," and we began to talk.  

Turned out she was far from being a street person.  She was just getting off of work at an animal shelter, where she was the nighttime attendant.  We had not chatted for more that a few minutes when out from under her shawl and coat a little head emerged.  It was a little Chihuahua dog, very friendly and sleepy.  We spent probably a delightful half an hour talking with this Seattle lady and her little dog.  

I had done it again, folks, judged the book by the cover.  Whatever I thought she was in the beginning, she turned out to be a special blessing and gift to me & us. 

Where do you find these people blessings, these god-hero people?

Picture 1:  Christmas Eve, 2009

Picture 2:  Mass begins with Kevin helping

Picture 3:  The Nativity Drama

Picture 4:  The McGraths, Terry & Joy, Morgan & Tyler

Picture 5:  The Community Rectory in Snow, Christmas

Readings:  

 1 Kings, 19, 4-8, Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you.

 Psalm 34, Taste and see the Goodness of rhe Lord

Ephesians 4, 30-5, 2, Be imitators of God and live in love.

John 6, 24-35, I am the bread of life. 

Mass Begins

Kings:  a review–

Subject: The kings of Israel.  The Big 3 kings were Saul, David, & his son Solomon.  The 2 Books of kings follows the 2 Books of Samuel, which describe the lives of the the kings up to the death of the Great King David, my favorite.  1 & 2 Kings takes up the life of Solomon, David's son, his building of the temple, his death, and the fate of the kingdom following his death, that is, it divides and is conquered. 

Time Period:  from ca. 900 – 550 BCE, or from Solomon to Nebuchadnezzar & Cyrus.

Kevin on the job

Authors: a compilation of many sources that was put together at the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 550 BCE. 

Our Selection: focus is on one man, the prophet Elijah.  The kingdom has already been split.  Our story takes place in the northern state, Israel.  Time of severe drought.  The king is Ahab; his queen, the famous Jezebel.  The prophet Elijah has scolded them for turning to false gods to end the drought.  

Emma 8-12-12

There has been a contest in chapter 18: Elijah vs the 450 prophets of Baal, ultimately to see which side would be more effective in bringing rain.  2 bulls were slaughtered.  Naturally, Elijah wins when Yahweh answers his prayer, sends down fire, and consumes the bull Elijah has slaughtered.  When he wins, he slaughters the 450 prophets of Baal.   

Emma on the job

We enter at a point where Jezebel is furious with Elijah for killing her favorite prophets and aims to kill Elijah.  He is going to run away all depressed.   

We will read an expanded chapter 19, from 1-13.   In fact, I want to tell  you the story in Chapter 18, such a special story.    

Leo on the job before he got sick & had to leave

Taste & See the Goodness

This story takes place in Marshalltown, Iowa.  It is the fifth of eight layover towns on our west to east bike ride across Iowa, a trip called Ragbrai (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride across Iowa), 10 thousand people this year, its 40^th.

We had just had a lasagna dinner at a Christian Church in the town center.  We are getting our campsite & gear ready because a storm was predicted.  The temperature had been above 100 and rain & cooler temperatures were approaching.  In fact, we could see big clouds building in the west and heading toward us. 

At 8:30 a shower hit.  8:45 it tapered off.  I took a bag of water bottles to a nearby pavilion to fill them.  I fill them and prepare to return when it went chaotic.  The rain came down in sheets, the wind blew every which way, and suddenly two gigantic gusts blew everything over, tents, bikes, gear.  People poured into the pavilion.

Our Habitat House. Look closely and you may see the siding going on.

I could not see Rosemary & Aviana, but I know Rosemary well enough.  She can cope & would be okay. 

After 30 minutes of this torrential rain, it began to lessen.  Then the police arrive & tell us we are being evacuated to a school because of tornadoes & hail coming our way.  Not good.

I run & get Rosemary & Aviana.  Our tent has collapsed, so we roll it up wet and put it in the back of the van.  We end up in a Lutheran Church because the school could not fit everyone.   It is dark by now, still raining lightly, but cooler. 

I can still remember entering that Lutheran Church.  First of all, it was air conditioned.  Wow, so nice.  Secondly, the pastor was at the entrance welcoming everyone, saying we could use every room & corner.  We did.  It was wall to wall people.  We all spent the night on the floors, which were carpeted. 

Lying on that floor in the middle of a crowd in the middle of the night, I considered chucking the remainder of our trip.  So much of what we had was soaked.

Two of our new, special helpers, Catherine & Alison

The next morning about 5:30, however, it was spectacularly beautiful, cool and sunny with light, left over clouds.  People were in great humor.  One guy said to me with a laugh in the parking lot of the church, “It’s just Ragbrai, let’s ride!”  And I did.  And Rosemary did.  And so did Aviana, who had been the queen of those sleeping in the church. 

There were a gazillion lessons that struck me & Rosemary from that adventure.  Let me single out 3. 

First, we were homeless and taken in, sheltered, and shown warm hospitality, by a Lutheran Church.  Yahweh showed hospitality & care for Elijah.  We attempt to show hospitality as a community.  Look at Habitat.  Look at the Katrina refugees.

Secondly, like Ephesians says excellently today, there was no bitterness, anger, fury, or shouting.  In fact, generosity & love emanated from the Lutheran community and we returned it in a small way.

Tom putting up siding–in the shade

A basket had been put in the back of the church part of the complex and it was filling with $20’s.  Rosemary sent a thank you note to the pastor.

Thirdly, taste & see the goodness of the Lord.  I love this line and what it calls me to.   I could savor the goodness some at the time.  But I had a list later with Rosemary. 

The ability just to ride my bike.  And we got the car fixed easily (dashboard light came on).

The cooler temperatures and the needed rain, which produced a glorious day.

The evacuation so peacefully accepted by so many, and especially the Lutheran Church, which was so gracious.

Rosemary reading her Blessing

Folks, we take bunches of trips in our lives.  We taste & see the goodness of the Lord every day.  Occasionally we have an adventure like Marshalltown.   At the time of the adventure and even more so later, we really taste & see the Goodness.

What happened the last time you really tasted and really saw the Goodness?

Readings:

 Isaiah 35, 4-7, The eyes of the blind will be opened.

Psalm 146,    Praise the Lord, my soul.

James 2, 1-5, 21-22, 27,  Show no partiality

Mark 7, 31-37, Jesus heals the deaf & mute man.

John sharing his homily.

Homily:

Last Sunday Stack reminded us about how Moses told the people of Israel that they would have their own land promised by Yahweh.  And how after Moses’ death Joshua and others wiped out the Cannanite tribes who resided there, and just moved in. 

Leo

The theme today is that of healing.  During the week I was touched by two visuals of a lack of healing for people.  The first was the visual of a dead child lying on a beach in Turkey, whose family were trying to get from Syria to safety in Europe.  His family was one of thousands escaping from war torn Syria, escaping death by the King’s military, or by the rebel fighters, or by ISIS jihadists.  Newspeople often refer to them as ‘immigrants’–-yet their country is in civil war and there is hardly a safe place for anyone on any side.  They are refugees.  They leave everything behind.  They cross the Mediterranean in rubberized boats or rafts.  Many don’t even make it to the first stop in Turkey.  These thousands of refugees are leaving their homes, leaving their land, in search of a safe place for their families, for their children. 

Allison and Genevieve

The second visual that struck me this week was from a series of articles in the National Catholic Reporter on the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ and its impact on people over centuries.  The ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ is found in papal bulls beginning in 1436; that’s almost 600 years ago.  One example is a papal bull from 1493, after Columbus’ ‘discovery’ of the Americas.  This papal bull gave Ferdinand and Isabella “full and free power, authority and jurisdiction of every kind” over almost all of the Americas, except for part of modern-day Brazil and a few islands.  Some say this was the beginning of international law as each succeeding papal bull would quote or reference those that came before.  When, in the late 1400’s discoverers were finding lands far away from Christian Europe, they found these lands occupied with non-Christian peoples, tribes and civilizations.  The papal bulls gave Christian discoverers full power and authority over all non-Christian peoples in these lands.  This meant the land could be claimed by the Christian discoverer (like for Spain or for France, etc.) and the non-Christian people could be enslaved, made to become Christian, even killed if they resisted.

Shonda and Ray

Fast forward to 1823.  This Doctrine of Discovery was legitimized in a ruling by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall.  His ruling maintained that Native Americans had the right to ‘occupy’ land, but not have full ownership, and that tribes were dependent on the federal government.

Emma and her friend

So the two visuals that touched me this week were the thousands of refugees fleeing Syria, especially the little boy lying dead on the beach; and the millions of peoples in the Americas, Africa, the Pacific islands, etc., dispossessed of their lands, culture and religion, to a large extent due to a series of papal bulls and the Doctrine of Discovery. 

The Offertory. Warren, Barbara, Mary, and Frank

What would healing look like for the people of Syria fleeing war and devastation?  What would healing look like for the offspring of the indigenous peoples of North and South America? of Africa? of  the pacific islands?   

Harper

And how do I individually, or as a member of this Christian community, promote healing in my own world?

John shares his Homily.

Readings:  

 2 Kings 4:42-44,  They shall eat and there shall be some left over.

 Psalm 145,   The hand of the Lord feeds us;he answers all our needs.

 Ephesians 4: 1-6, One body and one Spirit.

John 6: 1-15,  The miracle of the loaves and fishes.

The Consecration. 

Homily:

From the prominence of the miracle stories of feeding multitudes with so little, and the importance given to the Passover meal by the Jewish followers of Jesus, it’s no surprise that they didn’t take long after he died to make a remembrance of his last Passover meal the centerpiece of their gatherings.

By 325 A.D., with Constantine as Emperor of the Roman Empire, the Eucharistic meal was recognized as a central part of Christian practice.  Earlier, about 150 A.D., Justin Martyr, an early Christian apologist, wrote to explain Christianity to the Greek world, how the followers of Jesus had the practice of celebrating a remembrance of the Lord’s Supper when they gathered.

The Offertory with Hugh, Sydney and Mary.

Earlier still is the Acts, written between 80 and 90 A.D. In Ch. 2, is the statement, “They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful.”

Perhaps the earliest written mention of the Eucharistic meal is in First Corinthians, Ch. 11. Scripture scholars agree that the letters of Paul were written around 50 A.D., about 20 years after Jesus’ death. Paul alludes to irreverent behavior at “the Lord’s Supper.” He was criticizing the followers of Jesus in Corinth about turning the meal into “a family squabble”, instead of coming to the “Lord’s Table” with reverence and courtesy.”

The Kiss of Peace.

The Lord’s Supper, the Mass, as it evolved, has had different understandings. Is the Mass primarily a ‘sacrifice’ being remembered and somehow offered again for a people cut off from God? Or is the Mass primarily a shared ritual meal of remembrance, celebrating a people’s thankfulness for Jesus’ Good News that we are already connected with God and always have been?           

What do you think?

Shonda and Ben.

Sarah says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome."

Readings:

Isaiah  8, 23-9, 3,  The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Psalm 27,  The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?

1 Corinthians 1,  10-13,  I urge you that there be no divisions among you.

John  1, 29-34, The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light.

Leo says, "Come in, Folks, there's cupcakes."

Isaiah reminders, again—

 Author: This is Isaiah #1, the composer of chapters 1-39.  Even though Isaiah #1 lives before the Babylonian Captivity, he still sees that a great day a bright day will come to the Jewish people.  

 Date:  Ca. 555 before Christ, the composition.  The Jewish people of Jerusalem are about to be defeated and carried off into slavery

Subject:  A great day will come for you Jews.  A special leader will be born.  You will be a beacon to others, glorious, and a light to nations everywhere.  You might easily recognize parts of this reading.  From where?  The Nativity readings.  

This is the last week we will have these Isaiah readings which I love.  I will miss them.  Until next Advent.

Chuck and Sandra.

Serenity Prayer

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.   In honor of Chuck Pratt

The People who have walked in Darkness have seen a Great Light

I would like to talk this morning about our old friend, Chuck Pratt, who moved to the other side December 8.  I would like to tie up my thoughts with two gorgeous lines from our readings.  The first is from my beloved Isaiah, the second from the Psalm, 27.  Namely, The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light.  Recognize the line?  It’s from the Christmas liturgy.  Secondly, from the Psalm, The Lord is my light, whom should I fear? 

Chuck at 5, ca. 1943

I would propose that Chuck was and is a light.  Let me offer four reasons.

First, look at the family.  With the gorgeous Sandra (how did he ever win you?  Must have tricked you.), we now have with us Chip and Pam and Chris, all lights, reflecting Chuck and Sandra, and in their own right.   And that is only the beginning.  Chip has Kathy, Pam has Mark, and Chris has Cecily.  And we have the little lights, equally bright, Maddie (TCU) and Alex, Olivia and Amelia.  With lights like these what have we to fear?

Chuck and his girls, Maddie (TCU), Olivia, and Amelia.

Secondly, beyond the family Chuck had his AA community.  Chuck had over 25 years of sobriety.  I stand in awe of people who have done this.    My sister, Kathey, has been in AA for years and I am so proud of her.  Chuck and she were friends.  At Chuck’s 75^th birthday party last October I was humbled to be in the same room with so many special lights from AA.

Free Advice, White Rock Lake, W. Lawther Drive, a scene Chuck would have loved.

Thirdly, I was amused and touched that Chuck died Sunday, December 8.  Know what date that is?  The Immaculate Conception.  Know what it is?  It means Mary was conceived without Original Sin.  God especially intervened to have her born sinless.  She was born normal.  I would suggest Chuck was born similarly, just like all babies.  Like I’ve said before, what if there is no original sin? 

Fourth.  Rosemary & I were riding around White Rock Lake two weeks ago and I noticed these people with the sign, free advice.  I’ve seen them before on Sundays when we were driving.  Never when biking.

Sisters, Tori and Zoe.

I was 100 yards down West Lawther Drive when I thought to myself, I want to take their picture and see what is up.  I told Rosemary to go on to the car and doubled back. 

There were maybe three guys and two girls, middle aged, very friendly, and amusing.  Suddenly it hit me.  Chuck Pratt would have loved this little slice of Americana.  Free Advice, wow.  I could see him not only talking with these folks, but sitting down and joining their team.  He had plenty of advice to offer.

I was a person walking in some darkness before Chuck came along and lightened my life with his friendship—and advice.  How can I be afraid with a friend like Chuck? 

How was Chuck a light for you?

Recognize? That's Buddy!