25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 20, 2020

Readings:

Isaiah, 2, 1-5,  They shall beat their swords into plow shares. (a beautiful readRing)

 Psalm 122,  Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 Romans 13, 11-14,  Our salvation is nearer now.

 Matthew 24, 37-44,   Stay awake, for you do not know on  which day your Lord will come.

 

 

Thanks, John, for celebrating today.

 

 Second week of Advent, Thoughts by Mike

Energize your spiritual journey

We are all brothers and sisters, and our one goal is the kingdom of heaven, here and now.

We will always obtain the desire of our heart, so we must choose our desires wisely. 

Choose love, for it is in giving that we receive, ‘it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.’

‘Pay it forward.’  We teach by example.

Life is not about winning or loosing, its about compassion and justice.

Taking a step forward means that we have chosen to leave something behind. 

We are granted joy when we choose to leave pain behind. 

We enter truth when we choose to leave fear behind.

Peace comes when we choose to forgive.

Our Spirit enlightens us by chasing away our darkness, for they cannot coexist.  

 

 

Happy Anniversary, Frank & Mary.

 

The Kingdom of God is always at hand.  Be born again.

We are one body in Christ, when we are not seen or recognized when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned.

Love does not build barriers; it tears them down.

Gratitude is the lens through which the Spirit calls us to journey.

‘Most opportunities are never convenient.  You don’t wait for them; they just occur.’

Deacon Mike

 

Hi, John and Mike from Hilton Head Island.

 

Readings:  Amos 7, 12-15; Psalm 85, Lord, let us see Your Kindness and grant us Your Salvation; Ephesians, 1, 3-14; Mark 6, 7-13 

Amos:   

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).   

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.

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: (reading all of chapter 7) Amos describes three visions or dreams he has.  Amaziah gives it to him for spreading these visions around.  Then, Amos responds and socks it to Amaziah with a hammer.

Mark:  a couple of reminders–

    1.  Mark is the first of the 4 gospels written, ca 70 C.E.  Note: Jerusalem & the Temple were smashed by the Romans in 70, after a Jewish rebellion.  In 73 the famous Masada battle took place.  More about this event another day.  Just think, from this date until 1948 a Jewish state did not exist.

    2.  The first written documents were by Paul, his letters.

Sources: Grace Institute of Biblical Leadership; Catholic Encyclopedia; Wikipedia

 

Traveling Light through Life

A couple of weeks ago I called this guy from the city of Dallas.  The city provides a special service for people with lawn sprinkler systems.  They come out, check it, and offer recommendations for how to make it more efficient.  One of our neighbors told me about the service and I thought, "Why not?" 

So I get our system as efficient as I think possible, fix all the heads so they are not watering the street, have the grass all clipped, and invite the man out.  He comes in a fancy painted up little car and turns out to be a great guy, very affirming. 

He checks each of our three zones, notes how everything is working well, compliments me on how everything functions, gives me a print out, and departs.  I am feeling pretty great because I got into this sprinkler business a number of years ago when I found out how expensive even just a visit from a professional is.  I discovered that sprinkler systems are basically like Lego toys. 

So I take the print out and am scanning it.  I see that he has noted the amount of water one zone puts out per minute.  I had seen him out at the curb checking the meter.  I read the amount, then read it again unable to believe that it can be correct. 

The paper says one zone uses 100 gallons per minute.  There must be a mistake.  I add it up.  I usually run a zone for 10 minutes. That is 1000 gallons of water.  I got 3 zones, so I am watering my St. Augustine for 30 minutes.  3000 gallons every time I water!  I want to throw up. 

Making it worse, I had just read an on line info about water shortages coming.  Like El Paso and San Antonio are running out of water.  I am scrupling over using a toilet that consumes 3 gallons.  And here I am watering a our precious St. Augustine with 3000 gallons. 

I was reminded of this when I read this passage from Mark, part of which I have liked for years.  Where he says, "Take nothing for the journey."  Two thoughts.

First, this is obvious exaggeration, hyperbole, the old spiritual principle of infinite demand plus infinite acceptance.  If I had taken nothing for the journey on any one of the trips I took by motorcycle in Tanzania, you would not be stuck listening to me here today.  I've talked in past years about taking a journey or two where I did not travel prepared, like when the train broke down & was out nowhere for about 48 hours.  And I had not even brought water.

Second, I take this word journey as symbolic.  It  could mean a trip we take to Houston or Europe.  For me, however  it means the journey of life.  It is a challenge to walk lightly through the journey of life.  It means minimize stuff and toys.  It means travel free, be free.

By nature I am pretty comfortable with traveling light through life.  I did it for years in in East Africa.  Living as a Jesuit with a vow of poverty, which shamed me, also sharpened my sensitivity to simplicity. 

Yet here I am faced with watering St. Augustine with 3000 gallons of water.  This is going to be hard to simplify.  Even normally I only water 2 times per week.  Now I want to water once a week.  I got to look at zero landscaping.  Achieving simplicity & freedom on this is going to be difficult

There is a cynical saying going around that he wins who has at the end the most toys.  Delusion!  He with the most toys is probably the most trapped.  In the Jesuits we had an image we used sometimes, the monkey & the banana.  The banana is in a cage.  The monkey holds it but can't get his hand out while he holds it.  Stuff can be our banana.  Jesus says, "You want to be free?  Travel light."  I'm wondering if my St. Augustine is my banana.

What is your banana?  Your St. Augustine?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-07-12.mp3

Picture 1:  Beginning Mass with Lorynne & T.J.

Picture 2:  Anthony & Sabrina

Picture 3:  Maggie

Picture 4:  Chloe with her mom, Clair

 

Readings:   (A couple of good readings today)

Genesis  18,  1-10,  I will return next year and Sarah will have a son.  She laughs.

Psalm 15,  He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Colossians 1, 24-28,     I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.

Luke 10, 38-42,  The story of Martha & Mary.

 

 

Old buddies, John & Leo, say, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Genesis observations:

What :   This is the first book in the whole bible, a good read.  It begins with the 2 versions of creation, Adam & Eve, the apple, Cain & Abel, the Ark and the flood with Noah (see the picture of the huge ark somebody has built?), Abraham & the almost sacrifice of his son, and others. 

When put together:  Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ.

 

 

Kevin, too, says, "Come on in, Folks."

 

 

Today’s story: An amusing little story, though you don't know it because the editor snipped off the end.   Abraham is hospitable to three travelers.  This results in the men, messengers from Yahweh,  saying that a year from now Sarah will have a son.  Sarah is 99 years old and never had a child.  She is behind a tent flap, hears the promise, and she laughs.  Amusingly Yahweh hears her laugh, asks her why, and she lies, saying she did not laugh.  

 

 

Offertory with Tom & Teresa & Sandra, and, of course, Leo.

 

 

Martha & Mary, who is better?

This morning I would like to talk about who is better, Martha or Mary?  Before I even begin I must acknowledge that Rosemary has a strong opinion on this subject.  You can guess it.  She thinks that Martha is getting a bad deal. 

It must be also admitted that Rosemary has a bit of the Martha complex.   She tells me often how she feels like Martha because she is so over worked. 

 

 

Want to see one happy kid today?  

 

So, being a good husband and trying to lessen the load, I will tell you what I do.  This is also my way of finding meaning to this either/or story.  Maybe it is not either/or? 

It happens on Tuesday evenings when the sun is going down and I am in the shade that I mow our lawn.  I not only mow, but I edge, trim the bushes, use the weed eater, and blow it all.  Just mowing the grass takes me 90 minutes.  I enjoy doing it.  It is like an art form.  I am imitating Rosemary, the artist.  Plus, it is good exercise.

 

 

The Wedding, Lisa Anderlick and Mark Cheek, Saturday evening, Suncreek United Methodist, Allen.

 

When I am mowing I get into a pretty swift rhythm.   I can push the lawn mower faster than the mower ordinarily goes.  My little 88 year old neighbor lady who lives across the street, Joyce,  says I look like I am running behind the lawn mower. 

One evening recently when I was zooming back & forth across our front yard, a neighbor couple, Barbra & Bud, and their white sort of poodle dog, all came walking by.   This happens occasionally in front of our house and in front of their house when we are walking Aviana.  The dogs have a relationship that consists of all of about a two minute mutual check out.  I love these people and they are the couple who introduced me to the “J,” the Jewish Community Center.

 

 

"I take you, Lisa, in Marriage.  I promise to be true to you in good times & bad, in sickness and in health.   I will love and cherish you all the days of my life."

 

 

So I see Bud & Barbra & Patty.  I wave but do not lessen my rhythm.  I keep chasing that lawn mower.  And then….I feel guilty. 

I have just again chosen Project over People, one of my most favorite activities.  I think to myself, ‘What if I just stopped and chatted for 5 minutes?’  ‘Would it make the slightest difference in when I finish?’

 

I have known Lisa Anderlick since the time she was a little girl.  Now she has not only grown up beautifully, but she is an MD.  In fact, she and two of her brides maids all became MD's together.  

 

 

5 minutes later here they come back the other way toward their house.  So, what do you think I did?  Yep, I kept right on chasing that lawn mower.  And they passed me by and went home.  I still cannot believe I did it.  I have yet to apologize to them.  As Rosemary is happy to observe, I get OCD about projects & work.  Obsessive, compulsive, that is. 

Sound familiar?  You got a similar obsession?  Maybe you don’t.  If so you are blessed. 

 

The first steps on the road to a New Life.

 

 

Maybe in our Martha-Mary story Martha gets obsessive, compulsive and needs to be more like Mary?   At least I do.  Mary, who knows?  Maybe she needs to be more sensitive to the job to be done?

For me, the story is a challenge to be both, focused on the work, and focused on the person.  In fact, I believe the person always takes priority despite my behavior.

How do you balance the Martha-Mary dynamic in your life? 

 

Long time and dear friends, Lisa's parents, Karen & John Anderlick.

 

 

Readings:

Jeremiah 38, 4-6, 8-10,   They threw Jeremiah into the cistern.

Psalm 40,  Lord, come to my aid.

Hebrews 21, 1-4,  We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.

Luke 12, 49-53, Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth?

 

 

Jeremiah Observations:

Author:  really Jeremiah or at least his scribe.

Date:  after the Babylonian Captivity again, say 555 years before Chrsit. Jeremiah sees the Babylonian catastrophe coming and says it is going to be how Yahweh punishes the people for their evil and unjust ways.

Subject:  Jeremiah is the classic prophet.  He does the 3 things characteristic of a prophet.  He criticizes the behavior of the people.  He promises punishment from Yahweh.  He indicates that a better day will come.    Jeremiah lives to see the punishment, that is the Captivity.  Probably not the return from captivity.

Our selection:  Jeremiah pays the price of most real prophets.  The people are enraged, turn against him, and watch what happens.  

 

 

Do you think
I have come to establish peace on earth? 
No!

This morning I would like to talk about this line supposedly attributed
to Jesus that he has not come to establish peace on earth.  “No,” he says.  As you can probably guess, I don’t like this
statement.   I can see him aiming it at
the big people who are abusing the poor.

 

However, I live on the passage from John 15 where he says, “As the
Father has loved me, so I have loved you, live in my love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in
you and your joy may be complete.”  There
are numerous other lines where Jesus says, “Peace.”

 

So, I confess I not only don’t like this line, but have my doubts about
who said it or wrote it.  Instead I focus
on the positive, on peace.  I see this
everywhere.  Let me give you a bunch of
examples. 

I had and saw peace and joy Friday when I was honored to do Ryan McClurg’s
wedding in Ogden, Utah.  I was
overwhelmed by it when I saw the tears in Diane’s eyes as I stood with Ryan in
front of everyone at the very beginning of the wedding.

 

Then when his fiance, Grace came up the aisle with tears pouring down
her face, the peace and joy was even stronger. 
I had a hard time getting started. 
The whole wedding and reception was peace and joy.

I experienced peace and joy when I saw the peace and joy in Ryan’s face
and remembered the difficult days he went through after breaking his ankle in
his freshman year at OK State on his football scholarship.  His football days were over and it really hit
him hard.  He had been tight end on one
of Plano Senior High 5-A state championship teams.  We talked about that time and he is so happy
to have gotten through it.

 

I experienced peace and joy when our Cole, who was there, of course,
with Chuck and Erin, Ryan’s big sister, did a great one.  There was a little blond girl his age named
Peyton whom Cole frequently informs everyone he will marry.   At one point
Thursday or Friday he put her head into the ice chest where the beer and drinks
were chilling.  What a hoot.

 

This was followed by, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”  And they are back being best buddies. 

Peace and joy was found on the big back porch of a big old mansion the
McClurgs rented.  At least 20 people
stayed there along with 4 or more little kids around Cole and Peyton’s
ages.  2 hours sitting on that porch
early in the morning drinking coffee and watching the kids play in the house
and yard was total heaven.

 

Closer to home, how about the peace and joy of Leo getting his head
stuck in the chair up here last week? 
And Beth coming to Shonda’s rescue to pull Leo straight out?

And the week before that, how about Emma, who has been shy once upon a
time, slowly coming up here as we celebrate, finally climbing right up beside
me and laying her little toy car on the altar?  
Talk about peace and joy.

 

I do not even talk here about the peace and joy that comes from working
Habitat on a Saturday. 

It is there, folks, despite what the writer of this line says.  Every day. 
You just got to look or, rather sometimes, look back. 

Your peace and joy, today?

 

 

 

 Readings:

Ruth,  The story of Naomi and Ruth

Psalm 104,    Lord, send out our Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. 

1 Corinthians 12, 3-13,   There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit.

 John 15, 26-27 & 16, 12-15, When he comes, he will guide you to all truth.

 

                   Georgie says, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Introduction   

When the Jews returned from their exile in Babylon to rebuild their temple, they came back with a lot more than they took with them. A lot of what had begun as oral tradition came back in written form. They came back carrying the scrolls.

When the temple was rebuilt the Jews also added to their Liturgy of the Word one book of Midrash to each of five of their feast days.   

Today in their synagogues, or in their homes, their Pentecost is remembered and the Book of Ruth is read.  Their Pentecost celebrates God giving to Moses the Law 50 days after Passover. The 50 days also coincided with the beginning and end of their grain harvest.

 

       And Megan, too, says, "Hi, Everybody, Nice to be back."

 

^{A reading from the Book of Ruth:}

So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers.

As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you.” They answered,  “The Lord bless you.” Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “To whom does this young woman belong?”

 

                   The Beautiful Zoe says, "Wow, it is fun here."

 

The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.  She said, ‘Please, let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment.”

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women.   Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind.  I have ordered the young men not to bother you.

If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”

 

Our Special Gift, Genevieve, says, "Welcome, Folks, Just don't                                       mess with my bottle."

 

Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?”

But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.  May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!”

 

What a Team.  Because of the torrential rain, the candles got                forgotten and so did the robes for Georgie and Kevin. 

 

Homily by Mike

 As you might have hoped, Boaz marries Ruth, the widow and foreigner. She has no property to bring to this union; she brings only herself, and that is more than enough.  Boaz has been her advocate; he respects her for who she is as a person.

The whole community of Bethlehem celebrated with Naomi the sacredness of their wedding and the wonder of what would come from it.  In this intimate spiritual union of Jew and foreigner, Boaz treats Ruth with goodness and justice, with tenderness and compassion, and in him we see a glimpse of God, as Father, who does bless them with a son, Obed.

 

                                              Mike homilizing.

 

 And God blessed Obed to be the father of Jesse, the father of King David.  From David’s descendants God brought forth the Messiah, his Son, from whom we received the Holy Spirit, our advocate when Christ returned to the Father in glory.

Together, we have been called to be Christ in the world; we are his advocates to others, by our words and actions.  Advocates recognize the worth of the other; for they perceive others as made in the image and likeness of God.

 

                               Victoria giving us The Look.

 

Advocates bring about the Kingdom; they are young and old, male and female. They come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and religions; they welcome all others with the same ease and grace; to them God has no favorites.  

 

                   Emma putting her bread into the Mass bowl.