An Interactive Sermon done with All Saints Anglican Church on October 18, 2009 at the Convent Chapel of St. Mary's Medical Center, Huntington, WV.
Q& A on Healing
This weekend we have been receiving teaching on Christian Healing from our brother, Father Peter Schoew. We have retreated from the world for a few hours in order to Advance towards the Kingdom - and this morning we continue our Advance. This is the quiz part of the weekend. So take out a piece of paper and a writing utensil and move away from your neighbor ... just kidding ... But we actually do have space in our bulletin if you'd like to take notes as we interact.
What I'd like to do is just review the material we covered by asking you some questions and having you respond with the answers. So -
first question:
If 'Healing' was our primary theme, what are some additional themes or categories of our teaching? - (Kingdom of God, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Fruit, Love)
Who are we as Christians? (Children of God, Citizens of Heaven)
What role does Jesus play in the Kingdom of God? ( Messiah, Anointed One, Christ, King of Kings)
We talked about 2 A's regarding the Kingdom. What are they?
(Alignment and Assignment)
What slogan did Peter teach us regarding the two A's?
"Kingdom Alignment requires kingdom assignment."
Meaning?....
(If you are going to be aligned with the kingdom you should expect to be given a job or to be called on to pray for people)
Peter also talked about a B something. What was it (B Team)
What was the slogan he used re: the B Team?
(There is no B Team. .. in white robes waiting in the wings.)
What does this mean? (We're it. We are the A team.)
So, who does God use to extend His kingdom? ( US!We are God's Hands and Feet.)
Who is qualified to pray for the sick? (Everyone)
What kind of degrees must you have to pray for the sick? ( None)
What kind of ordination do you need to pray for the sick? ( None)
What is the job of the church's leadership re: spiritual gifts?
(Equip the saints for the work of ministry. Eph. 4:12. Recognize and draw out the gifts of the saints.)
So who are the ministers of this church? (All of us.)
Who owns the gifts? (God)
What are the gifts for? (Building up of the Body, Fruit Eph. 4:12)
What's more important, Gifts or Fruit? (Fruit)
What's the Greatest Gift? (Love. I Cor. 13:13)
What does John 3:16 say? (“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.)
Look at your Gospel reading for today. What does the last verse, Mark 10:45 say? ("For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”)
It's not in your insert, but does anyone remember what happens in Mark 10:46 and following? (Jesus heals Blind Bartimaeus)
Point: Healing is connected to God's Self-Giving). This is what I really want you to take away from the rest of our time this morning:
Healing flows from God's self-giving Love. If you don't remember anything else, I'd like you to remember this. Let's all say it together...
Healing flows from God's self-giving Love.
Now let's look at our reading from Isaiah 53: 4-12, but especially verses 4,5)
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
Notice (the underlined above) What tense are we talking about? Past.
What about "we are"? Present tense.
Going on. Look at v. 6, 7
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
Again we see the Past Tense. And Jesus is described as the Lamb of God, the 'Agnus Dei'
What do we learn about God's will for the Lamb in V. 10
(10Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;...to make his soul an offering for guilt...)
What will happen 'Out of the anguish of his soul....?"
(V. 11: he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.)
In v 12: What does the Lamb of God do for 'the many"?
"Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Does anyone know what the word 'Oblation' means? (Sacrifice. Firstfruits. Offering of our best to God. I think of it particularly as in the OT: a drink offering, 'poured out')
Jesus poured out his soul. He gave himself as an oblation to God. This is why in the Eucharistic prayer of Rite I, (BCP. pg. 334) we read:
"All glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for
that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus
Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who
made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full,
perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for
the sins of the whole world;..."
What is our 'takeaway' from today's teaching?
(Healing flows from God's self-giving Love)
Let's think about some other wonderful verses from Phil. 2:5-7:
Phil 2:5-7 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, (ESV).
NASB: laid aside His privileges.
NLT: gave up his divine privileges
Young's Literal Translation: but did empty himself, the form of a servant having taken, in the likeness of men having been made,
He poured himself out, emptied himself out...And because he did so ...
"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:9,10).
Who is Jesus in God's Kingdom? (Lord of all)
What else?
Look at your reading from Hebrews 4: 12-16, especially 14:
"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Who,What is Jesus?: ( Son of God, High Priest).
What can we expect to receive from this high priest?
(15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.)
Jesus is our High Priest. He is also the Lamb of God, the Paschal Victim who gave himself for us and for our well-being.
In the Words of Institution of our Eucharistic Prayer, we say:
This is my body, blood, given for you... and:
These are the Gifts of God for the people of God.
Gifts - Given - Get it?
What is our takeaway lesson?
(Healing flows from God's Self-Giving Love.)
When we come to the Table of the Lord, we partake of His Gifts, His outpouring of Love for us.
Jesus said, "This do in remembrance of me."
When we eat the bread and drink of the cup we are doing something. We are participating in God's self-giving love - the love that heals us by the outpouring of the body and blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Therefore, there is no better time or place to seek healing from God, than immediately after having made your Eucharist or thanksgiving.
In John Chapter 6, Jesus describes Himself as the Bread of Heaven, given, for the life of the world. (51)
In the Lord's Prayer, we pray, Give us this day, our daily Bread...
When we come to the communion table, we eat of our daily bread, the manna from heaven, our very LIFE.
Now, Fr. Peter also talked about our Inheritance as Christians.
What is it? Healing. Body Soul and Spirit.
Healing is described as 'The children's bread' in Mt. 15:26. It's part of our inheritance as Christians.
St. Augustine called the Eucharist, the 'Medicine of Immortality."
And so it is.
Friends, if God was willing to give his very best to us 'while we were still sinners', enemies of God, and to reconcile us through the death of His Son, how much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life and receive all things from our God (Romans 5:14, 8:32) - including our healing?
Friends, RUN to the Communion Table of the Lord!
Why? Because Healing...flows from God's Self-giving Love. AMEN.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Come Follow Me
A sermon delivered to All Saints Anglican Church on October 11 at the Convent Chapel of St. Mary's Medical Center, Huntington, WV, based on Mark 10:17-27
"One night, when Peter Pettinaio of the Third Order was praying in the Cathedral of Siena, he saw Our Lord Jesus Christ enter the church, followed by a great throng of saints. And each time Christ raised his foot, the form of his foot remained imprinted on the ground. And all the saints tried as hard as they could to place their feet in the traces of his footsteps, but none of them was able to do so perfectly. Then St. Francis came in and set his feet right in the footsteps of Jesus Christ." (from The Little Flowers of St. Francis, quoted in The Lessons of St. Francis by John Michael Talbot, pg. 251).
Thomas a Kempis, in his book, "The Imitation of Christ", said this about Il Poverello, "Francis sought not only to follow the words of Christ, he wished also to imitate the life of Christ as perfectly as he could, and he willed that his friars too should 'follow the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ."
October 4th is the Feast Day of St. Francis - and since we are so close to this anniversary, I'd like to consider some of the ways that Francis followed His Lord and in turn inspired others to follow him.
Francis heard the words that Jesus spoke to the Rich Young Ruler, "Come, Follow Me", and he obeyed them literally. He was a Rich Young Ruler himself and he heard the call of Christ in the present tense, desiring to know the joy of following his Lord as nearly as humanly possible. He did, in fact leave everything and follow Christ, giving with abandon to the poor - and he experienced the hundredfold blessing that Jesus talked about.
Francis also inspired others to follow Christ in love and simplicity - so much so that he had to create thee separate orders - one for men, another for women and a Third Order for those who wished to follow his Rule of Life but needed to stay in their families and Secular jobs. All of them heard the same words of Jesus, "Come, follow Me."
These are the words Jesus speaks to us. He calls us to follow Him. Sometimes the call comes with an admonition to leave everything, to sell all that you have. Sometimes, as in the case of Third Order people or like the demoniac set free by Christ, the admonition is to stay with your people and tell all that Christ has done for you (Luke 8:38,39).
But the call is still the same, "Come, follow me." Whether we stay at home or go away, the call is still to abandon yourself and follow Christ.
In the past several weeks, I have been privileged to preside at two Profession Services - one in Lexington, Ky, and one in Chattanooga, TN, in which five young men joined the Franciscan chapter of the Company of Jesus, promising to follow Christ by taking seriously the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience that Francis himself observed. (We also had two Benedictine professions, but that's a story for another day.)
One of our newest Company of Jesus members, who made his Franciscan profession last year at our joint retreat at the Cabin in Virginia said this about wanting to become a Franciscan:
"I became aware of the Company of Jesus...when I began a search for some way to formalize my desire for a deeper prayer life and accountability in spiritual discipline. ...I am most intrigued by your dedication to sacramental life and how you have founded a community based on prayer, scripture, sacrament and the monastic tradition of learning and service, and yet be open to those who must... live in the secular world. ... I feel that a deeper, more formal commitment to prayer, worship, study and service would...be a faithful response to how I perceive God is calling me at this time."
This man has lived out his profession for one year now. He recently renewed his vows and here is what he wrote to me about what the past year has brought him:
Dear Father Abbot Andrew:
It pleases me greatly to submit this report to you as we are at the anniversary of my Service of Profession of Vows as a Franciscan in the Company of Jesus. As I look back over this year it is clear that God has been present in very clear ways - and I have experienced much joy as a result.Honestly, the year did not look like it would begin well. My trip up to the service in Virginia was one fraught with difficulties and some despairing moments. I had recently taken a career change which promised to be wonderful but was not working out that way. After nearly 40 years in public education I took a job with my church as a parish administrator. Lacking the skills or aptitude for that line of work I was failing miserably at it.
Friendships I had over a number of years at church became strained and my relationship with my pastor became so difficult that I began to attend another church. The difficult economy made the prospect of finding another job frightening as well. In addition, my marriage of 4 years was troubled. It was an odd time to go on a retreat weekend and the invitation to attend seemed so out of keeping with the circumstances that it was either a cruel irony or an moment of Grace sent in the midst of much anxiety. I went with Grace and elected to accept and attend the retreat. Because money was tight, I went to my pastor and asked for money to attend. I have never asked for a handout before and this seemed, at the time, like another in a line of humiliations but, either by faith or dogged determination I went ahead and did it.Much of the weekend is a blur to me now. There was a moment though where I began to understand where God was working in the midst of all this. At lunch on Saturday I was joined in conversation by Fr. Mark who asked some usual "getting to know you" sort of questions. I confided in him that I had at one time explored becoming a priest and had actually graduated from a seminary program with a Masters in Theology degree. We continued our conversation and had prayer time for several hours after lunch. It was the beginning of a relationship of spiritual direction between Fr. Mark and me. It was the vehicle though which God often spoke in our weekly conversations and marked many moments in a time I refer to as "desert time." I left the weekend on a very high note and was filled with joy all the way home.
Unfortunately, when I pulled into the driveway and unpacked the car my wife said at my taking out my monastic habit, "What's with the monkey suit?"
I crashed right back down to the earth that I had left for the weekend.My return to work showed no improvement. Our finances did not improve. Our communications remained poor. I continued to not be able to go to our church. My relationship with my pastor remained strained. But some things did begin to happen. Weekly, Fr. Mark and I would talk and pray. We understood this to be a time in the desert and to come to terms with that. I read scriptures about Jesus' time in the desert and meditated on the Desert Fathers. I began to follow along with Daily Prayer from the Northumbria Community on the Internet. Things began to follow a pattern.
There was something about this experience that was requiring me to look at the various callings and responses in my life. In reading and thinking about Francis I was no longer able to feel sorry for myself about what I perceived to suffering in my life. What had previously been perceived as victimization at least had the possibility of being a time of Divine cleansing.Out of this difficult time there came the realization that "if there is anything you want, then you must give it away." If I wanted love, I must love. If I wanted peace, I must bring peace to situations and others. If I wanted prayers, I must pray. It became a rule of life for me to follow.
During this time I decided to once again use my seminary training. It had been a long time. My church was not a place where that was particularly welcome for a variety of reasons so I began to offer my talents at a non-denominational church... The pastor there... was particularly curious about and interested in such things as liturgy, church history, the Emerging Church Movement, monasticism and, of course, the Bible and worship.
We began teaching a class on the development of the early church creeds. We team taught and it was great. During this time a homeless guy began attending ...and we were able to enter into his life and him into ours. I began to meditate on and ponder the phrase "the least of these". My prayers began to ask what it meant to be among "the least of these" and how I might, indeed, be the least of these in ways myself. It all seemed very....well,.... Franciscan!
There were two major decisions last year that I think reflect God's saying to me, "On this day I give you a choice between life and death. Choose life." The first life choice decision was the one to go to the profession service. The other was a decision to have bariatric "lap band" surgery.
I had taken a trip to my doctor for a normal checkup and we talked a bit about my weight. I was "morbidly obese" (medical terminology for my condition), I was taking approximately 35 pills a day for diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, asthma, arthritis and other related things. I told my doctor that I thought I would like to live 10-20 years longer (I was 61) and his response was a shocking, "I'm not sure if I would count on that."
After that shocking remark I asked him about lap band surgery because a friend of mine had had it and was very pleased and successful. His eyes lit up and we arranged for me to make plans to have the surgery taken care of. "You are a perfect candidate," was the phrase I heard over and over again from the doctors and surgeons I talked to. I had the surgery in February and have lost 70 pounds with 30 more to go. I feel like I have indeed new life and have been granted a great gift that God surely was a part of.
Well, the year has brought many other things that I feel are an outgrowth of my becoming a Franciscan. My pursuit of the "the least of these" has led me to working weekly at a homeless feeding ministry called "Five Loaves". I have been called upon to preach sermons.. in the absence of [our] Pastor. I have recently taught a class on the book "Resident Aliens" by Stanley Hauerwas and Will Wilamon. A group of guys and myself have been meeting Wednesday mornings in a group called The Dead Guys (dead unto sin). Before I left [my previous]church I was regularly lay reading, chalicing and working the sound board and computer projection equipment for services. Now I am part of the worship team at [my new church] and have even taken up my old guitar and am playing weekly. Pastor Juan has asked me to speak about being a Franciscan at chapel at the Christian School where I used to teach and where he still works.
He has also asked me to come in my habit and assist with Communion at Father's House. I also have begun a blog called CrossPeace Community which I hope develops into a dialogue about serving others in the name of building Christ's Church.
A final piece of the puzzle of this year that has been very important in my exploring the notion of "the least of these" is that I left my job at the church last May and began working as a teacher at a juvenile group home run by Methodist Home for Children. These kids truly are the least. They are abused, have criminal records and are incarcerated. Many of them are functionally illiterate and have actually had very little formal schooling in their lives. It continues to be a wonderful experience working with them and serving them.
Because of some health issues my wife has, and because I reached retirement age this fall I have taken Social Security but work part time at the home and will continue to do so. It is definitely part of my charism as a Franciscan. I guess a final, final piece of this story is the relationship between my wife Becky and me. We have struggled and continued to do so but we both feel that God has brought us together and that one cannot discern the value of a relationship by gaging its ease. Becky fully supports and encourages me in my calling as a Franciscan and we both laugh when I take out my "monkey suit" God is good.
Now folks, this is what it sounds like to live out the call of Christ to 'Come, follow me." It's not easy, frilly, or especially 'holy' or 'saintly' in any sort of sentimental way. There's a lot of hard stuff in this story. But there's also Joy. Joy in walking away from things that weren't working and into new things that do work.. Joy in discovering lack of gifting in administration and in reaffirming gifts in teaching and serving at-risk kids. Joy in struggling through health issues and marital issues and financial struggles - and Joy in pressing into a life of prayer.
This is a story I think Francis and Jesus both smile about. It's a story that incorporates the basic building blocks of the Christian life: Worship, Community, Formation and Mission. It's a story that is really a template for Christian discipleship. And it's a story that I believe God is actively working into each one of us at All Saints Anglican Church.
Of course, the details of your story are specific to you. But it is my fervent hope and expectation that each one of us has a story of personal transformation to tell. Developing such a story takes hard work and tenacity. You can't tell of God's goodness unless you hold on through the tough times. And you also have to be honest about yourself and your struggles if you want to report about your Joy in Christ.
Friends, this ain't for sissies. It's hard, but it's Good.
It's real and substantial. It's what draws people to abandon all and follow Christ.
Today, I want to challenge you. Can you be as real and as honest as our Compan of Jesus
brother?
Will you hang in there with Christ while he transforms you into his own image?
Will you serve him with the same reckless abandon that Francis had and that our brother has shown in the midst of everyday life?
Let's ponder this seriously - and answer affirmatively.
May God grant us the grace and the comfort to hear this word and live it out.
AMEN.
"One night, when Peter Pettinaio of the Third Order was praying in the Cathedral of Siena, he saw Our Lord Jesus Christ enter the church, followed by a great throng of saints. And each time Christ raised his foot, the form of his foot remained imprinted on the ground. And all the saints tried as hard as they could to place their feet in the traces of his footsteps, but none of them was able to do so perfectly. Then St. Francis came in and set his feet right in the footsteps of Jesus Christ." (from The Little Flowers of St. Francis, quoted in The Lessons of St. Francis by John Michael Talbot, pg. 251).
Thomas a Kempis, in his book, "The Imitation of Christ", said this about Il Poverello, "Francis sought not only to follow the words of Christ, he wished also to imitate the life of Christ as perfectly as he could, and he willed that his friars too should 'follow the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ."
October 4th is the Feast Day of St. Francis - and since we are so close to this anniversary, I'd like to consider some of the ways that Francis followed His Lord and in turn inspired others to follow him.
Francis heard the words that Jesus spoke to the Rich Young Ruler, "Come, Follow Me", and he obeyed them literally. He was a Rich Young Ruler himself and he heard the call of Christ in the present tense, desiring to know the joy of following his Lord as nearly as humanly possible. He did, in fact leave everything and follow Christ, giving with abandon to the poor - and he experienced the hundredfold blessing that Jesus talked about.
Francis also inspired others to follow Christ in love and simplicity - so much so that he had to create thee separate orders - one for men, another for women and a Third Order for those who wished to follow his Rule of Life but needed to stay in their families and Secular jobs. All of them heard the same words of Jesus, "Come, follow Me."
These are the words Jesus speaks to us. He calls us to follow Him. Sometimes the call comes with an admonition to leave everything, to sell all that you have. Sometimes, as in the case of Third Order people or like the demoniac set free by Christ, the admonition is to stay with your people and tell all that Christ has done for you (Luke 8:38,39).
But the call is still the same, "Come, follow me." Whether we stay at home or go away, the call is still to abandon yourself and follow Christ.
In the past several weeks, I have been privileged to preside at two Profession Services - one in Lexington, Ky, and one in Chattanooga, TN, in which five young men joined the Franciscan chapter of the Company of Jesus, promising to follow Christ by taking seriously the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience that Francis himself observed. (We also had two Benedictine professions, but that's a story for another day.)
One of our newest Company of Jesus members, who made his Franciscan profession last year at our joint retreat at the Cabin in Virginia said this about wanting to become a Franciscan:
"I became aware of the Company of Jesus...when I began a search for some way to formalize my desire for a deeper prayer life and accountability in spiritual discipline. ...I am most intrigued by your dedication to sacramental life and how you have founded a community based on prayer, scripture, sacrament and the monastic tradition of learning and service, and yet be open to those who must... live in the secular world. ... I feel that a deeper, more formal commitment to prayer, worship, study and service would...be a faithful response to how I perceive God is calling me at this time."
This man has lived out his profession for one year now. He recently renewed his vows and here is what he wrote to me about what the past year has brought him:
Dear Father Abbot Andrew:
It pleases me greatly to submit this report to you as we are at the anniversary of my Service of Profession of Vows as a Franciscan in the Company of Jesus. As I look back over this year it is clear that God has been present in very clear ways - and I have experienced much joy as a result.Honestly, the year did not look like it would begin well. My trip up to the service in Virginia was one fraught with difficulties and some despairing moments. I had recently taken a career change which promised to be wonderful but was not working out that way. After nearly 40 years in public education I took a job with my church as a parish administrator. Lacking the skills or aptitude for that line of work I was failing miserably at it.
Friendships I had over a number of years at church became strained and my relationship with my pastor became so difficult that I began to attend another church. The difficult economy made the prospect of finding another job frightening as well. In addition, my marriage of 4 years was troubled. It was an odd time to go on a retreat weekend and the invitation to attend seemed so out of keeping with the circumstances that it was either a cruel irony or an moment of Grace sent in the midst of much anxiety. I went with Grace and elected to accept and attend the retreat. Because money was tight, I went to my pastor and asked for money to attend. I have never asked for a handout before and this seemed, at the time, like another in a line of humiliations but, either by faith or dogged determination I went ahead and did it.Much of the weekend is a blur to me now. There was a moment though where I began to understand where God was working in the midst of all this. At lunch on Saturday I was joined in conversation by Fr. Mark who asked some usual "getting to know you" sort of questions. I confided in him that I had at one time explored becoming a priest and had actually graduated from a seminary program with a Masters in Theology degree. We continued our conversation and had prayer time for several hours after lunch. It was the beginning of a relationship of spiritual direction between Fr. Mark and me. It was the vehicle though which God often spoke in our weekly conversations and marked many moments in a time I refer to as "desert time." I left the weekend on a very high note and was filled with joy all the way home.
Unfortunately, when I pulled into the driveway and unpacked the car my wife said at my taking out my monastic habit, "What's with the monkey suit?"
I crashed right back down to the earth that I had left for the weekend.My return to work showed no improvement. Our finances did not improve. Our communications remained poor. I continued to not be able to go to our church. My relationship with my pastor remained strained. But some things did begin to happen. Weekly, Fr. Mark and I would talk and pray. We understood this to be a time in the desert and to come to terms with that. I read scriptures about Jesus' time in the desert and meditated on the Desert Fathers. I began to follow along with Daily Prayer from the Northumbria Community on the Internet. Things began to follow a pattern.
There was something about this experience that was requiring me to look at the various callings and responses in my life. In reading and thinking about Francis I was no longer able to feel sorry for myself about what I perceived to suffering in my life. What had previously been perceived as victimization at least had the possibility of being a time of Divine cleansing.Out of this difficult time there came the realization that "if there is anything you want, then you must give it away." If I wanted love, I must love. If I wanted peace, I must bring peace to situations and others. If I wanted prayers, I must pray. It became a rule of life for me to follow.
During this time I decided to once again use my seminary training. It had been a long time. My church was not a place where that was particularly welcome for a variety of reasons so I began to offer my talents at a non-denominational church... The pastor there... was particularly curious about and interested in such things as liturgy, church history, the Emerging Church Movement, monasticism and, of course, the Bible and worship.
We began teaching a class on the development of the early church creeds. We team taught and it was great. During this time a homeless guy began attending ...and we were able to enter into his life and him into ours. I began to meditate on and ponder the phrase "the least of these". My prayers began to ask what it meant to be among "the least of these" and how I might, indeed, be the least of these in ways myself. It all seemed very....well,.... Franciscan!
There were two major decisions last year that I think reflect God's saying to me, "On this day I give you a choice between life and death. Choose life." The first life choice decision was the one to go to the profession service. The other was a decision to have bariatric "lap band" surgery.
I had taken a trip to my doctor for a normal checkup and we talked a bit about my weight. I was "morbidly obese" (medical terminology for my condition), I was taking approximately 35 pills a day for diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, asthma, arthritis and other related things. I told my doctor that I thought I would like to live 10-20 years longer (I was 61) and his response was a shocking, "I'm not sure if I would count on that."
After that shocking remark I asked him about lap band surgery because a friend of mine had had it and was very pleased and successful. His eyes lit up and we arranged for me to make plans to have the surgery taken care of. "You are a perfect candidate," was the phrase I heard over and over again from the doctors and surgeons I talked to. I had the surgery in February and have lost 70 pounds with 30 more to go. I feel like I have indeed new life and have been granted a great gift that God surely was a part of.
Well, the year has brought many other things that I feel are an outgrowth of my becoming a Franciscan. My pursuit of the "the least of these" has led me to working weekly at a homeless feeding ministry called "Five Loaves". I have been called upon to preach sermons.. in the absence of [our] Pastor. I have recently taught a class on the book "Resident Aliens" by Stanley Hauerwas and Will Wilamon. A group of guys and myself have been meeting Wednesday mornings in a group called The Dead Guys (dead unto sin). Before I left [my previous]church I was regularly lay reading, chalicing and working the sound board and computer projection equipment for services. Now I am part of the worship team at [my new church] and have even taken up my old guitar and am playing weekly. Pastor Juan has asked me to speak about being a Franciscan at chapel at the Christian School where I used to teach and where he still works.
He has also asked me to come in my habit and assist with Communion at Father's House. I also have begun a blog called CrossPeace Community which I hope develops into a dialogue about serving others in the name of building Christ's Church.
A final piece of the puzzle of this year that has been very important in my exploring the notion of "the least of these" is that I left my job at the church last May and began working as a teacher at a juvenile group home run by Methodist Home for Children. These kids truly are the least. They are abused, have criminal records and are incarcerated. Many of them are functionally illiterate and have actually had very little formal schooling in their lives. It continues to be a wonderful experience working with them and serving them.
Because of some health issues my wife has, and because I reached retirement age this fall I have taken Social Security but work part time at the home and will continue to do so. It is definitely part of my charism as a Franciscan. I guess a final, final piece of this story is the relationship between my wife Becky and me. We have struggled and continued to do so but we both feel that God has brought us together and that one cannot discern the value of a relationship by gaging its ease. Becky fully supports and encourages me in my calling as a Franciscan and we both laugh when I take out my "monkey suit" God is good.
Now folks, this is what it sounds like to live out the call of Christ to 'Come, follow me." It's not easy, frilly, or especially 'holy' or 'saintly' in any sort of sentimental way. There's a lot of hard stuff in this story. But there's also Joy. Joy in walking away from things that weren't working and into new things that do work.. Joy in discovering lack of gifting in administration and in reaffirming gifts in teaching and serving at-risk kids. Joy in struggling through health issues and marital issues and financial struggles - and Joy in pressing into a life of prayer.
This is a story I think Francis and Jesus both smile about. It's a story that incorporates the basic building blocks of the Christian life: Worship, Community, Formation and Mission. It's a story that is really a template for Christian discipleship. And it's a story that I believe God is actively working into each one of us at All Saints Anglican Church.
Of course, the details of your story are specific to you. But it is my fervent hope and expectation that each one of us has a story of personal transformation to tell. Developing such a story takes hard work and tenacity. You can't tell of God's goodness unless you hold on through the tough times. And you also have to be honest about yourself and your struggles if you want to report about your Joy in Christ.
Friends, this ain't for sissies. It's hard, but it's Good.
It's real and substantial. It's what draws people to abandon all and follow Christ.
Today, I want to challenge you. Can you be as real and as honest as our Compan of Jesus
brother?
Will you hang in there with Christ while he transforms you into his own image?
Will you serve him with the same reckless abandon that Francis had and that our brother has shown in the midst of everyday life?
Let's ponder this seriously - and answer affirmatively.
May God grant us the grace and the comfort to hear this word and live it out.
AMEN.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Avoiding Hand, Foot and Eye Disease
A sermon delivered to All Saints Anglican Church on September 27th, 2009 at St. Mary's Medical Center Convent Chapel, Huntington, WV, and based on Mark 9:38-48.
O be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little hands what you do
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So, be careful little hands what you do.
O be careful little feet where you go
O be careful little feet where you go
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So be careful little feet where you go.
O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So be careful little eyes what you see
The Bible tells us in Psalm 139:14, that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." God has created our human body with amazing capabilities - which correspond perfectly to the physical world we live in. He's given us eyes to see the beauty around - two eyes, in fact, so that we can see in stereo and judge distances correctly. Eyes that can look around to see good things to eat, beauty to behold, and dangers to avoid. Our eyes are miracles of design and function, and glories which speak of the creative power of our God.
Our hands feature an opposable thumb - perhaps one of the key things that distinguish us from the animals - especially those found in Gary Larsen's cartoons.
And our feet are marvelously constructed so that we can walk upright, run and jump with amazing dexterity.
The members of our physical body work together for the good of the whole body; any impairment in one part affects the whole. (cf. Rom. 12:5; I Cor. 12:12). Jesus uses the metaphor of body parts in our Gospel lesson today, warning us that if our hands or feet or eyes cause us to stumble, we should cut them off or pluck them out in order to avoid hell. Since this is alarming thing to think about, the title of today's message is "Avoiding Hand Foot and Eye Disease".
The Bigger Picture
As we begin, let's think of the larger context of this passage.
In Mark 8:31-9:1, Jesus is talking to the disciples about his impending death.
He admonishes them that: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.
He's getting ready to go to Jerusalem and face the cross. Six days later he goes up on the mountain and is Transfigured (9:2-13) - again in preparation for his death. He comes down off the mountain of transfiguration and is immediately confronted with the disciples inability to exorcise a demonized boy (9:14-29) and he again warns of his upcoming death (9:30-32).
The disciples argue about who is the greatest in the kingdom (9:33-37) and Jesus shows them a child and tells them that "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” ... and that “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me...(37).
Ever astute, the disciples ask about someone casting out a demon in Jesus' name and again, Jesus makes reference to 'the little ones who believe in my name', warning that whoever causes such a one to sin would be better off if he were thrown into the sea.
So the big picture is about Death: what Jesus' death will accomplish,what we have to do to avoid eternal death, and what it is that ultimately pleases God.
Jesus speaks about cutting off your hand or your foot and of plucking out your eye - but this is clearly not literal. As he does so often, he is speaking metaphorically, using the offending members as examples of bigger issues in our lives. So, let's look at the Hand, the Foot and the Eye respectively, asking what they represent in our lives with a view towards understanding what we must do to avoid stumbling through them.
Interpreting Symbols
When I was at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, one of the most interesting classes I took was Psychological Testing. In this class, we learned about something called 'Projective Tests' where the subject looks at pictures, tells stories or draws pictures of things, such as a House a Tree or a Person. The idea is that the subject 'projects' themselves into the picture or story. The job of the tester is then to interpret the meaning of the symbols projected. In order to help interpret the test, we had to look in a handbook that gave us suggested meanings as deduced through research into these tests.
For example, when interpreting a drawing of a person, we consider how old the draw-er is, whether they have included all the parts of the body, whether any parts of the body are exaggerated, whether there are marks or wounds on the body, and what kind of story the draw-er tells about the figure they have drawn. You collect your observations and you look in the handbook, which gives you various suggestions based on research findings. Then, using that information, you develop your hypothesis about what is going on with the person you are evaluating.
Hands
Broadly speaking, hands represent Power to interact with the physical world - how much power I think I have, whether that power is in proportion to my ability and my surroundings, and whether or not I have a realistic assessment of my relative power. Hands also represent our Work or our labors in life, especially for the Lord.
Once, many years ago, I was working with a four year old boy. He was fascinated by the Hulk comic character. In his play, he would imitate the Hulk and stomp around the room exclaiming in a deep voice, "I am the Hulk. I weigh four-hundred pounds and I can crush you!" Not surprisingly, when he drew a person, it looked like the Hulk and it had HUGE hands. This little boy came from a troubled family situation, where things were pretty chaotic and he was powerless to change things. In his drawings and fantasy play, he was projecting power that he wished he had.
"If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off." How can our hands cause us to stumble? Basically through various forms of injustice, such as:
Grabbing what is not ours: Genesis 3:22:Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” Adam and eve reached out to take what wasn't theirs and people have been stealing ever since.
Physical Violence: Genesis 16:12
He [Ishmael] shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”
Presumptuous Self-Sufficiency: as in our reading from James 4:13-17:
... “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. ...you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting [in the work of your hands] is evil."
Sloth or Inactivity: Proverbs 6:10
"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest..."
We stumble through our hands when we work unjustly against others, or when we fail to work for righteousness, prompting James (5:6) to conclude: ..."whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin". So it is with the sins of the Hand
The Foot: Represents freedom, mobility, the power to run from harm and to walk with the Lord.
St. Benedict describes what he called 'Gyrovagues', which is a made-up word consisting of Latin for 'circle' combined with Greek for 'wander'. Literally, people who wander around in circles. Their feet wander from place to place, always restless, never submitting to a settled way of life, running away from problems, not being accountable to anyone; being licentious, refusing to stay put.
It reminds me of the Glenn Campbell song, "Gentle on My Mind":
"It's knowing that your door is always open
And your path is free to walk
That makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag rolled up
and stashed behind your couch
And it's knowing I'm not shackled
By forgotten words and bonds
And the ink stains that have dried upon some line
That keeps you in the backroadsBy the rivers of my mem'ryThat keeps you ever gentle on my mind..."
She's so gentle on his mind, that he feels no need to actually live with her!
Our feet can cause us to wander off the path and stop walking with others and with the Lord.
Eye
Jesus said that the "eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light," Matthew 6:22. The eye speaks of the ability to see what is right, to look beneath the surface of things to the truth beneath, and the ability to catch a vision of what God would have us to do in life.
By contrast:
The devil tempted Eve by appealing to her eyes, or her desire for spiritual understanding and power: "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5)
..." when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths" (Gen. 3:6,7).
Sin entered the world through the lust of the eyes, through desire for what is seen.
1John 2:15-17 warns:
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.". Jesus spoke in parables that the wicked might see but not perceive (Mark 4:12). The eye needs to be connected with the heart to work correctly.
The Eye can betray Pride: Proverbs 21:4:
"Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin."
Through our eyes, we can judge others hypocritically: "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Luke 6:41.
So, then, the eye causes us to stumble through Unrighteous Desire - which in turn leads us to Pride, Greed and Lust and Hypocrisy.
What should we do instead?
Hands:
Cleanse your hands and purify your heart so that you can resist the Devil", says James (4:8). Another way to say this is to humble yourselves and draw near to God. Let Him convict you of sin; ask for forgiveness when you are wrong, and keep a clear conscience with God.
Ecclesiates 9:10: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might..."
Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"...
Use your hands to work for God, who is your real boss, no matter who you work for.
Feet:
Walk with the Lord. Deuteronomy 5:33 says: "You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess."
Colossians 1:10: "... walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."
Micah 6:8: He has told you, O man, what is good;and what...the Lord require[s] of you: ... to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
God is your Creator. He loves you and wants to have a daily relationship with you. The right use of your feet is to walk with God day in and day out.
The Eyes:
Let the commandment of the Lord give light to the eyes, says the Psalmist (19:8,)
Use your eyes to see the Truth of God; let God show you his truth by pondering his commandments and by reading His Word daily.
Look unto Jesus, Fix your eyes on Him as the author and perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). Don't trust in anything else: money, houses, cars, stock portfolios, or other people. Jesus alone is our Savior. Everything else is "wood, hay and stubble" (1 Cor 3:12), unreliable and unsatisfying in the end.
Be Like Simeon who was able to say at the end of his life:
Lord, you now have set your servant free. For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see - a Light to enlighten the nations and the glory of your people Israel. Luke 2:29-32.
Summary:
Take care with your hands, your feet and your eyes. The Father up above is looking down in love, for as the Psalmist sings, his love and His commandments are :
More to be desired are they than gold,
more than much fine gold, *
sweeter far than honey,
than honey in the comb.
By them also is your servant enlightened, *
and in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:10,11).
AMEN.
O be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little hands what you do
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So, be careful little hands what you do.
O be careful little feet where you go
O be careful little feet where you go
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So be careful little feet where you go.
O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So be careful little eyes what you see
The Bible tells us in Psalm 139:14, that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." God has created our human body with amazing capabilities - which correspond perfectly to the physical world we live in. He's given us eyes to see the beauty around - two eyes, in fact, so that we can see in stereo and judge distances correctly. Eyes that can look around to see good things to eat, beauty to behold, and dangers to avoid. Our eyes are miracles of design and function, and glories which speak of the creative power of our God.
Our hands feature an opposable thumb - perhaps one of the key things that distinguish us from the animals - especially those found in Gary Larsen's cartoons.
And our feet are marvelously constructed so that we can walk upright, run and jump with amazing dexterity.
The members of our physical body work together for the good of the whole body; any impairment in one part affects the whole. (cf. Rom. 12:5; I Cor. 12:12). Jesus uses the metaphor of body parts in our Gospel lesson today, warning us that if our hands or feet or eyes cause us to stumble, we should cut them off or pluck them out in order to avoid hell. Since this is alarming thing to think about, the title of today's message is "Avoiding Hand Foot and Eye Disease".
The Bigger Picture
As we begin, let's think of the larger context of this passage.
In Mark 8:31-9:1, Jesus is talking to the disciples about his impending death.
He admonishes them that: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.
He's getting ready to go to Jerusalem and face the cross. Six days later he goes up on the mountain and is Transfigured (9:2-13) - again in preparation for his death. He comes down off the mountain of transfiguration and is immediately confronted with the disciples inability to exorcise a demonized boy (9:14-29) and he again warns of his upcoming death (9:30-32).
The disciples argue about who is the greatest in the kingdom (9:33-37) and Jesus shows them a child and tells them that "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” ... and that “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me...(37).
Ever astute, the disciples ask about someone casting out a demon in Jesus' name and again, Jesus makes reference to 'the little ones who believe in my name', warning that whoever causes such a one to sin would be better off if he were thrown into the sea.
So the big picture is about Death: what Jesus' death will accomplish,what we have to do to avoid eternal death, and what it is that ultimately pleases God.
Jesus speaks about cutting off your hand or your foot and of plucking out your eye - but this is clearly not literal. As he does so often, he is speaking metaphorically, using the offending members as examples of bigger issues in our lives. So, let's look at the Hand, the Foot and the Eye respectively, asking what they represent in our lives with a view towards understanding what we must do to avoid stumbling through them.
Interpreting Symbols
When I was at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, one of the most interesting classes I took was Psychological Testing. In this class, we learned about something called 'Projective Tests' where the subject looks at pictures, tells stories or draws pictures of things, such as a House a Tree or a Person. The idea is that the subject 'projects' themselves into the picture or story. The job of the tester is then to interpret the meaning of the symbols projected. In order to help interpret the test, we had to look in a handbook that gave us suggested meanings as deduced through research into these tests.
For example, when interpreting a drawing of a person, we consider how old the draw-er is, whether they have included all the parts of the body, whether any parts of the body are exaggerated, whether there are marks or wounds on the body, and what kind of story the draw-er tells about the figure they have drawn. You collect your observations and you look in the handbook, which gives you various suggestions based on research findings. Then, using that information, you develop your hypothesis about what is going on with the person you are evaluating.
Hands
Broadly speaking, hands represent Power to interact with the physical world - how much power I think I have, whether that power is in proportion to my ability and my surroundings, and whether or not I have a realistic assessment of my relative power. Hands also represent our Work or our labors in life, especially for the Lord.
Once, many years ago, I was working with a four year old boy. He was fascinated by the Hulk comic character. In his play, he would imitate the Hulk and stomp around the room exclaiming in a deep voice, "I am the Hulk. I weigh four-hundred pounds and I can crush you!" Not surprisingly, when he drew a person, it looked like the Hulk and it had HUGE hands. This little boy came from a troubled family situation, where things were pretty chaotic and he was powerless to change things. In his drawings and fantasy play, he was projecting power that he wished he had.
"If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off." How can our hands cause us to stumble? Basically through various forms of injustice, such as:
Grabbing what is not ours: Genesis 3:22:Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” Adam and eve reached out to take what wasn't theirs and people have been stealing ever since.
Physical Violence: Genesis 16:12
He [Ishmael] shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”
Presumptuous Self-Sufficiency: as in our reading from James 4:13-17:
... “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. ...you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting [in the work of your hands] is evil."
Sloth or Inactivity: Proverbs 6:10
"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest..."
We stumble through our hands when we work unjustly against others, or when we fail to work for righteousness, prompting James (5:6) to conclude: ..."whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin". So it is with the sins of the Hand
The Foot: Represents freedom, mobility, the power to run from harm and to walk with the Lord.
St. Benedict describes what he called 'Gyrovagues', which is a made-up word consisting of Latin for 'circle' combined with Greek for 'wander'. Literally, people who wander around in circles. Their feet wander from place to place, always restless, never submitting to a settled way of life, running away from problems, not being accountable to anyone; being licentious, refusing to stay put.
It reminds me of the Glenn Campbell song, "Gentle on My Mind":
"It's knowing that your door is always open
And your path is free to walk
That makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag rolled up
and stashed behind your couch
And it's knowing I'm not shackled
By forgotten words and bonds
And the ink stains that have dried upon some line
That keeps you in the backroadsBy the rivers of my mem'ryThat keeps you ever gentle on my mind..."
She's so gentle on his mind, that he feels no need to actually live with her!
Our feet can cause us to wander off the path and stop walking with others and with the Lord.
Eye
Jesus said that the "eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light," Matthew 6:22. The eye speaks of the ability to see what is right, to look beneath the surface of things to the truth beneath, and the ability to catch a vision of what God would have us to do in life.
By contrast:
The devil tempted Eve by appealing to her eyes, or her desire for spiritual understanding and power: "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5)
..." when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths" (Gen. 3:6,7).
Sin entered the world through the lust of the eyes, through desire for what is seen.
1John 2:15-17 warns:
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.". Jesus spoke in parables that the wicked might see but not perceive (Mark 4:12). The eye needs to be connected with the heart to work correctly.
The Eye can betray Pride: Proverbs 21:4:
"Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin."
Through our eyes, we can judge others hypocritically: "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Luke 6:41.
So, then, the eye causes us to stumble through Unrighteous Desire - which in turn leads us to Pride, Greed and Lust and Hypocrisy.
What should we do instead?
Hands:
Cleanse your hands and purify your heart so that you can resist the Devil", says James (4:8). Another way to say this is to humble yourselves and draw near to God. Let Him convict you of sin; ask for forgiveness when you are wrong, and keep a clear conscience with God.
Ecclesiates 9:10: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might..."
Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"...
Use your hands to work for God, who is your real boss, no matter who you work for.
Feet:
Walk with the Lord. Deuteronomy 5:33 says: "You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess."
Colossians 1:10: "... walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."
Micah 6:8: He has told you, O man, what is good;and what...the Lord require[s] of you: ... to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
God is your Creator. He loves you and wants to have a daily relationship with you. The right use of your feet is to walk with God day in and day out.
The Eyes:
Let the commandment of the Lord give light to the eyes, says the Psalmist (19:8,)
Use your eyes to see the Truth of God; let God show you his truth by pondering his commandments and by reading His Word daily.
Look unto Jesus, Fix your eyes on Him as the author and perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). Don't trust in anything else: money, houses, cars, stock portfolios, or other people. Jesus alone is our Savior. Everything else is "wood, hay and stubble" (1 Cor 3:12), unreliable and unsatisfying in the end.
Be Like Simeon who was able to say at the end of his life:
Lord, you now have set your servant free. For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see - a Light to enlighten the nations and the glory of your people Israel. Luke 2:29-32.
Summary:
Take care with your hands, your feet and your eyes. The Father up above is looking down in love, for as the Psalmist sings, his love and His commandments are :
More to be desired are they than gold,
more than much fine gold, *
sweeter far than honey,
than honey in the comb.
By them also is your servant enlightened, *
and in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:10,11).
AMEN.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)