Aloha Friday Message – February 12, 2016 – Lenten Series, #1

February 12, 2016

1607AFC021216 – 2016 Lenten Series, #1

Read it online here, please.

Proverbs 6:16-19 – 16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
    seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
    and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
    feet that hurry to run to evil,
19 a lying witness who testifies falsely,
    and one who sows discord in a family.

Romans 1:18-25 – 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; 21 for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools; 23 and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Peace be with you, Belovéd. This year during Lent we take up a series on a topic that will frankly make some people angry. It’s a topic that used to be stock trade in many denominations. Some called it “hellfire and brimstone.” Some referred to it as instilling guilt in the hope of feeling the conviction of sin and the promise of salvation. For this series, none of that applies. We will look at both sides of the coin called “Character.”

On one side of that coin is the image of all to which we aspire – goodness, virtue, integrity, honest, morality, and righteousness. These are things that are hardwired in our being because we are created in the image and likeness of God. One the other side of that coin is the image of what we deplore but cannot ignore. These are things that interfere with that hardwired spirit given to us at conception. Yes, we are talking about virtue, to which we have the desire to attain, and sin, that which we hope to which we need the will to abstain.

This series will present brief profiles of virtues and vices and the conduct associate with them. Why talk about this at all? I must say that it is because we so rarely talk about sin and virtue. We excuse every sort of failure of character by using moral relativism; we reject moral absolutism, and substitute what please us to understand about choices between good and evil. We will use a set of virtues and vices that have historically been used for millennia in one form or another. Let’s begin this series by looking at a chart that depicts The 7 Deadly Sins and Their Corresponding Virtues.

This chart is based on many analyses of Christian scholars who looked for a way to present information on their understanding of the nature and severity of these sins. One3 common way to present them is by using the mnemonic “PEGSLAW.” That is the basis for this table:

 

The 7 Deadly Sins and Their Corresponding Virtues
P Pride Humility
E Envy Kindness
G Gluttony Temperance
S Sloth1 Diligence
L Lust2 Chastity
A Avarice3 Charity
W Wrath Patience
1Acedia, Apathy
2Covetousness, Concupiscence
3Greed, Cupidity

 

At the outset, let me say that this isn’t “just a Catholic Traditional view of Sin and Virtue.” Look back at the quote from Proverbs, and you can see that grouping negative character flaws goes way back. It is the same for the Gifts of the Spirit. Check out this link to Isaiah 11:2-3, and you will see the roots of what Paul used to list the Gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. See Paul’s list there. A second consideration is that this series is intended to be informational, not judgmental. If some certain behavior is “classified” under such-and-such a sin or virtue, that statement is made on the basis of historical and traditional scholarship which is often (probably always) contradictory to what modern humanists advocate. I concur with the Secular Humanist point of view that it is possible to be good – virtuous – without being overtly religious. Where we part ways is in the discerning of the source of that goodness. They maintain it arises from within the human disposition. Again, I concur, but also insist that in is placed within the human disposition by the Creator and so it is also our disposition to know and worship the Creator and not just the creation:

Romans 1:18-25 – 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; 21 for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools; 23 and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

That’s enough preamble. I will include the chart in each post in this series, and it will be supported by other charts or graphics as we go along. Let us begin then with the first and greatest sin, the one that brought down the exceedingly beautiful and powerful angel we know as Lucifer or another familiar name – Satan: Pride.

Pride – hubris (ὕβρις) – is the personal conviction that one is better than anyone else. The prideful person can do more things, better things, and expects to be admired by others as much as s/he admires himself/herself. It is a perversion of love and a lack of humility. Pride often feigns humility with the intent of gaining more praise. Pride leads to hatred and contempt of others, and in its worst form makes the proud person indifferent to everyone – even those whose obsequious behaviors feed that pride. Prideful people are preoccupied with themselves, their life, their possessions, their abilities, their appearance; everything is me, me, me. Take a look at Isaiah 14:12-15 to see what brought down an angel of God. Then consider how often Israel was referred to as a “stiff-necked people.” Make an image in you mid of a prideful person, and you will see their neck stiff, eyes haughty, nose up as if it would kill them to have to look down at the rest of us. Pride excludes everyone and everything, is jealous of all that is good, and loves all that confirms one’s self – including in particular evil. For the prideful only they and what they do is superbly superior. Pride is conquered by humility.

Humility is the recognition that one is imperfect and, because of this, lowers her/his view of himself/herself in comparison to others. This kind of meekness is characterized by the world as being overly modest, timid, submissive, weak, tepid, or just plain stupid. The humble person is aware that any and all goodness, good things, good qualities, and good actions arise from divine Grace rather than personal effort. It is the product of love – a threefold love that balances one’s disposition to the divine, to self, and to others in ways that seek to mend rather than sunder, to include rather than exclude, and to accept rather than reject. David described the happy – Blesséd – person in the very first verse of Psalms:
Psalm 1:1 – 1 Happy are those
    who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
    or sit in the seat of scoffers;

Like all Virtues, humility is a strongly-held, continuously exercise one’s disposition to do good things for God, for self, and for others. Humility is, in a way, a masterful blend of the Four Cardinal Virtues – Prudence, Justice, Fortitude,  and Temperance. Humility give us the power to be a statesman rather than a politician, a servant rather than a ruler, and a child of God rather than a spawn of evil. Humility is the form of Love Jesus showed by coming to us as an infant – helpless, impoverished, homeless, and yet mightiest of the Mighty.

As pride is our greatest failing, so also humility is our greatest strength.

Next week we will look at another very difficult pair: Envy and Kindness.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

 

Aloha Friday Message – February 5, 2016 – Go where I send thee!

February 5, 2016

1606AFC020516 – Go where I send thee! (↔ Music Link)

Read it online here, please. (And be sure to use that Music Link.)

Mark 16:15-16 – 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.”

E pili mau na pomaika‘i ia ‘oe a me ke akua ho’omaika’i ‘oe, ʻŌmea! (May blessing always be with you and may God bless you, Beloved!) My computer is finally out of the hospital – but it is something of a stranger because all of the typing customizations I had made (hundreds of the) are gone. It was Windows 10 that did me in. The IT team had to replace the operating system, so my DELL went in for corrective surgery. It’s going to be a long time before my efficiency comes back as I try to rebuild all my shortcuts. Nonetheless, I’m grateful to have it back because without it I can’t make these Aloha Friday Posts for you. As always I want to encourage you to use the links I put in (that music link at the top is a classic in Television History). So, there’s the latest news. Let’s get going with the Good News.

This Sunday is one of my favorite Sundays because it has so many of my favorite passages. We start out with Isaiah 6:8 – 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” I always liked that. It was, in a special way, part of my decision to give my life to “Full Time Christian Service” at age 10 at Camp IdRaHaJe – which is an abbreviation for “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” (↔ Music Link) Later – in high school – I thought I had a calling to the Ministry in the Reformed Church in America. Long story short, one thing led to another, the Draft happened, and that idea faded away. The message for that calling was “Preach my Word.” Once I was in the Air Force, I was led to my conversion in the Catholic Church. Just two weeks after my first fully Catholic day, I married the love of my life – Crucita – and not long after, the message in the call became “Teach my Word.” I’m still working on that directive.

The Psalm this week is Psalm 138. It is my all-time-favorite Psalm. The first two verses are filled with wonderful praise:

Psalm 138:1 – I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
    in the presence of the angels to you I sing. New American Bible (Revised Edition)(NABRE)

I like that part about singing in the presence of the Angels. It reminds me of Psalm 22:3 which says that God “inhabits the praises of his people.” The rest of the Psalm is so reassuring. God will surely hear the cry of the suffering.

The Epistle for this Sunday is one that steadies me with grateful conviction. It is a continuation of the readings from 1 Corinthians, this time in chapter 15, just a few pages over from where we were last week. Paul is describing how he received the Gospel, “as to one born abnormally,” when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. 1 Corinthians 15:10 – 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. This verse always reminds me that I have not yet worked as hard as I should, or as hard as I can, on behalf of the Gospel. I am what I am by the grace of God, though, and he constantly challenges me to be a better steward of the many, many gifts he has presented me in my life.

HugeCatchAs we move to this week’s Gospel from Luke, we take a look at Luke’s version of the calling of the fishermen – Peter and the Sons of Zebedee, James and John. He’s directed Peter to cast his net in deep water for a catch. Peter gets a little snarky and says, “We’ve been fishing all night, but if you say so, I’ll do it.” And when he hauls the net back, it’s so full he has to call the bar Zebedee brothers to help him bring it in. Peter – and everyone else (except Jesus of course) – is astonished at the size of the catch, and Peter is so spooked he says, “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Then we read in Luke 5:10b-11 – Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. That is the basis for the wonderful Bible chorus “I will make you Fishers of men.” More importantly, is demonstrates how to best respond to a call from The Master: … they left everything and followed him.

By the time Jesus was ready to ascend back to Heaven, the Apostles were better prepared to follow Jesus’ next instructions. Instead of “follow me,” his new command was what we read in Mark at the top of this post: Mark 16:15-16 – 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.” You may remember it as “proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” However you remember it, the important thing is that we are to go “into all the world.” It is also important to remember that it is we who do the going and God who does the sending. Belovéd, we often forget that order of events. We are all sent to proclaim the Good News. That duty is inherent in our response to his call – “Follow me.” Will we? Will we follow him? I will follow him (↔ Music Link) because by the grace of God, I am what I am.” And what am I?

I’m a people-catcher. I got caught up in his net of Love, and when he asked “whom shall I send,”  the Love in me and around me said “Me! Me! Pick me! I know!” That’s a more contemporary version of “Here am I; send me!” It’s plain to me that I’d Rather Have Jesus Than Anything, because he did pick me.

But what about that last phrase in the quote from Mark? Isn’t that kind of a downer? Why would Jesus say, “but the one who does not believe will be condemned.”? Let’s take another look at The Most Famous Bible Verse in context: John 3:16-18 – 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” THAT is why we are sent; that is the urgency with which we are charged. The Apostle Paul sums up that responsibility very nicely in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 10:14-17 – 14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” 16 But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. Where in your life is there someone waiting to hear the Word from you, children? Go! You are sent! (And as you saw in that video with Tennessee Ernie Ford, going can be a LOT of fun!) Come on, let’s say it together:

Here am I! Send me!” (↔ Music Link)

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

 

 

Aloha Friday Message – January 29, 2016 – Time and Love

January 29, 2016

1605AFC012916 – Time and Love

Read it online here, please (then click on a Social Media Button to share)

1 Corinthians 13:12-13 – 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Much love to you belovéd! Today we continue, for a while, with the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. In the past month, we have looked at Life Lessons, Jesus the Shepherd, and the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Today we have an excerpt from The Love Chapter – 1 Corinthians 13 (You know, you really should click on that link so you can read this tremendously beautiful passage from Scripture.). This beautiful chapter is well known to nearly every Christian. “The greatest of these is Love.” How often we say that! How often we also neglect to do that. In this world ruled by the Culture of Death, love is often mistaken for lust. People young and old seek fulfillment in sensuality and sexuality that ranges from mildly erotic to wildly perverse. That is not love; it is not even self-love. It is a type of selfishness that destroys community, destroys bodies, and even destroys souls. Another misperception about love – particularly self-love – is that it is a justification for murder. Isn’t it amazing how many of the TV “News Magazines” like 20/20, 48 Hours, and Nightline feature stories about men and women who decide that the way to “improve” an adulterous relationship is to murder their spouse? How could they think that? Don’t “All Lives Matter?” Indeed, because all lives matter, how can anyone justify the murder of innocents whether by terroristic violence like jihad, deranged mass murders by thrill-seekers, or by millions of abortions? Killing an unborn child is misconstrued as an act of love. Surely, that is the work of Satan; it is for love of evil that such things happen. That is not Love. I learned a lot about love growing up in Denver.

When I was in high school, I belonged to an international, interdenominational Christian Youth Organization called Christian Endeavor. It was a wonderful formation ground for my faith, and a fertile garden from the growth of my ministry gifts. Through that group, I had the opportunity to present short workshops or “sermonettes” to young people. CE was an opportunity for young people to learn from, mentor, encourage, and edify each other. There were always adult sponsors, but each chapter in each church had their own officers, and they led the meetings, helped plan activities for youth, and it was just wonderful when thousands of young Christians got together to fellowship with kids from other churches and other denominations and joyfully praise and worship God. We used to have something called a Hymn-Sing several times a year, and hundreds of kids from all over Colorado would get together and sing hymns for a couple of hours. That was Love – real agape Love – in action. For me, the most memorable of experiences in CE were the Testimonies. Kids my age stood up in front of their peers and declared their love for and faith in Jesus. It was in one of those meetings that I recall saying, “Life is our most precious gift from God because He gives it to us expressly for the purpose of losing it; and how we do that is what makes all lives better.”

Love is about making things better – better lives, better futures, better homes, yes, even better gardens. When Love is the motivator, life is precious. When profit is the motivator, life is cheap. When Love rules, greed cools. When we Love God and neighbor, we “fulfill the law and the prophets.” I hope you used that link up there to read The Love Chapter (← Second Chance). You should especially read verses 4-8 OUT LOUD, because you will hear God telling you “This is the way. Walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21) If what you are doing, what you are living, what you are hoping in does not turn out like what you heard in those verses (did you read them yet?), then you need to listen to this song. (← Music link) Only this time, think of YOU singing that to Jesus. Turn your monitor off. Let the sound play. Look into Jesus’ face, and sing along. That’s Love, brothers and sisters. You can feel it when Someone acts in Love with you and for you. Love gives life; it does not steal it or corrupt it. Love makes life valuable; it does not cheapen or degrade it. Love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Love never dies, even when someone tries to kill it.

Jesus had many moments in his life when people wanted to kill him because of the Love he had for God and for them. The first time that happened was when he was just a baby and Herod killed many baby boys hoping to kill the King of the Jews. Later, after Jesus began his ministry in Cana of Galilee, he visited his home town, Nazareth. He read from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, and told them that Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in their hearing. At first they were impressed, but they wanted to see him do something – make a miracle as he had done elsewhere. They wanted to test him. Love doesn’t work like that. He reminded them that millions before them had waited to hear that prophecy fulfilled. Their self-love turned treacherous, and they turned against him:

JesusRejectedNazarethLuke 4:28-30 – 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

As he had said to his Mother in Cana, “My hour is not yet come.” Many times throughout his short ministry he charged people not to tell anyone about the miraculous healing – and the forgiveness of sins – because it was not yet time to fulfill his mission – his willing sacrifice of Love on the Cross. Throwing people off a cliff to their death was a particularly terrifying and shameful way to die. It was a form of Roman execution for the lowest of the low, and his fellow Jews were ready to give him the heave-ho. Here’s a photo of the place we believe Jesus was threatened with death at this early point in his ministry.

Jesus-Cliff

Jesus waited until the time came for his ultimate expression of his love – God’s LOVE – and when the time came, he lovingly laid down his life for all of us. 1 John 3:16 says, 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Do you want to know what love is? Take a solo trip in the garden. (← Music link) Walk with him. Talk with him. Believe it when he tells you that you are his own because he has called you by name.

Love takes time, but it also makes time. Love is the essence of God, the fundamental nature of Mercy, and the instrument of Salvation.

Faith wrought in Love is the cause of our Hope. Hope fashioned through Love is the power of Life over death. Love bestowed without cost or condition is the Gift Everlasting. It is the Christ of God, and it is time to open that gift and share it. Blesséd be God forever in his Angels and in his Saints who know, and are known by, him!

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved!

Please help us pray for one of our St. Catherine School students, seven-year-old HARPER DARRELL (SEE THIS LINK or copy and paste this link in our browser http://www.helpingharper.com). Look for menu-link at the bottom of the page.

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Aloha Friday Message – January 22, 2016 – Don’t Keep the Faith

January 22, 2016

1604AFC012216 – Do not keep the faith!

Read it online here, please (then go to the bottom of the page and click on a Share This button).

ShareThis_Sm

Choose one (or more!) of these.

 

 

Psalm 37:23-25 – 23 Our steps are made firm by the Lord,
    when he delights in our way;
24 though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong,
    for the Lord holds us by the hand.

Isaiah 20:31 – 21 And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

E pili mau na pomaika‘i ia ‘oe a me ke akua ho’omaika’i ‘oe, ʻŌmea! It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Give thanks to the Lord for he is GOOD!!

Last week we focused on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) and the Fruit they produce (Galatians 5:16-23). Today we move down the page a few verses in 1 Corinthians 12 to find out more about how the Apostle Paul taught the early Church about using those Gifts to produce that Fruit. This is in 1 Corinthians 12:12-30. I’m not going to insert that entire passage here, but I do want to ask you to read it by following the link, and then consider what it means for us today. Go ahead and click the link. I’ll wait right here.

Paul is describing the Body of Christ – the Church of which Christ is the Head. A somewhat similar way to describe the Church is as the Bride of Christ (See Revelation 21:2, 9-10 and John 3:29). The image presented is that while each of us is a living body, an individual human being, and although it is but a single body, it has many parts. “We are many parts. We are all one body.” By Marty Haugen expresses this well. Here’s a nice rendition of that for you to listen to. (← Music link!)

Now Paul makes one of his “don’t be so silly” arguments to convince the Church in Corinth (and by extension to convince us as well) that since everyone has one or more Gifts of the Spirit, we are given those gifts to be used in the Body of Christ. In fact, the Body of Christ depends on all of the parts doing what they are supposed to do. For those of you who have been following these for a while, or who get emails from me from time to time, you are familiar with my personal motto Age Quod Agis. If you were reading this in a high school or college Latin class you would pronounce it AH-gay kwod AH-giss (both hard g’s like giggle). If you were using “liturgical Latin,” you would pronounce it AH-jay kwod AH-jiss (both soft g’s like Georgia). I like the second version better. In Latin it means “Do what you are doing.” For those of you who use self-affirmation techniques, that translates to “Be who you are.” When it comes to being a Christian, some of us seem to have difficulty with that. We end up saying, “What am I doing?” Perhaps we ask “What am I supposed to do?” Or again we might ask, “What am I? Who am I? Why am I?” in many a Sunday school class we have been taught to answer, “I am a child of God.” If you are a baptized, believing Christian who claims Christ as a personal Savior, you are indeed a Child of God (See John 1:12-13). But as a baptized, believing Christian who claims Christ as a personal Savior, you are also part of The Body of Christ. You are!

If I am, you are, we are The Body of Christ, if we have many gifts which are part of The Body of Christ, then it is silly not be behave as The Body of Christ. You are a part. BE that part! In 1 Corinthians 12:18, you read (or should have read): But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. You are supposed to be there, and God put you there intentionally for a reason. You are there to help The Body of Christ function properly. Do you remember this? – “What’s missing from Ch__ch?” Yeah! UR! “But I go every Sunday.” OK, good, you go every Sunday, but are you there every Sunday? Or are you a door-post Christian, someone who just stands or sits in church with as much animation as a door-post? You have a GIFT to share! The Body of Christ needs that gift! Don’t keep it. SHARE IT! Don’t hide it under a bushel-basket. (Matthew 5:15, Mark 4:21, Luke 11:33) Paul is delivering the same advice when he tells the Church in Corinth (and of course us as well) when he says we should not withhold our Gifts for any reason, but especially because we are ashamed to share it or because we believe The Body of Christ does not need it. Of course your gift is needed. Why else would you have it? Here’s where so many of us get stuck. We won’t admit to anyone, including ourselves, that we have a gift to share. We get so hung up about not knowing what we have that we don’t even look.

Where do we look to see what sort of gift we have? Well, if actions speak louder than words, what actions show us that we are gifted? What are the things we like to do and the things we can do well? Those are our gifts. Let’s take a really easy but very important Gift that everyone reading this must surely have: Faith. Do you have faith, even “just a little, maybe?” Do not keep it to yourself. Share it! How? Be The Body of Christ? How? Age Quod Agis – do what you do – in The Body of Christ. Now, can you do that and go fishing or blowing or watch sports every Sunday instead of going to Church? Of course not. At a very minimum, to be part of The Body of Christ, you have to show up (85% of every gig is just being there for the gig). And then you need to share your gift. Paul says if you’re a foot, don’t try to be (or prefer to be) a hand; if you’re an ear, don’t try to be (or prefer to be) an eye; if you are an ear, don’t try to be (or prefer to be) a nose. Be who and what you are and, in all things, do it for the Glory of God in Christ Jesus. (See 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:17)

Go back to last week’s post and look at that list of Gifts again. Now, look at Paul’s statements about using them:

1 Corinthians 12:27-30 – 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. That is how Paul introduces 1 Corinthians 13 – The Love Chapter.

Belovéd, don’t keep your Faith hidden under a bushel. No! Let your little light shine. Share your Faith, and all your other gifts. In the post for July 20, 2012, there was this: Romans 12:6a – Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly. “Scripture quotation taken from the NASB.” Whatever you have, whatever you do, when you share it or do it for our brothers and sisters in The Body of Christ, you are doing what God created you to do. Remember, God gave you those Gifts to use not to hide or hoard. All that you have, all that you are, all that you can be is a Gift from God and is give to you for use – not possession – in The Body of Christ. Matthew 25:40 – 40 “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'”
Again I say, “Don’t ‘keep’ the Faith. Share it.” Why? Give a listen to this:

FollowMeYou are mine by David Haas (← Music link!) The Lord is holding you by the hand so you will not stumble when you go to share your Gift in The Body of Christ. He is walking with you and you will hear him say, “This is the way. Walk in it.” He will tell you whether to turn to the right or to the left. You and I belong to him. He has made us Stewards of every Good Gift needed in The Body of Christ. Remember: A Steward takes proper care of what belongs to another; our Gifts – our participation in The Body of Christ – belongs to The Body of Christ. He is mine because I am his. I cannot imagine that anything could possibly be better than that! Because of that, I can know the More Excellent Way of Love. Jeremiah 31:3 – I have loved you with an everlasting love (← Music link!)

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved!

Please continue to pray for ECP and also KW who are both healing gradually after serious falls. In addition, please remember DM who got a late diagnosis of Stage 4 Breast Cancer – and also all our family, friends and neighbors with or recovering from cancer – we are asking for a miraculous remission and healing.

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

 

Aloha Friday Message – January 15, 2016 – Gift Wrapped

January 15, 2016

1603AFC011516 – Gift Wrapped

Read it online here, please.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 – 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Good morning belovéd, and Happy Aloha Friday. I hope your 2016 is off to a good start. If you made any resolutions, I hope you’re following them. I decided to make only one, and remake it day by day because it is so hard to keep. You’ll find it in Matthew 22:37-39 – “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” That’s more than enough for me to handle. To actually live up to that, I will need the many Gifts of Grace God provides. You remember these gifts, right? They are listed in the second portion of this passage from this coming Sunday’s Reading from the Epistles. Let’s just list them here so we can see all nine of them.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Word of Knowledge
The Word of Wisdom
The Gift of Prophecy
The Gift of Faith
The Gifts of Healings
The Working of Miracles
The Discerning of Spirits
Different Kinds of Tongues
The Interpretation of Tongues

We have these gifts so we can use them to fulfill that passage from Matthew about The Greatest Commandments. Our Gifts our given to us so that we can learn to love God and each other. These days, both of those actions are greatly needed! So much evil is happening, so many heart-breaking losses, so many angrifying incidents assault us at every turn. What are we to do? For so many people, this has been a time of severe testing. For some it has been a struggle in their own homes, and for others a deeper struggle in their own bodies, or their hearts and minds. How are we supposed to respond to all of this? It is, in all honesty, overwhelming.

One Bible passage that comes to mind is in Psalm 37:3 – Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Well, those are certainly two important things to do. It is always best to trust in the Lord. If we add to that the act of doing good things for and with others, that’s a pretty good formula for a happy life. When we use and share these gifts, we honor God, the giver of all good gifts. The result of trusting in the Lord and doing good things is the comfort of being secure in life – not worrying about material things, but enjoying in gratitude all the things God has given us. That gratitude leads us to better stewardship of those gifts of God. We need to remember that stewards are persons who manage what belongs to others. What they manage is not their own; it belongs to someone else who trusts them to take care of it. That is why we are stewards of the Earth. It doesn’t belong to any of us; it belongs to God, and we are supposed to be taking care of it.

When we exploit the Earth, and especially when we exploit each other, that’s not stewardship, that’s negligence and destruction. That kind of stuff happens in so many ways, it almost seems like it’s normal. From one-to-one interpersonal relationships like being good friends to being lovers and spouses all the way to international relationships like being military allies and political supporters, we see horrific exploitation out of self-aggrandizement, greed, and delusional nationalism. I’m pretty sure you feel the same as I do about all these acts of terror and criminal activity: I want them to stop. I want Peace, serenity, and Love. I want to see kindness, gentleness, and generosity everywhere I look. Maybe, though, I’m looking in the wrong places.

Even though the Evening News is a collection of 19-23 eight-second blurbs about something terrible happening somewhere, nearly every newscast ends with a sentence something like this: “And finally on a happier note this evening there’s this from Loveland, Colorado (or some other random place). Here’s Howdy Doodie with a heart-warming story about friends and snowflakes.” They always want to end on some puff-piece, a little sweetener like a spoonful of sugar to take away the bad taste of the preceding bad-news-blurbs. Regrettable, we come to expect that in life, too. Not that we don’t like happy endings; of course we do. But life’s not a newscast or a sitcom, and not everything ends on a happy note. Reality often exists at negative pressure to the rest of the universe. So what do we do?

Here’s what we should do. We should use the gifts of the Spirit to live out the commandments. But wait, there’s more. When we use those gifts, we – in effect – find out that they are wrapped around other things God shares with us in and through the Holy Spirit. Ah, God is just full of surprises, and so are our gifts! If you have the Gift of Faith, when you unwrap that gift and use it, inside you will find the Fruit of Faithfulness. If you have the Gift of Prophesy, when you unwrap that gift and use it, inside you will find the Fruit of Patience. Yes. You see the connection! When we unwrap and use the Gifts of the Spirit, we find the Fruit of the Spirit inside. What is the Fruit of the Spirit? Let’s look in Galatians 5:16-23 – 16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

bad_present_300[1]You see, those things that make up all the bad-news-blurbs are the desires of the flesh, the negligence and destruction of Worldliness. Now, you know, when God gives us gifts, he himself does the wrapping so he knows which gift-wrap to use and he knows which fruit to put inside. When our Enemy tries to give us gifts, he, too, does the wrapping, and it pretty much looks like this picture. It’s a mess. That’s how you can tell if the gift is a True Gift of a false present. Whatever is inside that package might be something I want, but only God knows if it’s something I need. Honestly, I’d feel better about that gift over there if it was better wrapped, but then you can’t judge a book – or a present – by its cover. Or can you? If I saw a book with demonic images and language on the cover, or a book with over-sexualized creatures on the front, I’d know better than to pick that up and read it. God has given all of us the gift to know wrong things when we see them; that gift comes with a complementary package of good judgment criteria. You can read about them in Philippians 4:8-9 – 8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

So, just to be clear, today I am asking you to think of the Gifts of the Spirit as the gift-wrappings for the “Fruit of the Spirit”

FruitOfTheSpiritText_SThere is no law against these things. Well, at least there shouldn’t be. We find ourselves confronting those “unwritten laws” that say living a spiritual life is not acceptable; we are out of touch with reality if we believe such things really make a difference. In the world’s views, that is. In God’s view, these things ARE life. And they’re not so difficult to live with either. In an article that appeared a few years ago in THE CATHOLIC HERALD, the diocesan newspaper for the Diocese of Honolulu, Fr. William J. Byron, SJ, had this to say about these seven gifts of the spirit:

 

Love is service and sacrifice.
Joy is balance at the center of the soul.
Peace is good order.
Patience is the ability to endure whatever comes.
Kindness is attentive regard for the other.
Generosity is the habitual disposition to share.
Gentleness is courageous respect for other.
Self-control in a voluntary check on the appetite for success.

If you look at the terrible and difficult things that are happening in the world and in our lives, it sort of follows that old Pareto rule, that 80/20 thing. Pareto’s rule states that a small number of causes is responsible for a large percentage of the effect, in a ratio of about 20:80. Expressed in a management context, 20% of a person’s effort generates 80% of the person’s results. The corollary to this is that 20% of one’s results absorb 80% of one’s resources or efforts. And we could extrapolate that to say that 80% of the things that try our spirits are caused by 20% of the things that happen. Or maybe even that 20% of the things that we view as catastrophic are natural physical events – like volcanoes, tornados, hurricanes, lung cancer, plagues of locusts, and the like. The other 80% might be spiritual like war, terrorism, pornography, crack and speed, infidelity, hopelessness, depraved indifference to human life from the moment of conception to the moment of death, and so many other things that often make being alive more difficult than it should be for so many millions of people.

We are created in God’s image, and part of the heritage of that image is the gift of self-determination. If we choose to remember what these things actually mean, we can bring that choice, that spirituality into our lives, our world, our 80/20 mix. Here’s the thing: It’s also true that 80% of the good things in this world come from the 20% of our spiritual gifts we share with each other. Today I challenge you to go for 21%. Print out this message, or cut and paste Fr. Byron’s examples into another document you can print out and hang on your wall. It’s just a reminder, but it’s also just a way to change the world and maybe even the future population of heaven.

And finally on a happier note today, here’s a heart-warming Word of Wisdom from some Old Guy I know. It’s how to make it through every Monday the World gives you.

 

Think About It

 

 

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved!

Let’s say some special prayers for ECP who took a nasty fall and is on the mend but in pain. May he feel the Gift of Healings from our prayers.

 

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Aloha Friday Message – January 8, 2016 – the LORD is MY Shepherd

January 8, 2016

1602AFC010816 – The Lord is my Shepherd

Read it online here, please.

Isaiah 40:11 – He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.

God is rather fond of shepherds. Have you ever wondered why? It began – as all things do – in The Beginning. You’ll find Abel, a man who tended flocks, giving an offering to God from the best of his flock. With him is his brother, Cain, who also presented an offering to God. Both worked hard at preparing their sacrifices. God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s – who was his older brother – offering. Cain got very angry and ultimately committed the first recorded murder – he killed his little brother. It’s a very famous passage and includes the familiar quote, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Why did God reject Cain’s gift? The story in Genesis 4 gives only thin hints of why God rejected Cain’s sacrifice, but there are other hints elsewhere.

There are some additional clues in the Old Testament in places other than the book of Genesis. In the letter to the Hebrews, the author alludes to the reason for God’s rejection of the offering as Cain’s lack of faith. (Hebrews 11:4). The first letter of John describes Cain’s acts were linked to Satan, (“belonged to the evil one”) and because of his own evil nature. (1 John 3:12). In the Letter of Jude there is an allegation that Cain only made the offering out of greed, hoping God would increase his “profit margin.” (Jude 1:11). I also believe that, because Cain was the older brother, he believed that his status as the eldest counted for more than the quality of his gifts.

Cain brought “to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. Cain’s gift was some of the fruit of the ground, but we are left wondering if it was perhaps not the best (“first”) fruits of his labor. It was apparently an imperfect offering – he held back the best for himself. Abel did the opposite. In this story, it was the shepherd’s gift that was favored, and it cost the shepherd his life. Here are some additional insights into why.

Hebrews 11:4 – By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks.

James 2:26 – 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

Cain’s offering was not made in faith; Abel’s was. What does that mean? Cain was working on his own opinion of what God wants. He apparently decided he could impress God with a showy pile of fruits and vegetables. It was not an act of faith. It was an act of the kind that brought about the presence of evil on Earth – an act of pride. Abel’s prayer might have been something like, “LORD, accept this offering of your servant as a statement of my trust in you. I leave this with you to testify to that trust.” Cain’s prayer might have been like, “LORD, how do you like them apples? I grew them myself. I’m going to take all this and sell it!” That is far from being an ideal sacrifice, whereas Abel’s sacrifice was that of a true believer, an ideal shepherd, and an obedient servant.

The Ideal Shepherd Isaiah talks about is the Davidic Shepherd in Psalm 23, and in Ezekiel 34, especially 34:15-23. Isaiah portrays this shepherd carrying the lambs with tenderness and care. Little lambs have a lot of energy, but they also tire easily. When they are moving with the flock as they graze, the little guys sometimes get tuckered out and just can’t go any farther. The good shepherd will pick up that little one and carry it for a while so it can rest without being left behind. As for the ewes, especially those still carrying their progeny, they must be led with care – slowly, with an eye toward safe paths, gentle slopes, adequate water, and gradually move the flock so as not to endanger their lives. When Jacob and Esau were going through the process of reconciling with one another, Jacob makes a comment that driving the herd hard would kill the future of the herd – the ewes and the lambs they carried. Here’s the thing: If there are bleating, hopping, stumbling, messy, cute little lambs around, they are the future of the herd, and there will soon be more during the herd’s birthing season. Same for the Church. If there are squalling, wiggling, falling, messy, dear little children around, they are the future of the Church, and soon enough they will bring their own children to Church. Jesus loves the little children. So should we love them and as unconditionally as he did. While they are not livestock, of course, they are the substance of the future and a statement of faith in God’s Providence.

For the nation Israel, livestock was a central component of everything from worship to shelter to clothing. Animals were important, and they were cared for as the investments they truly were. We know the story of the lost sheep. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to realize that losing one lamb would be a bad setback. Losing a ewe and her unborn lamb would be far worse. God says that he himself with be the shepherd to Israel, and for the Israelites that was a brilliant illustration. God’s “hired hands,” the Priests who were supposed to lead and protect the people, had failed in their job, so God announces, “I will do the job myself because I care about my sheep so much I don’t want them to suffer like this any longer.” Then he promises to send another Davidic Shepherd, the heir of David’s throne, and like the shepherd David, this Good Shepherd will lead God’s people in the right way, defeat God’s enemies, and establish a Kingdom where God and his Shepherd rule with justice and equity for ever.

Beloved, that is – of course – the Kingdom of God, and you and I already live there. So does every living soul on this earth. All of us live in the Kingdom of God, but not all of us are part of the Kingdom of God. If Jesus is your Shepherd, you are part of His Kingdom. If Jesus is not your Shepherd, you live in the World, but not in the Kingdom. No one is excluded from the Kingdom by the Shepherd. The only way to be excluded is to ignore the Shepherd. And if Jesus is your shepherd, then you have to go where Jesus goes; that’s what we mean when we say, “follower of Jesus.” We go where he goes, and conversely, we do not go where he does not go.

The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

He leads us tenderly, graciously, safely, sweetly, gently, caringly to “verdant pastures” and “beside refreshing streams.” He give us rest and restores us. He blesses us and protects us. We are important to him, and he himself chooses to guide us and protect us. That is such good news. As we proceed through the rest of 2016, we will once again recall how God favored shepherds with the first glimpse of the Good Shepherd. I have always dreamed about being with those shepherds on that first night of the life of Jesus. I can just barely hear that heavenly chorus as the announcing angel was joined by the heavenly host singing, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill to all people.” (Luke 2:14 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.) Wow! Gives me chicken-skin! When we sing the Gloria in Church we sing the words of the Angels, and I often feel they are singing with us:

Heavenly-Host-236x300Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Be of good will and glorify God with the Angels and the Good Shepherd.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved!

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

Aloha Friday Message – January 1, 2016 – Lessons to Live By

January 1, 2016

1601AFC010116 – Lessons to Live By            

Read it online here, please.

Matthew 22:36-40 – 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Here we go into another year. Will it be filled with troubles and trials or with blessings and celebrations? Right you are! There will be both. I want to share this with you because I know some of us will try to make New Year’s Resolutions. You may find some ideas in the PowerPoint presentation at end of this short message. This year I plan to keep it simple, and I already know this simple resolution will be very difficult to keep. I will have to come back to it many times, and reaffirm my resolve to live according to that resolution. That’s it, at the top of the page: Love God and Love my neighbor. More easily said than done some days. So, with that in mind, I offer this for your weekend meditations.

Happy Aloha Friday, Beloved! And Happy 2016 as well!! As we finish up this year, I want to thank you for all the prayers you have shared with all of us. They really do make a difference. On behalf of all of those who have written notes to say “Thanks” I encourage you to keep praying for everyone all the time, and to pray with, for, and about our brothers and sisters in the MBN.

I also want to encourage you to pray for those who try to avoid knowing God and resist His mercy and saving grace. Some are openly hostile to the idea of a God who created everything. Some try to make Creation their god. For others it is “The Force” or something like “The Intelligence.” Others identify with a vengeful and punitive god who seeks to destroy through genocide and terror. There is no god who saves but God, and no other god – or demon for that matter – can create Life and Universe and restore to us the Peace that surpasses all understanding.

I am sending you something today that is a bit out of the ordinary for an Aloha Friday message. It was send to me by MBN member PT. After going through it a couple of times, I decided I would like to share it with you as a prelude to the coming year. Perhaps you, too, with find an image or a thought in this presentation that will inspire you to take the next positive step toward Home. I hope so. I am eager to meet with you there, where “my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” 

I have a new series planned. It will be 7 or maybe 8 lessons long. I’ll tell you in advance that the series deals with sin and virtue. In this world, sadly, very few people know enough about either of those to understand them well or to apply understanding in their lives. From knowledge comes understanding and from understanding comes wisdom. That’s where we’re headed.

 

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved

PowerPoint presentation “45 lessons in life” is attached. Use this link to view a version of that presentation, or Goggle the title to find a version out there somewhere.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24447645/45-Lessons-in-Life-Author-Regina-Brett-Slideshow

Creative Commons License
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Aloha Friday Message – December 25, 2015 – Happy Birthday Jesus!

December 25, 2015

1152AFC122515 – Happy Birthday Jesus!

Read it online here, please.

“Jesus is the reason for the Season.” But what is the reason for Jesus?

Aloha nui loa, Beloved. I know this is a busy weekend for you, so I’ll let you know up front that the second half of this week’s mailing is our family Christmas letter which I will send out on Christmas Eve. Many of you have received or will be receiving it in an email, some will see it in print form, either way, we still encourage you to share it. And now, here is what the Lord has for us today. It is from the readings for Christmas During the Day.

Hebrews 1:3-4 – 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains[a] all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Today, Beloved, we are inviting one of my favorite Authors to make some contributions. You will remember him as the man who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis. Lewis was also an amazing essayist, and one of his most famous series of essays was called Mere Christianity. I have selected five quotes from my copy which was published in 1950 by Collier Book of the Macmillan Publishing Company of New York, NY.

“All that we call human history–money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery–[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”

“If God thinks this state of war in the universe a price worth paying for free will…then we may take it [that] it is worth paying.”

“Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.”

“Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning…”

“When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all.”

I do not know of anyone who does not believe that Good and Evil exist in this world. Perhaps there are a few who do not believe that these states of being are not generalized throughout all times, lands, and people; such people believe that the only good is that which benefits them, and the only evil is that which does not benefit them. For the rest of us, however, we recognize that at the very minimum there is a general moral imperative by which we measure our actions and the actions of our fellow earthlings. That is the point Lewis takes up in the beginning of Mere Christianity.

I think nearly everyone also believes that since there is Good and Evil, there must also be Right and Wrong, and with Right and Wrong come Reward and Punishment. Rewards are nice. Punishment is not nice. Right and Wrong, Reward and Punishment – these things require making judgments, and if we are to make Right judgments, then we must have some sense of what Justice is. Justice could be described as a way to measure the goodness or evilness of something or someone and then mete out Reward or Punishment based on that judgment. Equitable judgments require discerning between truth and falsehood. It is here we get into the question raised last week, “How do you know what you’re saying is true?” Well, we have our life experience to teach us about Good and Evil.

Let’s look at some real-life examples:

  • Your neighbors frequently hold loud, drunken parties that last late into the night and keep you awake.
  • The guy behind you on the freeway is right on your bumper honking his horn then suddenly swerves around you, displays a rude gesture, and slaloms off through the traffic ahead.
  • The lady three rows behind you in the movie theater has brought her three-year-old and an infant in a baby carrier to a PG-13 movie that is 143 minutes long and pretty intense.
  • Your raised your children in the Love of God, taught them all about Jesus, baptized them, took them to church, and they grew up to be junkies or drunkies or found ways to excel at every form of immorality you ever dreaded.
  • Out of the blue, your spouse declares, “That’s it! I’ve had it! We’re done!” and then splits up your family. It’s then you discover your spouse’s longstanding infidelity.
  • A twenty-something in a $60,000 pick-up truck tricked out with every possible option and standing about 9 feet tall, pulls up next to you at the traffic light with the sound system turned up so loud that the sub-woofer actually makes your internal organs vibrate.
  • A group of terrorists claiming they have orders from Allah kill thousands of people across the world.
  • A group of kids high on meth savagely beats and kills an elderly couple out for an evening walk. They steal all the money they are carrying – $27.
  • One of the people you have worked with for years was on the news last night after being arrested as the central figure of a child-pornography ring.
  • People who are allegedly from a Christian church showed up at your son’s funeral. They declare your son was a murderer and is going to hell because of all the people he killed. He was wounded by an IED in Kabul three weeks ago, and spent many days suffering enormous pain, only to die just short of his twenty-third birthday.

I am sure you can think of many more. You might ask me, “But what’s the point? Not everything and everyone is that evil. There are lots of good things that happen in the world, for instance there is…”

  • The neighbor lady who lives alone but bakes cookies at Christmas time and goes to every house on the block to deliver them – she carries the boxes of cookies in the basket on her walker.
  • The child who is inspired to collect $300 to buy food for the hungry and starts a movement that raises millions of dollars.
  • The woman whose drug-addicted husband beats her without mercy or shame, but she still volunteers twice a week at the AIDS ward in the state prison.
  • The generous couple who quietly pay off the lay-away charges for dozens of families at their local Wal-Mart.
  • The Pastor who fasts and prays on behalf of his congregation, especially those whose faith has been shaken by the utter destruction of their town by an F5 tornado months ago.
  • The volunteers who fly across the country or across the world to help victims of the latest natural catastrophe.
  • The pensioner who drops a twenty in the Salvation Army kettle because he remembers what it’s like to be cold, and poor, and hungry, and alone on Christmas – it fact that’s happening this Christmas.
  • The child who stands up to the schoolyard bully because he’s picking on another child who is mentally challenged.
  • The friend who pulls you into a gentle embrace and lends you strength enough to get through one of the worst days of our life.

Which of these lists is the reason for Jesus? Why was he born as a helpless infant in a place under enemy control, drew his first breath in a cold and smelly cave filled with animals, and greeted by some of that society’s most reviled outcasts? Why did he die alone and helpless, deprived of every human dignity and freedom, and in unimaginable agony?

When he had accomplished purification from sins…. If we look at Lewis’ quotes, and at this phrase in Scripture, we can perhaps conclude that Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, Passion, death, and Resurrection all came about because of both lists. I keep coming back to John 3:17 – For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Jesus satisfies justice with Mercy. He died so that the sins, even the “minor evils” in that first list, could be forgiven. Those acts of indifference (remember, indifference is the polar opposite of Love), or discourtesy, or crime, or heart-breaking decisions that interrupt your life – they are all paid for in full because Christ died for those people who really hurt or irritate you. The acts on that second list are made possible when you forgive them as well. “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” If He does not smite them with a curse, why should I? Christ died to forgive my sins, but He also died for “those who sinned against me.” Brothers and Sisters, how easily and frequently I have forgotten that!

Carry Me ...

Carry Me …

Only in God will I find Joy. Only in God will I find Justice tempered with Mercy. Only in God will I find forgiveness and the power to forgive. Only in God will my faith sustain me through my trials as well as yours. Only in God is the Father of Lies utterly defeated by the Father of Life. Only in God will I find that all of answers I need were all given to me while shepherds watched their flocks by night and angels from the realms of Glory sang praise to God the Father in celebration of the birth of God the Son, Jesus. And if there were to be no God to be the Giver of All Good Gifts, how and where could I find anything that is Good? Only at the Manger and the Cross do I find the Power of God Who IS Christ Jesus to lay down my life before His Throne. Only through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit can any of us find hope that our sins, as well as the sins of those who sin against us, have been forgiven. God grant us each the sense to use the Grace He gave us to accept this simple fact:

The reason for Jesus is us.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,

And fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there.

Please, in this Jubilee Year of Mercy, remember: Being merciful is not being a doormat. Mercy is not chucking some change in the red bucket. Mercy is not “being PC.” However, Mercy is counting up everything someone owes you for the way they have treated you, and you completely forgiving their debt to you – and on top of that you bless them. Mercy is getting the best things you don’t deserve from someone who loves you unconditionally. Mercy is the freedom and joy of living without boundaries imposed by any person in your life, and that sort of Mercy comes only from God. The really cool thing about that is – you have already received so much Mercy you just can’t help but share it!

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.

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Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Have a Happy and Holy Christmas beginning today, and lasting through all the twelve days until Epiphany, and on through every blesséd day of 2016. Hope you got our Christmas letter yesterday!

The Todd Family Annual Christmas Letter 12/14/15

December 24, 2015

ChristmasLetterHeading

E pili mau na pomaika‘i ia ‘oe a me ke akua ho’omaika’i ‘oe, ʻŌmea! (May blessing always be with you and may God bless you, Beloved!) Family, friends, MBN Members, it’s strange how little has happened this year. At least that’s how it seems. Lots of people seem to think that now that we’re retired, all we do is sit around and watch TV; but, I can tell you we are busy all the time!

Most of the time we are busy with the house. It’s at least 60 years old and it seems there’s always something that needs fixing. And of course every time we take on “a little fix-it project,” it turns into a two-day nightmare on Annie Road. If it isn’t the house, it’s the yard. Our house sits on a tiny, pennant-shaped lot. We’ve got plenty of shrubs, bushes, and trees; once or twice a month we haul off 1-2 pickup-loads of trimmings to the green-waste site. That’s a lot of work for a pair of cranky old duffers, so we finally got the young fellow across the street to help us out. Whew! We can only stand to work from about 7 to 12 or maybe if we push it 1:00, but after that we’re so worn out we just can’t do anything else – so … the TV goes on and we sit around and watch it – but not all day!

We stay pretty busy with our work in our Parish of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Kapaʽa, too. About a year ago we took on the job of running the RCIA process. That’s the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults – a way to get folks ready for the Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church. The process takes at least 9 months to a year, and at the Easter Vigil Service the participants receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Eucharist. Last year we had 5 kids and 1 adult. This year we have 1 child and 1 adult. It’s a great job, and we are very happy serving in this way. We still serve as Lectors – Proclaimers of The Word – and occasionally help distribute Holy Communion. This year I am the Chair of the Pastoral Council, too. Crucita is also doing a fair amount of substituting at St. Catherine School – mostly grades 1-6 – and the kids reeaally like her! She had always thought that dealing with kids younger than Middle School would be uncomfortable, but the little-ones won her over. She’s also helping out with our weekly Food Pantry; we feed up to 450 persons a week, many of them children.

Crucita is also very active in the Hawaiʽi State Teachers Association – Retired (HSTA-R). She’s Vice-President this year, and they’ve had some great meetings, tours, and parties. There’s also a Kauaʽi Retired Teachers Association, and she participates in their activities as well. I’m still working at Hawaii Home Infusion Associates, LTD 16 hours a week. Mostly I crank out policies and procedures and troubleshoot personnel issues and computer-application problems. We just had our accreditation survey, and the surveyor made some favorable comments about our P&P manuals, so the old dude still has it – for a little while longer, anyway.

Both of us are relatively healthy. I finally let common sense take the place of ego and got a cane and a parking permit. Walking has become challenging lately – along with sitting, standing, and lying down. We put real stock in the old DuPont saying, “Better living through Chemistry.” It seems we get plenty of exercise just working on the house, so we haven’t had much time or interest in riding our tricycle-built-for-two on the Coastal Path here in Kapaʽa. One other factor was the weather. We had a really wet summer with 15 tropical storms that formed in the east and central Pacific. That’s a record! Fortunately most of them veered away from the islands, and relatively little damage was done.

Our kids are still out on their own. Tim is living and working in New Orleans – makes his money as a street musician. Cherie is back in La Follette, TN where she works cleaning houses and motels. We don’t get over to the mainland much anymore; we took a week to go to a wedding in New Mexico in July, and it took weeks to recover. Looks like our traveling days are over. Facebook and iPad/iPhone are our transportation now. I still write a weekly post for my blog at www.aloha-friday.org and that usually take most of a day every week. We passed the 500-posts mark about a month ago!

Time to wrap this up. In case you were going to ask, sure – you can come visit! And we will close with our traditional Christmas Blessing:

Hope Peace Love Joy

Hope Peace Love Joy

May Hope and Peace and Joy and Love
Be yours in the coming of the Christ Child!
Chick                                           and                                       Crucita
[email protected]                                                                       [email protected]
PO Box 3003       Lihu`e, HI 96766-6003
* Contact us about joining the Moon Beam network if you are not already a member!
https://aloha-friday.org

Aloha Friday Message – December 18, 2015 – WOW MOM!

December 18, 2015

1551AFC121815 WOW MOM!

READ IT ONLINE HERE, PLEASE.

E pili mau na pomaika‘i ia ‘oe a me ke akua ho’omaika’i ‘oe, ʻŌmea!

The “W” in Christmas

Luke 1:41-42 – 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

Wow! Awesome!

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience.

I had cut back on nonessential obligations – extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending.

Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old.

For weeks, he’d been memorizing songs for his school’s “Winter Pageant.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there’d be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation.

All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor, and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as “Christmas,” I didn’t expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment – songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes, and good cheer. So, when my son’s class rose to sing, “Christmas Love,” I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads.

Those in the front row – center stage – held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class would sing “C is for Christmas,” a child would hold up the letter C. Then, “H is for Happy,” and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, “Christmas Love.”

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter “M” upside down – she seemed totally unaware her letter “M” appeared as a “W.”

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she seemed to have no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her “W.” Her smile was absolutely beautiful – and she was absolutely silent.

The presentation continued: “A is for Advent,” “S is for Savior.” “L for Love.” “O for ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem.” “V for Victory in Jesus.” “E for Emanuel.”

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and then, we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen, tears welled up, throats tightened.

In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

“C H R I S T  W A S   L O V E”

And, I believe, He still is. THANK GOD FOR THAT!

Amazed in His presence…humbled by His love …thrilled with His Grace…filled with His Spirit.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved

Have a wonderful Christmas. I will see you again next week with a special Christmas message.

Aloha nui loa. Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou!

(WOW MOM? MOM spelled upside-down is WOW. That’s how I feel about Our Mother, Mary, who birthed my BROTHER JESUS … WOW!)

So my friends, my prayer for you this year, this Advent Season, is that Christ will be the center of your Christmas, and also that Christ will be the center of your Christianity. If all of us will begin 2016 committed to beginning and continuing The Work of Christmas which is the work of Mercy, then we can be certain that our lives are centered on Him; and our world – beginning with family and friends and extending throughout the nation, the continent, and the globe – will be all the better for it.

What good is it the Christ was born?

“Meister Eckhart once said: What good is it that Christ was born 2,000 years ago if he is not born now in your heart?

“Lord, we do far too much celebrating your actual coming in our hearts. I believe in God, but do I believe in God-in-me? I believe in God in heaven, but do I believe in God-on-earth? I believe in God out there, but do I believe in God-with-us?” Remember, He is Emanuel, the Promised of Ages.

 

ChristmasStarMed

Let the Christ in you shine out like a Christmas Star!

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