Aloha Friday Message – October 5, 2012 – Bless the Lord O my soul

October 5, 2012

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Read it online here, please.

KJV Psalm 103:1 {A Psalm of David.}Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

NIV Psalm 103:1 Of David.Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits– 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

NAB Psalm 103:1 Of David. I Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, my soul; do not forget all the gifts of God, 3 Who pardons all your sins, heals all your ills,

NLT Psalm 103:1 A psalm of David.Praise the LORD, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me. 3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.

The liturgy this weekend in many churches will focus on marriage and the pledges given to God and to each other by men and women who share the sacrament of holy matrimony. That is a topic I would love to write about because it is such a perfect exemplar of the wisdom of God’s Creation and God’s Plan. The readings come from Genesis 2, Psalm 128, Hebrews 2, and Mark 10. All of these passages make references to the blessings inherent in a happy and consecrated relationship between a man and a woman. It is just one of the countless ways God blesses us in ways that show us – by example – how his universe and his law work together to make our lives replete with blessings. But, I received an alternate set of directions for today’s post, and that’s it at the top of the page – Psalm 103:1-3. So here we go!

I’ve always been a little uncomfortable about “blessing God.” There is nothing that is superior to God, and no superlative that can adequately describe him. We are as different as a quark and a quasar. A quark is a part of a part of a particle.  A single quark does not even carry a full charge, so the only time we can find them is when two or three are gathered together to form a hadron or a meson. Most of us don’t know what any of these things are, yet they are pieces of the elementary particles that hold together the universe. There are scores of these subatomic particles and they are the sub-elemental building blocks in everything from hydrogen atoms to quasars. Quasars are incompressibly large, heavy, powerful, and far, far, FAR away. However we still have evidence they are real and that their existence affects every moment of our lives on this small speck in the cosmos we call Earth, in the even smaller speck we call earthlings, an in the smaller still specks we call the molecules and atoms that comprise our bodies. Quarks and Quasars are so very different, but they are also closely related and can in some strange way be parts of each other and each other’s existence yet still be completely separate. The idea of me blessing God seems to play out something like a quark brightening up a quasar.

We see these words “bless the Lord” in scripture so many times, especially in the Psalms (see Psalms 16, 34, 103, and 134 for samples). When I think of a blessing, I usually think of a gift, a really nice gift, which God has given me. “Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts ….” He blesses me with food, shelter, love, friendships, knowledge, skills, abilities, feelings, beautiful surroundings, temporal comforts, and (best of all) salvation. Anything I have I have only because it came from him so anything I return to him was already his in the first place. How is that a blessing? How can something lesser give a gift that makes the Infinite greater? Or maybe I just don’t understand what “bless” means.

Here I go again, looking at the real words used in the real Bible so I can understand the real meaning. The word used in verses 1 and 2 is the Hebrew word “barak” which means “bless.” It looks like this: ברך barak {baw-rak’} Among the synonyms are bless, salute, blessing, praise, kneel down, congratulate, kneel, and to be adored. Now, that makes more sense! If I add all of that together, I come up with “worship” or “honor” or “reverence.” I am not trying to confer my favor on God. I am offering him my recognition of his omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. I am acknowledging he is God and I am not. I am extolling, praising, exalting, applauding, revering, lauding, and glorifying God. And there’s another one of those words! Glorify God. God is the penultimate glory. Q: What can my puny existence add to his Glory? A:  Nothing. Q: What does God need from me? A:  Nothing. Q: Then what can I give to God? A: Everything.

Huh?

Q:If he’s got everything and he made everything and he is everything and he’s in everything and everything I have comes from him … how can I give him everything?!?   A:  By extolling, praising, exalting, applauding, revering, lauding, glorifying, and thanking God. That is how we bless God.

There is also the idea throughout the Bible that to bless and happy are the same thing. “Blessed are the poor in spirit …, blessed are those who mourn…, blessed are the meek…, blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness….” We know those blessings mean “happy are those who….” So I believe we can also bless God in the sense that we make him happy. He does everything he can to make us happy, so we surely can think of some things we can do to make him happy. In fact, we have a whole Book full of ways to make him happy. One of the best ways he recommends is to make him happy by loving each other because he loves us and because we love him. Love. My love. That is something I can give to God that is mine to give. And it’s just what he wants, too. Note I did not say it’s just what he needs; he doesn’t need anything from me; but, he will accept my love. He will accept your love.

And do you know what else? He will accept our love! When you and I take the love he has given us, break it up, multiply it, and share it with each other . . . we can give that multiplied love to him too. When we bless the Lord it is because we have understood that we are blessed by him. When we understand that blessing, we understand better how to recognize the blessings he keeps heaping into our lives. We feel grateful, so grateful that we bless him for his goodness.

You can see how it goes – round and round and round increasing in size with every round. He wants us to use what he gives us, not store it up, not throw it away, and certainly not forget about it. Here’s a little quote from MBN member SR: When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.” That, Beloved, will bless the Lord because you did not forget all his benefits; you made full use of them in gratitude and love for his everlasting kindness.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved. I love you!

 

Share-A-Prayer

††  For Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani <~> Thank you for his deliverance and release! Please also come to the aid of his attorney, Mohammed Ali Dadkhah who was recently imprisoned in a dangerous prison with a nine-year sentence.

†††    For LB, beloved mother of PB-T and grandmother of NM. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and may Eternal Light shine upon her.

††  †  For CR still having difficult recovering from a massive stroke, and Fr. VM still recovering from a nearly fatal head injury, as well as KW dealing with physical therapy and much pain after hip surgery.

††  †  For CN, TO, JR, PB, BL, CO and all our friends and family caught up in any form of addiction, but particularly chemical addictions we pray for wisdom and strength to break into recovery mode and stay there.

††  †  For all our friends, benefactors, godchildren, grandchildren, spiritually adopted brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, siblings, parents, and everyone else who blesses us with their love, we pray that we will all bless the Lord with all that is within us – including HIS love.

 

 

 

THIS JUST IN: 2 Chronicles 7:14 – If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Beloved, pray for our local, national, and international leaders past, present, and future! Vote for Morality in Government.

Aloha Friday Message – September 28, 2012 – After Jericho

September 28, 2012

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Read it online here, please
Joshua 22:5 – But be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses, the servant of the LORD, commanded you: love the LORD, your God, follow him in all his ways, keep his commandments, hold fast to him, and serve him with your whole heart and your whole self.” (NAB)

Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (ESV)

But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. (KJV)

Joshua 22:8 – “Go back to your homes with the great wealth you have taken from your enemies–the vast herds of livestock, the silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and the large supply of clothing. Share the plunder with your relatives.”

In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that the whole purpose of the law is to prove that we cannot fulfill the law on our own. What we call The Ten Commandments are not ten laws for human conduct, but one law with ten (actually more) parts. I say “actually more” because in addition to the commandments there are also some blessings and curses that go along with some of the commandments. When you break any of the parts, you have “broken the Law.” Nonetheless, in the time of the Patriarchs and up until the coming of the Kingdom, all there was to help us understand how to love God was The Law. Today we know that The Law convicts us of sin. When we fail to follow The Law, we know we have sinned. The Law reminds us that we have standards we must live up to, and that is a positive – rather than negative – thing.

King David frequently extolled The Law, sometimes referring to it as The Word. Psalms 1, 5, 19, and especially 119 praise The Law as a most excellent gift from God. In this passage from Joshua, who lived around 400 years before King David, we see how Joshua instructed Israel to express their gratitude to God for his manifold blessings. We now know we can be grateful to God for not only The Law, but also the fulfillment of that Law in the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. I’d like to dissect this passage from Joshua, and look at ways we can understand the importance of Christ’s willing sacrifice and our willing gratitude. Let us then see what Joshua – clearly a prefiguring of Christ in both character and name – recommended. This passage takes place after seven years of war in Canaan and the defeat of “many strong peoples.”

First, he tells them to make absolutely certain, to very carefully heed, and diligently pursue the excellency of The Law. Their entire history is based on keeping the law, and so also is their future. As long as they are obedient to God and love him and serve him with reverent obedience, all will be well with them. They must never forget that the continuation of the blessings incumbent with being his chosen nation were utterly contingent on their faithfulness and service under The Law.

He tells them they must not just know the Law, they must do The Law. They must live in, by, and for The Law. If they fail to comply with that directive, they will – literally – perish because of The Law. Every detail, every precept, must be remembered and lived.

A major part of doing this was to faithfully and honorably participate in all the rites, rituals, ceremonies, and actions of the holy blessings God had granted them when he chose them as his own people and gifted them with The Law.

To accomplish this, Joshua instructs that they must love the LORD for he is their God, and there is no other who is God. Although we often read the phase “fear God,” we know that this is not fear as in dread, distress, or outright fright, but fear as in reverence, worship, and absolute awe. God does not expect obedience and sacrifice for fear of punishment. God accepts obedience and sacrifice as acts of love offered to him by us. Without that spirit of love, serving God and even loving God is tedious, terrible, and insufferable. We are created for Joy and Love, and when we acknowledge God’s great gifts in that way, we best fulfill our purpose.

Joshua says they must “follow him in all his ways.” In that little phrase it is important to emphasize the pronoun his. They are not to follow their ways. They are not to follow the ways of the other inhabitants of the lands they have won in battle. They are to follow God’s ways, keep to the path on which HE leads them. The must believe in his love and his promises, and because of the love that evokes for him, they must obey him in all things. He not only shows them the way, but also helps them walk, live, and prosper in it.

In Jesus Summary of The Law, he says that the Greatest Commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” They must love him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Traditionally the commandments are divided into two groups. The first group focuses on loving, respecting, and serving God. The second group focuses on loving, respecting and serving one another – our fellow earthlings. While there are some differences in the way the Commandments are divided up, the simplest division is this: The Law governs humanity’s heavenly (vertical) and earthly (horizontal) relationships.

Joshua further instructs Israel to hold fast to, cling to, and cleave to God. They are to grasp God, stick to him and with him no matter what, and hang on to him and to The Law which honors him and directs them (and us) toward righteousness. It must be a permanent union – glued together, solid as concrete, lasting as welded metal.

In this right relationship, they must – and can only – serve him. He alone is their master, their highest and only ruler. He alone has the right and power to direct when, where, and how they must do as he commands, as he leads, and as he instructs. His power gives him absolute authority over every aspect of their lives, and in gratitude for his protection and care, he asks only for their trust and obedience.

God had worked incredible miracles to bring Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land. Only Joshua and Caleb were utterly faithful members of the generation which had perished in the desert through disobedience and doubt. Joshua knew the importance of having his entire life – including his entire household, all his fortune, and all his work – dedicated to serving the LORD. All his love, all his passion in life, all acts of worship and praise were set aside for his LORD and none other. On this he was uncompromising and therefore most blessed. Even in the depths of his soul, he saw that the Good in life comes only from God through love and service. When we give our whole life to him with every thought, word, and deed we are better able to love, worship, adore, praise, and glorify our Creator.

In these ways, then, we can work on perfecting our expressions of gratitude for the marvelous graces which permeate and saturate every aspect of our blessed lives. When our “fear of the LORD” is thus perfected, so also are our lives made incredibly rich and luminous. The more we understand about this most excellent Way, the greater will be the blessing we receive and all the greater will be the blessing we can bestow on our neighbors as well. It is what God always intended us to do, and Joshua spoke that in this wonderful scripture. This concise advice is the formula for that Attitude of Gratitude, and the way we are empowered to bless others.

This concept of blessing others with our overflow of blessing from God is found a bit farther down the page:

Joshua 22:8 – “Go back to your homes with the great wealth you have taken from your enemies — the vast herds of livestock, the silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and the large supply of clothing. Share the plunder with your relatives.”

We are to divide, share, and distribute the sources and outcomes of God’s blessing in our own lives. This is how we love our neighbors as ourselves – we give them the benefit of our blessings. Joshua – and his latter namesake Jesus (יֵשׁ֫וּעַ or יְהוֹשׁ֫וּעַ) – challenges us to be as generous to others as the LORD has been to us. That’s a tall order, but “with God, all things are possible.”

I want to leave you with this quote from the famous preacher the Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon:

If the law of justice demanded all our heart and soul and mind for the Creator, much more may the law of gratitude put in a comprehensive claim for the homage of our whole being to the God of grace.

Share-A-Prayer

For LB, beloved mother of PB-T and grandmother of NM as she enters hospice due to a renal tumor that has metastasized that she will have a gentle transition to Eternal Light.

For ECP who writes: Please pray for my Uncle H. J. R. was the last remaining sibling my mom had. She was born in Arizona on January, 30, 1929. Her youngest brother Kimo (J. R.) was born on January 20, 1930, also in Tucson, Arizona. He died today 9-26-2012 at 3:34 p.m. at Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu. He is survived by wife GDR and only daughter, GR, both of Kailua, O’ahu. May he rest in peace. Eternal Peace grant unto him O Lord, and may Perpetual Light shine upon him! Please, also, say a prayer of healing for me. I was ‘stuck’ in Wilcox Memorial Hospital. Hospital from Sat., 9-15-2012 until my 61st birthday, Friday, 9-21-2012… Recovering slowly at home…

For JL in remission for cancer on his pancreatic duct. Visit to the doctor coming up soon. Also for JM who has been very, very ill the past few weeks.

For AL and her ex that God will show the way for her and the kids.

For CR still having difficult recovering from a massive stroke, and Fr. VM still recovering from a nearly fatal head injury, as well as KW dealing with physical therapy and much pain after hip surgery.

C&GW for return of remission and minimal side-effects from chemo. For MG – scar tissue in her stomach after surgery to remove cancer is making it difficult to eat and to benefit from nutrition.

For CF that his final treatments for bladder cancer will be 100% successful. Also for EL going through final round of chemo, and FO working on staying in remission.

For CN, TO, JR, PB, BL, CO and all our friends and family caught up in any form of addiction, but particularly chemical addictions we pray for wisdom and strength to break into recovery mode and stay there.

Beloved, please remember in your daily prayers to pray for “everyone who prays for us and everyone who asks for our prayers” (from the MBN Prayer).

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

 

Aloha Friday Message – September 21, 2012 – Check Your Background Music

September 21, 2012

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Read it online here, please.

Colossians 3:16 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Aloha nui loa, Beloved! We’re still “On The Road Again,” in New Mexico. I’ve got just a little moment to tell you that it’s been good to see family again, to eat chili with every meal, and to see the most unique and enchanting sky on the mainland, the New Mexico Blue sky. We’ve done a little shopping (well, OK some MAJOR shopping) and some traveling around the Española Valley area including a visit to Ojo Caliente – a centuries-old hot springs with a wide variety of mineral baths. Did the old boy good to soak for several hours! Kudos and MAHALO NUI LOA + MUCHIMAS GRACIAS go out to Crucita’s classmates UC and JC for their hospitality as well. We spent a wonderful day at their little ranchita just outside Dixon.

One thing I have noticed on this trip is background music. Everywhere you go, there’s some kind of music playing, and – to me at least – it is nerve-grating. One of the things I most often grouse about is being forced to listen to someone else’s music. Maybe it’s a neighbor out on the law washing his or her pickup and blaring hip-hop, rap, or country music so loud my jalousies shake. Maybe it’s in Safeway, or Wal-Mart, or Ace Hardware, and the music is loud enough that it cannot be ignored but not so loud that it hampers conversation – as long as you shout at each other. At the Outlet Mall yesterday, the speakers along the breezeway in the mall were blasting out 60’s tunes and inside the stores each had their own choice of music – reggae, pop, rap, Spanish/Mariachi, and loud enough to entertain the workers, but also loud enough to … well, make grouchy old men grouchier.

You know from previous messages here that I love music; it’s been a major part of my life since the age when I learned to talk – l love to sing. Songs that I love to sing differ widely, but hymns and Gospel choruses are always near the top of the list. I remember one time seeing Orel Leonard Hershiser IV on TV one time sitting in the dug-out singing the Doxology – “Praise God from whom all blessings flow./ Praise him all creatures here below./ Praise him above ye heavenly host./ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! AMEN.” (sorry for the odd symbols there. This copy of Word is set to put in “smart quotes” and I haven’t been able to turn it off.) Hershiser was certainly well known for his pitching abilities, but also well-known for his deep and abiding faith which often expressed itself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

Do you have a favorite hymn of Psalm, or spiritual song? You can bet I do! My favorite Psalm is 138: In the presence of the angels I will sing your praise. My favorite Gospel chorus Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before. My favorite hymn is harder to choose because I love so many of them. My dad’s was Ivory Palaces. My Grandmother’s was The Old Rugged Cross. Mom’s was Amazing Grace, and I think that’s Crucita’s favorite, too. Do you have a favorite hymn? Can you sort of hear it in your head right now if you think about it for a moment? If you were in your car driving to work or taking a trip or going shopping, could you “play” that hymn in your mind and in your heart? I think that is what Paul means when he encourages us so often to sing hymns and songs of praise; but, they have to be sung with an attitude of love and respect for the God who not only created us but who also saves us day by day.

In Amos 5:23 we read Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. God was tired of heavily-orchestrated hymns as if something more complex and climactic, something more dramatic would be more pleasing. Instead God says, Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. And that is still what he wants from us. If you listen to contemporary Christian music, you will often notice that the song begins with a solo singer or a small group, and gradually crescendos toward a measure or two of drum tones followed by a key change and the addition of more voices until at the very end every voice is at maximum value and it’s time to go for the final high-pitch ending. Sometimes it’s original music, sometimes it’s the old hymns that get that treatment, or maybe Old Rugged Cross is done with a calypso or bosanova beat. I’m not opposed to expressing music in different ways – after all, as they say, different strokes for different folks – but sometimes I think we try too hard to make things pleasing to everyone but God.

I want you to think about your favorite hymns and songs, and Psalms and find a way to sing them in your heat quietly, but clearly. Would you do that for a moment right now, please? Just let your mind and heart hear the music, and maybe even feel the reasons you love that song so much. Now, when you have that all going along, offer that moment of praise to God – to the Holy Trinity – and as a descant – a little song over the main song – just say, “Thank you Lord.” Please practice doing that all this week. You will find that going to that place in your heart where those songs live will restore Peace and Joy in your life. It can become a tool to help you stay closer to the Light of your Life.

Speaking of tools, I want to pass along something I got from Sunday’s homily at Santa Cruz (Holy Cross) Church here is Española. There is only one tool for salvation, only one tool for redemption, one and only one tool to set everything right: The Cross. There is no other way, no other choice, no other tool; it is only the Cross. It has always been that way since the first Word of Creation, and it will continue that way until the Great Resurrection. So, Beloved, as you sing your favorite psalms, songs, hymns, and choruses this week, see if there is one that centers on the cross. If not, then sing your song and imagine standing at the foot of the Cross with John and Mary, and you are singing that to Jesus in that dark hour. You know, as he hung there dying, he knew our sins, and gave every remaining second, every struggling breath, every drop of blood in remission for those sins. The Cross and only the Cross is what makes it possible to sing a hymn of praise and love to our Triune God with the purity that only the redemption of the cross can bring.

Share-A-Prayer

We have many new persons who have requested prayers of healing, especially for cancer. Today, as you sing your hymns and songs, think of those who are facing this deadly disease that attacks us in so many forms. If you are a person with cancer, think about all the people who are praying for you right now and thank God for that. Today, make your background music the Music of the Spheres; sing your favorite hymn, gospel chorus, or even just make up one! Try it! You’ll like it!

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

chick

Aloha Friday Message – September 14, 2012 – Be the Bread of Life

September 14, 2012

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Read it online here, please. There are a lot of links in this message; I hope you’ll use them to supplement the content.

John 6:47-51 – 47 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; 50 this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Unleavened Bread

Preheat oven to 475

4 cups flour (can be half white or half whole wheat)

1½ cups water

½ teaspoon salt (optional)

  1. 2 tablespoons olive oil      (optional, oil will make it soft like a tortilla; no oil and it will be a      cracker)
    Combine ingredients and knead for ten minutes
  2. Roll into a ball, cut in      half, then cut each half into 8 pieces
  3. Roll out each piece as thinly      as possible into ovals
  4. pierce with a fork several      times, to eliminate air holes
  5. place on baking sheet covered      with Parchment Paper

Bake at 450 to 500 for about 5 minutes, or until slightly browned.

It was one of those AHA moments, I guess. Last Sunday, I had the first reading from Isaiah 35. The Second reading was from the second chapter of James – one of my favorite referenced. The Gospel was about the deaf man with a speech impediment – the reading that contains that fascinating word “Ephphatha!”– that is, “Be opened!” The homily ended with the recommendation to keep our ears and minds and hearts open. Then when the Eucharistic Host was elevated a silent thunderclap went off and it sounded like “unleavened bread.” I was also distributing communion that day, so as I went into the sanctuary to receive a chalice, that thunder kept shaking my brain: “Unleavened Bread.” And the answering voice – that guy in the back-right corner of my head again, says “Why? What’s in it?” Then came the spine-chill that alerts you to the Presence. I had to know more about this!

I sort of had an idea about the ingredients, but looked it up on the Internet. Mostly it’s just flour and water; no baking soda and certainly no yeast. Sometimes there may be a hint of salt, and in certain circumstances a wee-bit of oil. Sounded like flour tortillas to me, except those generally have a smidgeon of baking soda, and they might be a little “wetter” being made with more fluid and the dough is more elastic. So basically it is flour, water, and oil with maybe a pinch of salt. Then came the spine-chill again. Water, oil, salt – all three of these items are used that make something or someone sacred, sanctified, set apart for God. Water is for the Spirit. Oil for Holiness and healing and it is for the anointing of Kings. Salt is for sacredness (see Numbers 18:19) that is universal and perpetual. Mix water, oil, and salt together with wheat flour and you have unleavened bread – bread that is put together with several signs of holiness and sacredness. And what if the wheat represented us, earthlings, living in community as wheat lives in a field?

If that were the case, then when we mix in the things that make us Holy, we begin with water, symbol of The Holy Spirit as well as about 75% of our body-weight, and one of the most-needed natural elements required to stay alive. Water and flour makes … bread? When I was a kid, we used to mix flour and water together to make “paper mache” glue with just flour and water right out of the tap. Little did I know that – made just a little thicker – it could be baked as bread!

Now, if you add salt to that mixture, and turn that into bread, you get a bread that’s still unleavened but ever-so-slightly tastier than the plain-old water and flour stuff. Mix is a little oil and you have something that is simple, nutritious, tasty, and a little more flexible – a little softer and with a different flavor. So there it was. In a matter of a few seconds between the Fraction of the Host ending with “Only say the word and my soul shall be healed” and Communion in the form of the Body of Christ, my mind was filled to overflowing with “Unleavened Bread.”

Beloved, become the unleavened bread of sacrifice. Be filled with and enlivened by the Holy Spirit and you will be prepared to fulfill your role as part of that “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” At times in your life also become a more savory offering with the sacredness of salt, for we are the salt of the earth that makes the earth and all life in it and on it sanctified unto God and at peace with one another. When you are called to anointed service, you will need to be pliant in your patient service to others as an anointed servant of God.

Finally, Beloved, as you become bread, be more and more like The Bread of Life who gave his flesh for the life of the world. The follow-up message on that is, “Be careful what you think. Your thoughts run your life.” In other words, If you’re going to be bread, don’t live like pound-cake – or for that matter chopped-liver. Be bread. Be Holy. Be sanctified. Be consumed for the life of the world. If you follow him you will be where he is and become what you eat. The Living Bread Come Down from Heaven calls you, calls me, calls all of each of us to be like him: Bread made without the yeast of sin.

On September 14 and 21 the Aloha Friday Message may come from my gmail address, [email protected], instead of my Roadrunner address, [email protected]. God bless you all!

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

Share-A-Prayer

“On Tuesday there was a violent protest in Benghazi over a film posted to YouTube. Outrage over the film swept the Middle East and led to the killings of four diplomats in Libya, including U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens. Stevens, 52, was killed in Benghazi when the American embassy there was hit with a fusillade of rocket-propelled grenades.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/guy-koran-burning-pastor-terry-jones-backs-anti-muhammad-movie-article-1.1157522#ixzz26HdysH9I

The protests were over a sacrilegious movie about the prophet Muhammad. Its content is too vile to be described here. The film was the clumsy work of an amateur filmmaker named Sam Bacile (as in IMBECILIC) and it was promoted by the equally deficient man known as pastor Terry Jones – the same nut who promised to burn a Qu’ran last September. This is irresponsible beyond comprehension. You can see that Jones considers himself some sort of prophet – and I agree. Check into the idea of false prophets, and see what effect they have on Truth. Jones’ thinking is whack, and though a false prophet of the lowest form, he nonetheless has incited violence that resulted in deaths. Pray for Jones and his followers with the intent that they will recognize that evil thought produce evil results. Pray also for the people of Islam around the world with the intent that they will recognize that these two crackpots do not represent the true Americans who still favor “One Nation Under God With Liberty and Justice for All,” even for the spiritually insane. Beloved, pray for Peace and that the world can embrace all goodness without rancor or judgment. Pray for the men and women among us who truly are prophets. Jesus said “by their works you will know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20) And no, Islam is not of the Devil.

Please pray for one another daily. We have so many requests for prayers on behalf of loved ones with cancer, addictions, financial troubles, heartaches over family members who’ve abandoned their faith; some have all of these things happening at once in their lives. Pray also for marriages that are under attack by the foes of righteousness. Pray for the brave souls who go out into this world to preach the Gospel – pastors, missionaries, lay people, you and me, and all who bear witness to the Power of God. Pray that we may be “bread blessed and broken … bread of life for all.” Bravely pray for our troops, and for all the emergency services providers – fire-fighters, police, civil servants, and the people who keep our infrastructure running. And this week – with so many tragic stories in the news – pray for the conversion of sinners everywhere that they may recognize and nourish the spar of the Spirit that dwells in every living soul.

Aloha Friday Message – September 7, 2012 – Servant and Steward

September 7, 2012

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Read it online here, please.

1 Corinthians 4:1 – This is how one should regard us [Paul and Apollos], as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

This is from the Epistle for tjoday September 7th. It speaks to me on so many levels. Let me share a bit with you about this little verse. Paul is writing to the Corinthians. The church in Corinth was pretty diverse and spread out. There wasn’t a central gathering place where everyone came together to worship. It would be more accurate to say “the churches in Corinth,” because the meetings of believers were held in homes. Sometimes it was a single family; many times it was two or more families; rarely was it a large group as we think of a congregation today.

Because of the diversity of the groups meeting, there also arose a lot of diversity in leadership, “credit” for founding the house-church (Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ among them). Much of the content of the Epistles, especially those from Paul, focuses on toning down this diversity and returning to the Apostolic Teachings at two-degrees of separation from Christ; Christ taught the Apostles, the Apostles taught the believers. This theme appears in almost all the Pauline Epistles. In this one, for example at 1 Corinthians 1:10, Paul writes, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” Sometimes the divisiveness in those early Christian communities caused in-fighting, gossip, and all sorts of disruptions. Paul – and other writers of that era – kept telling them they were missing the point. The point was, “It is Christ that matters. He willingly died a shameful death to free us from sin and death. He instituted sacraments to bring us into his Kingdom. He gave us the Gospel, the Good News, to guide our Kingdom-living. Those are the things that matter. Stop fighting about anything that doesn’t matter.”

In this passage, Paul is saying that Apollos (shortened form of Apollonius) should be considered as an Apostle in the same way Peter and Paul were. Apollos’ doctrine was incomplete when he first “felt the call” to spread the Gospel. After being reinstructed by Pricilla and Aquila so that he was in conformance with Apostolic teaching, he became a formidable preacher of the Gospel in that region, and later on accompanied Paul to Ephesus. Paul, in fact, accepted Apollos as another of the apostles, but perhaps not one dramatically converted as was Paul, but as one who had been an eyewitness to the Risen Christ and even among his followers during Jesus’ ministry. Paul is telling the Corinthians that whichever Apostle taught them, they must not distinguish themselves on the basis of who baptized and instructed them. The Christ is the center, the head, the only ultimate authority; all else that is true must point back to Christ and none other. Everyone else was to be considered “servants of Christ” by all the believers.

We have already looked at the catholic letters in the New Testament and reviewed several of the heresies that the Apostles and others fought. Paul, Apollos, and Cephas (Peter) constantly urged their churches to follow only Christ as taught by the Apostles, the witnesses hand-picked by Jesus to carry his message “to all the world.” But Paul indicates here they were more than messengers. He tells the Corinthians the Apostles are stewards of the mysteries of God. This is an important clue to the workings of the Early Church.

A steward is a person who is in charge of a household. The steward is the one responsible for distributing the resources of the household at the right time and the right place in the right amount for the right reasons and with the right outcome. A steward is the manager-par-excellence and reports to the Master of the house, giving an account of all that has transpired. The steward managed all the activities of the household, and as you can imagine, there were plenty of opportunities for an unfaithful steward to rip off the Master, to arrange things for his own good and aggrandizement, and to squander rather than manage resources. (See Luke 16:1-12) As stewards personally commissioned by Christ to care for his Church, the Apostles held their disciples to the same requirements Jesus had placed on them: Stick to the Truth and the Truth shall set you free. Not everyone has the moral fortitude to champion Truth without tipping the scales to make a little of the limelight and glory fall on them.

The implication, of course, that all of us should match the commitment of the Apostles to be good stewards. They were commissioned to be stewards of the Mysteries of God, and they found that in that role, they also became good stewards of all of the rest of God’s creation including human work and human wealth. We are to be stewards of our “interior households,” bringing out and distributing resources from the storehouse of gifts we have received from The Holy Trinity. We have taken a look at stewardship, and the meaning of steward. We manage a “household” in our hearts and minds, in our families, our communities, our churches, and our nation; we are charged with the responsibility of bringing out whatever is needed by those households as a way to glorify and honor God’s infinite generosity. By extension, the concept of stewardship flows to all aspects of human life and can be anchored in God’s very first command to Adam and Eve:  “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28 ESV) Our first duty to God is to be good stewards of Creation, to “have dominion over,” to control and manage God’s gifts whether temporal or spiritual.

The nature of this management is also seen in Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians: As servants and stewards. We have only one master (Matthew 23:8), and his “household” is The Kingdom of God. Christ is the head of that entire Kingdom, and no steward is equal to or greater than the Master. As the popular window sticker says,

So, Beloved, if you cannot claim to be an Apostle, then perhaps you can claim to be part of “one holy, catholic, and apostolic church” as the Nicene Creed states. And in so doing, you can renew your understanding of and commitment to being a “good a faithful servant,” a worthy and honest steward of the mysteries of God which include his original command to take good care of everything he created (that includes you and me, too!). It doesn’t really matter if you do that with the Sierra Club, the Democrats or Republicans or whomever, the Scouts, or Catholics, or Four-Square Gospel, or Church of Christ, or Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, take-your-pick. As Paul said, some plant, some water; some till the soil, some carry off the rocks; and eventually the Lord of the Harvest sends laborers into the fields to prepare the harvest. Be a faithful servant and a good steward. It is the right time and the right place in the right amount for the right reasons and with the right outcome.

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

Share-A-Prayer

Continue your prayers for those who are ill, those who are suffering tyranny and terror, those whose lives have been hijacked by the Devil’s addictive chemicals and toys, and all who suffer persecution for the Glory of The Name. And please, as this election draws to an end, carefully review your options and vote. For me, it has come down to a single issue that I find relevant: Morality. Neither team represents any sort of paragon of morality, but perhaps one may have evidence of a better conformance to that ideal.

Aloha Friday Message – August 31, 2012 – Aloha Friday, NOW!!

August 31, 2012

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Read it online here, please.

Romans 12:12 – Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.

Colossians 1: 11 – We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need.

I read an essay by Ron Rolheiser, OMI, in the Hawaii Catholic Herald this week that really gave me a hard kick in the tea kettle. The opening paragraph went like this:

“There’s an adage that says that an atheist is simply someone who cannot grasp metaphor. Thomas Halik, the Czech writer, would suggest rather that an atheist is someone who cannot be patient enough with God.”

He goes on to write later in the essay, “And so we live with a lot of expressed and unexpressed impatience with God. Atheists, it would seem, at a certain point just give up on playing the game and, in essence, say the words: I’ve seen enough; I’ve waited enough; and it’s not enough! I will no longer wait for God! But if atheism is just another way of saying I will no longer wait for God than the opposite is also true: Faith is just another way of saying: I will wait for God. If atheism is impatience, faith is patience.”

I am impatient. I want things to happen. I am the guy who prays, “O Lord my God, teach me patience … and let me learn it NOW!! God you know that I want my son to give up meth and go back to the Church NOW!! Oh, and God, I need you to get my daughter up out of the house and into a job NOW!! You need to get busy and take care of my friend’s idiot husband NOW!! AND WHILE YOU’RE AT IT, KNOCK OFF THAT NEIGHBOR’S DOG THAT’S BEEN BARKING FOR THE PAST TWO HOURS!! MAKE HIM CHOKE, NOW!! You know, you really need to do something about these inconsiderate people that cut me off on the freeway, too!!! Do it NOW BEFORE THE KILL SOMEONE!! And while you’re at it, what happened to that PATIENCE I asked you for, huh? I see; well, thanks a bunch, God. Not on the menu for today. Fine! Then I guess I’ll just have to put up with this endless barrage of joint and muscle pain until you feel I’ve suffered enough to get your attention!!

Gosh! I hope that’s never happened to you, Beloved! I hope you are NEVER that obnoxious. I regret to say, I have been. I want what I want when I want it. Even though I tell people this all the time, I forget it applies to me, too: God’s timing doesn’t run on our time. It took a close friend just 30 seconds to tell me that, and two seconds after that I realized what a jerk I am when acting like God needs to get caught up with the things on my schedule. Why am I in such a rush? You probably remember this little story that goes around the Internet – The Rosebud:

 
Unfolding the Rose

The Rosebud

A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher in the garden one day and feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do. He asked the older preacher what was his purpose. The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the WILL OF GOD for his life and for his ministry. Because of his high respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to TRY to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact.

It wasn’t long before he realized how impossible it was to do. Noticing the younger preacher’s inability to unfold the rosebud while keeping it intact, the older preacher began to recite the following poem.

UNFOLDING THE ROSEBUD

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of GOD’s design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers,
Is not known to such as I;
GOD opens this flower so sweetly
When in my hands they fade and die.
If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of GOD’s design;
Then how can I think I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?
So I’ll trust in Him for His leading,
Each moment of every day;
I will look to Him for His guidance
Each step of this pilgrim way.
The pathway that lies before me,
Only my Heavenly Father knows;
I’ll trust Him to unfold the moments
Just as He unfolds the rose.

You also remember the story of the boy who tried to help the butterfly out of its chrysalis only to see it die because the struggle of freeing itself  was what made the butterfly’s circulatory system functional. Sometimes what we think we must do is inconsistent with God’s plan. When we realize that we’ve been working against him while all the while insisting we were working with him, we might at times feel embarrassed, or tricked, or even get belligerent with God and say, “Well you could have told me sooner, you know, that I was wasting my time on that!” And then we think, “What’s wrong with me? Why am I talking to HIM like THAT?!” And often we realize we are talking to him like that because he’s been talking to us and we’re not listening.

I listen to God. I know what he sounds like; I’ve heard his voice … well, a couple of times … maybe three. And he knows my voice! Bellowing, pleading, whining, occasionally praising (though I sometimes feel like maybe it comes off more like I’m trying to butter him up). But, yeah, I know what it’s like to hear God speak, and – honestly – I really like it when he does. But to tell you the truth, he’s seemed quieter than usual lately. I know why. It’s because I haven’t shut up long enough for me to listen. I just run up to the Throne, shout my demands, and then rush back to my own Drama-Fest.

In the two verses at the opening of this message, Paul is using the Greek word ὑπομένω hupomeno {hoop-om-en’-o} for “patient” or “patience.” In Strong’s notes, this word is used to denote endure, to tarry behind, to abide, suffer, remain, abide, preserve, and persevere under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one’s faith in Christ. Looking back at Rolheiser’s statements, not only am I being a jerk, I’m sounding like an atheist jerk! It is time for some serious recalibration. I have been heavy on the advice, slack on the follow-through and strong on the knowledge but weak on the application. I am an atheistic-jerk Pharisee. OUCH! It’s time to look for a better way. Maybe I should pray?

There are nine prayer-points in Paul’s words to the Colossians.

  1. Seek to know God’s will,
  2. Grow in spiritual wisdom,
  3. Honor and please God by
  4. Continually do good, kind things for others, then
  5. Continue to expand your knowledge of God as God more and more so we can …
  6. Be strengthened with God’s glorious power so that we will
  7. Have great patience and endurance, enabling us to
  8. Feel in our hearts and show to others we are full of Christ’s joy, and of course,
  9. We all hope and pray we have the wisdom, courage, and strength to give thanks always.

All believers – and jerk-atheists – have these same basic needs. When you don’t know how to pray for someone, use Paul’s prayer formula as he used it for the Colossians. And speaking of prayer please remember to:

Share-A-Prayer

KG – Peace in body, mind, and spirit while dealing with Satan’s attacks on health, family, friends, and future. Having received insult and abandonment in return for love, this MBN member’s faith is unwavering, and served as the inspiration for today’s message.

TW, and DG’s mom – Gentle hospice and trip to heaven with a special escort from Our Lady.

CF, FO, CW, TM, GW, SC, FR, and may others over the past year battling cancer and other chronic illnesses.

For family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, neighbors, and anyone we know directly or indirectly who is in the grip of any form of addiction – alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, or any other debilitating abuse – let us ask God to help us be patient as he helps them toward attaining or maintaining sobriety, particularly TO, PB, JJ, CN, CO, and many others we have prayed for this past year.

For jerks, atheists, believers, and well-intentioned souls who just can’t wait for God to do what needs to be done (instead of what we want to be done) – we pray for genuine patience that arises from true faith.

For you and for me, and for all the people we love and especially for all the people who love us despite our weaknesses – God be merciful and forgive us our sins. Lead us into the quiet splendor of your unconditional love and uncompromising grace. Amen.

Aloha Friday Message – August 24, 2012 – Who’s your Master?

August 24, 2012

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Read it online here.

Joshua 24:15 – But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

~~ Bob Dylan Gotta serve somebody, 1979

Thirty-three years ago, Bob Dylan had a powerful conversion experience. He recorded a few Gospel albums. He changed his view of the world. The world did not exactly embrace his conversion. Years later (circa 1986) he would say he doesn’t follow any organized religion, and that the songs – the music, both religious and secular – were his lexicon. Did he leave the Lord? Well, as the saying in our house goes, “Only God knows, and he’s not tellin.”

But how about us? Do you, do I, do we really serve the Lord? Most of us are pretty good at the outward signs – going to church, watching our language, avoiding dubious situations, and saying grace in the restaurant. You do that, right? Say grace before you pitch in to that T-Bone at The Sizzler? How about at work when you’re in the cafeteria with your friends? And if you do, what does that prove? Again, as the saying in our house goes, “Only God knows, and he’s not tellin.” And I think that’s probably a good thing, too, because if you knew what he knows about me, if you could see me the way he sees me, then probably I would also be able to see you the way he sees you. In fact, it makes both of us, you and me, uncomfortable to think about or talk about the stuff we never talk about even when we are talking only in our own head. We are sinners, you and I, and there’s no getting around or away from that. According to the Gospel, the Good News, sinners have served, presently serve, and will continue to serve the Lord. Some sinners serve so well that everyone knows who they serve. Dr. Martin Luther King, Pope John Paul II, Rev. Billy Graham, Moses and Abraham, Saint Paul, John Calvin, Hannah Senesh, and someone in your own life whom you know as a Godly person – all of these people lived their lives openly as servants of God.

How is it we can recognize these people as servants of God? I want to direct you to the first chapter of Romans starting at verse 8. I’m going to insert it here so you can read it and refer back to it.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10 always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Right off the bat, you can see that Paul begins with that “Attitude of Gratitude” I’ve been writing about. First and foremost we know the People of God as persons who know how to be grateful for God’s infinite blessings, grace, and love. They know with unshakable certainty that God and God alone is the giver of all good gifts, and for that they remain always grateful. Not long ago we spoke of even suffering and persecutions being good gifts. Remember Jesus saying Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Matthew 5:11. In Crucita’s family, there is a custom of stating “thanks be to God” frequently in conversation: Buenos dἱas le de Dios. ¿Como amanecio hoy? Good morning by God’s will! How did you awake today? Muy bien, Gracias a Dios. ¿Y tu? Very well, thanks be to God. And you? If your day, your life, and all your human relationships begin with gratitude, you have begun well indeed!

Next Paul says unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers. Along with gratitude, a rich prayer life is another way we recognize a servant of God. As in this passage from Paul, the richness comes with a commitment to intercession on behalf of others. Paul’s prayers are not selfish, not egotistical. They are prayerful appeals to God for increased faith for others, for opportunities to preach the Gospel to others, and – if he prays for himself in anything – he asks for strength and wisdom to be able to endure the hardships (the blessings of suffering) required for fulfilling his mission as “the least of the Apostles.” He often tells others they, too, should be thankful all the time about everything and to pray all the time about everything. Gratitude and prayer complement each other beautifully because that combination is a key component that makes the universe function as God intended.

Paul goes on to say, “if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.” When your life’s foundation is composed of gratitude and intercession, it seems natural to be always seeking the will of God. Paul’s deep desire in this passage is to be able to travel to Rome to meet with the Christians there. We now know that he got his wish, but it came with a high price and ultimately it was in Rome that his mission work ended at the edge of an executioner’s sword. Persons who are constantly grateful for the opportunities to serve others stay connected to God so that they won’t miss an opportunity to serve. Servants expect to serve, so they are watchful – constantly attentive to the one who directs their service. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. Psalm 123:2  There are many interpretations of this passage, but my favorite is this: In David’s time, servants and their “bosses” impressed their guests by developing and rehearsing subtle signals so that with only the slightest move of the boss’s little finger or right eyebrow or posture, a servant would know to perform a certain action without appearing to have been commanded to do so. This careful attentiveness reflected on the “power” of the boss in training his or her servants. “S/he can practically read my mind, as you can easily see.” Godly servants are always watching for God’s next little move so they can spring into action and conform to his will. “Thy will, not mine, be done.” As we receive innumerable blessings, we understand that to truly do God’s will we, too, must be generous in our willingness to serve him by serving others.

A true servant of God is grateful for the opportunities to serve, and prayerfully considers finding more ways to serve God’s will by serving God’s creatures and creation by giving generously from the store of blessings the servant receives. Paul writes in verse 11, “ I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established …” You cannot give what you do not have. Paul’s bountiful storehouse of spiritual know-how was jam-packed with the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. He patiently, consistently, and eagerly taught Christ’s Law of Love. He didn’t whizz though town like 20th-century evangelists; he spent years in one place working as a tent-maker while doing his preaching and teaching. He worked hard at his job so he could carry out his vocation. For his job, he accepted payment, but his vocation was entirely a gift given for the benefit of others. Paul’s happiness was in the giving. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” Acts 20:35 While that saying from Jesus is not included anywhere in the Gospels, Paul’s use of it implies that it was common knowledge nonetheless.

Paul worked to pay his own way so that he might not be a burden on anyone else. He gave them the gift of respect by not making himself dependent on their support. He specifically mentions this several times in the Epistles, but not with the intent of “showing off.” He urges others to follow the example of respectful service so that the Kingdom of God will be advanced, and – like all good teachers – he learns from his pupils even as he teaches them, for he says, that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. You will remember not long ago we discussed a passage from James 1:5. Near the end of that message we read – ” So we know we should seek God’s own Wisdom, and sometimes even God’s own energy so we can grasp that wisdom, and when He bestows that wisdom on us, we must respectfully accept it with humility and openness so that we will willingly allow our life in him to conform to that Wisdom which is also His will and His Gift to us through Jesus.”

As Jesus’ disciples, we are

  • Grateful
  • Prayerful
  • Watchful
  • Bountiful
  • Respectful

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

Aloha Friday Message – August 17, 2012 – Who are you targeting?

August 17, 2012

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Read it online here.

Isaiah 55:6 – Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.

Dart Test…

A young lady named Sally relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith, a man who was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.

On the wall was a big target, and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s picture.

Sally’s friend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved. Dr. Smith put up the first drawing over the bull’s-eye target hanging on the wall

The class lined up and began throwing darts. With each new drawing, Dr. Smith left the bull’s-eye in place, gave the student his or her drawing, and then the mounted the next drawing. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their target-drawings were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn’t have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Dr. Smith began removing the bull’s-eye target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face, and even His eyes were pierced. Despite all the damage, his serene face was still recognizable. Sally thought it even seemed to have an expression of sadness. Dr. Smith said only these words: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.“ Matthew 25:40.

No other words were necessary; tears filled eyes of the students who were focused only on the picture of Christ. They understood. Jesus is the hidden face of everyone you see. That is where God can be found.

Look beyond the face you see.
Look into the heart of me.
Look for Jesus everywhere
And you can find Him anywhere.

The invitation to seek the Lord in this passage from Isaiah is drawn from the references to the mercy of a God whose “ways” are completely mysterious. Just a few hundred words before this in 53:1 Isaiah said, “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” Isaiah is telling us that what he has already said seems incredible, but what he is about to divulge is even more so.

The word used for seek in this passage means to seek a deity carefully in prayer and worship. It is to pay diligent, persistent attention to being in the presence of God. The word used for while (ἡνίκα) translates as “at which time,” as in “whenever it happens.” The implication is “when or where are you not in the presence of God?”

This Bible verse comes up during the Parable (or Discourse) of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46) also called “The Judgment of the Nations.” It is a hard passage for many people because it quite clearly illustrates the value of meritorious action. Obey God’s command to love God and Neighbor, and eternal reward awaits you. The same passage illustrates the value of despicable action. Disobey God’s command to love God and Neighbor, and eternal punishment awaits you. At the very least, the division between blessing and curse might be based on one’s response to the people and message of the Gospel as presented by The Church. While it is true that Salvation comes only through Grace, it also appears that conduct has an influence on the outcome of Salvation, and for some folks this sets them up for a condition called scrupulosity.

Scrupulosity is an exaggeration of normal, healthy guilt. It is a pathological condition in which one obsesses about unworthiness about religious or moral actions and decisions. If you are mortally afraid that you might end up heading off with the Goats to eternal punishment because you didn’t give that inebriated panhandler a dollar, you are probably taking yourself too seriously. It’s really not all that complicated.

Be where God is and you will be near him. God is in your heart and in the heart of your neighbors. Acknowledge his presence by serving him and serving your neighbor. In this you will be honoring him by honoring his commands. Matthew 22:37-40 – Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

When we understand that Jesus becomes the target of our anger, our snappish comebacks, our selfish and prideful arguments, then we understand that – although we think we are seeking God where he may be found – we are actually ignoring and sometimes even insulting him. It would be a wise choice to reject throwing darts in favor of catching hearts.

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

Share-A-Prayer

Please take up your role as intercessor and ask our Blessed Trinity to grant the prayers presented in the Daily Intercessory Prayer List.

To that list, this week we add CGR who recently had a very serious stroke. Pray for her to have the energy to work hard with the physicians, nurses, technicians, and therapists to regain her full functions and her always enthusiastic participation in family life and work.

Continue to prayerfully support one another, and to ask for wisdom when selecting candidates for public office.

 

chick

 

 

Aloha Friday Message – August 10, 2012 – Are you full of it?

August 10, 2012

1232AFC081012 – Are you full of it?

John 15:11 – “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”

God’s Goodness is everywhere. It totally surrounds you in every person, place, and thing. It is inside of you as well. The Goodness of God fills the Earth, contains the Universe, and connects you to everything and everyone encompassing his Goodness. God’s Goodness is a tasty reminder of his awesome power as in “Taste and see the Goodness of the Lord.” In Psalm 118:29 we read, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” And Paul told the Philippians (4:4), “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” And David gave us this instruction: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, (Psalm 103:1-2 ESV)

For the last few weeks we have been thinking about showing our gratitude to God through good stewardship of his gifts. We have taken stock of what it means to have an attitude of gratitude. We’ve thought about what it would be like to be grateful for everything all of the time. We have touched on the difficult issues of trials, burdens, and setbacks and how these can also be blessings for us. We have looked at ways to identify our gifts. We have examined the importance of acknowledging those gifts and then also using them in ways that help others while glorifying God because the gifts are not for us to hoard or hide. They are ours to share, to give away as freely as we received them. We know we must share our gifts responsibly. Imagine a person who has been given the gift of music, but refuses to put in the time and effort to practice so s/he has the ability to make the best use of that gift! Or consider someone who claims to have the gift of prophesy, but creates biased predictions for self-aggrandizement. God expects us to accept his gifts, use his gifts, and honor his gifts by using them honorably.

Today I am asking you to think about the preceding messages in this series. Was there something that stood out for you, something your mind has returned to more than once as we share these messages together? If so, I would like you to go back and look at that point again, pull it out and let your heart and mind focus on that for a few moments each day – meditate on it. If there’s more than one thing, meditate about what binds the two or more things together. Try to visualize it as if you were trying to open the curtains and let the light stream onto that subject. What Gift is waiting there, waiting for you to acknowledge, unwrap, and put to good use? With whom and with what should that gift be shared?

Early on we used the oft-repeated phrase, “Time, Talent, and Treasure.” Your faith community uses those Gifts to sustain the community. This is the point where one usually hears, “We need your Time, your talent, and of course your treasure.” I am not going to go there. Here is what I want you to know – the secret behind this series: YOU need those gifts from your faith community. You need to be willing and able to accept the gifts freely received and freely given by others in your faith community. Why? Well, they do need someone to whom they can give those gifts, and you’re available, right? Why not help them out and let them share their gifts with you? And just to help you feel better about that, you can offer them your gift of gratitude. And why not go all the way and share that gratitude with God for the wonderful way these gifts have blessed you and brought you closer to him and to the other folks who have so generously given of their Time, Talent, and Treasure. If you can, try to exceed their generosity with your gratitude. When you do that, you will find that your growing attitude of gratitude is a good way to use your own gifts of time. If you take more time to be grateful, you’ll have less time to be grumpy or spiteful. That is certainly a gift worth sharing. Being grateful is something that can be learned, one’s learning can be improved, and that means it is a skill which can be used to help others – like those in your faith community, your workplace, your home, your whole life. You will have a positive effect on others, and that is a gift worth sharing.

As you share these growing aspects of your inner life, you will come across other aspects of your character that are prewired, as it were, for growing and sharing. These are the gifts of your Talents. You can invest them and make them grow. You can bury them and keep them safe. Do you remember the parable of the Talents? One guy got 10 and made 10 more. One guy got 5 and made 5 more. One guy got one talent, and he buried it so no one could steal it and probably so he couldn’t spend it either. And what happened to his one talent when his boss came back? He had to turn it over to the guy with the 20 talents! What does that have to do with your gifts? If you don’t give them to your faith community, your family, or your job, or even just someone, will they get taken away? That seems quite likely doesn’t it? If you don’t share it – put it to good use – you’re going to lose it. Hmmm. Use it or lose it. If you do lose it, you also lose the joy of sharing it. And remember this: You gather the harvest only where the seed was sown.

You are designed to be filled with Joy. Jesus gives you his JOY! God fills you with HIS Goodness. You are meant to be full-to-overflowing, and the measure you measure out is multiplied by the same measure 30, 60, or 100 times over. (See Matthew 7:2, Luke 6:38, Mark 4:24, and Matthew 13:8) Your cup should “runneth over” all the days of your life. All of that begins anew every time to accept the Time, Talent, and Treasure given to you directly by God and indirectly by God’s generosity to others. If you pick any one of those “others” you will immediately realize from that person’s point-of-view, you are one of the “others” in their world-view. Everything you measure out as part of “the others” is a precious blessing to the one who receives and the One who Gives.

Reflect on this series, and carefully listen for God whispering with your own voice inside your head, “Feel the greatness of my JOY in you. You are full of it, and I love you for that!” God already loves you more than you can understand, but when you are filled to overflowing with him and his gifts, he loves you even more because that is why he made you in the first place. Ah, Beloved! When our spirits dance together before the Lord between now and the Resurrection, I will be so delighted I have had the opportunity to be blessed by your Time, Talent, and Treasure. Gosh! No wonder I love you so much! “Do you love me now that I can dance?” Way cool! The Throne awaits. Pick up the beat! I’m ready for, and with (!), another dose of Triple-T.

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

Share-A-Prayer

Big list this week. First we have had many requests for persons with cancer, so please remember to pray for all our family, friends, and MBN members with cancer.  And we ask for special remembrances for TW and HFP now in hospice. For HFP the family asks that she will be able to fully participate in her Sacrament of Reconciliation as she moves toward eternal life.

This group of request from AT:

BW writes: “It has been a long five months since my hip was removed. Most of you know my three tests for infection were negative so now we can prepare for surgery to replace the hip. The doctor said it is going to be a tough surgery because my leg has shortened so much (about 4 inches), and he still has some cleaning to do in the femur. He said it would take about 4 hours so it is going to be difficult to even get it scheduled. So it won’t be for at least two more weeks. Will keep you posted. We continue to appreciate your love, support, and prayers.

AT: Also another friend’s daughter C., about my daughter’s age, received the diagnosis of an aggressive breast cancer last week. She will undergo chemotherapy before surgery is possible. Prayers for her please. (AZ)

My next door neighbor C. went through extensive chemo, radiation and surgery for colon cancer a couple of years ago. Now he has a large rectal cancerous tumor. He is having surgery Thursday [8/9/12]. Without the surgery they told him 3-4 months but we all know that is really up to God. He needs our prayers. His wife suffers from MS so we should include her as well. (AZ)

A high school friend of BW, her husband, and me has also received a cancer dx. Not sure of his status. His initials are FB.  (VA)

And one last one…B., my cousin’s husband, is receiving initial treatment for 90 days before he begins proton therapy in Houston for prostate cancer, 11 of 13 biopsies positive on the Gleason scale at 6-7.  (SC)

Continue praying for the victims of mass murders here in America and for the victims of war around the world. Pray for Peace everywhere, and let it start in your heart.

Not So Terrific Tuesday – August 7, 2012

August 7, 2012

I do not think I have ever posted a Terrific Tuesday message. This is likely to be the first. I am not sure if it will be the last. I am strongly prompted to do this today as a way to empathize and sympathize with the families in Milwaukee and around the world grieving after the senseless murder of six Sikh worshippers there. The following is the message I sent to several dozen people this morning. There is a fairly large Sikh community in Northern New Mexico. They are surrounded by many people who have not taken the time to learn who they are.

So many of those people have suffered persecution, prejudice, disparaging remarks, and names like “diaperheads.” I cannot see what God sees, but based on what I see as an earthling sees, there is nothing anywhere close to being rational about that kind of behavior in Espanola, in Milwaukee, not even in Punjab. With 30,000,000 adherents around the world, one would hope they would be better understood. The deluded man who did this awful deed probably doesn’t even know where Punjab is. So sad …

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TT080712 – A tragedy of Ignorance

This is the Khanda, the symbol of Sikhism. Whatever the misguided soul who committed the terrible murders of these innocent and peace-loving people, it could not have arisen from understanding; such acts come only from ignorance and hate based on ignorance – a particularly virulent form of hate best characterized by the work stupid.

The Khanda starts with a circular pot which recalls the Sikh belief that no one should go to bed hungry, especially because of caste barriers – prejudices. Under the pot are two curved swords representing spiritual and temporal power. Their juxtaposition communicates that they work equally and together to better humankind. The Khanda in the center is a double-edged sword (think of Hebrews 4:12), showing a fusion of the spiritual and temporal power as it gives rise to the saint-warrior (Khalsa). The Khanda represents knowledge of God, the Chakkar (pot) represents the eternal nature of God and oneness of humanity, and the two swords represent Miri (political sovereignty) and Piri (spiritual sovereignty). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khanda_(religious_symbol) for details.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that has absolutely nothing to do with Islam and especially the Taliban and Al-Qeda; it is definitely the antithesis of the latter. I’m going to lift a quote from the Wiki-pedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_beliefs. I encourage you to take some time and read up a little on this. Ignorance is curable, but there is no cure for stupid. There is only one cure for ignorance: Knowledge in Context. You have to know something and you have to understand what you know in relationship to everything else you know.

1) One Source

One God is the Creator of the Universe

2) Equality

All human beings are equal

People of all religions and races are welcome in Sikh Gurdwaras

Women have equal status with men in religious services and ceremonies

3) Human Life Precious Above Other Life

The human life is supreme and it is through this life that we can achieve oneness with God’s will.

Finding God in this life and living by his commands helps us to attain God’s mercy.

4) Defending Against Injustice

Sikhs are a peace loving people and stand for Truth and Justice

Guru Gobind Singh Ji said, “It is right to use force as a last resort when all other peaceful means fail.”

These can be summed up in the Mool Mantar which is:

  • there is one creator
  • whose name is truth
  • creative being
  • without fear
  • without hate
  • timeless whose spirit is throughout the      universe
  • beyond the cycle of death and rebirth
  • self-existent
  • by the grace of the guru
  • God is made known to humanity.
  • Chant and meditate on His name
  • True in the beginning, true now, and says      Nanak, will be true forever

Please see the source of this information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_beliefs and if you can help contribute to the completion of that page, it would be a fine way to honor these innocents so senselessly murdered. Please forward/share this with others. We have a responsibility to defend the religious freedom of all faiths and creeds, and to decry the acts of stupidity that injure the faithful.

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

chick

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