Aloha Friday Message – January 13, 2012 – Sh’khinah Glory for you

January 13, 2012

1202AFC011312 – Sh’khinah Glory for you

Read it online here.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) – Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
KJV: 19. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
NJB 1 Corinthians 6:18 Keep away from sexual immorality. All other sins that people may commit are done outside the body; but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Do you not realise that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you and whom you received from God? 20 You are not your own property, then; you have been bought at a price. So use your body for the glory of God.

Aloha nui loa, Beloved! Grace and Peace are with you from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Recently we took a look at the interior of The Temple as it was arranged in Solomon’s time, and that was based on the Tent of Meeting originally established during Moses’ leadership of Israel. We learned that there is inside of us a Holy of Holies, a tabernacle, a place for God to dwell within us, to rest with us on a throne which we provide. We also learned that access to that resting place is no longer barricaded to keep us out. In Solomon’s Temple there were three curtains or “veils”; the entrance to the Outer Court. That veil was called The Way. The second veil led to The Holy Place where the objects used in the sacred worship of God were stored. The veil to that area was called The Truth. The final veil was the heaviest and most sacred because it led to the Holy of Holies, the place where God was present among His people enthroned on the Cherubim of the Ark of the Covenant. That veil was called The Life. The next logical step is to understand that is the source of Jesus’ reference to Himself as The Way, the Truth, and The Life. And we also recall that at the moment of His death, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

Jesus, Emanuel – God With Us – took down the barriers so that God can dwell in every heart through every time and place. If we think about the historical facts we know about that veil called The Life we can get some insights into Paul’s understanding of the significance of this event as he explained it in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 9. Herod Antipas, the Roman-backed “ruler” of Israel, had done some remodeling for the temple and had increased the height of the temple to about 60 cubits high (around 90 feet) 16 cubits wide (about 24 feet) and about 4 inches thick – the width of a man’s palm. It was made of dyed linen cords of purple, blue and red and embroidered with Cherubim. Here are a couple of renderings of what it might have looked like.

Something that big and solid constituted a formidable barrier. It was so heavy that it reportedly took 20 Priests to open it. Once it was torn, it signified the end of God’s Sh’khinah Glory – His actual presence when dwelling in the Temple. (Sh’khinah is an ancient word used to describe the “abiding, dwelling, or habitation” of the physical manifestations of YHWH described in Exodus 24:16, and 40:35.)

There were two veils torn that day. We have thought about the veil of the Temple, but there was also the Veil of the Flesh of Jesus. In a later passage in Hebrews 10:20, Paul says we now have entry to the Holiest of places by “the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,” And because these two veils were torn apart for us, our bodies are the dwelling place for God. The Temple was an extraordinary building fabricated of the finest materials and a symbol of the great wealth of Israel even as a subjugated nation, a source of nationalistic pride and afforded deep reverence. In Israel’s past, the desecration and destruction of the Temple was seen as the consequences of their failure to love and serve God as He commanded. Now, in this act of destruction – the rending of the veil – the Temple is essentially decommissioned – laicized if you will. It is no longer a place for God’s Sh’khinah Glory – the Spirit of the Living God Dwelling Among Us. He has removed the barrier and commissioned billions and billions of new Temple locations. That would be us. God moved closer – from God among us to God within us.

When Christ sent His Spirit to us at Pentecost they were prepared by the Holy Spirit to do the work of evangelization as the Spirit descended on them as tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. God took up His dwelling, his presence, his Sh’khinah Glory, in them. And in us as well. Once we open the door at which Jesus stands and knocks, the Glory of the Lord is enshrined in our hearts, and our bodies house this astonishing shrine, the Tabernacle of the living God. Paul’s warns us that we should not desecrate it, especially with immorality which he describes as sins against ourselves. You see, while every sin we commit is a sin against God because it is a rejection of His Love and Grace, we also sin against our own being, or own life, our own bodies which are all a gift from God.

Suppose your spouse, or your child, or your parent, or any earthling who loves you beyond description gave you a beautiful garment to wear. It is a garment made of the finest of materials in your favorite colors, and it was created specifically for you. Then suppose that at first your gratitude was so great you were rendered speechless. You would use this extraordinary gift with the greatest of care. After a time, though, you would become used to it, perhaps, and not look after it as you did at first. Rather than being something to honor, it becomes part of a mundane routine. You might decide to decorate it with images you prefer, and perhaps scent it with things that please you. Perhaps you would also use it in ways and in places that stain and fray and even tear it. From that you might use it for something other than your best clothing. You can understand where I am going with that. You have converted a precious gift to an eyesore that has become monstrously opposite of the gift of love you started out with.

We do that with our bodies. We do things with and in our bodies that dishonor them but are not considered immoral by many but which are still harmful. We smoke or use tobacco in other ways, we use debilitating drugs because of the pleasure they bring – alcohol, narcotics, pain-killers, meth – whatever gets us off best. We color, disfigure, pierce, or scar our flesh. We commit sexual acts against ourselves, including pornography, that are degrading and immoral, and we might even encourage others to treat themselves or us in the same way. In Romans 12:1 Paul counsels us, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.” And there we have the crux of the whole matter. God caused to be built a dwelling place among earthlings so that He could be with them and they could enjoy and worship Him. That privilege was so badly abused that God had to bring to fruition His plan to do away with a single place on Earth for Him and set up a ubiquitous place to dwell. He chose your heart, the Tabernacle in the Temple of your body.

We chuckle sometimes at the people who are so body-conscious that s/he refers the body as The Temple, or The Shrine. This is because that is what they worship – only the Temple, only the Shrine. They do not reverence or worship the Holiness that resides in the Temple. God place His Spirit in you when He created you. We have that living presence of the Living God in us; it is what makes us alive and created in His image – you and I are human because of it. But think on this: When you dehumanize yourself or other, you dishonor the presence of God in you – you might even be able to replace God Presence with the presence of another, and presence of evil.

Your body is wonderful, and it is the special Meeting Place for you and God. He is always at the Meeting Place – always. And as long as we live, so are we. That means we and God are always in the presence of one-another. He waits for us to open our guest-room for Him so he can take up residence there. How often should we tidy up that room? How often do we need to clean out the garbage, the filth, the desecrations we pile up because they give our bodies pleasures that are illicit and offensive both to us and to God? How often do we point an accusatory finger at someone else when it is our sin that needs purging, our Temple that reeks of the worst of human aberrations? “Oh, I’m not as bad as all that!” Take caution, Beloved. You have just taken the glory for the Glory of God.

All of us have this shameto some degree. But, all of us have a way to purify the temple. “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”. Beloved, when we passed through the last veils as they were torn on the Cross and in the ancient Temple, we have the manifestation of God present in us. And yet we sin. We continue to abuse and deface the temple of the Holy Spirit. Let us therefore ask the Spirit Himself to come to this temple. Let us consecrate – that is, set aside for a single purpose – that place for God, to give way to the Sh’khinah Glory – His actual presence. And let us also ask the Spirit to moment-by-moment remind us, “Lo I am with you always until the end of the age.” Maran atha! Marana tha! Never let me forget that He stands beside me, walks before me, calls me by name, and knows me. And like Samuel, may I also say, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Thanks to the forgiveness we have in Christ because the veils were torn, even though these choices for immorality are made so often in our world, we have a way to resist them, or – if need be – to received grace and pardon. There are some among us who have no stain of immorality. Let us work hard to emulate them and turn away from a world that says being pure and moral is pointless. We know better.

Share-A-Prayer
______________________

For TH: Still needs to find a job. Even relocating to another part of the country has not produced lasting results.
For TO: Perhaps a formal rehab program will break the grip of addictions that have scuttled a promising life and left a Temple of the Spirit inhabited by a host of demons. Remember PB, CN, JR, and others in the grip of these demons as well.
For CF and TF: Blessings for a courageous act of love that was a leap of faith aimed at saving another’s life.
For FO: Still battling cancer. Pray for a victory soon.
For the MBN: You are the Living Stones in the greater Temple of God. Support one another with your prayers, blessings, and love.

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

Greater is He that is in us than he who is in The World.

America Bless God!

Aloha Friday Message – January 6, 2012 – An Epiphany Message

January 6, 2012

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    1201AFC010612- An Epiphany Message

    Read it online here.

    This Sunday is “Epiphany Sunday,” a day to commemorate the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Twelfth Night is always January 5th, and the next day is Epiphany in celebration of the “Showing Forth” of Jesus. It’s the day when we think about Nativity Scenes and the gang of angels, animals, and people gathered around a sparkling little baby. Among the people we usually think of Mary and Joseph, of course, and then there are the shepherds who were watching their flocks by night, and the Magi or the Three Wisemen. They are all gathered around the little family comprised of a construction worker, a young mother who was a devout Jew, and their newborn son. Most of us realize that didn’t happen, but it is a nice way to sort of tie everything together.

    In the Biblical account found only in the Gospel of Matthew, the number of visitors from the east is not given. We assume it was three because of the gifts mentioned – gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because of the expensiveness of the gifts, readers of Matthew’s Gospel thought perhaps the visitors must have “kingly wealth,” hence, “We Three Kings.” Isaiah and David had both predicted that the Messiah would be worshipped by kings from across the world (Isaiah 60:3 and Psalm 68:29 for example), and so even though there was no evidence for the visitors to be kings –they are referred to only as Magi which is the plural for the Greek word magos μάγος, who were priests of Zoroaster (a/k/a “Zarathustra” as in “Thus Spake Zarathustra”). Zoroastrianism was an ancient religion associated with astrology, magic, and fortune telling – a sorcerer. One such famous sorcerer was the Samaritan, Simon Magus – “Simon the Sorcerer” – who was a convert to Christianity thanks to the ministrations of the Apostle Philip, even though he tried to “buy” the Anointing of the Holy Spirit (Read the eighth chapter of Acts).

    A further bit of information we often overlook in the Nativity Scene is that Matthew says the magi followed the star to a house, but says nothing about a stable, shepherds, a manger, or even of Joseph. (Matthew 2:9-11):

    9 – After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 – When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 – On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

    An epiphany is a showing forth, or shining forth. It modern times it has come to mean a sudden realization that puts everything into perspective – a paradigm shift where our understanding is “suddenly” brighter and clearer. I put that “suddenly” in quotes, because generally an epiphany comes about after much laborious thinking and working. Those “A-HA” moments are rare, but they are usually preceded by intense effort even if the moment of understanding seems to come effortlessly. Famous “epiphanies” in recent history might include Isaac Newton and Arthur Fry (he invented Post-It Notes), and there have been a few in politics recently which we will not mention today. The basic idea is that genuine innovation comes through inspired thinking based on hard work. They are wonderful experiences whether we feel them ourselves, or watch others “see the light go on.” That experience is the Central Joy of Teaching!

    For Christians, Epiphany is the commemoration not so much of the visit by the magi, but the fact that Jesus is revealed to the whole world – Jew and gentile, rich and poor, righteous and sinner, young and old, and whatever other earthling set of opposites you can think up. He came here for every single soul on earth before or after his birth. All of us can turn our eyes toward Jesus and see God with us – Emanuel. That always gives me goose-bumps. God. With. Us. The Manifestation of The Christ. Born of a virgin in abject poverty in a tiny village outside Jerusalem, he grew up in obscure places in Egypt and Galilee, and was anointed with the Holy Spirit at about age 30 (we assume). A few years later he died a horrible death as a criminal falsely accused of sedition against Rome. In the Nicene Creed it is summed up like this:

    For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, He suffered death, and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

    In Latin, that phrase “for our sake” is etiam pro nobis. It might also be translated “he was crucified even for us. For something like 50 years, that is the way I have thought of that part of his life and that part of our creed – “even for us” who repent and sin only to repent and sin again, and again, and again. Even the best among us – whom we admire for their saintly righteousness and service to God through service to their fellow earthlings – even they still fall under that phrase “even for us.” Everything that has anything to do with “Salvation From On High” was done, became reality, and was miracled into place “even for us.” And here’s the thing to learn from the Feast of the Epiphany and the Visit of the Magi:

    The “us” in even for “us” is all of us. Christians know that Jesus lived and died and rose from the dead to free every living soul from sin, including the ones who want nothing to do with that whole scenario. When Jesus entered into the world as that tiny baby on a cold night in a tiny village a few miles away from the capital of a nation once again under foreign domination, he carried with him a power of Grace so immense that it could actually redeem every soul that has now, has ever had, or will ever have been born of a woman and still there would be an immeasurable amount of that Grace left over. The magi demonstrated that God sent that child for the entire world to know and to love. It doesn’t really matter if they rode camels or donkeys, if there were three or two or even thirty of them. It doesn’t matter if they didn’t kneel around the manger. It doesn’t matter if we named them Caspar, Balthasar, Melchior. It might matter a little bit that the gifts were highly symbolic. Myrrh is an aromatic resin. It was used in preparing the dead for burial. Gold reveals that the baby born to a virgin and at someone’s house under a special star is actually a king. The frankincense tells us that the King the magi came to honor was none other than God incarnate. And the capper is that the myrrh tells us that he has come to die.

    Myrrh means “bitterness.” It was used in perfumes for centuries, but it was also used for embalming a corpse, and as an antiseptic, as well as to reduce pain. Of the three gifts given to Jesus only myrrh is mentioned at the beginning of his life as a gift from the magi and at the end of his life as a gift from a friend. “Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came [with Joseph of Arimathea], bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews” (John 19:39-40)

    He was wrapped in swaddling clothes at birth, in a shroud at death. Never owned a place of his own. Had a simple tunic woven from top to bottom all in one piece, but little else other than the most basic items of clothing. We don’t know what happened to the gifts, but perhaps some of that came in handy on the way to, for a time in, and on the way back from Egypt. Maybe Mary had kept some of the myrrh and gave it to Nicodemus? No one knows what happened to any of the gifts except the True Gift. He came here to show us God. He came here to redeem us from everything that had gone wrong in the world. He did all of this “even for us.”

    Take the risk of finding your own epiphany. Make this phrase part of your personal statement of faith – your “this is mine” Credo – to say etiam pro me quoque. “Even for me also.” And you don’t have to bring some fancy treasure. Be like The Little Drummer Boy and bring what you have – you. For your gift-wrap use a smile as the bow and your heart as the box. Jesus will look at your gift, and say something like “Oh, WOW! You brought that for ME?!?!?” And you can tell him “Etiam tibi.” Even for you.

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

    Please pray for these persons have a rough time with their health: MJ. KG, KD, JE, DO, CT, DN, JM, JC, JK, and all your friends and family suffering from health issues.

    Please pray for our country and for Divine guidance as we work toward the upcoming election. America, Bless God!

    Please send us your prayer requests …

Aloha Friday Message – December 30, 2011 – There is room in my heart for you.

December 30, 2011

1152AFC123011 – There is room in my heart for you.

Read it online here.

KJV Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
NIV Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
NAS Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
NRS Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
YLT Luke 2:19 and Mary was preserving all these things, pondering in her heart;
NAB Luke 2:19 And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.
NLT Luke 2:19 but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.
NJB Luke 2:19 As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Mary's Treasure

Happy Aloha Friday, Beloved! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas celebration. Soon we will be welcoming a New Year, and like many of you, I am already considering “resolutions,” things I’d like to include into my life. Granted, some of what I want to include will have to be done by excluding its opposite! If I want to stick with the traditional “loose weight,” I’m going to have to also resolve to “eat less and exercise more.” Since none of these have any definite parameters for measurement, the likelihood of success is iffy at best – maybe 50/50 if I even do anything at all. I’d like to read more, but then I’d have to find a way to stay awake after 8 PM. I’d like to resolve to be kinder – especially to fellow motorists – but then I’d have to decide that “Reparation Driving” would be the only way I would ever drive. What is Reparation Driving? Reparation Driving is the effort of generous souls who, in addition to what is already their duty, seek to give to the God more love and honor, thereby making up, in some small way, for the inconsideration and recklessness of careless drivers. It works like this:
• Make a simple “mental note” upon entering your car that you are offering this time to Jesus
• Prove your sincerity and love by driving to the best of your ability, observing all laws of traffic and courtesy
• Exercise the greatest charity toward others AND FOR OTHERS who are careless and thoughtless in their driving

The point of these kinds of resolutions is that you are making room in your heart for something that’s not only good for you, but good for other people, too. If I work on losing weight through exercise and better nutrition, that’s going to have an immediate effect on not only me, but my family as well. I’ll be healthier, perhaps live longer, and certainly be less likely to sludge out of existence before my time. If I spend more time reading, I’ll doubtless spend less time watching TV mindlessly and maybe be better prepared to help someone learn something or get something done. And if I am not quite so snarky behind the wheel, I might just be able to get to work without turning my knuckles white on the way and without spending my brain-power thinking up some spiffy epithet to hurl at a passing motorist – road wrath would diminish in Paradise. I just need to find room in my heart for these changes in behavior.

I mean, really, don’t we all just want to get along? Don’t we all just want to do the things that bring about Peace on Earth and let it begin with us? Well, certainly, that’s what we want. It is often, however, not what we do. Instead of wisely choosing things that are good for us and for our fellow travelers on Life’s Highway, we so often take up things that are really bad for us. You know the most important one – or at least you should know them by both name and face:

Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Indolence, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. In simple English, these would be unlawful sexual desire, materialistic excessiveness, unwarranted use and hording of food, indifference to being productive, inappropriate desires to circumvent justice, boastful mocking of what others have, and unilateral vanity about one’s self and one’s place in life. Get one or two of these stuffed into your heart, and the space for The Good Stuff becomes limited – sometimes very limited. We may not think of these things all the time – “Today I’m going to be really greedy and I think I’ll throw in a little lust while I’m at it.” In fact, the reason we get mired down in these very human failings is because we do not think about them. We just let them happen without giving them a thought.

In today’s scripture passage, we have a tiny snapshot of Mary, the mother of Jesus, listening to all sorts of preposterous, incredible things being said about her son, his birth, and what it will mean for the world. We can readily identify with this youngster who has had so much thrust into her lap in less than a year – a betrothal, an angelic visitor, a Messianic promise, an unexplainable pregnancy that could be a death sentence, a trip to her relative who is pregnant after decades of being childless, a harrowing trip across country near the end of her pregnancy, a way-less-that-ideal birthplace for her child, and then reports of celestial choirs and angelic rejoicing over a message that is stupendously amazing: God has been born to a virgin now resting in a stable. All this for a kid who was maybe 17 at the most – quite a year!

But, Mary made room for all of this in her heart, in her life, and in her mind. She treasured these moments – and doubtless the millions more that followed – and she didn’t allow room for doubt, or power-grabbing, or any other negative thing. She just held on to what she knew was right and good and true, and she did not tarnish those memories with her own twist. She treasured them, she thought about them often, brought them out to enjoy them often, and always gave God thanks and praise for these moments. The word used in this passage from Luke is συντηρέω {syntēreō}. It means to preserve something by keeping it in mind so that it is not lost , “rehearsing it” so to speak, so that it remains always available and always unchanged. Mary made room for those things, and that means she left out a lot of the other stuff – in fact all of the other stuff.

As you get ready to make you resolutions for this coming year, I ask you to think of Mary and the room she gave in her heart for Jesus, for his message, and even for his death, resurrection, and ascension. She made room that was totally free of “why me, why him, why now, why not, why, why, why?” She said “yes” and did what was right – whatever God asked.

What is God asking you? What “yes” does he hope to hear from you this year? Do you have room for that in your heart? If you don’t, can you see a few things you could move out to make room for those things? – – – Ah, see? You have to think about those things to make them visible. They are perfectly happy being in your heart, making you miserable, and being 99.98% invisible. Shine a little light on them and you can make them skedaddle. Then, load up on the good stuff. Remember Philippians 4:8? Follow Mary’s example. Only make room for the good stuff, and hold only those things in your heart and mind so they and your spirit become totally in sync.

Of all the resolves I have considered for the coming year, there is one I know will go a long way toward making the bad stuff go and the good stuff stay. I am fortifying and expanding the room in my heart for you. I want to make sure I pray for your needs every day, not just most days, and I want you encourage you in every way I can think of in each message to pray, pray, pray for each other and for this nation. I will do these things by following Mary’s example – to take you often into my memory from the depths of my heart and spend with you many happy hours in the joy of knowing you. Jesus left Heaven for you and me. He gave up everything – emptied himself – and did that so we could love each other for all eternity. Why not begin making that love grow this very day? There is room in my heart for you because there is room in my heart for Jesus.

Check out the links in the message, OK? I love you! Happy New Year! Joyous Epiphany!

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

42nd annual Christmas Letter

December 24, 2011

THE TODD FAMILY 42nd ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LETTER

Aloha nui loa family, friends, and MBN members! Incredible as it seems, the holidays are upon us again. We hope you have enjoyed another year of great blessings. We’ll keep the news brief this year. It has been a year of blessings for us, flavored with a moment or two of difficult change. Both of us are definitely feeling the effects of age set in. Nonetheless we are relatively healthy, absolutely happy, and living life to the fullest. The best days for us are the days we spend with our Godchildren – Lily Mae and Ryder Finnegan a/k/a “Lily-Gurl” and “Ryder-Roo.” Lily is 3½ and Ryder is 3. Godmama and Godpapa are reinvigorated by the adventures we have at the beach, at the movies, out shopping, or at our favorite restaurant – Mariachi’s (best authentic Mexican food on Kauai!). Then we turn them over to their parents again and the kids and the godparents are ready for a NAP!

We continue to enjoy the outdoors, riding our Duo-Trike along the coastal path whenever we can fit it in. Even though we have a tiny little yard, it seems that it takes a considerable amount of time for two old-timers to keep up to snuff. Kauai has been a little behind in rainfall this year – despite being the Wettest Place on Earth – so not everything has been lush and green as it is in a good year. The Garden Island is still an extraordinarily beautiful place, and we continually thank God for blessing us with this location as our home. We hope to be able to stay here for years to come. With retirement looming in the near future, though, we may have to rethink our situation thanks to the massive losses in our retirement accounts and the stagnation of the real estate market on Kaua‘i; but we have no plans to leave our current home. In fact, this summer we passed a significant milestone in our married life – we have lived on Kauai longer than we have ever lived anywhere! Just over 10 years now. God is GOOD!!! God will provide, and right now we are just so very happy together here!

One source of that happiness is our involvement with St. Catherine’s Parish in Kapa‘a. This year Chick was selected to be a member of the Parish Pastoral Council. There are around 14 members on the council, and none of them is “reserved” or shy. Everyone is willing to speak plainly, to work hard together with the other members, and to find innovative ways to meet the challenges of an American Catholic Community is the second decade of the 21st century. The members serve for a three-year term. Crucita and Chick also continue to be Lectors – persons who read the scripture passages during the Liturgy of the Word at Mass – and occasionally assist with serving Holy Communion. We have developed deep and lasting friendships in our years of service at St. Catherine’s.

Some of you have been following Chick’s blog called The Moon Beam Network at http://www/aloha-firday.org. If you haven’t signed up for the weekly message, please consider paying us a visit. Every week there is a message that focuses on a passage of scripture. Sometimes there is some family news. Nearly every week there is a list of prayer requests – the MBN is an intercessory prayer group. Crucita has been wonderfully supportive in this ministry, and Chick is grateful for that and all the other blessing that have come from this work. There are MBN members as far east as Zambia and as far west as the Philippines. We are still working on getting members in Asia, Australia, and the Americas other than the USA. Recently we got a message from members in India1

Our household is still a place of fun for our four cats – Lady Miriam (Mimi), Hercules, Frankie the Rat (our Mafia cat), and Princess Zoë. TheY hide when the kids – or most other visitors – come over. We have enjoyed having them with us – or more properly (as cat lovers know) we have enjoyed living in their house! Mimi is definitely “Chick’s Cat” while Hercules is very attached to Crucita. Crucita’s students are big fans of the Kitten Stories about their antics and unique personalities.

Crucita continues to do amazing things with her Special Education Students and is now teaching Geometry, Algebra, Economics, and Sociology! FOUR subjects for lessons plans, and each of those plans has to be “differentiated” for each individual student. She’s been telling them since the middle of last school year that she will be retiring at the end of 2013; they act as if they don’t believe her. We’re both ready for that big change – I got my Medicare card this year! Finding a way to keep adequate medical coverage will be a big issue, but again, we are sure the Lord will show us the way. Here is Hawaii, many teachers are fed up with not having time to teach; there is so much paper-work – especially for Special Educators – and endless, pointless meetings. The move toward a national set of standards will help Hawaii catch up with the 21st century in education. It is still the only state in America with a single, state-wide Department of Education – HIDOE. It is hugely inefficient because it is so unwieldy. Crucita has been using the National Standards as much as possible, so her kids are doing well. Nonetheless they come to the ninth grade largely incapable of doing four-function arithmetic, and unable to write a five-sentence paragraph that makes sense (much less with good spelling). Chick is very, very proud of her excellent track record with these kids because if they will commit to showing up and doing their work, they invariably learn far more than they, their parents, or even other teachers thought possible.

Tim is dividing his time between Oregon and Montana, but planning to make the move to Nashville in the very-near future. He is convinced that he will be able to find abundant work there and put his considerable skills to the best-possible use. It’s been a difficult year for him with a few serious ups and downs. At 33, he really is on his own, and needs to find ways to invest in developing his career enough to stay in the black – always a difficult thing to do for a musician. Since he left his job with Higher Balance, he’s pretty much been 100% musician although a recent stint in construction helped stave off poverty a little longer.

Cherie continues to live in eastern Tennessee. She, too, has had a difficult year. The area she lives in is one of the poorest in the country, and finding steady work for which she can qualify has been impossible. Her family life has also been difficult, largely because of the inability to find steady work, and recently we learned that she and her husband had completed a divorce. Normally, that would not be cheery news, but in this case, it was perhaps the best possible outcome. There are going to be continuing issues about there past conduct and about custody; we continue to pray for our grandkids – William (a very bright boy and terrific student), Charles (making good progress now that his pediatrician hit upon the correct medications for him), and our precious little Miranda – “Ana” – who has made excellent progress in developing and improving her muscular control and communication skills. All of the kids have been getting the best of medical care and educational opportunities available in that part of the country, so again, we say “God is Good!”

We close by wishing all of you a Holy and Happy Christmas. You know my heart when it comes to this celebration. The moment pictured here is something I consider to be a Family Picture. This particular photo is framed in a way that makes the moment portrayed a little more realistic. I think I have always thought of that night in just this way – a young couple in a difficult spot trying to take in all the astounding things that have happened to them in the past year. And now this: A regular-looking, squirming, ten-fingers-and-toes baby boy. A real, human, child who will become known as The Christ – the Anointed One. Since I didn’t get the ornaments, I’d like to leave you with something else from me, personally. I suppose it may seem a little self-serving, but I would like you to use this link /archives/29722 to see this week’s Aloha Friday Message. Some of you have already received it, and I thank you for that. Some of you have not, and I hope you will.

Meanwhile, in addition to the Real Reason for The Season, we also should acknowledge that in this season of giving there are many opportunities for camaraderie, celebrations, fun!, and exchanges of gifts and sincere best wishes for happiness and security. It is often easy to get caught up in the consumerism of Christmas, but the real joy of celebrating FRIENDSHIPS is basically the best part of our Christmas Traditions. With that in mind, Crucita and I wish all of you, our ‘ohana at work, a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest New Year Ever.

Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau’oli Makahiki Hou!

Well, it’s time to wrap this up. We will close with our traditional Christmas Blessing.

May Hope and Peace and Joy and Love
Be yours in the coming of the Christ Child!
* Contact us about joining the Moon Beam network if you are not already a member!

About the MBN

Chick and Crucita

Aloha Friday Message – December 23, 2011 – The Reason for the Season?

December 23, 2011

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Read it online here.

“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 w hat the Lord has for us today. It is from the readings for Christmas During the Day.

Hebrews 1:3b-4
When he had accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 as far superior to the 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 Books.

“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. 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.
• Some guy down the street has a dog that barks incessantly, and he seems to be deaf to it.
• 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! 😳

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 the 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.

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

Have a Happy and Holy Christmas beginning today, and lasting through all the twelve days until Epiphany, and on through every blesséd day of 2012. Watch for the Christmas Letter later. It will be on the web as well.

Aloha Friday Message – December 16, 2011 – Mission Impossible? No!

December 16, 2011

1150AFC121611 Mission Impossible? No!

Read it online here.

Luke 1:36-37 – [Gabriel continued …] “And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Aloha pumehana. (Warmest Aloha) E pili mau na pomaika‘i ia ‘oe a me ke akua ho’omaika’i ‘oe! (May blessing always be with you and may God bless you!)

Just two, maybe three messages left for this year of 2011! And today I am thinking again about HOPE. First, Hope College in Holland, Michigan because that is where the MBN was first planted and germinated around 46 years ago. Secondly, hope for the billions of people suffering around the world who are hoping that soon their suffering will end. And hope for the return of Jesus expressed in Maran atha! Marana tha! Our Lord has come, O Lord, come. During Advent we find many other kinds of hope – kids for Santa’s gifts, retailers for higher profits, politicians for greater influence, church pastors for all of the Easter/Christmas members to start coming to church regularly, and (for this old man) hope that the intercessions made by MBN members over the last forty-six years have helped prepare hearts to receive our Lord Jesus not only at the manger in Bethlehem, but also in the tabernacles of many hearts.

Did you know you have a Holy of Holies inside you? It is that place in you where you and God speak to one another “in Spirit and in Truth.” It is the life-core of your existence, the part of you made in the image of God. For that reason it is the holiest part of your life. You have heard and read that our bodies are to be a temple for the Holy Spirit. In the most-perfect portion of that temple is your spirit, and we think of it as dwelling in your heart. It is hidden and protected by a veil called Life. When the veil is removed, the spirit is released from your Holy of Holies.

Surrounding that Holiest place is the manner in which we live in the World. If we are “in the world but not of it,” then the life we live is protected by morals that defend and protect all living souls. Our beliefs match our actions and our actions match our belief that all life is sacred; indeed, all Creation is sacred because it was made by and in God for his Glory. This is the Truth that is mentioned in these messages previously as described by Frank Perretti: “There’s no way for you to know whether what I’m telling you is true unless you know what the truth is. And there’s no way for you to know what the truth is unless there is a truth that you can know. (If you’re searching for the truth, and there is none, then what are you searching for?) You’ve got to have a truth that true whether you believe it or not. It is a truth that is true whether you like it or not. It’s true whether you even know about it or not. It’s just TRUE: OBJECTIVE EXTERNAL ETERNAL TRUTH THAT STANDS IN AND OF ITSELF.” Life is sacred because it comes from God, so it is The Truth that shelters that Sacred Place, and helps protect the innermost part of our being. Without that Sacredness, the Holiest place can be defiled with Worldly corruption leaving just a hollow shell without true Life at its core.

How, then, do we find that Truth? How do we get into that place in Creation where Truth and Life live? If you go all the way back to Adam and Eve and tally up the earthlings who have entered that place, literally billions of people have an answer: “I found a door, I opened it, and I went inside. That’s the Way in.” If there are billions of souls looking for that Door, there are also millions and millions of doors to try. Not all of them will open directly into Truth and Life. Most of the doors we come across go nowhere. Some don’t even allow entrance; the only allow something to come out, not go in; we turn loose evil into the world by opening the wrong doors. Sometimes we find in doors, but we take part of the World in there with us, and that imperils the Truth and Life living inside us. Some doors lead to corridors with other rooms that have other doors, or stairs (up to something or down to something?), or even elevators which whisk us away with little or no effort (again, up or down?). No matter how many wrong doors, in doors, out doors, hall doors, closet doors, or door doors we open, there is only one Right Door.

Well, I need to pause here and thank you for your patience. I’m sure you caught on to the direction of this as soon as you saw “Life” and “Truth” in close proximity. So let me open it up for a moment. The Tabernacle of Moses, there were three areas separated by three veils. The areas were The Outer Court or The Meeting Place, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies – the Holiest Place. In the Holiest Place was the Ark of the Covenant covered by the Mercy Seat and guarded by Cherubim (not the cute little pink one you see on greeting cards – real ones!). When God was visited in the Tabernacle annually by a solitary Priest on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), God rested upon the Mercy Seat.

There were three veils, curtains, separators in the Tabernacle. The first was the door, the way in, the entrance to the Outer Court. The second veil led to the Holy Place where the Table of Shewbread, the Golden Lamp-Stand, and the Altar of Incense were kept. The third veil was the heaviest, most colorful, and most decorated of the three veils. It led to the Holy of Holies. The first veil was the Way, the second was the Truth, and the third was the Life. I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me.”

All of this about the Tabernacle matches up with the Word – Jesus, the Word of the Living God. For thousands of years the plan unfolded in the people of Israel. One day, when God saw all was ready, an Angel named Gabriel spoke to a young Jewish girl named Mary (from Gr. Form of Miriam; “rebellion”) and told her she would become the mother of God’s Son. Gabriel mentions the miraculous pregnancy of Elisabeth (Heb. “God is the Covenant Keeper”) thus illustrating God’s purpose and power to cause Mary to conceive. Mary said yes – a total, eternal, humble yes. And then the impossible began to be possible by preparing the final Sacrifice of the Lamb of God and the rending of the temple veil, and Life was restored by the conquering of Death.

Indeed nothing will be impossible with God.

Share-A-Prayer
_______________________
• For AM, MC, and other parents who have had their children removed from their care because of irregularities in their households: We pray for God’s guidance and blessing for parents and children to make reuniting the family possible.
• For TO, CN, PB, JT, and score of others whose lives are fogged over with drugs and whose families are beyond despair over losing them to this living death: We pray for God’s guidance and blessing for parents and children to believe in and pursue lasting sobriety and commitment to drug-free living.
• For FO, CW, SP, KG, GW, and many more diagnosed with cancer or pre-cancer and currently undergoing treatment or holding onto remission: We pray for God’s guidance and blessing for clergy, physicians, families, and patients to work together for the common good of a life spared through caring.
• For EC, KW, CO, CA, JE, KD, NA, and so many, many more who are chronically ill: We pray for God’s guidance and blessing for them and for their caregivers so that living has room for Joy greater than the pain.
• For our present leaders and for our future leaders: We pray for God’s guidance and blessing for them, for their families and supporters, and especially for the country they hope to serve. May their service be marked with morality, compassion, wisdom, and justice.

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

PS: Special thanks to Brendan Case whose lessons “Hearing the Voice of God” sparked the research into the three veils. A thank you also to my friend and colleague DK who got my computer back and running again so I could post this. And to RHX2 who made aloha-friday.org possible, mahalo nui loa and God bless you!

chick

Aloha Friday Message – December 9, 2011 – Extreme Makeovers

December 9, 2011

1149AFC120911 Aloha Friday Episode of Extreme Makeover

Read it online here.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.

“It’s been in interesting week in Lake Wobegon.” So begins one of our family’s favorite features on the PBS Program, Prairie Home Companion. Well, it’s been an interesting week in Kapaa, Hawaii, too. Our refrigerator has been dying a slow but quiet (albeit smelly) death. Here on Kaua‘i, you can’t just run over to the Appliances Store and pick up a new one. While some stores carry many brands and some only a few on their display floor, the number in stock and ready-for-delivery are surprisingly few. Our poor fridge had been warmer than it should be for nearly two weeks, so we are eager to see our new one arrive TODAY! Sort of a make-over for our kitchen. I just hope it fits through the front door!

This week we also celebrated the Immaculate Conception, a feast day not all that well understood (or attended) by many Catholics, and barely conceptualized by non-Catholics. Things at the office have been a little nuts, too, as I start the marathon toward our accreditation survey. Although we try to be “perpetually ready,” recent changes in the accreditation standards leave us with a lot of makeovers there, too.

This past Sunday our Associate Pastor, Fr. Robbie Deka, delivered a homily that began with reminiscences about watching the TV show, Extreme Makeover Home Edition. He reminded us of the emotions we feel as we see someone’s home transformed into something amazing and then the big impact that comes after the crowd shouts, “Bus driver! MOVE THAT BUS!” as the family tours their new digs; we empathize with them as they find delight after delight.

Sometimes the house is just gutted and totally refurbished inside. Other times, the old house is razed and a new on constructed in its place. Whatever the case, the makeover is extreme. It takes a lot of workers about a week to totally transform one house. If that was being done only by Ty, the host, it would take … way too long for television!!

As we prepare for Christmas Celebrations, we too are invited to consider an Extreme Makeover. Many times that’s going to take at least a little remodeling in one part of our lives or another. Sometimes it takes an extensive renovation of everything but the exterior of our lives. Other times, sadly, it means starting over from scratch and rebuilding everything. At times we wish we could do an Extreme Makeover on the whole world – or at least our own neighborhood. But, most of the time that’s out of our sphere of influence. Mostly, we need to tackle things we can handle ourselves, or with the help of a few friends and wise counselors.

This passage is part of the second reading for this coming Sunday. Next Sunday is the third of the four Sundays. It has been called Gaudete Sunday in times past, and sometimes the vestments are Rose or Pink. It is a Sunday when we are reminded to REJOICE because the Victory has been won through what started in Bethlehem. Yes, we are at war, and yes we must keep going, but YES we can also rejoice for we know already that the outcome will be something good for all mankind, and we will have been part of that.

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5: 16-18)

We see WAR all around the world and it is in sharp contrast to this season preparing for and commemorating the birth of Jesus. We see unprecedented natural disaster, atrocious crimes, staggering poverty, rampant disease, and we wonder, “What can I do about that? It’s more than I can handle!”

When we watch Extreme Makeover on TV we notice that there is always a plan, a blueprint, and a way to get the work coordinated. The workers are happy and motivated because they are making a difference, an Extreme difference, in the life of at least one family.

The plan involves figuring out where to start and what to keep. The blueprint directs the builders on how to change things, and the work is coordinated by a team of experienced and skilled workers who willingly get to the job at hand.

Paul has a suggestion for those kinds of situations, great or small, and it is wonderfully simple. It is the plan, the blueprint and the workforce all rolled into one: “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

The Plan? Rejoice always. The Blueprint? Pray without ceasing. The workforce: A thankful people – or person – using the blueprint to implement the plan. God has a plan, and even though a certain serpent sullied it in The Beginning, the blueprint and the workforce were already prepared. The blueprint? The promise of Salvation. The workforce? The Son of God – “The Boss’s Kid.”

And so, beloved, if you find you need to do a little remodeling, or a more extensive renovation, or even a complete build-over, open your User’s Manual (the B.I.B.L.E.) and learn how to use the tools the Master Builder and Architect of the Universe has provided for you. Here’s the basic concept upon which we can make our decisions: “A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.” That should be enough to get anyone started.

Beloved PRAY. Here’s one you’ve seen before. Philippians 4:6-8: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” And if that’s still not enough to get you started, sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” The concept comes highly recommended. Recall the Herald Angels’ Song: 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14)

PRAY for one another. Pray for your friends, pray for your family (especially if they are not your friends!). Pray for the World. Pray. Pray. Pray

Here’s a special and poignant prayer request from ECP: PLEASE!! Say a BIG prayer for the poor lady WITH six (6) kids in Tucson. The poor woman was in a crosswalk (going to school/college?) and a car hit her. A second car ran over her. She died. And now six (6) children don’t have their mommy for Christmas.
Here are some other locations where you can read about today’s message:

/archives/550

/archives/864

/archives/1277

/archives/1530

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

Please also be sure to pray for Peace in families besieged by war, terrorism, infidelity, strife, violence, and sin.

Aloha Friday Message – December 2, 2011 – The Sheep Herder

December 2, 2011

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Read it online here.

Isaiah 40:11 – Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

Isaiah 40:11 – Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

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. 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’s 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.

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 quietly 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 lambs around, there will soon be more during the herds birthing season.

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 will 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.

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 season of Advent, we will once again hear 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. 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.” Wow! Give me chicken-skin!

Aloha Friday Message – November 25, 2011 – Potted Light

November 25, 2011

1147AFC112511

Read it online here.

KJV Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

LXE Isaiah 64:8 – And now, O Lord, thou art our Father, and we are clay, all of us the work of thine hands.

NAB Isaiah 64:7 –Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.

There are a couple of things that come to mind every time I read or hear this passage. The first is that while the clay is on the wheel it does not fight back. It is molded by the potter to his specifications at the moment. S/he can make it into any shape, thickness, whatever. The clay comes from the earth – just like us – and God made the earth in which the clay resides. The potter knows just how wet to clay should be to work it properly. The potter is the one who makes all the conscious decisions about what happens to the clay. Israel viewed its condition at this time in their history as God’s doing. He was reshaping them after they had refused to be molded by him and beginning to recognize that being clay in his hands was better than being broken pottery. When we realize the same thing is happening to us, we can understand how they were feeling.

The second thing that comes to mind is what happed after a pot is completed. Some of you work with clay or ceramics as a hobby or even a career. You know that shaping the pot, forming the greenware, is only the beginning. After some other steps like painting with glazes or sculpting the greenware or drying the clay, then comes the firing. Unfired clay or ceramic vessels aren’t reliable as containers until they are fired. Once the clay dries, whether it is from damp all the way to bone dry, it might still be possible under the right conditions to rework it; but once it’s fired, everything changes. It can’t go back to what it was. The drier it gets before firing the more fragile it gets, and often after it is fired it is stronger. When we realize the same thing has happened to us, we wonder how anyone would think that the clay forms the potter. And yet some earthlings believe that. Some even believe there is no potter but Harry Potter and every pot shapes itself – maybe by The Force? I’ve never understood how that is supposed to work!

Once we are shaped and formed, glazed and fired, we become vessels of clay, or as declared in this passage, “earthen vessels.”

KJV 2 Corinthians 4:7 – But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

NAB 2 Corinthians 4:7 – But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.

The treasure Paul is writing about is Christ – the “surpassing power” of the Light that God made to shine forth from the darkness. People who did not – deliberately would not try to – see that Light were empty earthen vessels compared to the exceeding wealth carried in the earthen vessels who were Believers. Yet even these believers did not shape themselves. They were shaped and glazed and fired by God. Fragile and lowly, they carried the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, and the Savior of all humans in a tiny, fragile, brittle bit of clay. These vessels opened up to hold that treasure, and God poured it into them in excess so that it overflowed – some spilling into other vessels and some spilling out into the World. None of those overflowing vessels said, “You are making a mess, Lord. Don’t get me bent out of shape just to make me hold more. I want to be a dish, not a pitcher. Instead turn that cup into a pitcher and let me be.” There’s a Biblical reason for that. Take a look at another thing God was saying to Israel through Isaiah:

Isaiah 45:9-10 “Destruction is certain for those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘stop, you are doing it wrong!’? Why did you make me this way?’”

Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? But that was what Israel had done. God said do this, they did the opposite. God said do that, Israel did nothing. God said repent, Israel rebelled. God said ask forgiveness, Israel sinned even greater. God threatened punishment, Israel said, “Nya-nya-nya-nyaah-nyaah! So what?” And every time they did that, God promised to redeem them. Here’s the potter-and-clay image from God’s point of view:

Prophesy of the Potter in Jeremiah 18:1-6 – The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the LORD came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done?” declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

Beloved, we are all clay in the potter’s hands, but remarkably some of us still try to call the shots and shape our own lives in our own image. As it was with Israel, so it is with us. We earthlings find it so difficult to relinquish our will to anyone – or so we think. We let our friends, or family, or peers influence us into doing things that do not honor God. “What do you mean you’re going to church instead of watching the Ostriches versus the Echidnas? What kind of a fan would miss that?” “C’mon. One little toke won’t hurt you!” “If you really loved me, we’d stop wasting time talking about it and just do it.” “Hey, just one more for the road. Drink up! Ya only live once!”

Those comments, that outlook, these distractions will guarantee a shattered future somewhere along the line – perhaps even as far down the line as Death’s Door. We willingly give our bodies, minds, and spirits, even our allegiance, to things that are impermanent; but we will not give an entire day once a week to the God who created us, who sustains us, and who fills us with only the finest things, “gift of finest wheat” (Ps. 81:16, John 6:35), and “treasure worth more than gold.” If you spend 1 hour at church, you have invested 0.6% of one week in paying attention to God. Beloved, that is the way to destruction!

I can remember the congregation signing a hymn in four-part harmony at Corona Presbyterian church in Denver, Colorado. Here is the refrain from that hymn, plus a link to listen to it ( now would be a good time to click on that link!)

Have Thine Own Way, Lord | Adelaide A. Pollard

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

When I think of that hymn from so long ago, I also remember something more contemporary. Here is the refrain from that hymn:

In Earthen Vessels ( This is a good link to use, too!)

We hold a treasure not made of gold
In earthen vessels wealth untold
One treasure only the Lord the Christ
In earthen vessels

Beloved, this week we have taken time to get together with families and friends, or to go to a “soup-kitchen” to feed the hungry, maybe we worked in a food-pantry for the poor, or distributed Thanksgiving Day meals to shut-ins. Maybe we extended hospitality to others and watched a couple of games (or more) on TV and rooted for our favorite teams. Some probably said heart-felt prayers of true thanksgiving for God’s generosity, kindness, and undeniable love. When we are open to be filled with these gifts – opportunities for the stewardship of service, that is when we are open to the shape God intends for us. Wherever we acknowledge his mastery over our lives, that is where we flourish best. Give God primacy in all things, and all things will be excellent. Be the clay. Everything else just cracks up and falls apart.
__________
Share-A-Prayer
• For the people in Texas, and throughout the Southwest region, gripped by terrible drought and on the brink of actually having no water at all …
• For CN, JR, TO, PB, and so many others caught up in addiction – drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, and more … And for the family and friends who suffer through that with them …
• For FO, C&GW, TJC, JM, S&CC, and scores more who ask for our prayers as they fight for their very lives against cancer …
• For KP, BC, DP, KP, DC, and all the missionaries of all denominations who have gone out into all the world to share Christ – grant them security, safety, and success …
• Let us thank and praise our God for all the gifts he has given us for the enrichment of his Kingdom. We ask for the wisdom, counsel, perseverance, and determination to be good stewards who share and invest these gifts for the benefit of all people.

Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent. I received no suggestions from MBN members for a series, and no leading from the Spirit to think one up, so we will continue to look at excerpts for the weekly readings in the Liturgy of the Word.

Beloved, I will be thanking the Lord for you during this advent season. Please remember to thank him for one another, and then follow up by improving the life of at least one person who doesn’t even know you.

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

chick

Alhoa Friday Message – November 18, 2011 – A Handful of Seeds

November 18, 2011

1146AFC111811 A Handful of Seeds

Read it online here.

This is a verse from next Sunday’s epistle. I have it in several versions:

KJV 1 Corinthians 15:21 – For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

NIV 1 Corinthians 15:21 – For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

NAB 1 Corinthians 15:21 – For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being.

NLT 1 Corinthians 15:21 – So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ.

NJB 1 Corinthians 15:21 – As it was by one man that death came, so through one man has come the resurrection of the dead.

Mustard Seed Tree


For me, this is a Seed Verse. If you look at Matthew 17:20 and Luke 17:6, those are places where Jesus talks about “faith the size of a mustard seed.” He tells his disciples that if you plant a mustard seed, it grows into a huge bush, big enough for birds to nest in. Here’s a sample of how that tiny seed can grow. So why do I call the verse in 1st Corinthians a Seed Verse? Because when it got planted in me it took root and grew to enormous size in comparison to the tiny bit of Scripture it is. I had heard this passage in churches many, many times; but I never gave it much thought until I heard it sung.

I’d say I was probably a Sophomore in High School when I heard Handel’s Messiah performed, live. This passage is a Chorus – #46 – just two passages after the famous Hallelujah Chorus. It starts off with a very slow tempo in a minor key, and then bursts into a dazzlingly bright chorus. When I heard it that way, it really stuck with me. I thought deeply about it. I suppose I thought about it so much you could say I meditated on it. I thought, “That makes sense. It went down this way, so it has to come back up that way.” That led me to reflect more deeply on a couple of things: How sin started, and how it was overcome.

Sin came into the world through Adam. Let’s take a detour and see why it gets pinned on Adam. You’ll remember in Genesis that it was Eve who was tricked by the Serpent, and then she gave the “apple” to Adam. He took a bite and that’s where sin came into being. That’s way over-simplified, but let’s follow it for a bit. First, God said to Adam and Eve, “Don’t eat from the Middle Tree, or you will die.” Next the Serpent told Eve this was a great place to try something new, because God himself had said they could eat of any tree in the Garden. Then Eve replied with a bit of a lie: “You can’t eat or even touch that fruit!” (God said nothing about touch.) The Serpent said to Eve, “Did he really say you would die? No! You will not die! You will become like him and know good from evil.” So she took the bait because she was tricked. Adam was not tricked. He began the tradition men have kept ever since that day. Eve said, “Honey, you want a bite of this fruit from the Forbidden Tree?” and he replied “Yes, Dear.”

That was the sin. He knew what it was but did it anyway to please his woman knowing full well it would displease his creator. Again, that’s overly simplified, but it helped me understand “For since by man came death,…”

So, to undo that, God implemented Phase 2 – Redemption. It took a long, long time for that phase to kick in – God gave the World several thousand years of chances to do the right things better and the better things right – but nearly all the earthlings after Adam failed to come up to the Original Creation Specifications: Friends of God in Spirit and in Truth, flesh from clay, and without guilt or shame in his Presence. The Redemption would require a New Covenant based on Flesh and not on Spirit, based on the willing surrender of Righteousness (in Jesus) to counter the righteous surrender of will (in Abraham).

Somewhere, somehow, back in those days when I heard those verses sung, my heart, my mind, and my spirit all said in unison, “Huzzah! That’s TRUE!” And because that was, is, and always will be True, I wondered what else God had done that worked in that way – setting one thing against its opposite. That little seed sprouted and grew, and grew, and grew. The roots got deeper, the branches more profuse, and the crop I gathered increased incredibly. It grew just as Jesus had said. And yet, I still haven’t cast a mulberry tree into the sea; my faith isn’t big enough yet, but it’s still growing. And this was just one of many Seed Verses that came into my life.

Do you have a Seed Verse in your life? See if you feel a seed-like response when you read the first few words of these Seeds:

“The Lord is my shepherd…”
“For God so loved …”
“I was glad when they said…”
“Some men brought him a paralytic…”
“We walk by faith, not by …”
“… everyone born of God overcomes …”
“Thy Word have I hid…”
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”
“anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me…”
“I am the resurrection and the life…”
“There is salvation in no one else…”
“Jesus Christ–he is Lord of all.”
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord…”
“For I know the plans I have for you…”
“… so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs…”
“… if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
“Don’t let anything [or anyone] keep you from your work for and service to God.”

“Settle for nothing less that God in Christ Jesus.” That’s not a Seed Verse from the Bible. It is a seed from my mustard tree. In fact, this whole series of messages that stretch back to the early years of last decade are harvested seeds from those original seeds planted by my parents, pastors, Sunday School teachers, friends, and hours of deep-see diving in God’s word (no, that is not misspelled. It is DEEP-SEE – Look Deeper)

Beloved, where is your crop? Where is your mustard -seed bush, your acres of wheat, your vineyard of grapes, your orchard of fruits of the spirit? You cannot expect a harvest if you do not commit to the stewardship of planting. In the Gospel last week we heard about a greedy king who harvested where he had not sown and gathered where he had not scattered. He coerced others to do these things on his behalf. Good stewards saw that opportunity and profited by it. If your harvest is small, unsatisfying, and unsustaining, did you plant enough seeds? When you plant the Word in the “good soil” of your heart, you have to plant more than one seed to get a harvest. You must also add to the stewardship of planting the stewardship of nurturing. And if you nurture the seeds, the crop they bear will require you to add the stewardship of harvest. It is from the harvest that the sower gets seed for the next crop and grain for the bread to feed himself and others.

Beloved, become good stewards of The Word. Plant the Seed Verses – LOTS OF THEM – and nurture their growth by keeping the weeds out and irrigating them with the Waters of Life. From their abundant harvest gather more seeds to be sown and share the Bread of Life with your Brothers and Sisters. James said, “Be doers of the Word and not just hearers.” Today I want you to go beyond that. I want you to consider being Stewards of the Word and not just doers. Take it up a notch. That’s what Jesus did. Amen?

Share-A-Prayer

I want to do something a little different with this section today. Please prayerfully consider these suggestions

🙂 Think of someone who has inspired you. Say a prayer of blessing for that person.
🙂 Think of someone who has enlightened you. Say a prayer of blessing for that person.
🙂 Think of someone who has hurt you. Say a prayer of blessing for that person, and forgive them …
🙂 Think of someone who has loved you no matter what. Say a prayer of blessing for that person, and multiply that love by reciprocating it and by passing it forward.
🙂 Think of someone who is not as blessed as you are. Say a prayer of blessing for that person, and then find a way to bless that person’s life.
🙂 Think of someone who led you to Christ. Say a prayer of blessing for that person, then find someone you can lead to Christ.
🙂 Think of someone who has suffered a great loss. Say a prayer of blessing for that person, and then share that prayer with them
🙂 Think of someone who thought of YOU when they followed any of these suggestions, and then thank God for that prayer.

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

chick
Rest In Peace Polly Faso

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