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Archive for the ‘Ordinary Time’ Category

Reputation is Mercurial

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , on June 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 7:12
Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”

I used to think that it was critical to maintain a good reputation. But the more I think about it, the more I realize it is impossible to do. How my actions or words are interpreted and cannot be controlled? From one person’s perspective, my behavior may seem erratic, loud, insensitive. From another person’s perspective, I am charming, spontaneous, and entertaining.

I can only be true to myself and subordinated to a God who will guide me from within … if I listen and comply. But my compliance and faithfulness will not control reputation. There is comfort in doing what I believe is right, but I can’t expect my actions or words to be universally accepted or understood.

For many years, I have been tossed about by the wind of reputation. I have worried too much about the opinion of others. I have been a chameleon, hoping to adapt to every situation and person. I feared the talk behind my back, the looks, the sudden quiet when I walk into a room.

But I see now, it is time to stand. “My shield is God Most High…” [Psalm 7:10a] and that must be enough. And as I stand, I will look for the path, the way, that is laid out before me, and I will make every effort to only take a single stepping stone at a time. Each step will have its challenges… the adversarial winds, the tempting sirens, the sluggish heat. Other steps will bring joy, comfort, and confirmation that I am on the right path.

My reputation is in God’s hands. So be it.

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What is Sin?

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 19, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 5:14
Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

So, here was this man who had a fantastic miracle happen! After years and year on a mat, waiting for the waters to stir at the Pool of Bethsaida, Jesus came and healed him. Later, the man sees Jesus again. Was he astonished that Jesus admonished him? And what was his sin? We are not told what it was in this story.

But this story made me think about sin. Do we assume that because he was an invalid that he no longer sinned? Or was there a greater sin earlier in his life before he became bed-ridden? The implication here is that sin brings disasters into our lives.

For me, sin is a conscious act that I know is wrong or hurtful or law-breaking (either legal or divine). Sin begins in the mind and then is acted upon. There must be a decision or choice to sin. The problem comes when we know longer realize the acts are sinful. If we keep on sinning in a particular way, it becomes the norm. But there was a moment, a day, a time when the choice was new. It is important to find that kernel in our past.

There are always consequences to our thoughts and actions, whether good or bad. The consequences may not be immediate, but we are kidding ourselves if we don’t think they will happen. It’s the law of sowing and reaping. There is only one way to break this law and that is by grace that comes through the cross of Christ.

But before I can call on the work of Christ to block the reaping of my sins, I must face the reality of my sins. I must identify the sin. I must call it for what it is. And then I can I ask for the power of the cross to stand between me and those consequences.

Make me conscious today, O Lord my God, that I might lay the truth at your feet.

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When We Speak in the Silence

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , on June 18, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Psalm 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Things are whirling about me… tensions, concerns, fears. The woes of our economy have reached into my personal life as our organization faces lay-offs, furloughs, and a branch closing. Lives will be changed; dreams will be shattered; hope will be challenged.

I am a little ashamed that I have found myself talking and talking and talking about what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen in the days ahead. Talking, talking, talking. Mostly. Not really praying.

I have not been listening… at least, I haven’t been listening in the quiet place, the secret place. I have been just a “sounding gong and clanging cymbal” [I Corinthians 13:1]. I have given my opinion, my interpretations, my gut feel, my take, my understanding, my inside information, and so on…

Today, I heard only one thing in my prayer time: Be Quiet!

When we speak in the silence unnecessarily, we cannot hear. And if we cannot hear, we cannot act in God’s will, only our own.

In Ecclesiastes, there is a long list about the timing of everything including speaking: (vs. 7b) “…a time to be silent and a time to speak, …”

Oh, may the remaining part of this day be transformed. Keep me mindful of these words: “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.” [Proverbs 21:23]

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Eating and Drinking Christ

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 6:53
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you…”

In chapter 6 of John, Jesus says, at least five times, “I tell you the truth…” Now, I have always been taught that anything repeated several times in scripture is important. And so, this morning, I have been meditating and dozing on this (I am trying to follow His lead here and tell the truth: meditating can be a sleepy business).

Why does Jesus keep saying this? Clearly, it’s because he suspects they don’t/won’t believe him. What he is saying is too fantastic or difficult to comprehend. He’s expecting their reaction to be, “You,re kidding, right?” No, He says, “I’m telling you the truth.”

By the end of this chapter, we are told that many of his disciples (the unnamed ones who followed him around for awhile and got a few free meals along the way), left him after this instruction. Apparently, He convinced them that he meant what he said. And, because He convinced them that He was telling the truth, they rejected his message… intentionally.

And what was the hullabaloo about? Eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Since there has never been a tradition of cannibalism in Judaism, He wasn’t talking about a barbecued ribs. But He was talking about consuming the life force of Christ. There is something to be said for cannibalism as a sacred practice. In primitive tribes, to eat someone was to become one with them. They ate the bodies to take in a person’s essence, strength, and soul.

Accepting Christ is serious business. It’s not just an idea. It’s a process. It’s breathing in. It’s consuming. It’s transforming. It’s energy. It’s eating. It’s nourishing. It’s life-sustaining.

And without Christ, we die.

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Taste the Best Wine

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , on June 16, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 2:9b-10
…Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

Jesus transformed the water into the “best wine” at the wedding in Cana. But, who noticed? The “master of the banquet” noticed and commented, but what about the rest of the guests? They were probably several “sheets to the wind” already. They probably missed the wonderful aroma, the nuance, the color, the details. They just got more of what they wanted. For them, wine was wine.

Do we do the same thing? Are we so caught up in our day-to-day that we miss the best wine, we miss the transformed moment, the transformed person? Do we allow our expectations and assumptions to lull us asleep?

As I continue writing these meditations, I am so often driven back to the same message about opening the self to the world. These messages are for me… for my heart, for my mind: Wake up! I hear Him say!

O, taste and see, the Lord is Good! [Ps 34:8]

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Fish Not Figs

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , on June 15, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 6:8-9
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

What would have happened if the boy would have had figs instead of fish? I think they would have feasted on lots of figs. God uses what we have and works the miracle with us. We are part of the miracle.

In Rob Bell’s Jesus Wants to Save Christians (p.32), he pulls this same idea from the 2nd of the ten commandments. The second commandment prohibits the creation of an image in the form of anything to represent God. This was primarily in contrast with the norm of that day of having “idols” that would help the people understand “what their god was and what their god was like.” But our God is seen through the people, his followers, the believers, his priests.

In I Peter 2:5, it says, “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” And in I Corinthians 12:12, it is written, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” We are Christ on earth now.

We are the ones who collect the fish, the bread, even the figs, and multiply them. We distribute them to those who don’t have what we have. We touch and our touch is healing. By telling our story, we are telling His story, because we are His.

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Bread of Heaven

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , on June 13, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 6:41
At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

The Jews of that time understood this image and didn’t like it because Jesus referred to himself metaphorically as manna [Exodus 16]. While the Jews wandered in the desert, manna appeared each morning with the dew and was only enough for that one day (except on Friday when enough was collected and lasted 2 days over the Sabbath). The message is a simple one for us then: we are to eat the Bread of Heaven daily. We are to participate and partake of Him daily.

In Matthew 6:34, Jesus is recorded as saying “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Each day is different and each day has different challenges.

It makes me want to return to a more Catholic tradition of communion each day. I can see the power of that imagery. I can feel the power of that act.

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