ME OR YOU?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 20th Wednesday in Ordinary time is, “Me or You?”

Every day provides several opportunities where the choice is, “Me or You?”

Am I self centered or other centered?

Coming out of the parking lot or a parking place, coming out of church or a room or a building, the choice is often there: me or you?

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s first reading, Ezekiel 34: 1-11, he goes after the leaders of Israel who are not in it for others – but for self.

Ezekiel message is clear: priests, shepherds, leaders, parents, all – are called to serve others not self.

In today’s psalm – Psalm 23 – we hear that the Lord is a Good Shepherd – in contrast to how Ezekiel describes so many shepherds in Israel – who are only in it for self.

Jesus reflected on this theme – because he refers to it rather clearly and rather often as well.

In today’s gospel, Matthew 20:1-16, the owner of the vineyard is concerned about people who don’t have work so as to earn their daily bread. Then when he’s quite generous with his money to those who just worked an hour or a few hours – the others are angry at his goodness and generosity to everyone.

There is a message and a challenge here for all of us: thinking of others – being concerned about others – putting others ahead of ourselves.

How many times have we heard the saying, “A person wrapped up in themselves makes a very small package.”

THE WALKING INTO A CONVERSATION SITUATION

One of life’s regular scenes is, “The Walking Into A Conversation Situation.”

We’re sitting there with a few people and someone is right in the middle of telling a story and someone walks into the room or into the scene.

There are two kinds of people: those who walk into a situation calmly and quietly and stand or sit down and catch what folks are talking about and there are those who immediately take over and turn the conversation in on themselves – or on what they want to talk about.

We just got back from a boat trip on the Danube. Three of us are on the top deck and it’s within the first hour of our trip. We found nice chairs to sit on and the scenery is spectacular. One of the three of us starts to tell a story and the other two of us are listening.

Suddenly this guy comes up the stairs onto the top deck and heads right for us and jumps into our tiny circle and starts talking – and taking over – and he tells us how he was a cab driver in New York City and how this is his first cruise. Finally he takes a breath and the other person in our tiny circle comes back to the story she is telling. This guy then immediately interrupts her and starts telling another story.

I say to myself, “Uh oh, this is going to be a very small boat.”

Obviously, life doesn’t have scripts that are handed out – that we have to follow. Obviously, life on stage is mostly improvisation.

However, there are niceties – and the Golden Rule – and courtesies – and the wisdom of checking out the scene.

There are two kinds of people at a buffet table. Those who take a plate and start putting food on it immediately and those who walk around the buffet table and see everything that is on it. Then they get a plate and put on their plate what they want.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Me or You?”

I like the gospel text – the words of John the Baptist, “I must decrease. He must increase.”

I like and don’t like Jesus’ words about the grain of wheat must die and dissolve – otherwise it’s just a seed of wheat – but if it dies – it can become delicious bread.

The message is: want to be a delicious person? Zip your lips. Open your ears. Put others first. If you want to make relationships last, put the other in the relationship first.

KINDNESS ...
PASS IT ON.

Quote for the Day- August 18, 2010


"Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on."


Henry Burton [1840-1930] "Pass It On," stanza 1

INFLATION

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 20th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Inflation.”

It’s a word and a theme that can pull together both readings for today.

Inflate can mean to fill something up with air or gas – to make a balloon or a tire become full. Inflation can also mean to overinflate something – money or property or what have you – that it becomes over extended or over expanded – sometimes leading to a burst – as in a balloon or a tire or money or the stock market.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 28:1-10, there is a burst of words attacking the king of Tyre. His name might have been Ithobal or Ithbaal II. He is king of Tyre which is doing very well financially. It had two ports and a great location. Business was booming – especially with it purple trade.

Money and power can go to someone’s head – making someone think they are a god. Everyone quotes Lord Acton’s words on this – words he wrote in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” [April 5, 1887]

That’s what Ezekiel is saying happened to this king in the city of Tyre.

Hopefully he had a mirror – a court jester – a wife and kids who could kept him human and humble.

This is a message for not just presidents and popes – but for all of us.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel from Matthew 19:23-30 has this same theme – emptying oneself etc. – that is, if we want to fit through the eye of the needle – and discover Christ and his Kingdom on the other side of the eye.

Obviously, a balloon or a camel cannot fit through the eye of a needle.

Obviously, a person who knows the answer – is more apt not to hear the question.

Obviously, a person who is first on line or in the front seat – is less apt to see that there are people behind him or her.

As one reads the gospels one begins to get the feeling that the Pharisees knew it all – were inflated with their self importance – and therefore didn’t hear, understand or receive Jesus.

BOOKS

We’ve all heard the saying, “Beware of the person of one book!”

Thank you Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul for giving us your different takes on Jesus.

I like to pause for a moment when I walk into a library – because it’s very humbling to know there is so much I don’t know.

On our Danube trip we visited the Benedictine Monastery of Melk and we got a guided tour of their library. While most of Europe couldn’t read, this place was a center of learning. The tour guide said there were 17 rooms in the library – with over 80,000 books. The guide books said there were 12 rooms with over 100,000 books.

There are many books and many answers to many questions.

Learning, listening, we can discover our emptiness – our poverty – our ignorance – all that we don’t know – and at times we can move up from last towards first.

A CONCLUSION - NAN-IN

When I read the readings for Mass, the night before, I look to an ikon of Christ on my wall and pray, “Help! Give me an insight. Bring me closer to what you’re saying.”

I also try to remember a story I heard a long time ago.

Once upon a time during the Meiji era (1868-1912), a Japanese Zen master named a Nan-in, received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”

Then Nan-in said, “Like this cup you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

Each morning – we are like the disciples at the lake of Galilee – who were fishing and catching nothing – and Jesus calls to us from the shore – where to cast out nets – and they caught a boat load – but there was more – they went ashore and caught Jesus for a great breakfast – and caught some more great words about life and love.

Photo on top - one of the book shelves at the library at Melk, Austria

THE HURT  

FROM  INDIFFERENCE 

Quote of the Day  August 17, 2010


"There is nothing harder than the softness of indifference."


Juan Montalvo [1832-1889], Chapters Forgotten by Cervantes [1895], Epilogue

WHEN  FAITH IS GONE, 

WHEN THE FOG ROLLS IN....

August 16, 2010

Quote for the Day

"Have you seen a room from which faith has gone? ... Like a marriage from which love has gone ... And patience, patience everywhere like a fog."

Graham Green [1904-1991] The Potting Shed [1957]

ASSUMPTIONS!
CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT THEM

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Assumptions! Can’t Live Without Them.”

This Sunday – because it’s August 15th – we celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary.

What to preach on?

It hit me that life is built on assumptions. It hit me that afterlife is also built on assumptions.

LIFE

Let me start with life.

People get married and have children with the assumption that 2 is better than 1 and 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or what have you, are better than 2.

They think this when they pinch themselves for the gift that they have received: the gift of life. We do that when we’re at the beach and we see a great sunrise or seagulls soaring or gliding over white tipped crashing waves – or we're at a big family celebration – or we’re out on the bay and the wind is cool and our sails are full. Life – especially in the middle of great moments of life – we pinch ourselves. Thank you mom and dad for having me. Thank you God for the gift of life.

I always love to quote one of my favorite statements by Groucho Marx who said, “If your parents didn’t have children, chances are you won’t have them either.”

Pinch yourself every now and then for the gift of life. I call it the “Pinch Prayer” – and it doesn’t have any words. It just takes a second. I do it here often right above my wrist on either arm. The “Pinch Prayer.”

If you have brought children into the world, pinch yourself again – and make that a second “Pinch Prayer.”

I wonder at times why in the world did I ever get myself into a life of celibacy – not having brought children into the world. That scares me at times. After all my parents gave me the gift of life – and their parents gave them the gift of life – and back and back and back. I assume that Jesus’ words on this are my personal background music and most of the time I see this as a calling. (1) Celibacy is not for everyone. “Thank God” – otherwise we’d have an empty church and an empty world. And the call of celibacy is to use one’s gift of life – just as in parenting – for the life of others – for the increase of the Kingdom of God – the wonderful dream for how to live life here and hereafter – the vision Jesus was often talking about. (2)
“Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven!”

Faith – it’s filled with assumptions.

Life – it’s filled with assumptions.

We trust the water and the food – but we wonder about the air at times.

We trust that we’ll have a tomorrow when we go to bed and fall asleep at night.

Assumptions.

We trust each other.

If we can’t make these basic assumptions we would go crazy.

And what are the biggest hurts in life? They happen when trust – basic trust – is broken – when a loved one betrays us.

What do we get nervous and antsy and anxious about? It’s when we made an assumption – and it didn’t happen. And then someone reminds us, “You know what they say about ‘assume’. They can make an ass out of ‘u’ and me.”

But that’s only about a small number of assumptions – because we make a hundred of them every day – and by experience we know many of our assumptions work.

The negative proves the positive.

We have all heard the reminder about, “Don’t drink the water” in some foreign countries. If we drank the water and got diarrhea – then we might go through life nervous about water in all foreign countries.

And I assume those who sell bottled water, love it.

Assumptions.

We assume that a college degree for our kids – will give them a better chance at life.

We assume that our job will last – especially if we work hard and give it our best.

We assume that our brakes won’t fail us.

We assume there’s a gas station just ahead when the needle is getting close to E – Empty.

We assume our priests are giving it their best and they are trustworthy – that is till Judas reappears.

Assumptions – they are part of life.

AFTERLIFE

Then comes afterlife – we hope.

We have to die to find out - but I'm not dying to find out yet.

In the meanwhile we Christians believe, assume, that there is life after death – a morning after the big sleep called “death”.

We have the great Easter Message that Christ rose from the dead – after his horrible crucifixion. That’s one reason almost every church has a cross – large or small.

We Catholics believe, assume, that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was assumed into Heaven after her life here on earth. Not all Christians accept that one – and it wasn’t declared a central belief for us Catholics till 1950. (3)

The Church is long and slow in its development of dogmatic declarations. What will the Church look like in the year 3010? I have a lot of assumptions and hopes – but they are a long way off. They are up the river and around the bend.

I just got back from a great vacation on the Danube River – with a neat group of people from the parish. We went from Vienna to Budapest.

Well, we had on our boat a Jewish woman who was in her late 90’s – who left Vienna – after her father and a group of prominent Jewish men killed themselves rather than be taken by the Nazi’s. If I heard her story correctly, her mom and she escaped by train for Spain. This was her first time back.

If has always intrigued me that of all people who should believe in life after death, it would be the Jews or any people who have been massacred. As in our scriptures, some do and some don’t.

I know faith is a gift – but there are some tricky assumptions in saying that. Faith – the assumptions in faith – that’s a whole other sermon.

We saw in Budapest from a bus window a memorial for some Jews who were killed in 1944. The memorial consisted of 50 pairs of bronzed shoes right on a walkway along the river. It marked the place where Jews were led right to that spot – shot – and let fall into the river. Many others were sent to concentration camps – to work and/or to die. (4)
Jesus – the Jew – believed in an afterlife – big, big, big time - and has given that gift to us – especially in his Resurrection. We hear that at every Mass. We hear that every Easter. We hear that proclaimed loud and clear by Paul in today’s second reading. (5)

Mary – his Jewish mother – from a tiny, tiny little town in northern Israel – not only went with haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth as we heard in today’s gospel – but it’s our Catholic belief – she went with haste into the hill countries of the hereafter – and Christians ever since have said in a zillion Hail Mary’s – the words of Elizabeth, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

So with Jesus and Mary – we have not just a verbal belief in a hereafter – but we can begin to have people to picture in the hereafter – Jesus and Mary - and besides them – we have patriarchs and prophets, wise men and wise women, saints and family members who have gone before us.

I assume that it’s very smart to believe in an afterlife – and once more I also assume it’s a gift. I got it from my parents. Thank you mom and dad.

I assume that those who don’t believe in afterlife – don’t see life the same way as those of us who do.

I assume that a belief in an afterlife gives hope and meaning to this great gift called life.

I assume that for those who have lost a loved one – early or late – belief in an afterlife – makes life more bearable.

I assume that those who have gone through an abortion or lost a child – belief in an afterlife – where there is God – a loving God who welcomes all those who have died and forgives those who accept forgiveness and fresh starts.

Let the little children come to me.

Let those who loved – come to me.

Let those who have been crucified – come to me.

CONCLUSION
How do I finish this homily?

The title of my homily is, “Assumptions. Can’t Live Without Them.”

I assume that Mary – like her Son – is not just a statue or a past historical character.

I assume that Jesus’ words that we will be judged on love – mean just that. I assume that Mary’s words in today’s gospel are very powerful and serious stuff – especially when Luke has her saying in her Magnificat:

“He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.” (6)

How far does God scatter the proud? How far down does God cast the mighty from their thrones? How empty does he send the rich away who have left the poor hungry and empty?

I assume that’s "Uh oh!" stuff – to shake us up and out of our complacency or laziness.

I assume that a God who creates a person – whose existence was just in the womb – or who lived only for a few hours or a few years of life – or a person who is abused and killed by tyrants – this Creator created them for more than that. That can’t just be it. It better not be just that. That can’t be that person’s whole life and existence – and then there is nothing more. That’s not the God Christians believe in.

I assume that this great gift of life is not just in the here – but that there is a hereafter – an eternity – a forever – and that we have to die to find out.

I assume that’s why God sent his Son Jesus – and that’s why God was in on our creation and the creation of Mary – the Mother of Jesus. Amen.




NOTES:



(1) Matthew 19: 10-30; 1 Corinthians 7; Isaiah 56: 3; Luke 14: 25-27; Mark 8:34-38


(2) Matthew 4:17; 4:23; Luke 8;1; Luke 9:60; Luke 16:16


(3) Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus (1950)


(4) I've seen the number of shoes to be 50 pairs - as well as 60 pairs. The photo on top is by Doctor Arnold Plotnick. The shoes were sculpted by Gyula Pauer .


(5) 1 Corinthians 15: 20-27


(6) Luke 1; 49-53

PRAYER TO MARY -

FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION

Prayer for a Loved One on the Feast of the Assumption - Aug. 15, 2010

"Save those who hope in you,

O Mother of the Sun

which knows no setting.

O Mother of God.

by your prayers

ask your divine Son,

we beg you,

to grant rest to _____

who has departed

to where the souls

of the just rest.

Make _____ an heir

of the divine benefits

in the halls of the just

including everlasting memory,

O Immaculate One."

Attributed to St. John of Damascus - 8th Century

PATIENCE

Quote for the Day - August 14, 2010


"The secret of patience ... to do something else in the meanwhile."


Anonymous

WALTER

I watched an old man today
watching a large crucifix of Christ
hanging on the wall in front of him.

I sat there wondering
what this old man in his eighties
was thinking about.

He leaned back, stared at the ceiling light,
and scratched his head. I could tell from his
tightening jaw he was not thinking of himself.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010

TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE

There are two kinds of people:
those who are aware of what time it is
and those who aren’t.

Some people are always late.

Some people suddenly stand up and announce,
“Well, I gotta get going!”
They don’t seem to check what time it is
on their phone or watch – or wall clock –
yet they always seem to know
just what time it is?

How do they do that?

Were they born
with an internal clock or calendar
or were they programmed?
Tick. Tick. Tick. Gotta run. Run. Run.

There are two kinds of people:
those who prefer to slouch in couches
and those who sit up straight in hard chairs.

There are two types of drivers:
the driver who drives with tension
and those who always give
the car ahead of them
plenty of space – simply riding
and sliding down the road of
of life unaware of speedometers
or odometers, clocks and watches –
driving clock watchers crazy.

Ooops, am I'm giving myself away?

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010

THE LITTLE BOY 

AND THE OLD MAN

Quote for this Friday  - August 13, 2010


The Little Boy and the Old Man

Said the little boy, “Sometimes I drop my spoon.”
Said the old man, “I do that, too.”
The little boy whispered, “I wet my pants.”
“I do that too,” laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, “I often cry.”
The old man nodded, “So do I.”
“But worst of all,” said the boy, “it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me.”
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
“I know what you mean,” said the little old man.



Shel Silverstein [1930-1999]

ALWAYS LATE 

NEVER  ON  TIME

Quote for this Thursday - August 12, 2010


“He was always late on principle, his principle being that punctuality is the thief of time.”


Oscar Wilde [1854-1900], The Picture of Dorian Gray.

ATHEISM:

NOT ALLOWING GOD

TO SING IN MY BEING

Quote for this Wednesday  - August 11, 2010


“It is good if one can bring about that God sings within me.”


Rabbi Elimelekh [1783-1841]

BEHOLD THE LAMB 

OF GOD 

WHO TAKES AWAY 

THE SINS OF OUR WORLD.

Quote for This Tuesday - August 10, 2010


“Nothing appeases an enraged elephant so much as the sight of a little lamb.”


St. Francis de Sales [1567-1622], Introduction to the Devout Life, 3, 8.


Picture from the Shamwari Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in South Africa - Themba (elephant) and Albert (sheep)

REALITY  THERAPY

Quote for this Monday - August 9, 2010


“Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from a cornfield.”


Dwight D. Eisenhower [1890-1969], speech, September, 1956

FAITH IS RISKY BUSINESS

INTRODUCTION

 The title of my homily is, “Faith is Risky Business.”

Today’s three readings urge us to reflect upon the issue of faith in our lives. And when we do, we often find out, “Faith is Risky Business.”

Hopefully, we also say, “It was worth it!”

· To get married takes faith.
· To stay married takes faith, to stick to one’s vows, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for 5, 10, 15, 25, 50 years takes faith.
· To have a baby takes faith.
· To be a priest or a nun or a religious for 10, 20, 25, 50 years takes faith.
· To sell a house or in these days, to try to sell a house and move takes faith.
· To take a job – or to switch jobs takes faith.
· To communicate – to talk to each other takes faith.
· To volunteer takes faith.
· To come to church takes faith.
· To become a religious drop out or an agnostic or an atheist – takes faith – different from what we consider faith, but it takes a kind of faith.
· To return to our faith or become a Catholic takes faith.
· To go in a car with some drivers takes faith.
· To get out of bed in the morning takes faith.

Faith is risky business.

FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from Wisdom refers to the night of Passover – the great Exodus – the great exit of the Jews out of Egypt – to leave all and to follow Moses – to move from the know into the unknown – with only a promise and a dream of a land of milk and honey.

This country is a country of people from all over the world who made exits from elsewhere to experience new life here.

SECOND READING

Today’s second reading from Hebrews presents Abraham as the Father of faith. He obeyed God’s call and moved into the unknown.

Today’s second reading is one of the classic texts in the scriptures on faith – especially because it gives several great examples of faith.

The author of this Letter to the Hebrews says that faith is a hope in something using evidence that we can’t see. Faith is a test – and we don’t know the outcome.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel continues the theme of faith. Jesus asks his disciples to let go of what they have for a treasure they cannot see. Faith is waiting for the Lord – without knowing when he is coming. In the early Church there was a strong belief that Jesus was about to return almost immediately and the world would end – so, “Be prepared.”

It didn’t happen. Christians kept waiting. But it wasn’t happening. Maybe Jesus meant something else. St. Luke begins the Acts of the Apostles asking, “Why are still looking up? Go back to Jerusalem and start listening to how you are called to go into the world and reshape it in Jesus’ Spirit.”

FAITH

So faith has to do with the here and the hereafter.

Faith has to do with everyday decisions and eternal decisions.

Whether the here or the hereafter, faith has to do with the future.

Sometimes we have to practice blind faith; sometimes we have time to think things over and get a second opinion.

In fact, it’s smart, it’s wise, it’s prudent, to step back before we leap. It’s wise to see our options. It’s good if we can say, “No” as well as “Yes!” It’s called freedom.

Then knowing the pool has water in it, knowing it’s deep enough for diving, watching others diving and rising up out of the water after they leap, we climb the steps to the diving board. We head for the end of the diving board. If we can’t dive, we can hold our nose tight and jump, closing our eyes on the way down – then come up out of the water to the clapping of our family or friends on the edge of the pool. We did it – or we can turn and go back down the ladder – red with embarrassment – hopefully with support from our family or “Chicken!” from a close friend – voiced with a smirk or a smile – followed by a, “Just kidding! Next time!”

Faith is a leap!

Someone said faith is like you’re holding onto the trapeze bar and you swinging and you have to let go – if you want to make the show go on – as well as the belief the other will catch you.

The image I like is this: It’s winter. Remember all that snow from last winter. You’re walking in the snow. You come to a street corner. To get to the other side of the street you have to step off the curve. However, there is all this slush and water and ice. You hesitate. You look up around to see if there is a better place to cross. You decide: this is it. To leap or not to leap. You can simply step into the slush and icy water – but you’re not wearing boots. So you decide to jump. You can do it. You’ve done it before. Oops, I forgot to tell you, sometimes there’s a catch. You have to do all this in the dark.

That’s faith.

We have to make acts and actions of faith when we’re experiencing relationship decisions - health decisions – job decisions – raising kids issues – money issues, life decisions etc.

Faith is risky business.

DEATH

 The biggest leap is the leap through death. With that one, we are totally out of control whether there is anything after death and if there is, is there is a God out there or anywhere, and if there is a God, will this God be there to catch me?

That’s the great act of faith. Make it often, so when you have to really make it, you’ve practiced, practiced, practiced.

FAITH IS A JOURNEY

But before we get to death, let’s look at life.

A great message from Jesus is, “Life is a journey.”

Jesus calls people to hit the road with him.

Jesus tells his disciples, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

By being here today, we are saying to each other and with each other, we’re all in this together – making this journey through life with each other – with Christ as our leader and model and presence.

VACATION IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

As I thought about this for a homily for today, I remembered a vacation we made – 4 priests – one summer – years ago.

What were you best vacations? You only know which ones were the best from looking backwards - from a distance.

A vacation is an act of faith. It sounds good on paper – you map out the possibilities. You talk to each other. You say, “Let’s do it!”

Let me now give two examples of faith from one vacation – to Estes Park in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

FIRST EXAMPLE

We had hiked 4 years in a row in the presidential range of mountain peaks in New Hampshire. This year, thanks to a suggestion, we decided on the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

We started from our church in the Bronx, N.Y. On the George Washington Bridge, we looked at our watches. We drove 32 hours to Colorado – switching drivers every two hours automatically – rotating seats counter clockwise – stopping just for meals and bathroom breaks.

We got our camp sites from the Park Rangers and started climbing at 8,000 feet. One of our goals was to climb to the top of the continental divide. We chose Mount Alice – 13,310 feet high. The first assault failed. We didn’t know how close we were, but two guys went down a good bit and took a picture of two of us up there from below. We didn’t know till we were home and got the pictures back how close we were to the top. This was before digital cameras.

The next day we did it. We close the most direct way which was pulling ourselves up by hand – rock by rock – like climbing a ladder against a building. I thought the top would be just a narrow peak. Surprise it was a boulder field – the size of two football fields.

On a clear day you can see forever!

Looking back all these years afterwards, I still have fond memories of that moment of exhilaration, that day we did it, as well as that whole trip.

Great vacations take great faith – and smart risks.

SECOND EXAMPLE - HANNAH HURDAH

As I was thinking about all this yesterday another memory came floating back – something I had completely forgotten.

Before that trip to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado someone suggested that I buy a paper back book, Hinds Feet on High Places, and read it when I was in the high places - in the Rocky Mountains.

I paged through the book a bit on the trip out – and it seemed "smatlzy maltzi" - but I didn’t really read it till we were in the mountains.

Looking back now – years later – the book as well as that vacation were significant moves for me.

The book, Hinds Feet on High Places, is an allegorical novel about a young woman whose name was Much Afraid. She had two physical handicaps. She had a crooked mouth and her feet were a bit crippled – which made walking difficult.

She took care of sheep and lived in a valley – the Valley of Humiliation.

The book is a true allegory. Like the medieval play Everyman, the names of people and places tell the audience about the person or place.

Well this young lady, Much Afraid, had to deal with a lot of negative relatives and neighbors: Craven Fear, Bitterness, Resentment and Self Pity.

Things changed when she would meet the Shepherd at the watering hole and he suggested she climb to the High Places.

Being Much Afraid she expressed her fears and doubts about being able to do this – especially being crippled.

The Shepherd says she can do it – that her feet will become like hinds feet and she’ll be able to climb to the High Places.

So with faith she makes the journey. She has to go through a desert and then through the Forest of Danger and Tribulation – and then up into the mountain.

As she climbs she grows in strength. She needs Grace and Glory which she meets and receives in each step she takes.

Then after having a high – in the high places – with the great Shepherd, she is called to go back to the Valley of Humiliation. However, she’s a new woman, transformed, changed.

CONCLUSION

That’s what a vacation should do for us. It’s has the stuff of faith – for the here and for the hereafter.

Today, it’s Sunday, it's Sabbath time, so why not take some time to look at your life – the moves you’ve made, the trips, the vacations, the decisions, the choices of a lifetime.

Make a list of your top 10 vacations.

Mark after each vacation notes for yourself like: GM (Great Move) or NSS (Not So Smart), GLOF (Great Leap of Faith)

Not every move was smart. Mistakes are made. But celebrate the great leaps of faith you’ve made – and the gifts you’ve received. And dream new dreams and great vacations – and great life moves.

GOD, WHAT'S THERE 
TO DO ON A RAINY 
SUNDAY AFTERNOON?   

Quote for this Sunday - August 8, 2010


“Someone has somewhere commented on the fact that millions long for immortality who don’t know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.”


Susan Ertz [1894-1985] Anger in the Sky, (1943), page. 137

THANK  YOU!

Quote for the Day - August 7, 2010


“If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.”


Meister Eckhart [c. 1260 – c. 1237]

TRANSFIGURATION

Feast of the Transfiguration - August  6, 2010


Quote for the Day

“In the beauty of the lilies
Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom
that transfigures you and me;
And he died to make men holy,
let us die to make men free.”

Julia Ward Howe [1819-1910], Battle Hymn of the Republic [1962], stanza 5

Lilium Martagon or Turks Cap Lily - off Internet

SHUT UP  

AND LISTEN  

TO WHAT 

THE OTHER  

PERSON  

IS SAYING.

Quote for the Day - August 5, 2010


“Ideas are like children – our own are very wonderful.”


Anonymous

RELIGION 

IS INTO 

RELATIONSHIPS

Quote for the Day - August 4,  2010


“Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.”


G. K. Chesterton [1874-1936]