More Wine Please! (a sermon on John 2:1-11)

September 4, 2016        More Wine, Please! 

Love is not self-seeking 1 Corinthians 13:5b

John 2 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

2  On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.  Jesus’ mother  was there,  2  and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  3  When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

4  “Woman,  why do you involve me?”  Jesus replied.  “My hour  has not yet come.”

5  His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6  Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,  each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

7  Jesus said to the servants,  “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

8  Then he told them,  “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so,  9  and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.  He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside  10  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.”

11  What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory;  and his disciples believed in him.

We're continuing our series on the Practice of Love. The love portrayed in the Love Chapter, 1 Corinthians 13 is the love of God, a love that is essential, effective and eternal!

Love is not selfish...self-seeking, again we are to always put others ahead of ourselves. We honor others, being patient, kind and compassionate...that is one of the biggest keys to sharing love...putting yourself in the other's place.

Jesus is our model for this! He put others first, was compassionate, having such deep concern for others that he felt it deep inside! Yet he did it in a healthy way! He did take time for himself...he went off early in the morning to pray. He enjoyed a good meal with friends...in fact he enjoyed so much he was accused of being a drunk and a glutton!

Our gospel lesson is a familiar story! In fact there are jokes about it... there's the story of the minister who was stopped by a police officer for driving erratically. “I have to ask, have you been drinking?” “Nothing but water!” well I can smell wine and there's an empty bottle on the floor there...' Oh my goodness, He's done it again!”

This is the first miracle of Jesus. John's gospel calls these miracles 'Signs' and he tells these stories, along with Jesus' 'I Am statements” through which Jesus glory -the glory of God -is revealed, that we may believe!

John is telling the stories of these signs to establish the identity of Jesus as the Messiah, the one from God, who IS God, he was with God in the beginning...

the word here used for sign means a the sign or distinguishing mark by which something is known; (2) a miracle, (3) a portent or harbinger.

In the Hebrew Bible, what we know as the Old Testament, the word “Sign” means the same thing, with a visual imagery association of the mark left by a hand or fingers...like a print in the sand...a hand print or fingerprints. John uses these Signs as a means to show the disciples' belief in Jesus and to help our belief and knowledge of Jesus the Son of God!

This is the wedding in Cana. Cana was a few miles, about a day's travel from Nazareth. In Galilee. There are some scholars who believe that the wedding was likely a family member...some relation of Jesus and his mother. The reason for this is that Jesus' disciples, who he has just started with, are also invited. It's got to be a fairly close relationship with the wedding couple for their families to have invited the 12 also! This makes sense to me, as it was Jesus Mother who gets the ball rolling. She comes to him and says they have no more wine. Now, was she saying “hey can you do something?” or was she saying, “oh my goodness, what a disaster” it would almost be scandalous to run out of wine at a wedding feast! Was she saying, well, time to go home? Or was she saying those fishermen friends of yours drank up all the wine?

Jesus answer, 'Woman, why do you involve me? --this sounds harsh to us! Let me clarify, Woman, here is a perfectly respectful form of address. It's as though he said Ma'am. He said repeatedly in Johns gospel, my hour has not yet come. Only in John chapter 17, his prayer just before his arrest, does he say “the hour has come” So when Jesus said “Woman why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come!” he may have been asking her sincerely, he may have been teasing her a bit!

And Mary says to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” She may have been expecting them to make a quick trip to the next farm or vineyard to purchase some wine! Galilee was a wine-producing area! So they probably could have got more somewhat easily.

Jesus tells the servants to fill the six stone water jars. These are HUGE jars, they would have been filled by carrying smaller jars of water from a well to the big jars. The Jewish tradition was that one washed upon entering the banquet area. That there were six large jars indicated that this was a large gathering and also that the host family were well-off.

This is a story showing Jesus is indeed the One, the messiah, the son of God. It is also a story about God providing well, and with abundance! Not only was there suddenly more wine, but it was excellent wine! And there was a LOT of it! Enough to keep the celebration going for a long time. This is not to say that it is drunkeness is ok.. Jewish tradition actually is strongly against drinking to excess. Despite the rituals of the wine at sabbath and seder dinners, or perhaps because of it... wine is part of the meal, not a forbidden fruit, to be enjoyed but not abused!

There is more to the story. One of the ways we Practice love and do not live & act selfishly, is to step back a bit, think of the big picture. Imagine yourself IN the shoes of the other person. Which is what I think Jesus mother did here. She knew what a social disaster it would be for the host family. Jesus asked her why are you worried...and she was indeed not thinking of herself but of this family.

Symbolism in this story...marriage.. a covenant! A covenant is a binding agreement. The bible is the story of God's people forming a covenant to be in relationship with God. Then breaking that covenant, falling away, crying out to God in despair, and rejoining with God to covenant all over again. And God covenants with US promising that even when things are bad, God is always with us and that one day will be the perfect peace of God...

Jeremiah-- “The days are coming,” declares the  Lord,
        “when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
        and with the people of Judah.
32  It will not be like the covenant
        I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
        to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
        though I was a husband  to  them,”
declares the  Lord.
33  “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
        after that time,” declares the  Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
        and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
        and they will be my people.

The Banquet, is the symbol of the ultimate triumph of God!

the feast at the end of times, (I Isaiah 25:6

The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,

both the prophets Joel and Amos spoke of new wine flowing after God triumphs and all of his people are freed.

these are prophecies from the time of the Babyloian Exile, but Hebrew people of Jesus time believed there would be an overthrow of the Roman oppression and there would then be a celebration!

And there are words of prophecy and comfort from even earlier times... from Jesus' ancestor David...You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup runneth over.

#6 the 6 days of creation, on the 6^th day humankind was created. Humans were told to work 6 days and rest on the seventh. 7 is a complete week, a number that signifies perfection or completeness. So six is a number that is incomplete or imperfect. This marriage was incomplete in some way....until Jesus :)

The stone jars symbolize old rituals. The ways of the Jewish people of the time were caught up in a lot of rituals that had lost their meaning.

The water is used for cleansing and purification –there was a LOT of it. When Jesus said to the servants fill the jars, they filled them to the brim! --although I am sure the servants were a bit confused as to Jesus saying fill the water jars, when the problem was there was no wine! But they did as Jesus asked! They followed directions well! Big jars, filled to the brim. Perhaps the servants thought they would then be sent to obtain more wine, while the party-goers washed up again!

But Jesus had a different idea.

I love that there is mention that the servants knew where this new wine came from. Jesus doesn't say Mother, watch this, nor does he tell the family, or the Master of the Banquet....he just does his work quietly and only the servants really see it! The Bible is full of folks in the lower echelons of society being the first to witness God's miracles, including the shepherds in the birth story! All through the gospels ordinary people and everyday aspects of life are the vessels to show the extraordinary love and provision of God.

In John's gospel Jesus uses symbolism – he refers to himself as the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the world, among others. He used phrases of the necessities of life to describe himself! He also said he would give Living Water to whomever believed. In John 7 “ Jesus stood and said in a loud voice,  “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  38  Whoever believes  in me, as Scripture has said,  rivers of living water  will flow from within them.” Jesus proclaimed himself as a source of Living water...water that is clean, vibrant, safe and nourishing, even healing!

So Jesus took jars filled to the brim with water and turned them into an abundance of excellent wine.

He took an occasion of a covenant to show his excellent and abundant love. He showed that there was a new way of life and love. He would later say “ this cup is new covenant in my blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins”. He went to the Cross, purely out of love....taking on the sins of every single human being. The living water that Jesus gave became the cup of redemption. This is the most incredible, and most unselfish act of all time. The Love of God, the perfect, patient, faithful unselfish love we aspire to, was Jesus Christ. We know this, we are about to celebrate it ourselves.

Let us pray: Holy God, we thank you for showing us the perfect love described in Your Word, by sending Jesus, the embodiment of Your Love. Help us to always live in His unselfish love. Amen

this is an olive wood carving of the "Last Supper" on the communion table at our church. 

How Rude!

August 28, 2016 Practicing Love: How Rude! Pastor Carol P. Taylor

We're working thru the aspects of Love as depicted in 1 Corinthians 13.

I must confess, this series on Practicing Love has got me thinking! One would think this morning's theme, Love is not rude, would be a piece of cake for us all!  We're from the MIDWEST! We are polite! Well unless someone cuts us off at the stoplight...

“Love is not rude” 1 Corinthians 13:5a

5  It does not dishonor others, NIV

5  does not behave rudely, NRSV?

5  love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; GNT

hmm, well irritable...yes sometimes..(this morning in fact when I overslept!). So again, we are looking at the Practice of Love. Why 'Practice”? Because sometimes we have to work at sharing the Love of God as well as we should!

Scripture Luke 17:11-19

11  Now on his way to Jerusalem,  Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.  12  As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[b]  met him. They stood at a distance  13  and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master,  have pity on us!”

14  When he saw them, he said,  “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”  And as they went, they were cleansed.

15  One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God  in a loud voice.  16  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him―and he was a Samaritan.

17  Jesus asked,  “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?18  Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”19  Then he said to him,  “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

17:12  lepers.  People with leprosy were required by law to keep away from healthy people (Lev. 13:46); these came as close as they dared and called out loudly.

Rules about leprosy,.. which may or may not have actually been “Hansen's disease! Any skin disease one was isolated until examination. Since skin conditions include disease and various sort of rashes. A rash that is caused by an allergy may look and feel terrible! But it's not contagious. It may well look like a condition that is contagious. So in this time, anyone with a skin condition was considered 'unclean', that is to be contagious or not allowed to interact with others.

The Samaritans thought of themselves as Jews - descendants of Joseph's line instead of Judah's, worshiping at the "true" center of faith at Mt. Gerizim - but Jews nonetheless. The rest of Judaism branded Samaritans as "Gentiles" - lumping them in with all the other pagan religions.

as they went.  Jesus’ command, when nothing had yet happened to the men, was a test of faith. They were healed as they went in obedience to Jesus’ word. They obeyed, they said yes, they followed his command and were healed as they went along.

The 10th leper, the samaritan, He was an outsider –outsider among outsiders! Yet he's the one who “saw' that he was healed as he went along and he turned back!

The health the Samaritan leper celebrates at Jesus' feet is a feeling of wholeness he has never before experienced. It is something no priest, no doctor, could measure or prescribe. The Samaritan returns to the source of his healing at Jesus' feet to offer praises of thanksgiving "with a loud voice." He whoops it up in joy!

 if all 10 were cured, then they all could have “seen” this much. What this one leper “sees,” then, is something more. We should recall that in Greek, the same term is used for “healing” as is used for “salvation.” This leper’s eyes are opened to the fact that he is not only “healed,” but “saved” as well.

Accordingly, he “returns” to Jesus and begins “praising” or “glorifying” God.

In these times, if you had any sort of illness, injury or hard times, it was believed to be due to some sort of sin in your life. Remember the disciples asked Jesus about the man born blind, did he sin or his parents? And what was JC response? Neither! This is for God's glory, and he healed him.

The word in the Bible for healing ” is Sozo. (sode'-zo) it means to be saved for eternity, but it means more than that. Remember the languages of this time had fewer words than our modern English, so each word had more than one meaning, actually layers of meaning. So looking at the layers of meaning of these words adds tremendously to our understanding of the Bible. Sozo, this great word, means to be saved for eternity. It also means to be protected or saved from danger, to be healed, made well, to be restored to health and wholeness. Sozo brings shalom! The perfect healing, wholeness and protection of God. When Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, Shalom is what he meant!

This is what this Samaritan Leper discovered and and why he came back, praising God and worshiped at Jesus' feet. For when we have that powerful love and wholeness that only comes from God, it is only right to praise and worship, in fact I believe we are not completely healed until we DO! And then carry that love, and wholeness to others, in the Name of the One who loves and heals and helps us. .

This Samaritan Leper, an outsider among outsiders, was the only one of the 10 to get it, to understand that he was not just free of his skin disease, but that he was completely free of all that kept him from God and from others. He would never again be an outsider

Have you ever felt like an outsider?

Being the one of the last picked for the team? Being different from your friends, for whatever reason? We've all felt that way on some level, some because of family circumstances, or having a job that required night work, or not having a job. Maybe you had a health issue that affects your abilities, but isn't immediately obvious to others, so you might be called lazy when you are trying to get some needed rest?! How RUDE!

We all have STUFF, everyone of us has something we have had to deal with over the years. And sometimes we act out because of our stuff. We are irritible, or unloving.. And sometimes others act out -because of their stuff.

practice of love.... why call it 'practice'? Because living in love in faith, does not always come naturally to most of us. We may tend to react badly to others' bad behaviour. If someone yells, you may want to yell back. We have to think about how to react and even practice keeping our cool when things-and people- going bonkers, are acting out because of their stuff!

And we need to practice our faith life too. Worship, bible time, prayer, these are all ways to help us stay connected to Our Loving Lord, When we stay connected, then we are more likely to hear, to discern what we are being led to. We begin meetings with prayer, because it's a way for us to help center ourselves and focus on the reason we are here at a church meeting, to serve! Not for ourselves, but to serve!

And practice helps us to know when to say YES when there is an opportunity to reach out to others!

One of the best things about this church and you all, is the heart for mission and outreach. We say yes! We're quick to help when there is a need. We have a lot of missions that we help financially, enough that we have to be somewhat selective with our resources! I know of churches that are not particularly generous in their support of missions.. Need I say that those churches are struggling? In many ways! I confess to a fair amount of pride in the work that we do together with other churches! We take an active role in Caritas, with a few members who alternate attending their monthly meetings. We partner with a couple other churches during our week to host HOF, the local homeless ministry, which is supported by many churches in the area. John Pickart is current board chair of HOF. He also works closely with Meals on Wheels, which many of you help deliver!

And of course, we worked together with Faith Works and a dozen or so churches on the book bag bash. I' suspect you get tired of my going on about that, but it's a powerful example of God can do when a few people say YES to an opportunity to serve! And when we do, we make a difference.

Author Brennan Manning:

The greatest need for our time is for the church to become what it has seldom been: the body of Christ with its face to the world, loving others regardless of religion or culture, pouring itself out in a life of service, offering hope to a frightened world, and presenting itself as a real alternative to the existing arrangement.

This week, I was with a friend who works for a Catholic ministry. It's called Dismus Ministry and they give bibles and other materials to people incarcerated across the country. Dismus started small, and has grown to delivering materials and support in all 50 states, ministering both to the prisoners and the chaplains.  

Ron Zeilinger Sismus Minstry

THis week, prepping for today, our musician decided to play "What Wondrous Love is This?" as special music. 

Then yesterday, I looked for information about this ministry, the very first thing I found was a blog post...(a blog is an online journal) by Ron Z, a post from more than 3 years ago, in which he referneced “What Wondrous Love Is This?” 

NOT a coincidence! 

When requested by prison chaplains for their Catholic inmates, Dismas Ministry distributes free Scripture and faith resources, including Bibles, a unique prayer book for and by inmates, and faith study materials intended to support the faith-based rehabilitation of inmates. A goal is to provide the foundation for a healthy spiritual life that will serve them whether they remain behind bars or are eventually released.

“It tells them how to attend Mass, how to go to confession, how to pray the rosary, how to pray the stations, all of those different things,” Zeilinger explained about the material, which also includes a section on saints who also were incarcerated during their life.

“It’s wonderful stories of saints who you wouldn’t even imagine … being incarcerated for a period of time in their lives,” he said, naming St. Francis of Assisi, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Peter and St. Paul. “Those are very fascinating stories for the men and women, and they really appreciate that there were these wonderful friends of God who had that prison experience.”

Despite being a prison ministry, Dismas does not focus solely on the needs of inmates. Ron emphasizes that Dismas Ministry “puts victims central.” “Sometimes inmates say ‘my crime is minor’ and they have not thought about how their crime impacted other people, including themselves and their own families. There are victims to all crimes. We need to be aware of and attentive to how to make amends and we do that by teaching scripture.” Ron notes that Old Testament stories like that of Jacob and Esau are powerful teachings on transgression and reconciliation. The philosophy of restorative justice is woven into many of the Dismas materials and into its very mission. As Ron says, when you think about it, “The whole light and ministry of Jesus is one act of restorative justice. Jesus is the mediator, the bridge, in restoring the broken relationship between God and humanity.”

the perfect healing, the Sozo, of Jesus encompasses this restoration that Dismus Ministry is teaching. Ron Zeilinger is a powerful example of someone who said YES to a chance to serve.

In researching him, the first thing I came across was actually an older blog post...a blog is an internet journal. “web log” that folks post online. I happened across this entry from Holy week, 3 years ago. Dismus Ministry is named for the “good thief” of the crucifixion story. Jesus was crucified between 2 criminals. One hurled insults at Him, the other asked, “remember me when you come into your kingdom” and Jesus replied, “today you will be with me in paradise!”

“The things that unfolded on the cross between this “good thief” as he has been called traditionally and Jesus is truly remarkable. The entire passage of Luke 23: 33-43 is so profound in meaning that centuries of reflection by many holy people have not plumbed the depths of it.

The words and melody of the great American southern hymn “What Wondrous Love Is This?” keeps running through my mind. It is wondrous that God went to such stupendous lengths to reveal to us the infinite, unconditional love that He has for us fumbling human beings.

If Dismas can make it into the kingdom as the saint of the last minute rescue, there is always hope for the likes of us too. That is why we call ourselves in this prison ministry business “messengers of hope.”

My hope for everyone is that hope abounds in your lives as Holy Week unfolds in all its wondrous love.”

My hope and prayer is that hope abounds in your lives always, that each of us finds an aspect of that perfect love and life from Jesus Christ, that we praise and worship well, and that we continue to reach out in that love to share the Hope, healing, wholeness and saving Grace of Jesus, today and everyday. Amen.  

Niagara Vacation photos

In June, my husband and I spent 2 days and nights at Niagara Falls Ontario. It was our first time in Canada, and we had a wonderful time. Niagara Falls is awe-inspiring. It is SO big...I took hundreds of photos while we were there, and the best photo or video does not truly do justice to the immense size and power of the falls. 

Our hotel overlooked the falls-a dream come true! and we could open a small screened window, so I could hear the sound of the falls as we fell asleep. 
The first evening there we watched intense lightning over the river above the falls. During the afternoon, there was a rainbow over the falls moving as the sun moves across the sky. I got up early to see and take pics of sunrise, and we saw the colored lights shining on the falls at night. There was a constant show of beauty and nature's power. 

Psalm 42 verses 7-8 

 Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.

 By day the Lord directs his love,
    at night his song is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.

Kindling Kindness

Sermon given at United Church of Beloit July 31, 2016

July 31, 2016               Kindling Kindness           Pastor Carol P. Taylor

Ephesians 4:28-32

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another,forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Sermon series on Love...as depicted in 1 Corinthians chapter 13.

this week's focus is Love is Kind.

I've been blessed this summer to officiate at 2 weddings. Both couples chose this passage as their scripture.

Specifically vss 4-8. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. Amen.

This describes the love of God, a perfect love. This is what we hope for, yearn for. CS Lewis wrote there's a “God Shaped Hole' within our hearts...it's where we yearn for that perfect love. We humans, while created in the image of God, are not perfect, so often times we love imperfectly. But we can aspire to love well, to love more perfectly. We can focus on what we love about each other, in marriage, in our families and at work and in the world! We can focus on the positive and set aside the rest. That's not always easy, but it is always worth while!

At the end of the wedding service I say.... Go forth from this place with the blessing of Christ's church. Be loving, patient and kind. And above all, forgive one another as Christ has forgiven you. This is based on the Ephesians passage.

this week's focus is Love is Kind. What does it mean to be kind?

Kindness is Paying attention to other people,

Their feelings, and what they need.

The Ephesians verses are part of a section wherein the readers..listeners are being reminded to live in the Word of God. The city of Ephesus in Bible times was a center for travel and commerce. It was a large city, on a harbor, with many temples to the various Greco-Roman gods and goddesses, especially Diana, Goddess of the hunt and moon. This chapter of the Epistle is a reminder to live NOT as those do who worship the pagan gods and goddesses! That those who follow the One true God, and God's son, can live in better ways, to honor God and each other!

Do not let Unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but what is helpful to build up! That's a strong message right there, isn't it!? Not griping and complaining but building up, helping, not tearing down. Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger...slander and malice. (and this was written 2000 years ago!)

Be kind and compassionate...forgiving one another.

These are things to strive towards. We aspire to be all these things, in order to live out that Divine Love that we know! It isn't always easy. It comes more naturally to many of us to gripe, or to put down someone else. But having compassion and care and kindness, goes so much further! (honey, not vinegar!)

In our passage, when it says Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, it means to not act out in ways that are NOT of God, in ways that are like the pagans. The Holy Spirit is one of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. We are given the Spirit by Jesus when we have accepted him as Lord and Savior. The Spirit guides and empowers us! But acting in ways that are not Christ like cause grief. I find it interesting that the bible calls it grief. Not anger...

When I was a kid and did something wrong, and got caught...I remember my Mom would yell, rant and rave. My Dad though, never yelled. He was sad when I acted out, he was pained.... and that, so much more than my moms anger, made me straighten up and fly right, I would do anything to keep from seeing that grief in my Dad's eyes... So it is with the Holy Spirit, when we are unkind and impatient and unforgiving.

So how do we Kindle Kindness in ourselves and others. Because when we are kind to one another, it can spread! There are lots of ways we can be kind. It doesn't have to be some huge thing, little kindnesses count here! Sometimes a gesture that seems small can have a big effect!
And kindness has benefits to us as well as those to whom we are kind. Psychologists have found that there are emotional and even physical benefits, when we exercise kindness. Physical effects of kindness:
(Allan Luks and Peggy Payne have identified some of the physical effects of kindness in their publication "The Healing Power of Doing Good". }

These effects can include a greater sense of calmness and relaxation, which may also ease pain (from headaches to back pain) and may even help lower high blood pressure. They also suggest that other effects of kindness may increase your energy level and can even reduce excessive stomach acid. Meditating on a compassionate approach to others shifts resting brain activation to the left hemisphere, a region associated with happiness, and boosts immune functions.

It almost sounds like a commercial for a magic pill doesn't it?! Wow how can I get some of this stuff!

So let's think about how to cultivate this within ourselves!

Author Richard Rohr shared a short meditation recently on his website.

Kindness..Loving Kindness as the Bible calls it....The quality is already within you, but if you don't choose daily and deliberately to practice loving kindness, it is unlikely that a year from now you will be any more loving.

Begin by finding the place of loving kindness inside your heart (Christians might call this the indwelling Spirit).

Drawing upon this source of love, bring to mind someone you deeply care about, and send loving kindness toward them.

Now direct this love toward a casual friend or colleague, someone just beyond your inner circle.

Continue drawing from your inner source of loving kindness and let it flow toward someone about whom you feel neutral or indifferent, a stranger.

Remember someone who has hurt you or someone you struggle to like. Bless them. Send them your love.

Gather all these people and yourself into the stream of love and hold them here for a few moments.

Finally, let the flow of loving kindness widen to encompass all beings in the universe.

This practice can help you know--in your mind, heart, and body--that love is not determined by the worthiness of the object. Love is determined by the giver of the love. You are simply a conduit for the inflow and outflow of love.

Now that we've practiced this inwardly, it's time to share it outwardly.

“Every human interaction offers you the chance to make things better or to make things worse.” ― Barbara Brown Taylor

Many things we can do to show kindness. Hold a door, give a ride, Take out the trash without being asked! Smile and say hello to the other people taking a walk near the river...write a note or call someone you haven't talked to in a while.

at Aldi's leave your quarter in the cart for the next person, Letting the person with 3 items check out ahead of you. And be kind to the clerk while you are at it! (trust me, I worked retail, being kind to retail workers and wait staff is one of the biggest kindnesses you can practice!}

again... Barbara Brown Taylor calls this acknowledging the humanity of someone in these everyday interactions the ‘practice of encountering others’. Here’s her encouragement of this as a spiritual practice: ‘the next time you go to the grocery store, try engaging the cashier. You don’t have to invite her home for lunch or anything, but take a look at her face while she is trying to find arugula on her laminated list of produce.’ When the cashier looks at you while handing you your change, ‘all that if required of you is to look back’, she says. ‘Just meet her eyes for a second when you say thanks. Sometimes that is all another person needs to know she has been seen.’

And ask 'how are you?” then just sit and listen. People today are hungry for companionship. Our society now moves so fast, we so rarely make time to just sit and chat, to really listen to one another. Listening -really listening, means to hear what the other is saying, not just thinking about what my own response is going to be as soon as they stop to take a breath...to listen. And affirm what the other is saying, saying something like “it sounds like you are frustrated.” without launching into our own tale of woe. That can wait.

To be kind to others, especially someone we don't know, is living out our faith, living out the Love of God.

We love, because God first loved us. Love is a gift from God. When we act in loving kindness and show our love & compassion for others, we are living as God wants us to. We are giving thanks for the gifts of life and love and sharing those gifts with others. Because to love means to want to give. Just as God so loved the world, God gave his only Son, Jesus. Love and giving just naturally go together.

And Jesus, gave His live, for each of us. For even the ones we don't know ...yet.

So we can give a smile, a few minutes of our time, to bring loving kindness into someone's day. If we practice kindness every day, we may kindle kindness in others as well. Kindness could spread! May it be so!

Let us pray...

Loving God, guide us, through your Spirit to cultivate and practice kindness every day, sharing your Love, compassion, and forgiveness as we do. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Friday Five: Sounds

From RevGalBlogPals.org
Friday Five: Sounds

1. What sound is soothing to you? 
The sound of ocean waves ( I live in Wisconsin USA, so that sound is hard to come by naturally...I have CD and MP3 files to play) A brook running is a good sound too. There are a couple parks in town where I can go sit by water and just listen to it and to the birds. 

2. What sound do you find irritating?  
I can not stand the sounds of heavy machinery, jackhammers and chain saws and such. And that "beep beep beep" of a truck backing up...UGH 

3. What sound makes you happy? 
A baby laughing and cooing. 

4. What sound immediately gets your attention?  Sirens. 

5. What is your favorite sound to make? 
 I guess I would say to laugh. My late mother always criticized my boisterous laugh. But I can't help it, and so much of life is humorous! 

Photo I took last autumn of a little brook in a local park 

An Oxymoron. Sermon given at United Church of Beloit, July 3, 2016

Oxymoron	Oxymoron	Oxymoron
Found Missing	Act Naturally	Alone Together
Living Dead	Deafening Silence	Seriously Funny
Jumbo Shrimp	Microsoft Works	Unbiased Opinion

Quotes that are oxymorons..

    I am a deeply superficial person. - Andy Warhol

• I distinctly remember forgetting that. - Clara Barton
• Always be sincere, even when you don’t mean it. - Irene Peter
• I can resist everything but temptation. - Mark Twain

as I was beginning to prep for this sermon, before we left town, I was thinking about some oxymorons. Good Samaritan is itself an oxymoron. And I was preparing for a working vacation.... Martin & I went to our NACCC annual meeting and had a few days vaca on either side of the meeting.

Our travel was wonderful—I was reminded again of the lavishness of God's creation! For example, There could have been just a few kinds of trees, but no, God created thousands! We saw a lot of the beauty of creation, especially 4 of the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls.

Thank you for allowing us to represent you. Martin was your delegate and I was alternate and serve on the Growth Ministry Council and am a rep. To the Leadership Council.

The theme of the Annual Meeting was "Who is my Neighbor?"   All the speakers, and the Sunday worship were around this theme.  Detroit has an incredibly diverse population, in large part due to the influx of folks to work at all the Auto manufacturing plants, and of course the economic issues have profoundly affected the area. We here in Beloit can certainly relate! There is a lot of good happening, in particular, a large company is putting a lot of resources back into the city.

Love your neighbor as yourself....

Gospel of Luke...Luke himself was not Jewish, as were the other writers of the Bible. Luke was Paul's 'beloved physician” who clearly believed that Jesus was indeed the long -awaited Messiah for the Jews, and for Gentiles as well. Luke's gospel shows Jesus' compassion for the poor and the 'outsiders' of this society.

Neighbor in bible...

literally one who lives near by.

OT times -it was understood to mean those of the Hebrew community, those who follow the traditions and worship in the same ways. In fact this section of Lev. has a lot about worship! The prohibitions in Leviticus and elsewhere in the OT were there to remind the Hebrew people to not act like the pagan worshipers around them.

This was the understanding of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' time. Love your neighbor, meant to love your Jewish neighbor, not the Romans or the other peoples living nearby. Love your neighbor meant love and care for the one who looks like you, talks like you, worships like you, acts like you!

So this lawyer...this was someone who worked in the temple, studying the Torah, the Jewish law!...a leader of the Hebrew people! He was a learned man who was going to show up this Jesus fellow...This preacher from Galillee -Nazareth-of all places...can anything good come from Nazareth!? ...was going around preaching and teaching and conducting healings and now he had even sent out his followers to do the same and they were preaching, teaching and conducting healings! The followers were Jewish, but many of them were not elite...they were working class, rough around the edges, not like the educated elite in Jerusalem! So this man was going to give Jesus his comeuppance.

And Jesus' response was to tell a story. Stories get our attention, stories appeal to our senses and emotions in ways that little else does. So Jesus told a story, this was a story, not a news report! But it certainly COULD have happened.

Although Jericho is northeast of Jerusalem, travelers go “down” to Jericho. The Jewish historian Josephus (A.D. 37–93) explained that the first-century road was approximately one hundred and fifty Roman stadioi, or about eighteen miles long. A traveler descended from Jerusalem’s height, approximately twenty-five hundred feet above sea level, to Jericho’s depth, some eight hundred twenty-five feet below sea level. In that short geographical space, the descent was approximately six-tenths of a mile. Travelers, merchants, pilgrims, and soldiers have for centuries gone down to go up (traveling north to Jericho) and gone up to go down (traveling south to Jerusalem).

This road was very well known. Jesus setting his story here would have brought a lot of emotion to his listeners. They all had traveled it and knew it was steep and precarious. There were lots of places for bad guys to hide in anticipation of robbing the solo traveler.

His story would also provoke emotion, when the priest and Levite avoided the beaten man... These were the very leaders of the Jewish community! Yet they were indifferent to the suffering of the beaten man.

But along came the “Good Samaritan” --that phrase would have been a complete oxymoron to Jesus' listeners. Samaritans were hated by jews, and the feeling was mutual. Their fighting went back hundreds of years, to the Babylonian exile.

So Jesus telling a story that involved a Samaritan taking care of an injured Jew, would certainly have shaken up his listeners! The Lawyer couldn't even bring himself to say “The Samaritan.” he merely said, the one who showed compassion.

So who is my neighbor? Jesus is clearly stating that his neighbor may well not be the one who looks and acts like him, but the one who cares for someone without regard to religion/race. The one who has compassion, who puts the OTHER person ahead of his or her own needs.

Compassion is a hallmark of Jesus' stories, the ones he told and the ones we read about him in the bible. The word in the Bible in the original Greek literally means to feel a clenching in the gut...

to FEEL the pain of the other person. To put oneself in the position of the other person!

at NA meeting, among our speakers were about a dozen missionaries who serve in various parts of the world. Geoffrey Lipale who was just here, serves in Kenya, his native land. Indian Trails, which helps Native peoples of Arizona and Mexico. Rev. Jim Owens, from United states serves in Haiti, ministering to the poorest of the poor...of Haiti--the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Other speakers told us about helping families here in the US. Another was from India, his native land–he spoke about religious traditions in India, including worship of many gods and idols. He reminded us that the Cow is sacred in India. But he then said, confidentially, “but when I am here in United States, I eat a LOT of beef!” He also spoke of the economic conditions of the caste system which keeps people in poverty generation after generation. These missions all work hard to not just help people, but help with education, and empowerment. Helping people to do more than survive, but also to be able to help others.

The first speakers we heard are very dear to my heart. A group of women from the Detroit area, who 10 years ago began to meet to form an interfaith group to address some of the issues in the Detroit area. They have formed an organization, Womens Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue and Outreach in MetroDetroit.

WISDOM  Mission Statement

To Provide  concrete modeling of women from different faith traditions working together in harmony for the common good.
To Empower  women to take a more active role in furthering social justice and world peace.
To Dispel  myths, stereotypes, prejudices and fear about faith traditions different from our own.
To Nurture  the growth of empathy and spiritual energy that result from our projects and interfaith dialogue

Every speaker talked about sharing our stories, about spending time together, really listening to each other. The interfaith women's meetings and discussions were not to 'evangelize' one another, and no one was tempted to leave her own faith tradition. Rather, the deep discussions helped each woman learn what they all had in common and helped deepen their own faith.

We were reminded that God created a wide variety of people too! And all have needs and they have the same desire for their children and grand children to live in peace as we do!

Every speaker talked about sharing our stories, about spending time together, really listening to each other. The interfaith women's meetings and discussions were not to 'evangelize' one another, and no one was tempted to leave her own faith tradition. Rather, the deep discussions helped each woman learn what they all had in common and helped deepen their own faith.

From their talks...Scripture assures us we are the people of God even when we believe we are not. It sends us into the world to tell the story of God.... The story of the Bible...God's love....runs deeper than the world’s stories. It invites others to see this story as their story. Allows God to work through us and the church.

{Quotes from the speakers, I only used the last one}

“How deep is your heart and how wide is your embrace?” – Patricia Harris (Roman Catholic)

“It is only when the uncomfortable becomes the comfortable that we can make a difference!… The women of WISDOM have found that their own faith is strengthen and deepened in interfaith conversation” – Gigi Salka (Muslim)

“Maybe I’m dreaming, that the friendship between a Hindu and a Muslim, that our friendship has the power to reshape perceptions.” – Padma Kuppa (Hindu)

We in USA celebrate Freedom of speech. Freedom of speech means that one can -for example- criticize some policy of a government without fear of being imprisoned for saying so! As a pastor, as wife, mother, I do not believe that freedom of speech means that is it OK to say any old thing that pops into your head! We need to be kind to one another! It may not always be easy, but it always pays off.

Golden rule -common to many if not all faiths...most state as do not do that to another which you would not want done ..Jesus stated in positive terms. It's not always easy to do, especially living in times when bad behavior is rampant.

It's easier to look the other way, it's easier to cross the road to avoid someone in need. It's easier to stay home than to get involved in your community.

Elie Wiesel (Ellie VeezEL)

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, but indifference between life and death." (Interview with U.S. media, 1986)

“Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other.”

God's peace can only come through our working together to bring it! God's peace happens when a Samaritan takes care of a Jew...when a church helps out a mission to the poorest of the poor in a poor country. God's peace will come about when we volunteer in many ways, at the Hospital or at Caritas-our food pantry, or delivering meals on wheels. When we fill backpacks for needy school kids. We may have to get out of our comfort zones a bit! We may have to work with people we don't know from other churches, and people from no church! But if we do not, if we don't allow ourselves to feel the other's pain, we are the poorest of the poor!

Let us pray... holy God, help us to be Good Samaritans in this church, in our city and in the world. Help us to serve you well, looking at our common needs, not at our differences. Help us to bring the Light and Love of Jesus into all we say and do. In Jesus Name and Spirit we pray, amen!