Only the Poor Have Names in Heaven
February 21, 2008
Gospel: Lk 16:19-31
Today, we have one of the most striking parables of Jesus for our reflection. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man. What strikes me as very significant is that, in scripture and in heaven, only the poor man has a name of his own - Lazarus. The rich man is just “the rich man”. His qualification is his wealth, and its importance to himself alone.
This lack of a name for the rich man reminds us of the many teachings of Jesus about wealth and how we have to use them. Basically, the parable is not about being wealthy or poor; rather, it is about how we use what we have.
It is about freedom. When someone is attached to material things, he loses his freedom and becomes blind; so much so, that he finds no time for anything else but his pleasures.
If you are reading this, you probably have a computer, and not unreasonably poor, not in such a dire situation as Lazarus. In fact, none of your immediate friends are in such difficulties. Thank the Lord for that. But if you think about it, there are millions out there. Lots of people who are poor. And if there’s a question for us, it is what we do for them; what we must do for those less fortunate than us. It is not possible to be a Christian and remain unmoved. It is not enough to feel pity, or to cry for them. We have to help; and if we already are, we have to do more, and exert our Christian best.
Someone once asked Teresa of Calcutta, “Mother, you are doing lot of things for the poor. It is useless! You are simply not going to succeed in eliminating poverty from the face of the earth.” Teresa smiled at him and replied, “we are not called to be successful, but to be faithful”.
Friends, to be faithful in our Christian commitment is to find ways to help our less privileged brethren. Let us do so, and gladly.
May God bless us. Amen
Illustration on frontpage: Podcastshow
The Right Kind of Kids
February 20, 2008
TO: Youth Director
FROM: Administrative Board
Re: The right kind of kids
I’m sure you’ll agree that attracting the right kind of kid to the program will then attract the right kind of parent. Remember we’re all about families here. The more familial-giving-units we can bring on board, the quicker we can move into the new family life center.
It’s recently come to our attention that your youth program may not be attracting the right sort of kids to our church. Mildred Fleener, who has been at this church since 1809, graciously volunteered to create a sub-committee on youth activities and came up with the following list of suggestions on which kinds of kids may NOT be entirely appropriate for our church.
* Kids who wear too much black. (This includes hair dye and lipstick.)
* Kids who smoke. (Smell them when they come in.)
* Kids who drink. (Pay attention to kids who pop a lot of Tic-Tacs. See Also: Smoking)
* Kids who have their own cars. (Kids who drive themselves to church make parents uncomfortable.)
* Kids who have more than one piercing. (One in each ear is plenty. Girls only!)
* Kids who use the word “suck.”
* Kids who slouch during church.
* Kids who pass notes during church.
* Kids who don’t know all the words to Our God Is an Awesome God.
* Kids from broken homes.
* Kids who have…uh…more than one mommy.
* Kids who have jobs or sports activities that interfere with youth activities.
* Kids who give “that look.”
* Kids who aren’t familiar with even the most elementary Bible stories.
* Kids who come to youth meetings but not to real church.
* Kids who come to church but don’t sing.
* Kids who come to church but sing too loud.
* Kids who ask too many questions.
* Kids who don’t participate in the youth fundraisers.
* That one kid who keeps taking six of the good cookies from the “fellowship time” table and then going to the youth room to eat them.
* That girl with the eye makeup and the perfume.
* That boy with the eye makeup and the perfume.
* “That” kid from “that” family.
* Kids who wear T-shirts that feature bands that sing lyrics that make adults uncomfortable.
* Kids who wear T-shirts depicting Jesus the Son of God as a “homeboy.”
* Kids who wear T-shirts that bare the midriff (See also: Piercing)
* Kids who wear shorts with words on their backsides that may cause others to actually look there.
(NOTE: Shelly Smith frequently wears shorts and midriff-bearing shirts that say “Our God Is an Awesome God.” This clothing is still unacceptable despite her attempts to call it evangelism.)
As we have new visitors every Sunday, it’s important that they see a happy, close-knit group of well-adjusted, happy teenagers who enjoy church and enjoy sitting with their families.
Please keep these guidelines in mind when visiting the high schools or welcoming friends of current youth group members.
Yours in Christ,
The Administrative Board
Sub-Committee on Youth Activities
To: Youth Director
From: Jesus
Re: The right kind of kids
Over here. I’ll take ‘em.
Yours In Me, Jesus
Authored by Steve Case.
STEVE CASE has been active in youth ministry for 18 years, currently at Windermere Union United Church of Christ near Orlando, Fla. He’s also a popular speaker and the author of several books, including Everything Counts, The Book of Uncommon Prayer, and The Youth Worker’s Big Book of Case Studies . (YS)
© 2005 Youth Specialties
Electronically reprinted in fosni.org, with permission from YouthSpecialties.com
Why Do We Observe Lent?
February 20, 2008
Gospel: Mt 20:17-28
The most striking image in today’s gospel is of the mother of James and John; a typical mother. A mother who was worried about the future of her sons; who was ready to go to any extent to make it secure. No matter what others think about her, no matter what the other disciples and Jesus himself think about her, she pleads before him for her sons; that they be given good positions in his kingdom. That is how the mothers are, that is how God created them.
Jesus invites us to be the servant to others in order that we may enter his Kingdom. Think about the times our mothers did everything for us, placing our needs and necessities before theirs.
Today, let us thank the Lord in a special way for all the mothers in this world. For it is through them that we experience, for the first time, the way God loves us; a love that is unconditional, without any boundaries.
Then there are two questions from Jesus, addressed directly to each one of us. Those are the questions that Jesus posed to the mother of the son of Zebedee. What is that you want? What is that we are searching for during this Lenten season? What is the purpose of our fasting and prayer?
Is it because we do not want to feel guilt in our conscience that we do all these things? Or do we think that if we do not practice Lent He will punish us? Or do we do it as a ritual? Or is it because we love him and want to love him and know him more?
There is a second question from Jesus. Can you drink of the cup that I am to drink?
The cup from which Jesus drinks today may be the depression through which one of our friends is going through; a painful divorce in which one of us is a partner, the loneliness felt by one of the members of the church who has lost a beloved one just recently.
Jesus is asking me and you: “can you drink from this cup with me?” If our answer is yes, then we have to do something more than what we are doing now, something more than fasting and prayer; reaching out to those who are depressed, in pain, and deep in loneliness. Let us prove to the Lord, that we do really want to drink from his cup. May god bless us all. Amen.
March 1st 7:00pm
February 19, 2008
Mark your calendars, Kaamulans!
February 24th, 1-5 PM practice at the Columbus Hall, Emmanuel Church, with Tita Batchie.
March 1st, 7PM. With Fr. Tim Sockol at Columbus Hall, Emmanuel. Kaamulan participants and parents are invited to come join Emmanuel Parish staff for fellowship and thanksgiving for a show well done. According to Fr. Tim, you can bring your best dish, or your worst, for the sharing.
Fathers and Sons - Part 2
February 19, 2008
What is love? How far will you go for another person? How would you react differently? How willing would you be to plumb your own resilience? Would you be found worthy, do you think?
More to this story at Music of the Heart.
A Lesson in Humility
February 19, 2008
Gospel Mt 23:1-12
On reading today’s gospel, we might readily think that the Lord is speaking to us about removing three words from our vocabulary; “father, master and Rabbi”. But that was not the intention of the Lord. Jesus was teaching the people an important lesson; a lesson about humility, a lesson that is very relevant during this Lenten season.
Jesus was not condemning the words they used, or the way the Pharisees and Scribes dressed, and so on; but the attitude with which they did what they were doing, the attitude with which they were trying to attract people’s attention to themselves and not to God almighty. They were promoting themselves, projecting their own self-righteousness to others; as opposed to bringing others closer to God. Jesus is urging us not to imitate them, but inviting all of us to grow in Humility, the queen of all the virtues.
It is humility that enables us to see ourselves as we are; fragile and weak, in need of the grace of God. Humility is not humiliation but is the realization of the reality, and facing it with courage.
Humility enables us to accept the fact that it is OK to be different. In order to please my God, there is no need for me to be somebody other than what God wants me to be. And that conviction can make me stronger as I go after the goals of my life; a journey that I will undertake with the strength of my faith in God. Humility makes me conscious of the fact that to be holy is to be simple, humble and joyful.
I would like to conclude with a refrain which I learned from my mother, “One who sleeps on the floor will never fall”.
May God bless us all. Amen
Photo on frontpage: ITM Image
Site Redesign
February 18, 2008
We’re almost done with the redesign. Little graphic icons are being designed as of this writing and will be integrated in the site when it’s done. Thank you very much.
Worthy is the Lamb
February 18, 2008
Look on us, Lord, as we bring you praise; and help us be worthy, as we breathe, as we walk and live, and dance for you.
A Christian Lifestyle
February 18, 2008
Gospel: Lk 6:36-38
The gospel of today is very short but dense at the same time. It sums up all that a Christian lifestyle should be.
The Lord begins by inviting us to be merciful, just as our heavenly Father is merciful. He invites us to have a compassionate heart which is clearly shown to us throughout his life; the hunger of the poor was his hunger. We read in the gospel that He felt compassion for them for they were like sheep without a shepherd. Out of that compassion came “the miracle of the multiplication of the bread and fishes”.
To explain to us the true meaning of compassion further, Jesus teaches about two things which we are to avoid and two things which we have to grow in. We have to stop judging and condemning, because only God alone can judge and condemn. We have to give and forgive.
Giving and forgiving are at the heart of this Holy Lenten season. It is about giving to God and to our fellow beings. Giving and forgiving are the only ways through which we can expand and widen our hearts. Giving and forgiving is a process of emptying the self so that it may have the capacity to receive all the blessings which will come back to us from the hands of God. That is what we hear in the last words “the measure you will give will be the measure you receive back”.
May God bless us all. Amen
Photo on frontpage: SW Photo
Grace When I’m Disappointed
February 17, 2008
Thank you for bearing with me for the last two weeks. As I have said, the Lord provided a way for me to be able to listen to these messages during my treatments. I used each of them as my devotions for the day. God gave me these encouraging messages to lift me up and to lead me to trust in His grace.
This is the third of the series, entitled, “Grace When I Am Disappointed,” by Pastor James McDonald.
Read 1 Kings 18:20-19:10 with me
In this passage, after a time of intense ministry output (1 Kings 18:20-46), after all relational conflicts and after pouring himself to people, after physical exhaustion (1 Kings 18:40-46), and after a major victory (1 Kings 19:1-3), Elijah who’s considered the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, went through depression.
Disappointments (caused by high expectations) - discontentment (results to anger, brooding) - despair (hopelessness) - despondency (”me only me” syndrome) = DEPRESSION.
Elijah chose to be depressed, a desperate place to be. Alone, he went to the wilderness (1 Kings 19:4-5). He focused on the negative (1 Kings 19:10,14) and he forgot God’s provision.
But God got hold of Elijah. He led him to the cure.
1. Let God confront you, He will pursue you. 1 Kings 19:9.
2. Let God reveal Himself to you, He is kind and tender. 1 Kings 19:11-13.
3. Receive God’s provision for you. 1 Kings 19:5-8.
4. Do what God says immediately. 1 Kings 19:15-18.
5. Get involved with people again. 1 Kings 19:19.
Elijah trusted God. He allowed God to work marvelously in and through him. 2 Kings 2:11 says, “…behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
O Lord, You are indeed Gracious and Tender. You are Kind and full of mercy. You are ever providing me with all the spiritual blessings that I need daily. Blessed be Your Name O Lord. You are Awesome, so Amazing.
O Lord, lead me today to count my blessings; to honor You, and to be faithful to You. You are my Joy and my Peace, my Salvation. Amen.