Saturday, July 24, 2100
I'm Moving Out!
On July 1st, 2018, I started a series of essays called Mass Preps on this blog to connect the 4 weekly readings of Sunday Mass. Now that I know that I am able to write and post each Mass Prep on a consistent basis, I am moving over to another platform, WordPress. My new blog url is https://coccoscollections.home.blog/ and I hope you will join me as I progress into the next stage of blogging. Thank you for all of your continued support!
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Purpose of Mass Prep
My premise is that there are only two parts
of the Mass that change: the readings
and the homily. These are the only
exposure an average congregation will receive to scripture for the week and the
only opportunities to make God personal and exciting. (Or at least hmmm…haven’t
thought of that before.)
A quick one
page essay on the readings for next week; set up for anyone to read on a website could give people something to think about during the
week and at least have some idea of what the message of that Mass would
be: Mass Prep. It may also reinforce the homily for that
Mass and maybe people would even remember something that would last at least
until after lunch.
"Ignorance of scripture is ignorance
of Christ."
-St. Jerome-
Translation:
You can’t know Jesus if you don’t
know Jack.
Vote in my poll and let me know what you think
In Christ,
Andy Cocco
Mass Prep Sunday August 4th 2019 18th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Sunday August 4th 2019
18th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
What’s it all about?
The tie in between
today’s readings: Meaningful living
“Vanity of vanities!
All is vanity.” Sounds like a sound bite on an HGTV bathroom show, but no. It’s
the lead off to the most depressing book of the Bible: Ecclesiastics. In our chapter
two reading for example, our “what’s the use king” Solomon bemoans the fact
that you can’t take it with you. In the end you die and the fruits of your labor
go to someone else. Chapter after chapter, the book drones on in existential
fashion as it expounds the useless futility of living. But hold on! Our Prozac
monarch doesn’t off himself in a final exclamation point. He discovers four
principles to make life worth living or at least bearable, which I will share
at the end of this essay. So put the top back on that bottle of pills and turn
off the gas! There’s a real light at the end of the tunnel and His name is
Jesus.
The problem
presented in our readings today is how to live our short lives knowing that
troubles are common and death can surprise us at anytime. Psalm 90 recognizes
the brevity of life and asks God to give a proper perspective to live it. The
Psalmist asks to have the joy of the Lord in the sorrows, to give faith that
will pass on to the next generation and for a secure future for all. The key
here is that he goes to the Lord to make sense of our short time here on earth.
We truly live when we value a relationship with God. He offers us His security,
sufficiency, and satisfaction. The alternative is going our own way on an
aimless voyage, floating on a senseless sea, without a compass. Seek God first.
He will be that friend that sticks closer than a brother. Be rich toward Him
and he will make you a treasure to others. That’s a life worth living.
The characters in
Luke 12:13-21, like most people, ignore death and focus on temporal things. In
verses 13-15, we have two brothers squabbling over the family inheritance. Did
you catch that? Inheritance! At least one person has recently passed with
apparently little impact on the short sighted siblings who value possessions
over each other. Jesus leverages this into a teaching moment with the parable
of the Rich Fool. We wish we had this guy’s problem. He has to figure out what
to do with the windfall that has dropped into his lap. Not to worry, he quickly
comes up with the solution and a retirement plan to boot. Then he suddenly dies
and someone else gets the loot, probably the aforementioned quarrelling
brothers. The neighbors gather at his funeral and say, “What a shame, just when
he was starting to live.” From the Almighty’s point of view, he never lived a
day in his life. Instead of being focused toward God, he was self centered. He
loved his life in this world and so lost it for eternity. Jesus said, “Store up
for yourselves treasures in heaven…” (Matt 6:20). He didn’t. “Whoever wants to save their life will lose
it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matt 16:25). Failed
there too! Who or what has the hold on your life?
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So what’s the secret
of living in this world? Live your life with eternity in mind. Die now and move
on ahead! In Galatians 2:20, Paul writes: “I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I
live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” In
Ephesians 2:6, we read: “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in
the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” So we have died in Christ by faith and
are in heaven with Jesus...but not yet. Live down here like you’re there
already.
We’ll tie Solomon’s
principles for living in Ecclesiastes along with today’s reading in Colossians
3:1-11 to get a better handle on what the wisest man who ever lived has to say.
Principle #1 Life is
a school; learn your lessons. Therefore
if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ
is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on
the things that are on the earth (Col 3:1-2).
Principle #2 Life is
a gift; enjoy it. Life in Christ is the Father’s gift to us and there is glory
to come. For you have died and your life
is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then
you will also be revealed with Him in glory (Col 3:3-4).
Principle #3 Life is
a stewardship; God will demand an accounting. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amount to
idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come
upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were
living in them. But now you also put them aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander,
and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid
aside the old self with its evil practices (Col 3:5-9).
Principle #4 Life is
an adventure; live by faith. Put on the
new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the
One who created him- a renewal in which Christ is all and in all (Col 3:10-11).
The Lord God
Almighty knows your situation. He knows that you are born to trouble as surely
as sparks fly upward (Job 5:7). Here on earth you will have many trials and
tragedies (John 16:33). But happiness does not come from a lack of
difficulties, but in the triumph over them and you don’t have to go it alone.
Hear what Jesus Christ, the man of sorrows has to say. “I have told you these
things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulations.
But be of good cheer! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). So take heart!
Take Jesus, the light at the end of your tunnel, and hope for years to come!
And remember this too...life can be good if you let it be!
Friday, July 19, 2019
Mass Prep SundayJuly 28th 2019 17th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Sunday July 28th 2019
17th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Prayer: Being in a Relationship
The tie in between
today’s readings: prayer principles
Everybody prays, or more exactly, recites the Our Father. While
there is surely nothing wrong with that, there is a greater value for us.
Today, I want to take it apart and use it as a framework on which we can build
our prayer life. We find the Lord’s Prayer today in Luke 11:2-4.
OUR FATHER: This shows a special relationship. Contrary to
popular thinking and consistent with Biblical teachings, God is NOT everybody’s
father. You must be born again into God’s family to call Him Father. Our
reading in Colossians gives a good illustration of how this occurs: having
been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through
your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When
you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made
you alive with Christ (Col 2:12-13a).
Notice the ideas of buried vs. raised and dead vs. alive. Baptism is the
key. It’s the willful spiritual submersion
by faith of your life into Christ’s
sacrifice on the cross and rising to a new life with Him at the resurrection.
This is crucial, because if God is not your Father then He will be your judge
and baptism was just the sacrament that got you wet when you were a baby.
HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME: God is holy, totally separate, and not
like anything else. He is to be revered. He is awesome and anything done in His
name better match His character.
YOUR KINGDOM COME: We look forward to the day when God enforces
His absolute rule over the earth as it is in heaven. Your goal now is, by the
power of the Holy Spirit, to become more like Jesus in order to take your place
as a heavenly citizen here on the earth.
GIVE US EACH DAY OUR DAILY BREAD: Bagels, baguettes,
brioche...God provides differently for each person according to His purposes
and grace. Be satisfied and thankful for YOUR daily bread. Godliness with
contentment is great gain (1Timothy 6:6).
FORGIVE US OUR SINS: Back to Colossians: He forgave us all our sins, having
canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and
condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross (Col 2:13b-14).
Enough said.
FOR WE
OURSELVES ALSO FORGIVE EVERYONE WHO IS INDEBTED TO US: This is so important! If
you have unresolved issues with someone DON’T EVEN COME to church before you
deal with it! He forgave us everything and we must forgive everyone also. God
will give you the grace to do this. It’s tough. It’s necessary. Its kingdom
living!
LEAD US NOT
INTO TEMPTATION: Trials are the tests that God uses to mature you in your
Christian life. Sometimes you win and you grow. Sometimes you fail. When you
fail, the trial can be an avenue for you to fall into temptation, sin, and big
trouble. We are praying for God’s hand to keep us out of temptation’s
devastation. Rejoice in the trials, though (James 1:2-4).
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In our
reading in Genesis 18, Abraham’s intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah shows the
Our Father in action.
Verses 16-19
establish God as Abraham’s Father.
“I will go
down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached
me. If not, I will know.” verse 21...Thy
will be done.
Then Abraham
approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Verse
23...Hallowed be thy name.
From verse
24 to 32 Abraham bargains for the lives of the people, interceding to save the
cities...Forgive us our trespasses.
Not finding
ten righteous people, God provided His angels...Our daily bread.
And rescued
Lot and his daughters from the destruction....Deliver us from evil. Mom
stayed behind and became a pillar of the community (Gen 19:26).
Now that we’ve
seen an example of how to pray: what about the answer? Prayers are answered in
three different ways: yes, no, and wait. Luke 11:9-13 by a comparison and
contrast the Lord demonstrates his love, wisdom, and eagerness to give a yes
answer to prayer. A key is the last verse where the Father gives His Holy
Spirit to those who ask. The Holy Ghost guides us in our requests because
sometimes instead of asking for an egg as it says in verse 12 we ask for the
scorpion! So of course that’s a NO. What about the wait?
The wait
answer leads us into persistence in prayer, as we read in Luke 11:5-8. There
are any number of reasons why God delays an answer. It makes us reevaluate the
request; it could be a no answer after all. From His vantage point, the
circumstances may not be right at the moment or He has something better in
mind. It could be that you’re not really serious; what you want may be more
like a wish than a prayer. If you are serious, then the Lord may want you to
become active in answering your own prayer. Waiting builds faith, shows dependence,
gives God the glory, and makes the answer that much sweeter. No matter what,
keep knocking, don’t give up, God is trustworthy and you will be rewarded. The
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous person is powerful (James 5:16).
Lastly, when
you talk about a person whose life has been a rollercoaster from gutter to
glory, King David, our psalmist, is your man and, because of that, nobody prays
better than he does. Psalm 138 is his testimony of praise and thanksgiving of
prayer’s power and God’s faithfulness. So get on your knees. Those that go to
the Lord will never be cast out. Pray like you’ve got nowhere else to go,
because you don’t. Expect an answer. Don’t worry. You’re in good hands.
Monday, July 15, 2019
Mass Prep Sunday July 21st 2019 16th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Sunday July 21st 2019
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Guess who’s coming to Dinner!
The tie in between
today’s readings is: Holy Communion is Serious Stuff
“The time has come to take care of some business on the earth,”
said God, “Let’s take a couple of angels on the road with us and visit our
friend Abraham while we’re down there.”
We pick up the scene with today’s reading in Genesis
18:1-10. It was another scorching desert
afternoon, entirely too hot to do anything but chill out in the shade by the
tent. Through the mirage-like distortion of heat waves rising off the sand,
Abraham sees three “men” in the distance. They’re coming toward him. He jumps
up and sprints to meet them. Bowing prostrate, he pleads that they accept his
hospitality. They agree and the progenitor of the Jewish nation, the defeater
of armies, and our father in faith springs up and bolts back to the tent.
“Hurry, Sarah,” he says, “Take three measures of fine flour and make some
bread. I’ll have a servant prepare a calf...milk and cottage cheese too. We
must outdo ourselves today. The Boss is coming to dinner!” In the text, the
mention of Levitical ceremonial items, the calf and flour, hint at the scene
being more of a sacrificial meal rather than a communal one. Abraham standing by as a waiting servant
enforces this sense. He watches as the visitors eat and does not join in. The
Almighty has graced him with his presence. In humility, he responds by laying
all that he has, even himself, before the Lord with open hands and open heart.
Though God declared that he and Abraham are friends, Abraham knows that they
are not buds. We should always keep that boundary with the Master in mind.
Martha was very happy when Jesus accepted her invitation to
stay over the house. Dinner might be a challenge, but she had her sister, Mary,
to help. Mary couldn’t contain herself when He and His disciples arrived! After
greeting them, Martha returned to the kitchen. Mary planted herself at Jesus’
feet, eager to hear what He had to say. She knew her customary place was
helping Martha in the kitchen, but wild horses couldn’t drag her away. This was
Jesus after all! Martha’s annoyance with Mary grew to frustration as she
ignored her throat clearing and pot clanging hints for assistance. It didn’t
help that word about Jesus got out to the neighborhood. Everyone was dropping
in. The Master always drew a crowd. They had to be greeted, seated and “meated”
by yours truly, Martha. Finally, the tyranny of the kitchen became unbearable
and right in the middle of one of the Lord’s “blessed be’s”, she exploded.
“Jesus! Can’t you see what’s going on here?” Martha yelled.
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“Chill, Martha!” He soothed. “You’re all over the place. Don’t
go to all this trouble. We’re low maintenance. You asked us to be here. So be
with us like Mary is doing. That’s the more important thing. “Hmmm...I wonder
what Martha did after Jesus’ tender rebuke?”
I read the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 and it
reminds me of the struggle we go through the days between Thanksgiving and
Christmas: presents vs. presence, buying vs. abiding, in pieces instead of at
peace, always a Martha and never a Mary. Jesus says it doesn’t have to be this
way. Make the better choice. The same battle goes for worship: distractions vs.
contemplation, cares vs. prayers, duty vs. devotion, and concern over leaving
the parking lot when you’ve never really shown up. Stop! Make the better
choice. Even in our daily lives, you can’t do it all: TV, internet, job, and
family...it’s madding! Let something go! Sit at the Master’s feet. Make the
better choice. Because...
Ready or not, one day every believer is going to God’s house
for dinner. He’s not throwing a come as you are barbecue, either. It’s a royal,
glorious, beautifully sublime wedding banquet. You have to prepare! In our
reading in Colossians, the Apostle Paul rejoices over his suffering, of all
things, in fulfilling his God given charge concerning the Church. Paul’s whole
purpose for living is to proclaim the Gospel, admonish, and teach everyone with
all wisdom in order to present every man
complete in Christ (Colossians 1:28). In Psalm 15:1, David asks the
question: O Lord, who can stay at your house (tent)? The remaining four verses
in the Psalm go into a list of virtues a true child of God possesses. Even
though a child of God may have these virtues by reason of the Holy Spirit, they
MUST be cultivated. We can glean some insights from our readings today on how
to do this.
Like Abraham, we need a healthy fear of God. I know that we
don’t hear much about that anymore. Back in the sixties we went to confession
almost weekly, even venial sins. We also fasted at least three hours before
Holy Communion. This fostered humility, focus, and wonder about receiving the
Lord in the Eucharist. These preparations are not required today, but it
doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate them, anyway. Come to Jesus with clean
hands, a pure heart, and reverence. In making the right choices, as with
Martha, rather than saying that we love God we need to be truly in love with God. We can take a lesson
from a church in the New Testament. The church at Ephesus was doctrinally sound
and stood firm against heresies, but Jesus complained that they didn’t love Him
anymore. Their mechanical go through the motion worship changed their romance
with Christ into a dry marriage. How’s your Jesus love affair going? God is all
about the relationship. He uses the dinner example to point this out: Revelation 3:20 (KJV) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice,
and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with
me.
The Boss is coming to dinner! It would be the height of
foolishness to shout from the inside, “I hear you knocking, but you can’t come
in.” So answer the door. Foster your relationship with the Almighty. Each
Eucharist is a sacrificial meal, a communal meal, and an opportunity to draw
closer to Jesus the Lover of your soul. Regain your awe of the Lord and His
table. Pursue Him like a lover with right life choices and holy living so that
when the day comes to meet Him face to face you won’t be a stranger.
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Mass Prep Sunday July 15th 2019 15th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Sunday
July 15th 2019 15th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Rule Breaking Compassion
The tie in
between today’s readings: The Law of Love
Just
as God the Creator has physical laws that govern the universe. The Lord is also
God the Judge with moral laws that apply to everybody, everywhere, everyday.
Our reading in Deuteronomy 30:10-14 has Moses rhetorically asking, “Where can
anyone find these majestic directives of the Almighty? Up in the unreachable
heaven? If so, who would come down to give it to us? Or, maybe, we need to send
the bravest among us to a strange land beyond the sea? Does anyone know the
way? “It’s not necessary,” Moses answers. The great God of the cosmos planted
His sublime code in each of our hearts and if we pay attention to them, we’ll
discover that...
Psalm 19:8-11 New American Standard Bible
(NASB)
8 The
precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the
Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.9 The
fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are
true; they are righteous altogether.10 They
are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey
and the drippings of the honeycomb.11 Moreover,
by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.
It would be hard to find anyone
to disagree with the Psalmist’s conclusions about the Law of God, especially
when you see two people who are usually at odds, Jesus and a lawyer, both
agreeing on it’s summation in Luke 10:25-28.
Luke 10:25-28 New American
Standard Bible (NASB)
25 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the
test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 And He said to him, “What is written
in the Law? How does it read to you?” 27
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and
your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And
He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”
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It gets trickier, though when you go from the abstract and try to move
it to everyday life where the rubber meets the road.
Luke 10:29 New American
Standard Bible (NASB)
29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to
Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Kindness
Even During a War
We had just searched a
small village that had been suspected of harboring Viet Cong. We really tore
the place up-it wasn't hard to do, but had found nothing. Just up the trail
from the village we were ambushed. I got hit and don't remember anything more until
I woke up with a very old Vietnamese woman leaning over me. Before I passed out
again I remembered seeing her in the village we had just destroyed and I knew I
was going to die. When I woke again, the
hole in my left side had been cleaned and bandaged, and the woman was leaning
over me again offering me a cup of warm tea.
As I was drinking the tea and wondering why I was still alive, a
helicopter landed nearby to take me back.
The woman quietly got up
and disappeared down the trail.
Unknown author
The thing that makes Good
Samaritan stories different from all others is their rule breaking compassion.
These people free themselves from the chains of the expected and challenge
themselves to do God things. She broke the rule of “an eye for an eye” to give
aid to a dying soldier that shot up her village. He broke the rule of self
preservation to risk himself by saving a beaten stranger on the Jericho Road,
also known as the “bloody pass”. The biggest rule breaker of them all is God
Himself. In His plan to save mankind, He turned the universe upside down: the
master became the servant, the offended became the conciliator, the beloved
became the forsaken. Romans 5:10 tells us that though we were His enemies, God reconciled us to Himself
through the death of His Son. That idea is reinforced in our reading today in
Colossians. Jesus, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all
creation did it all to reconcile us back to the Father by making peace through
the blood of His cross. I’m sure that you can think of other examples.
The actions of the Almighty
don’t make sense because we measure them with our perspective. We live
according to our rules: the rules of human nature, the dictates of society, and
the truisms of prejudice. God, however, is looking for revolutionaries that
want to be compassionate rule breakers like Himself. God has written His laws
in our hearts! He wants us to think like Him, respond like Him, and love like
Him. This is not natural. It can only be achieved by the radical change of
Christ in our lives. The Law giver wants us to become law livers! The challenge
of the Good Samaritan is daunting because it costs us something up front in time,
money, commitment, and especially the command to die to ourselves. The Holy
Spirit can empower us to fulfill the Law of love by breaking the hold of the
lesser rules of “me first”. Our Father
commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is the Law written within.
Let us show that we love God with all our hearts by seeking His power to
fulfill love of neighbor. The Samaritan did. Let’s go and do likewise and be
law livers!
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Mass Prep Sunday July 7th 2019 14th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Sunday July 7th 2019
14th Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle C)
Move ‘Em Out!
The tie in between
today’s readings: Missions
Last week’s Mass
Prep dealt with the importance of answering the call to become a disciple. I
hope that you found it helpful in your pursuit of maturing in Christ. Do we
ever get there? Today’s installment takes a deeper look into the “Go” aspect of
discipleship: missions. We in the church don’t really think of ourselves as
missionaries. After all, there are trained and ordained people for that. Just
send money and let the professionals do it. Yes, there are special people God
calls to do special things in special places and we definitely need to support
them, but you are special too. Every believer has the Holy Spirit and a sphere
of influence that they can affect with the message of the gospel. Stepping out
in faith in order to share your faith
can be a little daunting, but do it anyway! Take the challenge of being a
missionary for Jesus in your own part of the world. It will motivate your Bible
study, grow your faith, deepen your worship, and give an anticipation of
adventure to your life. Walking with God is never boring!
Imagine yourself on
the scene with Jesus as He sent the seventy out on their first missionary
endeavor, (Luke 10:1-20). See Him standing on the side of the hill so that they
all could hear Him: “Alright men, let Me have your attention! Give me two
lines, here and here. Good! OK, the man opposite you will be your partner on
this assignment. I’m glad to see all of you here today. I wish there were more
of you. We have a lot to do. So when you pray, ask My Father to send more laborers
out into the field to be with us. There are specific rules I want you to follow
on this mission. Listen up! First, this is a faith exercise for you guys. DO
NOT bring any money, backpack, or shoes. You go just as you are. Have faith! I
don’t want any idle chit chat with people that you meet along the way. Get to
your assigned towns ASAP. Keep Focused! When you get there start knocking on
doors and bid peace to the household. If they take you in, blessings will be
upon that house. Stay there the whole time. Eat what they give you with
thanksgiving. Now, very important! While you are there, you will have the power
to heal the sick...and to do a few other things if needed. Don’t let it go to
your heads. These signs will give you the credentials that you’ll need for the real mission: spreading the word about
the kingdom of God! Look, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. If they
receive you, then they receive Me. If they reject you, then they reject Me and
My Father. Either way, your message must stay consistent and that message is:
the kingdom of God has come near! You don’t embellish it for the believers nor
will you water it down for those who oppose you. You will notice that none of
you men will be going to Chorazin, Bethsaida, or Capernaum. They had their chance.
I will deal with them later. Enough said. Today, all of you are embarking on a
great adventure. Amazing things are going to happen, but remember, most
importantly, don’t get caught up in the excitement of doing miracles. Instead
rejoice in the reality that your names are recorded in heaven! Now, go and make
me proud!”
Dangerous!
Understaffed! Jesus sent those men on a bare bones operation with uncertain
outcomes. Missions haven’t changed in two thousand years. It is reach out, be
daring, be clear, and overcome objections with truth and love. Whether you’re
in the ministry halfway around the world or talking with a neighbor over
coffee, being a missionary is putting your vulnerable self out there. It can go
one of two ways. When the Gospel is accepted, you rejoice like the man in Psalm
66 and praise God for all of His wonders along with the angels in heaven. When
the Good News is rejected, it’s like the Apostle Paul who bore in his body the
brand-marks of Christ (Gal 6:17). Well, maybe not as bad for us as he had it,
but it hurts! Either way the gospel message stays the same as Paul said, “But
may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me...” (Gal 6:14-15).
Why does the
Almighty want us to spread the Word whether it’s a good time or not as stated
in 2 Timothy 4:2? The gospel is the
greatest message to mankind, more precious than gold. It’s the guide to eternal
life in the Lord Jesus Christ and a joyful citizenship in heaven as described
in Isaiah 66:10-14. So be ready to give a reason for your faith (1 Peter 3:15).
Be fearless and trust in Him when you do witness to others about salvation in
Jesus (Matthew 10:19). It’s the calling of every Christian. Also, remember it’s
not about you. You are just the messenger. Whether the Good News is accepted or
rejected it’s done unto the Lord, (2Corinthians 2:16). So study, pray, and go
spread the precious seeds of the gospel personally, but don’t take the rejections
personally. You are not alone. The God of the universe goes with you. Countless
souls are in need of the gospel’s salvation message. The fields are white and
ready for the reaping. The laborers are few. Join in the harvest and you will
come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Mass Prep Sunday July 7th 2019 14th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Sunday
July 7th 2019 14th Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle C)
Move ‘Em Out!
The tie in
between today’s readings: Missions
Last
week’s Mass Prep dealt with the importance of answering the call to become a
disciple. I hope that you found it helpful in your pursuit of maturing in
Christ. Do we ever get there? Today’s installment takes a deeper look into the
“Go” aspect of discipleship: missions. We in the church don’t really think of
ourselves as missionaries. After all, there are trained and ordained people for
that. Just send money and let the professionals do it. Yes, there are special
people God calls to do special things in special places and we definitely need
to support them, but you are special too. Every believer has the Holy Spirit
and a sphere of influence that they can affect with the message of the gospel.
Stepping out in faith in order to share
your faith can be a little daunting, but do it anyway! Take the challenge of
being a missionary for Jesus in your own part of the world. It will motivate
your Bible study, grow your faith, deepen your worship, and give an
anticipation of adventure to your life. Walking with God is never boring!
Imagine yourself on the scene with Jesus as He sent the seventy out on
their first missionary endeavor, (Luke 10:1-20). See Him standing on the side
of the hill so that they all could hear Him: “Alright men, let Me have your attention!
Give me two lines, here and here. Good! OK, the man opposite you will be your
partner on this assignment. I’m glad to see all of you here today. I wish there
were more of you. We have a lot to do. So when you pray, ask My Father to send
more laborers out into the field to be with us. There are specific rules I want
you to follow on this mission. Listen up! First, this is a faith exercise for
you guys. DO NOT bring any money, backpack, or shoes. You go just as you are.
Have faith! I don’t want any idle chit chat with people that you meet along the
way. Get to your assigned towns ASAP. Keep Focused! When you get there start
knocking on doors and bid peace to the household. If they take you in,
blessings will be upon that house. Stay there the whole time. Eat what they
give you with thanksgiving. Now, very important! While you are there, you will
have the power to heal the sick...and to do a few other things if needed. Don’t
let it go to your heads. These signs will give you the credentials that you’ll
need for the real mission: spreading
the word about the kingdom of God! Look, I am sending you like lambs among
wolves. If they receive you, then they receive Me. If they reject you, then
they reject Me and My Father. Either way, your message must stay consistent and
that message is: the kingdom of God has come near! You don’t embellish it for
the believers nor will you water it down for those who oppose you. You will
notice that none of you men will be going to Chorazin, Bethsaida, or Capernaum.
They had their chance. I will deal with them later. Enough said. Today, all of
you are embarking on a great adventure. Amazing things are going to happen, but
remember, most importantly, don’t get caught up in the excitement of doing
miracles. Instead rejoice in the reality that your names are recorded in
heaven! Now, go and make me proud!”
Dangerous! Understaffed! Jesus sent those men on a bare bones operation
with uncertain outcomes. Missions haven’t changed in two thousand years. It is
reach out, be daring, be clear, and overcome objections with truth and love.
Whether you’re in the ministry halfway around the world or talking with a
neighbor over coffee, being a missionary is putting your vulnerable self out
there. It can go one of two ways. When the Gospel is accepted, you rejoice like
the man in Psalm 66 and praise God for all of His wonders along with the angels
in heaven. When the Good News is rejected, it’s like the Apostle Paul who bore
in his body the brand-marks of Christ (Gal 6:17). Well, maybe not as bad for us
as he had it, but it hurts! Either way the gospel message stays the same as
Paul said, “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me...” (Gal
6:14-15).
Why
does the Almighty want us to spread the Word whether it’s a good time or not as
stated in 2 Timothy 4:2? The gospel is the
greatest message to mankind, more precious than gold. It’s the guide to eternal
life in the Lord Jesus Christ and a joyful citizenship in heaven as described
in Isaiah 66:10-14. So be ready to give a reason for your faith (1 Peter 3:15).
Be fearless and trust in Him when you do witness to others about salvation in
Jesus (Matthew 10:19). It’s the calling of every Christian. Also, remember it’s
not about you. You are just the messenger. Whether the Good News is accepted or
rejected it’s done unto the Lord, (2Corinthians 2:16). So study, pray, and go spread
the precious seeds of the gospel personally, but don’t take the rejections
personally. You are not alone. The God of the universe goes with you. Countless
souls are in need of the gospel’s salvation message. The fields are white and
ready for the reaping. The laborers are few. Join in the harvest and you will
come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Mass Prep Sunday June 30th 2019 13th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)
Sunday June 30th
2019 13th Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle
C)
What Did I Sign Up For?
The tie in between
today’s readings: Determined Discipleship
Go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19). This is the Great Commission. The reason
that you are a Christian today is because believers before you took Jesus’
directive seriously. In a sense, the Body of Christ is one big daisy chain of
disciple makers starting from Pentecost up to today. The future Church also
depends on our faithfulness in this calling. We lay people need to realize the
significance of our part in building the Kingdom of God and not just leave it
to the ordained. The Lord will also demand an accounting of our lives in this
endeavor. We have to decide whether we want to be merely churchgoers or commit
to being good and faithful servants...it’s that important!
Examine yourself. In
our gospel reading today (Luke 9:57-62) we see three types of men and their
failed responses to Jesus’ call to follow Him. First, we see the comfortable
man (vs57-58). This guy volunteers.
Jesus warns him about letting his mouth write checks that his body can’t cash.
Count the cost! Our Savior, Himself,
calls another man to follow Him (vs. 59-60). This is the inconvenient man, “I
would, Jesus, but my plate’s pretty full right now. Can I take a rain check?”
Our Lord admonishes this guy to get his act together and his priorities
straight. Still another volunteer comes forward, but he apparently has “Jesus
ADD” (vs. 61-62). He lacks focus and commitment to the task. In effect, the
Master tells him to stay out of the game if he can’t go all in on the river
card (my paraphrase)! Hardships! Priorities! Commitment! If you lived back then and Jesus walked up to
you with His twelve guys behind him and said that He could use another, what
would you do? Don’t think about it all that long. You’re living your answer
right now! The question is: should you change?
Our prophet Elijah is ready to finish his ministry and
hop on the heavenly chariot, “Coming for to carry him home”. God tells him his
successor will be Elisha son of
Shaphat. In our reading, 1 Kings 19:16-21, He finds Elisha plowing a field. Elijah
throws his coat on Elisha, thus
telling him that he has a new job as God’s mouthpiece and at the same time he
creates the colloquial expression: “Passing the mantle”. Let’s look at Elisha in the light of a good disciple.
He’s plowing with a 12 double yolk oxen team, which means that he’s a rich guy
that’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, conclusion: a hard worker with character.
Verses 20-21 show that he is: ready
(says goodbye to parents), committed
(burns the plows and slaughters the oxen), generous
(gives everything away), and humble
(becomes a servant). Absolutely the kind of boy you want your daughter to bring
home! Let’s challenge ourselves with his example.
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Galatians 5:13-18
shows us that disciples have to develop a new way of thinking and living.
Without Jesus, you view any good action that you do as a check in the plus
column, a gold star on your permanent record, or a down payment on a corner lot
in the Celestial City. You expect some kind of reward for your sacrifices.
Whether you admit it or not, you are caught in the Religion delusion, which is:
follow the prescribed formulas of behavior and you’ll get the cosmic currency
you need to buy your stairway to heaven. And the question is always, “Is it
enough?” The answer is always, “No!” When you confess Christ as your Savior, it
means that you discovered the futility of self goodness and place yourself by
faith into Christ’s righteousness to gain heaven. Now the Holy Spirit will take
your faith and plant it into your daily life. The Father wants you to be a
replica of His Son on this earth and it’s done following His Spirit. He will
teach you to love your neighbor. He will give you the desire to really want to
do good and to shun sin. He will lead you in the truth of God. You will no
longer be a slave to your lusts, but a servant of virtue!
A disciple needs discipline to mature in their faith. We not only have a
new life to lead, but the message of the Gospel to proclaim! It has to be done
right. Just like an athlete in training, the disciple needs devotional time in
the Bible, prayer, and fasting. So get up earlier, stay up later, or carve out
time as you go through your day. Switch from secular to religious radio, podcasts,
and TV programs and sacrifice that Netflix binge watch. Whatever you have to do
to fit “Jesus time” into your schedule, do it! It’s that important! These
spiritual pursuits are necessary in order to grow in grace, love and maturity
in Jesus Christ. There will be stumbles along the way. Expect them. Look at
Luke 9:51-56 when the Samaritan village did not want Jesus coming through their
town. Because they rejected Jesus and with some pride mixed in for themselves,
James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven and wipe those people off
the face of the earth...in love, of course. Jesus rebuked them! OK, not their
finest hour, but all in all, they turned out pretty well in the end and with
the Holy Spirit’s leading, we can too.
In Jesus, God has
placed a mantle call on us. Discipleship requires an Elisha commitment and
total surrender to His will. Psalm 16 is David’s declaration of his trust in
the Lord and his rightful expectation of God’s instruction, guidance,
provision, and presence for him in this life. Let us press on to our high
calling as Christ’s disciples and become disciple makers in the process. Let us
play our part in creating the next generation of saints. What are you doing that is more important
than that? Be done with lesser things. Jesus is calling! Go!
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Mass Prep Sunday June 23rd 2019 Corpus Christi (Cycle C)
Sunday
June 23rd 2019 Corpus Christi (Cycle C)
Everything Old is New Again
The tie in
between today’s readings: Melchizedek and the New Covenant
A
little background before we get to our reading in Genesis today. There was a
war between five kings of the south against four kings of the east for control
over trade routes. The eastern kings defeated the southern kingdoms, sacked
their cities, and carried off the conquered citizens as slaves. It really
didn’t concern our hero Abram (Abraham) until he got the word that his nephew,
Lot was among the captured. Kin is kin. Saddle up, boys. We’re riding hard to
save the day! Desperately outnumbered,
Abram miraculously routs the eastern kings and recaptures the hostages and the
loot.
Enter
Melchizedek, the mysterious. I believe that he is a Christophany, a bodily
appearance of the preincarnate Jesus. He appears out of nowhere on the pages of
Genesis 14:18-20. He had no father, mother, or genealogy (Hebrews 7:3) His name
means “king of righteousness” also he is the king of Salem, which means “king
of peace”. He feeds Abram and the crowd that’s with him with bread and wine. Is
this starting to sound familiar? Abram knows that a greater king than he has
yet encountered is here. Abram gives him a tithe, a tenth of the spoils, which recognizes
that God was the reason for his stunning victory. Melchizedek blesses him and
that’s the last we hear from him...until Psalm 110.
Jesus
quotes Psalm 110:1 to the Pharisees in Matthew 22:44:
Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the
Spirit call Him Lord? For he says: (44) The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my
right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet.’” (45) So if David calls
Him Lord, how can He be David’s son?”
David would never call his great, great,
great...grandson, Lord. This shows that the Messiah is more than merely David’s
descendant. Today, we know that He is God’s Son: the Word made flesh. Move down to Psalm 110:4:
The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind:
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
Whoa!
Where is this coming from? During King David’s time and for thousands of years,
the Aaronic priesthood and the tribe of Levi generation after generation
offered animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. Now, from out of
nowhere, Melchizedek is reintroduced and in conjunction with Messiah, Jesus, no
less. Something greater than the Aaronic priesthood is here. But what sacrifice
did Melchizedek offer?
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“...and
He said to His disciples, ‘Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty
each’” (Luke 9:14). Jesus feeds a hungry crowd of five thousand in the miracle
of the fishes and loaves, our reading in Luke 9:11-17. To top it off, they collect twelve baskets of
leftovers. Let’s see twelve apostles...I wonder if anybody got a basket for
Jesus, but I digress. Even though this miracle is recorded in all the gospels,
the real action is in John Chapter 6: The Bread of Life Discourse. The people
think Jesus may be that Prophet which Moses foretold would come. They also made
a quick connection with yesterday’s dinner and manna from heaven. He loses them
trying to relate the physical to the spiritual. He tells them that He is the
living bread that came down from heaven. They’re not buying that. They grew up
with Him. Besides that, all of this talk about eating his flesh and drinking
his blood to live forever...that’s plain crazy! They leave. Jesus is not
surprised. As He said, you need some God input to understand John Chapter 6
and, in all fairness, many of us are still struggling with it today.
1
Corinthians 11:23-26 is the familiar account of the bread and wine at the Last
Supper known to everyone who attends Mass. In fact, it is the climax of the
celebration of the New Covenant. It takes us to the moment when Jesus died on
the cross for our sins. He as high priest in the order of Melchizedek offered
his own battered body and spilled blood in the real Holy of Holies in heaven to
the Father once and for all. The veil in the Jerusalem Temple was torn in two
and the Aaronic priesthood ended. When by faith, we receive His body and blood
we identify with Him as His bride the Church and we become part of each other
in Him.
So
what can we say about Jesus our Prophet, King, and High Priest on the Feast of
Corpus Christi? We see Him bodily as a Christophany in Melchizedek. He is
portrayed in the Old Testament sacrifices of the Aaronic priesthood, which He
fulfills when He comes as the Incarnate Lamb of God who takes away the sins of
the world. We know Him as the God-man who as one of us, died on Calvary's
cross. We know Him in the bread and wine when we worship. We can “see” the body
of Christ in all of these aspects, but there is a best way to know what the
Lord looks like. The most beautiful way of seeing Jesus is when someone sees
Jesus in us. We are His hands, His feet, and His face. We are His reflection. We
are the body of Christ! Let’s let our light shine!
Monday, June 10, 2019
Mass Prep Sunday June 16th 2019 Trinity Sunday (Cycle C)
God in the Before
Sunday
June 16th 2019 Trinity Sunday (Cycle C)
The tie in
between today’s readings: Wisdom in the Divine Plan
In the Before, the Triune God spoke. “We wish to
form a physical universe from nothing with space and time so that there will be
a beginning and an end. We will
cooperatively establish it’s order and form for the praise and glory of our
name. We wish to reveal aspects of our nature: grace, mercy, sacrifice, love,
and other virtues consistent with our character for our glory. We wish to share
our divine nature to reflect our glory. We wish to create man. We agree. We
have Wisdom (Proverb 8:22). Let there be light...BANG!
...and so it began. Wisdom is the poetic portrayal
of the Trinity in our reading in Proverbs 8:22-31. This section focuses on the
production of the inorganic creation. The coordinated Godhead organized the
constellations and balanced the galaxies like a child’s mobile. The Almighty
hung a beautiful blue bauble on nothing and His Spirit brooded over the waters.
The personified attributes of the Father, the Logos, and the Holy Spirit built
this house we call earth. Wisdom laid the stonework foundations of the
continents. Understanding set the plumbing of the water cycle. Knowledge
installed the air conditioning of the wind and the electricity of the storms.
Like children at July 4th fireworks, the spiritual world shouted for joy at the
glory of the Lord on display (Job 38:7). God stood back and looked at His
creation thus far and said, “Good!”
Psalm 8:4-9 picks up with God’s creation of the
organic world on days five and six. It’s getting late on the sixth day and
there was one more thing left to do. So far, everything was spoken into
existence, but man would be different. It was time for fun in the mud! The
Almighty bent down, fashioned Adam from the ground, and amazingly breathed God
life into his dead shell. He became a living soul! From then on the focus of
the spiritual world shifted to the Earth (a speck in the universe)and to Man (a
speck on the Earth), all because he bore the image of the Trinity. God gave him
stewardship over this world and pronounced it, “Very good!”
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The Fall follows shortly thereafter and the
dramatic battle for the souls of men begins. No surprise, it was the primary
purpose of Wisdom in the Divine Plan at the Before! The Trinity acts in
coordination in Salvation just as the Trinity acted in coordination in the
Creation. The Father elects believers throughout the corridors of time to be
beneficiaries of Christ’s sacrifice. The Son, as the Logos made flesh, comes to
accomplish the necessary redemption. Our reading in John 16:12-15 highlights
the Holy Spirit as the discloser of truth as part of His actions in the
Re-Creation of the born again man. Romans 5:1-5 picks up on the Holy Spirit’s
involvement in shaping us into the image of Christ through adversity.
It boggles the mind to think that we are players
in a love story that started in eternity past and will continue even after God
collapses this universe. The wise and eternal Father knew us and loved us in
the Before. He married us to Jesus who became the Lamb of God slain before the
foundation of the world. From that sacrifice, the Spirit was also gifted to
each child of God as an assurance of eternal life. Even now, we are seated with
Christ in heaven and are endowed with all spiritual blessings. We live in the
already, and the not yet, as we march to the end of time and the completion of
God’s Divine Plan. The Father that loved you then, loves you now, and will
always love you, calls to you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sin. Do not harden your heart against the prompting of the Holy
Spirit. Receive eternal life now! Be part of the plan. Live happily ever after!
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Mass Prep Sunday June 9th 2019 Pentecost Sunday (Cycle C)
Sunday June 9th 2019
Pentecost Sunday (Cycle C)
Another Language
The tie in between
today’s readings: Metaphors
I am wrestling with the task of understanding spiritual principles
and I’m stumbling over my feet. It’s a
strange and alien world that does not translate well. It’s like trying to
describe color to a blind man. In our reading in John 14 today, for example,
Jesus speaks about the Godhead abiding in each other and in us: knowing us,
giving us life, leading us in truth. To
me it sounds like:“I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all
together...goo goo g’joob*. It’s all so openly cryptic. When it comes to the
Trinity I think of an old guy, a bearded middle aged guy, and a bird. Now, I
know this isn’t anywhere near the right portrayal of God, but my limited mind
keeps bringing these concepts down to the familiar. I don’t know how to break
out of my religious molds. ButI can tell you this; I’ve been at this for a
while now. I have a headache. I am frustrated, tired, and going to bed...
The Creator Flies a Kite
(Psalm 104:1; 24; 29-31)
I see a cloud of kite swarming over the ocean. I round the
curve in the beach and cross under the fishing pier. Now I have a clear view of
the scene. I am astonished! There were so many kites that I had imagined a
large crowd, young and old alike each holding one, but no. Just one man with
countless lines anchored in the sand stretching toward the sky like strings of
a gigantic harp. I’m close enough now
for conversation. I don’t want to speak
first for fear of disturbing his concentration as he moves among the cords:
pulling, reeling and slacking the lines. Besides, there is so much to take in!
Kites of all shapes and sizes: deltas, parafoils, sleds, dragon tails, and many
others weaving and dipping around a diamond arch frame. This chaotic
choreography was somehow all so beautifully controlled; I marvel.
“Do you like kites?” he asks.
“Yes,” I answer, “and I can see that you really do.”
“I design and build each one myself.” He beams, “Right up
here.” He points to his temple with a finger.
“Impressive. Does it take a long time?” I ask.
“Most people might think so, but I’m pretty quick at making
things and I’m very good at it, I might add...no brag, just fact.” he replies.
“Do you want to fly one?”
“Really?”
“Sure, let’s see. OK, take this string to that delta there,
yes, Phoenix.” It is an absolutely beautiful kite. He so captured the pride and
power of the bird, it is like flying art. Nervously, I hold the string and it
sternly jerks my hand in a frantic tug-of-war to be free.
“It wants to run,” he shouts over the surf, “Convince it to
stay. Focus. Feel! Speak with the
string, and the wind to the kite, not at it.”
I relax. I join in the conversation of the flux and flow of
cord and wind. I feel, YES! The kite
is alive! It awakens something within me.
The discovery is quite unexpected, like finding money in the pocket of some
forgotten jeans. “Oh my God, this is fantastic!” I exclaim in exhilarated
surprise.
“Yes,” he said knowingly. He lets me have my kite fix and we
talk. It is therapeutic. After awhile he tells me to reel it in.” He takes it
from me. “That’s all for you, Phoenix.” he says
and quickly dismantles it with rough and nimble fingers. It is gone in
an instant, broken down to its fundamental pieces. He sees my disappointment.
“Don’t cry because it’s over smile because it happened. I’m giving you the
pieces to take home, put Phoenix together for yourself; enjoy her.”
“Thank you, very much!” I say, “You know I never got your
name.”
“You can call me, Iam.”
“Iam. That’s different,” I say.
“Yes, there’s a story behind it. But, before you leave, take my
card. Go to where they do the paragliding and show it to the owner. Tell him
Iam sent you.”
“Paragliding?” I said puzzled.
Iam answers “Trust me.”
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Zoey and the Paraglider
(John 14, Romans 9:8-17)
After being lost for a while, I find the paragliding office. I
walk in to see a gorgeous young woman with fiery red hair, green eyes, and
beautiful dove white skin.
“May I help you?” she asks in a cooing voice.
She’s bedazzling and I blank for an instant. I see her name
tag: Zoey. “A...a...man told me to ask for the owner.” I stammer.
“A man? Who?” she asks.
I reach into my pocket. “He gave me his card. It’s a little
bent...sorry. Do you know him?”
“Yes, we know him very well,” she goes out a side door, waves, and
comes back in. “He’ll be with you in a minute.
There’s a knock at the door. I open it. He’s tall, rugged, middle aged, and wearing a
white t-shirt with red letters “Easy Yolks”, which is the breakfast place next
door.
“I’m Angus, pleased to meet you,” he shakes my hand. “I see
you’ve already met Zoey.”
“He has one of your father’s cards,” informs Zoey.
“Is that so?” he says. “OK, my friend, you come with me.”
“Is it safe?”
“Now, what do you think? Have a little faith and follow me,”
Angus opens the door and we walk out together.
We follow a trail of coin sized blood splatters leading to the
edge of the pier. I ask Angus about it. “I had an argument with some nails.” he
says. Halfway along Angus stops and steps into a shed. He starts handing me
gear: life jacket, helmet, straps...He slips everything on me. I’m really
starting to wonder if this is a good idea, after all. He reads my face.
“If you don’t want to do this now’s the time to stop,” Angus
says.
“Can I call it off once I’m in the air?” I ask.
“Listen,” he gets up close and personal, “I put my life’s blood
into this business. I sweat for this place, your helmet, that harness, all so I
could share the joy that I have when I’m up there with others,” He plants a
finger from the bandaged hand in my chest and continues, “So, when we’re up
there, if you can’t appreciate my sacrifice or what I’m doing here, I’ll be way
beyond unhappy. Understand?”
“Yes!” I am more afraid of him now than any paraglide ride.
“Ok, let’s do this.”
“Great! Don’t worry,” he soothes, “We’re tandem. You and
I...we’ve got this.” Angus puts an encouraging hand on my shoulder and finishes
with the last buckle.
I’m in the harness. Angus is behind me. There are a few yards
of pier ahead of us and then a drop to the water. Angus gives me instructions,
“You understand everything?”
I nod.
“Now, let’s take that leap of faith everyone talks about...GO!”
he adjusts the wing as we race to the edge. The wind picks us up, and the earth
loses its grip.
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The ropes groan with the strain of our weight and I’m
apprehensive. “OK, up front?” Angus asks.
“Are you sure the ropes will hold? another dumb question.
“Well, I don’t know,” Angus tells me and this sends a shock up
my already adrenaline saturated spine, “If you lift your feet up it may help to
make us lighter,” He laughs, “Relax. If you think we’re too high, I’ll take us
down.” He sends us into a roller coaster like dive toward the ocean. I scream
like a little girl. We pull up feet above the water. I feel like I could almost
walk on it as we skim the surf. “Sorry to mess with you,” he says from behind,
“but you have to let your fear go and get into the moment. Trust me. I AM VERY
GOOD!” he shouts and we climb toward the sun like Icarus. He’s right. I have to
chill. So, I let go of my fear the best I can, trust him, and pretend I’m
sitting in my lounge chair at home. The view is breathtaking; miles of land and
sea stretch out in all directions. The panorama is so beautiful that I forget
my anxiety. Peace covers me like a blanket and I feel like the king of the
world! Angus is doing maneuvers and I love it! So many experiences on different
levels: trust in my co-pilot and the fragile strength of the glider, the
exhilaration of speed, the wonderful control of rope and canopy for our
skybourne ballet, the wonder of the air
that suspends our bodies in space and simultaneously enters my lungs, but I do
not burst open! I am one with the wind. I am the kite set free! I am a Phoenix!
I defy death with the Paraglider and I am born again! Thank you, IAM!
All Together Now
(Pentecost Acts 2:1-11)
I hear a female voice behind me say, “Happy birthday!”
I turn around. It’s Zoey! “What are you doing here? Where’s
Angus?”
“We’re all here! Iam too! Now hold your arms up at the sides
and close your eyes. Your new life begins now.
I comply. There’s a flash. The wind violently rushes behind me,
collapsing the glider around me like a blanket. Suddenly, I lose all sensation
of it. I open my eyes to see that I am a sail tied to a crossed shape mast.
Somehow, I know it’s Angus. I see that I am one of many sails on the rigging,
pulling our vessel on its way. I look down and see captain Iam at the helm.
Zoey whispers to me in the wind that stretches me with power “Look to the
horizon. We are joining the fleet!”
As we catch up, I see ships of all shapes and sizes from all
over the world: Schooners, Galleons, Brigs, Junks, Longships, Dromons...I’m
overwhelmed. All have their signal flags flying the same message: Jesus Saves.
Our armada circumnavigates the globe and reaches every port of our world, up
every river, and into the most remote tributary with the gospel message. Then
with our mission accomplished, we sail off the edge of the earth and fly like
Peter Pan, course heading: heaven!
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I Wake Up
That was a very strange dream, but maybe we need the language
of dreams and poetry to better grasp the spiritual. Perhaps it could be that
metaphors, similes, and stories are the dots and dashes of God’s Morse code to
communicate to us. After all, Jesus taught in parables. When it comes to the
spiritual, things are not always what they seem. We need to read the Bible
between the lines: to observe and not only see. To see that symbols surpass
mere words. To understand that concrete thought is the concrete that’s holding
us down. Let Go!
| Google Images |
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I am the Walrus. The
Magical Mystery Tour by the Beatles
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