Mass Prep January 27th, 2019

Mass Prep

Sunday January 27th 2019                     3rd Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)

Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

The tie in between today’s readings is : Discipleship

Psalm 19:8-15, Nehemiah 8:1-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-30, Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

     I can’t imagine anyone kicking Jesus out of their church, but that’s just what happened in the fourth chapter of Luke when Jesus put the “ME” in Messiah.  It’s rare that a church turns anyone out now-a-days. The modern church is struggling from declining attendance. Blame and finger pointing run from pew to pulpit and back again. Regardless of the reasons I see an answer emerging in today’s readings: discipleship. Before going to heaven Jesus gave the Apostles the Great Commission to go out and make disciples. Here are some principles that I’ve uncovered. File them under “for what it’s worth”, but I think at least it could help cut down on people saying, “I wonder whatever happened to what’s his name”?

     Nehemiah 8:1-10: Disciples Have the Joy of the Lord.

A remnant of Israelite just came back from Babylonian exile. Through sweat, threats and besets (troubles) they built the wall. Now it was time to get real with Jehovah. Listening to Ezra, the priest, read from the Law of God  they broke down and wept repentant tears as they discovered their sinfulness. Seeing the revival breaking out,  Nehemiah, the governor and Ezra called for a holy day of celebration. The people experienced the comfort of forgiveness with the exhilaration  of restoration. Moving forward in their new status, the joy of the Lord became their strength (Nehemiah 8:10). The true believing disciple also understands the gravity of sin as the exile Israelites did. He doesn’t rationalize it, play with the gray areas, or excuse it with a trite cliche like, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”. He keeps short accounts with his God. He pursues holiness with a purpose. He knows where he came from and doesn’t want to go back. This is a mark of true spiritual maturity.

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     Psalm 19:8-14: Discipleship requires Bible study and perspective

This compliments Nehemiah. The disciple appreciates the guard rails of God’s laws. It keeps him out of life’s ditches. He knows that the Almighty doesn’t think like him and finds excitement when he can get into God’s mind through study and meditation of scripture. Sounds boring doesn’t it? Most people would agree. Otherwise we wouldn’t spend SOOOOO much time binge watching TV shows or sports. Amusement and fantasy are much more exciting in the mind, but the payoff of virtue is in the living. There is no mark up in being God stupid. Our disciple knows the Bible is more valuable than physical gold or fleeting pleasures because heaven and earth will pass away but he is investing in eternity.

     1 Corinthians 12:12-30: The disciple uses his Spiritual gifts.

The Holy Spirit gives gifts and abilities to all believers some of which are: teaching, helping, hospitality, leadership, and many others listed throughout the Bible. The disciple doesn’t develop it for himself but to help others especially in the church. He takes the mission The Spirit of God gives him seriously and is eager to live his essential and divinely appointed role. He’ll invest time in building up the fellowship in his faith community, provoking them as well as himself to do good works. He looks for reproducibility of Christ in others.  He is aware that gifts of the Spirit give credibility to his witness. The disciple knows that God will require an accounting of what he’s done with the Holy Spirit’s assets. No one lives for himself. The Manager of the universe expects a return on His investment. Our disciple wants to be a good and faithful servant.

     Luke 1:1-4: Disciples reach out to the world.

He will cultivate legitimate common ground with non-believers. First, for love of neighbor and second to earn a hearing for the Good News. The disciple looks for openings to give an account of his faith without being obnoxious. He knows what he’s talking about, speaks the truth in love and doesn’t attack because love bears all things. He’ll open himself up to ridicule but will not retaliate. All the while thanking God that we live in a country where things don’t get much more dangerous than that...yet. Once his witness is given,he puts himself out there. He is willing to live in a fishbowl for all to see, because he is the real deal, and since the real deal is so rare, maybe people will want what he’s got: an authentic relationship with Jesus. Walk your talk! The kinetic gospel is very effective.

     Our disciple in today’s Mass Prep may seem a little too perfect, and maybe he is, but he is an ideal to shoot for. Church does not have to be boring. Prayers needn’t be dead pan. Worship shouldn’t be forced. Bible study can be fascinating.  IF you exercise your faith as the disciples that we are called to be, then our lives with God and each other can be a dynamic experience. The operative words are: exercise, focus, discipline, and determination. They all take effort. Do you want it? Do you want to be a disciple or do you want to be disengaged from your God given calling? Will you drop out of church due to irrelevance, and end up a “what’s his name?” God expects more than that.

Mass Prep Sunday January 20th 2019

Sunday January 20th                      2nd Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)

Everybody Loves a Wedding

The tie in between today’s reading: Scripture Wedding Theme

Psalm 96, Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, John 2:1-12

     Going through today’s readings, I discovered a wedding theme. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like a good wedding. There’s something there for everyone. Some like a beautiful ceremony. Others enjoy a church adorned with flowers for your senses and music for your soul. If you’re into clothes, the wedding party in front is bringing their fashion “A” game to the occasion. Take a picture. It won’t last long once they get to the reception. Maybe you’re into emotions. The enraptured groom beams as he watches his radiant bride process up the aisle accompanied by her father choking back tears knowing that he will soon hand over his little girl to a young man who was once a stranger, now a son, and then slip away. With nervous confidence, they pledge their undying love to each other and seal their promise with a ring and a kiss. Applause. Applause. With a lighter step, they walk together to the church door. The new Mr. and Mrs. stand and greet their guests on the way to the reception with hugs, handshakes, and kisses. No matter what you think about weddings one thing is sure: for the man in the black tux and the woman in the white gown, everything has changed. Nothing will ever be the same from this day forth.

     Another moment when nothing will be the same is in today’s reading at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-12). Jesus has been baptized, tested in the desert, and is ramping up His ministry as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Mother Mary informs Jesus that the wine is running out (a big embarrassment). With love and respect He tells her that they have a different relationship now. Everything has changed. Jesus responds to the need by changing the water into wine and demonstrating that He is the Lord of Creation. Miracle #1. Jesus stays in Capernaum for a few days after the wedding with His mother, brothers, and disciples. I wonder what they talked about at dinner.

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     Getting back to our wedding reception, for some the best part of the day where we can catch up with family and friends, as well as meet the new people on the other side. There is a spirit of joy so pervasive that even the most cynical among us, for a moment at least, celebrate the promise of a love that never fails. Which leads me to my favorite part of the reception: The Toast. The best man, maid of honor, and others will stand and relate humorous and touching stories of what wonderful people the new couple are. These endearing accounts give us confidence that together they will make it through the storms of life. Psalm 96 has the marks of a great toast. It sings the praises of God, relates His great deeds, and looks forward to a bright future.

     Then there are the wedding gifts to help the newlyweds get started on their lives together. Money in a card is nice, but I like to see the presents piled up on the table like a little Christmas. It shows thoughtfulness and maybe, if you picked up a good deal on Amazon, you got them a little bit more. We, the Church, are the bride of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts to help the whole family of God. Each is picked out specifically for each individual for them to play their part in their new relationship with Jesus and each other. So open your gift. Get to know it. Experiment with it like a bride with new cookware. After a while, you’ll be ready to host Thanksgiving.

     Now, the Honeymoon: the climax of the day. The rapture of the couple’s new relationship cannot be compared to any earthly experience. Isaiah 62:55 is Jesus’ declaration of joy with His new bride, the Church. He just can’t contain Himself! You can feel the love through the page as He claims her as His beloved. He offers that love to you right now too. Accept His proposal and take Him as your Savior, Lord, and Spouse. He will wash your sin from you, dress you in His glorious purity, and lead you by the hand to His Marriage Supper, where all who come will live happily ever after.

Mass Prep Sunday January 13th 2019

Sunday January 13^th         1^st Sunday Ordinary Time (Cycle C)

Strong and Gentle

The tie in between today’s readings: Meekness

Psalm 29:1-11, Isaiah 42:1-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 3:15-22

      Psalm 29 opens with the Lord in His strength and glory. With a word of His mouth the creation shakes, quakes, and breaks. He can rip, strip, and flip anything He wishes without breaking a sweat. When it comes to judgment, WATCH OUT! Our God is consuming fire. Yet, in verse 11, the Psalmist shows the Almighty as tender and nurturing. Surprising contradiction? Not if you understand meekness.  Meekness is a wild mustang under bridle, the linebacker holding his position while aching to blitz, and the bug you put outside instead of crushing it with your shoe. In ancient times, it was a desired attribute of a king and so it is with our Sovereign God because meekness is power under control.

     Today, we usually think of a meek person as a wimp. Nobody would call a guy who could fast for forty days in a desert, eject the money changers from the temple (twice), or go toe to toe with the authorities of His day a sissy. But meek is exactly how Jesus described Himself. You cannot be meek unless you are strong. Meekness is the active and deliberate acceptance of undesirable circumstances by an individual for the sake of the bigger picture. If we use Isaiah 42 as a guide, it is a subtle mix of wisdom, humility, and self control. Bravo for Jesus the meek and mighty, but how does it apply to ordinary me?

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     We are to be like Him. Meekness is a characteristic of the Holy Spirit acting in a person’s life. A meek person can lead as well as gladly serve. Forgive his trespasser (debtor) as well as be forgiven. Step in with boldness when the situation calls for it and be teachably humble also. Quick to hear, but measured to give an opinion. Slow to anger, but rushes to defend the oppressed. Not quarrelsome, but firm in purpose. Those are pretty good qualities for the future inheritors of the earth.

     We can use John the Baptist in our reading in Luke today as an example of meekness in action. John was bold in his mission as the messenger, but kept his perspective that he was in the employ of a greater One. He served at the pleasure of the Master of whom he was not worthy to untie His sandal. He described the pinnacle of his ministry as a friend of the bridegroom. “He must increase while I must decrease “(John 3:28-30). He did decrease. Thrown in jail and meaninglessly executed Jesus the bridegroom praised him as the greatest of the prophets.  Jesus calls upon us to the “take up your cross” challenge of meekness: 

  28Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29TakeMy yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle (meek) and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”…Matt 11:28-30.

Strive for meekness. That’s where the real strength is.

Mass Prep Sunday January 6th 2019

Sunday January 6^th 2019           The Epiphany (Cycle C)

Where Were They Going Without Even Knowing the Way?

The tie in between today’s readings: Jesus Breaks Down the Walls

Psalm 72, Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:2-6, Matthew 2:1-12

     One of the most intriguing parts of the Christmas story is the visit of the Magi (Matt2:1-12). You can understand an impoverished family arriving in a crowded town and having to use a stable as an emergency Labor and Delivery Unit because there was no other place to go. Shepherds and angels are a nice touch too, but the thought of kings coming from the east with gold, frankincense, and myrrh is just way out there. The Bible isn’t much help on the topic either. We don’t even know how many kings there actually were. They just arrive out of the blue at Herod’s palace asking for directions. From there, they are directed to a small village with a billboard that reads: “Welcome to Bethlehem, Future Birthplace of the Messiah!” Their guiding star like a MapQuest ®marker points out the house where the Holy Family is staying. They knock and greet a stunned Mary and Joseph with a surprise that could only be compared to winning the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes®. They worship the toddler Jesus and present their gifts. Shortly thereafter, everyone bolts out of town just in time to escape the oncoming carnage. What can we say about a bunch of rich guys slepping across the desert on the first recorded Star Trek®? Well, one observation that’s certain: something big was happening and they wanted to be a part of it.

     Whether they realized it or not, they were fulfilling the prophesies found in today’s readings: Isaiah 60 and Psalm 72. The Magi are the first in a long procession of Gentiles that will come to worship the King of the Jews, soon to become the King of the world (Philippians 12:10, Romans 14:11). Up until this point, God’s promises to Abraham were allotted to the Jews; God wanted Israel to be a shining beacon on the hill drawing the nations to Jehovah.  It didn’t work out that way. The Jewish people lost their way. Instead of reaching out to the world, they made an exclusive club out of their Abrahamic pedigree. They had the inside track to the All Mighty. Everyone else was on the outside looking in. They were the uncircumcised, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the promise of the covenant that God made with their forefathers, and without hope in this world. Now the Messiah has arrived and the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile is coming down.  Jesus’ worldwide message and mission trumps all other earthly considerations. When everyone is a sinner in need of salvation and it is a terrifying thing to be morally guilty before a holy judge, the foot of the cross becomes level ground. All are in need. All who believe receive forgiveness. All live for something bigger than themselves: the Kingdom of God.  Everyone is unified in Christ who is all in all.

      In our last reading, in Ephesians 3, the Apostle Paul discloses the opened mystery hinted at throughout the Old Testament, namely that the Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews in the promises of God to Abraham.  By His cross and resurrection, Jesus established the “Jew at heart” scenario. All believers in Christ are true Jews and children of Abraham regardless of background and will inherit the earth to live with Jehovah forever in the New Jerusalem. I think the Magi in some sense saw this and considered it an honor to recognize His Majesty.  How about you? Have you come to saving faith in the sacrifice of Jesus?  Have you been born again into God’s family where there is no pride or prejudice of race, sex, or social class? If not, it’s time for you to go on a trek of your own to find the King of Kings and salvation in Jesus. Wise men still seek Him.      

Mass Prep Sunday Decamber 30th 2018

Sunday December 30^th 2018      Feast of the Holy Family (Cycle C)

Where the Action Is

The tie in between today’s readings: The Answers is: Answers

Psalm 84:1-9, 1 Samuel 1:20-28, 1 John 3:1-2; 21-24, Luke 2:41-52

     Christianity in the United States is declining. Many parishioners have a humdrum view of worship. People who spike the roles around Christmas and Easter are more the tourist type rather the any who would be seeking the face of the Almighty. With all this in view, I read today’s selection in Psalm 84 and I ask myself, “Who is this guy?”  His gushing passion, longing, and devotion for temple worship rivals Freddy Eynsford-Hill’s “On the Street Where You Live” scene in My Fair Lady. Of course, it’s not the street as much as it’s the home of the lovely Eliza Doolittle that elicits such affection. Forget the place, then. It’s all about the one who is there. So, I look at the author of Psalm 84 with a peculiar envy and wonder. How can anyone have such a dynamic love for God and His church…and how can I get it? I study the rest of today’s readings for help and come up with one conclusion: ANSWERS! Even though you can and should pray, seek God, and meditate on His word during your day, church is a particular time and place, almost like a date, that you put away all others distractions and focus on the One with all the answers

     Hannah gets an answer, 1 Samuel 1:1-28. Hannah had a burden; she wanted a baby. Her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, had no problem getting pregnant and enjoyed rubbing it in her face. I have to think that Hannah wanted to be a mom for the sheer joy of motherhood. After a while, people who taunt us like Peninnah just get old. “Yeah, Yeah, Peninnah, whatever!” When the family went to sacrifice at the tabernacle’ she poured out her heart to God so deeply that the ever astute Eli, the High Priest, thought that she was drunk. Finding out the truth, Eli blessed her instead. Hannah asked for a son and vowed to dedicate him to God. Little Samuel was born the next year and when the time was right Hannah fulfilled her vow. God gave her many more children to make up the void. The tabernacle was the “power place” where she met God and shared her burden with another.  Some things to notice: the Almighty answers heartfelt prayers. He doesn’t grant wishes. Think about it. You have to be part of the answer to your petitions if at all possible. God honors community prayer, and is pleased when you stay true to your promises. He will make sure you don’t lose anything. The Lord of the universe is no man’s debtor.

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     Jesus looks for answers.  Imagine you’re a twelve year old boy and sacrificing the Passover at the temple.  By this time in your life, you have at least an inkling of your destiny. You look around and see the sacrificed lambs, and the blood. You eat the Seder meal. The ritual, the smells, the sounds, the prayers, all of it is intimately connected with you somehow. And here you are in of all places: Jerusalem, the fountainhead of Judaism, the Oxford of Rabbinical learning, Ground Zero of all things Jehovah! You have so many questions and you just have to know. He spends three days in a Q & A with the most brilliant minds of His time. When his frantic parents finally locate Him at the temple, God’s lost and found, He tells them that He had to be about His Father’s business. He and His bewildered parents head for home, but I suspect Jesus’ as well as their understanding about who He was took a quantum leap for the experience.  Don’t go looking for God in all the wrong places. Come to church. Find the answers.

     1 John 3:1-2; 21-24: Be the Answer. We need to rethink our worship. God abides in the believer. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. That means we’ve got the same stuff in us that Jesus let out on the Mount of Transfiguration. Respect that! We are the holy ones not the church building. So when the kids are chewing gum in the sanctuary, it’s the sanctuaries that are actually chewing the gum. Understand that church isn’t something that you do; it is the someone that you are! We need to be the tabernacle animated. We come together on Sunday to celebrate what God has done for us, to grow in our faith, and then to launch out again into a world in need. Love your enemy neighbor. Help the unlovely and undeserving. Our greatest challenges of faith could very well live under our roof. We are the sacrifice of Christ to the world and are to sacrifice in the effort. Where else can you get the resources that you need for these God challenges if not in church and worship? Jehovah in His holy temple asked the question “Who will go for Us?” Isaiah answered, “Here am I. Send me.”  What do you say?

Mass Prep Sunday Decamber 23rd 2018

Sunday December 23^rd, 2018      4^th Sunday in Advent (Cycle C)

Despising the Shame

The tie in between today’s readings: Surrender to God’s Will

Psalm 80:1-18, Micah 5:1-4, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45

     “Man is a religious animal. He is the only religious animal. He is the only animal that has the true religion…several of them.” Mark Twain. The basic concept of religion is reconnecting. Man instinctively knows that something is wrong. He doesn’t play well with others, and there’s an uneasy feeling within him and something else that he calls god. He devises many schemes to try to correct this situation:  eastern mysticism, pious observances, and ritualistic performances, to name a few. On the other side of the spectrum, he’ll ignore the whole problem, arrogantly ridicule this “religion nonsense” and make up his own rules. By denying God, he then becomes his own god but fails to live up to the job description. The final result of all these flawed and feckless adventures is a grand case of “hope so”. The God of the Bible looks on the scene. He sees the best that humans can achieve will never be good enough. “I don’t want to lose them” says the Father, “Knowing what’s involved, will You go down and become one of them, Son”? He agrees as illustrated in Hebrews 10, today’s reading. Jesus is to have a body. Now, where to put Him?

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     The betrothed Virgin Mary abandons her plans and submits to the terrifying privilege of giving birth to the Messiah. In a way to ease her fears, the angel Gabriel reminds Mary that nothing is impossible with God, even the miraculous pregnancy of Elizabeth (hint, hint). After the visitation, Mary ups and goes to stay with her cousin (Luke 1:39-45). There’s a lot of Holy Spirit going on at their encounter. Not only does the embryonic John the Baptist leap in Elizabeth’s womb at Mary’s greeting (a favorite verse of all the Pro-Lifers), but Elizabeth also knows she is pregnant with God’s Son even before any double lines would have shown up on the urine stick. Mary launches into her Magnificat, indicating that she is not only a young girl of great faith, but she knows her scripture too. She stays and helps out for three months until her cousin delivers. Elizabeth, “the barren mother”, is no longer despised. It was a needed time of fellowship and preparation for Mary The Blessed Mother who is now showing. She goes home ready to face what’s coming: Joseph’s possible rejection, a “Scarlet Letter” stigma by the villagers if not an outright stoning, a sword coming to pierce her heart, suffering, and the relentless song of the town drunks about Mary and her bastard baby boy (Psalm 69:12).  In fulfillment of Micah 5, Jesus is born in Bethlehem. She lays Him in a manger and the humiliation of the Almighty is laid bare before the universe as the Logos needs to have His diaper changed. It doesn’t matter. God’s love for man and Mary’s love for God makes the indignity irrelevant

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     What do you say to a God who loved you so much that He gave His only begotten Son?  Will you put your ideas and plans aside like Mary and say “yes” to Him? Will you trust your life in faith and obedience to God in this world, which will pass away, to gain an eternal joy with Him in heaven? “Fear not,” the angel said, “For unto you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Believe in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to pay for your sins and be saved. Make Christmas real and merry.

Mass Prep Sunday December 16th 2018

Sunday December 16^th 2018    3^rd Sunday in Advent (Cycle C)

It’s War!

The tie in between today’s readings: Binding the Strongman

Zephaniah 3:14-18, Isaiah 12:2-6, Phillipians 4:4-7, Luke 3:10-18

     Opening up with today’s reading in Luke we see John the Baptist, as God’s drill sergeant recruiting his way through the Jordan Valley. He’s preparing the nation for the coming conflict. His rallying cry cuts sharp and deep into the heart of the people as he calls them to muster. “The Great One is coming!” “Get ready!” “War will soon be upon us!” John accepts only the committed and sincere. Self-righteous hypocrites are quickly 4-F’d and rejected.  The chosen are initiated by baptism in the Jordan. Their first order in God’s boot camp: REPENT! Life can’t go on as usual. This is a different kind of war. It’s spiritual. Spears and swords are useless. The weapons of choice in this operation are prayer, fasting, and love of neighbor; these are the only things that can overcome evil. Few, if any, realize the seriousness of the situation. “I baptize you with water,” exclaims John, “but the Mighty One is coming. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He will chop down the fruitless trees. His wheat will be gathered into his barn and He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire!” and with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.

     Then, one day, it happened. He is baptized. The sky opens up. The Father proclaims Jesus’ identity and the Spirit marks Him out. This is it! Sin…Salvation…the whole creation hangs in the balance. All of mankind has a stake in the coming battle. The ax cuts at each of our sinful roots. If Jesus fails then everyone will be kindling. No hope. No Joy. No wheat, only chaff for burning. The Holy Spirit drives Jesus into the desert for the initial engagement. It is bare knuckles against evil, now! The Kingdom of Heaven is advancing on the earth. The Prince of Peace is a mighty warrior with one objective: Bind the Strongman!

 

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     Satan and his demons know Jesus is coming for them. They have all the puzzle pieces of prophesy. God’s battle plan has to do with sin somehow but the rebellious angels just can’t figure it out. Satan sees Jesus in a weakened condition while fasting in the desert and takes a shotgun approach to get the Messiah to stumble.  Jesus fends off three temptation attempts by the Strongman and wins the day. Other evil attacks ensue over time in an attempt to nullify the Son of Man, but to no avail. Finally, crucifixion seems like Jesus’ Achilles’ heel and Satan goes for it. Jesus suffers through His Passion and it appears that evil will win after all; however, something is going wrong. There’s an inkling about it while Jesus is on the cross (Matt 27:42), but when Christ resurrects on Easter Sunday, the total devastation of the Devil is assured. In a demonstration of Devine Jujitsu’ the wisdom of the Almighty deceived the deceivers: “for if they had known the mystery of God, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8). Satan is crushed. Jesus plunders his house and the souls of men are set free (Luke 4:18).

     The other three readings today in Zephaniah, Isaiah, and Philippians are passages of joy, salvation, and triumph in Jesus. In this third Sunday of Advent, let us not forget that you cannot separate the cradle from the cross. Had Jesus failed, there would be no tidings of comfort and joy, no celebration of that holy night, only the dismal mockery of God’s grand attempt. It is one thing to take the field but another to leave in triumph. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so by the grace of God, He may taste death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9). He is victorious! He lives! Alleluia! He now hands over the battle to you. Let us put on the full armor of God and advance God’s Kingdom in this world through the victory of Easter and in the love and joy of Christmas.