Poem for Mark 6, the sixth Sunday after Pentecost

The sun shines here

Like nowhere else

Amid the fields and streams

So familiar

---- to the feet of my youth

as I come over the hill

and see the village

about it’s business

---- as it had been forever

I knew now what it was

I wanted to say

------------ and do

I was aware of who I was

And who I was to be

And I wanted to share

---- this vision of life

with these

---- the ones who had filled my being

with fond memories

of a time

---- when life seemed simpler

---- with less evil in the world

thoughts and memories

swirl through my mind

as I come into the village of my youth

wanting

with all that is in me

to integrate the reality of what was

with the reality

---- that had come to be mine

and with that

I went to the center of my life

And this village

And spoke

Of the message

I had come to bring to the whole world

Starting here in the place

---- where I also started

and as I spoke the new truth

---- of life

the faces I had hoped to save

---- changed

as the walls went up

seeing only the memories

of what was

unable to change and grow

as I had

for they had grown used to

what had been

and therefore

unable to see

a future that included their own

and as the walls

turned to violence

I wept

At the hardness

That is the human heart

John 14:1-7 St. Thomas, Apostle (July 3rd)

I don’t know

                and I’m scared

of what I don’t know

and where I haven’t been

My doubts come

to the surface of my mind

                                and sing in fear

                                of who I am

                and who

I don’t know who I am

Sing

with a trembling voice of humanity

a song of being lost

of not knowing

                and therefore

                                not wishing to find out

                                what this life

                called upon by this one we call

                Messiah              

                                is all about

Thank you

for echoing my fears in this world

for saying that which I feel

in

I don’t know

and leading me

                into new life

full of doubts

and faith

10W for July 15th, P7, Revive us again.

The following is a 10 minute worship for July 15th, P7, Revive us again. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Revive us again" by Willie Nelson from the CD, Gospel Favorites  which can be purchased HERE

 

Opening Litany based on Psalm 85

Worship Leader: You O LORD have shown favor to the land and restored the children of God.

Congregation: You have forgiven our greed and all our sins and set aside your wrath and anger.  Restore us again O God our Savior. 

Worship Leader: Will you hang onto your anger O Lord from generation to generation?  Will you not revive us again so that we may rejoice in you?

Congregation: Show us your unfailing love O Lord and grant us your salvation.  Call us again into your fold and open our hearts to your word in the coming year.  

Worship Leader: The Lord promises peace to all people, so do not turn to folly.

Congregation: Surely the salvation of the Lord is near to all who walk in the ways of the Lord so that the glory of the Lord may dwell in the land. 

Worship Leader: Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. 

Congregation: The LORD will indeed give what is good and the land will yield its harvest. The Lord’s righteousness sweeps into the land and prepares the way for the coming of the Lord.  

pygmy world of private piety

Sunday July 12^th, Psalm 85: I will listen to what God the Lord will say. For He will speak peace to His people, to those who are right with Him. But do not let them turn again to foolish things. The word of the Lord is a word of peace not only in our hearts but also in our world.  True peace can only come about through justice, never at the edge of a sword.  This is the God preferred vision for this world and this is what will be in the end.  Our choice in life is whether we are going to be on the side of God, working for peace and justice or whether we are going to shrink into the pygmy world of private piety.  And the pygmy world of private piety seems to be where we are heading, gutting social programs and supporting ever increasing military budgets in the name of God.  There are many voices out there claiming to be the word of God, many voices that claim their own self-righteousness as the righteousness of God.  Most often these claims wrap themselves in the flag of their country of origin and instead of seeking justice, use it as a justification of war.  War is big business if you are properly connected and death business if you are not.  God’s voice on the other hand does not tear down or destroy or call for war; it builds up and brings peace.  Listen to the voice of God, it is right there in the book, it is the voice of peace, then decide today, and tomorrow, if you will live your life heading toward God’s Grand future, or your futile fortress. 

Salvation is easy

Monday July 13^th, Amos 7: "Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them; 9 the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."  The plumb line was used in building to make sure things were on the level and even and true.  The word of Amos is that God is holding a plumb line to the world we have built to see how far out of line we are.  The verdict?  The high places need to be brought down and the low places need to be brought up and things evened out a bit.  In our world with bailed out golden parachutes at the cost of lost jobs, dreams and hopes on the bottom, we too could use a little plumb line action.  God’s plan for the world will be, it will happen, of that there is no doubt.  The question is whether you and your life as well as the collective life we build as communities, will be part of the problem that needs to be leveled, or part of Gods plan that holds the plumb line and levels the field.  Salvation is easy; it is a gift from God, being a Christian, living it not only on Sunday singing the psalms, but on Wednesday digging the ditches is work.  It is also the best job you will ever have.  

filled with mercy

Tuesday July 14^th, Amos 7: 14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell when something stinks, but if we squint our eyes just right and scrunch our nose and try real hard, we can pretend all is ok in this world we have built.  It is easy for each of us to get caught up in our own dance with the devil and forget who is playing our song, but in the end, the next morning in the light of day, it is not always a pretty sight.  We have all been given not only the task of bringing forth God’s vision for a peaceful world filled with mercy and justice, but the ability to do it.  And not just do it, but do it in such a way that makes this world, which still belongs to God, just a little bit better, a little bit closer to God’s plan of manna and mercy for all.  Amos was a lowly hired farm hand.  Through the voice of God he was also a voice of justice for his nation and all the nations of the world, then and now and into the future.  Just imagine what God can do through you if you let him?  It’s kind of scary isn’t it? It is also what brings life.

focusing more on the profit than on the prophet

Wednesday July 15^th, Amos 7:  4 Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, 5 saying, "When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"— skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, 6 buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.  7 The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: "I will never forget anything they have done. Hear this you who trade jobs overseas and start wars for oil profits, hear this you who take your golden parachutes while driving the company into the ground and in the process destroy the livelihood of the workers who had them, hear this you who sing the tune of the big medical insurance and pharmaceutical companies while fighting against good single payer health care for all, hear this you who honor yourselves with libraries and place in it the gun of the only tyrant equal to yourself you managed to kill for oil, hear this…  the Lord will never forget anything you have done.  It seems odd, we come into this world with nothing, we leave with nothing and we spend most of our time trying to get something, and in the process we are destroying the very things that do mean something, our relationships with others.  Many make the mistake of focusing more on the profit than on the prophet.  In doing so, what we gain is more than offset by what we lose.  What we gain is a bigger number in the bank account, what we lose is our soul.  It is possible to live well, seek justice and love mercy.  What it takes is simply to focus your life on Jesus words; love the Lord with all that is in you and love your neighbor as yourself.

tail of a mouse

Thursday July 16^th, Mark 6:  17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Oooh! Those prophets, they are always getting in the way of profits and alliances and speaking truth to power.  Herod was strangely drawn to John; there was something about the words he spoke that while they stung, they also rung true.   Herod may have been trying to silence the voice of God in the streets by putting John in prison, then maybe he just wanted to keep him around to hear more when he was finished with the prattle of his guests.  Perhaps he even liked to sneak off in the middle of the night to the bowels of the dungeon for a little late night soul searching.  Those who misuse power often try to silence anyone holding up a mirror that shows them what they are doing, and yet at the same time they are drawn to it.  God asks us to be mirror holders.  Through thick and thin, abuse and praise, hold up that mirror and let people see themselves, and one another, as the children of God, created in God’s image, to do the work of God.  Most of us learn over time however that setting down the mirror and keeping our mouths shut is the way to get the promotion.  Bishop Desmond Tutu once said, “if an elephant has it’s foot on the tail of a mouse and you say you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”  When we speak the word of God, expect it to raise a bit of anger as well as a bit of interest in return.  Mirrors have a nasty way of showing flaws in addition to beauty.  

musical of death

Friday July 17^th, Mark 6:  21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.  The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." 23 And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom." This is one of the old rock and a hard place situations.  Herod had a bit of a concept of justice in his heart; not much, but a bit.  Perhaps those late night conversations down in the dungeon when his conscience wouldn’t let him sleep were beginning to make their mark.  But Satan is not satisfied with a partial payment, he wants it all.  At any time along this long road of life we are given the opportunity to speak up and do the right thing.  Most of us, like Herod would rather save face and remain silent.  In the process the young and innocent pay the price as well as the old and guilty.  The daughter danced not knowing she too was a pawn in this musical of death until it was too late.  Hell is truth seen too late.  You must be careful when you save face; it is often just another way of losing your soul.  

God's word

Saturday July 18^th, Mark 6:  26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.  Herod is not the only one in history to discover that when the next morning comes and sobriety returns, somewhere between the fog of what happened and the reality of the end result, that someone who was in control was not you.  Once again, hell is truth seen too late.   Only two things help us see more clearly, God’s word looking forward, and our hindsight that shows us what we didn’t quite get right.  

10W for July 8th, P6, Home is where the heart is.

The following is a 10 minute worship for July 8th, P6, Home is where the heart is. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Home is where the heart is" by Peter, Paul and Mary from the CD Lifelines which can be purchased HERE

 

10W for July 3rd, festival of St. Thomas.

The following is a 10 minute worship for July 3rd, festival of St. Thomas. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Show Me Your Ways" by Hillsong from the CD, Shout to the Lord, Platinum collection which can be purchased HERE

 

10W for July 1st, P5, Healing within a healing.

The following is a 10 minute worship for July 1st, P5, Healing within a healing. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Mourning into Dancing" by the African Musical Experience vol. 3 which can be purchased HERE

 

Opening Litany based on Psalm 123

Pastor: To you I lift up my eyes O Lord enthroned in the heavens! 

Congregation: As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look continually to the Lord our God who brings mercy to a fallen world.

Pastor: Have mercy upon us, O Lord,

Congregation: Have mercy upon us,

Pastor: We have had more than enough of contempt in this life.

Congregation: Our souls have had more than their fill of the scorn of those who are at ease and the contempt of the proud.

Sunday July 8^th, Ezekiel 2: He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me.  We are commissioned and sent into this world as the children of God.  It is not always a bed of roses.  Often it is those closest to home to whom it is the most difficult to bring the message.  But as God calls you, God has already been in the process of preparing you for the task.  Preparation on our part is good most of the time, but sometimes it is also a way to avoid the task given to us.  For the each and everyday evangelism we face in our lives, the ones where someone is dropped right before us in need of hearing the word, there are generally two reasons.  One is that person needs to hear the word from you that day and God has set up the meeting.  Sometimes that meeting is in a most unusual place, like a supermarket aisle, but remember God has set it up and you are ready for it.  The other is that God has set up this meeting because the other person needs to bring the word, and perhaps a little eye opening in the process, for us to hear and experience.  Most of the time both tasks are performed simultaneously.  In most events we are ministering and being ministered to.  It is usually only looking back on it that we can begin to discern the difference.  

Monday July 9^th, 2 Corinthians 12:  6 If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I'd still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I'll spare you. I don't want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you'd encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk. One way to look like the fool on the street, or anywhere else, is to brag.  It is often referred to as having “I” trouble.  Paul had much to brag about in the area of religious experience, and even had a little “I” trouble himself, which is true for most of us.  Pauls main focus however was the Lord.  And we are called to keep the Lord as the main focus in our encounters with others who want to hear the word.  Any other focus tends to turn around and bite you.  Are you having trouble with depression, unhappiness, ambition, etc?  Change your focus; change the direction your life faces.  All too often feelings of depression are because we feel this life is all about us.  Change your life and your focus in the direction of Christ.  Once you know the one to whom you will go, the one with whom you will spend eternity, it will help you enjoy the journey getting there called life.  

Tuesday July 10^th, 2 Corinthians 12: My grace is enough; it's all you need.  My strength comes into its own in your weakness.  Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. One of the real strengths of a Christian is the ability to enjoy our weaknesses.  It is in our weaknesses that we can finally let God shine through. Our strengths tend to give us the false hope that we can really do it all on our own.  In the movie “Bruce Almighty” it is when Jim Carrey finally gave up on trying to run everything and just wished for the happiness of another that he began to live.  Often times we find that the same is true for us.  This is not advocating doormat theology where the other walks all over you, but on your terms, out of your relationship with God, work for the happiness of the other in your life and in the process watch your life blossom.  

Wednesday July 11^th, 2 Corinthians 12: It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.  This is one of the paradoxes of life, the harder we try the behinder we get.  Every day in every way, give it over to Christ a little bit more and let your life begin.  Keep your focus on Christ in your life and let the troubles that will and do come your way roll off your back.  It is the gift of Grace given to you and to all.  It is the gift of peace.

Thursday July 12^th, Mark 6: "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.  Expectations!!  Sometimes they come in the form of pressure to perform up to some standard that someone else has of us, sometimes they are the blinders that keep us from seeing the greatness before us and within us.  Sometimes the blinders are worn by others who are unable as of yet to see the work God is doing through us.  But the most destructive times are when the blinders are worn by us.  Expectations can be the blinders that keep us from seeing the Angels before us and beside us.  Expectations can be the blinders that keep us from seeing the miracles in life that unfold before us each and every day, the kindness of others, the grace of God and the love and caring of friends.  Magic tricks work because we only see what we expect to see, and in doing so we are fooled.  Satin tricks, like magic, work because we see what we expect to see and miss the grace of God that surrounds us.  Open your eyes to the grace of God in your life this day, and then live the wow of God’s love!!!

Friday July 13^th, Mark 6: Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.  8 These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.  In the church, we like to study things.  We study “Just war theory” even though Jesus said to love your enemies, not kill them.  We study human sexuality within the context of faith to see if someone can be an active homosexual and an active Christian, even though Jesus said nothing about homosexuality but did say something about divorce.  We spend lots of time studying to primarily try to find the loopholes that will allow us to justify our ideas as God’s ideas.  I think Jesus sent the disciples out with very little so they would spend less time wondering how to best use the things they brought and more time just brining the Good News of salvation.  Perhaps we could spend less time in study and more time in doing the gospel and in the process, learn.

Saturday July 14^th, Mark 6: 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."   Do what you can, where you can.  You are not in charge of every aspect of ministry in this world and not only can’t you do it all, most times you are not supposed to do it all.  You can’t do it all everywhere.  Where you don’t connect, someone else might be able to.  Sometimes our evangelism ministry is planting seeds, sometimes watering, most of the time weeding or taking care of the ground in which faith can grow.  We each play our part and in the process minister and are ministered to. Why do you think there are so many religious expressions?  God has the plan; all we have to do is our part.  

Poem for 5th Sunday after Pentecost Mark 5:21-43

My heart is beating so fast

Pounding at the walls of my chest

As my mouth goes dry

I still remember sitting there

Across the polished

--but professionally messy desk

of one involved

--in the human struggle

--for life

I knew before it was spoken

Somehow I knew

But with the last thread of hope

I wanted to hear

--what

the medical profession

in all of its high tech helplessness

had to say

and as the words came

I shuddered stoically

With reality

The reality of what I already knew

The room spun that day

In thoughts of what if

And why me

And I was angry

At everyone who walked with a smile

And the God who created them

I screamed

screamed and cried

For days

Until brokenness overcame me

I lay in restless sleep

Dreaming

Of what could have been

I screamed and begged at God

In Prayer

Hoping beyond hope

That the stories I had heard

--somewhere

were true

and as others had been cured so might I

but I knew

somehow I knew with same depth

as I knew

--before I was told of this invasion

into my body and soul

that his would not be for me

restlessly

--night after night I tossed

in almost sleep

dreams tearing at my every fear

one night

walking through a crowd of people

who excitedly stood there

backdrops

in my nightly excursion into hell

I saw Him

Looking very much like no in particular

But I as drawn onward

Feeling again

--a flutter of excitement

as I fought my way through that crowd

all focused on Him

falling as I was almost there

managing somehow

--only to touch

--a thread hanging there

--lifeless

as I drifted back

from dreamland

to sleep deep and restful

now undisturbed

by the reality of my illness

I awoke

To my Lord standing there

In Glory

And taking me by the hand

This Prince of Peace

Leading me

To a new world filled with Glory

Opening Litany based on Psalm 30

Congregation: I will exalt you, LORD, for you rescued me and refused to let my enemies and fears triumph over me. I cried to you for help, and you restored me, you brought me up from the depths and kept me from falling even deeper.

Pastor: Therefore sing to the LORD, all you godly ones! Praise the Lord’s holy name for though there may be anger at our deeds and lack of belief, the Lord’s favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning light.

Congregation: When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” In my pride I claimed your favor O LORD, and felt it made me as secure as a mountain. Because of my arrogance you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

Pastor: We cried out to you, O LORD and begged for mercy, saying, “What will you gain if we die and sink into the grave? Can our dust praise you or tell of your faithfulness? In our despair, we finally turned from our pride to your love and cried out, hear us, O LORD, and have mercy on us, Help us, O LORD, for we turn now to you.

The psalm ends with: (Mourning into Dancing)

You've turned my mourning into dancing again, You've lifted my sorrows
I can't stay silent I must sing For Your joy has come


Where there once was only hurt, you gave Your healing hand
Where there once was only pain you've brought comfort Like a friend
And I feel the sweetness of your love Piercing my darkness
And I see the bright and morning sun
As it ushers in your joyful gladness


You've turned my mourning into dancing again you've lifted my sorrows
And I can't stay silent I must sing For your joy has come

wait

Sunday July 1^st, Lamentations 3: I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."  The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.  Waiting is hard, whether you are a child or an adult.  We live in a society with fast food, express lines, 24 hour competing news services fueled with 140 character tweets from half way around the world and I now have 3G cell phone service giving way to 4G and 5G on the horizon.  Everything is going faster and faster and they all dream of sitting in a Ferrari while stuck in traffic.   In the midst of that, God’s word calls us to wait.  Wait, what are you, crazy?  If we wait, tomorrows colors and styles can become yesterday’s Good-Will bargains.  But then, sometimes we find that it is in the waiting, in the process, in the journey, that we are blessed.  Sometimes sitting at that stop sign just gives us enough time to see the sky, the trees and the people sitting in the other cars.  Spend some quiet time and wait today.  Talk to God and wait.  Enjoy the beauty of creations and wait. Love one another and wait.  Time is simply a part of our existence, timelessness is where God exists.  Wait, experience the timelessness of God and know you are loved.  

cheap

Monday July 2^nd, 2^nd Corinthians 8: 7 But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. Most of us can picture someone in our minds when asked, “Have you ever met a really stingy person?”  They are the ones that always want to make sure they leave any potluck with more than they brought, that all the laws go in their favor, and seem to have their eyes blinded to the least, lost and lonely we are to care for.  Before we become too judgmental as faces come to mind, it is good to remember that to a lesser degree, most of us can and do fall into that category given the right situation.  God had to teach the lesson in the wilderness desert school to the people of God during the exodus.  The Israelites could only gather enough manna for their use on that day, and that day only, with exception of being able to collect two days’ worth of manna on the sixth day.  That way they could rest on the Sabbath.  If they collected too much, it rotted, and it stunk.  Hording causes rotting and stink, both in our tents and in our souls.  The only cure is to learn the grace of giving, to learn to share the manna and show mercy.  If your soul is not feeling well, perhaps you are holding a bit too tight on the manna in your life?  Instead of taking two pills and calling the doctor in the morning, give twice as much and call on God every morning.  For a great book on Manna and Mercy, God’s unfolding promise to save the entire universe, simply go here and buy one.  Don’t be cheap!!!  http://danielerlander.com/manna.html

loopholes

Tuesday July 3^rd, 2nd Corinthians 8:  13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15 as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."  Remember the desert lesson mentioned in yesterdays meditation, greed and hording stink.  We can all point to Bernie Madoff’s and the golden parachute CEO’s with their million dollar bailout rewards as the evil in the world and in the process fail to look into our own hearts.  It is God’s will that there be some sense of equality among the people of God, and yes that does include tax increases.  And that would include all of creation that God called good.  Tax cuts for the top, program cuts for the bottom, the ever widening gap between the have and the have not’s, these are not new issues.  God has been trying to wean humanity off this type of greedy immaturity for eons.  Inequality is the hotbed in which terrorism grows, and the deathbed in which God’s creation suffers and dies.  Inequality has been justified as God’s will by every nation which has ever fallen from power to ruin and yet we continue to find new ways of justifying it and new loopholes to make it happen.  In the end, it is the ruination of all we seek, and a point of despair for God and humanity.  You think we would learn and hear the voice of God.  The need for the bailouts only shows we have only learned new loopholes.  

healing systems

Wednesday July 4^th, Mark 5: 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." What Jairus demonstrated was faith, pure faith.  This is one of two stories mixed together, both examples of faith.  Jairus was one of the synagogue rulers whose daughter was ill.  The story of the woman who had been bleeding for many years is sandwiched in the middle of the Jairus story.  The bleeding woman would have been considered unclean and therefore would not have been allowed in the synagogue or in the company of others.  Jesus’ response is healing for both as well as the community in which they lived.  The little girl is restored to life; the woman is restored to life and therefore reunited with the community, and in the process restoring that community to life.  One would hope that in the process what was also healed was the system that would keep some who are in need from the healing power of God, a system that often blames the victims of the system rather than the system which creates them.  What needs fixing in our systems, our communities and how do we create victims to blame for our ills?

silence

Thursday July 5^th, Mark 5: 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.  Life is restored, but Jesus brought more than miracles, he also brought mercy, and calls on us to do the same.  Don’t say anything about the healing was his request.  To tell would set the gossip mills on fire, did you hear what happened, he raise one, maybe two or three from the dead.  Imagine what he could do for old uncle George.  Jesus would cease to be the messiah and his ministry would be remembered as a miracle worker only.  A few lives would be changed, society however, the source of most ills, would remain unchanged.  For the sake of mercy, he was willing to put his ministry in the jeopardy of silence.  Perhaps we too are called to put our plans, our aspirations, in jeopardy for the sake of showing mercy.  Perhaps it is in showing mercy that we too come to new life.  

unclean

Friday July 6^th, Mark 5: A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." This is the beginning of the second healing miracle in this story. The first story was about the ruler of the synagogue; the second was about an outcast of the synagogue and of the community.  Both show faith, both are blessed with healing.  There may be more than one reason Mark intertwines these stories into one.  I believe the real healing that took place that day was in the community that made up the synagogue.  They learned the vulnerability of those who are in power and their need to depend on God and they learned the vulnerability of the community who can so quickly create victims and call them unclean.  Who are the ones who are “unclean” and therefore not welcome in our communities of faith?  Sometimes that definition comes from someone’s perception, sometimes it’s a personal excuse for not wanting to be involved, sometimes it is a definition the community of faith has.  Perhaps it is the willingness to accept the other as unclean that is really in the need of healing.  In the “unclean’s” inclusion, all are on the road to becoming whole.  

it takes work

Saturday July 7^th, Mark 5: 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' “32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."  Sometimes it is just too much work to find out the real needs of those in our communities.  We tried community organizing in our congregation, it didn’t catch, lives were too busy and the needs not personal enough,….. yet.  For now we just go about our lives as a worship community.  This is a multiple healing story; The daughter was healed of her illness, the father was healed from having to uphold the exclusionary rules of the synagogue, the synagogue community was healed of practicing exclusion, the woman was healed from having to put up with quacks, the woman was healed of her illness, the community was healed from having her presence excluded from them, and the disciples were healed from their apathy of thinking it too much work to find out who touched the hem of Jesus garment.  When inclusion happens, no matter what the reason for exclusion, healing happens. It takes work, deep work and often that in itself is part of the healing process.  

10W for June 29th, the festival of Peter and Paul.

The following is a 10 minute worship for June 29th, the festival of Peter and Paul. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Break These Chains" by Dakota Road from the CD "Break These Chains" which can be purchased HERE

 

10W for June 24th, the festival of John the Baptist.

The following is a 10 minute worship for June 24th, the festival of John the Baptist. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Wade in the Water" by Patty Griffin from the CD "Downtown Church" which can be purchased HERE

 

Poem for June 24th, Luke 1:57-80, the festival of John the Baptist

The child would lead them

Blessed by the heavens

Lead them to the one promised

from days of old

Lead them

to the one who would bring life

Lead then

to the light of the world

This small child

beyond the hopes of the people

beyond the dreams of the people

This small child

would lead the way to turn nations

powers

and the expectations of what should be

upside down

Named not to follow the foot steps

but to lead

and show the world

the way to light.

10W for June 24th, P4, The Water of Change.

The following is a 10 minute worship for June 24th, P4, The Water of Change. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"The Water of Change" by Dakota Road from the CD "Build Up" which can be purchased HERE

 

Poem based on 4th Sunday after Pentecost Mark 4:35-41

Peace be with you

Peace

Be still and know that

--I am

------God

in the midst of your troubled life

(and the waters calmed upon the sea)

when all around you

everything is falling

falling

(that once were raging)

into a fearful

uncertain

rage of destruction

(seeking to overcome)

(the smallness of the craft)

plunging your life

headlong

into the nothingness

of chaos

(tossed about)

(with no apparent notice of it’s presence)

ending the glow

now dim

that once illumined the souls of many

(or the life within)

who have since retreated

into the safe harbor of their own lives

fearing unnoticed

the trouble brewing within you

as you now sit alone

amid friends surviving

at a safe distance

(until)

--until

(the voice)

--the voice

(of God)

--from within

speaks the word of calm

the word of creator and creation

showing the way

to safety and hope

still far off

(calms the seas)

but in full view

Opening Litany based on Psalm 107

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles

Pastor: O give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good; and the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever.

Congregation: Let the redeemed of the Lord say so

Pastor: Let those redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, East, West, North and South say so.

Congregation: Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, the wondrous works in the deep. 

Pastor: For the Lord spoke and raised the stormy wind which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven and went down to the depths

Congregation: Their courage melted away in their calamity and they reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end and then….

Pastor: Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and the Lord brought them out from their distress and made the storm be still

Congregation: The waves of the sea were hushed and we were glad because they had quieted and the Lord had brought us to our desired haven

Pastor: Let us thank the Lord for the steadfast love and wonderful works the Lord brings into our lives

Congregation: We will praise the name of the Lord before all people.  As the redeemed of the Lord we will sing of the Lords goodness in this land

companions along the way

Sunday June 24^th, Job 38: Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:  "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?  Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.  "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?  Luther speaks of the two kingdoms, the kingdom of heaven up there somewhere, hidden from our eyes and hearts, and the kingdom reveled, the one shown to us by the life and teachings, compassion and grace of Jesus.  Sometimes we like to spend our time speculating about the kingdom up there, often this is to find some way we might tap into and gain power from that special gnostic knowledge.  In the process all we end up with is a headache, or in the case of our first parents, shame, and a bunch of wild speculation.  Living our lives as we do in a three dimensional world, we have tried to speculate the things of God.  Mathematicians have calculated the existence of up to a fourth, fifth, sixth, and even up to an eleventh dimension, but even armed with that knowledge, we still only live, breath, exist and think in a three dimensional world.  It is kind of hard to speculate all the reasons of God with odds against us like that.  We are limited creatures, deal with it.  For us however, there is the kingdom revealed.  It is what we know of God.  It is all we need to know of God.  It is the Kingdom we find revealed in Jesus.  Anything more is pure speculation, and more often than not leads us away from one another and therefore away from the very God we seek.  This is not a solo journey of ascent, rather this life is a journey walking with God and all the wonderful, and some not so wonderful, companions along the way that God has provided for us.  

Earthling from the earth

Monday June 25^th, Job 38: "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'?  I may be able to understand the dynamics of natural disasters and the effects of water temperatures, gulf streams, air currents and temperatures and of course, plate tectonics, but I can never know fully why they exist.  I do know that in times of disasters, I can help those in need.  I can’t understand the fullness of God, but I can act out of the love of Christ.  As the children of God we are called to live a life that manifests the compassion of Christ in this world.  We are called into a relationship with this creator God, as well as with the fellow creatures we can see, but still with whom we do not always understand and do not always agree.  We are called into relationship with the creation from which we were formed, Dusty from the dust, Human from the humus, or Earthling from the earth.  It is not always a walk in the park, or in the Garden of Eden for that matter.  It is a walk in this world with the eyes of Christ and compassion for all.  

rainbow colored family of God

Tuesday June 26^th, 2 Corinthians 6:  1 We work together with God, and we beg you to make good use of God's kindness to you. 2 In the Scriptures God says,   "When the time came, I listened to you, and when you needed help, I came to save you." That time has come. This is the day for you to be saved. After speculating on the wonders of God, we can act on the love of God in Christ.  God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, for God did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it.  Christ came to save not just you and I, but even those we don’t like, and who in all likelihood don’t like us.  The right and left wings, the gay and straight radicals, the black, white, yellow, red radicals, the upper 1% and the lower 99%, enemies and friends, all of whom are to be saved by the love of Christ.  There is no us and them in any way shape or form, there is only the diverse and blessed children of God called to recognize one another as brothers and sisters in this great big family of God.  There is only an us.  I used to fight with my sister, and from time to time, still do, but never, ever did she ever cease being my sister.  We are all part of this big wonderful, rainbow colored family of God.  Now act like it!!  And love one another as Christ has loved us!!!!