When I was a full time student, I was completely locked in and focused until the final bell each June. Ready, attentive and prepared for every question and test. Sort of. Not really.
I do wish we had more stories of what it was like when Jesus was teaching on the mount, or at the lake shore, or in the temple and hear more about the level of “focus” from the disciples. Were they locked in all the time? Sort of. Not really.
I mean we can see when they often reply and missed Jesus’ teachable moment completely. “Turn the hungry away Lord. THere’s too many.” “Not that one Jesus. He’s from Samaria.” “Keep away from her. She been around the block.”
And yet Jesus keeps working on them.
And yet Jesus keeps working on us.
I give thanks that Jesus, through God’s living Word and the Holy Spirit, keeps that work up. I give thanks for the teachers, staff and leaders at our schools that do the same thing.
Summer is almost here. And so is the end of school. Reach out to school staff, teachers and professors and thank them for their continued work and upcoming rest. The last day of school is close.
But not for our discipleship. That education powers on! Give thanks with me that the Holy Spirit continues on with us, in our study, work and rest. May your summer be filled with moments to be locked in and focused on God’s love and calling for you . Lord, keep the teaching up! Thank you!. Amen
ps from ps “Sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the sabbath; therefore the Son of Man is Lord even on the sabbath.” – Jesus, to the Pharisees that were trying to trip him up in Mark’s gospel
Sabbath. Sunday for us Christians. Or Saturday maybe.
The time isn’t as important as the space. And the intention. And the community around you. And the God who gifted you with it and will meet you in it.
My dad is going to preach with me this weekend. It’s like “Bring Your Dad to Work Day.” It’s his 60th Anniversary of his ordination so we thought we’d do a thing together.
He was always a big stickler for Sunday morning. That was the sabbath. As a kid, it was church and not much else. No buying gas or going to the store. I recall him saying: “People shouldn’t have to work on Sundays”…which was fairly ironic because he was working on Sundays and now I do too.
But is it really the day or time that’s the key factor? Because Jesus never does pick out his favorite Sunday service start time. What does does give us comes from this verse:
1. We are given a gift to take some sabbath- reconnections, rest, restoration, recreation – time with God and community. 2. We shouldn’t assume that it’s only one way/one time/my-way-or-the-highway or then we’re as bad the Pharisees that were accusing Jesus back then. 3. Whenever we intentionally take it, we will see and feel God there.
Life is challenging now. Culture is demanding. Priorities pull us in multiple directions.
Jesus just wants us to know we are God’s priority. And that God invites us to give that relationship with Jesus and others in the church to spend time each week for reconnection, rest, restoration and recreation.
What can that space look like for you?
Lord, help me focus on keeping some sabbath with you. Amen
I’ve settled in at about a 37% pass rate for the “I’m Not A Robot” test. Who knew that bicycles and stop lights would be such a problem? Or maybe I really am becoming a robot?
Anything ever make you question who you really are? Or maybe tougher yet, ever question who God really is?
This weekend we celebrate Holy Trinity Weekend. It’s the weekend in the church year where the pastor has the greatest percentage possibility to over theologize a sermon and completely confuse everyone. Good luck at St. Paul’s Kristen!!
However, it’s actually a gift. Because it’s mainly just a reminder that God is big and multiple personalities. And that’s not from a tough mental health diagnosis perspective. That’s from a God wants you to know and experience God in many and various ways perspective.
How’s this: Essentially God is one of those “I Am Not A Robot” quizzes but every box (all three of them) is one aspect of God and all checked boxes are correct!
Ok, maybe that’s a reach.
I’m just trying to remind you that God as Creator, Savior and Guide really loves you a ton and wants you to be able to access that God-ness love in a bunch of ways.
That’s all.
Or maybe that’s what the robot wants.
Either way, that’s the deal. Happy Holy Trinity Weekend!
Lord, thanks for being so big that it hurts my head. Amen
I’m sitting on a train. Next to my Dad. And we’re going on a journey. In fact, he might be reading over my shoulder. Luckily, the font is so small he can’t read it. (And for full disclosure, I can’t anymore either without readers)
We’re heading to Manhattan and Brooklyn, childhood home of one Chick Biegner. He wanted to see everything over there one more time and isn’t able to travel there on his own.. (And for full disclosure, I probably shouldn’t be able to travel on my own anymore without my readers.)
I guess I’m here to help him have a good trip and see as many things as he wants to see. I’m an advocate of sorts.
Not The Advocate. Just an advocate.
This coming weekend, in church we remember when The Advocate arrived for the train trip the first time. In Acts 2, the promised Advocate, the Holy Spirit, descends on the people and creates the church – and oh what a journey they are in for as they become the beginnings of the Church.
Jesus had been telling them – The Advocate is coming. He’s going to come up beside you and journey with you. Watch over you and care for you. Lead you and guide you. And stay with you! God’s present and presence.
And The Advocate never left. Couple thousand years later, that same Advocate rides with me and my pops on a train to NYC. That same Advocate rides with St. Paul’s. That same Advocate meets us in community and the meal we gather around. That same Advocate sits with you.
The Advocate doesn’t “take the wheel” or whatever the song says about Jesus. Taking the wheel is our job. But that Advocate that arrived on your train through your baptism will journey with you as you drive, sit in the passenger seat or let the conductor move you forward on the tracks. Leading. Guiding. Caring. Loving.
My dad and I do not travel alone today. You do not make your trip alone. You have an Advocate with you. God’s present and presence.
We had a vote last weekend at church. The early church will have their vote next weekend.
Last weekend at St. Paul’s, we had our annual meeting and in it, we elected new Council members. They will be leaders of the church over the next three years. I’m thankful for the folks that allowed their names to be lifted up. It’s a risk to put yourself out there.
Remember high school? Ever run for an office back then? Class President? Student Council? Maybe you made signs or hung posters or bought votes through buying people that extra little carton of milk? Either way, it’s a risk to put yourself out there.
In Acts chapter 1, the disciples are licking their wounds and re-grouping now that they’ve had multiple interactions with Resurrected Jesus. As they get their ducks in a row and they lift up two people to take the place of Judas, who sort of flamed out (no pun intended). Barsabbas and Matthias. They pray. They trust in God’s guidance. Matthias it is!
One went on to serve but thanks be to God for both of them. Matthias got the new gig but whatever happened with Barsabbas? Not 100% sure, but we do have another sighting of a guy named Barsabbas in Acts 15. (I mean how many guys could be named Barsabbas back then, right? Like, how many churches could be named St. Paul’s today, right?). Either way, he went to use his gifts to help in other ways build the church and allow God’s kingdom to break in. He risked, and it still worked out in ways that were a blessing to God.
I’m not sure what today will hold for you, but I hope you’ll be willing to take that risk. To put yourself out there and trust in God’s plan. To allow God to set in you the right time and right place to help build God’s kingdom.
You may not need to run for an office to do it. But certainly, God knows you. Knows your gifts. Gave them to you in the amazing creation that is YOU. May you take that chance today. Step out. Step forward. Rebound and move into the next. And allow yourself to be a blessing in God’s plan.
Lord, take me where you need me to go, meet who you need me to meet, say what you need me to say and keep me out of the way. Amen. (Prayer of Father Michael Judge, chaplain for the FDNY who died on 9/11)
I have log-sightedness. Or wait, do I have speck-sightedness? Or both???
There’s a great image by Jesus in Matthew’s gospel where he tells his crew: “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor. “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”
Yeah, it’s probably both.
I had a rough day yesterday. I had several different people point out my specks. Didn’t feel great. But most of the specks were truth, so there’s that.
If I’m honest though, what I found rising up in me as a response was anger. Anger because then all I started noticing was how many logs they had in their eyes! And now there I was hours later, focused only on specks and logs. Maybe this has never happened to you. Or maybe it has.
That could be why Jesus brings this up.
He’s speaking about judgment and the importance of making his message, that the kingdom of God is breaking in, a realistic, demonstrated and relational part of everyday life. In other words, we can’t proclaim God’s amazing and graceful love one day and then get hyper focused on specks and logs the next.
Speck-sightedness and log-vision are not the manifestation of the kingdom breaking in.
Instead, Grace is. Compassion is. Listening is. Presence is. Guiding is. Forgiveness is.
How’s your vision? May our lenses today not focus on the specks and logs, but instead, be the physical demonstration of God’s kingdom breaking in still.
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