Jesus’ TSA requirements from Mark’s gospel – “He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.” Makes it much easier loading and unloading the Temple area with so much less luggage I guess.
Travel light is an understatement here from Jesus as he instructs on what to take and then sends out the disciples. Long story short – he’s trying to get them to trust in God, relying less on themselves and more on God’s guidance and provision. In other words, God’s Light. So maybe Jesus’ instructions are exactly that – Travel Light.
They are being sent into the world to take God’s Light – light of love, light of grace, light of compassion, light of forgiveness. And in the times and places that the Light isn’t accepted or the timing isn’t right, they are invited to kick off the dust from their sandals and move on. Some other person is maybe better in that space. Some other timing might be better. More time for God’s Light to work its way into the nooks and crannies of the situation.
And when they Traveled Light, a couple verses later, we find out what happened: “They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.”
Not bad!
What does Traveling Light look like for you this summer? No doubt, most of us are traveling from Point A to Point B for vacations, rest and maybe a family gathering or two. But what about Traveling Light in our normal daily routine? Could we travel lighter and Travel Lighter?
1. Can we travel light? What would it look like for each of us to depend on ourselves a little less and God’s provision and guidance a little more? Could we carry less literal baggage as we move through the day? The stuff we have. The damage we’ve had happen to us? The grudges we haven’t let go? The extra and more that we sometimes amass?
2. Can we Travel Lighter? Where is God calling us to go in our dailiness and as our Point B? Are there people dealing with “demons” that we can go to and be part of their healing process? Are there locked doors we are trying to push open that we need to walk away from and let God manage?
I don’t know about you, but as I envision this for myself, my chest feels less tights, I breathe easier and it feels like less weight on my shoulders.
Maybe Traveling Lighter is a gift we can give to ourselves, God and the world around us this summer.
Lord, thanks for the invite to Travel Light. Amen
Still in One Peace, ps ******* This will be the last “ps from ps” until September. In place of the weekly email, our leaders at St. Paul’s have compiled some of their favorite Bible verses to share with you. You will be able to find them on our YouTube page each week by clicking HERE. Enjoy summer, Travel Light and stay God’s course. ps
I could list out 126 things that you could potentially start your day with and probably still not hit all the possibilities.
I’m starting my sermon out this weekend with a song. You can listen to it HERE. Maybe you start your day off with this exact song?!
Whatever you do….however you start…today and everyday…do it with God’s purpose and intention in mind.
A friend of mine, Pat Hilkey, the pastor at Evangel Church in Clarence, is biking across the country this summer. This is his second go around. I’ve noticed in his updates on FB that he continues to encourage people following him to: Stay God’s Course. Notice he doesn’t say Stay The Course. But instead, intentionally, he says God’s Course. That’s a very different type of Course.
On his ride so far this summer, it hasn’t always been easy. There have been unexpected road surfaces, bike issues and extreme heat and weather challenges. But it every instance, he Stays God’s Course and has been able to see more clearly the Holy Spirit mixed in and among all the ups and downs of the ride.
But this only works because he’s set his intention. He started the ride, and each day of it, setting his focus on God’s hope and promise.
Where are you riding today? How are you…can you…start or re-start this day and set your intentions on Staying God’s Course. When you do that, just like Pastor Pat, you will see the Holy Spirit a bit more easily in and amoung the entire ride.
ps from ps “Across the South, we’ve had a deep appreciation of history. We just haven’t had a deep appreciation of one another’s history.” – Rev. Clementa Pinckney, pastor of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC.
On June 17th, 2015, Rev. Pinckney and eight others were gunned down by Dylan Roof at church, after they welcomed Dylan into their Wednesday Bible study..
President Obama quoted Rev. Pinckney in his eulogy at the church a few days after. He was encouraging those who were in attendance, and those who were listening, to work harder at listening to those unlike us and sharing God’s amazing grace with them.
I think we could still use the reminder today.
As we move through the anniversary of the Emanuel Nine in Charleston yesterday and Juneteenth tomorrow, it’s abundantly important that we don’t just honor and respect our own history or the parts of history we like, but most importantly, we honor the history of others. And it takes grace to do that.
This amazing grace could be lived out in many ways this week.
Maybe we do like Jesus did and stand with someone on the margins of life?
Maybe we learn more about the Emanuel Nine (the 2019 movie on Amazon is VERY good) and remember that Dylan Roof grew up in a Lutheran Church!?
Maybe we stop by Freedom Park in Buffalo or the Underground Railroad Museum there or in Niagara Falls and reflect on the journey that so many made to search from freedom…and yet still had to cross the raging Niagara River?
Maybe we just pray for healing in ourselves and for an open heart?
How can you have a deeper understanding of someone else’s history and journey?
How can we live out that amazing grace? .
Lord, help me to listen to others’ stories and share your grace Amen
Often when we ask this question, we’re wanting an answer from ourselves or someone else. And we’re wanting it quickly! Generally, we like answers asap.
This week, we were shooting some worship services for Church Unleashed at Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center. We decided to do the endings of some of our services around a campfire, much like we do during an actual camp programming day.
So Pastor Roger left to head to the Council Ring to get the fire started while we finished up some other parts of the services. When the pastors and crew arrived, the fire was staged and ready to go. “Ok,” Roger said, “Here we go.” And he put match to wood…on one of the strangest shaped fires we’d all ever seen.
And we waited. And we waited.
And we waited.
After many minutes and several jokes, one of our crew grabbed some extra paper and placing it in the fire, ignited a beautiful blazing campfire.
What are you waiting for? And can you wait patiently just a little longer so that the extra help and ignition might come along?
Jesus tells a parallel about a sower that went out to sow and he threw the seed extravagantly everywhere he walked. Some fell on good soil and some fell on rocks and road. Some ignited with growth and some just smoldered.
However, even the seeds that fell on the best places needed some help. And they needed some time. And space. And air. And water. And sunlight. And God’s nurturing creation to do its thing!
Maybe we need that time too. And that space. And the nurturing. And the extra paper. And God’s process of faithful waiting to yield a beautiful crop.
What are you waiting for?
As you wait today, can you give it a little more time? Can you allow for more space that God could come along with a little “extra” to fuel the ignition? Can you hold out and not rush God’s nurturing?
That sower is throwing seed extravagantly for you today. May we give God time.
Lord, please help me be patient and assist with lighting the fire. Amen
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
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