No video this week. Sorry!
1-2
Feb 2020, Christ Mountain Top
Feb 2020, Christ Mountain Top
Scout
Sunday, the Lord’s Table
Sunday, the Lord’s Table
Praying
the Scripture, Psalm 34, pp 769-770
the Scripture, Psalm 34, pp 769-770
Children,
Genesis 18.1-15 (OT Trinity, simple hospitality)
Genesis 18.1-15 (OT Trinity, simple hospitality)
Message,
Matthew 25.31-46 (sheep and goats)
Matthew 25.31-46 (sheep and goats)
Mission
Moment, Scouts
Moment, Scouts
Years
ago, the regional shelter for homeless men was mobile. Guys would stay at a church
for a week and during the day be bussed out to work or elsewhere. At that time,
Debbie Evanko was our church administrator, and one of the weeks when the men
were here they had a snow day. The guys couldn’t get out of the building during
the day, and school was closed. So Debbie’s ten-year old son Jimmy came to work
with her. They ordered pizza for the men that day and Jimmy came in and asked
if he could eat with them. “The pizza was ordered for the men, not for you.” “But
they asked me.” Jimmy and the men ate together and hung out for the day. On the
way home, he said to Debbie, “You know mom, they’re just like us. Only … they
have time for me.” These homeless men gave Jimmy a gift, and he gave them a
gift.
ago, the regional shelter for homeless men was mobile. Guys would stay at a church
for a week and during the day be bussed out to work or elsewhere. At that time,
Debbie Evanko was our church administrator, and one of the weeks when the men
were here they had a snow day. The guys couldn’t get out of the building during
the day, and school was closed. So Debbie’s ten-year old son Jimmy came to work
with her. They ordered pizza for the men that day and Jimmy came in and asked
if he could eat with them. “The pizza was ordered for the men, not for you.” “But
they asked me.” Jimmy and the men ate together and hung out for the day. On the
way home, he said to Debbie, “You know mom, they’re just like us. Only … they
have time for me.” These homeless men gave Jimmy a gift, and he gave them a
gift.
Let
us take seriously the cause of the poor
us take seriously the cause of the poor
as
though it were our own –
though it were our own –
indeed
as what it really is, the cause of Jesus Christ,
as what it really is, the cause of Jesus Christ,
who
on the final judgment day will call to salvation
on the final judgment day will call to salvation
those
who treated the poor with faith in him:
who treated the poor with faith in him:
“Whatever
you did to one of these poor ones –
you did to one of these poor ones –
the
neglected, blind, lame, deaf, mute –
neglected, blind, lame, deaf, mute –
you
did to me.”
did to me.”
Archbishop
Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love: The
Pastoral Wisdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero, translated and compiled by
James R. Brockman, S.J., San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988, p 196.
Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love: The
Pastoral Wisdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero, translated and compiled by
James R. Brockman, S.J., San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988, p 196.
Today
we continue our series of messages unpacking the promise of Advent and
Christmas, of Emmanuel, “God with us.” Each week we have approached the text
from the focus point of a particular question in the text. The first week, it
was the question of John the baptizer to Jesus when Jesus came for baptism: “Do
you come to me?” The question points out that Jesus chooses to identify with
outsider sinners, that he has “friends in low places.” The second week, the questions
were those to the man and woman in the garden and then to one of their sons: “Where
are you?” “Where is your brother?” These questions expose our basic conflicts
with God and with each other and call us to the practice of reconciliation in
conflict. Last week, we had “Where is the house you will build for me?” This
question from the prophet Isaiah points out that God’s dwelling place is among
us, that we are God’s house. And even if we are fixer-uppers, God is not
waiting to move in. Today, we have a question on the lips of both the sheep and
the goats: “When did we… see you?”
we continue our series of messages unpacking the promise of Advent and
Christmas, of Emmanuel, “God with us.” Each week we have approached the text
from the focus point of a particular question in the text. The first week, it
was the question of John the baptizer to Jesus when Jesus came for baptism: “Do
you come to me?” The question points out that Jesus chooses to identify with
outsider sinners, that he has “friends in low places.” The second week, the questions
were those to the man and woman in the garden and then to one of their sons: “Where
are you?” “Where is your brother?” These questions expose our basic conflicts
with God and with each other and call us to the practice of reconciliation in
conflict. Last week, we had “Where is the house you will build for me?” This
question from the prophet Isaiah points out that God’s dwelling place is among
us, that we are God’s house. And even if we are fixer-uppers, God is not
waiting to move in. Today, we have a question on the lips of both the sheep and
the goats: “When did we… see you?”
There
is difficulty and challenge in the story: How can our eternal destiny be
determined by our works, if our salvation is by grace through faith alone? Here
in the story, however, the crucial question is not the working, but the
relating. The question is whether or not we relate to Jesus, love Jesus, care
for Jesus. The question is whether or not we choose to be with Jesus. Being
with us is the passion and joy of God. Pope John Paul II writes, “By his
Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every
person”. Being with us is the passion and joy of God. Is being with Jesus our
passion and joy? John Paul goes on to say, “It is precisely in the “flesh” of
every person that Christ continues to reveal himself and to enter into
fellowship with us, so that rejection …,
in whatever form that rejection takes, is
really rejection of Christ.”
is difficulty and challenge in the story: How can our eternal destiny be
determined by our works, if our salvation is by grace through faith alone? Here
in the story, however, the crucial question is not the working, but the
relating. The question is whether or not we relate to Jesus, love Jesus, care
for Jesus. The question is whether or not we choose to be with Jesus. Being
with us is the passion and joy of God. Pope John Paul II writes, “By his
Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every
person”. Being with us is the passion and joy of God. Is being with Jesus our
passion and joy? John Paul goes on to say, “It is precisely in the “flesh” of
every person that Christ continues to reveal himself and to enter into
fellowship with us, so that rejection …,
in whatever form that rejection takes, is
really rejection of Christ.”
Closing
remarks, from Pope John Paul II, Evangelium
Vitae (The Gospel of Life): The Encyclical Letter on Abortion, Euthanasia, and
the Death Penalty in Today’s World, Random House/Times Books, 1995, p 186.
remarks, from Pope John Paul II, Evangelium
Vitae (The Gospel of Life): The Encyclical Letter on Abortion, Euthanasia, and
the Death Penalty in Today’s World, Random House/Times Books, 1995, p 186.
The
unique thing about this story is that being with Jesus is described in
concrete terms – in how we learn to be with persons in need, persons on
the margins, who are right in front of us every single day. “When did we see
you?” Jesus says, “As much as you have done it, or not done it, to one of
the least of these brothers of mine, you have done it, or not done it, to me.”
unique thing about this story is that being with Jesus is described in
concrete terms – in how we learn to be with persons in need, persons on
the margins, who are right in front of us every single day. “When did we see
you?” Jesus says, “As much as you have done it, or not done it, to one of
the least of these brothers of mine, you have done it, or not done it, to me.”
There
is a story of St. John of the Cross who was visited by Mother Mary in a time of
prayer. For him, this was the best thing ever, such a delight and gift. But, in
the middle of the moment there is a knock at the door, a beggar asking for
alms. “Excuse me. Pardon me.” He takes his leave of Mary and goes to care for
the beggar. When he returns, he is grateful to see that she is still there. “In
that moment, your soul hung in the balance. If you had not left to greet the
beggar, I would never have been able to visit you again.”
is a story of St. John of the Cross who was visited by Mother Mary in a time of
prayer. For him, this was the best thing ever, such a delight and gift. But, in
the middle of the moment there is a knock at the door, a beggar asking for
alms. “Excuse me. Pardon me.” He takes his leave of Mary and goes to care for
the beggar. When he returns, he is grateful to see that she is still there. “In
that moment, your soul hung in the balance. If you had not left to greet the
beggar, I would never have been able to visit you again.”
Cited
in The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the
Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America, David Whyte, Currency
(Doubleday) 1994, p 62.
in The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the
Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America, David Whyte, Currency
(Doubleday) 1994, p 62.
“When did we see you?” But sometimes we
are too self-obsessed, even in our spirituality, to step away and see someone
else. This week in my personal reading through the Bible I came across this
line from the book of Job that describes a person completely turned in on themselves:
“They feel only the pain of their own bodies, and mourn only for themselves.” Job
14:22 NRSV. We have all done it and experienced it. “How are you doing?” “Okay,
but it has been a tough day.” “You have no idea about tough, let me tell you
about my day.”
are too self-obsessed, even in our spirituality, to step away and see someone
else. This week in my personal reading through the Bible I came across this
line from the book of Job that describes a person completely turned in on themselves:
“They feel only the pain of their own bodies, and mourn only for themselves.” Job
14:22 NRSV. We have all done it and experienced it. “How are you doing?” “Okay,
but it has been a tough day.” “You have no idea about tough, let me tell you
about my day.”
Dorothy Day says it this way: “I
really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.”
really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.”
Accessed
2019 Oct 16
2019 Oct 16
This
week I visited with Jim and Edith Miller. They’ve been going through some
health stuff, so it was delightful to visit with them. He asked me, “Do you
know Saed?” Nope. “He’s my new neighbor. He’s from Syria, then he lived in
Moscow and met his wife there. She’s from China. Their oldest daughter is a
Penn State freshman and their youngest is in school here. I really like him.
You know, I never left this corner (still living on the old family farm where
he was born), but the whole world comes to me.” When did we see you?
When did we welcome the stranger?
week I visited with Jim and Edith Miller. They’ve been going through some
health stuff, so it was delightful to visit with them. He asked me, “Do you
know Saed?” Nope. “He’s my new neighbor. He’s from Syria, then he lived in
Moscow and met his wife there. She’s from China. Their oldest daughter is a
Penn State freshman and their youngest is in school here. I really like him.
You know, I never left this corner (still living on the old family farm where
he was born), but the whole world comes to me.” When did we see you?
When did we welcome the stranger?
Our Scouts are here today. The cub scout
pack has had a couple events at the Mountain Top Senior Care nursing home. One
of them was a craft night with the kids working one on one with the seniors. It
is a wonderful way to connect. Eric M, one of the leaders, said he had never
been hit on so often, not even back in college. But if you can still flirt, you
are capable of human connection, of being with.
pack has had a couple events at the Mountain Top Senior Care nursing home. One
of them was a craft night with the kids working one on one with the seniors. It
is a wonderful way to connect. Eric M, one of the leaders, said he had never
been hit on so often, not even back in college. But if you can still flirt, you
are capable of human connection, of being with.
One
of the things that stands out about Jesus’ story is that he is not treating persons
as problems but as persons (Wells). Yes, some are in prison, some are sick,
some are naked, some are hungry. But they are people, not problems. If everyone
of us walked across the street to welcome Saed, we might change the immigration
conversation in our nation. If everyone of us spent time with persons
one-on-one in a nursing home, we might change the way we care for elders in our
nation. Those are big problems, important problems. But for Jesus, the priority
is in the people.
of the things that stands out about Jesus’ story is that he is not treating persons
as problems but as persons (Wells). Yes, some are in prison, some are sick,
some are naked, some are hungry. But they are people, not problems. If everyone
of us walked across the street to welcome Saed, we might change the immigration
conversation in our nation. If everyone of us spent time with persons
one-on-one in a nursing home, we might change the way we care for elders in our
nation. Those are big problems, important problems. But for Jesus, the priority
is in the people.
I am glad that Jesus didn’t look at me
and see a problem. He looked at me and caught a glimpse of himself, something
familiar. He looked at me and loved me, wanted to be with me. No wonder
he urges us to do the same thing, to be with those different from us,
those in need, those who may make us uncomfortable. And, in doing so, to discover
that we are with Jesus himself.
and see a problem. He looked at me and caught a glimpse of himself, something
familiar. He looked at me and loved me, wanted to be with me. No wonder
he urges us to do the same thing, to be with those different from us,
those in need, those who may make us uncomfortable. And, in doing so, to discover
that we are with Jesus himself.
Resources:
Samuel
Wells, The Nazareth Manifesto: Being With God.
Wells, The Nazareth Manifesto: Being With God.
