Instruction and Recollection by the HS

~~~ Sixth Sunday of Easter ~~~

 

~~Acts of the Apostles 15:1-2, 22-29~~Psalm 67~~Rev 21:10-14, 22-23~~John 14:23-29~~

 

 

With Pentecost only a few weeks away,

we are beginning to more emphasis on the workings of the Holy Spirit in our readings.

We are being reminded that the Holy Spirit was sent down from God.

This is the same Holy Spirit that comes down to us today.

 

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.

 

The Father sends down the Holy Spirit on behalf of Jesus,

because he willed it to be done.

The power of the Holy Spirit is that even after Jesus

is no longer physically teaching his followers,

 the Holy Spirit does continue teaching.

 

I hope you have seen evidence of the workings

of the Holy Spirit throughout your own life.

Every time you have one of those 'AHA' moments

while reading or hearing the scriptures.

That is the Holy Spirit.

Each time something you hear in a homily that makes you pause;

thing it was meant just for you.

That is the Holy Spirit.

 

But then we hear that the Holy Spirit has another role in our spiritual life.

The Holy Spirit comes to remind us of everything that Jesus

preached while he was here.

 

In other words do not be anxious about not being able to remember

everything you hear or read about God.

The Holy Spirit will gently remind you of the words of Jesus.

It may be a subtle thought that comes into your heart just when you need it.

The right words come to you to share with a person in need or troubled.

 

 

The Holy Spirit is our personal Advocate...

the Holy Spirit is for you and me.

The Holy Spirit is alive and with us now in 2013.

 

Open your heart; for the power of the Holy Spirit is coming very soon.

Let yourself fully experience the Pentecost experience

by preparing today.

May you be blessed with a welcoming heart.

The Easter Blessing of the residing presence of the Holy Spirit.

Hang on His Words

~~~ Revelation 10:8-11 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 19:45-48 ~~~

 

"My house shall be a house of prayer..."

 

Coming from the Jewish background Jesus would have placed

great emphasis on prayer in the synagogue.

 He did not approve of the buying and selling of goods on the front steps.

When you come to church it should be treated as a holy place

set aside for prayer.

It is through prayer that we develop

our relationship with God.

When Jesus entered the temple it was in fulfillment

of his position within the church,

but it was more about his doing the will of the Father.

 

When Jesus was in the temple teaching the people listened...

Even the elders listened at times with their ulterior motives tucked inside.

 

"...The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words."

 

The people hung on every word Jesus spoke for one of two reasons;

they either wanted to catch him saying something

they could use against him later

or they were hoping he had come to give them the words of freedom.

 

"Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey."

 

Making our way through life with the hope of obtaining

the promised eternal reward may seem sweet at first.

As time progresses the reality sets in as we come to understand

it will be difficult,

this journey to holiness.

 

Putting into practice the great commandment of love

can become sour, not just in our stomach but in our heart.

Taking the promises and laws deep inside also implies being convicted

to put them into action.

 

How sweet to my taste is your promise!

 

 

Promises are nothing but empty words if we do not change because of them.

We routinely experience our elected officials making promises

with hollow empty words. The results can be disappointing.

Words do have power.

Whether you tell yourself words of truth or false words

you will be affected by them.

 

God's words of love, compassion, forgiveness,

and mercy creates a sweetness on my palate.

I must pass on through my words that same sweetness...

the sweetness that comes as a result of believing in the promises.

 

Keeping the words of the Lord central in our lives

safeguards us from constant sourness of heart.

Consider Me Excused?

~~~ Philippians 2:5-11 ~~~ Psalm 22 ~~~ Luke 14: 15-24 ~~~

 

 

"...though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself..."

 

What does it mean to 'empty oneself'?

I am sure we could have a lively discussion around those two words.

Just the word empty by itself has vast implications.

We use the word empty in so many contexts.

We empty the trash, the dishwasher, the bathtub etc.

We empty things in the kitchen, the bathroom, the garage...

we even empty bladder and intestines.

But Jesus in order to become human had to empty himself of his

'Godness' perhaps even his Divinity.

He had to become one of us.

 

Would you be willing to become an ant to save all of the ants in the world?

I doubt you would.

That may be an outlandish example,

but humans are certainly no comparison to being God.

 

Jesus emptied himself, while retaining the qualities of

who he actually was; God the Son.

 

He knew why the Father sent him to be among us.

He knew he was sent to do the will of the Father.

Doing the will of the Father required his giving us parables in hopes

we would grasp the essence of the message.

The banquet story is one he chose to implement.

 

Is your social calendar so full of engagements that you have

no time left for God?

 

Luke writes today about the many excuses we can find

to keep ourselves from the presence of God.

Perhaps it is more comfortable to busy ourselves with other things.

Perhaps it is easier to give our attention to those things

which appear to be more pressing.

 

Taking care of property, and your animals seems to be valid concerns.

But perhaps the most worthy of your attention would be your spouse.

Each person invited had the same request...

'consider me excused'

 

In all my years of teaching I certainly received many excuses

for why a student should miss class or be given extra time.

And also excuses for why an assignment was not completed by the due date.

 

Some parents were quick to provide an excuse,

but some allowed their child to suffer the consequences

for their lack of action.

 

I think Jesus is making it pretty clear how he feels about excuses...

about how he will react when you refuse his invitation.

 

 

God is not looking to grant you excuses.

While he is certainly merciful, kind, caring, and compassionate

 he is serious when it comes to your salvation.

He is serious about the path you must take to get to eternal life.

 

We would be horrified if God responded to our prayers with excuses...

 

Everyone is invited to the banquet of the Lord.

There will always be room for one more person.

I pray my actions will never imply for God...

to consider myself excused.

 

Empty yourself of those things which in the end do not

positively contribute to your relationship with God.

 

Remember,

God will never consider you excused from his desire to love you.

Jesus, is Real

~~~ Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13 ~~~ Psalm 115 ~~~ Matthew 9: 32-38 ~~~

"...Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd..."

When the Olympic games are hosted in the US the official torch is lit and carried by runners throughout the country. The event is publicized and crowds of people come out to witness this moving event. There are interviews from those selected to carry the torch. The media devote prime time coverage of the event. For some reason this run creates a sense of pride and a sense of wel-being for our country.

Jesus was not carrying a special lit torch, but he too was moving through towns and villages. He was teaching in the synagogues not giving interviews.

He was reaching out to those who came to watch and listen.

There were no reporters making announcements about his arrival time

or the route he would take. Yet people found him and they told others

to come and see what this man called Jesus could do.

When the torch runner passes by the crowds along the street he or she

most likely feels honored to have been asked to carry this 

symbol of the international games.

When Jesus passed by and saw the crowds he was looking at more

than just their faces. He was looking at their hearts too.

As he was going about his father's business of healing

his heart was moved with pity.

Pity...a sympathetic sorrow for one suffering, distressed, or unhappy.

Jesus was expressing his feelings of sympathy for these poor people.

His capacity for empathy was far beyond what we could ever hope to attain. 

Jesus could see the many who felt abandoned by others.

He could see those who had troubled hearts and minds.

Jesus realized that as only one person it was physically impossible for him

to get to all those who needed his healing touch.

Perhaps he was even a tad frustrated by his physical limitations.

On some occasions his compassion reached out beyond

those in his immediate presence.

Thinking of Jesus as an example of the highest human compassion

gives us something to emulate...to strive toward.

Jesus was a real human person not an idol created out of cold lifeless metal.

He was quite the opposite of the idol images that...

"...They have mouths but speak not;
they have eyes but see not;
They have ears but hear not;
they have noses but smell not.
They have hands but feel not;
they have feet but walk not.
Their makers shall be like them,
everyone that trusts in them..."

Jesus was comparing himself by his words, deeds, and pity to their lifeless idols.

The false idols they had built would never be able to do

what he could do for the them.

He was the real thing!

Jesus could speak, see, hear, smell, feel, and walk.

Jesus could love from the depths of his being.

It was his love for others that drew people to follow him.

It was his compassion for the troubled that drew people to crowd along

 the streets to wait for him.

He was flesh and blood...he could reach out and touch a soul in need.

Hold on to these stories of Jesus reaching out to those in need of his healing touch.

It is just these stories that will keep your faith alive.

Jesus is the real thing..there is no other like him!