Remnants of God

~~~Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~

~~~ Jeremiah 31:7-9 ~~~ Psalm 126 ~~~ Hebrews 5:1-6 ~~~ 

~~~ Mark 10:46-52 ~~~

"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."

Jesus is calling us together...he gathers all people...

the blind...the lame...mothers...children...

Jesus dries your tears, consoles, guides, and leads all 

on level roads so that you will not stumble.

The Lord delivered his people even though

 they were the remnant of Israel.

Have you ever felt like you were nothing but a remnant?

Sometimes as we age and the daily tasks become more challenging

 we may feel like a remnant of our former selves.

I have fond memories of browsing through 

the remnant bin in the fabric store.

You may just find a beautiful piece of fabric 

rolled up and tossed aside as just a remnant.

A remnant is the end of the bolt...

the piece not large enough to make anything worthwhile.

The Lord intentionally sought after those 

who were left out of Israel.

Today he is still seeking out the remnants...

To God a remnant is something of rare beauty...

something worth saving...something to cherish.

You are the remnant God draws to his cheek.

The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

It must bring great joy to your heart to know

 how much God has done for you.

How he loved you more than you ever 

would have guessed.

Bartimaeus may have considered himself nothing more

 than a left over blind piece of society.

A remnant with a voice...a voice that cried out to Jesus.

Jesus heard the voice of this poor blind man.

Jesus sends his disciples to this blind man.

"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."

Jesus calls you when you least expect to hear his voice.

Jesus calls you when you have given up on yourself.

Jesus calls you from the remnant bin...

unrolls you...Jesus admires the beauty of your soul.

Jesus takes time to guide you,

 to love you, to save you.

You are a remnant chosen by God.

Blessed to be saved from the fabric bin.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Pen & Ink Pep Rally

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus

 

~~~ 2 Timothy 1:1-8 or Titus 1:1-5 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Mark 3: 20-21 ~~~

 

Timothy was Paul's son in the faith.

Paul was Timothy's mentor and Timothy was Paul's disciple.

Timothy often traveled with Paul in Galatia, Philippi, Corinth, and other areas. 

 

Timothy comes from a family where his mother and grandmother

were known for their piety.

Perhaps they too were Christians.

But Paul saw that Timothy had received great faith through his maternal ancestors.

What he learned from them made a lasting impression.

 

Paul saw even greater potential in Timothy, so he took him under his wing.

Paul taught Timothy all that he could and delighted in him.

 

 

 

 

Today the church gives us this beautiful letter from Paul to Timothy.

 

 

"...I am grateful to God...

...as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.
I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears,
so that I may be filled with joy,
as I recall your sincere faith
that first lived in your grandmother Lois
and in your mother Eunice
and that I am confident lives also in you."

 

If someone wrote a letter to me with that opening paragraph I would be so moved.

Paul writes with such fondness and affection for Timothy.

Praying for someone day and night what more could you ask for?

 

Paul is longing to see his friend once again.

He longs for them to be reunited to the point of tears.

Tears of joy and gratitude for the gift that Timothy has been to him.

 

Timothy has a faith so strong that even Paul is impressed.

The strong faith of Timothy is owed in part to his mother and grandmother.

 

Paul values family and friends, but accepts that he must

travel about the region doing the work of God.

Titus was also a missionary who traveled with Paul preaching the gospel.

 

Paul writes these letters to encourage his dear friends.

He writes to remind them of their faith.

He writes to fan the flames in their hearts assuring them that he cares for them.

Paul writes to let them know that he has not forgotten them.

He writes because they have a mission to carry on even in his absence.

These letters are like vitamins for their faith.

It is a pen and ink pep rally for these men.

Rah, rah you are doing a great job!

Rah, rah, keep up the good work!

 

I  invite you to sit down with one of these letters

 and pretend that it was written to you.

Read it carefully letting each word linger for awhile in your heart.

Allow yourself to feel cherished through Paul's words.

It will bring joy to your soul!

Beloved and Cherished

Samuel, the one who anointed Saul and David, is now dead. To escape Saul's insanity David flees to the land of the Philistines in refuge. Saul pursues David...visits a soothsayer...and learns of his fate  and of his son Jonathan's as the spirit of Samuel reveals it to him.  The sad story continues like a tragic series of falling dominoes until finally Saul and Jonathan are both killed.

David is now in mourning over the death of Saul and his son. David composes a beautiful elegy for them which he sings. Music brought comfort to Saul when David first came into his service. Now David sins to bring comfort to himself, "...Alas!...how can the warriors have fallen!"

It is striking that in spite of all the times Saul came after David he was still able to hold in his heart affection for him. "Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished...", verse 23.

Beloved and Cherished

Beloved and cherished are two of the most beautiful words to me. God calls Jesus his beloved son only twice; once at his baptism and again at the transfiguration. Beloved is a special term of endearment; it means dearly loved. How could David continue to think of Saul as beloved? This is some example of loving your enemies. We have difficulty loving those who reject us for whatever reason, but Saul was activiely trying to kill David.

It is unbelievable to me when a victim of a terrible crime can reach out to the person who harmed them. Without saying the words of forgiveness their actions speak for themselves. The Amish community come to mind first. After the murder of so many in their community. They did not want to harbor hatred in their hearts.

David shows forgiveness to Saul through this beautiful musical tribute. David had several opportunities to kill Saul and each time he turned and removed himself from the  situation.

David can inspire us to walk away from our enemies. David can inspire us to think differently about our enemies. I am not trying to pretend David was perfect because we know he has his flaws as well.

As a woman I want to feel cherished. Cherish means to hold dearly, to treat with affection and tenderness. When you cherish someone like a family member you can overlook all sorts of hurts.

Who do you cherish most in your life? Is it your spouse? Your children or grandchildren? Your friends? Some even cherish their home land.

For years songs have been written about the word Cherish. Kool and the Gang had a very popular song titled Cherish, before that the Association and more recently Madonna.

Beloved and Cherished together are the pillars of a lasting relationship. In David's case even if the person wants you dead.



Cherish Moments...Cherish Living

Original photo of a single white daisy.

This kaleidoscope image captures the pure beauty of being cherished and beloved.