Give...Forgive...Receive

~~~ Daniel 9:4b-10 ~~~ Psalm 79 ~~~ Luke 6:36-38 ~~~

Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, 
shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.

Generosity...
The truth is that when we are giving to others
we are not thinking about ourselves.
Giving to others requires that you
focus on the other, even if just for a short time.

It is easy to give if we are not trying to judge at the same time.
Is it possible to give without judging?
Do we automatically judge before we make the decision to give?
These are tough personal questions.
Some give for their own greater glory...
wanting to be held in higher esteem for their giving.
This is not the manner in which Jesus speaks of giving.

Jesus gave of himself every day.
The genuine gift of giving should be without
 expectations of personal returns.
Jesus is saying that what we receive
will be based on what we give.

It is worth noting that in this passage forgiveness is closely linked to giving.
This is interesting since the more you are willing to forgive
 the greater gift you are really giving yourself.

While this is not a post on forgiveness
we see it here paired in the same breath with giving.

It is good for us to consider, during this time of Lent,
 just how generous God has been to us.

His generosity has preceded our generosity in all instances.
His advice today is about how he expects us to be generous to others.

What he gives us is so incredible that it is overflowing,
spilling onto our laps...running down to the floor.

How can we be blind to the benefits of giving?

Scrooge had to have a near death experience before his heart was opened.
What will it take for us to realize the gift in giving?

The best way we can thank God for his generosity with us
 is to do likewise for others.

Be more generous from this day forward
 and experience this overflowing of grace from God.

Forgiven and Blessed.
Pass it on!
Peace.

Twelve Years Later: God Bless America

~~~ Colossians 3:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ Luke 6:20-26 ~~~

 

Christ is all and in all.

Today as we remember the events of twelve years ago it is fitting
to have these beautiful readings.
Everyone old enough has a very vivid memory of where they were
 and what they were doing when the news of the attacks
 on the Twin Towers was broadcast.
Today it is another opportunity to confirm in our lives
that Christ is all and in all.

Twelve years ago, some asked where was God.
Many more revealed stories
exactly how God had been with them that morning.
Today we remember the day we witnessed great evil
and the magnificent goodness within people.

  seek what is above,
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.

Many who died that day made decisions surely motivated
by that which is beyond this earth...that which is of God...heavenly.
 

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly
  put on the new self

The new self must be one of forgiveness and peace.
Anger and fury must be removed from our hearts otherwise
there can be no peace.
Peace must begin in my heart and in your heart.
If we are ever to have Peace in this world it begins in each of our hearts.

The new self Paul speaks of is about putting on Christ.
Adorning ourselves in body, mind, and spirit with goodness.
Jesus gave us the ultimate example of forgiveness.
It is a daily struggle to follow his example even in small things
much less in something as horrifying as 9/11.

He never pretended that it would be easy.
We must daily take up our cross and follow him.

Forgiven but not Forgotten. 

 

 

The words of the Beatitudes say it all...
 

Blessed are you who are poor 

 for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.

 

The word Beatitude means blessedness, grace.
Without grace we will not make progress toward our heavenly reward.
The Sermon on the Mount was the blueprint of our home in heaven.
The master designer carefully drew up these plans for us.

It is not easy to rejoice and leap for joy when you are hungry,
sad, or feeling rejected. 

But Jesus is telling us these things have a flip side.
They will be turned into satisfaction, laughter, and validation
because of the grace given to us through him.. 

 

So here we are twelve years later...
are we in a better place...
has our faith increased....
are we more willing to forgive?
How are you doing?
Is your heart in a better place today?

Blessings today in giving thanks for those who lives were sacrificed.
It was the realization for all of us just how destructive evil can become.
There is only one path to follow for healing and that is
the path of Peace and Forgiveness.

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly
  put on the new self...

This is how we follow the heavenly path.
God Bless America...
and shed his grace down upon us.

Who Are You Fooling?

~~~ Ezekiel 18: 21-28 ~~~ Psalm 130 ~~~ Matt. 5: 20-16 ~~~

"...unless your righteousness surpasses that of scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven."

The scribes and Pharisees were the scholars the professional enforcers of the laws. The Pharisees knew scripture extremely well, prayed, tithed. They were the self righteous of their time. They were more interested in the letter of the law. They were not necessarily following God with their heart. They were just going through the motions. Jesus is saying don't try to pretend you are holy by outward appearances. It does not work with me, you are only fooling yourself.

We live in a cultural environment where you are constantly bring scrutinized. Are you doing this or that 'right'. In our city there has been much publicity and controversy over the red light cameras. Did you really run the red light? Were you actually the driver?

In our public schools the majority of the time teachers are looking for what is incorrect on the students work. The student's work gets covered with red marks, even inte margins. I have met individuals who quit trying because they know someone will always be there to find fault. Improvment is more than just finding fault. The desire to improve must also be part of the equation.

There is a well known scripture about seeing the plank and the splinter. I am sure you know the one I am referring  to here. Some think that righteousness means to be in the crow's nest overseeing what other's are doing; in order to correct and set them on the right path.

Jesus is saying all that really matters is your relationship with me. He says I can overlook your imperfections on one condition...is your heart in the right place. Jesus says I have infinite mercy. Jesus says I understand when you fall. He had the physical experience of carrying the cross, not just any cross, but our cross heavily laden with our sins. The weight and burden so great that he fell three times.

As I heard in the homily this morning...Jesus extends his mercy to us, which is bigger than anything we could possibly imagine.

We do not need the Pharisees, but yet they still do inhabit our society today.

Jesus has given us the tools we need to live a life blessed with mercy.
'Your sins are forgiven, now go in peace and sin no more.'

That sentence is often heard at the end of reconciliation.

We may not see or feel God's mercy in our life, but it is there. It is what gives us hope for an eternity with God in heaven. Without his mercy we would be lost in every sense of the word, but especially spiritually.

In this kaleidoscope image has captured God's loving eyes as he looks down on us  extending his mercy. 

Allow God to overshadow you with his mercy.