Archive for the 'Sermons' Category

Advent 3, Dessert in the Desert -Rejoice and be ready Dec.13, 2009

Advent 3

Dessert in the Desert -Rejoice and be ready

Dec. 13, 2009

 

There once was a lady who knew her death was coming near.  She had been battling a rare disease for some time and she knew she soon would die.  She went to the priest to make her funeral plans.  They picked readings and music and had a good cry together.  Then after they were all finished she said, I have just one more request.  Yes, said the priest.  I want to be buried with a fork in my hand.  Sure said the priest, but Why?

She explained that growing up, she often came to church pot lucks.  As the main course finished some one would always lean over and say keep your fork as the dishes were being cleared.  It was a sure sign something better was coming.  Their mouths both started to drool as she recounted home made apple pies, Carmel apples, cakes and tortes.  She told the priest she wants to be remembered and go to heaven knowing that something better is coming.

Advent is about the tradition of waiting and preparing for God’s cracking into our time and giving us God’s greatest gift. Advent is our fork.  This third week of advent is our pink candle Gaudete Sunday which mean rejoice.  It is our dessert in the desert.  Our reminder that we are on a journey and there is a greatness that awaits us.  That in all things we are to rejoice and be ready.  To prepare and to remember.

Each week of Advent, we are called to focus on a word or thought.  Each week in Advent we receive an opportunity to enter more deeply into the journey toward the Birth of the Christ.

Each year we call ourselves to this period of waiting but advent is not really about waiting as it is about remembering.  Remembering what God has done for us, we remember last year, we remember the end of the story.  If we just wait and have no idea what we are waiting for, if we wait and choose not to remember we are choosing to miss God’s opportunity given to us in this Advent gift.

One piece of the Advent gift is to refocus the questions in our lives.  We often ask this question, what should I do?  How can I help more? How can I accomplish more?  The question of Advent and for our lives is not, what can I do?  The question is: what is God doing?  Advent is the fork that helps us remember what’s coming and what the journey is all about.  Really so is everything about Christmas also to help us remember.  Advent helps us prepare and refocus.

I have an idea for us this Christmas.  What would it be like if we hung a fork on our tree and when people ask why you have a fork hanging from your tree you can tell them the story of  dessert in the desert.  It is to remind us that in the middle of Advent we never forget to rejoice and in the midst of Christmas that the presents aren’t the focus but a sign and symbol of what is still to come,  Prepare, be ready remember and rejoice for the King is coming.

In the name of God

Advent I Year C We Have Been Set Free 11/29/09

Advent I Year C

“We have been set Free”

Nov. 29, 2009

A. J. Gordon was the great Baptist pastor of the Clarendon Church in Boston, Massachusetts. One day he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, “Son, where did you get those birds?” The boy replied, “I trapped them out in the field.” “What are you going to do with them?” “I’m going to play with them, and then I guess I’ll just feed them to an old cat we have at home.” When Gordon offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, “Mister, you don’t want them, they’re just little old wild birds and can’t sing very well.” Gordon replied, “I’ll give you $2 for the cage and the birds.” “Okay, it’s a deal, but you’re making a bad bargain.” The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny coins. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ’s coming to seek and to save the lost — paying for them with His own precious blood. “That boy told me the birds were not songsters,” said Gordon, “but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, ‘Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!’”

Redeemed- according to Webster’s dictionary means to buy back, to win back or free from captivity.

This is Advent. And the message of these times is the song of those wild birds. It’s the song sung in every carol this season: Redeemed! It’s the meaning behind every gift given under the tree: Redeemed! It’s the Word the shepherds heard: Redeemed! It’s the assurance Mary received: Redeemed! It’s the star the Wiremen followed: Redeemed! You and I have been trapped by sin, but Christ has purchased our pardon. He who has this hope in his heart will sing, and you know the song: “Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!”

Will YOU hear the song this season? Will YOU see the signs this Christmas? You can, if you will stand up and lift up your heads. It is all around. Don’t you know that…

  1. Our Redemption Is Written in the Heavens.
  2. Our Redemption Is Witnessed on Earth.
  3. Our Redemption Is Wrapped in Our Hearts.

You were bought back, freed from captivity at great price.  The question many ask is when?  When will the king we celebrate come when?

God’s time clock is certainly out of sync with ours as Little Jimmy learned one day as he was laying on a hill in the middle of a meadow on a warm spring day. Puffy white clouds rolled by and he pondered their shape. Soon, he began to think about God.

“God? Are you really there?” Jimmy said out loud.

To his astonishment a voice came from the clouds. “Yes, Jimmy? What can I do for you?”

Seizing the opportunity, Jimmy asked, “God? What is a million years like to you?”

Knowing that Jimmy could not understand the concept of infinity, God responded in a manner to which Jimmy could relate. “A million years to me, Jimmy, is like a minute.”

“Oh,” said Jimmy. “Well, then, what’s a million dollars like to you?” “A million dollars to me, Jimmy, is like a penny.”

“Wow!” remarked Jimmy, getting an idea. “You’re so generous… can I have one of your pennies?”

God replied, “Sure thing, Jimmy! Just a minute.”

Little Jimmy wasn’t ready for that response was he? He may be waiting a while for that Penney the same way the church has been waiting for its penny, our redemption. My friends you may be saved but this is only the beginnings of salvation that will occur at Christ’s coming. Jesus told his generation to watch. Watch for his return. Why then 2000 years? It is a question that has plagued theologians throughout the centuries. Why the delay?

I don’t know. One answer is that our time is not God’s time. Our life span fits in eternity but eternity does not fit in our life span and so, we wait and we watch.

The Episcopalians at Harvard on their blog spot remind us not to get consumed with the desperation of the world.  The fig tree we hear about is a sign of hope.  It is the last to bloom in Palestine and it reminds us that the end is near and that there is abiding hope in the future in which God brings all things into harmony . Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief.  Do Justice now!  Love mercy now!  Walk humbly now!  You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. (The Talmud)    We are an integral and essential part of what God is up to in the world.  In Advent we remember that God comes into the world in unexpected and wonderful ways, in order to bring creation to its fulfillment.  We are not free to abandon of the kingdom, but we know that its completion lies in the hands of God.

The messiah comes to tear apart the web of illusion and ignorance that we seem compelled to weave around ourselves… This is not to be a quiet non-disturbing event, but an event of power, an explosion of divine energy, a wakeup call.  Irma Zaleski

May we never forget the message of Advent.  We are redeemed.  We are loved. We were purchased at great cost and God will continue to reveal his love in unusual and extraordinary ways like the baby king we await in this season of this season.

In the name of God

(Stories and ideas for this sermon came from Brett Blair and e-sermons)

Be A Squirrel!! Thanksgiving day Nov. 26, 2009

Thanksgiving Day

Be a Squirrel

Nov. 26, 2009

 

There is a lot of talk in Church circles about Dog and cat theology.  Lenard Sweet  at e-sermons have brought a  new twist to Dog and Cat theology that has captured my imagination

 

“Dog Theology” goes like this: “You feed me. You pet me. You shelter me. You love me. You must be God!”

“Cat Theology” goes like this: “You feed me. You pet me. You shelter me. You love me. I must be God.”

Lenard Sweet talks about a 3rd type, Squirrel theology. The way squirrels live their lives puts them on a different theological plane than dogs or cats?

First, consider that squirrels are so good at what they do they have generated a whole anti-squirrel industry — the manufacture of “squirrel-proof” bird feeders. If you have ever attempted to feed just birds and not squirrels from your backyard feeder, you know that no one has yet succeeded in creating a truly “squirrel-proof” feeder. Products designed to Baffle don’t baffle them for long. Weighted feeding slots don’t get them discouraged.

Squirrels aren’t rocket scientists. But they use all their squirrely attributes to get to the prize. They dig in with their toes. They balance on precarious perches. They use their tails like anchors. They use their front paws like a surgeon’s skilled hands. The squirrel’s tactics aren’t necessarily perfect, but they are always persistent.

All squirrels antics are centered on a single-minded purpose. NUTS! And because of that single-minded purpose, they find joy in every moment as though it is the only one that matters. By the way, I think the 4-letter words NUTS is an acronym for Never Underestimate The Squirrel.

This Thanksgiving I want to drive you NUTS . . . so you will live a NUTS Life . . . a life that  is singularly focused.  A life that uses every gift you have.

 

In our Thanksgiving Day gospel text, Jesus reminds his listeners that they too must get their priorities straight. As Jesus spoke to the poor, to the simple day laborers who eked out a living on a daily denarius, he was keenly aware of the realities they faced. They needed to work, and work hard, just to keep food on the table, and a roof over their heads.

Jesus’ words don’t belittle the hard-scrabble existence of the people. Instead Jesus reminds them of how divinely graced and gifted they are. Jesus insists that there is so much more to their lives than the quest for physical essentials. As children of God, firm in the faith that all aspects of life are in the hands of the “heavenly Father,” our first priority is to strive “for the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Mt. 6:33).

That is our essential “squirreliness” — that which sets us apart from other creatures and from all those who find the focus of their lives centered on “things.” We are not called to be mere consumers of stuff — the “goods and services” that keep our economy afloat. We are called to keep discovering God’s righteousness, God’s intentions for ourselves and our world, in all that we do, and say, and experience.

With our eyes on the prize, Christians will exhibit a lot of behaviors the world will find just plain “squirrelly” — and that is a good thing!

Squirrels delight in going “out on a limb.” Confident in their God-given gifts, strong claws for climbing, a long tail for balance, an eye for perfectly gauging distances, they are comfortable and unconcerned perched on the tippy-end of a tiny branch. Forty or fifty feet in the air, clinging to a scrawny twig, the squirrel enjoys the view and the winds that ruffle its fur.

Followers of Christ will find themselves “out on a limb” from time to time. What helps to bring in the kingdom and reveal God’s righteousness isn’t always the most popular stance. Seeking God’s kingdom may put you in a precarious position — at work, at school, in the community.

 

 

Squirrels are very intentional in their gathering behavior. When searching for nuts or seeds they will traverse the ground carefully, scouring every inch, rooting under every fallen leaf, overturning stones, digging in the earth. If our priority is the kingdom of God our intentionality needs to be just as exhaustive. We are to take our witness and words out into the community and the world.

We need to be very intentional about our asking and inviting those

who have not heard the good news,

who have given up hope,

who have slipped between the cracks,

who are hidden under heavy weights.

There is no place we cannot find the kernels of God’s kingdom.

Being a squirrel means expending a lot of energy in order to achieve the goal of gathering. We too need to be energized, to be up and doing what God has called us to do. Squirrels do not grow weary in well-doing. They don’t take time off to sleep in on Sunday morning. Squirrels don’t just blow off meetings or commitments because they are tired or bored or depressed. Resting when possible, but always working towards the final goal, that is “squirreliness.”

There are always lean times. Squirrels sense the approach of winter even on the warmest summer day.

But we are a different kind of creature from the squirrel. Jesus reminded his followers that they need to lay up treasures “in heaven.” The fullness of God’s grace, the abundance of God’s love, is always available. But we can also stockpile those spiritual gifts for times of crisis and concern. The comfort of prayer, communion and communication with the divine, is a daily discipline. It builds up a repository of peace and purposefulness for those days when we are faced with hurts or horrors that challenge and chill us. Squirrels methodically (but quite oblivious to worry) squirrel away nuts over the fall, so that they won’t have to worry in the winter…..and they don’t, because they know exactly where their “food source” is hidden. If we were to as methodically approach our spiritual disciplines and grow the stash of our intimacy and relationship with God, we wouldn’t be worrying about what happens next….

Have you ever watched a squirrel stuff their cheeks so full of nuts or seeds or berries that each trip to their storehouse is a major bonanza. Squirrels don’t just pick up one little nut at a time, they stuff as much as they can in their cheeks. “Multi-tasking” isn’t just listening to music while doing homework, or dictating a memo while commuting to work. Multi-tasking is finding many ways to bring the kingdom to many different kinds of people. Multi-tasking is attending Sunday worship, but also participating in a coffee shop ministry, babysitting for a single parent, creating a community garden.

Thanksgiving is a wonderfully squirrely holiday. It may not be officially winter according to the solstice, but it is already plenty cold. Snow is on the ground in many places, and the “harvest” we are supposedly celebrating is actually long past. Any one with any sense would find late November a prime time to start rationing supplies, cutting down on excesses, hunkering in the bunker as the cold winds start to whip about.

But what do we do? Pull out all the stops? Load up our platters? Put in hours of hard work to produce a feast for all?

Just as money becomes tighter, we take a day off from our work and instead spend time and money to travel in order to be with our families and friends. In the face of November’s barren trees and bleak forecasts, we offer thanks to God for the gifts of grace and abundance and love that we receive every day.

Now that is squirrely!

Every now and then, admittedly not very often, one of those “author unknown” stories passed around on the Internet as chain mails turns out to be true. When I first read this one entitled “The Day I Met Daniel” I dismissed it as another urban legend e-rumor.

But I couldn’t get the story out of my head. So I checked it out on snopes.com, and much to my surprise this credentialing site rates the story as true, after speaking directly to the author (http:www.snopes.com/glurge/Daniel.asp). Originally written in 1995 by Indiana pastor Richard Ryan, it appeared in “A Third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul.”

Here is the story in its entirety, the story of someone named Daniel, a Johnny Appleseed figure who had squirrely priorities about what it means to “seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.”

It was an unusually cold day for the month of May. Spring had arrived and everything was alive with color but a cold front from the North had brought winter’s chill back to Indiana. I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day. As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, ‘I will work for food.’ My heart sank. I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.

We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car. Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: ‘Don’t go back to the office until you’ve at least driven once more around the square.’ Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square’s third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack. I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town’s newest visitor. ‘Looking for the pastor?’ I asked. ‘Not really,’ he replied, ‘just resting.’ ‘Have you eaten today?’

‘Oh, I ate something early this morning.’ ‘Would you like to have lunch with me?’ ‘Do you have some work I could do for you?’ ‘No work,’ I replied ‘I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.’ ‘Sure,’ he replied with a smile. As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. ‘Where you headed?’ ‘St. Louis.’

‘Where you from?’ ‘Oh, all over; mostly Florida.’ ‘How long you been walking?’ ‘Fourteen years,’ came the reply. I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, ‘Jesus is The Never Ending Story.’ Then, Daniel’s story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He’d made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought. He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God ‘Nothing’s been the same since,’ he said, ‘I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.’ ‘Ever think of stopping?’ I asked.

‘Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me but God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles, that’s what’s in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.’ I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: ‘What’s it like?’ ‘What?’ ‘To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?’ ‘Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn’t make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people’s concepts of other folks like me.’ My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused. He turned to me and said, ‘Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I’ve prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.’

I felt as if we were on holy ground. ‘Could you use another Bible?’ I asked. He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite. ‘I’ve read through it 14 times,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure we’ve got one of those, but let’s stop by our church and see’. I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful. ‘Where are you headed from here?’ I asked. ‘Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.’ ‘Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?’ ‘No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that’s where I’m going next.’ He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we’d met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.

‘Would you sign my autograph book?’ he asked. ‘I like to keep messages from folks I meet.’

I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, ‘I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.’ ‘Thanks, man,’ he said. ‘I know we just met and we’re really just strangers, but I love you.’ ‘I know,’ I said, ‘I love you, too.’ ‘The Lord is good!’

‘Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?’ I asked. A long time,’ he replied And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, ‘See you in the New Jerusalem.’

‘I’ll be there!’ was my reply. He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, ‘When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?’

‘You bet,’ I shouted back, ‘God bless you, Daniel, wherever your feet take you.’ ‘God bless,’ he said. And that was the last I saw of him. Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them…. a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them. Then I remembered his words; “If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?”

Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry.

*Many of the ideas for this sermon came from a sermon by Mike Topham, Pastor of the Des Arc First United Methodist Church, Des Arc, Arkansas. It was entitled “We Now Have Squirrels At the United Methodist Church.” 

I love the Squirrel Theology concept.  I love the thought that in a natural season of sacristy with winter closing in on us we are celebrating abundance.  The squirrel’s single minded focus and great joy in that focus is a life lesson as is Daniel who appears to be one thing and turns out to be an ambassador of God.  Doesn’t God work just like that.   My hopes and prayers for a thanksgiving and Holy season of abundance.

 In the name of God.

This sermon is adapted from e-sermon’s Lenard Sweet.

 

6 Epiphany -Year B I do will it Feb. 15, 2009

Mark 1:40-45
40 A leper* came to him begging him, and kneeling* he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean.’ 41Moved with pity,* Jesus* stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ 42Immediately the leprosy* left him, and he was made clean. 43After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, 44saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ 45But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus* could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.Why is it that we are more than ready to believe that we could win the lottery or we can take a pill and be skinny or watch a DVD and be rich but when it comes to God if it’s to easy we are skeptical. It appears from our old testament reading that humans have been this way for a long time.
The line from the Gospel pierced my heart today. The leper says if you choose you can make me clean. Moved with pity, Jesus reaches out and touches the man and says, “I do choose, be made clean”
I was thinking this week about the little things that we never even think about and how each of us plants seeds in each other. On Friday my daughter Ann came home and when she was telling about her day at supper said that Mrs. Johnson had given her a high five for doing so well on her packet. Annie’s toothless smile beaming from ear to ear jumping up and down as she told us. If Mrs. Johnson had given Ann a check for $1000 it wouldn’t have even come close to that high five. It meant the world to Ann. How many hearts do you think Mrs. Johnson touches every day without her even noticing? It was in 1st grade that I was held back because my teacher told me that I tried hard I just wasn’t as smart as every body else. Ann doesn’t think she is smart she knows she is smart, it took me almost 40 years to figure the same thing out. Now that’s impact. How many opportunities a day do we have to be uplifting, to be and extension of Christ love? It is in the little things and not just the big. Some are called to go to the Sudan and feed the hungry but most of us can impact the world no less by the gentle touches in others lives that are available to us every day.
I was reminded of the story of the man sitting on the beach where thousands of starfish had washed up on the beach and he sat throwing one at time back in the ocean, someone walked up to him and said you can’t possibly make a difference for all these starfish and he said no but I just did for that one.
Is the world impacted any less if we do seemingly insignificant intentional acts of kindness and love that extend the love of God into the torn and battered parts of peoples’ hearts, into the forming parts of a child’s heart? Does God smile on us more if we go to Africa and feed the hungry than if we fed the hungry here or feed someone’s spirit?
The love of God is easy, being held by Christ is easy, and seeking the Holy Spirit is easy. It’s living that can be hard.
Go then and give 7 high fives, go then and save 70 cents and give it to the food pantry, go then and collect in a couple Sundays 2 huge boxes of soup so hungry people can feel warm in their stomachs and their hearts. Go them and win the race because Jesus does choose for us to be made clean and he works through incredibly powerful relationships, he works through Mrs. Johnson, and your can of soup and your phone call or hug. God says to us today in the name of Jesus Christ be healed and then go into the world carrying His light and being his love.
In the name of God

3 Epiphany -Year B A Dare, a Test, and an Opportunity Jan. 25, 2009

Mark 1:14-20
14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” 16As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea-for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
People, who know me, know that I love reading labels and I love catchy slogans. Well I was in the bathroom closet after my shower and another great slogan caught my eye, this one on my wife’s antiperspirant. The slogan said, “Dare to wear Black.” In this age of vocation shortages in all the major church denominations’. I have often said the reason men and women aren’t going into ordained ministry is because we never tell them how cool our job is.
I also began to think of our task as a church family for 2009. We had another budget meeting this last Wednesday. Coming away from the meeting I was filled with an overwhelming feeling of doubt. I have prayed hard since then and the message in my heart, which I believe is God’s answer to my prayer, is Dare to imagine, Dare to dream, Dare to rest in trusting in God to show us the way.
The Test – I believe that life is full of tests, and this is a test. How bad do we want to be a vibrant expression of God’s love? How hard are we willing to work to find ways to be more efficient in our use of God’s gifts to us? Walls are there to keep the people out who don’t want it badly enough.
The Opportunity – A young Israelite Rabbi came up to a bunch of middle class working people and dared them to dream of a different way of doing business. He gave them a test and an opportunity. They all passed the test, not with their great knowledge but with their great faith. How has that changed from Jesus’ time to ours?
If ever their was a time when the church had a relevant message, if ever there was a time when our families needed to support each other in a Holy way of life, if ever there was a chance to teach our children what is really important or possible it is now. At 5:45 this morning I dropped my parents at the Airport for their trip to Hawaii and I for the 1st time in my life, had a small taste of How God feels when God longs for something for us. I have been planning this trip and celebration of my parents love for each other and for all who touch their lives for over a year and I have sweated and longed and anticipated and waited for today for a long time and I won’t be completely at ease until they’re home with us again. That, I think, is what God feels like when he knits us in the womb with all the possibility, not completely being at ease for us until we are home with Him again.
As he holds us and walks with us on this part of the journey God says, Dare to dream, Don’t fear the test, I will give you the answer just keep asking the question, and use the opportunities I give you to spread my Love. That’s the job and I can’t think of anyone I would rather be on the road with other than you. May to God go the glory. In the name of God.

Baptism of the Lord -Year B Through the Door and on the team Jan. 11, 2009

Mark 1:4-11
4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I Have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
con•ver•sion
Pronunciation:
\kən-ˈvər-zhən, -shən\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin conversion-, conversio, from convertere
Date:
14th century
1: the act of converting : the process of being converted2: an experience associated with the definite and decisive adoption of a religion3 a: the operation of finding a converse in logic or mathematics b: reduction of a mathematical expression by clearing of fractions4: a successful attempt for a point or points especially after a touchdown or for a first down <a 2-point conversion> <a third-down conversion
We celebrate today the Baptism of the Lord. Baptism is the gate for us. Once we pass through the waters of baptism we say and believe we are called and claimed by God. I.E we are on the team. We call the process of accepting this love and calling the process of conversion. The Bible churches call it being saved. It is about the on going process of giving your heart and Soul to God.
I found it ironic that under Merriam Webster’s definition of conversion was 10 the association and adoption of a religion and also an extra point conversion in football.
So being that it we are in Packer Badger country I though a good ole football prep talk may be in order.
(Blow Whistle and grab the football)
It is time to convert for the extra point. It is time to be on the team or off the team. It is time in our new year to up our reps. If we are going to win this game, this battle. We are going to need to up our reps. Do some spiritual weight lifting. Read our scriptures say our prayers and put our nose and our eye on the goal.
This is no time for spiritual slackers. It mean out there and our opponent is big and mean and sneaky. It is time to bring out the armies.
Connie Ott from St. Dunstan’s sent this little poem in my Christmas Card. I think it sums it up nicely. It’s a poem by Howard Thurman
When the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and the princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins. To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the Hungry, To release the Prisoners, To bring Christ to all, To make music in the heart.
I do believe that it is time to up our game and to realize that team means together everyone achieves more. Together we can do battle against the darkness. Times are going to be tight for a while and in tight times great opportunities present themselves. It all comes down for me to does our baptism mean something or not. Does being on God’s team mean something to you? As the Notre Dame Coach in Rudy says. No excuses do the work. I think the image of being in the trenches is a good one. In hard times we need to stay close together, pray hard and be ready for the opportunities that God sends our way. So we can continue to convert our heart to God’s love and score the extra point for Jesus when it is our turn.
In the love of God

2 Christmas Year B God taking you on a trip Jan. 4, 2008

Matthew 2:13-23
13Now after they had left, (the Wise men) an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
16When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18″A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20″Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”Just when you thought it was safe to get back into the water or to skate on the ice to use a more appropriate for today. That crazy priest uncorks that radical hospitality stuff again.
I have been thinking about radical hospitality and how we so it here at Good Shepherd as I think about Jesus and more particularly Mary and Joseph and how they were treated and how they treated others. Here are some questions to ask. Are we the inn keeper in Bethlehem or the Anna and Simeon? Are we Mary and Joseph in the stable or in Egypt or are we the Herod in fear of losing what we have? Which model of hospitality do we want to be known for?
I was thinking about the little touches, the cards the notes the thanks you the details. I also thought about the giants you as st chad Good shepherd have had as models of gracious and radical hospitality. Fr. Tom. Fr. Max Brown, Fr. Dean, Deacon Rick.
Again the question is what are they going to say about us as our legacy. Deacon Rick who will go home any day now didn’t know that he inspired any body with his faith.
Let be Radical hospitality giants in the tradition of this parish

Christmas Eve-Year B Find Him Dec. 24, 2008

Luke 2:1-20
2In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see-I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14″Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Sing -Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Infant Holy Infant Lowly, for his bed a cattle stall. Oxen lowing, little knowing. Christ the babe is Lord of all. Swift are winging angels singing, Noels ringing, tiding bringing. Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping Vigil till the morning new. Saw the glory, heard the story, tiding of a gospel true. Thus rejoicing free from sorrow. Praises voices meet the morrow. Christ the babe was born for you.Find Him. Find Him. The reason the shepherd found Him was they were told to look and they did. Jesus is born today in a manger somewhere far off and somewhere very near. Find them. Wisemen came from the east to find him. Find him in your child’s eyes. In any Child’s eyes on Christmas. Find Him in your Partner or spouse. Find Him in each other. They found him and it changed their lives. Are you looking for him what will you do when you do find him? Are you ready to have your life changed? Because when you find him it will change your life. Here is a story about finding Him in Indiana.

The heart that gives,…. gathers.

In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket.

Their father was gone.

The boys ranged from three months to seven years; their sister was two.

Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared.

Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds.

He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries.

Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no more beatings, but no food either.

If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time, I certainly knew nothing about it.

I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best homemade dress, loaded them into the rusty old 51 Chevy and drove off to find a job.

The seven of us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our small town.

No luck.

The kids stayed crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince who ever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. I had to have a job.

Still no luck. The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, was an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in that had been converted to a truck stop.

It was called the Big Wheel.

An old lady named Granny owned the place and she peeked out of the window from time to time at all those kids.

She needed someone on the graveyard shift, 11 at night until seven in the morning.

She paid 65 cents an hour, and I could start that night.

I raced home and called the teenager down the street that baby-sat for people.

I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night.

She could arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep.

This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we made a deal.

That night when the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers, we all thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel.

When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip money — fully half of what I averaged every night.

As the weeks went by, heating bills added a strain to my meager wage.

The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work
and again every morning before I could go home.

One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found four tires in the back seat. New tires!

There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires.

Had angels taken up residence in Indiana ? I wondered.

I made a deal with the local service station.

In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office.

I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do the tires.

I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn’t enough.

Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids .

I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to deliver on Christmas morning.

Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the boys’ pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair.

On Christmas Eve, the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. There were the truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe.

A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the pinball machine.

The regulars all just sat around and talked through the wee hours of the morning and then left to get home before the sun came up.

When it was time for me to go home at seven o’clock on Christmas morning, to my amazement, my old battered Chevy was filled full to the top with boxes of all shapes and sizes.

I quickly opened the driver’s side door, crawled inside and kneeled in the front facing the back seat.

Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box.

Inside was a whole 20 case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10!

I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans.

Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes. There was candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was a whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items.

And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll.

As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude.

And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that precious morning.

Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop….

This Christmas we have a quest. A quest of a lifetime for a lifetime. To find him and to serve him. What do you think happened to the shepherd’s after they returned to the field. Did their lives change? I believe that anyone who encounters Christ cannot help being changed.
May you, this Christmas seek Him and Find Him. First in those you love and then in the world around you and may our world never be the same because we did.

Merry Christmas.

Advent 3 Year B Rejoice Dec. 14, 2008

Isaiah 61:1-11
61The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3to provide for those who mourn in Zion- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.
4They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. 5Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines; 6but you shall be called priests of the LORD, you shall be named ministers of our God; you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory. 7Because their shame was double, and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot, therefore they shall possess a double portion; everlasting joy shall be theirs. 8For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.
10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
12But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; 13esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. 15See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise the words of prophets, 21but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22abstain from every form of evil.
23May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. 25Beloved, pray for us. 26Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 27I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all of them. 28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
John 1:6-28
6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
15(John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
19This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” 21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. 24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” 28This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
The story is told of a group of college graduates who gathering for a class reunion on their old college campus took the chance to go and visit one of their favorite professors who was now retired but had been an inspiration to them. As they were chatting the conversation changed to complaining about the stress of work, lives, and relationship.
The professor asked if they would like some hot chocolate. They all answered yes and he brought out a pot of hot chocolate and a number of cups. The Cups came in a wide assortment some expensive, some plastic, some chipped and some very ornate.
The professor filled all their cups and then gave his thoughts.
Notice that a variety of cups were brought out and all of you picked the ornate and expensive mugs leaving the cheap and the plain mugs. He said, it is normal for you to only want the best for yourselves but there in lies the source of your stress.
The cup adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. It’s just more expensive in some cases hides what you are drinking.
What you really wanted was the Hot Chocolate. You did not want the cup. But you all consciously went for the best cups. Soon you began to eye one another’s cups.
Consider this, Life is the Hot Chocolate. Jobs, money and position in society are the cups. Tools to hold and contain life.
The cup does not define nor change the quality of the life you are living.
Sometimes by concentrating only on the cup. We fail to enjoy the Hot Chocolate that God has provided for us. Always remember God brews the Hot chocolate, He does not choose the cup.
The Happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They make the best of everything they have.
Live simply
Live Generously
Care Deeply
Speak Kindly
And leave the rest to God.
The Richest people are not the ones who have the most but who needs the least.
Enjoy your Hot Chocolate

This story summed up the scriptures in a nice neat advent package for me. The heart of our scriptures today is held in the few short lines from Thessalonians.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances. Do not quench the spirit. Abstain from every evil and be made Holy sanctified in the Peace of God. The one who calls you is faithful. Isaiah says the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news
And our job is a continuation a book end if you will. John was a man sent from God to witness and testify to the light.

I think the story hits the nail on the head we in advent need to hear the call to simplicity. Having things is not bad but how often do we confuse the things with real gift which is our life and relationships. In my own life I remember once thinking when the kids were missing me because I was on every community committee I could get on and what good does it do to make my community a better place and raise children who don’t understand how precious they are to me and God.

I call us this Holy Advent as we move just 10 days from the birth of the King to not lose sight of the sweetness of the Hot Chocolate because we are too focused on the cup.

In the name of God

Advent 2 Year B Watch and Wait Dec. 7, 2008

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
3the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”Believe in something better. That is a billboard sign for a cell phone company. I have passed that sign many times and each time I say to myself that is a sermon waiting to be written. It never ceases to amaze me how my very life is framed by seeing life as preach able moments.
So this Billboard has been begging me to respond to the cultural belief that believing in something better could possible be handled by a cell phone company. You don’t see the church selling wireless packages do you. I wish they what leave the belief stuff to us.
It stuck a deep cultural cord in me. Why is it that as a people we turn to everything and everyone else for the answer when we know in the deepest part of our heart there is only one place to get the answer we really need? God!
Could that Billboard be better used by us, and if so, can we back up the claim? You know there are strict laws around truth telling in advertizing. Can we as good Shepherd indeed offer something better to believe in?
Believe in something better for your life. Believe in something better for your family. Believe in something better for your community, your church and your world. Believe in something better and it has nothing to do with what you have or don’t have in material things. It has to do with what you have or don’t have in your heart!
That again sounds trite to me. Do you brother and sisters have Jesus in your heart all ya got have is Jesus. You and I both know life is much more complicated than that but it is a place to start and I will put my hope in something better in the Lord’s hands and you’re your rather than a cell phone company and the culture.
I talk a lot about the culture and being counter cultural and I don’t want you to get me wrong. We are the culture but I think by our work and prayer together not only will we be in place to make better decisions in our world but also to be a standard a guide post for other who you influence.
A Christmas song came into my heart as I was thinking about how the more things change the more they stay the same
#112- In the Episcopal Hymnal 1982
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
I had taken to one of my favorite pastimes after last wed exec team meeting when we took a look at next year’s budget. Fretting!!!! Then as I prepared for this sermon and I read the opening collect. May greet with Joy the coming. To be ready. I read the Gospel and Isaiah about making ready the path. I read Peter’s letter that says a day is like a thousand years and thousand years is like a day. Be patient for God is being patient with you.
Not a single word about what do about a deficit budget. Actually if you look close enough and listen with your heart and your head there is plenty in there about our deficit budget. Prepare be ready and be patient. For God is not moving us any faster than we are ready to go. The Spirit is here. What more could we ask for. Cliff Perkins said it yesterday I been praying about the budget and every time we get a little momentum we cut to the bone on the budget.
The song says His mother only in her maiden bliss worshipped him with a kiss. If I were a shepherd or a Wiseman I would have a proper gift. Yet what can I give him. I give him my heart.
Once again I am reminded that this is not my church, my mission or my job I am just a vehicle a light bearer. I holder of the light and it is mine to trust that God will do what God will do. Ours is to be patient. To love God with all our heart. To prepare to be the love of Christ and receive the love of Christ as Jesus taught us and as John the Baptist and Peter and Isaiah did.
In the name of God

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