"It's My Treat" (Messages From The Pulpit)

     When we are told to treat others as we wish to be treated people somehow fall short of what I believe is the full extent of "the golden rule."
       Obviously avoiding doing evil is important. The golden rule has some of us "just being nice." Again that is a great goal but what if we took it farther?
      How is it that we want people to treat us? With respect. With kindness. With sincerity. With courtesy.
    These are great steps in the right direction.
       Are you selfless in your actions?
    Willing to go the extra mile for someone in need?
      Do we share the gospel? Or to put it another way do we share the good news?
       The nightly news if often filled with bad news. But what can we do to bring good news into our community?
      Here in Western New York one of our news channels celebrates kids making a difference in our city and suburbs. For example organizing a fund raiser to help those less fortunate. There was a story where people got together to help an autistic child get a special van so that he could get out of the house with his family. Something most of us take for granted.
     It wasn't done to get glory.
     God forbid a similar situation should befall any of us. But if it did wouldn't it be nice if perfect strangers gathered together to remedy such woes? Yes of course it would.
    We're not meant to just avoid evil. We are meant to be the light of the world.
     We need to bear one another's burdens.
      To treat others to the bounty of the blessings that God has given us. If you think about it God has given us more than we may be aware of. Take some time. Count your blessings.
    Then do unto others as God has done for you.
         

Jesus didn't have Facebook.

     The popularity of Jesus was not aided by technology. He didn't tweet where he was going to be. He didn't make announcements via Facebook. The buzz about Jesus spread by word of mouth.
      People were seeking contact with a miracle worker. Everywhere he went people were healed, set free of evil spirits, and he even raised the dead.
     People heard him speak the word of God and were mesmerized. Many people followed after him which included his mother Mary, the 12 Disciples, and others that found his charisma irresistible.
     People found Jesus because they were seeking God. They needed healing. Their bodies, souls, and minds were in desperate need of a divine touch. Healing that ancient remedies couldn't heal.
     It was the word of the testimony of those touched by Jesus the caught the imaginations of those who sat in the path of The Great Physician.
     Now in 2013 we do have technology. You can type anything into a search engine and you'll get an overwhelming response. Some results will have nothing to do with what you are searching for.
     People may wind up looking for God in all the wrong places.
      That is why we are told to test the spirits. To come against anything that sets itself up against the word of God.
     Ask and you shall receive.
      Remember just because someone says they're representing God doesn't mean that they are.
     When people pray there are many reasons. Overall people are seeking the assistance from God.
     God doesn't want to lead us astray. God wants to draw us closer to his loving grace and healing that comes from being in his presence.
       The Bible gives examples of being able to see a glow on the faces of those whom have been in the company of God.
     So whether people hear about God via the internet, house of worship,or maybe those who are earnestly seeking God will be able to see the light of God shining on your face.
     Then your words and actions will lead people to the God of the universe.
        The work of Christ will continue.      

"Not on the Sabbath You Don't" (Messages From The Pulpit)

     Jesus was always test the boundaries between what his Father in Heaven was saying and what The Law said. In a sense Jesus lived outside the law.
     Healing on The Sabbath (unless in a life or death situation) was forbidden and yet Jesus openly healed those in need any time they needed him.
     In these modern times some people (Christian or not) will openly refuse to help or even show love to people they deem to be sinners. For some praying at a distance (if conversion is rejected) is close enough.
     There are people such as lepers that have been seen as untouchable. This term is used in the caste system that refer to the lowest of the low.
     Here in The United States exclusions sometimes take different shapes. For example refusing service to
African American's before, during, and after the civil rights movement was quite common especially in the segregated south.
     Muslims have been kicked off of planes simply for "looking Muslim and/or sounding Muslim."
     In some communities Gay and or Lesbian couples were asked to leave churches because they might corrupt the youth.
     Some people will pray that a person does things their way." Join my church or depart from me." Become a doctor or you are no longer part of the family. After all it's tradition.
     God designed all of to be unique and to take his image. Excluding someone is excluding God.
       People in need don't care where the aid comes from. The food pantry may take place in the basement of a Catholic Church or in the gym of a nearby high school. Needs are being met.
     People are meant to be social creatures. No man stands alone. Man doesn't live on bread alone.
       You will never know if you need a blood transfusion came from the blood of a gay man. Sometimes social conventions go against many things that we are taught in our hallowed halls and places of worship.
     Having faith in the unseen doesn't make sense to people who think that if it can't be proven then it must not be true.
     If one of the greatest teachers that ever lived stepped outside the box when he was here on earth in order to heal then maybe we can really follow in the footsteps of true greatness.
      Greatness that doesn't boast and isn't flashy. Healing through humility. Love beyond judgment.
    The world is hurting. It needs you. It needs peace. It needs healing.

Gun Control and Other Causes of Division

     Recent tragedies involving gun violence has caused a great rift about the rights of gun ownership and The 2nd Amendment.
     This isn't the first nor will it be the last issue of contention of public policy and laws in The United States.
     A nation divided against itself will surely fall.
     Just how united is this country? We continue to fight over gun rights, abortion, health care, gay rights, legalization of marijuana etc.
     How far are people willing to go to prove a point or stand for cause? Protest and violence that happens during the course of a protest. What are we saying when some of our citizens feel that killing an abortion doctor is a form of justice? How do we react when such actions are supposed to be the will of God?
     Thankfully the majority of the population agree that violence is never OK.
     Violence in the name of God just pushes people away from the source of love and peace.
     Hate and Kill are both 4 letter words but so is Love. The greatest of these is Love.
     Let's no longer use our tongues and actions for violence. So often pain leads to thoughts of revenge.
Revenge can manifest in violence. Violence against others or violence against self in the act of suicide.
     Even with all the violence that happens in our country it is still seen as a superpower.
      Maybe our "superpower" can be manifest as forgiveness, healing, unity, and love.   

"Ancestors"

     The Book of Matthew begins with the possible lineage of Jesus. Someone pointed out that there

was not DNA testing back then but that should not matter. Showing that Jesus had human ancestors

which speaks to his very own humanity.

   Jesus also had divine origins. What does that mean for us? Jesus referred to his disciples as his

brothers, sisters, mother, and father. That means we truly are children of God. The prophet Jeremiah

wrote that God knew us before we were in the womb.

     We have tools such as Ancestry.com which can help us track our blood line. What can we find out

about those who came before us?

    We may never find out the intimate details of the lives of our family members who wait for us in

Heaven but perhaps some clues will emerge that give us a look into some of their activities. For

example we may find out that our 3 times great grandmother was a nurse during a war and helped

a soldier pull through his injuries. Do a little research and we find out that soldier eventually married

that nurse.

    What can we learn about where our families when we consider the land they came from? Maybe

your family came from a place where the land was tough to work with making it hard to plant and

maintain crops. That tells me that people from such a region were hard and determined workers.

    Now ask yourself what will future generations say about you? Will our descendants say that we

worked hard. Will we be known as people who survived great hardships? Will we be known as

children of God? 

     As with Jesus many say he was a great man. A man of peace. A man full of wisdom and great

moral character. Some say he was a great teacher. And many people claim the Jesus is the

savior of the world. He is the rescuer of lost souls. 

     We may not be The Messiah but we sure do have a chance to rescue lost souls.

 

  

  

"Harsh Words"

    There are  passages in The Holy Bible that are quite harsh or even hard to deal with. To begin with let me mention Holy Communion being the Body and Blood of Jesus. Even in his day when people heard this they
thought that such an idea was disgusting. But when you look at Jesus being The Bread of Life and The Living Water then it isn't so bad.
     St. Paul also said some things that to this day stir people up. The most famous of these was when he said wives be submissive to your husbands. Again let me suggest a more modern take. Because when you add the very next verse which says Husbands love your wives as Christ loves the church. So in other words live for each other. Be willing to make sacrifices for each other and the health of your marriage. Jesus gave his life for all who believe in him. In a sense we give up our former lives for each other. We should be faithful to each other as Jesus was faithful to the will of his father in Heaven.
    So far as The Bible is concerned every book from Genesis to Revelation is full of challenging instructions and images. Does that mean that we should allow such verses to shake faith?
     I don't know about other Holy text but I'm certain they may include sayings that people may question. In fact some sacred scripture may scare some people away.
      But what are you looking for? Are you looking for God or religion? Are you looking for rules and regulations or a life in The Spirit? We are to be transformed into The Image of God. We are all called to the Kingdom of God.
     Life is hard. The world is full of harsh words. Surely they don't all come from Holy books. In fact most don't. They come from people who have endless backgrounds, past experiences, cultures, traditions,and so on. But God encompasses all humanity.
      For in The Spirit is life. It's from the heart that the mouth speaks. The Lord is the great physician. Allow God to heal the words that have so damaged you and watch what you say. Because words can hurt. But words can heal.  

"All Saints Day (Not just for Catholics)"

     Many people see All Saints Day as a Catholic celebration. Others would go further to say that glorifying some people above others (As in the veneration of saints) is wrong.
      Let me address these issues. First of all the original definition of saint was friend of Jesus or a more inclusive way to put it, Friend of God.
     Second The Catholic Church doesn't have a monopoly on the world of saints. Many religions have claims of ordinary people being involved in extraordinary events. People who have endured extreme situations only to see miraculous results.
    Divine intervention has come to play when someone is able to lift a car off of someone. People without any training whatsoever have run into burning homes to save a neighbor or even a cherished pet.
      Nurses have saved lives when they notice a symptom others may have missed. Doctors can be heroes when a patient has a complaint that other ignore and that doctor takes it seriously and saves a life.
      Ordinary people who may never end up with having a church named for them or even being written in the history books.
     And the idea that saints are virtuous and without sin well let me tell you that is not the case. If you read about the life of St. Augustine then you'll see a man who lived in sin and still had a great impact on the world.
       Princess Dianna could be seen as a saint. She was a beautiful person doing whatever she could to make this a better world for those less fortunate than herself. Surely she was a friend of God.
      You may never be involved with healing the sick or raising the dead or maybe you will. The main thing to keep in mind is that the power to do so comes from God.
     You can be remembered as a friend not only of God but that of your fellow men and women.