make an effort to settle with him on the way

Friday, October 26, 2012 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Ephesians 4:1-6 Psalm 24:1-6 Luke 12:54-59

Luke 12:58  As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.

It is a strange coincidence that this passage would come up as we wait for Hurricane Sandy, a huge "perfect storm" that is going to effect our weather this weekend through next week.
But there are other storms that are coming, politically and personally.  Can we discern the times and can we meet the personal challenges that confront us?  Are we able to make every effort to do what is right now in the present day or will it be too late because we are not willing to make the tough choices now while we can?

Father, help me by the power of your Holy Spirit to be able to discern what is right and wrong and then have the courage to do what is right.
Amen

have come to give peace on earth?

Thursday, October 25, 2012 Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Ephesians 3:14-21 Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19 Luke 12:49-53

Luke 12:51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division;

I think this may be one of the most overlooked verses in the Bible.  Today, in this Post-Modern generation, we are pressured into not ever being confrontational.  We must agree with the collective.  Resistance is futile.
Well, Jesus says he came to bring division.  He wants us to stand up for truth and to be willing to fight and even die to defend the truth.  This is a fight that is coming to us today.  We need to be ready or we will be silently doped and put away.  We can't allow ourselves to be pressured into accepting lies and agendas of the enemy.

Father, help me by the power of your Holy Spirit to see and defend truth with all my strength and resolve.  
Amen

he who is forgiven little, loves little

Thursday, September 20, 2012 Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest, Martyr, Paul Chong Hasang, Martyr and Their Companions, Martyrs (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 28 Luke 7:36-50

Luke 7:47  Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."

So, are her many sins forgiven "because" she loves much, or does she love much "because" she is forgiven much?  Well, I am not sure, but there are two things I can gather from this passage.  First, we must have much forgiven.  That means we must confess much.  We have to come to the realization that we are sinners and that we sin, and sin is defined by God.  There are sins today that God has clearly defined where there are many who refuse to acknowledge as sin.  That means there is no room for forgiveness and hence there is little love.  Ouch!  Those are hard words.  If we fail to acknowledge what God calls sin, we love little.  Regardless of which comes first, it is what it is.
Second, it is love of Jesus that seems to be important.  From this passage we have little insight as to whether or not Simon loves others.  What is clear here is he has failed to show his love for Jesus.  Likewise we have little insight as to whether the woman loves others.  But what is clear is she has love for Jesus. So her sins are forgiven because of her love for Jesus.
In summary, we must acknowledge our sin to seek God's forgiveness, and we must Love Jesus. 

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to see clearly my sin and to seek you forgiveness through repentance and then to love Jesus with all my heart.
Amen

you hate discipline

Monday, July 23, 2012 Weekday First Reading: Psalm: Gospel: Micah 6:1-4, 6-8 Psalm 50:5-6, 8-9, 16-17, 21, 23 Matthew 12:38-42

Psalms 50:17  For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.


Yes, I agree.  I do hate discipline.  I do conveniently interpret the Word of God and adhere to what I want to and ignore what I do not like.  My guess is that we all do that to some degree.  I am admittedly too quick to point out how others have ignored the Word of God and have not really repented.  But, I am guilty as well.
I think the answer lies in the church.  As a community we have a responsibility to each other.  Not to simply find the spec in each other's eye, but to offer love and grace that leads to repentance.  That is the key.  The key is our attitude in the offer of advice.  But if the church is to have a good witness it needs to have integrity and in order to have integrity we need to be willing to share our concerns with each other.


Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to have a proper attitude in my approach to your Word.  Help me to knwo when to give advice and when to take it.
Amen

evil hates the light

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Easter Weekday

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Acts 5:17-26 Psalm 34:2-9 John 3:16-21

John 3:20 For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

The debate continues even to this day whether works are required for salvation or not? Some say that works are not required. Grace would not be grace if works are required. And some say that of course they are, you can't read the scripture without realizing that.

Jesus addresses the issue clearly here. Those who do evil will not come to the light. Yes,we do not "earn" our salvation through works, but unless we are willing to repent from our evil works and do the works of righteousness we will not come to the light because we do not want our evil to be exposed and we only further compound our evil by deceiving and lying about who we are and what our intentions truly are. Truth is required for salvation and truth is the enemy of evil.

Father, help me by your holy spirit to seek the truth, your truth and to repent from works of evil and to seek the light and the works of righteousness. Amen

praise his name with dancing

Saturday, January 07, 2012
Saturday before Epiphany

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

1 John 5:14-21 Psalm 149:1-6, 9 John 2:1-11

1 John 5:17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.

Psalm 149:3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with timbrel and lyre!

John 2:10 and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."

Very interesting collection of readings today. I see three traditions that are challenged by these. First, the idea that all sin is the same. Clearly the scripture points out that there is a difference. Some sin leads to death and should not be prayed for. I am not exactly sure which sin(s) these may be, but they obviously exist.

Second, the prohibition of dancing in church. Here again, the scriptures call us to praise Him with dance. Obviously this isn't your run of the mill dirty dancing, but dancing.

Finally, some don't think that we should drink any alchohal. Well, not only did Jesus turn water into wine, but he turned it into the best wine. You wouldn't expect Jesus to do this if he didn't want us to drink it.

Now, I know these things can lead us into trouble if we abuse them. We can become legalistic over certain sins, we can get carried away and our dancing become obscene, and of course we can drink too much and for the wrong reason. But that being said, I think that we need to understand that it is OK to celebrate the Lord's Grace and provision.

So let's celebrate!

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to celebrate your grace and provision and at the same time be sober in use good judgment so as not to destroy our witness, but let us be joyful and offer up our celebration as praise to you.

Amen