Where is your King? Reflection Christ the King Sunday - Year B

(Readings)

I’m not a shopper, but my wife told me of the lines wrapped around the store on Thanksgiving. People were people looking for bargains. If you are out looking for bargains remember the poor. Remember the needy. Remember truth.

Truth is found in love.

Jesus came into the world to testify to the truth.

Scripture describes love testifying to us in four ways: Eros, Philia, Storge, and Agape.

Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice, to which love do you listen?

Eros is romantic/erotic love. It’s important in people’s lives. It can be fulfilling and wonderful or emptying and appalling. It is not where truth is found.

Storge is love of family, the bond between parents, children, brothers, and sisters. Everyone wants this love but not everyone has it.

Philia is the love Christians practice toward each other. It is love called friendship, a powerful emotional bond. True friends will not hold back truth; but, it is not the truth we seek.

All these types of love are worldly standards of love. However, Eros, Storge, and Philia can waiver, fade, or fail. It is love built upon human imperfection and fault.

Truth does not falter.  

Truth is God’s love. Agape is God's immeasurable, incomparable, and divine love. It is unconditional, sacrificial, perfect, pure, and selfless. Only God’s love allows truth in all other love.

It is this love Jesus Christ revealed by the way he lived and died. He is coming amid the clouds. Every eye will see him even those who pierced him. It is God, who is love, giving away God in every moment. Even to those who deny him, God’s love comes with every breath we take.

Each breath is God choosing us again and again and again. To know and accept God’s love, all we have to do is breathe.

For this reason, His kingship shall not be destroyed. The truth of his kingship is in each of us created in God’s image.

Each of us is a unique manifestation of God’s love.

Every person is different because God’s love is infinite. By that infinite love, God is living in each and every one of us and through each and every one of us.  

Yes. Amen. - God’s love is infinite. It is unconditional, sacrificial, and selfless. God’s love is freedom. It is freedom to choose love. It is freedom to choose who we are. It is freedom to believe or deny God. It is freedom of good or evil. It is the freedom of yes or no.

It was in freedom Pilate asked the question, "Are you the King of the Jews?"

Jesus answered. "Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?"

Freedom to choose love is the freedom to know truth not just what others say is truth. Truth is not limited by our limits. Truth is ultimate faith in God’s selfless infinite agape love.

Love giving love in every moment. God who is love giving away God. God’s love given freely in every breath we take.

God’s love is in us to remember the poor and the needy. Remember truth. This is why Jesus was born into the world, to testify truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth will listen to his voice.

The reality of God’s love does not waiver, fade, or fail. The reality is the flesh and blood of Jesus. The reality is Jesus who says, “You say I am a king.”

In freedom, each of us proclaims our king by our choice of love. Choices based on our truths - romance, friendship, family, or God’s love.

Only God’s love allows truth in all other love.

Choose Christ as King. Choose God’s love.

"God’s love is the Alpha and the Omega the one that is and was and is to come, the almighty."  God’s love is in our first breath and our last breath. It is in each breath, the one that is, the one that was, and ones to come.  

God chooses us with each breath, again and again and again.

Be good, be holy and preach the gospel to share God’s selfless love for one another. Amen

Be a Hero - Homily 3rd Sunday OTB

 (Readings)

A week ago, a friend of mine who is an elder at Lutheran Church outside of Kansas City, sent me his Church Security Plan for review and comment. It’s about keeping their church safe.

Yesterday, someone parked their motor home on St. Lawrence’s parking lot. Instead of being welcoming and loving, parishioners challenged them and made them unwelcomed. The parishioners were only trying to keep our church safe.

In our community and country we experience tension and anger towards each other, even in people who call themselves Christians.

The evil one will attack where he finds our weaknesses.

That’s scary. We must be brave.

Friends, remember this, God made us to be heroes.

When I was young, we lived in the country. Cattle roamed free and would gather outside the house at night. They made weird scary cow noises. Darkness made it extra scary.

I’d try pulling the covers over my head; but, I always ended up in my parent’s room. My mom would say, “Don't be afraid, be brave, and say your prayers. Jesus is always with you."

She would add, the cows are scared, too.

Our scripture readings are scary - if you don’t understand them. They describe times of distress and darkness seen even today in the reality of diseases, hunger, poverty, violence, and oppression.

It’s scary; but, these have always existed. Jesus said, “Not a generation will pass before these things come about.”

Not a generation has passed without them. They have happened and will happen. It is what scripture promises.

But, these scriptures, also promise life.

They call us to life and justice. They promise eternal life. They point to hope.

These scriptures tell us Christ is coming again.  

They tell of trials to come; scary things if we forget that Jesus is always with us.

We live our life in a time of tribulation experiencing suffering and crisis. The sun (our outlook) is darkened, and everything can be in disarray.

It would be simple if God solve these problems; but, that is not the way He created the world. That’s not why He gave us life and a mission to care for creation and each other.

We were made heroes in Christ, for by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.  

And the wise shall shine brightly and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.

We are to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, cloth the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned. We are to love our neighbor.

These are the precepts of our church our faith built by the blood of martyrs, heroes.

We can be heroes in Christ. We may not have superpowers like in the movies, but God in his wisdom has given us all the super powers we need.

God gave us intelligence to ask questions and find answers. He gave us courage to defend what is right. God gave us voices to champion justice and a nature for hope.

He gives us freedom of yes or no and good or evil; freedom to be heroes or not. 

The idea of being a hero is scary. It’s scary to see suffering, to talk to those who don’t believe, and to love those who hate us.

So, take a lesson from the fig tree, sprout leaves and be fruitful.  The hero’s path is the fullness of joy in the Lord’s presence.

Be vigilant to have the strength to stand before him. Live a life that brings hope and leads to justice. Fight this battle until Christ comes again.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Christ may come in the next instant. For some it will be a day of terror. The cows are scared, too.

For heroes of Christ made perfect by his sacrifice, it will be a day of rejoicing.

God made us to be heroes; the church calls these heroes saints.

Don't be afraid, be brave, and say your prayers. Jesus is always with you.

Knowing that Jesus is always with you makes a hero. Amen.

Jesus is Watching - Homily 32 Sunday OTB

Audio - Jesus is Watching

(Readings)

Happy Veterans Day, we remember those both young and old who have served our country. The one thing about veterans is their faith. They have faith in their country, the military, and their fellow veterans.

We should all, especially as Christians have such a strong faith. Here are some features of faith. Faith is a good; Faith is a gift; Faith is a choice; and Faith is a challenge.

Faith is a challenge because people find it hard to trust and believe.

In today’s readings are two examples of such faith; two widows who gave from all they had to possibly face poverty, hunger, famine, and death. But despite that adversity, they trusted God.

Today, we struggle with faith, afraid to trust in God’s providence and mercy.  

But Elijah reminds us with these words - Do not be afraid. Give all in faith and by faith it will increase. The jar of flour shall not go empty. The jug of oil shall not run dry.

These words are not about money or worldly goods. They prophesy the prosperity of faith. Faith will build faith.

Everyone has a story of faith; let me share a part of my story of faith.

In the spring of1981, I received a call my Dad was sick and dying. He was not expected to leave the hospital alive. I returned home and found a job to help my family. I promised my dad, if he would get better, I would go back to school. I did the next fall.

As a football player, I weighed 290 lbs. I was no longer a football player, but trying to go to school, pay for it, and survive. It was taking a toll. By the end of the spring semester I weighed 190 lbs. I had lost 100 lbs. in two semesters.

I was starving. I worked part time at Kmart and most of my meals were left over sandwiches from the deli. At closing, you could buy a ham sandwich for 10 cents. But, there were not always sandwiches left or 10 cents in my pocket.

I never lost my faith; but, it was challenged. I prayed a lot. I knew God was calling me. I searched for him.  I kept trying to leave Monroe, but God had a reason for me to stay.

There is a treasure in not having 10 cents. People like you for you. They help you when they can. Since, I had to walked most places, I asked the new girl at work for a ride; and, the rest was God’s plan.

My friends, Jesus is watching.

Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed the crowd. He saw those making a show of it and He saw those giving from what little they had.

In the Bible, widows are the poorest of the poor. The two widows in today’s reading gave from all they had to God. Just like Jesus. Compare their sacrifices and struggles to ours.

We live in an affluent country. For some the struggles may be about money or food; but, for most its not. Some may have life and death struggles, but, for most its not.

The thing most struggle with is placing our lives in the hands of God. We are afraid to sacrifice the control we think we have in our lives and surrender it by faith to God.

Don’t be afraid. Even when faith is a challenge, it is still a choice and a gift.

The widows were afraid. They chose to give to God from all they had.

Jesus may not have been afraid, but listen to his words in the Garden of Gethsemane. “My soul is sorrowful even to death…. Father, if possible; let this cup pass from me.” And still, Jesus made the choice of the cross.

Choices of faith bring more; by faith you will increase.

Sustenance came from the widow’s act of faith in Elijah’s story. Honor came from the faith displayed in the widow’s few coins in the gospel.

Our salvation came from Jesus’ faith in us  as he hung on the cross. Give all in faith and by faith and it will increase.

You may have guessed, the girl who gave me a ride was my wife Janet. She made a choice that day by her faith in me. Last week was the 34^th anniversary of that first date. Her faith was that God meant for us to be together and she was going to make it happen.

She took the flour that was me, and mixed it with the oil of her faith. She brought me to the Bread of Life. Her faith opened my heart to God.

Remember, Faith is a good; Faith is a gift; Faith is a choice; and Faith is a challenge.

In that challenge, everyone has a story of faith and Jesus is watching it.

Be good, be holy, and by faith preach the gospel and love one another from all that you have. Amen

The Harlot, The Stranger, The Sinner - Reflection 31st Sunday OTB

readings

The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, all our understanding, and all our strength; and, the second is to love our neighbors as our self. 

This is a hard thing to do.

It is hard because to love our neighbor is to truly love God. That is where we run into trouble.

To love God is to love our neighbor with understanding and strength. This is where we fail.

People don't seem to be able to love by the example Jesus set. We fail to love our neighbor and in that we fail to love God.

We fail to love our neighbor because we see them as the harlot or the stranger or the sinner. It is hard for us to love  in the way Jesus expects from us.

The harlot has ideas different than us. It may be a different sexual view. It may be a different political view. It may be a different faith. It may be a different belief. 

I watched a local minister on television state preach that every Christian that did not worship as his church worshiped was wrong and would never know God. Other Christian’s faith was corrupt and like an unfaithful harlot.

Everyone can be a harlot.

Every stranger comes from someplace different. Today we define strangers in political rhetoric. And, strangers scare us by their different faiths, skin colors, or religions. Instead of love for the stranger there is violence.

A man shoots up a synagogue. Another shoots up a Sikh temple. Some say they fight for freedom by interfering with the freedom of others. Protesters shout profanities and spit on Christian monks in a march for life.

The truth is everyone is a stranger.
 

Sinners are hard to love. Maybe, it is because we see our self in the sinner. Instead, we consider our self as perfect, closer to God than a sinner. 

We’d rather judge others and ignore our own sins. 

Need proof, turn on the television. Many point out the sins of the others and ignore their own sins.

It is hard to love a sinner; it is hard to love our self.

When He created us, God breathe life into us. Each of us has that breath of God in us. No matter if we are Christians or non-Christian, believers or non-believer, harlot or stranger or sinner; we all have that part of God in us. When we fail to love our neighbor, we fail to love God. 

To love the way God wants us to love is a hard thing to do. I know from experience.

God asks us to bring all our heart, and all our understanding, and our strength to loving our neighbor and loving our self. Then we can love God.

Despite how hard it is for us, God still loves us in His perfect love.

Be good, be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and love one another. Amen.