Scripture Text (NRSV)
12:28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one
another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which
commandment is the first of all?"
12:29 Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our
God, the Lord is one;
12:30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
12:31 The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no other commandment greater than these."
12:32 Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have
truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other';
12:33 and 'to love him with all the heart, and with all the
understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love one's neighbor
as oneself,' --this is much more important than all whole burnt
offerings and sacrifices."
12:34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are
not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him
any question.
Comments:
Love the unlovable! Doesn't say that we think they are lovable only
that we are to love them. Nancy-Wi
When a scribe asks Jesus which commandment is first of all, Jesus
answers that love of God and love of neighbor are interconnected and
define the heart of the kingdom of God.
Preaching on familiar texts is perhaps the most difficult, expecially
one that is so straightforward. The commandments before us in the
gospel are clear and concise. "Love the Lord your God and your
neighbor as yourself." It is how we often summarize these two
commands. Note also that the text seeks to make us even more familiar
with this word. Echoing the Shema of Deuteronomy 6, we are to love the
Lord our God with all of our heart, and with all of our soul, and with
all of our mind, and with all of our strength. Deuteronomy goes on to
command us to teach this diligently to our children and to make it a
centerpiece of every part of our daily living.
Familiarity does not breed contempt here. These commandments are to
orient our every moment. They are the compass, the horizon, and the
anchor of our daily living. They contextualize the decisions we make
and the directions we take each day. If God is one, what does the
direction I am taking reveal about whom or what I worship? Loving this
One whose image I share as creature, how shall I live with others who
also bear the image of the Creator? Familiar though the commandments
are, their application is full of the nuance and diversity of life.
We in the church are those people who see mission and ministry called
forth in these commandments. Commanding us to be neighbors to those
both far and near who are in need, the word this day pulls us to the
center of our gathering. The God who is one, whom we are to love with
all our being, is the God whose holiness is emptied out in the gift of
this Jesus. From this gathering, held in this love for us, we are sent
out to be for the other.
Since Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, a series of disputes between him
and various religious authorities have followed one upon another.
Chief priests, scribes, elders, Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees - they
all seem to want to entrap Jesus. So it comes as a surprise that a
scribe approaches Jesus with admiration after hearing Jesus respond to
the others. He asks Jesus as one teacher to another to engage the
question, "Which commandment is the first of all?"
Another surprise follows, at least for those who might think Jesus
would break new ground by saying something entirely new in the history
of the world. Jesus speaks out of his tradition. He begins with the "Sh'ma"
of Deuteronomy 6:4, the words pious Jews then and now repeat at day's
beginning and end: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord or God, the Lord is one."
Next Jesus quotes the words that follow the Sh'ma in Deuteronomy,
adding "mind" to loving God with heart, soul, and strength. Jesus then
quotes Leviticus 19:18, calling for love of neighbour as self. Jesus
brings these two commands together in a way that links love and
justice. The verse he quotes from Leviticus follows prohibitions
against exploitation, making love of neighbour about acting justly
towards others, especially the poor and vulnerable.
The scribe responds to Jesus' summary of the law with an extended
"Amen!" Like a colleague engaged in energetic conversation, the scribe
picks up the thread that Jesus is weaving. He says love is more
important "than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." Just as
Jesus echoed the tradition, the scribe echoes the prophet Amos:
"I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your
solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and
grain offerings, I will not accept them" (Am 5:21-22a).
As we eavesdrop on their conversation, what do we learn about what is
"first of all" in our faith? The answer lies in what Jesus says next
to the scribe. To love God and neighbour is to be near to the realm of
God. In Mark's day, and in our own, the real question that follows is
whether those who hear these words will live these commands. Will we
love God with all that we are and have? Will we love our neighbours by
letting "justice roll down like waters," as the prophet Amos calls us
to do? (Am 5:24a)
We may wonder about the curious way this passage ends. Why does no one
dare to ask any more questions of Jesus after this exchange with the
scribe? Does the simplicity and truth of the love that is at the heart
of our faith tradition give us pause to consider all of the
non-essentials we heap onto life together as community? If we truly
love, what else is necessary? Are there things our communities are
engaged in right now that are silenced by Jesus' call to love?
The word "all" grabs me in this text. I"m not sure where I'm going
with this yet, but somehow I think the word "all" has become tangled
up with work ethic and depletion. The church has turned giving our all
into something akin to giving-til-we-drop.
I think we took a wrong turn somewhere. Jesus gave his all on the
cross, not for the sake of depletion, but for the sake of fullness of
life.
Early thoughts, SueCan
Maybe I am still in Sunday School, but the interesting part of this
text to me is LOVE! While I do agree with my sister, that there is
definately something in that "all", even that is empty without the
power of Love. Verse 34 concludes with Jesus saying, "You are not far
from the kingdom of God." The entire text is about love. Who to love
(the Lord your God,your neighbor, and yourself) and with what you
should love ("all" your heart, soul, mind, and strength).
Can we not reckon it to be true that we show how much we love God by
loving one another. For 1 John shares with us that God is love. So
then if God is love and we are sons and daughters of God then we too
should be the manifestation of love.
That reality comes to fruition due to our understanding of this
principle of love. For in all our getting we should get understanding.
Once we understand this principle then much like the scribe, we will
not be "far from the kingdom of God". For if God is love and those who
belong to God are manifestations of that love then His kingdom is
definately filled with love. When we learn to love on earth, then we
will see His will being done "on earth as it is in heaven".
When heaven and earth are manifesting this love of God, the defining
line will be very vague and thus onlookers won't readily recognize the
difference between the two. Then we will better see the unicity of God
for indeed God is one.
Just a thought! Micah in VA
I love this text because it depicts a time when Jesus and a scribe, a
member of the religious establishment, get close to each other and
agree. It is fitting that the subject of the conversation is love for
God and subsequent love for neighbor. Mark doesn't specifically say
that Jesus and the scribe loved each other, but I believe they did. We
can't get close to God without getting close to each other. That's
what Jesus was all about and that's what the gospel is all about.
Creature Wayne
Maybe my thoughts on this are very much reflective of where I am with
my church at this moment, but I think this passage is talking a lot
about where our priorities lie. And I tend to agree with Sue Can that
we seem to have taken a wrong turn somewhere in believing that loving
God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength means giving til we
drop. But the passage isn't saying that. If anything, it is saying the
opposite. We need to place our relationship, our love, our energies,
into loving God first. What I believe we see now in many places is
giving to God from what is left over, if there is any. But if we are
loving God with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength, our
priorities are changed. What we give out is based on what we are
called to do, and out of our passions. When that happens, the body of
Christ is functioning together as it should, not straining on one or
two parts of the body, to the point of breaking.
I too am intrigued with the saying, "You are NOT FAR from the Kingdom
of God," and the reason why no one asked any questions after that.
Susan
Maybe my thoughts on this are very much reflective of where I am with
my church at this moment, but I think this passage is talking a lot
about where our priorities lie. And I tend to agree with Sue Can that
we seem to have taken a wrong turn somewhere in believing that loving
God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength means giving til we
drop. But the passage isn't saying that. If anything, it is saying the
opposite. We need to place our relationship, our love, our energies,
into loving God first. What I believe we see now in many places is
giving to God from what is left over, if there is any. But if we are
loving God with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength, our
priorities are changed. What we give out is based on what we are
called to do, and out of our passions. When that happens, the body of
Christ is functioning together as it should, not straining on one or
two parts of the body, to the point of breaking.
I too am intrigued with the saying, "You are NOT FAR from the Kingdom
of God," and the reason why no one asked any questions after that.
Susan in Wa.
We speak so freely about the Shema and Leviticus 19:18, but do we
really know what it looks like to obey those commandments? How does it
happen? Where do whole groups of people try to live into these words?
Even if you all came up with wonderful examples, I doubt the
congregations would feel that it would apply in our circumstances...
(just feeling helpless at the enormity of the task...time to spend
some time listening to God) Max in NC
I preached my first sermon, in seminary, on this passage. Horrible
sermon, very works-righteousnessey.
Can we use these texts for All Saints? Or do we have to use the set of
lections for that day? (What do I mean, do we hafta? Yeesh.)
kbc in sc
I am not preaching this week but will be studying along with you. I
read this and it sums up the entirety of faith. LOVE. The themes are
spoken boldly throughout scripture. Love God, Love thy neighbor, love
thy enemy, Greater Love has no one than this... Never do we hear that
we are to judge or condemn. They will know us by our love. If we are
busy being about loving the way that Christ loved, the rest really
takes care of its self. I am not to beat my muslim friends with the
gospel and judgement, but love them. I am not responsible for leading
people to Christ, but rather to Love them as Christ. IF we do that,
how can people not see the one whom has taught us to love?
Will be writing from the hospital this week. Thanks for being my study
group! Tammy in Texas
Tammy,
how is your daughter doing? How are YOU doing? You are in my prayers
this week, and often. I hope it will be a good week for you and your
daughter, however you estimate good in your situation.
Blessings,
Susan in Wa.
I need prayer tonight. My family is in California, and we have a cabin
that my brother built for us that is in danger of burning tonight. The
area has been evacuated. My brother passed away 2 years ago, suddenly,
and this is his legacy. My parents also didn't get a chance to get up
there to get pictures and family heirloom pieces of furniture. I know
they are all "things" but our prayer is that the fire will die before
it takes any more homes.
Susan in Wa.
Dear friends,
This is simply a reminder to please sign some kind of name to your
posts. I use many thoughts that are expressed here in this forum. I do
not plagerize. In the written form of my sermons posted each week on
the net for my people I give credit where credit is due in the text of
the sermon or the footnotes.
I can testify that my preaching has improved a great deal by
participating in this forum by reading and contributing. Many thanks
to each of you.
Grace and peace, Mike in Sunshine
A good question posed - "why does no one dare ask Jesus another
question?" Hmmm... though not said explicitly, I venture that after
being told the man was close to the kingdom of God there was fear
involved. If you believed you were close to seeing God and therefore
dying, you'd probably be afraid, too. Think about it: these were Jews,
with the tradition that to gaze on God was to die.
You're getting closer. Scary, when you believe that what you encounter
once you get there is some sort of eternal punishment or obliteration.
A late start this week from ...
Sally in GA
Susan and SueCan - maybe it's "loving till you drop." That is, loving
God until our own will falls away in order to be replaced with God's
will.
How very Wesleyan of me.
Sally
Sally,
I had a different take on the statement of "You are not far from the
Kingdom of God." I was thinking that the scribe would be confused by
this statement because his assumption was that he had the truth moreso
than Jesus. So to tell him he is NOT FAR from the Kingdom of God,
would be saying he wasn't there yet. Didn't the scribes and Pharisees
believe they had already arrived? So they were threatened by Jesus'
different take on the Gospel message? The fact that he is not far, was
communicating to him that although he was correct that loving God and
neighbor was more important than the offerings and sacrifices, he
still hadn't come to belief in Jesus as the Messiah.
Susan in Wa.
My sermon this week is going to be heard in one church that I resigned
from last Sunday. The other church heard that I will be 1/2 time. All
this begins 1 Jan 04. To preach that we are to Love God is easy,
especially in the abstract. It becomes real in the second part. To
love one another has the implication of warm fuzzie affirmation. How
do I show love for folks who have been working overtime to remove me,
as pastor? I finally reached the point of realizing that I do not
deserve to be treated with such anger and blaming. This church has
forced out the last 3 pastors and now have succeeded in taking me out.
My love for them appears today to be to give them what they asked for
and remove myself. It is my sincere hope and prayer that they look at
what they have done now and in the past. I do not wish them harm nor
do I want that church to close, but to have an opportunity to do a
self-examination, then to find forgiveness, reconciliation and
healing. I suspect the next 2 months will be difficult, but I was
called to preach the Gospel, and live out these commandments.
A W-G rocky coast Me.
With all the controversy over the 10 commandments in public places I
though we’d find out how Biblically in tune we are here. – Can we name
the 10 commandments?
Or if we really want to get into the law how about the 613
commandments of the Hebrew Law? Some teachers then divided the 613
into 365 prohibitions (one for each day of the year) and 248 positive
commands (one for each bone of the body).
We all have ways we deal with law. "The Bible says it, I believe it,
that settles it." Still doesn’t leave room for love.
Steve Hermes Lander WY
Thanks for the insights. I’m going to be a little controversial (not
all tongue in cheek either!) How do we avoid our faith becoming a set
of beliefs that decree who is orthodox; who is in or out of the
Kingdom?
Somewhere along the road of history (probably after Constantine, 4th
century) we became a powerful religious institution – a phenomena that
is rapidly eroding today in the west. We have thought ourselves the
gate keepers of salvation and virtue. I don’t think there is any
greater hindrance to ‘truly loving’ than power - institutional
religious power! Constantine’s ‘gift’ to the church in some way
violated the essence of what Jesus was on about.
The centre of this passage for me is the brave insight of the scribe
that the institutional aspects of Jewish faith (cf Mk 12:33b) are
secondary to love of God and neighbour. As SueCan has pointed out
(10/21/2003), the scribe quotes/alludes to Amos5:21 when he says (v
33b) “It is more important to obey these two commandments than to
offer animals and other sacrifices to God” ie Religious ritual often
gets in the way of truly LOVING. This was rather radical (for a good
Jew) A little less love of the institution and a little more love of
God in neighbour would be good! Beware ministers of the church, who
try to ‘tie’ peoples lives so totally to church programming, that
little time is left to love one’s neighbour.
I’m reminded too that love has many motives. As we’ve discovered so
painfully in the press amidst all the scandal. Christian Love and
servanthood can sometimes be mostly about our needs, rather than the
real needs of neighbour or our God. Gregory Scott Peck’s book “The
road Less traveled” has some great insights about the shadow side of
‘loving’. Thanks for reading. Peter, Melbourne Australia.
"The second is this, 'You shall love your naighbor as yourself.'"
Often, I think, people in our churches hear this and think of it in
some sentimental sort of way. i.e. "We're supposed to feel 'lovey' to
other people."
Having been appointed as an associate for the previous four years, and
working with youth during confirmation, I took a twist with this that
I hoped would help them make sense out of loving their neighbor. That
twist, "The Bible doesn't say anywhere that you have to like everybody
or even like anybody, all it says is that you're supposed to love
them." It leads to some pretty good discussions about love (agape).
Can you love someone without liking him/her? I think, yes. So, what
does it mean to love one's neighbor? (rhetorical question)
Good discussion this week.
HAM in IL
A W-G rocky coast Me,
My heart is with you. I dare say you are in good company with the
other three pastors that have had to leave. It is tough to see a
church or a person self-destruct. Sometimes God loves us enough to
give us what we want even if it destroys us. Sometimes we as pastors
can love them by giving them what they want and leaving gracefully.
Life has taught me one thing. I don't have to leave angry but
sometimes I have to leave.
Grace and peace, Mike in Sunshine
Dear Susan in Wa
I just read your request for prayer and just wanted to know if there
was any update on your family's legacy that was in jeopardy.
I am going to offer this prayer, because while the verdict may already
be in, I don't believe that it is ever too late to pray.
Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift up my sister and her family.
Strengthen and comfort them even now. Allow your love to be manifested
in their lives throughout this ordeal. I believe you for it in Jesus'
name. AMEN!
I know this might not have been proper protocol for this forum, but a
sister asked for prayer and I wanted you to not only know but see that
someone (and I am sure more than one) is praying for you.
I also want to offer that prayer for "A W-G rocky coast Me" for these
difficult moments
Grace and Peace be unto you both, Micah in VA
Could someone please tell me the correct pronunciation of Shema? I've
heard it with emphasis on the first syllable and also with the
emphasis on the last syllable. Which is correct? revjaw
I am preaching on this text this Sunday. As I reflect on it it seems
to me that when Jesus said,"you are not far from the Kingdom of God",
he was referring to the reality that while it is fairly easy to have
all the right answers( as the scribe did) , it is quite another matter
to put the answer into action. In other words: don't hust talk about
loving DO IT! Doing was always closer to our Lord's heart than
talking. If all Jesus did was talk about going to the cross and never
going there where would our salvation be? Ifv we look carefully at our
Lord's life his action always followed his teaching. For example last
week he said he had come to be a ransom for many and was on his way to
Jerusalem when he said it. When he talked about the nature of
discipleship as being to serve and carry a cross he did just that.
Jesus knew well everything the scribe said to him. but more
importantly he lived it fully. The scribe knew, but did'nt seem
willing to live it himself and so was still "not far" from the Kingdom
yet not quite there. I think the crowd also sensed this and that is
why they did'nt ask any more questions bwcause they knew the finger
would be pointed at them. What about us?Are'nt we often more willing
to give the right answer than to give love? Something to think about.
Bob from Elmira,NY
Susan,
Kelly, my daughter is doing as well as she can. Regular chemo time.
She will be in until Friday morning. She will never be cancer free
again. She is in treatment as long as it keeps the cancer from
growing. Maybe a year longer or so. For now pray for Kelly to find
peace. It is so very hard to do when you are 15 and know so much
death. Thanks for your prayers. Sorry to take up this place ...but
glad you are with us in prayer. Tammy in Texas
Dear Micah,
I thank you very much for the prayers. So far we are o.k. What I think
is interesting is I began thinking about the Passover, the prayer for
God to pass over, etc. And that kind of became my prayer. Not that I
want others' homes to go up in flames instead of ours, but the Santa
Ana winds have been pushing the flames away from our area, and they
went up from Redlands up another highway that was beyond the community
where the cabin is. So essentially, it passed us over! My dad spoke
with some friends who decided to stay at their home in the same
community, and she said they cannot see any flames in the area at all.
I am beginning to learn about people that I grew up with who live in
San Diego, who have lost their homes. It really is devastating. Both
of my parents are native Californians, and I lived there into my 30's.
and then again for about 7 years, until I moved here. None of us
remember fires this bad, this extensive. What is kind of neat though
are all the people who are speaking to the newsreporters and saying on
national television about how they know God is with them, and prayer
helps.
But again, thanks for the prayers. We all need to continue to pray for
the families who have lost everything, and also that those arsonists
who started the fires will be caught. Out of the 8 fires that are in
Southern California, 2 are not arson! That is pretty amazing!!
Susan in Wa.
Last week, I spent the better part of 2 days on the phone and on email
trying to track down where a "lost" vacuum cleaner was. It was the
church custodian's favorite one to use, there were accusations of
theft with fingers pointed in very specific directions, etc. It turned
out that it had broken down on the church work day the previous
Saturday, and a well-meaning member took it to the shop to have it
repaired -- just forgot to tell anyone in the office, and then he was
out of town for those two days. For those two days, you would have
thought that this was the most important work of the church!
Perhaps that is why the part of this reading that just jumps out at me
is "this is much more important than . . ." I am reminded of one of
Garrison Keillor's stories (I think it is in his book that is
organized around the seasons of the year?), where the protagonist is
lamenting his poor role models who valued map-folding over the
journey.
As to being not far from the kingdom -- it is one thing to recognize
the journey; it is quite another to take that first step and follow
the way of Jesus Christ! Far too many are satisfied to study the faith
and know the right answer, rather than live it out.
OLAS
to A W-G rocky coast Me. I feel for you as I serve 2 churches one of
which seems mostly to want me herre and the other I am not so sure
about. I think of Ruth often and how she perservered or became a
nusance to Naomi. But the other daughter in law did what was expected
or became no burden. I know this won't help but we do what we do and
we love (as in a way of being or acting) irreguardless. Crazy thoughts
I have this time of week. WaynO
I like the respect of the Jewish tradition that is in this passage. We
are often led by scripture and tradition to think that the Jewish
faith got it wrong and Jesus and his followers got it right. Jesus is,
here, revealing the wisdom in the Jewish tradition, and is not
separating himself from it.
I have wondered about a sermon title on this passage called "Antidote
for the Ego." An antidote is something that counteracts an evil. Not
only our individual egos, but the collective ego, seems to be so
opposed to letting go and living by love and peace which comes through
faith in a higher power. It also likes to be separate and different -
competing, judging and special.
Loving God wholeheartedly, and loving neighbour as self, seem to be
antidotes to the ego. The ego is not supreme, and our neighbour is not
separate from the self. We are connected and in humanity with whatever
neighbour we can name.
Martin Luther King Jr. said "Millions of missionary dollars have gone
to Africa from the hands of church people who would die a million
deaths before they would permit a single African the privilege of
worshiping in their congregation." (Who is our neighbour? The ego
likes to separate us!).
The Reign of God may be near when the ego, and all the distruction,
distortion and injustice it perpetuates, is transcended.
Brent in Pincher
I am going to offer this prayer, because while the verdict may already
be in, I don't believe that it is ever too late to pray.
Thanks! I needed that :-)
When it jumps off the page and grabs me, I go after it. Here's what
grabbed me when I read it: One of the scribes came near and heard them
disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he
asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered,
"The first is, 'Hear..."
I just read in today's NY Times about how Gen-Xers on the job hate
spending a lot of "face time." They prefer filing memos and emails on
their laptops at a wireless café more than meeting with their bosses
or in meetings. I wonder how much "spirtual face time" we're spending
with God. Hear, O Israel. Are we listening?
Da Rev in CT
Did any of you see the PBS-Bill Moyers show Friday Oct.24th/ The Tyson
strike in our town was featured, then Rev. Joseph Hough from United
Theological Seminary in NY, and Sarah Chayes from Afghans for Civil
Rights. You can read the transcript on the PBS website.
Next week we are opening our sanctuary for a Town Meeting for the
Union. Theologically, I based my decision on Jesus teachings of
justice. Using the social principles of the UMC on collective
bargaining.
It was interesting that the concerns of members contacted were for the
safety of the building, and that we would be seen as in favor of "all"
union demands. One person said, "Its that what open doors are all
about?" I was concerned that we try to be a vehicle so that both sides
might begin to talk. (Strike is in its 8month.) I believe in giving
God room to work.
This was before I saw the special.
As I understand the strike right now, the PBS special seemed to cover
both side honestly. But what followed the piece on Jefferson
Wisconsin, by Rev. Joseph Hough helped clarify some of my thoughts.
His piece was prefaced by some interesting and frightening statistics
were given from the Forbes magazine.
"America's richest people got richer in the past 12 months, with an
aggregate net worth of $955 billion, up 10% from the previous year.
The widest gap between rich and poor since 1929, more than doubling in
the last two decades. The center for Budget and Policy Priorities in
Washington had studied after tax income and found that if you take the
110 billion poorest paid Americans, all their income combined is less
than the combined income of the richest 2.8 million Americans."
I was outraged in the third piece on Kandular by the concept of the
"Warlords" who allow "looting, robbery and rape" to abound in areas of
their control. They gain a lot of wealth through the process. Then it
occurred to me that are not our giant corporations "Warlords" of the
poor here. Do they not rape, pillage and plunder, getting richer while
the poor get poorer and the middle class shrinks?
When Jesus talks about love he is talking about justice, about the
worth of a human being. Hough ( whom I agree with ) says, "I think
some inequality in terms of economics is necessary. That doesn't alarm
me a great deal. It is the obscene degree to which economic inequality
has taken hold in America that I think is highly questionable. There
is no justice under Heaven for some corporate executives to make 1000
times as much as the average worker. Their contribution may be great.
But it's no less than Peter Drucker, my colleague at Claremont for 25
years said... "This compromises the integrity of a corporate
executive. Why? " Because it does not accept and it does not in any
way acknowledge the incredible contributions of people who work at
various levels...
The remarks by Hough have strengthened my theological thought on
opening our sanctuary to the union for their town hall meeting.
This week I will be preaching about love in the Kingdom of God. Of
those saint who went before us, who claimed the love of God for all,
in mind, body, spirit and "money". How can we love someone and enslave
them through economic means. Jesus call for us to love not enslave. He
empowered the poor. Last week for mission Sunday the same proverbs
quote as Hough uses was read' "Those who oppress the needy insult
their maker." When we fail to love we insult our maker who made
everything.
I now ask myself, knowing about our concerns for sweatshops in Asia,
is it possible we too have "sweatshops" that are being created before
our eyes. I am no longer sure that we should blame health care costs
on the erosion of wages, perhaps it is greed. Have we abolished
slavery or just reinvented a new form of it? I know that what Tyson
offers in the south $6.89 an hour is not a living wage in America.
I don't know all the answers but I know that I will be making some
opening remarks at the town meeting, and I will offer a prayer. I ask
that you all pray for me. The AFL-CIO, USA President will be speaking
that day.
Thanks all for reading this rather rambling post. Nancy-Wi
p.s Rev. Joseph Hough is the president of union theological seminary
in New York, called there from retirement after a lifetime as dean of
the Vanderbilt Divinity School in Tennessee, and the Claremont School
of Theology in California. HOUGH: Yeah. You are. And the reason you
are is because I think that it's not just a political pundit issue.
It's not just a think tank issue. It is a deep and profound
theological issue. And it has to do with whether we are faithful to
the deepest convictions called for by our faith.
The last part of Hough info was some more that he talked about that I
had cut and pasted to keep. Sorry Nancy-Wi
Bless you Nancy in Wi,
I will certainly keep you in my prayers as you step out in this
courageous decision to open the doors for the Union meeting. I too am
very distressed by the direction our country has moved, in not taking
care of the poor, and in just looking the other way as CEO's get paid
billions while workers lose their jobs altoghter. Since the Reagan
era, our country's economic bell curve has become more and more like
the third world countries where small %'s are extremely wealthy and
the middle class disappears. Big corporations move to Taiwan, the
Philippines, Latin America because they can exploit the people there
with low wages, gaining a larger profit margin for themselves, and
they have labels in their merchandise that says ,"Made in America."
These folks need to read the book of Amos, and take it seriously.
So, you are in my prayers, Nancy, that your words will be grace filled
and prophetic.
Susan in Wa.
Nancy-Wi. Thank you for your comments and for the information that is
very interesting.
Brent in Pincher
I think that acknowledging the "Shema" here is important, because
Jesus introduces us to the two great commandments of all times by
repeating the "Shema". By acknowledging God before introducing our own
thoughts, doesn't that take us in a more positive direction as we seek
to be true to our Christian calling in today's world? One thing that
struck me when I was part of a Ministerial Association in Northern
Ontario, was when a Roman Catholic clergy person would begin the meal
with the blessing, or worship, or prayer, they would always say: "In
the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." Like the Shema
such ritual prayer centres us on God rather than on ourselves. What
about: "In the name of God, who with Jesus the Son and with the Holy
Spirit, reigns as one God now and forever. Amen." Would that bring us
a little closer to the kingdom of God? Rev. Tim, South Central
Ontario, Canada
revjaw - the last syllable
Sally in GA
How can we say we love the invisible (God) if we can't first love that
which is visible (each other)?
A New Pastor on the Jersey Shore...
Hey all, Just found out I am preaching this week and we are observing
All Saints Day. Any great ideas..throw me a bone!!!! I am looking to
really walk through the people of faith that have gone before us...and
our calling to be the saint for those who come after us....Just early
thoughts
tammy in texas
Tammy, just like preaching class! Here is a bone. Since it is All
Saint's day. YOu can remember the Saints by lighting candles. I love
this scripture in relationship to the saints before us because they
loved God the best they could. They were living examples some better
than others. Nancy-Wi
Nancy,
Love the candle idea..new sanctuary and they do not do candles in the
sactuary. only on the alter. Sooooo.... what about a bulitin insert
where they have to write down the name of the 3 most influential
people in their lives..of course I would force them to Exclude Jesus.
You know the answer is always Jesus in church....(smile)
Maybe I will try an interactive sermon and make them think of the
saints in their lives...
Just a few more thoughts. tammy in texas
tammy in texas. Seeing a lot of the bodies of the Saints were turned
into relics, a lot of churches wanted their bones. Is that what you
meant?
Brent in Pincher
Hi everyone: This is All Saint's Sunday and I will be naming those who
have died in our community of faith over the past year. Those who are
relatives or friends of the named deceased will come forward and light
a candle in their memory. I plan to use the Isaiah reading along with
the Psalm for All Saints' Day and then use this Gospel reading.
I was not sure what scriptures to use and so chose the way I did
because I will also be doing a Baptism as well as offering Communion.
I am not sure where my sermon will go, but I don't think it will
matter because I am not going to have much time for one! I don't
usually have Baptisms on Communion Sunday because of time ~ you know
we only have one hour ~ but this couple has family coming from quite a
distance and requested the day.
Any thoughts on how I can incorporate all of these elements (no pun
intended) would be greatly appreciated... pbetty
Tammy, I like the idea of asking them to name three Saints in their
lives. I put the votive candles right on the communion table not out
in the sanctuary. I just finished my newsletter article and in it I
told about a person who had no idea that he had influenced my life.
Then I ask them "Who in your life has made such a difference? Who do
you thank God for? If you call yourself Christian, others see your
life as "Christian". As you move through life, what will others
remember about you that made a difference for them?" Nancy-Wi
Dear Nancy-Wi,
You are not opening your doors to just the union. You are opening your
doors to all the community. You are saying that your local church and
your denomination care. You are bringing this issue into the light of
Jesus who many at the meeting will profess. Our doors are open to
everyone even those we may not agree with on political/economic
issues.
I urge you to not be too down on capitalism. It is indeed open to
evils or the kind you speak as is socialism, fascism, communism and
any other "ism" that has ever been or will be on the face of the
earth.
What you are facing in your town is much the same as I am facing in
NC. We have lost about 1500 jobs in this county in the past 2-3 years.
It is a rural county that did not have a large corperate base to start
with.
Using the shema and the Mark passage, I am planning to address my
congregation on subject of "How Then Shall We Live".
Grace and peace, Mike in Sunshine
I was recently in a specialty store in Durham and I saw a line of
products called action figures. It was a play on the soldier type of
action figures, there was a freud action figure, a pope action figure
and a Jesus action figure. On the back they had their teachings ideas
etc. It is funny and sort of neat, but it struck me that we are called
to be action figures rather than mere dolls. To love Christ fully is
to be in action for Christ, to be a doer not just an acknowledger. As
God was tired of empty burnt offerings of Israel, X tires I think of
the empty words and even attendance in church of passive Christian
dolls. Christ wants and relys on action figures. We will remember the
actions of the saints of our congregation. Actions that were risks,
actions that build the church and maintained the church.
Kenny TX
Kenny,
Love the action figure idea. As Christmas ads already invade our
world..action figures are all the rage... It is a great analogy for us
to be action figures rather than simply christian dolls....LOVE IT
tammy in texas
I'm thinking of connecting All Saints with Jesus' remarks "You are not
far from the Kingdom of God." When we live according to the Great
Commandment, we are not far from the saints who have gone before us.
That's about as far as I've gotten... But all of your thoughts so far
are helpful: the shema and teaching it to our children, the saints in
our lives and being a saint for someone who comes after.. these are
all connected. Now I just have to spell it out...
thanks to all who post so many profound thoughts
DGinNYC
hi all i stumbled across this site (in time of great need God will
provide) thanks for all the useful comments, but something is
bothering me about all this love and action stuff maybe i'm just worn
out, but when i'd finished naming all the unlove, police racism,
attitudes to asylum seekers,attitudes to islamic communities, youth,
NHS,politicians,and that's from the congregation, not far from the
kingdom you've got to be kidding i think i'm living in hell; i've just
loaded so much guilt on self and others how do i then say love your
neighbour as yourSELF, help!! if you can
Unnamed poster...
Why not go the other direction and name the loved. In the hospital
where I am, there is a great deal of love for and by the islamic
community. Their children are just as sick as mine. In the town where
I live, the police do go the extra mile..at least some of them do. In
my church, many do reach out to those others would not. For every
example of unlove, I can see love in the midst of it. To me, that Is
Christ's mission. He goes to the places where most see unlove and
loves and shows how others loved. Just my opinion. To me, it is a
glass half empty, half full consept. It is how you look at it.
Tammy in Texas
I too don't like to think of the "Kingdom of God" as just a bunch of
busy Christians. We are not energizer bunnies if we are running on our
own energy. As the man who wrote the book "Tired of Trying to Measure
Up" says: "There are a lot of good looking dead people walking
around." (He makes a reference to how funeral directors make us look
so good when we die - but we are still dead). On the outside many
people may be good at "acting," on the inside they may be "dead."
I keep coming back to the idea that Saints are like windows, they let
light shine through them. That doesn't take a lot of effort. I hate to
harp on the ego, but maybe Saints transcend their egos enough for
God's light and love to shine through. It is genuine, so people see
them as saints.
Brent in Pincher
Dear friends:
Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. The power of this
teaching lies in its deceptive simplicity. Anyone can understand it;
but when we pick it apart it sends us back to the Scripture, back on
our knees, back to those who taught us the gospel in the first place.
What do these words really mean? "Love"? "God"? "Neighbor"? "Myself"?
Deep, profound words that, if pushed, bring us face-to-face with
mystery. They only have meaning in the broader context of the Gospel
and the community of faith.
That being said, we have all known people who do not just profess and
believe the faith, they live it. Mother Teresa was just a famous
example, there are millions of others who with humility, grace, and
obvious love show us the Word of God. They are the "saints", and just
being around them is both an inspiration and challenge. Not through
condemnation nor criticism, but by the example of the way they live
and their very being they influence us to be better than we are. All
of us in our past has had someone who made us want to be a Christian,
or we wouldn't be here. These "saints" (in the Biblical sense of "holy
ones" which in the New Testament includes the whole church - the
beatification process of the Roman church notwithstanding :-))help us
to understand love.
The love Jesus speaks of in this passage is many-faceted. It is not
just an emotion, it is not just an action - it is both of these and
more. It includes humility, obedience, righteousness and justice. If
we elevate one aspect of it above the others we do a disservice to
love and to our Lord. One analogy of God's love used in the Bible that
I believe is helpful is that of parent to child. I love my
(school-age) children dearly, but that does not mean I affirm
everything they do as OK - particularly when they are acting in
vicious, hurtful or selfish ways. The discipline I establish is part
and parcel of the love I bear for them. So it is in the community of
faith as we strive to live the gospel. An unloving congregation, an
unjust corporation, institutional power struggles - all of these
issues that have been discussed call for a response of love - but love
in a more profound sense than perhaps we usually attribute to that
word.
Shalom,
BO in KY USA
Thanks all for bringing new light. (from previously unamed) Day off
may now be a possibility. I hope to join you again after a cheap
sunshine holiday in Lanzarote. You are all in my prayers with
thanksgiving, love and hope. My love to all through Jesus. Lynn U.K.
Echoing BO in KY USA, I agree that love is not an emotion. Someone I
once knew and loved said that love is not an emotion, it is a power.
Love is the power to overcome disappointment, frustration, anger,
fear... It is the power to overcome the greatest of obstacles, even
death itself. Isn't that the Good News -- that love is stronger than
death?
PastorJ
I may go with the I Cor.13 definition of love: "Love is patient, and
kind; not jealous or boastful or rude..." The thing is, how do we
apply that kind of love to loving GOD? How do we be "kind" with God,
"patient" with God? Easier, maybe, to applying it to the "Love your
neighbor as yourself" context.
L'Anni in the Hague,NL
I'm curious as to why the text does not say that this Scribe came to
"test" Jesus, but that he simply posed a question about the
commandments to a rabbi who seemed to "answer well". Is it possible
that this Scribe, like the Rich Young Man, was struggling with the
notion that there was something missing in his faith, and was trying
to work through this with the "new theologian" in town? He had likely
followed the Law, but was looking for a way to bring the Law into
everyday experiences. Sometimes we have Laws we can quote, but can't
relate them to real life. I can read the Kentucky Revised Statutes and
understand the words, but I call my lawyer when I want to know what it
REALLY means, how the courts interpret the words. Could this Scribe be
in the same shoes? I see this encounter as an educated, yet simple
(almost child-like) inquiry into the meaning of it all, rather than a
mean-spirited accosting of Jesus. The man had plenty of knowledge but
little understanding. You can know as much as you can absorb, but it's
worthless unless you can apply it appropriately.
These are 11th hour thoughts. It's Friday night and I'm just getting
started for the week. Just back from Dad's 91st Birthday. In the
middle of the party he got violently ill, went to the Emergency Room,
admitted to hospital, then bedfast for a week. Still sick, but
improving. Not the party we had planned for him, that's for sure.
Prayers abound for all who are ill, in danger, in sorrow.... and for
all who love them.
KyHoosierCat
What is central and foundational of the way God calls us to live -is
the love of God. The correct order for our priorities is God, others,
self. what we have to work against is our preferences for self,
others, God - and hence God gets the left-overs. I am intending to use
this text in the context of all saints - because it seems to me that
when we look at the people we would name as saints - the priorities in
their lives are most obviously God's way ...if we need convincing that
God's way truely is the way of the fullness of life - then we can look
at the saints! RC@oz downunder!!
Tammy, I hope you check in. There is a very good new book for people
with terminal illnesses. It is called,"Finding Your Way to Say
Goodbye" by Hrold Ivan Smith. It helps the person with the illness
with question of dealing with medical staff, talking to friends in
denial. It is very supportive. It is available through Cokesbury. We
are going to donate a couple of copies to our hospice. If you want
more info or I can send you a copy contact me at revncarmichael@yahoo.com.
My sister died of Leukemia and I wish that they had had this book
then. Nancy-Wi
Keney I love the action figures. I might turn it into a childrens time
or use it as part of my sermon. Thanks, nancy-Wi
Having just lived through Halloween night...I'm seeing a connection
with All Saints. The two holidays were put together for a reason. All
Saints was put on Nov.1, supposedly to try to Christianize Halloween.
But it didn't work. It's more fun to have parades of ghosts and
goblins, than martyrs and Christian heroes.
But anyway, I was thinking how when some people die, they do haunt us,
in the sense that they leave unresolved feelings or messy unfinished
business that can drag us down. If someone has brought turmoil into
our lives while they are living, the turmoil may still live on after
they die. But saints are like windows to God (as Brent in Pincher
said...). When a saint dies, we can look back at his or her life and
see God's light and love shining through. Their lives bring blessing,
not turmoil.
May we be blessings to others. DGinNYC
