Preach what?

"(Jesus) appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach..."

Mark 3:14

 

Preach what, exactly?  This was the question put forth on Pray-as-you-go this morning.  What was the message Jesus sent his Apostles forth to preach? And what is the message we are each called to preach to a waiting world today?  Good food for thought!  I immediately thought the message I feel called to "preach" is that God loves us.  At this point on my spiritual journey, I feel the most important message of God is love.  This tired old world is hurting and sad.  It needs the love and comfort of God.  In our Psalm today, "In the shadow of your wings I take refuge..." (Psalm 57:2) People in the world are seeking refuge in all the wrong things: money, drugs, power, success.  When the shelter God provides under those powerful wings is love. Today, let's think about the message God is putting into our minds and hearts to proclaim. It may be different for each of us, but one thing is certain: we each have a message and a responsibility to preach it.  Blessings on your Friday and weekend!  Love, heidi

My wanderings you have counted...

"My wanderings you have counted;

my tears are stored in your flask..."

Psalm 56:9

 

Isn't this one of the most beautiful images in scripture?  It reminds us that God is so intimately involved in each one of our lives! All throughout our lives, we may wander in and out of touch with God, and yet, God hangs with us, waits for us to try it our way, and is present to pick up the pieces when we come back.  I was praying and pondering last night about my relatively new role as the parent of adult children.  It is such a different role and takes getting used to.  The kids will call and want to talk, and I may be tempted to tell them what to do or direct them in some way.  When the fact is, they just want to talk.  I may just need to be there, on the other end of the phone, just to receive.  I love and eagerly await those calls, but realize they need to make their own mistakes and learn their own lessons. They need to wander their own wanderings.  And isn't that so much what God does for us, as we are God's adult children?  God lets us wander our ways and make our mistakes, and then is there for us to collect our tears in a flask.  This touches my heart today, Friends! May it bless your day, too...love, heidi

A culture of life and love...

"Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?"

Mark 3:4

 

We see in today's Gospel, Jesus healing the man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.  His actions are lost completely on those who are trying to trap him...they only see that he broke the law of the Sabbath, not his compassion and love for the man.  While thinking about this today, I see hope.  Hope for all of us who are troubled by the toss-away culture we live in.  I see hope that, one day, every child will be welcomed and rejoiced over.  Every old person will be revered and cared for.  Every person on death row or incarcerated will be allowed to live to seek forgiveness. Every mentally ill person will be treated with dignity.  Every person on earth will be nurtured, loved and allowed to blossom and thrive.  This is the culture that God wants for us in this world God made for us...a culture of life and love.  How can we work to help this come about?  Love, heidi

Doing the Sabbath...

"The Sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the Sabbath."

Mark 2:27

 

My coworker remarked to me last week that there just are not enough hours in the day to get everything done.  So, what does the Sabbath mean when that is the case in our busy lives?  Is the Sabbath a catch-up day, when we stack up chore upon chore and end up more exhausted than when the day began?  I don't think that is what God had in mind.  God knows that our busy lives need a Sunday afternoon nap...that is why God created the Sabbath.  I remember, even as a kid, taking a lovely nap on Sunday afternoon, following the example of my dad, asleep on the couch.  God knows exactly what we need and it is regular respite from our daily work.  We just need to find a way to incorporate it into our own lives.  I'm finding the Martha Day/Mary Day is working well.  Saturday is the busy Martha Day with many activities, chores and social fun.  Sunday is the Mary Day, for just sitting with Jesus and soaking in all the love. Oh, and enjoying the Divine Nap.  Is there a way you can do the Sabbath better?  Love, heidi