…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’  Matthew 25:35-40

Seems simple, doesn’t it?  Yet our society continues to argue with this.  We argue, we reason, we compare, we make excuses.  But do we see Jesus?

We are all created in the image of God, the Imago Dei. This means no matter who we are, what we believe, where we live, what color, race, gender or any other “descriptive term”, we are all the same – children of the Heavenly Father.

There is a lot going on in our country right now, there are many distractions, many difficult issues, and to be honest, a lot of people are falling through the cracks.  Most people do not “deserve” to be hungry or poor.  It is not a lack of hard-work or discipline.  Often it is nothing more than where someone is born (even in our country).

See Jesus in the face of everyone and do what you can.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Again, Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Mark 4:1-9

We went out to our garden the other night to see what was ready to harvest.  Of course, as anyone with a small home garden knows, the zucchini which were tiny a few days ago are now large clubs.  We picked them, as well as some cucumbers, and looked at the jumbled mess of tomatoes.

We actually did not plant the tomatoes this year (or last, either).  Two summers ago, we had a huge crop of heirloom tomatoes.  We harvested them and cleaned up as many as possible, but there were enough small, rotted tomatoes that we missed.  

Over the past two summers, tomato plants have grown from that seed that fell into good, fertile soil.  It is amazing how well things can grow in the right environment.

Our society today is filled with dry, shallow places, rocky places, thorny places and fertile places.  We often encounter turmoil, dealing with people who want to tear us down, watching as people scorch one another, or those who are truly thorny, who will tear us apart and choke our dreams and aspirations.

Or we can create fertile ground, places where we are nurtured and can nurture others, places where we can bring peace and love.  If we all work towards the true Christian ethic, we can remove the thorns, and rocky places and instead create places of great growth.

During your journey this week, be a fertile place for another, be a person of nurture, care and understanding. 

Peace,

Pastor Bill

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  Luke 10:25-29

This, of course, is the set up to the parable of the Good Samaritan a story where Jesus turns the tables upside down.  He makes the “expert” admit that the Samaritan was the neighbor to the man beaten and left in a ditch.  The Samaritan, you know, the foreigner who Jewish people of the day were not supposed to avoid.  There was a long-standing division between the two peoples, over religion, politics and beyond.  But here Jesus states something different – He makes the Samaritan the hero of the story forcing the expert to admit it. 

Who are the Samaritans in your spheres?  Who are the ones you are not supposed to associate with, to speak with, to consider friend?  Or, to ask a different question, if you were robbed, beaten and dying in a ditch, who would you want to be your neighbor?  Someone so self-absorbed that they walk on by, or the one who everyone considers an outsider?

As you journey through this week, look around at your neighbors.  Pray for them, talk with them. Show them Christ’s love no matter who they are, where they are from or what they do, for you have something in common with them, the image of God.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.  Psalm 62:5-7

Along with many in this nation, I am heartbroken over the catastrophic loss of life in Texas due to flash flooding.  My sympathy goes to all who have lost a loved one, a family member, a friend.  I cannot imagine how parents feel sending their child to a summer camp, for this to happen. 

There are so many ways we can take this event, but for right now the best we can do is to keep all in prayer while looking for ways to respond.  Can we help?  Are there needs we can meet?  Are there ways to reach out to people affected?  If so, we should respond.  If not, for now, can we keep silent instead of playing the blame game (which started immediately from all sides of the political circus). 

For God alone my soul waits in silence.  My heart goes out to all involved in this situation, I am paying attention to any needs that can be filled and I lean on the mighty rock.

As you journey through this week, be attentive to how you can help in any situation, working for the good of all.

Peace,

Pastor Bill