Greetings!
I hope that your are pleased with the new blog. It is my hope that as I post my Reflections on the Lectionary and other writing, that this will be an easier and more interesting way to share thoughts and perspectives with anyone interested in seeking for deeper truth in their faith and in the Holy Scriptures. I am open to any thought as long as it is sincere and in good taste, and considerate of others and their views, whether they agree with yours or not.
The title for the Blog comes from a poem I wrote several years ago, entitled Bread.
Bread
The bread was there,
But it was your breaking it that made it real,
Filled the room with the smell of yeast,
Of Rising.
The bread was there,
But it was the way you broke it,
And passed it over, passed it over,
To me.
The bread was there,
But it was the way I took it from you,
And let you serve me,
You, whose sandal thong I am not worthy
Of untying.
It wasn't mud you rubbed on my eyelids,
It was bread.
Broken bread opened my eyes,
gave me vision,
And I recognized you,
And then you were gone.
And now I cannot break bread,
Without seeing you again,
And tasting the Reality
Of your peace.
RSP 4/13/99
I find the wisdom and truth deriving from studying the scriptures to be a nourishing food for the spirit. I believe we are hard-wired to be in relationship with God's creation, including other people, and that true communion is the breaking of the wine of our lives and the bread of our encounters with each other and with the sacred. I believe the sacred is always there, as close as the next breath we take.
The Kingdom of God IS, and men do not see it. - The Gospel According to Thomas
Again, welcome and let's see how this goes!
The Daily Lectionary is a free service of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). To learn more,
visit http://www.pcusa.org/devotions/lectionary/index.htm.
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Forgive me, most gracious Lord and Father, if this day I have done or said anything to increase the pain of the world…
Bidden or Not Bidden, God is Present
This blog is designed to share my reflections on the daily lectionary as posted by the Presbyterian Church USA, and other writings, poems, etc. with anyone interested in doing the same. I hope it will enhance your study of the scriptures and provoke depth of thought.
Peace Prayer
Forgive me, most gracious Lord and Father, if this day I have done or said anything to increase the pain of the world…
Bidden
Bidden or Not Bidden, God is Present
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September
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- Luke 4: 31-37 What Kind Of Utterance Is This?
- Luke 4:21-30 Driven Out of Town
- Luke 4:1-13 Power Corrupts, and Absolute Power...
- Luke 3-21-22 Descent and Wilderness
- Another Great Website!
- "I Will Sing..." Psalm 57-6-7
- Cashing In Or Forgiving Debt?
- This is a Good Link:
- Acts 16:25-40 What kind of men are these?
- Requiem for 9/11
- The more I seek control, the more I lose it.
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About Me
- Ron
- I am a baby boomer in my late 50's married with two grown children on their own.
6 comments:
Ron, You have just shown me this new addition to your sharing of your writings. How neat is this?? I look forward to watching and learning as you explore a whole new level of creativity! Great things to come from this! I'll keep checking in. MAP
Thanks, Mary Ann! I hope I can soon send the usable hrl to my friends and family. So far its not working!
Psalm 135: 15-18
[15] The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
[16] They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see; [17] they have ears, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths.
[18] Those who make them
and all who trust them
shall become like them.
What is happening in this scripture? - This Psalm is full of praise for God's majesty. In these particular lines draws a distinction about the idols of nations, made of silver and gold. He says that they have eyes that do not see, mouths that cannot speak, and ears tht cannot hear. He goes on to say that whose who make these idols and who trust in them, become like them.
How is this happening in the world today? - We humans certainly do worship our gold and silver. The word worship is defined as "to treat someone or something as a deity." People used to believe that the power to live, to move and have their being, came from the God of their faith. Now we say these words, in church, and elsewhere, but we don't act like we really believe them. It's money that has the center stage now. It's what money can do for us, especially in the form of choice and power, that we're most interested in. It's not God who brings us life, its currency. Money can do a lot of good things, but it's just another form of energy, and energy can be used in many ways. In many ways, money does represent who we are, by what we choose to do with it. But money cannot replace that which we ultimately seek, an entity who hear us, see us, and speak to us. And the more we make and worship it, the more deaf, dumb and blind we become.
How is this my story: - Lord, can do many things for me. But it is currency from myself and my brother, and as a human I don't do relationship with my fellow man very well, so money becomes a weapon or something to withold. Lord, I act as if I owned something in this world, when in reality, it all belongs to you, and I will leave this world the way I entered it, penniless. Oh God, help me to invest in you, the pearl of great price. - May it be so.-RSP
One of my all-time favorite songs is "Panis Angelicus" meaning Bread of Heaven, so I love the name of your new blog!!! Truly, your reflections, Ron, are like daily manna! Thank you for them.
Psalm 123: 3-4 “We have met the enemy Lord, and they are Us.”
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
[4] Our soul has had more than its fill
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
What is happening in this scripture? – The Psalmist who wrote this particular psalm had been speaking of how we look to God for Mercy as a slave looks to a master, or a maid to her mistress. We have a hard time identifying with this language now. Perhaps in our day it would be more like a young pupil looking towards a teacher, or a patient to their doctor, or a novice to a great master. The Psalm, in verses 3 and 4 beg God for mercy, and the Psalmist speaks for many people. For we have had more than enough of contempt. The Psalmist goes deeper now, Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.
How is this happening in the world today? – Who among us can remember being in the “out” crowd. Maybe it was in junior high. Perhaps you didn’t wear the right clothes, or know the right people. Maybe your family didn’t live on the right side of town, or you weren’t the right color. For some of us as adults, the contempt continues. You aren’t included in the group that eats lunch together, or you’re not allowed in certain meetings. Maybe you aren’t even accepted fully at your own house of worship. You haven’t been a member long enough, or you don’t espouse to the right way of believing. Maybe you’re too liberal, or too conservative, or too progressive, or too conservative. Perish the thought, maybe you’re not of the right race or sexual orientation. I am so sick of hearing, ‘I love the sinner, but I hate the sin!” What the heck does that mean? We are what we do. We do what we are. All of us are full of sin, and the worst type of sin is the one cloaked in the sheep’s clothing of righteousness. Isaiah warned us against this. It’s not just our behaviors that are affected by this all to human way of judging others. As the psalmist points out, its our soul. Many of us now struggling with issues of inclusiveness are not at ease. Praise God for that. We shouldn’t be at ease. We should be ashamed of our arrogance, and most of all, of our contempt. There is enough contempt in the world as it is. And it is born of pride, the pride of being on the INSIDE. Thank God I’m not one of “those” people! No one us escape sin. None of us. So, as Jesus said to the crowd as they were about the stone the woman who was caught, in the act of adultery: Who among you is without sin? Let them cast the first stone!” Who, may I ask, do we think we are?
How is this story my story? – Lord, you are our creator, and our judge. We arrogantly reach over and offer to take the speck of dust out of our fellow human’s eyes, when we can hardly see due to the board we have in our own eye. Why don’t I remember Lord, how it felt when others judged me? I have so much work to do on myself Lord, do I really have time to judge others? Help me Lord. My sould has had more than its fill of the scorn and contempt of those who are at ease and proud. And Lord, I am one of those too.
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