Posts Tagged ‘light’
Lectionary Scripture for December 18, 2011 – Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 12, 2011Lectionary Scripture for December 11, 2011 – Third Sunday of Advent
December 5, 2011Lectionary Scripture for December 4, 2011 – Second Sunday of Advent
November 28, 2011Pastor’s Ponderings, Wanderings, Wonderings
November 22, 2011
This picture is of a sunset I took with my Iphone. In case you are wondering I seldom get up early enough now a days to get the beautiful sunrise pictures.
Last weeks lectionary scripture was from Matthew 25:31-46. Dust your Bible off and read it. Jesus comes and sits on His throne and gathers all the nations before Him and separates them as a shepherd would separate the sheep from the goats. The criteria for the separation was very simple. The ones on His right hand (sheep) were called to everlasting life because they gave a meal to someone who was hungry, a drink to someone who was thirsty, clothing to someone who had none, visited the sick and those in prison and welcomed a stranger. All very simple acts of help done by people because they saw or heard of someone in need. They acted in a way that Jesus approved of by just helping others. All of these very simple acts are vitally important to each of us. I would like to stress the importance of the one I listed last, welcoming a stranger. You know that old “love your neighbor” commandment that Jesus gave us. If we are good at welcoming then most likely that helping part will be a natural act for us. It is very important for us as Christian witnesses to the teachings of Jesus Christ to be open, warm, caring, giving and loving to our neighbors and strangers. Chapter 25 gives us three parables and at the end of each we see a warning of the judgement that Jesus will bring. Why not act as He suggests and make the world and eternity a much better place? Have you helped anyone including a stranger lately? He calls us to Help in simple ways.
God’s Peace and Blessings to all this Thanksgiving,
Randy
Lectionary Scripture for November 27th, 2011 – First Sunday of Advent
November 21, 2011Lectionary Readings for November 20, 2011 – Christ the King Sunday – Sunday before Thanksgiving
November 14, 2011Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
November 12, 2011 Iwo Jima Memorial
I wrote this post yesterday and did not post it, so it is a day late for Veteran’s Day.
Lets all remember to give thanks to our Veterans and thanks to our God for their sacrifice. While we all know that war is a terrible thing and something that none of us want, we all know that it is a part of life. As long as we as human beings put self before others we will always have disagreements that lead to seperation and yes even war. While many factors come into play to get nations to the point of war, each one of us as Christ’s children are responsible for resisting the need for war. When a nation feels justified in the need for war then it’s population is responsible for supporting that nation in its efforts. Our Veterans answer that call to protect our freedom and our way of life. They deserve more than they get. The least we can do is thank them for the sacrifice they have made.
In our Matthew 25:14-30 Lectionary Scripture for this coming Sunday we hear Jesus tell us the parable of the talents. Money entrusted to three men. Two of those men take the money/talent and grow it into more. The third man hordes the talent he was given, afraid to take a risk. All three were rewarded for their efforts. Two were given more and one had everything taken from him. As Christians we are called to be a people who are willing to sacrifice some of our time, some of our money, some of the abilities that God has given us. When we ignore God’s call to take a risk, you know like step out on faith, we are denying that He is our God or at least denying Him in a part of our lives. While love is the driving force behind the ministry Jesus Christ has given us we also must remember the warning about being cast out into the darkness.
Soldiers in the armed services are asked to make sacrifices of time, money and abilities. Sometimes even their lives. If we believe in our God and His Son we too should be willingly to give of our selves even more.
Randy
Lectionary Scripture Nov. 13, 2011
November 6, 2011Lectionary Scripture for Nov. 6, 2011
November 6, 2011Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
November 4, 2011
In Matthew 25:1-13 we hear Jesus tell us the parable of the Ten Virgins (bridesmaids) and the Bridal Party. Jesus again is speaking to the hard hearted, set in their ways, religious authorities. People who were afraid of the message that Jesus was bringing to them as the Messiah. Jesus uses this parable because it set a scene that all would recognize. A bridal party in Israel was something that everyone wanted to be a part of and looked forward to. Essentially what Jesus is telling the Pharisees and Scribes is that they have come to His party unprepared. There is no oil in their lamps (Holy Spirit) for the light that will show them the way into Heaven. Others cannot get that oil (Holy Spirit) for you. We each and everyone must find the love for God in our own hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to illumine our paths. When we succumb to the Holy Spirit’s leading ways we then will be able to see through the darkness of this world and go about our lives walking a path alight in God’s love and being a light to others. We are to be thankful that our God has given us an unlimited supply of oil for our lamps so that we will be ready for that eternity He has promised us. Our prayer, our study, our meditation and our involvement in the Church will give us more than enough oil through out our lives to give light to our paths and show others the light for their paths.
It was tradition in Jesus’s day to not know when the bridegroom would be coming. It could be at any time day or night. One never knew when the bridegroom would send someone out into the streets to announce his coming. We are to always be ready to hear the call or miss it and be left out in the darkness.
How is the oil level in your lamp? Our faithfulness in our prayers, study, meditation and Church life are signs of how well we are prepared or even that our lamp is lit.
God’s Peace and Blessings to all,
Randy
Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX 