Proper 12 (C, E)
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle B
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 (C)
It has been said that to judge people of the past by ideas of the present is always an injustice. Having come to admire David thus far, we are shocked at what he has now done. Sending poor Uriah out to die in order to cover up his sexual offense, especially when we reflect that Uriah was a loyal soldier seems unforgivable to us. We have to ask what kind of morals prevailed, that Bathsheba would commit adultery with apparently little resistance. Perhaps she was overwhelmed with the compliment that the King of Israel would want her that way. Maybe thereÍs history here about which we do not know. Maybe Uriah and Bathsheba were quits anyway, on the verge of divorce. But none of that excuses David. That man was clearly carried away with his own self-importance. ñDrunk with power'' we sometimes say today. This is a risk we all face at times, and the more successful a man becomes, the more such temptations seem to beckon. (Perhaps with women, but whereas power and success seem to attract women „ Henry Kissinger called power ñthe ultimate aphrodisiac'' „ those are not the qualities which attract men to women. Bathsheba seems to have been well supplied with those.)
In a sermon, this can serve as an example of the dangers of success and power. When we read ahead, we discover that David suffered condemnation for what he did, and God was believed to have arranged the death of BathshebaÍs child as punishment. We donÍt quite believe God does things like that now, but we do believe „ and hope „ there are some consequences of such betrayal.
Lesson 1: 2 Kings 4:42-44 (RC)
Lesson 1: 2 Kings 2:1-15 (E)
(See The Transfiguration Of Our Lord)
Lesson 2: Ephesians 3:14-21 (C)
Paul prays that the Spirit might dwell with power in the hearts of his friends, that they may recognize and acknowledge that they are one, a ñfamily,'' under God, and that through faith in Jesus Christ they may understand the vastness of GodÍs love. Then Paul has written something which could very well be the focal point of a sermon: ñNow to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine ...'' The power at work within us. Paul is reminding the Ephesians „ and us „ that the power is already within us when we accept Christ. ItÍs not that God stands outside and occasionally intervenes in our lives. The power is already at work within us. We can do great things, worthy things with our lives, because we have already been empowered to do so.
Lesson 2: Ephesians 4:1-6 (RC); Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 (E)
(See Proper 13)
Gospel: John 6:1-21 (C); John 6:1-15 (RC)
This is an intriguing story. Maybe the key is verse 9: ñThere is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish.'' I have to say that it seems to me that Jesus has studiously refrained from performing magic tricks (e.g., Matthew 12:38). On other occasions, people have asked him to do something astounding and he has refused. More likely, most of these people came from what to them was a great distance, mainly by walking. They were knowledgeable about the conditions in which they lived. They knew perfectly well that hunger would beset them long before they returned home. We also know that it was the custom to carry food along with them when they knew they would be away from home for any length of time. There werenÍt any fast food restaurants in those days, and we can believe nearly everyone there was supplied.
This boy started things off. His mother had sent him off with plenty of food. Growing boys need that. He had enough to make a couple fish sandwiches, and perhaps mother, being generous, told him to share with a friend. Anyway, when the boy realized that it was getting late and people were hungry, he gallantly offered his small store of food to Jesus. Others must have observed this. HadnÍt they been hearing wonderful, powerful words about love? HadnÍt this marvelous man taught them about a new way of life? So others nearby must have said, ñHere, I have some food. You can have mine too, Jesus.'' And others followed suit, until there was plenty of food. The miracle here is not a magic trick by which food suddenly materialized from thin air. The miracle was the spirit of kindly generosity which must have spread through the crowd. People saying to one another, ñHere, let me share with you. None of us should remain hungry when some of us have food.'' ThereÍs the Christian message: ñNone of us should remain hungry when some of us have food.''
Gospel: Mark 6:45-52 (E)
Well, maybe. I suppose God could arrange something like this if he chose, but IÍm more inclined to agree with several commentaries which I consulted which suggest that Jesus may very well have been walking in shallow water. When youÍre in a boat, you canÍt always tell how deep the water is. I read just today about a German tourist who recently drowned off a beach in Naples, Florida. The water was three feet deep where he was found. He must have been frantically swimming toward shore until, exhausted, he went under, never having realized that had he just tried standing up, he would have been in water only to his waist.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñThe Danger Of Being Successful''
Text: 2 Samuel 11:1-15
Theme: Most of us try very hard to succeed at something in life. ThatÍs as it should be. George Bernard Shaw once observed that ñthe reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.'' If I understand what that meant, it is that the struggle to change things, to make something happen, is a quality which is necessary for human progress. Do you remember the old phrase they used to have us say in Public Speaking 101 „ ñThere are men in the ranks who will always be in the ranks. Why? IÍll tell you why. Simply because they havenÍt got the ability to get things done.'' This was always recited with appropriate hand gestures.
What IÍm driving at is this: Part of our role in life is to make something of ourselves. IÍm not talking about material wealth, though that may happen, After all, charity is only possible if some people have more than they need. Nor am I talking about fame or status. I am talking about making this world a better place for other people because we were here. ThatÍs what we thought David was trying to do. But David encountered something we all must deal with in life: temptation. In his case it was the temptation to sexual dalliance. For us it could be that. Goodness knows, we see all too many of our clergy colleagues in that kind of trouble today. But there are many temptations. To take undeserved credit. To steal. To lie. To gossip. To misrepresent a product or a service. To shortchange people who trust us. I was told by a minister of the time he stepped to the pulpit of a well-known preacher who was deemed a highly successful speaker. My acquaintance found a copy of a sermon from a well-known book of sermons, underlined and marked up to be used as a manuscript. A little discreet research revealed that the man routinely preached other menÍs work and never acknowledged proper credit.
1. Temptation will confront us all. Be prepared.
2. Giving in will always result in consequences we wonÍt like. It did for David. It will for us. These consequences come in myriad forms: guilt, disgrace, embarrassment, legal consequences, lost friendships, alienation from loved ones, and also from God when we refuse to deal with our wrongs. TodayÍs paper relates that a very successful businessman was recently informed that a sexual offense he committed many years ago „ sex with a fifteen-year-old babysitter „ was a matter of record. A new law requires that the manÍs neighbors be informed that they are living near a sex offender. The poor guy is absolutely devastated, as he thought he had paid for his offense. When the police informed him that the news would be spread the following day, the man hurriedly put some personal effects in a car and fled. As of this report, no one knows where he went. But the cost of his wrongdoing is exorbitant.
3. Conversely, honorable facing of temptation and holding your moral ground will always eventually bring its own reward. You and I know some people who have done this. We know their stories, and they are grateful that they remained faithful.
4. God canÍt work within us effectively when we are ignoring his will. David found this out. I donÍt think God hands out punishment in this life. I do, however, think God may withdraw, at least for a time, so that we are left to stew in our own juice, as my grandmother used to say.
Title: ñThe Power Within''
Text: Ephesians 3:14-21
Theme: Paul reminds us that GodÍs power is already at work within us. Sure, we must face difficulties in our lives. Every one of us must be ready to do that. No one has ever said life will be easy. We have already discussed PaulÍs reminder that suffering produces character. Struggle, failure, falling down are forms of suffering. But hereÍs the point: We can get up again. We have the stuff, if only weÍll utilize it, to go on and keep on keeping on. ThatÍs how we grow and thatÍs what God wants us to do. And we have been equipped to succeed at whatever it is we believe ourselves called to do. Why do some people send their children off to programs like Outward Bound? ItÍs so theyÍll face difficulties and strenuous work to do. And why do they want that for their children? So theyÍll grow and develop character. And if, by chance, we have chosen wrong, are trying to do what we are not called to do, God will make every effort to redirect us.
I just got out some old recorded sermons by great preachers of a couple generations ago. Some were sermons by Peter Marshall, the Scottish preacher. As a young man he was absolutely certain that his mission in life was to be a sailor. He finally ran away from home one dark night and was crossing a field when he tripped and fell headlong. He put his hands out to break his fall and there was nothing there. He had fallen on the very edge of a gravel pit. One more step would have killed him. But Marshall always believed God led him that night as a way of calling him to the ministry. He ultimately became one of the Presbyterian ChurchÍs premiere preachers.
But Paul said this all starts with the acceptance of Jesus Christ, whereby the Spirit begins to work within us.
Title: ñYou Only Keep What You Give Away''
Text: John 6:1-21
Theme: What if this is true? What if one day we should discover that every gift we gave without ulterior motive, every generous contribution, every impulsive kindness which cost something was to be returned to us? Have you ever used that wonderful story of The Mansion? Remember? A successful, prosperous old guy falls asleep in front of the fire and has a dream. He has died, then gone to heaven. An angel meets him at the gate and informs the man that he is now to be shown to his new home where he will, henceforth, live a long life. Happily, grateful to be reassured of continued life, he follows along as they pass some beautiful homes. He examines each one, hoping it is his, wondering if perhaps there are some even finer homes ahead. But the neighborhood becomes more modest, as the man reflects that maybe those fine homes were for the saints. Still they walk, past small homes, then into a virtual slum area. Finally, they stop in front of a shack. The windows are broken. Wood smoke roils up from the chimney. The angel informs this successful man that this is his new home. The man responds, ñBut why here? I was a successful man on earth. What did I do to deserve this shack?'' And the angel replies: ñIÍm sorry, sir. We did the best we could with what you sent us.''
1. A Christian is generous.
2. Generosity includes our assessments of others as well as our gifts.
3. God does, indeed, love a cheerful giver.
4. Our generosity, like that of the boy who gave Jesus his bread and fish, awakens generosity in others. It accomplishes that for which we were created: the welfare and happiness of other people.
5. Our generosity helps enable Jesus to achieve his purpose.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
ñShe died a year ago Thursday at the age of 27. Her body was found in a room in a motel near the Detroit airport.'' So read the article in The Indianapolis Star on April 5, 1998. Her name was Heidi Aseltine. Heidi lifted weights, worked out, and maintained a strong, healthy body. Attractive, she played the lead in a performance of Annie Get Your Gun while a senior in high school. But Heidi had gotten AIDS. She learned this ten years ago. People didnÍt know much about AIDS then, but they certainly didnÍt want to have anything to do with this pretty young girl. The boy who was to play the lead in the play withdrew. Heidi never had another date. People crossed the street when Heidi came in sight. And so, doomed to a life of rejection and loneliness, Heidi moved to another city where people wouldnÍt know. For a while she held a good job, was happy „ as happy as you can be when youÍre in your early twenties and know you wonÍt see thirty. But one day, Heidi met a fine young man. When she told him of her illness, he said he didnÍt care. They were to be married. Really happy for the first time in many years, Heidi bought a wedding dress, shared with some remaining friends about the happy event. Then her fiance called to tell her he had changed his mind. The wedding was off.
Heidi began to get sick. In pain, alone, in complete despair, Heidi arranged to meet Dr. Kevorkian in Detroit. She went to dinner with her mother the night before. She had memorial rings made for each of the friends who would have been her bridesmaids. She had a happy evening with Mom, then went to her room. Dr. Kevorkian helped her with her decision. Her body was found the next day. Heidi was buried in her wedding dress.
____________
In Little Lord Fauntleroy, the old grandfather is a ruthless old curmudgeon, heartless toward the poor. His little grandson comes to live with him and loves the old man. The boy also cares about the poor. Slowly, the old man begins to change as he realizes the boy does love him despite his terrible ways, and the boy never judges the old man. And the grandfather, wanting very much to deserve such unqualified love, begins to change. As he sees his grandsonÍs concern for the poor, he begins to share that concern. Finally, the old man is a completely changed person because of one personÍs accepting love.
____________
ñIf I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again
I shall not live in vain.''
„ Emily Dickinson
____________
I stated above my belief that God nudges us into the calling for which we are created. In my own case, I felt sure I was to be a businessman like my father. I got a degree in Business Administration and then began a job as a salesman. I didnÍt like it very well and changed to another, similar company. I was fired. Oh, gently, to be sure. But the boss said, in effect, ñMcGriff, I donÍt think this is for you.'' After hacking around for a while, I started my own business. Actually, I loved what I was doing but I wasnÍt very good at it and I wasnÍt making any money. Meanwhile, I was drawn into the Church by first one minister, then by his successor, both men I came to admire. Then Christ grabbed hold of me and I more and more tried to lead my life the way He directed. But I also was immersed in a terrible inner struggle, knowing that I had never really found my true vocation. One night, I went for a long drive, torn apart inside, desperate for some insight, tears flowing, lost. Then it happened. ñWhy not become a minister?'' The thought was at once terrifying yet exciting. But from that moment, my fate was sealed. At last I knew. From that very night, slowly at first, but surely, my life turned around. God had been at work the whole time „ I know that now „ leading me where I was created from birth to go. All those dead ends, the failures, the inner struggles were part of my preparation. Called eventually to a church of business and professional people, I was able to understand their dilemmas, their temptations, their struggles, because I had walked their road. This is how I see God to work.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 14 (C) „ ñFools say in their hearts, ïThere is no God.Í ''
Psalm 144 (RC) „ ñBlessed be the Lord.''
Psalm 114 (E) „ ñWhen Israel went out from Egypt.''
Prayer Of The Day
Move within us, O God, with the spirit of thy love, that our immaturities and petty impulses may be overcome, that we may practice the generosity of spirit which you have called forth from us. Grant us character by which we may rise above temptation and selfish conduct and become at last the people we were created to be. In JesusÍ name we pray. Amen.
Lesson 1: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 (C)
It has been said that to judge people of the past by ideas of the present is always an injustice. Having come to admire David thus far, we are shocked at what he has now done. Sending poor Uriah out to die in order to cover up his sexual offense, especially when we reflect that Uriah was a loyal soldier seems unforgivable to us. We have to ask what kind of morals prevailed, that Bathsheba would commit adultery with apparently little resistance. Perhaps she was overwhelmed with the compliment that the King of Israel would want her that way. Maybe thereÍs history here about which we do not know. Maybe Uriah and Bathsheba were quits anyway, on the verge of divorce. But none of that excuses David. That man was clearly carried away with his own self-importance. ñDrunk with power'' we sometimes say today. This is a risk we all face at times, and the more successful a man becomes, the more such temptations seem to beckon. (Perhaps with women, but whereas power and success seem to attract women „ Henry Kissinger called power ñthe ultimate aphrodisiac'' „ those are not the qualities which attract men to women. Bathsheba seems to have been well supplied with those.)
In a sermon, this can serve as an example of the dangers of success and power. When we read ahead, we discover that David suffered condemnation for what he did, and God was believed to have arranged the death of BathshebaÍs child as punishment. We donÍt quite believe God does things like that now, but we do believe „ and hope „ there are some consequences of such betrayal.
Lesson 1: 2 Kings 4:42-44 (RC)
Lesson 1: 2 Kings 2:1-15 (E)
(See The Transfiguration Of Our Lord)
Lesson 2: Ephesians 3:14-21 (C)
Paul prays that the Spirit might dwell with power in the hearts of his friends, that they may recognize and acknowledge that they are one, a ñfamily,'' under God, and that through faith in Jesus Christ they may understand the vastness of GodÍs love. Then Paul has written something which could very well be the focal point of a sermon: ñNow to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine ...'' The power at work within us. Paul is reminding the Ephesians „ and us „ that the power is already within us when we accept Christ. ItÍs not that God stands outside and occasionally intervenes in our lives. The power is already at work within us. We can do great things, worthy things with our lives, because we have already been empowered to do so.
Lesson 2: Ephesians 4:1-6 (RC); Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 (E)
(See Proper 13)
Gospel: John 6:1-21 (C); John 6:1-15 (RC)
This is an intriguing story. Maybe the key is verse 9: ñThere is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish.'' I have to say that it seems to me that Jesus has studiously refrained from performing magic tricks (e.g., Matthew 12:38). On other occasions, people have asked him to do something astounding and he has refused. More likely, most of these people came from what to them was a great distance, mainly by walking. They were knowledgeable about the conditions in which they lived. They knew perfectly well that hunger would beset them long before they returned home. We also know that it was the custom to carry food along with them when they knew they would be away from home for any length of time. There werenÍt any fast food restaurants in those days, and we can believe nearly everyone there was supplied.
This boy started things off. His mother had sent him off with plenty of food. Growing boys need that. He had enough to make a couple fish sandwiches, and perhaps mother, being generous, told him to share with a friend. Anyway, when the boy realized that it was getting late and people were hungry, he gallantly offered his small store of food to Jesus. Others must have observed this. HadnÍt they been hearing wonderful, powerful words about love? HadnÍt this marvelous man taught them about a new way of life? So others nearby must have said, ñHere, I have some food. You can have mine too, Jesus.'' And others followed suit, until there was plenty of food. The miracle here is not a magic trick by which food suddenly materialized from thin air. The miracle was the spirit of kindly generosity which must have spread through the crowd. People saying to one another, ñHere, let me share with you. None of us should remain hungry when some of us have food.'' ThereÍs the Christian message: ñNone of us should remain hungry when some of us have food.''
Gospel: Mark 6:45-52 (E)
Well, maybe. I suppose God could arrange something like this if he chose, but IÍm more inclined to agree with several commentaries which I consulted which suggest that Jesus may very well have been walking in shallow water. When youÍre in a boat, you canÍt always tell how deep the water is. I read just today about a German tourist who recently drowned off a beach in Naples, Florida. The water was three feet deep where he was found. He must have been frantically swimming toward shore until, exhausted, he went under, never having realized that had he just tried standing up, he would have been in water only to his waist.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñThe Danger Of Being Successful''
Text: 2 Samuel 11:1-15
Theme: Most of us try very hard to succeed at something in life. ThatÍs as it should be. George Bernard Shaw once observed that ñthe reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.'' If I understand what that meant, it is that the struggle to change things, to make something happen, is a quality which is necessary for human progress. Do you remember the old phrase they used to have us say in Public Speaking 101 „ ñThere are men in the ranks who will always be in the ranks. Why? IÍll tell you why. Simply because they havenÍt got the ability to get things done.'' This was always recited with appropriate hand gestures.
What IÍm driving at is this: Part of our role in life is to make something of ourselves. IÍm not talking about material wealth, though that may happen, After all, charity is only possible if some people have more than they need. Nor am I talking about fame or status. I am talking about making this world a better place for other people because we were here. ThatÍs what we thought David was trying to do. But David encountered something we all must deal with in life: temptation. In his case it was the temptation to sexual dalliance. For us it could be that. Goodness knows, we see all too many of our clergy colleagues in that kind of trouble today. But there are many temptations. To take undeserved credit. To steal. To lie. To gossip. To misrepresent a product or a service. To shortchange people who trust us. I was told by a minister of the time he stepped to the pulpit of a well-known preacher who was deemed a highly successful speaker. My acquaintance found a copy of a sermon from a well-known book of sermons, underlined and marked up to be used as a manuscript. A little discreet research revealed that the man routinely preached other menÍs work and never acknowledged proper credit.
1. Temptation will confront us all. Be prepared.
2. Giving in will always result in consequences we wonÍt like. It did for David. It will for us. These consequences come in myriad forms: guilt, disgrace, embarrassment, legal consequences, lost friendships, alienation from loved ones, and also from God when we refuse to deal with our wrongs. TodayÍs paper relates that a very successful businessman was recently informed that a sexual offense he committed many years ago „ sex with a fifteen-year-old babysitter „ was a matter of record. A new law requires that the manÍs neighbors be informed that they are living near a sex offender. The poor guy is absolutely devastated, as he thought he had paid for his offense. When the police informed him that the news would be spread the following day, the man hurriedly put some personal effects in a car and fled. As of this report, no one knows where he went. But the cost of his wrongdoing is exorbitant.
3. Conversely, honorable facing of temptation and holding your moral ground will always eventually bring its own reward. You and I know some people who have done this. We know their stories, and they are grateful that they remained faithful.
4. God canÍt work within us effectively when we are ignoring his will. David found this out. I donÍt think God hands out punishment in this life. I do, however, think God may withdraw, at least for a time, so that we are left to stew in our own juice, as my grandmother used to say.
Title: ñThe Power Within''
Text: Ephesians 3:14-21
Theme: Paul reminds us that GodÍs power is already at work within us. Sure, we must face difficulties in our lives. Every one of us must be ready to do that. No one has ever said life will be easy. We have already discussed PaulÍs reminder that suffering produces character. Struggle, failure, falling down are forms of suffering. But hereÍs the point: We can get up again. We have the stuff, if only weÍll utilize it, to go on and keep on keeping on. ThatÍs how we grow and thatÍs what God wants us to do. And we have been equipped to succeed at whatever it is we believe ourselves called to do. Why do some people send their children off to programs like Outward Bound? ItÍs so theyÍll face difficulties and strenuous work to do. And why do they want that for their children? So theyÍll grow and develop character. And if, by chance, we have chosen wrong, are trying to do what we are not called to do, God will make every effort to redirect us.
I just got out some old recorded sermons by great preachers of a couple generations ago. Some were sermons by Peter Marshall, the Scottish preacher. As a young man he was absolutely certain that his mission in life was to be a sailor. He finally ran away from home one dark night and was crossing a field when he tripped and fell headlong. He put his hands out to break his fall and there was nothing there. He had fallen on the very edge of a gravel pit. One more step would have killed him. But Marshall always believed God led him that night as a way of calling him to the ministry. He ultimately became one of the Presbyterian ChurchÍs premiere preachers.
But Paul said this all starts with the acceptance of Jesus Christ, whereby the Spirit begins to work within us.
Title: ñYou Only Keep What You Give Away''
Text: John 6:1-21
Theme: What if this is true? What if one day we should discover that every gift we gave without ulterior motive, every generous contribution, every impulsive kindness which cost something was to be returned to us? Have you ever used that wonderful story of The Mansion? Remember? A successful, prosperous old guy falls asleep in front of the fire and has a dream. He has died, then gone to heaven. An angel meets him at the gate and informs the man that he is now to be shown to his new home where he will, henceforth, live a long life. Happily, grateful to be reassured of continued life, he follows along as they pass some beautiful homes. He examines each one, hoping it is his, wondering if perhaps there are some even finer homes ahead. But the neighborhood becomes more modest, as the man reflects that maybe those fine homes were for the saints. Still they walk, past small homes, then into a virtual slum area. Finally, they stop in front of a shack. The windows are broken. Wood smoke roils up from the chimney. The angel informs this successful man that this is his new home. The man responds, ñBut why here? I was a successful man on earth. What did I do to deserve this shack?'' And the angel replies: ñIÍm sorry, sir. We did the best we could with what you sent us.''
1. A Christian is generous.
2. Generosity includes our assessments of others as well as our gifts.
3. God does, indeed, love a cheerful giver.
4. Our generosity, like that of the boy who gave Jesus his bread and fish, awakens generosity in others. It accomplishes that for which we were created: the welfare and happiness of other people.
5. Our generosity helps enable Jesus to achieve his purpose.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
ñShe died a year ago Thursday at the age of 27. Her body was found in a room in a motel near the Detroit airport.'' So read the article in The Indianapolis Star on April 5, 1998. Her name was Heidi Aseltine. Heidi lifted weights, worked out, and maintained a strong, healthy body. Attractive, she played the lead in a performance of Annie Get Your Gun while a senior in high school. But Heidi had gotten AIDS. She learned this ten years ago. People didnÍt know much about AIDS then, but they certainly didnÍt want to have anything to do with this pretty young girl. The boy who was to play the lead in the play withdrew. Heidi never had another date. People crossed the street when Heidi came in sight. And so, doomed to a life of rejection and loneliness, Heidi moved to another city where people wouldnÍt know. For a while she held a good job, was happy „ as happy as you can be when youÍre in your early twenties and know you wonÍt see thirty. But one day, Heidi met a fine young man. When she told him of her illness, he said he didnÍt care. They were to be married. Really happy for the first time in many years, Heidi bought a wedding dress, shared with some remaining friends about the happy event. Then her fiance called to tell her he had changed his mind. The wedding was off.
Heidi began to get sick. In pain, alone, in complete despair, Heidi arranged to meet Dr. Kevorkian in Detroit. She went to dinner with her mother the night before. She had memorial rings made for each of the friends who would have been her bridesmaids. She had a happy evening with Mom, then went to her room. Dr. Kevorkian helped her with her decision. Her body was found the next day. Heidi was buried in her wedding dress.
____________
In Little Lord Fauntleroy, the old grandfather is a ruthless old curmudgeon, heartless toward the poor. His little grandson comes to live with him and loves the old man. The boy also cares about the poor. Slowly, the old man begins to change as he realizes the boy does love him despite his terrible ways, and the boy never judges the old man. And the grandfather, wanting very much to deserve such unqualified love, begins to change. As he sees his grandsonÍs concern for the poor, he begins to share that concern. Finally, the old man is a completely changed person because of one personÍs accepting love.
____________
ñIf I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again
I shall not live in vain.''
„ Emily Dickinson
____________
I stated above my belief that God nudges us into the calling for which we are created. In my own case, I felt sure I was to be a businessman like my father. I got a degree in Business Administration and then began a job as a salesman. I didnÍt like it very well and changed to another, similar company. I was fired. Oh, gently, to be sure. But the boss said, in effect, ñMcGriff, I donÍt think this is for you.'' After hacking around for a while, I started my own business. Actually, I loved what I was doing but I wasnÍt very good at it and I wasnÍt making any money. Meanwhile, I was drawn into the Church by first one minister, then by his successor, both men I came to admire. Then Christ grabbed hold of me and I more and more tried to lead my life the way He directed. But I also was immersed in a terrible inner struggle, knowing that I had never really found my true vocation. One night, I went for a long drive, torn apart inside, desperate for some insight, tears flowing, lost. Then it happened. ñWhy not become a minister?'' The thought was at once terrifying yet exciting. But from that moment, my fate was sealed. At last I knew. From that very night, slowly at first, but surely, my life turned around. God had been at work the whole time „ I know that now „ leading me where I was created from birth to go. All those dead ends, the failures, the inner struggles were part of my preparation. Called eventually to a church of business and professional people, I was able to understand their dilemmas, their temptations, their struggles, because I had walked their road. This is how I see God to work.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 14 (C) „ ñFools say in their hearts, ïThere is no God.Í ''
Psalm 144 (RC) „ ñBlessed be the Lord.''
Psalm 114 (E) „ ñWhen Israel went out from Egypt.''
Prayer Of The Day
Move within us, O God, with the spirit of thy love, that our immaturities and petty impulses may be overcome, that we may practice the generosity of spirit which you have called forth from us. Grant us character by which we may rise above temptation and selfish conduct and become at last the people we were created to be. In JesusÍ name we pray. Amen.
