Proper 20
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle A
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 16:2-15 (C)
The Israelites have had a hard life for some time and they are tired of it, complaining a lot. I spent a couple years in the U.S. Army and we did that too. In fact, there was an old saying in the Army that went like this: "When the troops quit complaining you know something's wrong." In other words, it's a perfectly natural human outlet for frustration, and only the most mature people are able to endure hardship without complaint. That doesn't mean they won't be there when needed. One of our worst complainers in the aforementioned situation was unfailingly trustworthy when there was real trouble.
What has this to do with our text? I think God understood all of this. He (or She) knew it hadn't been easy and that they needed help. After all, no matter how mature a person, he or she must still have food to eat. So God arranged for meat in the form of quail in the evening, and bread in a rather strange form in the mornings (double portions on the last day so they wouldn't need to work on the Sabbath). Moses and Aaron seemed a little angry about the people, but that also is normal on the part of leaders who always wish everyone would just do their jobs and keep their mouths shut. In other words, the situation in our text is not all that different from comparable situations in our common life today -- including running a church.
Therefore, as a sermon text, I would say we have here an example of the Old Testament belief that God is there for us in times of hardship and trouble, making it possible for people to survive and even prosper in the ethical sense. Since Old Testament stories had God right there, talking to the prophets right out in the open, it's for the preacher to explain how it all works today.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:6-9 (RC)
The key to this text is these words: "Let them return to the Lord that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." There we have it, the nature of God. And there we have the hope for all of us, remembering those other words, however: "Let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts."
Lesson 1: Jonah 3:10--4:11 (E)
Jonah pouts. He's been through a lot, and warned the folks of Nineveh who hadn't listened. Now God relents, decides not to punish them after all, and Jonah, upset at this, pouts. So God gives him a little demonstration by letting a bush shelter Jonah, then destroying the bush. Jonah is then given to understand that it's up to God to make such decisions, not up to Jonah The book then ends as we preachers should end our sermons: quickly.
Lesson 2: Philippians 1:21-30 (C); Philippians 1:20-24, 27 (RC); Philippians 1:21-27 (E)
It's interesting to see evidence here that Paul, having lived under threat of death for so long, has come to terms with the prospect. More, he has even reached the point of seeing death as "a consummation devoutly to be wished." He is torn between a fascination with death and the fellowship with Jesus which he believes will follow, over against his desire to continue with the people who walk in Jesus' way in this life However, his commitment to the latter is dependent on the progress those people are making in their faith journeys. You do wonder a little about that business of suffering for Jesus being a privilege. I assume that Paul means by this not that one should court suffering but, rather, that the benefits later will make the present suffering more than worthwhile. As a sermon text, this raises in my mind the issue of death versus suffering in this life.
Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16 (C, RC, E)
This story of Jesus is guaranteed to make anyone who works in labor relations very upset. Of course, Jesus was not referring to labor relations, but to the divine-human relationship. Obviously, had this been a true story (which is unlikely, since the next time that landowner went for workers they'd have all been "busy" until later in the day), the men would have been upset and justifiably so. Also, given human nature, the fellows who worked all day would not treat the lucky ones so kindly once they'd all left work. So here we have an example of the fact that we must not take these stories literally. We are to look beyond the literal facts to find what Jesus was meaning. He meant that though one person may live a decent, Christian life for many long years, another may come along repentant and changed only toward the end of life. Yet that second person will in every way be treated by God as will the first. However, what is unspoken here is the fact that in this life it won't be so easy. The first man will probably have a much happier life than will the second. But in God's eyes, in terms of ultimate consequences, the two will be treated the same. There's a kind of "catch-22" here also: If I'm the good man who led the Christian life, and if I resent the bad guy getting in at the last minute, then I reveal myself to be not so good after all and maybe I need that last minute forgiveness as much as the other person.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "Hope In The Wilderness"
Text: Exodus 16:2-15
Theme: God sent the right winds at the right time for the Red Sea crossing, and specifically arranged the food for the Israelites for this occasion. I have seen things in this world which I cannot explain otherwise. Prayer does change things. On the other hand, I have seen devout people, people far more "Christian" than I am, pray in time of dire need without apparent results. I can only conclude that without a view of the long haul, it's impossible to know for sure what God did and didn't do. I think it was C. S. Lewis who imagined a little child watching a parade through a knothole in a fence. He hears the sound of music and animal hoofs coming from one direction (future), but cannot see them so can only guess what they are. He has a memory of the animals and brightly decorated wagons which have already passed, a memory still vivid but already growing dimmer (past), and for an instant he sees an elephant ridden by a gymnast (present). He will recall with some distortion the past, knows nearly nothing of the future, sees only the present. Now, suggested Dr. Lewis, imagine someone looking over the top of the fence (God), able to see past, present, and future, with one sweeping glance. Things which might make no sense at all to that wide-eyed little boy may make the whole thing work, if seen from above.
With that in mind, I propose first to recognize that all of us are destined to be wilderness wanderers at some times in our lives. For some, it may seem endless -- people addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, food -- people whose lives are being wrecked. They know what they're doing, but they don't know how to stop. I think of people in destructive marriages who struggle between hope and despair, who fear to leave, yet have no solutions. I think of minority persons who see a bright, expensive world around them, but have no way to gain access to that world; and of their families who often live in fear, good people, but without the means to move to safety. I think of children who know they are not loved or wanted, and of adults who knew that as children. I think of disabled people who are treated as though they were not fully human, like a man of my church who was born sightless. Waiters always asked his wife, "What will he have?" as though he had no mind. And there are so many more.
Maybe in lesser ways, we all pass through the desert. The college student with no sense of vocational choice, the clergy person serving an unfulfilling pastorate in a system which only has a limited number of fulfilling parishes. I think of elderly people who so dearly remember when the world was young, and they could look to a future filled with bright hopes; of multi-talented people who have never found a focus, and see undeniable gifts go to waste unappreciated. Again, so many more.
1. God supplies sustenance for our hunger. Every one of us has heard the stories of troubled people whose lives have been changed, renewed, by miracles. Every one of us can think of people who have persevered, said their prayers, stayed faithful to their dreams, and found themselves filled with that for which we all hunger: hope.
2. God often gives us only enough for now. "I do not ask to see the distant scene," one hymn affirms. "One step enough for me." Hope, the belief that something good is about to happen, sustains us. I like something Scott Peck wrote in his splendid book, In Search of Stones. He said that all of us want adventure in our lives. But if you know where you're going, and how you'll get there, and what you'll see along the way, it's not an adventure. There's something to be said for having enough only for today. It teaches us the ways of hope and faith.
3. God enables us to live without fear, but with courage. Not all of our troubles can be eliminated. Part of life is to live with the limitations it hands out and we all have those, one way or another. I don't mean to be judgmental with this next, but a private word to clergy colleagues. Getting to that big church, or that ideal town or city, or having that special recognition which so easily eludes most of us, does not eliminate all those inner pains. I could name a dozen "successful" clergy who come quickly to mind, who have been forced to leave churches because of misdoing, or who have done serious harm to their churches because of misconduct. Troubled people, deeply troubled. Likewise, for everyone, there's a quote somewhere in the Bible (here's your assignment: look this up). It goes about like this: "He gave them their heart's desire and sent leanness unto their souls." No, we must have the faith to view our desert wanderings in light of things we cannot see, but can dare to trust.
Title: "Life As Adventure"
Text: Philippians 1:19-30
Theme: I'm not sure what I think Paul meant by his rumination about death. Life was desperately hard then, especially for someone with such high visibility. We also know that Paul had some sort of physical affliction which troubled him. Any of us who has known suffering and other forms of hardship has surely had fleeting thoughts about the comfort of death. If one has as firm a belief in life after death as Paul did, the prospect might very well be exceedingly enticing. One of the dearest people in my life took his life one fine winter morning, leaving a note saying how easy it was.
Paul opted to live in the flesh, mainly because of his regard for fellow Christians. But it was of paramount importance to him that they remain faithful. I have sometimes wondered what life was like 2,000 years ago. Life expectancy, assuming one didn't die as a small child, was -- what? -- mid-twenties? Throw in constant military threats, ailments for which there was no antidote other than folk remedies, a lack of knowledge about diet or hygiene. Such things as anesthetics and sterilization were unknown during the Civil War. People in some places still used leeches and bleeding as forms of treatment. Today we don't worry much about cholesterol, thyroid problems, diabetes, and 1,000 other human bodily breakdowns because we have drugs to handle them. (Maybe we worry about them, but not like past generations who probably didn't have any idea what was wrong then.) I recently had my gall bladder removed. The ailment which made this necessary was excruciatingly painful. Back then I guess it killed you. In my case, a fine young surgeon from the congregation I served removed the darn thing and that afternoon I got up, home the next day.
What I'm saying is, the body is a far more valued possession today than in Paul's time precisely because we know how to care for it. If we're smart, if we exercise, eat wisely, get a proper amount of sleep, go see the doctor when things go wrong, then we can forestall death. We can even resort to many cosmetic methods to forestall the appearance of death in all its forms. But this raises a question: Does all of this mean we rely less on faith as we go through life, and more on these other things?
Title: "Amazing Grace"
Text: Matthew 20:1-16
Theme: Jesus was using a worldly analogy to make an other-worldly point. There is such a thing as fairness and Jesus was eminently fair in all things. He wasn't setting forth a principle for the benefit of those who hire other people. He was setting forth a principle regarding our relationship with God, and that principle is grace. In the sense that Jesus meant things, we're all like those men who went to work late in the day. He was speaking a comforting word, had the listeners only understood. Those early workers weren't any better than the others. Their outrage (taking the story at face value for a moment) was evidence of their own self-centeredness.
1. We all stand in need of grace. Set aside the story. Don't worry about what the AFL-CIO would think. That's not the point. Jesus was saying that in spite of all the things you and I have done -- all our selfishness, our petty thoughts and actions, our shameful little fantasies, and our hurtful remarks -- we can still receive divine Grace. Some people learn this early. I know several teenagers who live by the words of Jesus. But there are other people who are very late in learning the great truths which Jesus revealed. Even the deathbed repentance is acceptable to God, I believe, so long as it is true and heartfelt. Early or late, Grace is ours.
2. Jesus wants us to do the same for others. Remember, he taught us to pray "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." So, for instance, we are to forgive parents their mistakes. Older readers will remember the "I'm okay, You're okay" therapy which said there is nothing to gain by blaming Mom or Dad for my problems. They had their own problems. It's time to set each other free. Forgive Mom or Dad. Forgive yourself. Be free. This applies equally to other injustices we may have suffered. If you're black, you can go through life filled with bitterness, and never know happiness. Or you can forgive. Accept the fact that the world is not always a fair place. Put a smile on your face, and darned if others won't discover they like you. (I'm not deprecating natural resentments. I understand as much as an Anglo can. I'm just saying it doesn't buy anything.) Whatever resentments boil around inside us whatever troubling memories of bad experiences, it is forgiveness given which can bring healing and peace.
3. I am to extend this gift to myself. I confess right now I have done several things for which I am sadly sorry. More correctly, I have failed to do some things I should have done. I have told elsewhere of the time I went off to World War II as a soldier without even looking back at my dad who came to see me off. What I'd give to relive that moment, to tell him I loved him and missed him. But he's gone. I can't. I can either live with self-hatred for the rest of my years, or forgive myself and understand that at least I know what I did, I do repent, and I will try to forgive others who sometimes hurt me, unknowingly in most instances.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
In the play A Man Born To Be King, one character shouts: "Do you know, priest, what hell-fire is? It is having to look at yourself for just one moment as you really are."
____________
In the play Green Pastures, there's a scene in which the people are leaving Moses to go into the Promised Land. One by one they silently place their hands on his shoulders as they pass. The people gone, the "Lawd God" appears and he helps Moses to his feet. And then the Lawd says: "You is a tired old man. You been workin' a long time. I've got a place for you."
____________
Norman Cousins told of the time one of "The Hiroshima Maidens" was being prepared for surgery years after her devastating injuries from the bombing. People, good people from this country, had done much volunteer work to raise money and otherwise make possible the care and medical help for those girls. The people who did this were Christian people mortified at the necessity for such a brutal event, saddened at the injuries inflicted. This young girl, badly burned, about to go into surgery, looked up and said: "Please tell Dr. Barsky not to worry about me. I know he's worried about whether he can take these terrible scars away. Tell him not to worry. Tell him that the scars in my heart have already been healed."
____________
Many years ago, Bishop Gerald Kennedy of the Methodist Church visited the Philippine Islands where he met a woman member of the President's Cabinet (I regret I do not have her name). She was also an active church laywoman. She and her husband had been interned by the Japanese during World War II. One night they came and took her husband away and she never saw him again. She later learned he'd been beheaded. Years later, the International Health Organization was holding a meeting in Manila. Three Japanese doctors were present and it was her job to greet important visitors in her role as a high government official. She said she dreaded having to meet the doctors. One night she found herself in a receiving line and, as she looked up, she saw the three doctors moving toward her. The first one bowed deeply, extended his hand. This is what she said: "I gave him my hand, finally. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. But I know that we must not hate, and there is no future in revenge, and we must begin again."
____________
Winston Churchill, once asked how he felt about dying, replied that he was ready to die, but, "I'm not sure God is ready for the ordeal of meeting me."
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 (C) -- "O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name."
Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18 (RC, E) -- "The Lord is gracious and merciful."
Prayer Of The Day
Eternal God, thou source of love, thou who dost understand and forgive: grant us serenity in the face of adversity, kindness in the face of injuries received, wisdom in facing difficulty, and gratitude in receiving Grace. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Lesson 1: Exodus 16:2-15 (C)
The Israelites have had a hard life for some time and they are tired of it, complaining a lot. I spent a couple years in the U.S. Army and we did that too. In fact, there was an old saying in the Army that went like this: "When the troops quit complaining you know something's wrong." In other words, it's a perfectly natural human outlet for frustration, and only the most mature people are able to endure hardship without complaint. That doesn't mean they won't be there when needed. One of our worst complainers in the aforementioned situation was unfailingly trustworthy when there was real trouble.
What has this to do with our text? I think God understood all of this. He (or She) knew it hadn't been easy and that they needed help. After all, no matter how mature a person, he or she must still have food to eat. So God arranged for meat in the form of quail in the evening, and bread in a rather strange form in the mornings (double portions on the last day so they wouldn't need to work on the Sabbath). Moses and Aaron seemed a little angry about the people, but that also is normal on the part of leaders who always wish everyone would just do their jobs and keep their mouths shut. In other words, the situation in our text is not all that different from comparable situations in our common life today -- including running a church.
Therefore, as a sermon text, I would say we have here an example of the Old Testament belief that God is there for us in times of hardship and trouble, making it possible for people to survive and even prosper in the ethical sense. Since Old Testament stories had God right there, talking to the prophets right out in the open, it's for the preacher to explain how it all works today.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:6-9 (RC)
The key to this text is these words: "Let them return to the Lord that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." There we have it, the nature of God. And there we have the hope for all of us, remembering those other words, however: "Let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts."
Lesson 1: Jonah 3:10--4:11 (E)
Jonah pouts. He's been through a lot, and warned the folks of Nineveh who hadn't listened. Now God relents, decides not to punish them after all, and Jonah, upset at this, pouts. So God gives him a little demonstration by letting a bush shelter Jonah, then destroying the bush. Jonah is then given to understand that it's up to God to make such decisions, not up to Jonah The book then ends as we preachers should end our sermons: quickly.
Lesson 2: Philippians 1:21-30 (C); Philippians 1:20-24, 27 (RC); Philippians 1:21-27 (E)
It's interesting to see evidence here that Paul, having lived under threat of death for so long, has come to terms with the prospect. More, he has even reached the point of seeing death as "a consummation devoutly to be wished." He is torn between a fascination with death and the fellowship with Jesus which he believes will follow, over against his desire to continue with the people who walk in Jesus' way in this life However, his commitment to the latter is dependent on the progress those people are making in their faith journeys. You do wonder a little about that business of suffering for Jesus being a privilege. I assume that Paul means by this not that one should court suffering but, rather, that the benefits later will make the present suffering more than worthwhile. As a sermon text, this raises in my mind the issue of death versus suffering in this life.
Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16 (C, RC, E)
This story of Jesus is guaranteed to make anyone who works in labor relations very upset. Of course, Jesus was not referring to labor relations, but to the divine-human relationship. Obviously, had this been a true story (which is unlikely, since the next time that landowner went for workers they'd have all been "busy" until later in the day), the men would have been upset and justifiably so. Also, given human nature, the fellows who worked all day would not treat the lucky ones so kindly once they'd all left work. So here we have an example of the fact that we must not take these stories literally. We are to look beyond the literal facts to find what Jesus was meaning. He meant that though one person may live a decent, Christian life for many long years, another may come along repentant and changed only toward the end of life. Yet that second person will in every way be treated by God as will the first. However, what is unspoken here is the fact that in this life it won't be so easy. The first man will probably have a much happier life than will the second. But in God's eyes, in terms of ultimate consequences, the two will be treated the same. There's a kind of "catch-22" here also: If I'm the good man who led the Christian life, and if I resent the bad guy getting in at the last minute, then I reveal myself to be not so good after all and maybe I need that last minute forgiveness as much as the other person.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "Hope In The Wilderness"
Text: Exodus 16:2-15
Theme: God sent the right winds at the right time for the Red Sea crossing, and specifically arranged the food for the Israelites for this occasion. I have seen things in this world which I cannot explain otherwise. Prayer does change things. On the other hand, I have seen devout people, people far more "Christian" than I am, pray in time of dire need without apparent results. I can only conclude that without a view of the long haul, it's impossible to know for sure what God did and didn't do. I think it was C. S. Lewis who imagined a little child watching a parade through a knothole in a fence. He hears the sound of music and animal hoofs coming from one direction (future), but cannot see them so can only guess what they are. He has a memory of the animals and brightly decorated wagons which have already passed, a memory still vivid but already growing dimmer (past), and for an instant he sees an elephant ridden by a gymnast (present). He will recall with some distortion the past, knows nearly nothing of the future, sees only the present. Now, suggested Dr. Lewis, imagine someone looking over the top of the fence (God), able to see past, present, and future, with one sweeping glance. Things which might make no sense at all to that wide-eyed little boy may make the whole thing work, if seen from above.
With that in mind, I propose first to recognize that all of us are destined to be wilderness wanderers at some times in our lives. For some, it may seem endless -- people addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, food -- people whose lives are being wrecked. They know what they're doing, but they don't know how to stop. I think of people in destructive marriages who struggle between hope and despair, who fear to leave, yet have no solutions. I think of minority persons who see a bright, expensive world around them, but have no way to gain access to that world; and of their families who often live in fear, good people, but without the means to move to safety. I think of children who know they are not loved or wanted, and of adults who knew that as children. I think of disabled people who are treated as though they were not fully human, like a man of my church who was born sightless. Waiters always asked his wife, "What will he have?" as though he had no mind. And there are so many more.
Maybe in lesser ways, we all pass through the desert. The college student with no sense of vocational choice, the clergy person serving an unfulfilling pastorate in a system which only has a limited number of fulfilling parishes. I think of elderly people who so dearly remember when the world was young, and they could look to a future filled with bright hopes; of multi-talented people who have never found a focus, and see undeniable gifts go to waste unappreciated. Again, so many more.
1. God supplies sustenance for our hunger. Every one of us has heard the stories of troubled people whose lives have been changed, renewed, by miracles. Every one of us can think of people who have persevered, said their prayers, stayed faithful to their dreams, and found themselves filled with that for which we all hunger: hope.
2. God often gives us only enough for now. "I do not ask to see the distant scene," one hymn affirms. "One step enough for me." Hope, the belief that something good is about to happen, sustains us. I like something Scott Peck wrote in his splendid book, In Search of Stones. He said that all of us want adventure in our lives. But if you know where you're going, and how you'll get there, and what you'll see along the way, it's not an adventure. There's something to be said for having enough only for today. It teaches us the ways of hope and faith.
3. God enables us to live without fear, but with courage. Not all of our troubles can be eliminated. Part of life is to live with the limitations it hands out and we all have those, one way or another. I don't mean to be judgmental with this next, but a private word to clergy colleagues. Getting to that big church, or that ideal town or city, or having that special recognition which so easily eludes most of us, does not eliminate all those inner pains. I could name a dozen "successful" clergy who come quickly to mind, who have been forced to leave churches because of misdoing, or who have done serious harm to their churches because of misconduct. Troubled people, deeply troubled. Likewise, for everyone, there's a quote somewhere in the Bible (here's your assignment: look this up). It goes about like this: "He gave them their heart's desire and sent leanness unto their souls." No, we must have the faith to view our desert wanderings in light of things we cannot see, but can dare to trust.
Title: "Life As Adventure"
Text: Philippians 1:19-30
Theme: I'm not sure what I think Paul meant by his rumination about death. Life was desperately hard then, especially for someone with such high visibility. We also know that Paul had some sort of physical affliction which troubled him. Any of us who has known suffering and other forms of hardship has surely had fleeting thoughts about the comfort of death. If one has as firm a belief in life after death as Paul did, the prospect might very well be exceedingly enticing. One of the dearest people in my life took his life one fine winter morning, leaving a note saying how easy it was.
Paul opted to live in the flesh, mainly because of his regard for fellow Christians. But it was of paramount importance to him that they remain faithful. I have sometimes wondered what life was like 2,000 years ago. Life expectancy, assuming one didn't die as a small child, was -- what? -- mid-twenties? Throw in constant military threats, ailments for which there was no antidote other than folk remedies, a lack of knowledge about diet or hygiene. Such things as anesthetics and sterilization were unknown during the Civil War. People in some places still used leeches and bleeding as forms of treatment. Today we don't worry much about cholesterol, thyroid problems, diabetes, and 1,000 other human bodily breakdowns because we have drugs to handle them. (Maybe we worry about them, but not like past generations who probably didn't have any idea what was wrong then.) I recently had my gall bladder removed. The ailment which made this necessary was excruciatingly painful. Back then I guess it killed you. In my case, a fine young surgeon from the congregation I served removed the darn thing and that afternoon I got up, home the next day.
What I'm saying is, the body is a far more valued possession today than in Paul's time precisely because we know how to care for it. If we're smart, if we exercise, eat wisely, get a proper amount of sleep, go see the doctor when things go wrong, then we can forestall death. We can even resort to many cosmetic methods to forestall the appearance of death in all its forms. But this raises a question: Does all of this mean we rely less on faith as we go through life, and more on these other things?
Title: "Amazing Grace"
Text: Matthew 20:1-16
Theme: Jesus was using a worldly analogy to make an other-worldly point. There is such a thing as fairness and Jesus was eminently fair in all things. He wasn't setting forth a principle for the benefit of those who hire other people. He was setting forth a principle regarding our relationship with God, and that principle is grace. In the sense that Jesus meant things, we're all like those men who went to work late in the day. He was speaking a comforting word, had the listeners only understood. Those early workers weren't any better than the others. Their outrage (taking the story at face value for a moment) was evidence of their own self-centeredness.
1. We all stand in need of grace. Set aside the story. Don't worry about what the AFL-CIO would think. That's not the point. Jesus was saying that in spite of all the things you and I have done -- all our selfishness, our petty thoughts and actions, our shameful little fantasies, and our hurtful remarks -- we can still receive divine Grace. Some people learn this early. I know several teenagers who live by the words of Jesus. But there are other people who are very late in learning the great truths which Jesus revealed. Even the deathbed repentance is acceptable to God, I believe, so long as it is true and heartfelt. Early or late, Grace is ours.
2. Jesus wants us to do the same for others. Remember, he taught us to pray "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." So, for instance, we are to forgive parents their mistakes. Older readers will remember the "I'm okay, You're okay" therapy which said there is nothing to gain by blaming Mom or Dad for my problems. They had their own problems. It's time to set each other free. Forgive Mom or Dad. Forgive yourself. Be free. This applies equally to other injustices we may have suffered. If you're black, you can go through life filled with bitterness, and never know happiness. Or you can forgive. Accept the fact that the world is not always a fair place. Put a smile on your face, and darned if others won't discover they like you. (I'm not deprecating natural resentments. I understand as much as an Anglo can. I'm just saying it doesn't buy anything.) Whatever resentments boil around inside us whatever troubling memories of bad experiences, it is forgiveness given which can bring healing and peace.
3. I am to extend this gift to myself. I confess right now I have done several things for which I am sadly sorry. More correctly, I have failed to do some things I should have done. I have told elsewhere of the time I went off to World War II as a soldier without even looking back at my dad who came to see me off. What I'd give to relive that moment, to tell him I loved him and missed him. But he's gone. I can't. I can either live with self-hatred for the rest of my years, or forgive myself and understand that at least I know what I did, I do repent, and I will try to forgive others who sometimes hurt me, unknowingly in most instances.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
In the play A Man Born To Be King, one character shouts: "Do you know, priest, what hell-fire is? It is having to look at yourself for just one moment as you really are."
____________
In the play Green Pastures, there's a scene in which the people are leaving Moses to go into the Promised Land. One by one they silently place their hands on his shoulders as they pass. The people gone, the "Lawd God" appears and he helps Moses to his feet. And then the Lawd says: "You is a tired old man. You been workin' a long time. I've got a place for you."
____________
Norman Cousins told of the time one of "The Hiroshima Maidens" was being prepared for surgery years after her devastating injuries from the bombing. People, good people from this country, had done much volunteer work to raise money and otherwise make possible the care and medical help for those girls. The people who did this were Christian people mortified at the necessity for such a brutal event, saddened at the injuries inflicted. This young girl, badly burned, about to go into surgery, looked up and said: "Please tell Dr. Barsky not to worry about me. I know he's worried about whether he can take these terrible scars away. Tell him not to worry. Tell him that the scars in my heart have already been healed."
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Many years ago, Bishop Gerald Kennedy of the Methodist Church visited the Philippine Islands where he met a woman member of the President's Cabinet (I regret I do not have her name). She was also an active church laywoman. She and her husband had been interned by the Japanese during World War II. One night they came and took her husband away and she never saw him again. She later learned he'd been beheaded. Years later, the International Health Organization was holding a meeting in Manila. Three Japanese doctors were present and it was her job to greet important visitors in her role as a high government official. She said she dreaded having to meet the doctors. One night she found herself in a receiving line and, as she looked up, she saw the three doctors moving toward her. The first one bowed deeply, extended his hand. This is what she said: "I gave him my hand, finally. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. But I know that we must not hate, and there is no future in revenge, and we must begin again."
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Winston Churchill, once asked how he felt about dying, replied that he was ready to die, but, "I'm not sure God is ready for the ordeal of meeting me."
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Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 (C) -- "O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name."
Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18 (RC, E) -- "The Lord is gracious and merciful."
Prayer Of The Day
Eternal God, thou source of love, thou who dost understand and forgive: grant us serenity in the face of adversity, kindness in the face of injuries received, wisdom in facing difficulty, and gratitude in receiving Grace. In Jesus' name, Amen.
