new beginning and reflection

Good evening brothers and sisters,

Today's reading invites us to reflect on our lives in the light of eternity. God is eternal and we are temporary. One good question to start the new year is: how do I want to grow in my faith this year. Thinking about what we want our life to be about is a good way to begin.

God bless,
Sam

Psalm 90:1-12

¹Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

²Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth 

and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³You turn us back to dust, and say, “Turn back, you mortals.”

⁴For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past,

or like a watch in the night.

⁵You sweep them away; they are like a dream, 

like grass that is renewed in the morning;

⁶in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

⁷For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed.

⁸You have set our iniquities before you, 

our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

⁹For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh.

¹⁰The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

¹¹Who considers the power of your anger? 

Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

¹²So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.

a time for everything

Good morning brothers and sisters,

Today's reading compliments yesterday's. While there can be a sense of futility in the fact that life repeats itself, there is also a rhythm. There is a time for everything, so take this time to reflect and also to enjoy. Whatever we have is a gift from God. We need to be wise with our gifts, but also to find joy in our work and in our rest. 

God's blessings for the year gone by and the year to come,

Sam

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: ²a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; ³a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; ⁷a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. 

⁹What gain have the workers from their toil? ¹⁰I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with.¹¹He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 

¹²I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; ¹³moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. ¹⁴I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. ¹⁵That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by.

year end perspective

Good evening friends,

Ecclesiastes is a great book for perspective. While it seems pessimistic, it really just helps us see the limits of human work. The end of a year is a time to set goals, but especially to think about lining our life with what really matters.

God bless,
Sam

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.²Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.³What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?

⁴A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. ⁵The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises. ⁶The wind blows to the south, and goes around to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. ⁷All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow. ⁸All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing.

⁹What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. ¹⁰Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has already been, in the ages before us.¹¹The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them.

Teach us to count our days

Good afternoon brothers and sisters,
Appropriately, today's reading is an invitation to consider our own mortality and our limits. The end of one year and the beginning of another are a great opportunity to reflect on our life and on where God might be leading us. As you take some time to reflect, let God teach you to number your days so that you gain a wise heart.

Blessings for a spiritually blessed new year,
Sam


Psalm 90:1-14
¹Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
²Before the mountains were brought forth, 
or ever you had formed the earth and the world, 
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
³You turn us back to dust, and say,
“Turn back, you mortals.”
⁴For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday
when it is past, or like a watch in the night.
⁵You sweep them away; they are like a dream, 
like grass that is renewed in the morning;
⁶in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.
⁷For we are consumed by your anger;
by your wrath we are overwhelmed.
⁸You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
⁹For all our days pass away under your wrath;
our years come to an end like a sigh.
¹⁰The days of our life are seventy years,
or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;
even then their span is only toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹Who considers the power of your anger?
Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
¹²So teach us to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.
¹³Turn, O Lord! How long?
Have compassion on your servants!
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

prophets and ritual

Happy New Year,
Our first reading reminds us of God's loving care and the second reading tells the story of Jesus being presented as an infant at the temple. I love reading about the two old saints recognizing Jesus as God's salvation come to earth. I'm excited to begin a new year with you following God's calling together.

New Year's blessings,
Sam

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
     my whole being shall exult in my God;
   for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
     he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
   as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
     and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
     and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
   so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
     to spring up before all the nations.

^62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
     and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
   until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
     and her salvation like a burning torch.
²  The nations shall see your vindication,
     and all the kings your glory;
   and you shall be called by a new name
     that the mouth of the Lord will give.
³  You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
     and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

*Sunday

Luke 2:21-40

²¹After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. ²²When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), ²⁴and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ²⁹“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; ³⁰for my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

³³And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. ³⁹When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

for everything there is a season

Good morning sisters and brothers,

At least the first part of this reading is familiar to many of us, whether from the Bible or the song. The passage not only talks about how everything happens in its time, it also talks about the limits of our understanding. As the New Year turns, we look forward to what God will do with us in 2012. I'm excited to see where our ministry will take us and how we will grow in faith. Enjoy the day/evening's festivities and please be safe.
God bless,
Sam

Ecclesiastes 3:1-17

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: ²a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; ³a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; ⁷a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

⁹What gain have the workers from their toil? ¹⁰I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. ¹¹He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹²I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; ¹³moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. ¹⁴I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. ¹⁵That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by.

¹⁶Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well. ¹⁷I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work.

reflecting on our limits

Good morning brothers and sisters,
The next two days we're reading from Ecclesiastes to help us reflect on the passing of one year and the beginning of another. Ecclesiastes is a book full of reflections on life. It sometimes feels pessimistic, but on balance it is realistic about the hardships and frustrations of life. At the same time, the conclusion the writer eventually comes to is that, while humans are limited in what we can do, and life is often frustrating, we can still find joy in following our calling and worshiping God. So for the morning reading, follow the Teacher's reflection, but take it with a grain of salt and more than a hint of joy.

God bless,
Sam

Ecclesiastes 1:1-9

The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. ²Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. ³What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?

⁴A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. ⁵The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises. ⁶The wind blows to the south, and goes around to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. ⁷All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow. ⁸All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing.

⁹What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.

new year, new challenges

Good morning and Happy New Year,
I have a love/hate relationship with this passage. I love it because it speaks truth about how God values justice more than worship or sacrifice or church attendance. I fear it because by this yardstick I always come up short. So for the new year God gives us a challenge to strive for. Let us feed the hungry more this year. Let us give water to the thirsty more this year. Let us welcome strangers and visit the sick. Let us visit those in prison and seek Christ in those people society sees as least. Let's make this year a better reflection of our love for God and for others. The Laurelton Cafe is a good start, especially since we expect to find new ways to minister to the community through it. Let's listen for God's calling and serve the children of our heavenly father/mother.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 25:31-46

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for 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, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'


37Then 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? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40And 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.'


41Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

work and enjoyment

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today's reading continues yesterday's passage from Ecclesiastes. The author has seen that everything has its season and has seen the busyness God has given everyone to be busy with. Furthermore, he has seen that for people there is nothing better to eat and drink and enjoy life. Ecclesiastes wrestles with life's impermanence and the fact that often it feels pointless. A lot of the time we don't feel like we're getting anywhere. The reality is that in life, nothing is perfect. Even in the parts of life where things should be most righteous, there is still wickedness. As hard as we try, we will never be perfect and neither will any one else.

That doesn't mean we should give up, but it means we should take life with a grain of salt. God will judge and set everything right in the end. In the meantime we are called to seek God's will, to work hard and enjoy our labor, and to enjoy the blessings of life God has given us.

Happy New Year, be safe, and God bless,
Sam

Ecclesiastes 3:12-17

12I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. 14I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. 15That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by.


16Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well. 17I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work.

ending and beginning

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Our readings for the next couple of days invite us to reflect on the end of one year and the beginning of another. This passage from Ecclesiastes considers the changes and seasons of life. Sometimes we find comfort that there is a time for everything; other times we are frustrated that that the time for things we enjoy doesn't last forever. Human life is always filled with change; some good, some bad. Our lives are full of busyness, but it doesn't always take us anywhere. God gives us a sense of time, a sense of past and future, a sense that there is something beyond our busyness and the cycles of our lives. And our life doesn't last forever; one day we will each die. How is God calling you to use this New Year's time to reflect on the direction your life is moving? How is God calling you to change in the New Year so you can make the most of the time you've been given?

God bless,
Sam

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.


9What gain have the workers from their toil? 10I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. 11He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.