Word of the Week - Mealtime

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. "Bring them to me," he said. Matthew 14

• As many of you know, the picture above is from the diner of Seinfeld. Countless scenes of the hit show were filmed at this very table. As Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine gathered they would share their great victories and great defeats. We were entertained by their extreme depictions of anger, contentment, joy, and despair. Sometimes they supported each other and other times they made fun of each other. They always ate together regardless of the way that they felt about one another at that moment.
• Jesus was constantly eating with other people. At times he ate only with the disciples. He used that time for intense instruction. Other times he ate with the people that society rejected (sick, tax collectors, those of different cultures). He used that opportunity to let those "societal rejects" know that they mattered most in the new order. Finally, he ate with the masses. In those cases, large crowds were influenced by simply being included in the meal.
• In the scripture passage above, the disciples believed under the circumstances, there was no way that a meal could take place. There were too many people, going in too many directions, without enough time, and without the resources. Their fatigue and desire to send everyone home was countered by Jesus' unquenchable desire to eat with those that needed it most.
• You might ask, who can I support this week by sitting down to eat?

Word of the Week - Charity

In only two days the eight-day Festival of Passover would begin. The high priests and the religion scholars were looking for a way they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him...Jesus was at Bethany...a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perform. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. (Mark 14)

Jesus had a number of reasons to be anxious at the time of this scripture reading. The majority of the lessons he tried to convey were misunderstood by his followers and enemies alike. The religious scholars he so often disobeyed were trying to kill him. His own disciples were trying to determine some sort of 1-12 ranking system. No one was listening.

We can all identify with the scene around the table that night. People around the room had different responses as they tried to process the events of the day. I'm sure they gave Jesus their own opinions. I'm sure they were wispering about what should happen, and what they would have done if they were the leader. If they were like us, they were not listening or offering a sense of comfort.

One person did. She took a very expensive bottle of perfume and placed on him to show her love, support, and empathy. She knew Jesus was in a diffucult place. She did not bombard him with advice, or suggest that he should have taken a different path. She simply reached out in a charitable fashion.

Based on this scripture, the discipline for the week is charity. This week, be intentionally charitable with your gifts. Plan to be charitable, but be spontaneous and offer charity in public places, in the workplace, and in your home. Take time this week to lighten some one's load, either figuratively or literally. Simply listen and offer a loving hand.

Word of the Week -- Amends

He is to lay both hands on the head of he live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites--all their sins--and put them on the goat's head. he shall send the goat away into the desert...the goat will carry on itself all the sins to a solitary place. Leviticus 16

• Have you ever wondered where the term "scapegoat" originated? The above scripture reading is at least one reason we use that phrase. The need for such a practice arose because of the rebellious nature of the people. We should read Leviticus more often, because humans have passed down that rebelliousness through many generations to this very day.
  
• We could learn from this ritual, because we like to place all of our sins on a human being. For example: "The entire economy is (fill in the blank with a president)'s fault."---"My brother pushed me, so I hit him back"---"This coach needs to be fired" When we blame everything on one person, we spare our brain from working so hard. It takes time to consider the entire scope of a situation, and if we look too closely we might find that we are culpable as well.
  
• This Sunday, we will explore the ways that we can comfort rather than blame one another. We will explore how the Israelite community handled the sin of the entire community, and how that influences our path to forgiveness.

Word of the Week - Structure

Painting by Norman Rockwell

If someone steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it, the thief must pay back five oxen for each ox stolen, and four sheep for each sheep stolen. If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep ans it is found in the thief's possession, then the thief must pay double the amount of the stolen animal. Exodus 22

One of the first things that happens when kids or adults gather together is the adoption of rules. If not, a perceived slight on the part of one of the participants leads that person to establish rules. Kids make rules for sharing toys, playing games, and talking. Adults make rules about....sharing toys, playing games, and talking.

The book of Exodus recounts the story of the Israelites escape from Egypt and long journey through the desert. The exhilaration of escape from slavery was soon replaced by the anxiety due to a lack of structure. They were stealing, killing, and breaking their promises in relationships.

We don't like rules, because they inhibit our ability to get what we want when we want it. On Sunday, we will discuss how rules save us from a life of pain and isolation.

Word of the week - Deliverance

Then Moses and the the people of Israel sang this song to God, giving voice together, "I'm sing my heart our to God - what a victory! God is my strength, God is my song, and, yes! God is my salvation. This is the kind of God I have and I'm telling the world! This is the God of my father - I'm spreading the news far and wide. - Exodus 15 (The Message)

The picture above is from the vantage point of the defendant in the court case. The guilt of the offense, the uncertainty of the verdict, the isolation in the courtroom, and the concern of the punishment are a tremendous burden on any defendant. If guilty, the defendant cannot change the past. He or she can only express their regret to the judge and jury.

Moses could have felt the feelings described above because he had murdered an Egyptian citizen. However, instead of facing some sort of judgement, he fled to the desert. Completely isolated, he had time to consider the tremendous pain that his family and his people had felt for so many years. As a newborn, he was placed in a basket and sent down a river by his mother. She had no choice because the Egyptians threatened to kill every male born to her people. Fortunately, he was found and raised by Egyptian royalty. Unfortunately he was cut off from his own people. As an adult Moses witnessed an Egyptian beating a slave, he snapped, and he killed the Egyptian.

Following the incident, everything in Moses' life was devastatingly bad. He was cut off from the royal family that raised him, his people were still enslaved, and he had a life sentence of exile in the desert. Moses thought he was finished, but God intervened.

Moses was called by God in the form of a burning bush. God suggested that Moses was exactly who God wanted to save his people. God inspired Moses through the negotiation with Pharaoh, helped Moses lead God's people out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea so the people could flee the pursuing Egyptian army, and slammed the waters back on that army to eliminate any threat to Moses and his people.

Overwhelmed with joy, Moses sang to his God and the people joined with him. He was free, his people were free, and he felt a tremendous sense of relief. Moses did not have the strength - "God is my strength", he did not have the voice - "God is my song", and he did not have a perfect record - "God is my salvation". Moses knew that God had delivered him, and he wanted everyone else to know it as well.

Word of the week - PROMISE

God told Abram, "Leave your country, your family, and your father's home for a land that I will show you" Genesis 12

Human beings depend on one another whether they like it or not. Customers believe in the promise that UPS will deliver their package on time, and airline passengers believe in the promise that their pilot will keep them safe. Our lives are interwoven together, and a broken promise affects the entire group.

Unfortunately as long as humans have been on this earth, they have broken their promises. We continue to hurt one another and it is documented in almost every way. The 24 hour news cycle and the entire entertainment industry have always thrived on broken promises. We are bludgeoned with news of scandals on a constant basis, and television imitates reality in nearly every case. One might suggest that our society is falling apart, and that old ways are gone. I would counter that sentiment with the story of Adam and Eve. The first people EVER struggled to keep their promises. Adam and Eve's example has been emulated repeatedly to this very day.

Human beings have come and gone, but God has always been present. Since the time of Adam and Eve, God has called human beings to a higher standard. Some have listened to the call God made and some have not. This week, we will read about a person that listened to God and kept his promise and on Sunday we will learn how to turn the tide on this issue and begin to set an example of integrity for our families, co-workers, and friends.