Ordinary Time
Year 2, 2020 Church Year: June 14 to November 28, 2020
Luke 12:41-48
41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”
42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?
43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
This is a time of Great Grief. We are struggling And learning how to overcome great emotion. To be effective, we must turn wishes into belief, struggles and Goals.
“DUMBLEDORE: Harry, there is never a perfect answer in this messy, emotional world. Perfection is beyond the reach of humankind, beyond the reach of magic. In every shining moment of happiness is that drop of poison: the knowledge that pain will come again. Be honest to those you love, show your pain. To suffer is as human as to breathe.” ― Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
“The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
God is able to help us work with the coming future.
We will not slink into apathy. We will not see all we love disappear into Covid-19. We will not be isolated, worried, forgotten and alone. The terrors of "Mad Max" are not going to be our life story. Our parents concerns will and will not be our own. Cubicles are not forever.
If you look on social media right now, you will find a lot of animal-in-peril and saved-with-huge-commitment-of-many-people situations.
This is so understandable.
We all genuinely want to help and sincerely don't know how and have - Anguish.
The News is hard to believe. The disappointment in employment, family, isolation, police, people. It's hard to sort out what is the most unbelievable. The election year adds to the insults thrown so easily by unusual people.
You have to name the issue, claim the issue and conquer the emotions and wait with patience. Or sheer grit. Not to rush past what you process.
What if depressions starts with isolation?
And creeps into feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness. Our food celebration in restaurants stops and we have appetite changes. After a while, inability to concentrate, difficulty getting through your normal activities, lack of interest in things you used to enjoy. And Covid-19 for ourselves or loved ones - preoccupation with death.
Depression also causes the amygdala to enlarge.
This part of the brain is emotional responses. Brain inflation. Signs are s sleep disturbances, changes in activity levels (sitting at home), and changes in other hormones. Brain inflammation.
Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance is in the adoption of healthy behaviors or cessation of unhealthy ones.
Emotions range from denial - unprecedented, anger - disappointment in the times, the culture, traditional institutions, the cruelty. Anger to take all the angry thoughts we had and act upon them. Rioting. Bargaining - reaching out to find God for the first time and wondering if this is 'way out', 'uh-huh', Flat out depression.
Acceptance. This is a fight worth having.
The final stages of Grief Leaving are the Contentious and Enduring Stage.
We don't want our grief to end - this strong emotion brings justification and meaning. And we are right. Before we settle down, we need to know the impact has a purpose.
Here is a story we've probably heard.
A policeman stops a young 24 year old man for a routine traffic violation. The young man tells the policeman, forthrightly, he has a permit to carry. The Policeman isn't worried and asks for the handgun. The Gun discharges as it changes hands. The Policeman is wild with grief. The young man is practically a boy and he will die. The Policeman fights for the young boy man's life. 911 is called.
Finally, the young boy man tells the Policeman,
"I know you don't want me to die. I know I don't want to go. Things do happen."
The young man dies and the Policeman will never be the same.
We want this care level given to all the adults who are someone's child, a father, a brother. A beloved friend.
And how will we have this?
Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.
Saint Augustine
We will engage. In animal rescue and find ways to invite others to participate. We will engage. We will donate time and prayers for elementary and all levels of education. Education is the Gate of Opportunity. We will engage with our Church. We will ask for Churches to exchange Bible Studies. We will seek the bubble of isolation to burst. We will engage. We will do like we did during the horrific Tri-County Fire - we will praise all, all, all our first responders. We will give face masks, hand sanitizer. We will offer a word of encouragement. We will realize how badly we don't want to solve domestic disturbances. We don't want to find the auto accident victim's brains. We don't want to stop an ongoing feud between violent neighbors. We don't want to be in gang violence. We will engage our minds to compassion for the brave who have gone forth.
We will help all to have Justice. Justice and Liberty for All.
Email your Legislature.
We will engage. We will eradicate Racism one conversation at a time. We will Fight The Good Fight.
We will engage in forgiveness. We will forgive the past. We will fight for Hope and Faith of the Good Future.
We will fail to tolerate Cruelty. As an ongoing act - not of guilt - not of violence - not of the past - we will strive for today and tomorrow.
Luke 2:10
And the angel said to them,
“Fear not,
for behold
I bring you good news
of great joy
that will be for
all the people.
Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 32:42
“For thus says the Lord: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them.
Jeremiah 33:11
the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord: “‘Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!’ For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.
We are asking Jesus to pray with us. Good prayer given and heard:
Let us Pray to Seek You, Find You in Jesus Christ.
The Glory of Your Heaven on earth.. AMEN.
The Wonders and Mercies of God Prevail. Our cares, we know You care for us.
For the USA and other nations to find the unity of peace and Justice for all.
To Live Life with Joy and Love.
We are People with the Help of Jesus,
we can make:
Redemption
Strength.
Overcoming
Praying the Victory!
And Virus end!
Jesus Son of God - Bless, Sustain, Comfort, Guide
President Donald Trump, and his family,
Vice President Pence,
The White House Staff,
The Administration Coronavirus Response Team,
Dr. Deborah Birx, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Robert Redfield, God Bless Them!
Safety and wisdom for:
Governor Abbott
and all 50 United States Governors and our Legislatures
The Freedom in Jesus we call
Liberty and Justice for All!
We ask Jesus dwell in us, always!
The Beauty of the Whole Church Blazing the Love Jesus Gives.
Thank You for Your Mercy. Amen!
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes.
Please help us have new Constitutional Amendments to further allow Government and the people, who are Blessed to have such freedoms, to have unity.
AMEN.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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