February 9, 2014
Epiphany 5
Isaiah 58:1-12
Matthew 5:13-20
(prayer)
Parents of
school-aged children know what our household has experienced over the past two
weeks: because of the end of term break at the end of January and Teacher's
Convention this past week, it has been two consecutive four day weekends for
the kids. Add the fact that the
temperature has been hovering in the low negative teens, my kids have been
stuck in the house and were desperate to
add a little variety to the routine. One
of the way my life with kids has evolved over the years is that (when there is
no school), there are almost always extra kids around our house - often leading
to bringing out the sleeping bags and extra pillows for sleepovers in our
living room. For Patti and it makes meal
planning a bit challenging: not just the normal quandary of what to make, but also how much. Regardless, we always want to leave some
tasty leftovers in the fridge, because we do have two teenagers.
school-aged children know what our household has experienced over the past two
weeks: because of the end of term break at the end of January and Teacher's
Convention this past week, it has been two consecutive four day weekends for
the kids. Add the fact that the
temperature has been hovering in the low negative teens, my kids have been
stuck in the house and were desperate to
add a little variety to the routine. One
of the way my life with kids has evolved over the years is that (when there is
no school), there are almost always extra kids around our house - often leading
to bringing out the sleeping bags and extra pillows for sleepovers in our
living room. For Patti and it makes meal
planning a bit challenging: not just the normal quandary of what to make, but also how much. Regardless, we always want to leave some
tasty leftovers in the fridge, because we do have two teenagers.
The last thing
we want to hear after all that planning is: "But I don't like that!"
we want to hear after all that planning is: "But I don't like that!"
//
//
Several years
ago, there was a TV commercial, where a young boy is invited over to a friend's
house for supper. He is quite reluctant
when he learns that the meal's menu includes broccoli until the friend says, Just in case you don't know, mom puts cheese
on them. A smile comes across the
boy's face: I hear broccolis make you
smart.
ago, there was a TV commercial, where a young boy is invited over to a friend's
house for supper. He is quite reluctant
when he learns that the meal's menu includes broccoli until the friend says, Just in case you don't know, mom puts cheese
on them. A smile comes across the
boy's face: I hear broccolis make you
smart.
//
Recently I
heard an elementary school student say "You know how food that's good for
you kinda tastes gross. What if you
count invent a brocolli that tastes like cake?"
heard an elementary school student say "You know how food that's good for
you kinda tastes gross. What if you
count invent a brocolli that tastes like cake?"
Me, I like
broccoli... and spinach, but cake-flavoured brussels sprouts or turnips? I'd buy
that for a dollar.
broccoli... and spinach, but cake-flavoured brussels sprouts or turnips? I'd buy
that for a dollar.
//
When Julie
Andrews was considering whether to take on the movie role of Mary Poppins, she
was concerned that a song that was being written for her was not 'snappy'
enough. So Walt Disney instructed
Richard and Robert Sherman to write a new song.
One day, after another unsuccessful song writing session, Robert Sherman
came home and learned that his children had gotten the polio vaccines that
day. Robert asked one of them if the
shot had hurt, but was told that they didn't get a needle. The medicine was put on a sugar cube and the
just swallowed it.
Andrews was considering whether to take on the movie role of Mary Poppins, she
was concerned that a song that was being written for her was not 'snappy'
enough. So Walt Disney instructed
Richard and Robert Sherman to write a new song.
One day, after another unsuccessful song writing session, Robert Sherman
came home and learned that his children had gotten the polio vaccines that
day. Robert asked one of them if the
shot had hurt, but was told that they didn't get a needle. The medicine was put on a sugar cube and the
just swallowed it.
You can guess
what well-known Mary Poppins' song came out of that experience: "Oh a spoonful ofsugar helps the medicine go
down..."
what well-known Mary Poppins' song came out of that experience: "Oh a spoonful ofsugar helps the medicine go
down..."
//
//
You are the
light of the world.
light of the world.
You are salt
of the earth.
of the earth.
You are the
sugar with the medicine.
sugar with the medicine.
You are the
cheese on the broccoli.
cheese on the broccoli.
//
You make a
enhancing difference where you are.
enhancing difference where you are.
//
//
//
The book of
Isaiah in the Old Testament is made up of three distinct sections: chapters
1-39 are from the time of the Judean monarchy; chapters 40-55 are from a time
when the Hebrew people were forced to live in exile in Babylon; the final
section (chapters 56-66) are post-exilic, after a remnant of the people were
able to return to Jerusalem and Judea.
Today's reading comes from the last section of the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah in the Old Testament is made up of three distinct sections: chapters
1-39 are from the time of the Judean monarchy; chapters 40-55 are from a time
when the Hebrew people were forced to live in exile in Babylon; the final
section (chapters 56-66) are post-exilic, after a remnant of the people were
able to return to Jerusalem and Judea.
Today's reading comes from the last section of the book of Isaiah.
//
In today's
reading, we get a clear hint as to a major theme of early post-exilic life in
Judea - when the people returned, they witnessed the destruction that had
befallen the Temple in Jerusalem. The
people had managed to maintain their national identity and their faith while in
exile. They had passed that heritage on to a new generation. Now that the this new generation was back in
the homeland of their grandparents, there was a strong movement to reclaim the
aspects of their identity and faith that had been lost - there were plans to
rebuild the Temple and to reinstate the rituals and acts of worship of the
religious year. This led to a rise in
personal piety. Faithful living was
focused internally.
reading, we get a clear hint as to a major theme of early post-exilic life in
Judea - when the people returned, they witnessed the destruction that had
befallen the Temple in Jerusalem. The
people had managed to maintain their national identity and their faith while in
exile. They had passed that heritage on to a new generation. Now that the this new generation was back in
the homeland of their grandparents, there was a strong movement to reclaim the
aspects of their identity and faith that had been lost - there were plans to
rebuild the Temple and to reinstate the rituals and acts of worship of the
religious year. This led to a rise in
personal piety. Faithful living was
focused internally.
That gets the
prophet's attention: "Look, you serve your own interests on your fast day
[a day to just humble yourself; to bow down the head like a bulrush; to lie in
sackcloth and ashes. Is this what you
think is acceptable to God?... Such
fasting, as you do today, will not
make your voice heard on high."
prophet's attention: "Look, you serve your own interests on your fast day
[a day to just humble yourself; to bow down the head like a bulrush; to lie in
sackcloth and ashes. Is this what you
think is acceptable to God?... Such
fasting, as you do today, will not
make your voice heard on high."
//
Last week, we
read from the pre-exilic prophet Micah: What
does the Lord require of you [the acts of ritual]? No, but to do justice, love kindness and to
walk humbly with your God.
read from the pre-exilic prophet Micah: What
does the Lord require of you [the acts of ritual]? No, but to do justice, love kindness and to
walk humbly with your God.
Today, there
is a very similar message from post-exilic Isaiah: What is
acceptable fast to God: a self-righteous activity? No, one that promotes the health of the whole
community, not just yourself - and by health, it means spiritual health, yes,
but also physical well-being. So, share
your bread with the hungry, clothe the naked.
Light will shine! Healing will spring forth!
is a very similar message from post-exilic Isaiah: What is
acceptable fast to God: a self-righteous activity? No, one that promotes the health of the whole
community, not just yourself - and by health, it means spiritual health, yes,
but also physical well-being. So, share
your bread with the hungry, clothe the naked.
Light will shine! Healing will spring forth!
That is
perfectly consistent with Jesus’ message we heard last week from the
beatitudes: where we are ALL to experience the blessings of God - even the
poor, and hungry, and grieving and persecuted.
perfectly consistent with Jesus’ message we heard last week from the
beatitudes: where we are ALL to experience the blessings of God - even the
poor, and hungry, and grieving and persecuted.
//
You are
salt. You are light.
salt. You are light.
These are not
just nice tasty metaphors, they are the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ -
they are the heart of the Hebrew Torah.
That’s the point.
just nice tasty metaphors, they are the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ -
they are the heart of the Hebrew Torah.
That’s the point.
You are light is not just, be seen - but it is to accept the
responsibility of providing light into the dark places, where loneliness and suffering
exists -to expose those aspects of our human condition that some (including us
sometimes) would rather pretend didn’t exist.
responsibility of providing light into the dark places, where loneliness and suffering
exists -to expose those aspects of our human condition that some (including us
sometimes) would rather pretend didn’t exist.
Being salt, is
not just showing off, it is making things in this world, more palatable - to
share the goodness around.
not just showing off, it is making things in this world, more palatable - to
share the goodness around.
//
Make a
difference where you are. Change this
world for the better - that's what God accepts/expects.
difference where you are. Change this
world for the better - that's what God accepts/expects.
I am so grateful
that the Linnea Good house concert in a few weeks will shine light on the plight
of the abuse suffered by immigrant women in our community - it will be a time
of spiritual renewal and inspiration, but it will also expose a problem in our
community and allow people to be part of the renewal and healing that must take
place.
that the Linnea Good house concert in a few weeks will shine light on the plight
of the abuse suffered by immigrant women in our community - it will be a time
of spiritual renewal and inspiration, but it will also expose a problem in our
community and allow people to be part of the renewal and healing that must take
place.
//
Somewhere in
the path of your life this week, you will be salt, you will be light - what
will you do with that gift, that responsibility.
the path of your life this week, you will be salt, you will be light - what
will you do with that gift, that responsibility.
//
Make a
difference in your community - shine light on the best of who we are and expose
the worst, so that we can fix it for the common good.
difference in your community - shine light on the best of who we are and expose
the worst, so that we can fix it for the common good.
Let us, as the
prophet said to the returning exiles: practice righteousness!
prophet said to the returning exiles: practice righteousness!
//
That’s the
point!
point!
//
[prayer]
Let us pray:
Gracious God, grant us eyes to
see your vision of a just society. Help us
make a your goal a reality for all.
Amen.
see your vision of a just society. Help us
make a your goal a reality for all.
Amen.
#581VU “When We
Are Living”
Are Living”
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