​Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 † Psalm 105 † Romans 10:5-15 † Matthew 14:22-33

​It’s a dark and stormy night.
 
Well, not stormy, but it was raining.
 
And it is very dark, almost midnight.
 
And some of the streets were not main streets.
 
And I just dropped my son off at a warehouse in the rain for his first job that doesn’t start for another hour. 
 
Nothing says that this is the right place for him to be.
 
And he is all alone. And he wants me to leave.
 
And I think I might be terrified.
 
I pull around the corner and spy on him.
Someone else is there, and they are waiting together.
OK. I will leave.
 
He texts me that a little group has formed. They are in the right spot. All shall be well. They will wait together.
 
Later I get the text I really need:  They are inside. All good!
 
We need other people, most of the time, to have courage to do what needs to be done. Sounds like church.
 
This has been a dark and stormy week. Each day has reminded us of terrors that we thought had been put away.
But of course, they haven’t.​

Isaiah 52:7-10 • Psalm 98 • Hebrews 1:1-12 • John 1:1-14

​No one is alone.
​
In the beginning was the Word
       and the WORD was WITH God.

This WORD became flesh and LIVED AMONG US.

No one is alone. Not even Joseph, and Mary, and the infant Jesus.

When I think of the birth of Jesus, I think of Joseph and Mary—going to a strange place---traveling from inn to inn…looking for a place to stay…alone.  rejected.

Yet, when I read the story in Luke, in the CEB translation…. we hear:  While Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. 

Guestroom.  Yes. It seems that all along, there might not have been an INN like we think of it. A motel.​

Isaiah 35:1-10 • Psalm 146:5-10 • James 5:7-10 • Matthew 11:2-11

Hallelujah.

It was a strange quarter. Beginning as all quarters do: hopeful…This time, I will keep up with my grading. This time, I will give extra time to my students. This time…this time…Fresh starts are hopeful times….

It was an odd class. Not really, all classes have their quirks. And frankly, my classes are known for being welcoming for the quirky. But this particular class, Song of the Church (yes, really) started out with barely enough students to make the class continue, and then kept adding students as the first two weeks went along.  Each had their stories. And several had the need to state them right up front. 

“I was raised in the church…not sure about all of this God stuff now….DON’T JUDGE ME.” She actually said this as if it was all capital letters. This young woman also used to sing, but she lost her voice. I remember smiling and saying, welcome. You are in the right class.

​“I was raised in the church. [notice the pattern?] And I do not attend now. I think the church thinks they have all the right answers.  I think the church pretends to be loving when it really isn’t.  The church….the church….Don’t judge me….” but this was a soft, lower case letters plea.

Sunday's Readings: Isaiah 55:1-5 | Romans 9:1-5 | Matthew 14:13-21

Odd thing happened yesterday afternoon.  Lorenzo, our cat, took a chunk out of my Feasting on the Word lectionary resource book.

Something had been bothering him.  We weren’t quite sure what.  Almost a chasing his tale sort of thing.  He was on the couch.  I was on the couch.  All my stuff was on the couch.

Then he just took a bite out of the last pages of the Matthew feeding of the five thousand.

Today's Readings:
Acts 7:55-60  •   1 Peter 2:2-10  •   John 14:1-14

Chuck took a ride in a Tesla this week.  A good friend had studied it, researched it, searched his soul, so to speak, about it. Bought it. And took Chuck for a ride.

Several hours later, Chuck was still nauseous. Moving so fast, so quickly.  He certainly wasn’t used to it.  Remember, Chuck is the walking man. Change can be hard, and even make us sick at our stomachs.  The idea of change can do the same.  “Change” needs to be framed… folks need to be prepared.

Do you know what I have done to you?

This Jesus.  He knows what is coming.  This Jesus takes time to be… well, to be…human with his friends.  This Jesus takes the time to address…love.  And in doing this… he shows that he knows it is a hard thing.  It is one thing to say “Just love one another. Easy Smeezy.”  It is another to really do it.  And do it in very concrete ways.  Involving touch and food.  Involving actions in the world and need. 

Do you know what I have done to you?