911AFC030609
Today I want to share with you the results of some Bible-sleuthing I’ve been doing this week. I am thinking a lot about the connection between Advent and Easter — to me they grow closer and closer together every passing year 🙂 – and how we search for their meaning in our lives. We have such tragedies in the news! Mass murders, insurrections and riots, terrorism, financial treachery, and so many people experiencing the most challenging times of their lives. Under those conditions, we often ask “Why” and hope someone will come to us with the answers. We watch and wait for that someone, or we go and look for that someone. Where can we get the help we need?
Perhaps the connection between Easter and Advent is that in both seasons, we are looking for The Lord. Today’s topic looks at the question, “Where is He?” Maybe in some future writing we will look at the question, “Where are YOU?”
Happy Aloha Friday, Beloved. What I am sending today is sort of a rerun. I have not been able to get this off my mind since I received it from A.T. It sort of lines up with the idea of Re-Lent from last week. If you got this recently please reread it and think about community again. Think about what that word means to you. Think about what it means to God. God is Community. We are created in His image, united in His Breath of Life. It is that Breath that stirs the embers of our lives into warmth and light. I am reminded of Daniel Iverson’s short hymn:
Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.
So, now the message that has been so persistently in my thoughts this week:
Sermon without a word~~
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending Services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher Decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preachers Visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace, and waited. The preacher made himself at home but said nothing.
In the heavy silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning Logs. After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly-burning ember, and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he silently sat back in his chair.
The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember, and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host, with a tear running down his cheek, said, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”
We live in a world today which tries to say too little with way too much. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are thrones left unspoken.
What we do says who we are. Actions speak louder than words.
What God Sees
It is not what you are nor what you have been that God sees with all merciful eyes, but what you desire to be. Gen 9:1-13, Ps 102, Mark 8:27-33
“Were not our hearts burning within us?
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever at your service.
Chick
—
AGE QUOD AGIS
In God WE trust
911AFC030609
Today I want to share with you the results of some Bible-sleuthing I’ve been doing this week. I am thinking a lot about the connection between Advent and Easter — to me they grow closer and closer together every passing year 🙂 – and how we search for their meaning in our lives. We have such tragedies in the news! Mass murders, insurrections and riots, terrorism, financial treachery, and so many people experiencing the most challenging times of their lives. Under those conditions, we often ask “Why” and hope someone will come to us with the answers. We watch and wait for that someone, or we go and look for that someone. Where can we get the help we need?
Perhaps the connection between Easter and Advent is that in both seasons, we are looking for The Lord. Today’s topic looks at the question, “Where is He?” Maybe in some future writing we will look at the question, “Where are YOU?”
Happy Aloha Friday, Beloved. What I am sending today is sort of a rerun. I have not been able to get this off my mind since I received it from A.T. It sort of lines up with the idea of Re-Lent from last week. If you got this recently please reread it and think about community again. Think about what that word means to you. Think about what it means to God. God is Community. We are created in His image, united in His Breath of Life. It is that Breath that stirs the embers of our lives into warmth and light. I am reminded of Daniel Iverson’s short hymn:
Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.
So, now the message that has been so persistently in my thoughts this week:
Sermon without a word~~
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending Services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher Decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preachers Visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace, and waited. The preacher made himself at home but said nothing.
In the heavy silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning Logs. After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly-burning ember, and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he silently sat back in his chair.
The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember, and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host, with a tear running down his cheek, said, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”
We live in a world today which tries to say too little with way too much. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are thrones left unspoken.
What we do says who we are. Actions speak louder than words.
What God Sees
It is not what you are nor what you have been that God sees with all merciful eyes, but what you desire to be. Gen 9:1-13, Ps 102, Mark 8:27-33
“Were not our hearts burning within us?
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever at your service.
Chick
—
AGE QUOD AGIS
In God WE trust
About Chick Todd
American Roman Catholic reared as a "Baptiterian" in Denver Colorado. Now living on Kauaʻi. USAF Vet. Married for over 50 years. Scripture study has been my passion ever since my first "Bible talk" at age 6 in VBS.
