1224AFC061512
Read it online here.
2 Corinthians 5:6-9
We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord – we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away.
NRSV: So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord — for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
We have four cats – Lady Miriam is the alpha cat and goes by the name Mimi. She has appointed herself to be The People Watcher. Hercules is the tall, slender, regally handsome pussycat. Incredibly strong yet completely gentle and quietly cowardly; he nearly falls apart every month when it’s his turn for grooming. Zoë is our Portuguese Princess Cat, small, delicate, spoiled, but also smart and very ladylike. Frankie is … strange. He is fat, sleek, dense as a winter London fog, and loves to wrestle. It is the wrestling that makes the other three cats clean his clock several times a week. We have four cats because we adopted four kittens. As kittens they were loads of fun, but then – like children – they grew up and weren’t so much fun anymore. I want to tell you a story about Frankie and Zoë when they were kittens.
You know kittens love to explore everything, sniff everything, poke everything – especially if it’s new. And if it is something you can hide in it is especially attractive. If you can sit inside a box, you have your own little world reserved just for you. One afternoon, Zoë had found just such a treasure. It was one of those shopping bags with the stiff paper handles attached at the top to both side of the bag. It was just her size, too; maybe a base 6 X 10 inches and about a foot high. It was sitting on a dining room chair.
Zoë has always been a very private “person.” She loves to open the kitchen cabinet doors and hide behind the pots and pans so she can get her beauty rest without being bothered by anyone – especially Frankie! To get into this shopping bag, she had to get up on the dining room table and adroitly jump into the bag (she jumps like a girl). She was quite pleased with herself, and settled down for a nap. Quite some time later, Frankie noticed the bag when it rustled a little as Zoë repositioned herself. Frankie watched for a while, but then his curiosity got the best of him. With surprising stealth, he went from the floor to an empty chair, and onto the table top. He crept over to the bag, and something made him to decide to drop in on Zoë who was sleeping soundly in her private bedroom.
In the space of about 1.5 seconds several events made for lasting memories for cats and humans alike. Frankie took aim at the floor of the bag. He landed on Zoë. Zoë was startled awake and in full fight-or-fight mode. She opted for flight and jumped to get out of the bag. That caused Frankie to fall over inside the bag. As Zoë jumped, her head went through one of the stiff paper handles, but got stuck on her shoulders. She landed on the floor certain the Devil had her in his grasp. When she landed, she took the bag with her, and the bag took Frankie.
Zoë headed down the hallway with Frankie still in the bag. There was a lot of bumping, crashing, cat-screeching, and the sound of claws trying to get traction on the varnished hardwood floor. About 2 seconds later, Frankie came tearing back through the hallway wide-eyed and terrified. He couldn’t find a good enough place to hide in the dining room – where the Devil had gotten him too – so he scooted his considerable bulk under one of the recliners in the living room. I hurried down the hall to see what had happened to Zoë. She was up against our bedroom door and still wearing the bag. She was trembling and panting and still in a panic. I took the bag off and then made matters worse for her by laughing at her. Crucita and I laugh about that story every time we think about it. Frankie is still afraid of bags. I don’t think he will ever understand how he got captured and rocketed down the hall by some invisible force after Zoë jumped out of the bag. Zoë is circumspect about bags. She will look at them, sniff them, but will not go inside them. She is comfortable napping in the open even if Frankie is napping nearby.
Looking at today’s scripture passage, I’d like to make a couple of connections with this story. First, Paul is talking about being at home in the body, about being earthbound by being alive in the flesh. We long for heaven and to be with Jesus, yet we have things to do here and most of us are not in any hurry to die although we don’t necessarily fear death. We know our true home will be in Heaven with The Trinity and the angels and saints called from this life to be with God. This is world is not our home. That brings to mind one of my favorite Gospel Choruses
This World Is Not My Home
This world is not my home I’m just a-passing through
my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore
O Lord you know I have no friend like you!
If Heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door,
and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore
Another connection with the kitten’s adventure is the word courageous. When I think about that word it speaks to me of being fearless, daring, in control and self-confident. In fact, most translations use the word confident rather than courageous. The word Paul used was θαῤῥοῦντες [tharrountes] . This is a special kind of confidence. It means to be of good cheer, to be filled with certainty in our hopes. It means we can say “beyond the shadow of a doubt” that what we believe and expect to happen most definitely will happen. We have absolute assurance in Christ’s power and promise. We know we have a home with him because he told us he was going ahead of us to make it ready for us (John 14:1-4). We can be so confident in this that we do not have to have physical proof that it is a reality; we do not have to “see it to believe it.” We walk toward this heavenly home in faith, believing it is true because we believe in Jesus’ promise to be for us the way, the truth, and the life. No matter what kinds of blessings, or terrors, or adventures ,or sorrows, or dreams, or any other experience we have in this life, everything about Heaven is so awe-inspiring and wonderful that we eagerly anticipate getting there sooner than later. Along the way we know we can enjoy the presence of Jesus in our lives as earthlings because we know he has conquered death, outwitted the Devil, and filled our hearts with Peace and Joy. Even if we have terrifying moments when it seems like the Devil himself has strapped himself to our back, we can be confident that we will find all the help and comfort we need by relying on his promises and living in his Word.
My cats have a different kind of assurance, and simpler kind of confidence. They have a home they share with us. They know there are cat-cookies in the kitchen drawer, fun things in their toy box, and fresh litter, fresh food, and fresh water always right where it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. You and I don’t have a life that simple; or do we? I know who Jesus is, and I believe in what he tells us. In 2 Timothy 1:12 Paul tells Timothy, “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” I know with absolute, joyful, expectant confidence that there is a place for me, and for you, and for everyone who enters in through The Way given to us by God’s only begotten son. I know I am a son to God because God is a father to me. To quote my friend Brendan Case, “God is not like a Father to me. He IS my father!” For that reason, and a few thousand other equally-powerful reasons, I know I’m just a-passin’ through. The angels do beckon me from heaven’s open door. I am at home in the body, at home in the Kingdom, and soon enough I will be Home with my Father. I am eager to meet you there, Beloved! I don’t ever wish to lose track of you here, but won’t it be grand to meet again there?!?
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.
Praise Report: Fr. Edwin Fontanilla is visiting in Kapa‘a again. It was two years ago that we learned his home parish – St Joseph the Worker in Santiago Bauang La Union near the west coast of Luzon – had experienced a very damaging flood and the church needed some major rebuilding. This request has been on the Morning Intercessory Prayer list ever since: † Fr. Edwin Fontanilla & St. Joseph the Worker’s Parish – rebuild the church, – blessings, thanksgiving, and praise; success in his work. The damage has been repaired, and a new grotto was placed in the site where much damage had been done. Thank you for your prayers.
Please continue to pray for all the places and people experiencing those terrible fires, horrible weather, and scores of other “natural disasters.” Pray, too for everyone suffering because of terrorism, and war, and famine, and disease. Implore God’s merciful intervention in all the places where there is suffering. And pray for one another, Beloved!
New Prayer Request: GW – cancer treatment is really having serious side effects including low red blood cell count requiring transfusions. Pray for strength and courage, and for the side effects to ease up while the cancer gives up
1224AFC061512
Read it online here.
2 Corinthians 5:6-9
We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord – we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away.
NRSV: So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord — for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
We have four cats – Lady Miriam is the alpha cat and goes by the name Mimi. She has appointed herself to be The People Watcher. Hercules is the tall, slender, regally handsome pussycat. Incredibly strong yet completely gentle and quietly cowardly; he nearly falls apart every month when it’s his turn for grooming. Zoë is our Portuguese Princess Cat, small, delicate, spoiled, but also smart and very ladylike. Frankie is … strange. He is fat, sleek, dense as a winter London fog, and loves to wrestle. It is the wrestling that makes the other three cats clean his clock several times a week. We have four cats because we adopted four kittens. As kittens they were loads of fun, but then – like children – they grew up and weren’t so much fun anymore. I want to tell you a story about Frankie and Zoë when they were kittens.
You know kittens love to explore everything, sniff everything, poke everything – especially if it’s new. And if it is something you can hide in it is especially attractive. If you can sit inside a box, you have your own little world reserved just for you. One afternoon, Zoë had found just such a treasure. It was one of those shopping bags with the stiff paper handles attached at the top to both side of the bag. It was just her size, too; maybe a base 6 X 10 inches and about a foot high. It was sitting on a dining room chair.
Zoë has always been a very private “person.” She loves to open the kitchen cabinet doors and hide behind the pots and pans so she can get her beauty rest without being bothered by anyone – especially Frankie! To get into this shopping bag, she had to get up on the dining room table and adroitly jump into the bag (she jumps like a girl). She was quite pleased with herself, and settled down for a nap. Quite some time later, Frankie noticed the bag when it rustled a little as Zoë repositioned herself. Frankie watched for a while, but then his curiosity got the best of him. With surprising stealth, he went from the floor to an empty chair, and onto the table top. He crept over to the bag, and something made him to decide to drop in on Zoë who was sleeping soundly in her private bedroom.
In the space of about 1.5 seconds several events made for lasting memories for cats and humans alike. Frankie took aim at the floor of the bag. He landed on Zoë. Zoë was startled awake and in full fight-or-fight mode. She opted for flight and jumped to get out of the bag. That caused Frankie to fall over inside the bag. As Zoë jumped, her head went through one of the stiff paper handles, but got stuck on her shoulders. She landed on the floor certain the Devil had her in his grasp. When she landed, she took the bag with her, and the bag took Frankie.
Zoë headed down the hallway with Frankie still in the bag. There was a lot of bumping, crashing, cat-screeching, and the sound of claws trying to get traction on the varnished hardwood floor. About 2 seconds later, Frankie came tearing back through the hallway wide-eyed and terrified. He couldn’t find a good enough place to hide in the dining room – where the Devil had gotten him too – so he scooted his considerable bulk under one of the recliners in the living room. I hurried down the hall to see what had happened to Zoë. She was up against our bedroom door and still wearing the bag. She was trembling and panting and still in a panic. I took the bag off and then made matters worse for her by laughing at her. Crucita and I laugh about that story every time we think about it. Frankie is still afraid of bags. I don’t think he will ever understand how he got captured and rocketed down the hall by some invisible force after Zoë jumped out of the bag. Zoë is circumspect about bags. She will look at them, sniff them, but will not go inside them. She is comfortable napping in the open even if Frankie is napping nearby.
Looking at today’s scripture passage, I’d like to make a couple of connections with this story. First, Paul is talking about being at home in the body, about being earthbound by being alive in the flesh. We long for heaven and to be with Jesus, yet we have things to do here and most of us are not in any hurry to die although we don’t necessarily fear death. We know our true home will be in Heaven with The Trinity and the angels and saints called from this life to be with God. This is world is not our home. That brings to mind one of my favorite Gospel Choruses
This World Is Not My Home
This world is not my home I’m just a-passing through
my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore
O Lord you know I have no friend like you!
If Heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door,
and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore
Another connection with the kitten’s adventure is the word courageous. When I think about that word it speaks to me of being fearless, daring, in control and self-confident. In fact, most translations use the word confident rather than courageous. The word Paul used was θαῤῥοῦντες [tharrountes] . This is a special kind of confidence. It means to be of good cheer, to be filled with certainty in our hopes. It means we can say “beyond the shadow of a doubt” that what we believe and expect to happen most definitely will happen. We have absolute assurance in Christ’s power and promise. We know we have a home with him because he told us he was going ahead of us to make it ready for us (John 14:1-4). We can be so confident in this that we do not have to have physical proof that it is a reality; we do not have to “see it to believe it.” We walk toward this heavenly home in faith, believing it is true because we believe in Jesus’ promise to be for us the way, the truth, and the life. No matter what kinds of blessings, or terrors, or adventures ,or sorrows, or dreams, or any other experience we have in this life, everything about Heaven is so awe-inspiring and wonderful that we eagerly anticipate getting there sooner than later. Along the way we know we can enjoy the presence of Jesus in our lives as earthlings because we know he has conquered death, outwitted the Devil, and filled our hearts with Peace and Joy. Even if we have terrifying moments when it seems like the Devil himself has strapped himself to our back, we can be confident that we will find all the help and comfort we need by relying on his promises and living in his Word.
My cats have a different kind of assurance, and simpler kind of confidence. They have a home they share with us. They know there are cat-cookies in the kitchen drawer, fun things in their toy box, and fresh litter, fresh food, and fresh water always right where it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. You and I don’t have a life that simple; or do we? I know who Jesus is, and I believe in what he tells us. In 2 Timothy 1:12 Paul tells Timothy, “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” I know with absolute, joyful, expectant confidence that there is a place for me, and for you, and for everyone who enters in through The Way given to us by God’s only begotten son. I know I am a son to God because God is a father to me. To quote my friend Brendan Case, “God is not like a Father to me. He IS my father!” For that reason, and a few thousand other equally-powerful reasons, I know I’m just a-passin’ through. The angels do beckon me from heaven’s open door. I am at home in the body, at home in the Kingdom, and soon enough I will be Home with my Father. I am eager to meet you there, Beloved! I don’t ever wish to lose track of you here, but won’t it be grand to meet again there?!?
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.
Praise Report: Fr. Edwin Fontanilla is visiting in Kapa‘a again. It was two years ago that we learned his home parish – St Joseph the Worker in Santiago Bauang La Union near the west coast of Luzon – had experienced a very damaging flood and the church needed some major rebuilding. This request has been on the Morning Intercessory Prayer list ever since: † Fr. Edwin Fontanilla & St. Joseph the Worker’s Parish – rebuild the church, – blessings, thanksgiving, and praise; success in his work. The damage has been repaired, and a new grotto was placed in the site where much damage had been done. Thank you for your prayers.
Please continue to pray for all the places and people experiencing those terrible fires, horrible weather, and scores of other “natural disasters.” Pray, too for everyone suffering because of terrorism, and war, and famine, and disease. Implore God’s merciful intervention in all the places where there is suffering. And pray for one another, Beloved!
New Prayer Request: GW – cancer treatment is really having serious side effects including low red blood cell count requiring transfusions. Pray for strength and courage, and for the side effects to ease up while the cancer gives up
2 Responses to Aloha Friday Message – June 15, 2012 – Letting the cat out of the bag