1041AFC101113 – Turn Away
Read it online here please.
Jeremiah 13:23 – 23 But there is little hope for you ever doing good, you who are so accustomed to doing evil. Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard remove its spots?
OK. What in the world is that all about?!?
Last week we had a short checklist of seven things to do to do: Repent, be baptized, believe, confess, come to Jesus, carry your cross, and follow Jesus. It’s quite a list, especially considering the first step in light of today’s scripture passage. If you want to repent and to do good instead of evil, it seems Jeremiah is saying, “Give it up. You’re never going to make it.” Even so, love compels us to try to repent, to reform, to apologize. When we hurt someone we love, they feel terrible, and – if we’re honest about it – we feel terrible, too, because of what we did. I can repent, say I’m very sorry, that I’ll never do that again; but, I am not always able to keep that promise. How about you? Do you find it’s hard to bring your heart and mind to sincere contrition and effective repentance? How does repentance work anyway? A better question might be “How is repentance supposed to work?”
Jesus and John the Baptist used the word μετάνοια, – metanoia. It is a change of heart, a change of mind, or a change of direction as in a one-eighty turn. A closely-related word is μετανοέω – metanoéō. Both come from the same root meanings meta – above, beyond, higher; and noein to think from nuos – mind. So, metanoia is to move beyond where are hearts and minds are to a new paradigm, a new way of thinking and feeling and seeing everything in life. When we repent, we have a change of mind – not a renewing of mind (See Romans 1:12) Another way to think of it is we quash, break, nullify, defeat, or conquer a temptation that is repeatedly before us; we break a bad habit; we realign our values-system so that it aligns more closely with God’s values. WE make an effort to sin less even though we know we can never be sinless.
We are sinners. There is no way we can change that. Our lives are marred by sinfulness. Even Paul said, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” I can name that tune in one note. I start out all ready to be “God’s good little boy,” and before my first step forward touches the ground, “BOOM!” I’m a sinner again. I don’t want to be a sinner, but the harder I try to get away from it the worse I sin. What up with that anyway?!? Why doesn’t God take away my sinfulness? He takes away my sin, right? Why not the sinfulness? Why can’t I truly repent?
The act of repentance is one of God’s greatest gifts. Frankly all of God’s gifts are great, but this one is really special because God created repentance so we would have a chance at coming back to that special spiritual relationship that began with Adam and Eve in Eden. Repentance reminds us that someday we will have that ultimate intimacy with God that they had before Eve got tricked and Adam ignored his conscience. It is God’s gift, but as is the case with all good gifts which come from God it is worthless if we fail to use it. (Where have I heard that before?) It is our responsibility to accept the gift, and then use the gift. Repentance is always there, it is always possible, it is never impossible to approach, but it seems to be impossible to complete. Why is that? WE ARE SINNERS! “Well, why did God make us like that?” He did not make us like that. Adam did that, and we inherited that fall from Grace. So now I’m going to ask you a really strange question.
What would have happened if Eve had said, “No-o-o-o, I don’t think so” to the serpent? What if Adam had seen that Eve had been tricked and said. “You can’t fool me you dumb old snake!” Instead, they fell for Satan’s half-truths. Why would they have done such a thing? Let’s look at why they sinned to find out. Satan said, “It will make you like God to know the difference between good and evil.” True. Except they were already like God, created in His image and likeness. What they did not know was the difference between good and evil because at the time the only evil in the Garden was the serpent. Eve “took the bait.” Adam went along even though he recognized – momentarily at least – the fallacy in Satan’s argument. After all who wouldn’t want to be more like God? That would be a good thing, right? So why mess that up through disobedience? Weren’t they thankful that God had created them to be like him? Hmmm, thankful?
I have trouble with “sincere contrition and effective repentance” *all* *the* *time!* Don’t you? As I meditated on this problem all week I felt stronger and stronger about the idea that my attitude of gratitude needs a better altitude. LQQK at all the amazing gifts God has given me! Am I grateful? Sure! Am I grateful for all of it? Sure! Do I know how much “all of it” is? Hmmm …. no. I don’t know that, just like I don’t know how much I sin because I let habits do my thinking and praying for me rather than going one-on-one with God. I can see that in some ways humility is directly attached to gratitude as well. If we turn away from sin we end up turning toward God. That is something for which we can be truly and deeply thankful. When we acknowledge everything that we have and realize it all comes from God, we are grateful and humbled. The bigger the gratitude, the deeper the humility. Humility is what makes contrition and repentance sincere and effective.
Contrition and Repentance are like the hinges on the Door to Salvation. Remove one, and the door doesn’t open. And what lubricates those hinges? The Oil of Humility, Gratitude. When God calls us (and he calls every living soul), we can respond or retreat. WE ARE SINNERS, and no one is without sin as we read in Ecclesiastes 7:20. Also, Paul says, “there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.” (see Romans 3) God is the Originator, the Creator, the Author of Salvation. HE acted FIRST and ALWAYS ACTS FIRST. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that wonderful? He is always ahead of us, calling us forward. He is always coming back to us in the Eucharist, as well as when two or more are gathered in his name. He is always with us just as he was always with Adam and Eve. The towering height of their gratitude went subterranean (it went to hell in an hand-basket) because they failed to remember just how good they had it in Paradise. They forgot the debt of gratitude they owed to God for their perfect lives.
So do we also forget. I’m going to try something new (new to me anyway) when I try to repent. I’m going to start by looking at my attitude altimeter and see if the altitude of gratitude is where it’s supposed to be. I have all the gifts I need, so whatever stops me from using them is something holding me away from that stroll through the Garden. We do not choose the time when God calls us to him (because it is constant), but we do choose when, how often, and in what manner and degree we respond to that call. You cannot respond for me; I cannot respond for you; each must respond as an individual, as one lost sheep out of a hundred. Think about that image. How do you think that poor, silly, lost lamb felt when the shepherd took it out of danger, placed it on his shoulders, and walked home? I think that little lamb felt grateful, even if he was the black sheep of the family!
This little lamb does, too.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, — at your service, Beloved
Share-a-Prayer
Wonderful news from SD! The tumor board reviewed the findings of the imaging tests done and concluded the cordoma borders actually have not changed! Also SK is heading in to get that driver’s license and get back to work.
Prayer works! Pray for Peace, for a resolution to this mess in Congress, for God’s missionaries who are struggling to keep their families safe and healthy. Pray with gratitude!
1041AFC101113 – Turn Away
Read it online here please.
Jeremiah 13:23 – 23 But there is little hope for you ever doing good, you who are so accustomed to doing evil. Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard remove its spots?
OK. What in the world is that all about?!?
Last week we had a short checklist of seven things to do to do: Repent, be baptized, believe, confess, come to Jesus, carry your cross, and follow Jesus. It’s quite a list, especially considering the first step in light of today’s scripture passage. If you want to repent and to do good instead of evil, it seems Jeremiah is saying, “Give it up. You’re never going to make it.” Even so, love compels us to try to repent, to reform, to apologize. When we hurt someone we love, they feel terrible, and – if we’re honest about it – we feel terrible, too, because of what we did. I can repent, say I’m very sorry, that I’ll never do that again; but, I am not always able to keep that promise. How about you? Do you find it’s hard to bring your heart and mind to sincere contrition and effective repentance? How does repentance work anyway? A better question might be “How is repentance supposed to work?”
Jesus and John the Baptist used the word μετάνοια, – metanoia. It is a change of heart, a change of mind, or a change of direction as in a one-eighty turn. A closely-related word is μετανοέω – metanoéō. Both come from the same root meanings meta – above, beyond, higher; and noein to think from nuos – mind. So, metanoia is to move beyond where are hearts and minds are to a new paradigm, a new way of thinking and feeling and seeing everything in life. When we repent, we have a change of mind – not a renewing of mind (See Romans 1:12) Another way to think of it is we quash, break, nullify, defeat, or conquer a temptation that is repeatedly before us; we break a bad habit; we realign our values-system so that it aligns more closely with God’s values. WE make an effort to sin less even though we know we can never be sinless.
We are sinners. There is no way we can change that. Our lives are marred by sinfulness. Even Paul said, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” I can name that tune in one note. I start out all ready to be “God’s good little boy,” and before my first step forward touches the ground, “BOOM!” I’m a sinner again. I don’t want to be a sinner, but the harder I try to get away from it the worse I sin. What up with that anyway?!? Why doesn’t God take away my sinfulness? He takes away my sin, right? Why not the sinfulness? Why can’t I truly repent?
The act of repentance is one of God’s greatest gifts. Frankly all of God’s gifts are great, but this one is really special because God created repentance so we would have a chance at coming back to that special spiritual relationship that began with Adam and Eve in Eden. Repentance reminds us that someday we will have that ultimate intimacy with God that they had before Eve got tricked and Adam ignored his conscience. It is God’s gift, but as is the case with all good gifts which come from God it is worthless if we fail to use it. (Where have I heard that before?) It is our responsibility to accept the gift, and then use the gift. Repentance is always there, it is always possible, it is never impossible to approach, but it seems to be impossible to complete. Why is that? WE ARE SINNERS! “Well, why did God make us like that?” He did not make us like that. Adam did that, and we inherited that fall from Grace. So now I’m going to ask you a really strange question.
What would have happened if Eve had said, “No-o-o-o, I don’t think so” to the serpent? What if Adam had seen that Eve had been tricked and said. “You can’t fool me you dumb old snake!” Instead, they fell for Satan’s half-truths. Why would they have done such a thing? Let’s look at why they sinned to find out. Satan said, “It will make you like God to know the difference between good and evil.” True. Except they were already like God, created in His image and likeness. What they did not know was the difference between good and evil because at the time the only evil in the Garden was the serpent. Eve “took the bait.” Adam went along even though he recognized – momentarily at least – the fallacy in Satan’s argument. After all who wouldn’t want to be more like God? That would be a good thing, right? So why mess that up through disobedience? Weren’t they thankful that God had created them to be like him? Hmmm, thankful?
I have trouble with “sincere contrition and effective repentance” *all* *the* *time!* Don’t you? As I meditated on this problem all week I felt stronger and stronger about the idea that my attitude of gratitude needs a better altitude. LQQK at all the amazing gifts God has given me! Am I grateful? Sure! Am I grateful for all of it? Sure! Do I know how much “all of it” is? Hmmm …. no. I don’t know that, just like I don’t know how much I sin because I let habits do my thinking and praying for me rather than going one-on-one with God. I can see that in some ways humility is directly attached to gratitude as well. If we turn away from sin we end up turning toward God. That is something for which we can be truly and deeply thankful. When we acknowledge everything that we have and realize it all comes from God, we are grateful and humbled. The bigger the gratitude, the deeper the humility. Humility is what makes contrition and repentance sincere and effective.
Contrition and Repentance are like the hinges on the Door to Salvation. Remove one, and the door doesn’t open. And what lubricates those hinges? The Oil of Humility, Gratitude. When God calls us (and he calls every living soul), we can respond or retreat. WE ARE SINNERS, and no one is without sin as we read in Ecclesiastes 7:20. Also, Paul says, “there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.” (see Romans 3) God is the Originator, the Creator, the Author of Salvation. HE acted FIRST and ALWAYS ACTS FIRST. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that wonderful? He is always ahead of us, calling us forward. He is always coming back to us in the Eucharist, as well as when two or more are gathered in his name. He is always with us just as he was always with Adam and Eve. The towering height of their gratitude went subterranean (it went to hell in an hand-basket) because they failed to remember just how good they had it in Paradise. They forgot the debt of gratitude they owed to God for their perfect lives.
So do we also forget. I’m going to try something new (new to me anyway) when I try to repent. I’m going to start by looking at my attitude altimeter and see if the altitude of gratitude is where it’s supposed to be. I have all the gifts I need, so whatever stops me from using them is something holding me away from that stroll through the Garden. We do not choose the time when God calls us to him (because it is constant), but we do choose when, how often, and in what manner and degree we respond to that call. You cannot respond for me; I cannot respond for you; each must respond as an individual, as one lost sheep out of a hundred. Think about that image. How do you think that poor, silly, lost lamb felt when the shepherd took it out of danger, placed it on his shoulders, and walked home? I think that little lamb felt grateful, even if he was the black sheep of the family!
This little lamb does, too.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, — at your service, Beloved
Share-a-Prayer
Wonderful news from SD! The tumor board reviewed the findings of the imaging tests done and concluded the cordoma borders actually have not changed! Also SK is heading in to get that driver’s license and get back to work.
Prayer works! Pray for Peace, for a resolution to this mess in Congress, for God’s missionaries who are struggling to keep their families safe and healthy. Pray with gratitude!
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.
