6/12
 |
| Leila's work this week |
Back in New York
City….
Since last we were together…
I spent a week at
home connecting with my roots…I performed a wedding for the son of a high
school friend. I played two with someone
from a church I worked at 22 years ago, before I came here…we hadn’t seen each
other since…I visited that church that had loved through a painful divide
caused by our denomination’s opening the door to marriage equality…still
remaining were a faithful remnant. And now with many of the most conservative
and rigid (and mean!) churches having
left, a new day is possible..for church …and presbytery…
Muhammad Ali died…one of the heroes of my young adult days. To
follow the arc of his career, you pass from the first in your face athlete to
beloved American icon. Thankfully, he was
fittingly celebrated in Louisville, his home town. His picnic perception changed from that of “coward”
to having his courage recognized. Ali belonged to the world. And the Ali Center in Louisville today is not only a museum but also an active
working conflict resolution center…
Our theme today is forgiveness. And love. We begin with the
story of the woman at the dinner. During
Lent, e ahd the same story from John’s perpective and the woman was Mary. Luke
has an unnamed woman from the streets. In John, the emphasis is on extravagant
love. Intimacy.
Here…it’s the power of forgiveness….and love…
Jesus places her in C=comparison with Simon. Can we blame him? He’s advising Jesus. Helping
him come up with a good business plan. A solid plan for organizational growth.
What Jesus is condoning here just doesn’t look good. The woman is the wrong
kind of person. Much needed people will
be turned off. Hard decisions have to be made..if the church is to survive…
BUT for Jesus …it’s all about love. She was forgiven more, therefore loves more….
In the Ali story, not
sure who or what is “forgiven”…perhaps it’s us.
Do you recall Ali’s rescue of 15 hostages in Iraq? …and ultimately the moving moment with him being the final torch
lighter for the 1996 Olympic torch…
At the wedding, I sat beside someone who had been president
of youth fellowship. Deeplu involved in
scouts. An then became involved in a teen pregnancy. CVould happen to anyone.
But he was treated like an outlaw. And
kind of became one. Today in his sixties
, he’s still got shoulder length curly locks. He’s been doing environmental law
in West Virginia. The round grandma beside me. On the otherside was the woman
in high school with the scarlet letter. Real life is never perfect ,but always
has its beauty. In us just being human. Our lives are sacred and full of
meaning.
I guess the message here is ultimately about grace…
What do we need to receive? And from whom?
What do we need to extend? And to whom?
Forgive much. Love much….feel your forgiveness. Love
more.
Forgive much. Love much
Luke 7:36-8:3 One of
the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's
house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a
sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an
alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began
to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she
continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the
Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were
a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is
touching him--that she is a sinner." Jesus spoke up and said to him,
"Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he
replied, "Speak." "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed
five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled
the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon
answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt."
And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward
the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house;
you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and
dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she
has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she
has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were
many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom
little is forgiven, loves little." Then he said to her, "Your sins
are forgiven." But those who were at the table with him began to say among
themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" And he said to the
woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Soon afterwards he
went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of
the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had
been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom
seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and
Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources
Back in New York
City….
Since last we were together…
I spent a week at
home connecting with my roots…I performed a wedding for the son of a high
Muhammad Ali died…one of the heroes of my young adult days. To
follow the arc of his career, you pass from the first in your face athlete to
beloved American icon. Thankfully, he was
fittingly celebrated in Louisville, his home town. His picnic perception changed from that of “coward”
to having his courage recognized. Ali belonged to the world. And the Ali Center in Louisville today is not only a museum but also an active
working conflict resolution center…
Our theme today is forgiveness. And love. We begin with the
story of the woman at the dinner. During
Lent, we had the same story from John’s perspective and the woman was Mary. Luke
has an unnamed woman from the streets. In John, the emphasis is on extravagant
love. Intimacy.
Here…it’s the power of forgiveness….and love…
Jesus places her in comparison with Simon. Can we blame him? He’s advising Jesus. Helping
him come up with a good business plan. A solid plan for organizational growth.
What Jesus is condoning here just doesn’t look good. The woman is the wrong
kind of person. Much needed people will
be turned off. Hard decisions have to be made..if the church is to survive…
BUT for Jesus …it’s all about love. She was forgiven more, therefore loves more….
In the Ali story, not
sure who or what is “forgiven”…perhaps it’s us.
Do you recall Ali’s rescue of 15 hostages in Iraq? …and ultimately the moving moment with him being the final torch
lighter for the 1996 Olympic torch…
At the wedding, I sat beside someone who had been president
of youth fellowship. Deeply involved in
scouts. An then became involved in a teen pregnancy. Could happen to anyone.
But he was treated like an outlaw. And
kind of became one. Today in his sixties
, he’s still got shoulder length curly locks. He’s been doing environmental law
in West Virginia. The round grandma beside me. On the other side was the woman
in high school with the scarlet letter. Real life is never perfect ,but always
has its beauty. In us just being human. Our lives are sacred and full of
meaning.
I guess the message here is ultimately about grace…
What do we need to receive? And from whom?
What do we need to extend? And to whom?
Forgive much. Love much….feel your forgiveness. Love
more.
Forgive much. Love much
Luke 7:36-8:3 One of
the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's
house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a
sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an
alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began
to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she
continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the
Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were
a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is
touching him--that she is a sinner." Jesus spoke up and said to him,
"Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he
replied, "Speak." "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed
five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled
the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon
answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt."
And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward
the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house;
you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and
dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she
has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she
has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were
many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom
little is forgiven, loves little." Then he said to her, "Your sins
are forgiven." But those who were at the table with him began to say among
themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" And he said to the
woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Soon afterwards he
went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of
the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had
been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom
seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and
Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources
No comments:
Post a Comment