Easter Minto

Psalm 16, 17 22
Amos 5:1-17;

Jude 1-16;

Matt. 22:1-14

Jude 1-16

I do not think that the fact that David said as we were reading Psalm 22 this morning" Oh why are we reading this, it is an Easter psalm" prompted me to think of Easter Minto when I sat at my computer and was rereading the lessons. What caused me to think of Easter was the differences that we had but we shared a common goal.

³Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

Jude states his reason for writing which led me to question my motives for writing this blog. The current encouragement is Advent, that time when we go to the stores many times and spend money buying gifts for our families and friends, sometimes even for people we do not know but whom we know have nobody to buy them gifts. We decorate a tree in tinsel and gilded baubles and handmade snowflakes treasured from preschool twenty years ago. We prepare to celebrate God's gift to us in his baby son, Jesus. Yes Advent is when we prepare for Christmas. My effort is a reminder that there is a spiritual side to Christmas and encouragement to read the scriptures daily in the hope that after three weeks the habit will be established and continue all year. Spending time reading scripture opens our mind's ear to God and gives him the opportunity to whisper into our thoughts.

Easter used to say "I have read my bible. I do not want to study what was written hundreds of years ago again. I want to know where God is now and what he is doing NOW". (Easter if I am miss quoting you please forgive me). Once when I was sick I had a high fever for about a week because a doctor had misdiagnosed my ailment, not that I knew that at the time. Easter made a very good minestrone/pasta soup and delivered it to my house. It was good. It fed my family for a day or two. She cooked a far larger quantity of food than she normally cooked and braved the Houston rush hour traffic to share God's love with me. Easter wanted to lead people by the hand into a relationship with God and did so.

Another almost relevant thought about Easter has also come to mind. Throughout Advent and Lent Easter would call the person who had written the meditation for that day and thank them for their thoughts and the way that God had used them in their writing.

I regret not asking for the recipe but I have the memory and Easter's inspiration.

Fruit and Pharisee

Psalm 18
Amos 4:6-13

2 Pet. 3:11-18

Matt. 21:33-46

Matt. 21:33-46

This passage is one of those which always troubles me.

I go to church regularly on Sundays and maybe to a mid-week service too. I give an amount of money which almost hurts to my church. I read my Bible and pray regularly. I go to Bible Study group. I make the coffee, read the lessons and usher at church. Outwardly I am religious- well is what I think I would see if I could look into a mirror of religiosity. I even try to encourage other people to read their Bibles, pray regularly and worship God with other Christians in a church. What is the difference between me and a Pharisee, apart from the fact that their organized worship was on Saturdays rather than Sundays? The Pharisees were very religious people who wanted to get their religion right. It was to that end that they disposed of anyone who got in the way of religion 'their-way'.

The Pharisees did not want anyone to make the religion impure. According to Jesus in this parable neither did they want to give God his just desserts, the fruit that he demanded from his vineyard. So what is the fruit that God desires? What did he plant? Love, kindness, healing, consideration and respect for all- especially the lowly and cast-out. These are the fruits which immediately come to mind from Jesus' teaching and example. St Paul of course has his list in Galatians 5:22-23.

Luke 6:43-45 (New International Version)

⁴³"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

So what is my fruit? What am I going to give to God today?

Today I would like...

Psalm 12, 13, 14 119:1-24
Amos 3:12-4:5;

2 Pet. 3:1-10;

Matt. 21:23-32

Amos 3:12-4:5;, 2 Pet. 3:1-10;

I was amazed the first time I read this passage from Amos. It seems so real to our current gimme gimme society. Those wives never seem to be satisfied and the husbands always working to provide more for the home, updated kitchen, 20 years ago ceramic tile, 10 years wood, now I think I shall have bamboo then I shall be content. Nothing has changed over the last 5000 years- except the requests, though ivory does sound very attractive. Oh, and do not forget your gifts to God, you know the one that is listed for all to see.

And the Old Testament is often written off as irrelevant, 5000 years and we are still living with the same desire to surround ourselves with comfort. Life just carries on and where is God, he said he was coming and soon. We live in the here and now, focusing on what I want today, this hour, this minute.

Today I want a house, almost any house as long as it has a garden so that I do not have to get off my sofa to let the doggies out and a garage to house the new red car which does not have a TV in it- poor David. Being in Belgium it will probably have a wine cellar, most houses do. I hate the sounds of the dog's feet on quickstep so let's have a more pretentious floor than that. Two sinks. Rain when I am at home.

God- he can provide all this but maybe he has a different agenda for me but how will I know if my brain is full of all that I want?

Psalm 5, 6, 10, 11
Amos 3:1-11

2 Pet. 1:12-21

Matt. 21:12-22

Amos 3:1-11

Faire Un Rendez-Vous

I seem to be trying to making a lot of appointments. My efforts are beset by a language barrier and a great fear of talking on a telephone in a strange country. I am really out of my comfort zone. This is why I find Amos so appealing. The Israelites whom Amos was addressing seemed to have many of the same problems that we have in society today. So called civilized society does not seem to have changed much. Amos was doing his prophesying almost 3000 years ago.

When I think about that attribute happenings to God most of them are unplanned and spontaneous. The casual conversation that I had in a grocery store- not here of course, my French pronunciation has not reached intelligible standards yet. Friendships made in a post office because the little voice said "Speak" and somebody did. I was feeling new and lonely in Houston and Katrina heard my (lack of) accent and spoke.

Once I visited an old and lonely lady, no previous telephone call. I went, she was delighted. Our friendship lasted until she died. How I miss our almost weekly chats when we put our little worlds to right and laughed about our idiosyncrasies. Nothing planned.

God has his own plans for our lives but usually we are not party to the plan until the time which he has appointed. We do not need to plan our lives with meticulous detail as he has already done that for us. All we have to do is be alert for our instructions.

First Weekday of Advent

2 Peter 1:1-11

Plodding on

"Make every effort....

This probably the most that I can do, make an effort towards God, not so much that I will receive a warm welcome at the pearly gates but that those whom I meet during the day will be given a pointer towards those gates. Little by little and step by step as we prepare for Christmas, Christ's coming to us may we make steps towards him "by every turn remembering goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be a good companion.

Bread

Hmm,

I thought this recipe was here already. I cannot imaging why not since it is so basic to our existence,

just as basic and God.

3.5 cups flour*

1 teaspoon dried yeast

1/3 cup oil*

maybe 2 cups warm water- warm to your pinky

*

flour, 100% wholemeal is best for you but 3 cups of wholemeal and 1/2 cup white gives a more 'bouncy bread'.

* sunflower is my favorite

Put the yeast and the flour in a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until mixed. make a well in the center and add about 1 cup warm water and the oil. Mix to combine the ingredients, add more water as necessary (at first about 1/4 cup at a time then more slowly) to get a stiff dough with all the flour in one non-sticky lump- experience, ie practice helps at this stage. It is impossible to dictate exactly how much water as all flours are different. bread is very cook friendly and tolerant of your attempts. You may need more than 2 cups.

Pummel with the wooden spoon for a few minutes. Leave to rise. In Texas anywhere is fine, in Brussels on a radiator. When the bread has risen a bit- depends on your timetable- flour a board and knead the bread a bit into a nice shape, more kneading does make a lighter bread but you are going to eat it fresh so that does not matter too much. Roll into a nice shape. Place on a greased baking tray and bake for about 40 minutes at 400 deg F.

Encouraging

Romans 12:1-21

It is not the British way to encourage. We tend to attempt to "encourage" a person by indicating faults and areas for improvement rather than encouraging the good attributes in a person.

We watched a soccer game, we have of course watched many soccer games but this one is special. We learnt an important lesson. Our son set up an intricate plan for a goal. he also made some rather inept moves.

As we were walking off the field preparing to admonish him for his negligence his coach congratulated him on his intellectual contribution to the game.

Our lesson was received. I hope we have learnt it though I am sure there is still planty of room for practice.