Deacon Greg's Homily 8-13-17
Navigating Chaotic Waters…
(Note: Occasionally I write and present the Homily from a more bulleted outline... This is one of those times. Thanks! -GT)
A Deep Sea Fishing in the Gulf
Be like DAD, and keep fishing through the chaos (and sickness!)
WE COULD FOCUS ON SYMBOLISM…
EARTHQUAKE - CHAOS, WHISPER = PRAYER
BOAT = CHURCH, WATER = WORLD, CHRIST = CALM
But I’d like to focus on our Call to be Prophets & Disciples in a Chaotic World!
The back story of the First Reading: Elijah had had it! “He prayed for death: [and said,] “Enough, LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” An angel of the Lord brought him food, and guided him 40 more days to Mt. Horeb where he was told he would see the Lord passing by…
Even in the midst of our toughest trials, have enough faith to at least follow!
THE CALL FOR MORE!
THE HEART & MOTIVATION OF A PROPHET & DISCIPLE
The Father… The wind of creation brought calm and order!
RECREATED WITH NEW HOPE & NEW PURPOSE!
The Son… Brings calm and order as we approach Him & He approaches us!
SUSTAINED WITH THE EUCHARIST & HEALED SO WE CAN SERVE!
The Holy Spirit… The driving wind of Pentecost calls us to be Church!
THE CHURCH IS EMPOWERED BY GIFTS SO WE CAN BE FRUIT!
Take Courage and DO SOMETHING!
It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
A Deep Sea Fishing in the Gulf
- Family Vacation Year One: Awesome Deep Sea Fishing (Gulf smooth as glass)!
- Family Vacation Year Two: Recreate the magic of another deep sea fishing trip!
- Mistake: Cloudy Skies, A Few Sprinkles and Rough Water!
- Brother, Sister and I start out of the marina up in the crows nest!
- We All Got Sea Sick Before We’re Even Out of the Bay!
- Memory: Dad worked through the “green gills” and continued to Fish! After all, he had a lot invested in that trip, and “ENCOURAGED” us to come out and fish!
Be like DAD, and keep fishing through the chaos (and sickness!)
WE COULD FOCUS ON SYMBOLISM…
EARTHQUAKE - CHAOS, WHISPER = PRAYER
BOAT = CHURCH, WATER = WORLD, CHRIST = CALM
But I’d like to focus on our Call to be Prophets & Disciples in a Chaotic World!
DISCIPLE!
In Matthew’s Gospel, a call to discipleship comes with a job description of sorts. It asks us to be a loyal subject who is willing to obey the king, the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter obeyed and walked out onto the water! We are called to be students who learn from the teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter must have benefited from it all, as he must have reached his hand to help others, asking them to trust the Lord! We are expected to be righteous, that is, living in right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and one another, like the statement of faith made by the disciples as Jesus came aboard! We are asked to put our faith in action, as illustrated in the parables. We know that we will be judged by the Lord, but we also know that His judgement will come with mercy and forgiveness. And finally, we must embrace that discipleship is not lived individually, but also lived in community, with other believers!
PROPHET!
The biblical term "nabi," translated Prophet, means one who spoke, acted, or wrote under the extraordinary influence of god to make known the divine counsels and will. Primarily, this comes with proclaiming the word of God, and foretelling future events, which I would call a gut feeling that you can see what's coming, and others should take heed. His role, then, was to both proclaim and to make the proclamation credible.
As a Qualified Prophet & Disciple, You Are Called To...
In Matthew’s Gospel, a call to discipleship comes with a job description of sorts. It asks us to be a loyal subject who is willing to obey the king, the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter obeyed and walked out onto the water! We are called to be students who learn from the teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter must have benefited from it all, as he must have reached his hand to help others, asking them to trust the Lord! We are expected to be righteous, that is, living in right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and one another, like the statement of faith made by the disciples as Jesus came aboard! We are asked to put our faith in action, as illustrated in the parables. We know that we will be judged by the Lord, but we also know that His judgement will come with mercy and forgiveness. And finally, we must embrace that discipleship is not lived individually, but also lived in community, with other believers!
PROPHET!
The biblical term "nabi," translated Prophet, means one who spoke, acted, or wrote under the extraordinary influence of god to make known the divine counsels and will. Primarily, this comes with proclaiming the word of God, and foretelling future events, which I would call a gut feeling that you can see what's coming, and others should take heed. His role, then, was to both proclaim and to make the proclamation credible.
As a Qualified Prophet & Disciple, You Are Called To...
- BE A LOYAL SUBJECT
- BE A STUDENT OF JC
- BE RIGHTEOUS IN FAITH
- PUT FAITH IN ACTION
- LET LORD BE JUDGE
- SHARE MERCY & FORGIVENESS
- BE OPEN TO THE EXTRAORDINARY INFLUENCE OF GOD!
- PROCLAIM THE TRUTH & THE GOOD NEWS!
- BE A CREDIBLE WITNESS!
- TAKE COURAGE!
The back story of the First Reading: Elijah had had it! “He prayed for death: [and said,] “Enough, LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” An angel of the Lord brought him food, and guided him 40 more days to Mt. Horeb where he was told he would see the Lord passing by…
Even in the midst of our toughest trials, have enough faith to at least follow!
THE CALL FOR MORE!
- It’s fair for us to follow, expecting that it’ll be like we were taught!
- We are not Moses, nor are we Elijah: The Lord will come to us as HE chooses
- PRAY FOR SOMETHING NEW…
- Hear the Whisper (Elijah)
- Listen in the Storm (Peter)
THE HEART & MOTIVATION OF A PROPHET & DISCIPLE
- The Desire for Other's to Know Love! (Paul)
- The willingness to sacrifice ALL so that THEY would know God’s love!
- In the same way, let me say that my heart aches for an end to violence, and my heart wants peace! Our faith longs that all should be loved and respected! Our world cannot afford the hate of racism, and it cannot tolerate the single-minded notion that killing is somehow a solution! Yesterday's senseless act of violence in Virginia is always uncalled for, and just flat sinful and immoral! The Church has no place for hate or violence. EVER!
- THIS IS THE CHAOS in our world, and it needs to be calmed by our willingness to be the body, heart, hands and feet of Jesus Christ!
The Father… The wind of creation brought calm and order!
RECREATED WITH NEW HOPE & NEW PURPOSE!
The Son… Brings calm and order as we approach Him & He approaches us!
SUSTAINED WITH THE EUCHARIST & HEALED SO WE CAN SERVE!
The Holy Spirit… The driving wind of Pentecost calls us to be Church!
THE CHURCH IS EMPOWERED BY GIFTS SO WE CAN BE FRUIT!
Take Courage and DO SOMETHING!
- You Might Think You Don’t Have Enough Time for Another Thing… The prophets and the disciples were very tapped and busy as well!
- The Lord Has Invited YOU out of the comfort & safety of the boat to WALK, and dare to enter the GOOD CHAOS of Ministry!
- Remember, the Lord is near, so if you start sinking, just reach out your hand!
It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
- No statement says all that could be said.
- No prayer fully expresses our faith.
- No confession brings perfection.
- No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
- No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
- No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
- We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
- We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
- We lay foundations that will need further development.
- We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
- We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
- We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
- We are prophets of a future not our own.
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