Listen to Reading and Sermon 21They came, each person who lifted their heart to do so, and all whose spirit was willing, and they brought the HOLY ONE’S offering to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the sacred garments. 22So they came, both women and men; everyone [...]
Listen to Reading and Sermon
21They came, each person who lifted their heart to do so, and all whose spirit was willing, and they brought the HOLY ONE’S offering to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the sacred garments. 22So they came, both women and men; everyone with a generous heart brought brooches and earrings and rings and pendants, all sorts of gold pieces, everyone bringing an offering of gold to the HOLY ONE OF SINAI. 23And everyone who possessed blue or purple or worm-dyed crimson yarn or fine linen or goat hair or red-dyed ram skins or uncommon leather, brought them. 24Everyone who elevated an elevation-offering of silver or bronze brought it as the HOLY ONE’S offering; and everyone who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work, brought it. 25All the wise-hearted women spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun in blue and purple and worm-dyed crimson yarns and fine linen; 26all the women whose hearts moved them to use their skill spun the goat hair. 27And the leaders brought onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and the breastpiece, 28and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29All the Israelite women and men whose hearts moved them to freely offer and bring anything for the work that the HOLY ONE OF OLD had commanded by Moses to be done, brought it as a freewill offering to the HOLY MIGHTY AND IMMORTAL ONE.
Audio reading and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20100314_6.mp3)
Lent 4 The Good News Written (Excerpt from the 36th Psalm, Gafney Translation) 5AGELESS ONE, as far as the heavens is the expanse of your faithful love, your faithfulness extends as far as the clouds. 6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, your justice like the great womb of the deep; you are the [...]
Lent 4
The Good News Written
(Excerpt from the 36th Psalm, Gafney Translation)
5AGELESS ONE, as far as the heavens is the expanse of your faithful love,
your faithfulness extends as far as the clouds.
6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God,
your justice like the great womb of the deep;
you are the savior of humankind and animalkind, COMPASSIONATE ONE.
7How precious is your faithful love, O God!
The woman-born take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8They drink deeply from the richness of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your bliss.
9For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
10Draw out your faithful love to those who know you,
and your righteousness to the upright of heart.
Ann Landers:
“If you have love in your life it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you don’t have it, no matter what else there is, it’s not enough.”
Luke 15.11-24 (Gafney Translation)
[Jesus told this sermon illustration]: 11“There was a person who had two grown children. 12The younger of them said to one parent, ‘Give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So the property was divided between them. 13A few days later the younger one gathered every personal possession and traveled to a distant country, and there squandered everything in dissolute living. 14When everything was spent, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and the young traveler began to be in need. 15So the new immigrant went to one of the citizens of that country to be hired. The citizen, a pig farmer, sent the desperate young traveler to the fields to feed the pigs. 16The poor immigrant would have gladly feasted on the pods that the pigs were eating; but no one offered even one. 17Then the poor sojourner had a moment of self-reflection and clarity and said, ‘How many of my parents’ hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18I will get up and go to my parents, and I will say to them, “Mother, Father, 19I am no longer worthy to be called your child; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 20So the determined traveler set off and went home. But while still far off, one of the parents saw their child and was filled with tender love; their adult child ran and embraced them and kissed them. 21Then the repentant child said, ‘Mother, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your child.’ 22But one parent said to the slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe — the best one; bring a ring and bring sandals and put them all on my child. 23And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24for this child of mine was dead and is alive again; my child was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.”
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Wil Gafney, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Hebrew and Hebrew Bible, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, at the Sunshine Cathedral on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 14, 2010.
There are so many kinds of love in the world:
Baby love — the little critters, like puppies and kittens, are so cute so that you will overlook their youthful crimes and misdemeanors and allow them to grow up.
Mother love — some women love their children so much that they make the very love of God visible.
Father love — some men love their children with the kind of love that provides their children with emotional security that lasts throughout their lives and transforms their future relationships.
Puppy love — that first experience of real love that you know will last forever, ’til death do us part and then some.
Romantic love — all of the sonnets and symphonies in the world can’t articulate the love you feel for your beloved or the joy you felt when she or he told you that he or she loved you too.
Sexual love — the sheer ecstasy of sex even when you or your partner are still figuring it out.
Chocolate love — the combination of anandamide, caffeine, tryptophan, phenylethylamine, and sugar have no equal on this earth.
God’s love — seen and felt in and through baby love, mother love, father love, romantic love, sexual love and chocolate love and transcending each and every type of love known and unknown, uttered and unarticulated.
Ann Landers teaches us: “If you have love in your life it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you don’t have it, no matter what else there is, it’s not enough.” This is also the lesson taught by the parable of the loving parent. So many people identify this parable by describing the worst moments in this one person’s life. But this parable is about love: the love of parents, the love of children — particularly adult children and the love of God. Continue reading »
