October 11, 2015
Sunday

“As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.” Mark 10:17-22

“The rich man grieved because he could not part with his possessions. We also may struggle with an imagination dominated by a sense of scarcity and therefore have a hard time seeing the blessings of God all around us. While the move from a mentality of scarcity to one of abundance doesn’t happen overnight, we can start on that journey this Sunday. In particular, we can invite people to call to mind one particular blessing they’ve experienced in the week past and give thanks for it in a time of silent prayer. And we can send people out, charging them to take time each day at work or at home to name a blessing and give thanks in prayer. The God for whom nothing is impossible has showered each of us with blessings, and noticing and giving thanks for them can be a powerful way to live into God’s abundance.” (David Lose, Dear Working Preacher, Jesus, the Rich Man, and All of Us Lousy Stewards, Sunday, October 07, 2012)

Did you take a shower today? Did you pause in the shower to take time to let the water just roll off your back — to just bask in this blessing? The idea of being showered with G*d’s blessings is so appropriate because there is no better way to speak of these blessings. Have you ever been caught in a rain shower? I am sure you have — we all have at one time or another. There is no escaping the drops — there is no way to dodge your way through them — to avoid the majority of drops destined to hit you. When you find shelter do you thank G*d for providing this brief respite — for providing this shower? Probably not, because you are wet, and cold, and annoyed. We spend too much time in this life feeling annoyed with what we do not have, rather than thanking G*d for the blessings that have been showered upon us. Often I pray with those who are in the hospital or experiencing some kind of illness — and one of the prayers I pray is that the Holy Spirit washes over the one who is ill – that they feel immersed in the presence of the Spirit. Take time today to let the presence of G*d wash over you – to feel the blessings of G*d that are showered over all people – let it wash you anew in G*d’s blessings.

Pastor Dave