July 27, 2022 – Words of Wisdom, Thomas Merton

“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. That is not our business and, in fact, it is nobody’s business. What we are asked to do is to love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy.”

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin,yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:25-34

Worthiness

Worthiness is something we like to control. We like to decide who is worthy of our attention. We worry about who is worthy of our time and our resources. And most of all, we spend a lot of time deciding who is worthy of our love.

Even though Thomas Merton states, “Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy” we also know it is not that easy. It is hard not to allow compassion fatigue to set in when we are bombarded with so many requests. It is hard not to become jaded by life when we hear stories of people who have stolen money from family, from the government, or from a local charity. And, if I may take this one step further, it is a blessing that Jesus does not use the same scale of worthiness that we set up in our daily lives.

None of us are worthy of the unconditional love that G-d has for all people. No one is worthy of such love. And Jesus does not demand signs, or accomplishments, or other forms of “earnings” when we are seeking love and forgiveness. Jesus just forgives us and loves us and welcomes us unconditionally, time after time after time.

We do not have to worry about tomorrow on G-d’s scale of worthiness – so why not spend today helping someone else know that same love and forgiveness.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, the world tells me every day that I am not worthy of this or that – I am not worthy of love, I am not worthy of employment, or I am not worthy of stability. Help me Lord to remember that you make me worthy of the most important thing – new life now and eternal life in the Kingdom. Amen.

Pastor Dave

July 26, 2022 – Words of Wisdom, Thomas Merton

“The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters our minds.”

“James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Appoint us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to appoint, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” Mark 10:35-40

Mental Rubbish

We all carry with us mental and emotional rubbish from years of being human. We all have experienced the good and the bad of parenting, of relationships, of friendships and the random encounters in this life. After enduring the pandemic of 2020 – 2022, many of our children and friends are still reeling from the mental and emotional toll that will continue to invade their thoughts and actions for years to come. There is so much existential anxiety that is haunting our society every day. So how do we clear out such mental rubbish as Thomas Merton asks us to do?

When James and John ask Jesus for positions of power in the kingdom, Jesus tells them that such decisions are not his to make. He tells them they will share in his ministry, in his successes and in his failures, but ultimately G-d makes the decisions in the kingdom. As such we should not think of the kingdom of G-d in terms of hierarchy, or a place where power, prestige, and position come into play. In other words, let’s clear out the rubbish of who is in and who is out of realm of G-d’s love right now – for we are all loved children of G-d – and nothing can take that away from us.

So, as I see it, one of the ways we can find some peace and harmony in our lives is to remind ourselves repeatedly that G-d loves us no matter what. When life gets to be overwhelming, stop and remember that G-d loves you. When you begin to worry repeatedly, take a moment and pause and repeat to yourself “G-d loves me.” When we can clear out the mental rubbish each and every morning and remind ourselves that we are beloved children of G-d, perhaps we will be able to meet the new day with refreshed vigor and less mental rubbish.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, too often we carry around the stuff that serves us no purpose – especially the ways the world tells us we are not worthy. Help me today to clear out the negative thoughts and to live into your promises that flow from my baptism and into new life. Amen.

Pastor Dave