August 12, 2020

Practice

¹⁷Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? ¹⁸But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. ¹⁹For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. ²⁰These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

Matthew 15: 17-20

 

 

Jesus shares something that would have been hard to imagine, for a first century Jew. Their religious life was an attempt to live the religious law with some laws taking precedent over others. Dietary laws were more easily observable, more universally spoken about.

 

Numerous laws were about acquiring, storing, preparing, and the consumption of food. If the rituals were not followed the food and the person could be declared “unclean”. This made them unfit socially, ritually, spiritually.

 

So when Jesus confronted the widely held and widely practiced treatment of foods and their consumption, he was making a stark announcement. It was a shocking declaration if you had been practicing the dietary laws all your life. But to an outsider, or you and me, the fact that a person’s words and intentions were what made them “unclean” makes so much sense.

 

To make it clear we can use an analogy: while most of you are Yankee or Red Sox fans, it’s abundantly clear that the real team of value are the Cleveland Indians…. Okay, let me be more serious now;

While our Declaration of Independence said that all men were created equal, for centuries there was a firm belief that this suited only white men. Not white women, and certainly not Black people or other nationalities. Now we look back on that and realize how foolish our assumptions were.

 

Practice supplanted good sense.

 

Where else might we find that practice is observed instead of good sense?

 

Share with me some day, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

Love and Hugs,

 

Rev. Ken

For a simple time of meditation or just plain natural beauty. Click below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk6fj7cRGOo

Riverview Cemetery

North Cove

Essex, CT

Be an Encourager

 April 4, 2020

Be an Encourager

“Be an Encourager: When you encourage others, you boost their self-esteem, enhance their self-confidence, make them work harder, lift their spirits and make them successful in their endeavors. Encouragement goes straight to the heart and is always available. Be an encourager. Always.”

-Roy T. Bennett

 

 

So here’s a quote that I need to take to heart. Recently I’ve complained how the President has not been pro-active enough to stem the deadly tide of the Corona Virus.

Someone had to remind me that I am in the business of hope and encouragement, not blame and discouragement. I know this but had my own feeling of powerlessness overtake me and get me into the blame game.

So that’s a new endeavor for me in my personal life, to overcome feelings of powerlessness with prayers of hope and encouragement. I think I have been one to encourage you in my worship presentations so I will continue to do so there.

 

So today, here are words of hope-

 

The states in the US are beginning to work together to supply one another needed supplies to other states who are in greater need. A round robin of support is beginning to form.

 

As I call your houses on the phone so many have asked if there is something they could do for others. Remember, you are part of a community that sticks together.

 

I am seeing how wearing a mask of any sort is something of a way to discourage droplets from us out into the air- I see people beginning already to adopt this, even on walks outside, just in case.

 

And encouragement-

 

 Pray for the energy to stare down despair and powerlessness.

 

Seek out someone on the telephone today, someone maybe in your neighborhood or in our church directory who you never have spoken to much. Send them words of love and hope.

 

Be safe by going to the extreme in avoiding anything that could possibly infect you. Doing so is never a foolish thing. Your life matters and so going to these lengths matter.

 

May your rest tonight with renewed hope by praying for us all and of course yourself.

 

My Thoughts are with you, may yours be with me and our fellowship.

 

Rev. Ken

Peace

 July 30, 2020

Peace

No quote or saying today.

 

 

How are you?

Have you been sleeping well?

Have you provided yourself with quality foods?

Is what you eat just the right amount?

 

How have you treated those around you with respect?

Can you be of service, and have you offered some?

 

Have you gifted yourself with some time to consider God’s glory!?

 

Do say good things to yourself.

Be your best friend.

 

Take time to be silly.

Go out of your way to get caught, being silly.

 

A gentle inquiry,

 

Rev. Ken

Churn

 July 29, 2020

Churn

“Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.”
― John C. Maxwell

 

 

Well, let’s get one thing straight from the beginning. Women are in the same boat.

 

You know this statement by Mr. Maxwell is true. It is the nicest thing when you hear another person saying good things about you. When that happens, it seems that anything is possible, that the world is on your side, that things that seemed to trouble you, take a back-seat to the butter that has basted your spirit.

 

Just yesterday a friend of mine on Facebook commented about young child having for the first time, JELLY ON HIS TOAST, and his delight! Mmmmmmm I thought and had to tell her about one of my favorite things, very similar to jelly on toast. My thing is preserves, especially strawberry on warm, already buttered toast! To take it a little bit further, Marmalade!  And then to top it all off, a rich cup of hot, dark roasted, black coffee. Mmmmmmmmmm.

 

We all have a favorite, tasty breakfast item that we could go on about. And just about any food is made 10X better when it’s been buttered. Hence the saying Mr. Maxwell uses to encourage us to say darling, kind, maybe even over-the-top niceties to others.

 

Just think how really inexpensive and available kind words really are! I do know that for some people in our lives, the cost of saying something nice to them or about them can seem extravagant or even wasteful. My, my the heart can be so hard at times.

 

Let’s get foolish! Let’s learn to shed our inner-Scrooge. Let’s churn some lovely butter.

 

It really a practice of letting go of ego and resentment, taking a deep breath of gratitude and throwing caution to the wind- because it costs us nothing but the hope that another person is going to be lifted up by our buttered-up words and maybe even give them the chance at new life.

 

Churn away. Fear not. Be hopeful. Allow others to think you’re just a little off- and say as many nice things, to as many people as you can.

 

You’re beautiful just the way you are.

 

Rev. Ken

Commune

 July 28, 2020

Commune

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

Matthew 26: 26

 

 

This weekend during worship presented on YouTube I will offer Communion. I encourage all watching to have 2 items that can stand in for the communal bread and juice- crackers, bread, cake, a donut! Juice, a Bloody Mary, water, coffee will do as well! I encourage you to take part in both the joy and solemnity of the eucharistic moment.

 

Jesus, in instituting the communion meal was really just making a common event, Holy. For some people any eating event was Holy, as they were hungry, always, and to put food in their mouth might have seemed like a miracle from God! Common, common moments, common events and common lives- they can all be made Holy with the right intention. It does not take a mirrored image of an event to declare a moment “Holy”. I do not believe that God or Jesus looks upon anyone receiving communion with something other than bread and wine/juice as less than or unholy. God takes what is in the heart, within our intentions, and makes that Holy.

 

Certainly Jesus appreciates our attention to detail when we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion. When the elements (bread and juice) are missing He still holds dear the one who throws their heart into the meaning of Communion and partakes with whatever is available or chosen.

 

And so, Holy moments occur all around us, in regular and seemingly mundane instants. A re-assuring glance for someone trying to do something hard, the first time. The gifting of another household, when another household delivers much needed groceries or formula they could not afford. The calming of one’s political anxiety for the sake of community wholeness. Returning anything, something of great or small monetary value that had been misplaced or lost. A resting of the conflicted heart, so that humanity can shine through resentment or fear.

 

Holy, Holy, Holy- Lord God of Hosts. These are words often reserved for prayer and often worship.

 

Let us reserve them for one another.

 

Rev. Ken

I Am

 July 11, 2020

I Am

I Am.

God

 

It was a dark and stormy night…

 

I don’t know if it was dark and stormy, but it was a bit tumultuous. From the base of the mount, observers could hear rumblings, like thunder. The people Moses had led pleaded with him to not let God speak to them, they thought surely they’d die.

 

But, Moses did bring the word of God down to the people. You know this word to be the 10 Commandments. And, not only did he bring them down once, he had to a second time as well.

 

But, what’s more interesting I think is that Moses spoke to God. The people were afraid to hear God’s voice while Moses had a conversation with God. AND, Moses once asked God if he could see God. Well, that was probably going too far God thought but God did allow Moses to see his shadow walk past- it’s almost as if God let Moses see God’s backside- but that was all.

 

Enough of the trivia and on to the conversation. Yes, there was conversation about Moses and the people and how everyone was acting but what I find most interesting about the conversation was when Moses asked who he should say sent him down to the people with the 10 Commandments. God answered, “I Am. Tell them I Am” sent you.

 

Interesting, huh? I think that too. It wasn’t Abraham or Isaac, it wasn’t Mary or Ruth- it was “I Am”. It’s pretty simple and it conveys a message. But, it didn’t reveal a lot of personality did it? While all the actions attributed to God in the Hebrew Scriptures gives God a great deal of personality, God did not go for it in the name game.

 

I Am. It’s descriptive, active, and concise. It says, God- IS. And, it says it personally.

 

Moses asked God what God’s name was. You’ve been given a name. But if you had the opportunity, or, you needed to change or give yourself a name- what might it be?

I know this might be difficult since most of us have stuck with our given name. I think God called God’s self that because God wanted one specific thing to be conveyed. God thought it important for that one thing to be known about God. “I. Am.”

 

What is most important about you? If pressed, what word or few words would you choose that would serve you well and would tell others what they need to know?

 

Rev. Grateful