Epiphany 6A

EPIPHANY  6A    February 12, 2017

[More information at:  Eyeopeners.life]

SERMON IN A SENTENCE:  Christ calls us to deal with the things that would cause us to sin -- such as anger or lust -- so that we can become mature people with mature relationships. 

SCRIPTURES

Deut. 30:15-20  (Choose life!)  Obeying  God’s law was life.

Psalm  119:1-8 obedience to the law draws us near to God

1cor. 3:1-9  (I fed you with milk, not solid food, for ^eyou were not ready for it). Corinthian’s immaturity was such that milk, not meat was called for.

Matt. 5:21-37(You have heard that it was said……, ' You shall not murder’)

• Jesus is the new Moses
• Four antithisis:  anger, adultery, divorce, and oaths.
• The Word embedded in real, everyday life, in outward actions and inward attitudes.
• Example of Anger:  road rage
• We should note the difference between an oath and a vow.  Oaths were promises made to another person (which could include God).  Vows (with the exception of the Nazarite vow) were promises made to God, contingent on God's doing what the petitioner has requested.

QUOTES (Mostly about, relationships)

• Hate is like acid. It can damage the vessel in which it is stored as well as destroy the object on which it is poured. Ann Landers
• You can never tend a bee. You can only tend bees.
• If we walk away from lessons of a relationship, they will reappear in next relationshp.
•   Snowflakes, leaves, humans, plants, raindrops, stars, molecules…all come in communities. The singular cannot exist.  Paula Allen
• If what I say resonates with you, it’s because we are both branches on the same tree.  W.B. Yeats
• The place to begin building a relationship is within self.
• Problems exists because we exist and mostly because we exist in relationship
• Too often we relate role to role and not person to person.
• That which keeps us from our neighbor, keeps us from God.
• Let there be space in our togetherness. Gibran
• Living together alone.
• Never cut what can be tied.
• Place to begin building relationships is in ourselves
• We don't sacrifice to each other but for the relationship. J.Campbell
• Attitude towards self parallels all relationships.
• Relationship is the mirror in which we discover ourselves.
• “ala carte” Christianity.
• Actions speak louder that words.  Jesus looks at our hearts and thoughts.  
• Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever ia lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  (Philippians 4:8)
• Actions speak louder than words;  attitudes speak louder than actions….Lindy
• Anger is quieted by a gentle word just as fire is quenched by water. Jean Pierre Camus, 17th century French bishop

ILLUTRATIONS

-I once heard about a congregation that decided to celebrate its anniversary by having T-shirts made with the slogan, "50 Years of Unity."  Then they began to argue about whether the T-shirts should be 50 percent polyester and 50 percent cotton -- or 100 percent cotton.  The polyester and cotton group argued that blends would last longer.  The 100 percent cotton group thought it was important to have all-natural fabric   Finally the church split, and the two groups held separate 50th anniversary celebrations with two kinds of T-shirts -- all emblazoned with the words "50 Years of Unity."

-Someone once asked Ruth, "Mrs. Graham, have you ever considered divorce?"  Ruth thought for a moment, and replied, "I have never considered divorce -- but I have considered homicide."  In other words, she never thought about divorcing Billy, but every once in awhile, she wanted to kill him.  Is there any woman here who can't identify with that?

HUMOR

-Like porcupines on a cold evening trying to keep warm but unable to get very close.

CHILDREN

• In the days when the early settlers came west in America, a sewing needle was an essential item. The settlers didn't have stores like we do today, so they patched the clothes they had. There is a story told about a group of pioneer women who lived in the Oregon Territory.  Among them they had only one needle. There was no way for them to buy another needle, so they took turns using that single needle.  One woman would sew on buttons and mend her family's clothes and then she passed the needle on to the next woman who had mending to do.Do you know what happens when clothes or stockings are not mended? Yes, the tear or hole gets bigger and bigger until it is difficult to repair.  Delay in sewing on a button may result in the button being lost and that also becomes a bigger problem. Think about the idea of mending as you listen to what Jesus said about how to patch up a disagreement with another person. Don't wait to repair the damage we have caused, the problem may become bigger and bigger, just like a tear in a shirt, a hole in a sock, or a lost button.  Think of your apology as a way to bring you and the person you have harmed together and as a way to mend the hurt.

PRAYER PHRASES

To day we pray about the relationships we have with You, with others and with ourselves, for we know that when one relationship is broken, all the others suffer in some way.  As we talk about ethics we more and more realize that all good relationships begins within ourselves.

 Guide us in our relationships with ourselves   Grant us grace to see ourselves as we really are. Help us to remove those masks that keep others from knowing who and what we are.  Help us to value ourselves  for it is  those attitudes we have towards ourselves that parallel  the attitudes we have towards others. 

     

  Guide us in our relationship with others.    May we become more loving, more forgiving and more compassionate... may we share each other's burdens.  May we be a source of strength and encouragement to those around us. Oh God, we know that the very attitudes that keep us from each other will  keep us from You.

      

  Guide us in our relationship with You.  We confess our need for You...if there is to be meaning in our lives it will come from understanding You. If there is purpose, it will come from looking to You and if there is to be love it will come from knowing you.  So we pray that we can do more than just know about You but that we can come to KNOW  You.   (Lindy)

Mail to  lindyblack@me.com