deacon's corner

Thanksgiving, for many of us, evokes images of family, food, and football. Celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday of November (in the U.S.) and the second Monday in October in Canada, much of its original significance has been tossed aside, with the focus now on enjoying a bountiful meal consisting of turkey and a plethora of side dishes.

Have you ever considered how many times the LORD speaks to someone in the bible? It is a rare week that we fail to hear of the LORD – whether to Elijah or Abraham, Moses or Daniel – giving voice and direction to someone. God’s voice is seldom, if ever, described beyond the words that were heard.

Have you ever observed how focused very small children are to the world around them? No matter how many distractions there might be, they see only what lies immediately before them; their entire being concentrated on that momentary object of attention. More »

“…let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus…” [Hebrews 12:1].

Max Lucado explains that “The word race is from the Greek agon, from which we get the word agony. The Christian’s race is not a jog but rather a demanding and grueling, sometimes agonizing race. It takes a massive effort to finish strong.”

An old American idiom states that “Seeing is believing” and perhaps no better example of this occurred fifty-two years ago on October 26, 1960, during the first televised presidential debate. Most (88%) of households at that time had one television yet many listened to the debate over radio and did not watch it. Following the debate, those who listened to it on the radio thought that Richard Nixon had clearly and decisively won. Those who watched the debate on television thought Nixon appeared sickly and sweaty while John F. Kennedy appeared calm and confident. The debate and ultimately the election went to Kennedy.

The word forgive is an interesting word. It is derived from the old English word forgiefen which is constructed by using the prefix “for” which means “completely” and the word “giefan” which we know as “give.” In other words it means to “completely give” something to another. In Latin, “donare” (to give) is part of the word “condonare” (to forgive) and it is the same in other languages such as German (geben/vergeben) and Norwegian (gi/tilgi.)

Those who have taken the time to read and study the New Testament often come to the conclusion that Jesus held a certain animus toward those who were wealthy, that he saw money and riches as intrinsically evil. It is easy to see why one might assume this. But then, as is often the case, this assumption would fail to capture the true intent of what Jesus was telling his disciples. The problem is we tend to focus on the target and miss the mark.

Every now and then I come across a word or phrase that surprises me. Although familiar, something new presents itself and I have to pause and reflect on the difference. This past weekend I attended our annual diocesan diaconate retreat on the shores of Lake Tahoe. During a period of quiet reflection my mind was suddenly filled with the phrase from Luke 11:9 and Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.”

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, universally known for her dedication to the poorest of the poor, once said that “being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.”

How can anyone find joy in poverty, hunger, sadness, or persecution? When we consider all of the elements that bring comfort and happiness to our lives, being poor, hungry, sad, or denigrated are never part of the equation. And yet Jesus tells us that the poor, the hungry, those who weep, those who are hated, excluded, and insulted are blessed and will receive great joy.