A forgiving Kind of Love

The story is well known. In Luke 7:36-50, Jesus is invited to the prestigious home of Simon the Pharisee. Unlike other guests, he was not welcomed with a kiss, had his feet washed or annointed with sweet oil. Instead he went right to work, like a press conference. But a woman, who WAS as sinner once, came and stood crying at Jesus' feet, wiped the tears off with her hair and annointed his feet with sweet perfume.
The two ends of the table tell two stories; of selfish indulgence and selfless love, of calculating who's in and who's out and unrestricted access to God's mercy, grace and love. The key to the text is that we love as we have been forgiven: either lavishly or miserly.

Now Is Not a Good Time...or is it?

Every person knows life lived in shortage: not enough time in a day, not enough money in a pay period, not enough energy for th job, not enough emotional reserves for the stress, not enough patience for the children, not enough discipline for the task. We live very much aware of our shortages and deficits. A long hard look in the bathroom mirror in the morning or standing still on the scale brings us to a realization of our limitations.
When the prophet Elijah approached a widowed woman in the town of Zarephath with a request for water and a meal, she poured out her shortages. This was not a good time for her to practice hospitality. Her jar of meal was all but empty and the cruze of oil was yielding drops. In fact she had given up and was preparing the last meal for her son and herself. But Elijah promised abundance if she would give to him first and allow God to supply the balance. She did and God did.
Maybe this is the right time for you to..........?

Trinity Sunday

Three candles; one light....trinity