Judgment

(Matthew 25:32-34)

32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right,

‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance,

the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

Every day,

The world wants to place

a category on every face.

The extreme and the mainstream.

The sheep and the creeps.

The addicted and the clean.

The good and the mean.

The indifferent and the voters.

The leaders and their supporters.

The rich and the pissants.

And on the Last Day,

God separates us into two:

His

and

Hisn’t.

Amen.

Too much

Meditation on John 2-4

Did Jesus go too far
When He filled the water jars
with His Dad's favorite vintage?
180 gallons! -
Jesus, are you trying to flood the village!

Did Jesus go too far
at the Temple bazaar
with His spring cleaning?
With You  Jesus , "Under New Management"
has a whole new meaning.

Did Jesus go too far
As the priest found it so bizarre.
To enter God's domain
you must be born again.
Jesus, I never thought the tomb
as a delivery room.

Did Jesus go too far
to be secretive about the bar
the serves the water that satisfies?
Like the Samaritan woman
I really want a piece of that franchise.

Did Jesus go too far
to tell the local czar
how much we whine
for our need of wonders and signs
before telling him that his boy will be fine.

Oh Jesus,
Let's have some of that leftover wine.

Mercy

Matthew 18:23-35  (The Unmerciful Servant)

Why did he do it?
Bully someone for chump change,
Right after being forgiven for millions.
Is mercy only found at the foot of the cross?
OK, sometimes with mama too.

Why did he do it?
He went back into a world of
You owe me
and
I owe you.
A world of
In God we trust
all others pay cash.
A world of winners and losers.
A world where "Give me a break,"
ain't a request but a cynical statement.
Is mercy only found at the foot of the cross?
OK, sometimes with mama too.

Jesus said,
"Only the merciful will receive mercy." 1
and
"With the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 2
Trouble is we don't breathe in the mercy.
We accept the measurements the world gives us.
Just so no one can take advantage of us.
Is mercy only found at the foot of the cross?
OK, sometimes with mama too.

Note 1- Matthew 5:7
Note 2- Mark 4:24

Don't underestimate the value of listening....to all the things you can't hear

(Prayer of the human condition)

Matthew 12:34b: For out of the overflow of the heart,
the mouth speaks.

When the pastor greets the flock
with a cheerful "Good Morning",
Sometimes the congregation
rumbles back a humble grumble.

Oh, how I wish the preacher would not ask
for us to repeat this task.
As spokesman for us sheep
the reason we're half asleep
is
We're buried under the world's garbage heap.

Texting without conversation
Busted relations
Soul sucking work
Everyone in the world is a jerk.
Sleep without rest
Issues without context
Obama and Glenn Beck
My inflation riddled paycheck.
Corporations are charged with a misdemeanor
For the air over Pasadena.
Jesus, I ain't even gotten started,
but the guy in front of me farted.

So on a Sabbath morn
when our response to your query is so forlorn.
Pastor, do not ask for us be repeating
the response to your greeting.
Instead heed the sound of our loss
and shepherd us to the cross.