Quality Versus Quantity

During Lent there are many people who get caught up in how much - how much to fast - how many things to give up - what else should I deny myself -- seeking to maximize the quantity of things they sacrifice - searching for a Holy Lent.  Fasting to an extreme where they risk damaging their health - attending every extra prayer service - every Stations of the Cross - every penitential rite - as a means of trying to purify themselves. Others look only for truly meaningful events - services to attend - quality time spent in prayer - meditation - reflection. Often chastised because they only did this or that - few events.

God asks us to seek quality not quantity. He doesn't care if we say a thousand prayers - if spoken in haste - without thought - compared to one true heartfelt conversation with Him. Spending unnecessary hours in church - when the family begs for one honest hour of your time at home. It is not how much - rather how well - honest - sincere - an effort you made. This Lent make your time - your actions - count.

Deacon Dale  

Long Distance

The term - long distance - to most people - refers to telephone calls - conversations - between two people - separated by very long distances. When I was a child - an important event - news - prompted the use - the expense - of long distance calls. There was always an extra expense involved - conversations kept to a minimum - to avoid the high expense of making such a call. Today long distance - included in most cellular phone packages - no longer carry any extra fees - expenses. Conversations may last minutes - to  hours. There is no hesitation in placing a long distance call - easy to keep in touch with family - friends.

Talking with God in prayer - even easier than making a long distance phone call. God is always available - ready in an instant - to receive your call - to listen - to converse with you. Unfortunately too many people feel that God is not available to them - unreachable - too busy to listen. The reality is that God waits - patiently - for all of us to call Him - to converse - to discuss - request - complain - share - whatever is on our heart and mind. Try calling Him today - His line is never busy.

Deacon Dale 

Feeling Sheepish

Everyone of us has had that moment - a time we would like to forget when we felt sheepish - embarrassed - bashful - having done something silly - wrong - foolish.  Trying to get that special person - to notice us - pay attention to what we were doing - hoping to impress. On other occasions - opening our mouth - putting foot in mouth - wrong on all accounts - embarrassed - sheepish. It is only human nature - to want to excel - to show off - to impress - family - friends.  It is all a part of growing up - becoming a mature individual.  A point that many of us can meditate on during this Lent - becoming the person God intended us to be 

Jesus - the Good Shepard - the One who loves us - cares for us - directs our lives - along paths of peace - joy - asks us to be like sheep. To follow - without question - to comply with His requests - to live as He asked. Not all comply - Peter - with head hung low - after denying Jesus on the Cross - asked three times - do you love me? Three times - told by Jesus - feed my sheep - feed my people. As a shepherd cares - loves - his sheep - so does Jesus love each of us. Not all will respond to His offer of love - His offer of healing - His offer of peace.  Most will accept - come into His fold.  A few - turn away - reject His offer - leaving them - only later to realize the gift they threw away - leaving them - to feel - sheepish.  This Lent - reconsider - the offer is still there 

Deacon Dale 

Negotations

It takes a specific skill to be a good negotiator - not all are qualified - able to view both sides of a discussion - argument - to control - not dominate - to bring opposing sides together - to create common ground - to achieve positive results. Labor unions - management - one eyed visions - tunnel vision - self serving.  Contracts often come to a halt - no movement either way - no progress - loss on both sides. To negotiate well - sensitivity - to both parties - vision for union - fairness the goal.  Not just about dollars - people's lives - well being - important also.

As ministers of the Gospel - God expects - Jesus - demands - His disciples - to fairness - to openness - vision - for unity.  He looks for a common union - a communion - of hearts - souls - spirits. On this fifth week of  Lent - we are called to a New Covenant - a change in hearts - to create for ourselves - others - a better world - to love - to live.  Jesus call us to the bargaining table - different - the same - will you come? 

Deacon Dale 

Rock of Ages

 The home we bought in Arizona was previously a rental home - ignored - abused - bare minimum - little maintenance.  Before it could be placed on the market for sale - a lot of work had to be done to make it clean - updated - marketable.  If we had seen it - would not have bought it.  Months later - a crew of twenty plus - hours of sweat - transformed - freshened - renewed - given new life.  What we saw when we viewed it - not at all what the neighbors described. The interior of the house was not all that was ignored - the landscaping - a jungle - the decomposed granite - decomposed - the jungle was cleared - the granite left as is - dust unto dust - very biblical. We bought it as is - potential to make it our own - huge. In the transformation of the back yard we bought rock -  lots of rock - twenty-eight tons of rock. One inch by the new pool - 3/8 inch for the main yard - 1/4 minus for the bocce court. The community where the house is located is ruled by an HOA - homeowners association - two hundred sixteen pages of rules - covenants - restrictions. Change the color of the house - ask the HOA - change the size or color of the rock - not without HOA approval. Jumping through hoops - part of belonging to an HOA - rules - mostly fair - for the benefit of all.  Approval received - the old - aged - dusty - rock - upgraded - new color - less dust - bigger stones - looking good.

Jesus wanted a leader to help Him lead His disciples - to proclaim His Gospel message - to reach the mass of people. His search led Him to Simon - Shimon - Simeon - who He named Cephas - Peter - the Rock. As He told Peter - you shall be known as Cephas - the Rock - upon whom I shall build my church - a Rock that has stood as the first leader of Jesus' Church. This Rock - this Peter - the original Rock of Ages - the same Rock who three times denied the Lord - this man known for putting his foot in his mouth - stood - solid - following Jesus - even into death. Jesus does not ask us to die for Him - He did that once - for all.  He does ask us to be solid - rock solid in our faith - to be firm in our belief in Him - to be a peg fixed firmly in place - as we seek to deepen our relationship with Him - with God - as we serve Him and His people.  Jesus asks - we respond - He hopes - we will be - rock solid - for all ages.

Deacon Dale 

The Rain in Spain

 The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain - a song from the musical - My Fair Lady - originally published in 1956. The song was a turning point in the plot of the musical in which Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering had been incessantly drilling Eliza Doolittle with exercises to correct her speech - to break her Cockney accent. When my wife and I were preparing to walk the 500 mile El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain in 2013 - we read - studied - devoured - all the information we could find - walking conditions - weather probabilities - equipment needed - proper use of trekking poles - availability of food - language issues - everything.  One major concern was rain - the mud - humidity - wet boots - wet socks - wet clothes.  We were blessed in many and numerous ways - the one special blessing - one rain day - the last day - the easiest day. It rained in the mountains - the plains - the high lands and the low lands - it did not stay in the plain.

As the saying goes - into every life - a little rain must fall.  It is inevitable - unavoidable - a definite possibility. Where there is life - there will be heat and cold - dry and wet - snow and rain.  Rain nurtures - cleanses - revitalizes - people - plants - animals. Without rain - we would not have water - we would cease to exist.  For all of God's people - His blessings are poured upon us - daily - every day. We are showered with His love - His forgiveness - His acceptance. As rain falls from the sky and waters the ground - so does His love rain upon us to fill us with all His promises. When God sends His rain - do not run inside - to avoid - stay outside - let His blessing pour upon you - receive His Spirit - His love.  As we continue to contemplate our Lenten journey - dance in the rain - with Jesus.

Deacon Dale 

Fifth Sunday of Lent

 The Fifth Sunday of Lent - the Third Scrunity for those in OCIA - the final scrunity to help prepare those seeking to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil - to become fully - Roman Catholic.  For the rest of the Church - those sitting in  the pews - praying for the Elect that they will become the fully devoted Catholic that they claim to be.  For those not quite so sure of how devoted  they are - time to join the entire congregaation in prayers for everyone -  old - new -  sitting on the fence - that this Lent will become the memorable one of your life. 

 Just as those in the Phoenix, Arizona area - experiencing temperatures that the majority have never experienced during March with temperatures hitting 105 and above - 25 degrees higher than normal - may the Fire of the Holy Spirit fill all with unbelievable Grace - Peace - Joy - as they continue their Lenten Journey - Jesus at their side - walking closer to that day - of baptism - communion - confirmation - with the same joy that Lazarus experienced at his resurrection.

Deacon Dale 

Let Down - Click Bait?

If you spend any time on the Internet now a days you will often come across headlines that want to astound - surprise - draw you deeper into the article.  "Man opens can and what he finds???" - not as big a surprise as one might expect - often the lure - leads to an empty line - no hook at the end - no meat with the potatoes - disappointment.  Everyone is working hard to attract readers to their commentary - article - blog - competing for their attention.  Most recently a photo with an intriguing tag line - click - nothing except a half dozen or more links to click - that take you nowhere - click bait.

Jesus faces the same issues - He wants our attention - competing with the attractions of  the World - things that assault our senses - filled with empty promises. Once in a while truth wins out - the false attractions - fail to satisfy - what is real - stands head above the crowds. With Jesus - no disappointment - no let down - no false stories. What you see - what you get - His love - compassion - healing - forgiveness - New life - fresh air - renewal. As we end this week of Lent - seek the truth - that is Jesus.

Deacon Dale 

Spring Break

 Spring Break - time away from work - studies - daily obligations. For most a well deserved time of respite - relaxation - travel - visiting new places - enjoying a holiday.  Everyone deserves respite time - time for themselves - away from routine obligations - time to think - play - spend time with family - friends - staying home - a stacation - traveling away - a vacation. Some people - mostly younger adults - carry the spring break time to excess - traveling to the shores - warmer climates - time to lose themselves - their maturity - for the sake of excessive drinking - games - losing control - of morals - making bad decisions. For the beach communities - invaded by youth - out of control - a serious issue - for police - residents - those who exercise restraint. Spring break - originally a break from routine - never intended as a break from common sense - morality.

God wants us to enjoy our lives - His creations - the beaches - the lakes and oceans - the warm climate - fresh air - within reason. Even too much of a good thing - may become bad. Gathering in groups - nice - too many forming a group - uncontrollable mob. As we continue our Lenten exercise - here at home - away on spring break - Jesus asks us - in all things - moderation - consideration for others - reasonableness in our activities.  There is nothing wrong with good clean fun - as long as it remains - good - clean - fun - not at the expense of other's comfort. Taking a break from daily routine - highly approved by God - taking a break from morals - good manners - never approved. Jesus stands and watches - each of us - what will He see this spring break?

Deacon Dale  

Roundabouts

Roundabouts - fairly few in America - very popular in Europe - a traffic flow pattern designed to eliminate numerous issues with the standard intersection. With a roundabout - traffic flows constantly - no stop and go lights - no queuing up to wait your turn at the intersection. The standardized design was perfected in England.  North America has approximately 3500 roundabouts - France has approximately half of all known roundabouts at about 30,000. I like roundabouts - many dislike them.  With so many American drivers failing to come to a complete stop at traditional intersections - roundabouts would answer those "rolling" stops.

God sent His Son to His people to teach them in a manner they could understand - most common - the parables - a roundabout way - to draw people into His stories - to inform - educate - inspire - warn.  Jesus' stories were to the point - not necessarily in a straight path - bending to meet the needs of His audience - easy to understand - comprehend.  Over the years the same message - spoken - over and over - God loves - forgives - cares - about all of us. Jesus seeks us - to come to Him - He calls us by name - waits for us to respond - directly - to Him - often - in a roundabout way.

Deacon Dale