Sermon Reflection | Sunday June 9, 2013

Read: 1 Kings 17:8-24
Listen: God Will Provide
Dig a Little Deeper: 

     As I mentioned in my message, I'm reading the Psalms every morning as a Spiritual Discipline and as a form of prayer.  I put together a simple check list with a space to write when you read each Psalm and some brief thoughts about it, if you're interested in joining me and setting a goal.  My personal goal is to read one Psalm every day.  I'd love it if you'd join me in this!  Let me know if you do, just so I can have an idea of who is participating.  If you'd like a copy of the Psalms list, e-mail me at pastor@firstcongo.net and I'll send it to you! 

I have to say the Psalms challenge has started a lot of discussion in the D'Agostino household.  You may know that my husband is a poet.  That makes it easy for him to love the Psalms, of course.  They are poems.   Well, they are songs, but we read them usually without music.  He has been recognizing the way that a lot of religious poetry reflects the essential ideas/concepts of the Psalms-- rhythmically, conceptually, etc., and has even found some that he wants to put alongside one another as past and present compliments of each other.  This is a baby-idea for him, but I've asked him to find an example and share it on the blog sometime.  It may be a few weeks, but you might encourage him if you see him (or in the comments)! 

Okay, anyway, so on the topic of 1 Kings... I hope you'll just listen to the sermon.  I don't have a lot of follow-up on it.  You might read this commentary.  

Or you might just sit and think about these questions I asked in my sermon:

"Ask yourself, what fills you?  What rules your thoughts?  What takes up your time?  If you’re empty, how can God fill you?  If you’re full, how much of your fullness is God’s goodness and how much is junk food and negativity and unhelpful noise and hoarding.  Is your coffee can full of things that make it hard to open yourself up to God’s love and grace?  How can God come into us when we are already filled by earthly things? 

 And then, think-- how can God work through us when we remove those distractions and really concentrate and listen to what God is calling us to?  I’m not saying we should get rid of all of the activities we do, or that we should turn our church into a silent monastery and just listen; what I’m saying is that it’s time to clean out the spiritual junk food—the worry, the negativity, the bad stuff…and make room for God.  Make room for what is good and right.  Because the woman’s coffee can was empty, there was so much room for kindness and compassion and faith and mercy."

Another question:
When have you been served by the people you thought you were serving?  Or learned from the people you were teaching?

Well folks, the next three weeks I will be out of town.  I'm in North Carolina and my brother's home in Rockville, MD for about 10 days, and then off to the General Synod of the UCC for one week.  I am glad to go, and I will be glad to come home!  Come listen to Rev. Gary Miller and Dr. Brian Smith preach the next three weeks!

Peace!