Proper 25 (C, E)
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle B
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Job 42:1-6, 10-17 (C)
As for the Hollywood ending, some commentaries suggest this was added later to provide a happy ending. After all, Job deserved that. If preaching on verses 10-17, we could say that while this particular ending is a little too pat, yet God does see that there are rewards for unfailing faith. We may not get our worldly losses replaced quite that neatly. After all, nothing can replace the loss of a child for a loving parent, no matter how many more children one has. But in higher terms than those we (or Job) could understand today, there is the promise of fulfillment and reward.
I would preach on verse 5: ñI had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you, therefore I despise myself and repent....'' ThatÍs a powerful figure. Job has endured his suffering, has girded up his loins like a man, has survived the irritating theology of his friends, has courageously pleaded his case and discovered there are to be no satisfying answers in this life, and has also discovered that in spite of all, God is God, is all-powerful, is to be worshiped. He sensed that God does have a place for him and thatÍs enough. ñSeeing'' God „ in his soul at least „ Job is overwhelmed by remorse. Healthy remorse. Not neurotic self-deprecation, but realistic understanding of his true condition. Job would rise up a new man. In the beginning, Job was like a lot of people we know, maybe all of us at one time. His religious faith was routine, superficial. It was merely mind stuff. Now, after his suffering, after his trial by fire as it were, Job is a man of tested, dependable faith. His repentance has now brought him into a new intimate relationship with God. The happy ending simply symbolizes that Job will never again fail to trust God in all things.
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 31:7-9 (RC)
(See Christmas 2)
Lesson 1: Isaiah 59:(1-4) 9-19 (E)
Lesson 2: Hebrews 7:23-28 (C)
Several years ago, I joined three friends for a two-week bicycle trip through Ireland. As we were boarding the plane in ChicagoÍs OÍHare airport, a woman was holding a screaming baby up ahead of us. I thought to myself, ñOh God, deliver me. If that brat screams like that for the next six hours IÍll go nuts.'' But just then, one of my friends smiled at the harried mother and said, ñThatÍs a fine young man you have there. He must be very tired from all this travel.'' My friends, I felt like a first-class jerk. Here I was thinking of myself, my comfort, and my friend was sensitive to that womanÍs misery in trying to quiet her child, knowing full well that everyone within hearing distance was probably feeling what I was feeling. It made me realize, though, that when we are in the presence of loving goodness, it judges us. I deserved to feel badly about myself.
Jesus was perfect goodness. No wonder our first reaction to him is a much more profound version of my self-disgust. That is an essential first step to becoming a Christian. Actually, itÍs a process we are to reenact from time to time. But the next step as we see the holy perfection of Jesus is grateful realization that he is our friend. He acted as a priest (HebrewsÍ concept, one meaningful to the Jews of that day), then offered up his own life as a sacrifice. Because of that, I see myself in a new light. I see my sinfulness on the one hand, but I see my hope on the other. I understand that Jesus did this so that I might have an intimate relationship with God, and that God will forgive my inner state and begin the process of cleansing me. And I in turn cry out, ñAll hail the power of JesusÍ name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.''
Lesson 2: Hebrews 5:1-6 (RC)
(See Proper 24)
Lesson 2: Hebrews 5:12„6:1, 9-12 (E)
Gospel: Mark 10:46-52 (C, RC, E)
ñYour faith has made you well.'' ThatÍs quite a statement. I wonder, though, if Mark perhaps left off some of JesusÍ statement. ShouldnÍt that read: ñYour faith in me has made you well?'' Certainly thatÍs the implication, since we can easily have faith in someone or something which will finally let us down. Bartimaeus, the blind man, calls out to Jesus by the Jewish title by which he was sometimes known, ñSon of David.'' (We will not concern ourselves with the question of how Jesus could be the son of David if he was born by miraculous means. Perhaps ñSon'' is more a title than a literal relationship.) How Bartimaeus came to have such faith in a man whom he knew only by reputation is an interesting question. However, as preacher I think our best bet is to focus on the fact that faith in Jesus Christ can, indeed, result in healing of many kinds. It is said of Bartimaeus that he received the ability to see, and followed Jesus. Most of us who preach can attest to the truth of this. One doesnÍt always get oneÍs physical ailments healed, but our faith always enables us to see what was hidden from us before, and it heals the deepest ailments of the soul. Always.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñThe Impatience Of Job''
Text: Job 42:5
Theme: ñMan is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.'' So wrote the author of the book of Job. So he put his finger on the pulse beat of life. Man is, indeed, born to trouble. ItÍs part of the very stuff of life that everyone must deal with suffering and injustice. This is certainly true today with what could, without exaggeration, be called the age of suffering. At least itÍs the age of the awareness of suffering as television cameras bring us continuing familiarity with the terrible agonies in Africa, the Middle East, Russia, southeast Asia, our own inner cities, and in truth, everywhere.
Suffering abounds in the streets; injustice has inflicted wounds whose infection has broken out throughout America. Traditional human relationships are more and more separated by growing hostility between so many people. Family life has suffered terribly through the devastating force of drugs and alcohol. A recent crime statistic revealed that the murder rate by middle school children has risen sharply, even as the overall crime rate has declined slightly. People in the field of education feel they canÍt do anything right according to their critics. Even in this era of unparalleled prosperity, physical and emotional illnesses continue to beset us. The economic community has undergone such redefinition that though many prosper, many others find themselves lost without meaningful employment. The technological revolution, for all its benefits, has doomed millions of people to mundane existence as they find themselves unable to master the technical complexities of a world which is changing with lightning-like rapidity. Yes, we would have to agree that ñman is born to trouble.''
So, to some extent, JobÍs story is destined to be our story. Not in nearly so melodramatic fashion one hopes, but each of us will, as J.B. in MacLeishÍs play would say, learn that ñGod always asks the proof of pain.'' And for a long time, Job was just as impatient as any of us.
1. Suffering is part of life. However, as Leslie Weatherhead pointed out, ñThe man who inquires into the problem of suffering may be compared with one who, from some sunny street, steps into the comparative gloom of a vast cathedral. After the blaze outside, all seems dark, yet, as he moves forward, he finds that it is not nearly so dark as he had at first thought.''
2. ItÍs up to us how we respond to suffering. Like rubbing a knife against a rock can dull it or sharpen it, depending on how itÍs done, so how we react to suffering can defeat and embitter us, or it can ennoble and redeem us.
3. If we turn to God for help, we discover that JesusÍ concept of God is much more true than that of Job. God is always there for us and does care what is happening to us. Remember PaulÍs words in Philippians 4:13: ñI have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.''
Title: ñWalking In The Light''
Text: Hebrews 7:23-28
Theme: Dr. William Hordern, professor of theology at Garrett Seminary many years ago, used to say: ñSin is visible only by the light of salvation.'' He meant that only as we stand in the light of Jesus Christ and behold his grandeur do we have the full courage to view in all its naked horror the sinful condition of humanity. Not only must I see that of the human condition, but my own. Just this morning I read in The Indianapolis Star of the penalty imposed on two young people who murdered their newborn baby and threw it into a dumpster „ 24 months in jail for one, thirty months for the other. The columnist, Mona Charen, spoke of the judgeÍs ñpeculiar moral standards,'' and reported that meanwhile, in Janesville, Wisconsin, a 37-year-old man was sentenced to twelve years in prison for killing cats. The same paper reported on the front page that a man convicted of helping cut the throats of three suburban youths whom he and two other men had first tied up had his conviction thrown out by a judge even though the man had admitted his participation, and the other two men, now in prison, testified that he had participated. (One of the murdered young people was a member of my church.) Then on another page, I read that one of the two teenagers finally apprehended after murdering the Reverend Doctor Fred Mathias, pastor of Northminster Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, and his wife Cleta by hitting them with an axe while tied up under their own Christmas tree was offered a plea bargain so he would testify against the sixteen-year-old who wielded the axe. That young fellow was reported as saying, ñI wish we could get this over with so I can get on with my life.'' Sickening, isnÍt it?
And then thereÍs my own sin. Not anything like those people, but given the advantages I have had and the opportunities before me, mine is bad enough too. ItÍs in the department of sloth, and self-importance, and disregard of some rules for responsible living. Most of you know what IÍm talking about. Jesus is the mirror in which I see myself at my worst „ and my best.
1. Christ reveals me to myself.
2. Christ offers me salvation by bringing me into a saving relationship with God.
3. Christ embraces me in perfect love, which initially breaks my heart.
4. Christ shows me I am forgiven. I can start anew.
5. Christ causes me to want to be a new person.
Title: ñBlessed Assurance''
Text: Mark 10:46-52
Theme: ñPeople who are blind can see. Paraplegics have legs that they can move. They have no pain, no fear, no anxiety. In fact, it is such a beautiful experience that many of them resent being brought back to their physical body.'' Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, on working with the dying, reported these observations after sitting with people who were supposedly dying, but were saved from death. ThereÍs part of the promise: that beyond death is total healing. In this life? ThereÍs a lot of conflicting evidence. I have a friend who was diagnosed with serious cancer, probably terminal. An entire church joined her and her family in praying for her to recover, she was totally convinced she would, and five years have now passed with no sign of cancer. But I also lost one of my dearest friends last year, a Methodist minister, to cancer which first eroded and shattered his body for two years.
I have decided that this life must be seen as Act One of at least a two-act drama. When you go to a play, the problems are always presented in the first act, then they are worked out in successive scenes. Of course IÍm guessing a bit about Act Two, but I believe in it. I believe some required preparation for what lies ahead is necessary for a full and fulfilling experience of that, and the preparation happens here. But I believe that once I put my whole trust in Jesus Christ, whatever happens from that point on will be exactly what I need for that next part of life. I believe that God would say to me (in my heart): ñThere are some problems I can help you solve in this life. I will help you with those, make you well if thatÍs best for you. There are some problems, however, which you will one day discover were not problems at all, but blessings. Those you must face and trust me for the rest.''
Because I believe this, I can have faith in Jesus Christ/God and accept that some of my troubles seem to melt away, some I am able to handle with great effort, and some I must accept.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Author Sue Mink Kidd told of her overwhelming life demands. Trying to be the perfect wife, mother, homemaker, career woman, volunteer woman, church leader, community activist. One day she decided to decorate her house for the Christmas holidays. As she climbed a ladder, she felt a sudden surge of pain. She realized that she was very ill, managed to summon help, and was rushed to the hospital. While undergoing an electrocardiogram, she imagined herself holding a globe, her world filled with all the overwhelming responsibilities she had believed were hers. She felt like Atlas, juggling all that weight. It caused her to reevaluate her life completely. She turned it over to God, and wrote that while she didnÍt believe God sends these things, she was convinced that ñGod uses them as a door on which to knock.''
____________
Rabbi Harold Kushner told of his feelings following the discovery that his little son Aaron, aged three, had a terrible disease which would prevent him from living beyond his teens. After the boyÍs death, Kushner wrote this: ñI am a more sensitive person, a more effective pastor, a more sympathetic counselor because of AaronÍs life and death than I would ever have been without it. And I would give up all of those gains in a second if I could have my son back. If I could choose, I would forego all the spiritual growth and depth which has come my way because of our experiences, and be what I was fifteen years ago, an average rabbi, an indifferent counselor, helping some people and unable to help others, and the father of a bright, happy boy. But I cannot choose.''
____________
Norman Vincent Peale is known to us today as the master of positive thinking. But he told of the time during his very early years at Marble Collegiate Church when he realized people didnÍt think he was up to the expectations of that great, renowned church. He and his wife went on a long vacation, to England as I remember, as he tried to get some perspective on his problem. After much thought, he decided he should resign. One day, the two of them were sitting in a garden, on a bench, and Peale, discouraged, head in his hands, told his wife that he had decided to resign. Then, he tells how she turned to him and asked him what kind of preacher he was. How could he preach to people about the power of faith, she asked him, when he apparently didnÍt have much faith himself. It was that sobering word which turned Norman Vincent PealeÍs life around. She was right, and he knew it. From that time onward, Peale took seriously the power of faith and, as we know, went on to become one of AmericaÍs best-known preachers, the master of the very Positive Thinking which, at one time, he himself did not practice.
____________
Woody Allen said he didnÍt want to achieve immortality through his work. He said he wanted to achieve it by not dying.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 34:1-8 (19-22) (C) „ ñI will bless the Lord at all times.''
Psalm 125 (RC) „ ñThose who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.''
Psalm 13 (E) „ ñHow long, O Lord?''
Prayer Of The Day
Help us to trust you, O Lord. In this life there are so many people and things we cannot trust, we suffer so many disappointments and betrayals, see so much of crime and violence, we are conditioned to be watchful rather than trustful. Reassure us in the depths of our hearts, we pray, that we can place our whole trust in you, through our faith in Jesus Christ. In his holy name we pray. Amen.
Lesson 1: Job 42:1-6, 10-17 (C)
As for the Hollywood ending, some commentaries suggest this was added later to provide a happy ending. After all, Job deserved that. If preaching on verses 10-17, we could say that while this particular ending is a little too pat, yet God does see that there are rewards for unfailing faith. We may not get our worldly losses replaced quite that neatly. After all, nothing can replace the loss of a child for a loving parent, no matter how many more children one has. But in higher terms than those we (or Job) could understand today, there is the promise of fulfillment and reward.
I would preach on verse 5: ñI had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you, therefore I despise myself and repent....'' ThatÍs a powerful figure. Job has endured his suffering, has girded up his loins like a man, has survived the irritating theology of his friends, has courageously pleaded his case and discovered there are to be no satisfying answers in this life, and has also discovered that in spite of all, God is God, is all-powerful, is to be worshiped. He sensed that God does have a place for him and thatÍs enough. ñSeeing'' God „ in his soul at least „ Job is overwhelmed by remorse. Healthy remorse. Not neurotic self-deprecation, but realistic understanding of his true condition. Job would rise up a new man. In the beginning, Job was like a lot of people we know, maybe all of us at one time. His religious faith was routine, superficial. It was merely mind stuff. Now, after his suffering, after his trial by fire as it were, Job is a man of tested, dependable faith. His repentance has now brought him into a new intimate relationship with God. The happy ending simply symbolizes that Job will never again fail to trust God in all things.
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 31:7-9 (RC)
(See Christmas 2)
Lesson 1: Isaiah 59:(1-4) 9-19 (E)
Lesson 2: Hebrews 7:23-28 (C)
Several years ago, I joined three friends for a two-week bicycle trip through Ireland. As we were boarding the plane in ChicagoÍs OÍHare airport, a woman was holding a screaming baby up ahead of us. I thought to myself, ñOh God, deliver me. If that brat screams like that for the next six hours IÍll go nuts.'' But just then, one of my friends smiled at the harried mother and said, ñThatÍs a fine young man you have there. He must be very tired from all this travel.'' My friends, I felt like a first-class jerk. Here I was thinking of myself, my comfort, and my friend was sensitive to that womanÍs misery in trying to quiet her child, knowing full well that everyone within hearing distance was probably feeling what I was feeling. It made me realize, though, that when we are in the presence of loving goodness, it judges us. I deserved to feel badly about myself.
Jesus was perfect goodness. No wonder our first reaction to him is a much more profound version of my self-disgust. That is an essential first step to becoming a Christian. Actually, itÍs a process we are to reenact from time to time. But the next step as we see the holy perfection of Jesus is grateful realization that he is our friend. He acted as a priest (HebrewsÍ concept, one meaningful to the Jews of that day), then offered up his own life as a sacrifice. Because of that, I see myself in a new light. I see my sinfulness on the one hand, but I see my hope on the other. I understand that Jesus did this so that I might have an intimate relationship with God, and that God will forgive my inner state and begin the process of cleansing me. And I in turn cry out, ñAll hail the power of JesusÍ name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.''
Lesson 2: Hebrews 5:1-6 (RC)
(See Proper 24)
Lesson 2: Hebrews 5:12„6:1, 9-12 (E)
Gospel: Mark 10:46-52 (C, RC, E)
ñYour faith has made you well.'' ThatÍs quite a statement. I wonder, though, if Mark perhaps left off some of JesusÍ statement. ShouldnÍt that read: ñYour faith in me has made you well?'' Certainly thatÍs the implication, since we can easily have faith in someone or something which will finally let us down. Bartimaeus, the blind man, calls out to Jesus by the Jewish title by which he was sometimes known, ñSon of David.'' (We will not concern ourselves with the question of how Jesus could be the son of David if he was born by miraculous means. Perhaps ñSon'' is more a title than a literal relationship.) How Bartimaeus came to have such faith in a man whom he knew only by reputation is an interesting question. However, as preacher I think our best bet is to focus on the fact that faith in Jesus Christ can, indeed, result in healing of many kinds. It is said of Bartimaeus that he received the ability to see, and followed Jesus. Most of us who preach can attest to the truth of this. One doesnÍt always get oneÍs physical ailments healed, but our faith always enables us to see what was hidden from us before, and it heals the deepest ailments of the soul. Always.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñThe Impatience Of Job''
Text: Job 42:5
Theme: ñMan is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.'' So wrote the author of the book of Job. So he put his finger on the pulse beat of life. Man is, indeed, born to trouble. ItÍs part of the very stuff of life that everyone must deal with suffering and injustice. This is certainly true today with what could, without exaggeration, be called the age of suffering. At least itÍs the age of the awareness of suffering as television cameras bring us continuing familiarity with the terrible agonies in Africa, the Middle East, Russia, southeast Asia, our own inner cities, and in truth, everywhere.
Suffering abounds in the streets; injustice has inflicted wounds whose infection has broken out throughout America. Traditional human relationships are more and more separated by growing hostility between so many people. Family life has suffered terribly through the devastating force of drugs and alcohol. A recent crime statistic revealed that the murder rate by middle school children has risen sharply, even as the overall crime rate has declined slightly. People in the field of education feel they canÍt do anything right according to their critics. Even in this era of unparalleled prosperity, physical and emotional illnesses continue to beset us. The economic community has undergone such redefinition that though many prosper, many others find themselves lost without meaningful employment. The technological revolution, for all its benefits, has doomed millions of people to mundane existence as they find themselves unable to master the technical complexities of a world which is changing with lightning-like rapidity. Yes, we would have to agree that ñman is born to trouble.''
So, to some extent, JobÍs story is destined to be our story. Not in nearly so melodramatic fashion one hopes, but each of us will, as J.B. in MacLeishÍs play would say, learn that ñGod always asks the proof of pain.'' And for a long time, Job was just as impatient as any of us.
1. Suffering is part of life. However, as Leslie Weatherhead pointed out, ñThe man who inquires into the problem of suffering may be compared with one who, from some sunny street, steps into the comparative gloom of a vast cathedral. After the blaze outside, all seems dark, yet, as he moves forward, he finds that it is not nearly so dark as he had at first thought.''
2. ItÍs up to us how we respond to suffering. Like rubbing a knife against a rock can dull it or sharpen it, depending on how itÍs done, so how we react to suffering can defeat and embitter us, or it can ennoble and redeem us.
3. If we turn to God for help, we discover that JesusÍ concept of God is much more true than that of Job. God is always there for us and does care what is happening to us. Remember PaulÍs words in Philippians 4:13: ñI have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.''
Title: ñWalking In The Light''
Text: Hebrews 7:23-28
Theme: Dr. William Hordern, professor of theology at Garrett Seminary many years ago, used to say: ñSin is visible only by the light of salvation.'' He meant that only as we stand in the light of Jesus Christ and behold his grandeur do we have the full courage to view in all its naked horror the sinful condition of humanity. Not only must I see that of the human condition, but my own. Just this morning I read in The Indianapolis Star of the penalty imposed on two young people who murdered their newborn baby and threw it into a dumpster „ 24 months in jail for one, thirty months for the other. The columnist, Mona Charen, spoke of the judgeÍs ñpeculiar moral standards,'' and reported that meanwhile, in Janesville, Wisconsin, a 37-year-old man was sentenced to twelve years in prison for killing cats. The same paper reported on the front page that a man convicted of helping cut the throats of three suburban youths whom he and two other men had first tied up had his conviction thrown out by a judge even though the man had admitted his participation, and the other two men, now in prison, testified that he had participated. (One of the murdered young people was a member of my church.) Then on another page, I read that one of the two teenagers finally apprehended after murdering the Reverend Doctor Fred Mathias, pastor of Northminster Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, and his wife Cleta by hitting them with an axe while tied up under their own Christmas tree was offered a plea bargain so he would testify against the sixteen-year-old who wielded the axe. That young fellow was reported as saying, ñI wish we could get this over with so I can get on with my life.'' Sickening, isnÍt it?
And then thereÍs my own sin. Not anything like those people, but given the advantages I have had and the opportunities before me, mine is bad enough too. ItÍs in the department of sloth, and self-importance, and disregard of some rules for responsible living. Most of you know what IÍm talking about. Jesus is the mirror in which I see myself at my worst „ and my best.
1. Christ reveals me to myself.
2. Christ offers me salvation by bringing me into a saving relationship with God.
3. Christ embraces me in perfect love, which initially breaks my heart.
4. Christ shows me I am forgiven. I can start anew.
5. Christ causes me to want to be a new person.
Title: ñBlessed Assurance''
Text: Mark 10:46-52
Theme: ñPeople who are blind can see. Paraplegics have legs that they can move. They have no pain, no fear, no anxiety. In fact, it is such a beautiful experience that many of them resent being brought back to their physical body.'' Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, on working with the dying, reported these observations after sitting with people who were supposedly dying, but were saved from death. ThereÍs part of the promise: that beyond death is total healing. In this life? ThereÍs a lot of conflicting evidence. I have a friend who was diagnosed with serious cancer, probably terminal. An entire church joined her and her family in praying for her to recover, she was totally convinced she would, and five years have now passed with no sign of cancer. But I also lost one of my dearest friends last year, a Methodist minister, to cancer which first eroded and shattered his body for two years.
I have decided that this life must be seen as Act One of at least a two-act drama. When you go to a play, the problems are always presented in the first act, then they are worked out in successive scenes. Of course IÍm guessing a bit about Act Two, but I believe in it. I believe some required preparation for what lies ahead is necessary for a full and fulfilling experience of that, and the preparation happens here. But I believe that once I put my whole trust in Jesus Christ, whatever happens from that point on will be exactly what I need for that next part of life. I believe that God would say to me (in my heart): ñThere are some problems I can help you solve in this life. I will help you with those, make you well if thatÍs best for you. There are some problems, however, which you will one day discover were not problems at all, but blessings. Those you must face and trust me for the rest.''
Because I believe this, I can have faith in Jesus Christ/God and accept that some of my troubles seem to melt away, some I am able to handle with great effort, and some I must accept.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Author Sue Mink Kidd told of her overwhelming life demands. Trying to be the perfect wife, mother, homemaker, career woman, volunteer woman, church leader, community activist. One day she decided to decorate her house for the Christmas holidays. As she climbed a ladder, she felt a sudden surge of pain. She realized that she was very ill, managed to summon help, and was rushed to the hospital. While undergoing an electrocardiogram, she imagined herself holding a globe, her world filled with all the overwhelming responsibilities she had believed were hers. She felt like Atlas, juggling all that weight. It caused her to reevaluate her life completely. She turned it over to God, and wrote that while she didnÍt believe God sends these things, she was convinced that ñGod uses them as a door on which to knock.''
____________
Rabbi Harold Kushner told of his feelings following the discovery that his little son Aaron, aged three, had a terrible disease which would prevent him from living beyond his teens. After the boyÍs death, Kushner wrote this: ñI am a more sensitive person, a more effective pastor, a more sympathetic counselor because of AaronÍs life and death than I would ever have been without it. And I would give up all of those gains in a second if I could have my son back. If I could choose, I would forego all the spiritual growth and depth which has come my way because of our experiences, and be what I was fifteen years ago, an average rabbi, an indifferent counselor, helping some people and unable to help others, and the father of a bright, happy boy. But I cannot choose.''
____________
Norman Vincent Peale is known to us today as the master of positive thinking. But he told of the time during his very early years at Marble Collegiate Church when he realized people didnÍt think he was up to the expectations of that great, renowned church. He and his wife went on a long vacation, to England as I remember, as he tried to get some perspective on his problem. After much thought, he decided he should resign. One day, the two of them were sitting in a garden, on a bench, and Peale, discouraged, head in his hands, told his wife that he had decided to resign. Then, he tells how she turned to him and asked him what kind of preacher he was. How could he preach to people about the power of faith, she asked him, when he apparently didnÍt have much faith himself. It was that sobering word which turned Norman Vincent PealeÍs life around. She was right, and he knew it. From that time onward, Peale took seriously the power of faith and, as we know, went on to become one of AmericaÍs best-known preachers, the master of the very Positive Thinking which, at one time, he himself did not practice.
____________
Woody Allen said he didnÍt want to achieve immortality through his work. He said he wanted to achieve it by not dying.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 34:1-8 (19-22) (C) „ ñI will bless the Lord at all times.''
Psalm 125 (RC) „ ñThose who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.''
Psalm 13 (E) „ ñHow long, O Lord?''
Prayer Of The Day
Help us to trust you, O Lord. In this life there are so many people and things we cannot trust, we suffer so many disappointments and betrayals, see so much of crime and violence, we are conditioned to be watchful rather than trustful. Reassure us in the depths of our hearts, we pray, that we can place our whole trust in you, through our faith in Jesus Christ. In his holy name we pray. Amen.
