The Gospel of Doug: Lesson Nine

The Gospel at mass Sunday, was the story, where the owner of a vineyard sent his servants and they got beat up, and the owner sent his son, assuming his son would be respected but instead his son is killed because the renters want the vineyard. . .The priest talked of rejection in his sermon because the rest of the text, talked about Jesus being the cornerstone the builders rejected. I understand the Gospel was about rejection, but the thing that touched me, and made me want to write this week, is disrespect or the lack of respect in the parable. We know the vineyard was Israel, and the owner God, and Jesus was his son. But what hit home to me, in being presented with the gospel, was the lack of respect we show Jesus in our culture, at this place and time. We have turned His name, in to a cuss word, or word for surprise or even excitement. Don't know how many times I hear kids say His name that way, or see it on a video on the internet. Which brings me to another form of usage I find disrespectful, and that are these posts where you are supposed to stop scrolling and write something, to prove you had stopped, because Jesus is important you or you believe in Him. I might be wrong, but I do find that lacking respect for the person of Jesus. But I see disrespect every where, and maybe it is just me.  Jesus's life is disrespected by clergy, projecting Him as a free loving hippie, in love with everyone, expecting nothing and demanding nothing in return, Even many times if we have a relationship with Him the relationship with Him is even disrespectful. It seems we are always told to ask Him for help or whatever we need in our lives. But do we ever ask what we can do for Him. Jesus Christ expected and assumed we would be respectful enough to know about His life, and read scripture, and understand our duties in our relationship with Him.  Yet, we don't, we rely on others telling us what our relationship should be, and telling us, they know just how Jesus Christ thought or acted, even when what they are telling us, is in direct defiance of Scripture. You want to respect Jesus, then pray, not asking for anything, but thanking Him for what He has already given you. Ask Him into your life, not just your Sundays. And read scripture, and take ownership of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Understand what is expected of you in the relationship . .it is all there in scripture . .Let's try to quit disrespecting Jesus Christ, and God the Father, it is the least we can do, and ask forgiveness, every day, and every hour . . . .relying on His love . . . . .  amen.

Gospel of Doug: What to Do?

Many times attempting to lead a Christian life we have to make decisions about the different paths we will take in our life. Scriptures state if we are humble in our faith, God will help us with our decisions. I think lots of times we worry more about what others will think our decisions, than taking the time to reflect on the decision we should make in the first place. In the Gospel, a father asked his two sons to work in his vineyard. One of the sons said no, than he went and worked, and the other son said yes, and then he didn't work in the father's vineyard. One of the lessons I get out of these scriptures is; if we make a bad decision we always have the ability to revisit a bad decision. God allows us to revisit bad decisions. In my case, I think sometimes I may be too proud to revisit a bad decision, because of how it will look to other people. The other lesson I got from these scriptures is that if you are humble, God will help you make a good decision, and help you revisit bad decisions. Being humble to me, means being flexible, and keep checking back with the Lord about the decisions we make. God really wants us to be successful, but being successful is up to us, if we are not humble enough to put God first, than the likelihood of success decreases accordingly.

Lesson Eight

Bridge and Sunset

Gospel of Doug: Relationship with Others

First Reading:  Ezekiel 33:7-9 Thus says the LORD: You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.  IF I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death.  But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself. 

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    This was one of the readings for Mass Sept. 6, 2020, it is always a reading which makes me a bit uncomfortable, and I find myself wanting to raise my hand and complain. It is hard enough to attempt to live  good Christian life myself, and save myself, and yet I am going be held responsible for someone else's wicked ways. And if in a sense, if I don't speak out, I basically risk my relationship with God.  Aren't we told not to judge others, we have no idea what they are going through, nor do we know what their relationship with God is, maybe they believe they have a good relationship with God, and maybe they do, maybe they even have a better relationship with God than I do. For me, this reading or command, always seems like a catch-22. First we have to decide who is wicked. Am I wicked? Yes, probably sometimes I am. How would I feel about someone approaching me, and speaking out on my actions and or beliefs. I would hope I would listen, but I doubt I would, I would probably just get pissed off at the person, and maybe unfriend them on facebook. If you read the rest of  Chapter 33, it doesn't get any easier. But basically we are called to speak out for the Truth, and the Right, and what God has laid down as the law in scripture. God is asking us to stand up for Him and for His people. We should condemn abortion and homosexuality as sins, even when we seem in the minority. We must quit rationalizing everything, and take definite stands. This has nothing to do with judging, or imposing our beliefs on anyone. We are to stand for God's word. If we know His word, we will know wickedness  when we encounter it. Ultimately this is about love.  God's love for each of us, and our love for God. But that doesn't make it any easier . . . . .

Fish and Weeds

The Gospel of Doug: Relationship to God

Are souls, black, white or brown? How about male or female? Gay or Straight? Does your Nationalism, or Religion define you in the eyes of God? My answer and opinion is no, a soul is none of those things. Nor do any of those things define who you are in the eyes of God . . .One of the main reasons I believe this and say this to be true is a verse in scriptures ; Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the Nations." Jeremiah was talking about himself in this verse, but I believe God was talking about His relationship to humanity in general. God knows us, our souls, before we are even formed in the womb, and I believe that is how He recognizes and builds relationship with us. How He sees our souls. God doesn't see black, white, or brown, male or female, gay or straight, American or German, or Catholic or Lutheran, He sees us in relationship to our souls. Do we use these characteristics to grow our soul, and expand our relationship to God, or do we allow these things to come between our souls and our God. Our souls are the only part of us, that are eternal, the only part that remains to define us in God's eyes. When people talk about God loving everyone, He does not love us because of the characteristics that define our earthly existence, He loves us because of the part of Him that exists in us. We can not have a true and good relationship with God, unless our souls are right, and the most important thing in our life . .Our souls are the presence of God in our lives. Our souls grow or wither in relationship to how we live our lives. Is our skin color, sex, sexuality, nationality or religion more important, or are our souls? Your relationship with God depends on this answer.

Lesson Seven

The Gospel of Doug: Happy Endings

 Last Sunday's gospel reading was the one, where Jesus tells His disciples He must go to Jerusalem and die, and Peter says no, and Jesus says, "Get behind me Satan.".  I listened to both a Catholic sermon, and an Episcopal sermon on this reading, and thought both missed the main point. I won't go into those sermons, but I will give you my thoughts on this reading.  . . .Peter is a follower of Jesus Christ, because as Jesus is the son of God, Peter believes he is backing a winner. His vision of the future, is fairy tale stuff, happy ever after stuff . . .Jesus gets mad, because Jesus knows that is not reality. Jesus doesn't promise happy endings, He promises us, life and peace, but no happy endings. Just as in our day and age now, people by the millions believe in happy endings , . . .love, and equality for everyone,  . . .Sorry but that is not reality, it will never be reality, hate will always exist, inequality will always exist. The reality isn't in the happy ending, it is in the journey, and the suffering, and sacrifice . .That is where God's work gets done, and God's love exists . . .When we give ourselves over to God, and do the crappy hard stuff.  When we have the breath and strength, and the peace of mind, to go about our jobs, and let go of the happy endings, where everything is rainbows and hugs and kisses and warm fuzzies . . .When our focus isn't longer on those times, we are finally doing God's work . . . .

Lesson Six