THE SIMPLE GIFT A Sermon by Avena A. Ward St. Pauls United Church of Christ Chicago Illinois January 1, 2012

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "THE SIMPLE GIFT A Sermon by Avena A. Ward St. Pauls United Church of Christ Chicago Illinois January 1, 2012"

Transcription

1 Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 There is a time for everything, THE SIMPLE GIFT A Sermon by Avena A. Ward St. Pauls United Church of Christ Chicago Illinois January 1, 2012 and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil this is the gift of God.

2 Sermon There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to deck the halls and a time to put away all those decorations, a time to shop for gifts and a time to pay off the credit cards, a time to bake cookies and a time to make resolutions to work off all those extra pounds gained from eating them. Happy New Year, 2012! A lot has changed. And a lot has stayed the same since that poem from Ecclesiastes that I m parody-ing today was committed to written form. This is one of the best known Biblical poems in both secular and religious circles. It comes from a unique little book that is not like any other book in the Bible. Ecclesiastes is one of those texts, that falls into the category of wisdom books, alongside Job, Psalms and Proverbs. The author of Ecclesiastes claims to be a son of King David, and so it has often been attributed to Solomon. But there are many reasons to believe that it was written long after Solomon lived. The author refers to himself as Koheleth, a Hebrew word that is sometimes translated as Teacher and sometimes as Preacher. This book teaches us less about God and more about the nature of what it means to be human and live in God s world. There s an undeniable thread of cynicism that winds its way through Ecclesiastes, that has caused some peopleto question whether this book belongs in the Bible at all. Koheleth, the Teacher, begins his observations by setting us up to understand that most of our human striving is vanity. It s like an exhaled breath on a cold winter s day. It appears as frost, and then dissipates into the air without leaving an impression. In spite of this, Kohelet never condemns human striving as sinful. He writes with compassion for God s human creatures. The poetic passage we read today was made popular in the mid 1960s. Pete Seeger set it to music and the Byrds recorded it. Those of us of a certain age remember it by the name Turn! turn! turn! If you re not familiar with it, you can hear it again on YouTube. With its reference to turning, it always connects in my mind with the Shaker song, Simple Gifts, which I included as our thought for preparation. It also connects in a weird way with a line from the UCC Statement of Faith that I memorized as a confirmand: God calls us in holy love... and sets before us the ways of life and death. In a swinging rhythm of contrasting experiences, the poet Koheleth names those ways, activities that make up the stuff of life and death. Activities that -- when we re in the middle of them -- can be seem earth-shatteringly important. We pack each one with expectations and ascribe to them profound meanings. But expectations leave us disappointed. And, the poet observes, the meanings we give to important events vanish not long after we work so hard to create them.

3 The couplets that Koheleth uses to define the seasons of life might seem, on first reading, to cancel each other out. But, in fact, the way they re written, they act to create a kind of perspective. They engage not so much our intellect, as they capture our imagination so that we see things as we imagine God might see them. Through the swinging, spiral structure we see that there are patterns to life that are common to all people and are part of the nature of human existence. That perspective is available to us fleetingly, when we use our God-given gift of the consciousness of past and future to give us some distance. And then, the pen of the poet helps us imagine those activities as the movements of the dance of life. As Kohelet says, each of these activities is a step on the path that God sets before us. But each of these activities is also appropriate in its time. We all have experienced trying to force ourselves to move into a new path or activity when the time isn t right. It just doesn t work. We can push with all our might, but there will be no gain from our rushing it. And we often lose our balance from pushing. From Kohelet s perspective, it s not worth it to rush and push. For even the activity itself -- when it s done -- leaves no lasting impact. In Ecclesiastes, there s no sense of progress in the right direction. And there s no moral judgment inherent. According to Koheleth, birth is not better than death nor peace than war. But there is a time for each thing. It is the turning and swinging of the dance itself that -- for brief moments -- allows us to experience the gifts of God, of finding joy and delight right where we are in what we re doing right now. But this experience can t be gotten by scheming and striving. We can t achieve it except by going with the flow, by accepting that God has created us to live in a state of contradiction and tension, and invites us to dance in it. That s one of the hardest things for human beings to do. Especially because God has given us the ability to sense the past and the future. With that ability we scheme and control. We seem compelled, based on the past, to determine how to be to face the future. But the poet discourages us from forcing things, or clinging to an outcome. In Ecclesiastes, there is much resonance between the Koheleth, the Teacher s, view and the Buddhist perspective on life. Buddhists learn from the dharma -- the natural law that sustains and upholds the universe. They let their experiences of life -- of bumping up against this law -- teach them, much as Koheleth does. Koheleth s observations are that human life in God s world is an ephemeral thing. In his view, as in the Buddhist, there isn t any afterlife in which to redeem oneself. There is only the present. This is the place where Koheleth gets out of sync with most Biblical theologians. He keeps coming back to the same conclusion: we should work hard in this life and be satisfied with what we have done. Our passage today says, we can find joy in the simple things of life-- in eating and drinking and celebrating with friends. And that joy is available to us, even in the most difficult experiences of life.

4 One thing that s missing in Ecclesiastes -- for me -- is stories and examples. So here I share a well known Buddhist story that I believe would be a good example of what Koheleth is saying, because it speaks of the good we can learn, even the bleak seasons of life. This is known as The story of the mustard seed : There was a woman whose young son became ill. She cared for him as best she could, but he ultimately died. And when he did, this mother did not give in to grief. She continued to seek a cure for his sickness, carrying his body from one healer to another doctor, asking if they could bring him back to her. Finally one of the people she visited referred her to Gautama, the Buddha. Because she would do anything to get her son back, she went to him and asked if he had any medicine that could bring her son back. Mustard seed, Gautama told her. She must bring mustard seed, but the mustard seed would only work if it came from a home where no one had died. Not a mother or father, sister or brother, or child. Desperately, the woman went to all her neighbors asking for mustard seed. And they pitied her and gladly offered it to her. But when she asked if anyone had died in that household, she had to leave without the seed. Because there wasn t one household that hadn t suffered a loss. At last, tired and discouraged, the woman climbed to the top of a hill overlooking the town. There she sat down and cried. And as she sat, darkness fell. She sat and cried long enough to see that the lights of the city flickered and went out. And then and there it came to her that this is the lot of all human beings. They are born and then they die. And it dawned on her how selfish she had been. She d been so focused on her goal of saving her son she hadn t recognized that there was a time to be born and a time to die. And, as she transcended her own sorrow, she was able to get up and bury her son in the forest. Compassion awakened in her for all of those people who had suffered loss, and she realized that by giving up her striving she gained her own enlightened life. The teacher Koheleth says that God has made everything beautiful in its own time. And God has made us capable of perceiving that beauty. In those moments of enlightenment, when we are able to see the beauty, we receive the gift of the wisdom of God. We can t expect ourselves to ever fathom all that God knows about the past and the future and the meaning of it all. Or about the significance of time. But we can delight in those fleeting moments of enlightenment. That delight, Koheleth says, is what God wants for us to experience. I invite you to sing with me that Shaker Song, Tis the gift to be Simple : Tis the gift to be simple, Tis the gift to be free Tis the gift to come round where we ought to be And when we find ourselves in the place just right Twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained to bow and to bend we shan t be ashamed. To turn, turn, will be our delight, Till by turning, turning we come round right. (Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett)

5 God is compassionate and God is generous. In the New Year that lies ahead, may you enjoy the simple gifts of life, wherever the dance leads you! Amen

The Book of Ecclesiastes May 29, Ross Arnold, Spring 2014 Lakeside institute of Theology

The Book of Ecclesiastes May 29, Ross Arnold, Spring 2014 Lakeside institute of Theology The Book of Ecclesiastes May 29, 2014 Ross Arnold, Spring 2014 Lakeside institute of Theology OT Wisdom Literature (OT6) Apr 3 Introduction to Wisdom Literature Apr 10 The Book of Job Apr 17 No Class (Holy

More information

Been There, Done That, Now What? Ecclesiastes Study Session #3 Chapter 3:1-13

Been There, Done That, Now What? Ecclesiastes Study Session #3 Chapter 3:1-13 Been There, Done That, Now What? Ecclesiastes Study Session #3 Chapter 3:1-13 Introduction: Time is. Time is the great of mankind. (Ephesians 5:15-16) "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools,

More information

WEDDING SCRIPTURE READINGS

WEDDING SCRIPTURE READINGS WEDDING SCRIPTURE READINGS Scripture Topic Genesis 1:26-31 Male and female created by God 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and

More information

a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; ALL IN GOOD TIME (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15) Sunday, May 21, 2017 Series: Under the Sun: The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes, Message #5 - Summit EFC - Pastor Doug Corlew (Play song, Turn Turn Turn ) - In 1965, this

More information

GOD S GIFT OF BEING A STEWARD

GOD S GIFT OF BEING A STEWARD GOD S GIFT OF BEING A STEWARD Rev. Mark A. Medina September 24, 2017 Today, we continue the sermon series on the beliefs of those in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We lift up what it means in these

More information

Ecclesiastes 3. 3:3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; A. KILL and HEAL B. killing can refer to capital punishment or killing in war.

Ecclesiastes 3. 3:3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; A. KILL and HEAL B. killing can refer to capital punishment or killing in war. Ecclesiastes 3 Ecclesiastes chapters 3 (ESV) Keep the poem in verses 3:1-8 in context with the rest of the following verses 3:9-15. In 3:9 of this chapter the opening theme found in Ecclesiastes 1:3 What

More information

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

I Am the Resurrection and the Life lakeway.xyz John 11:25-26 (NIV) Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die. Do

More information

There is a time for everything. Ecclesiastes 3: 1

There is a time for everything. Ecclesiastes 3: 1 Ecclesiastes 3: 1 There is a time for everything A Reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to give birth,

More information

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven III. Ecclesiastes in Biblical Perspective From Vanity to Vitality For Everything There Is a Season Ecclesiastes 3 Dr. Harry L. Reeder III January 27, 2019 Evening Sermon We will be Ecclesiastes 3 for this

More information

Ecclesiastes 3 CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE

Ecclesiastes 3 CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE Ecclesiastes 3 CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE 1 There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot;[a]

More information

A Time For Everything

A Time For Everything A Time For Everything Lord, thank you for this time to get together to study, fellowship, comfort one another during these times of trials, and to rejoice with the things that you are doing. We ask that

More information

Explore the Bible Lesson Preview July 28, 2013 Why Do I Feel Empty? Background: Ecclesiastes 3:1 5:7 Lesson: Ecclesiastes 3:1, 10-14; 4:9-12; 5:1-7

Explore the Bible Lesson Preview July 28, 2013 Why Do I Feel Empty? Background: Ecclesiastes 3:1 5:7 Lesson: Ecclesiastes 3:1, 10-14; 4:9-12; 5:1-7 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview July 28, 2013 Why Do I Feel Empty? Background: Ecclesiastes 3:1 5:7 Lesson: Ecclesiastes 3:1, 10-14; 4:9-12; 5:1-7 Motivation: The great American dream has moved well beyond

More information

Sermon Transcript April 30, Ecclesiastes: Getting the Most Out of Life. God Sets the Times Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Sermon Transcript April 30, Ecclesiastes: Getting the Most Out of Life. God Sets the Times Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Sermon Transcript April 30, 2017 Ecclesiastes: Getting the Most Out of Life God Sets the Times Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 This message from the Bible was addressed originally to the people of Wethersfield Evangelical

More information

GOD WITH US Part 4: The Life and Writings of Solomon Vision and Vanity Ecclesiastes. Message 15 God in the Picture Ecclesiastes 2:24-5:7

GOD WITH US Part 4: The Life and Writings of Solomon Vision and Vanity Ecclesiastes. Message 15 God in the Picture Ecclesiastes 2:24-5:7 GOD WITH US Part 4: The Life and Writings of Solomon Vision and Vanity Ecclesiastes Message 15 God in the Picture Ecclesiastes 2:24-5:7 Introduction In the first 2 chapters of Ecclesiastes, Solomon recounted

More information

Living a Meaningful Life

Living a Meaningful Life Living a Meaningful Life A Time for Everything Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Rev. Freddy Fritz September 12, 2010 Living a Meaningful Life A Time for Everything 1 Scripture The writer of Ecclesiastes, also known

More information

Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 ESV

Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 ESV Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 ESV 1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. 3 What does man gain by all the toil

More information

TIME UNSELFIE Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 // Craig Smith August 13, 2017

TIME UNSELFIE Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 // Craig Smith August 13, 2017 TIME UNSELFIE Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 // Craig Smith August 13, 2017 CRAIG: Good morning. Hey, welcome to Mission Hills. So glad you re here and joining us for this week, number two of our Unselfie series.

More information

REFLECTIONS ON THE CHRISTIAN LIFE FOR THE NEW YEAR

REFLECTIONS ON THE CHRISTIAN LIFE FOR THE NEW YEAR New Year s Eve Worship December 31, 2018 REFLECTIONS ON THE CHRISTIAN LIFE FOR THE NEW YEAR December 31, 2018 Father, Let Me Dedicate Christian Worship, 75 v. 1, 2 P: In the name of the Father and of the

More information

New Year s Worship. Enter a New Year with God s Presence

New Year s Worship. Enter a New Year with God s Presence NEW YEAR S WORSHIP 3461 Merle Ave Modesto, CA 95355 (209) 551-0563 www.stpetermodesto.org W New Year s Worship December 30, 2018 Enter a New Year with God s Presence elcome and thank you for joining us

More information

What Time is it? An ISSACHAR anointing... Let's begin by reading from the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verses 1-8.

What Time is it? An ISSACHAR anointing... Let's begin by reading from the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verses 1-8. Let's begin by reading from the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verses 1-8. A TIME TO... There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens a time to be born and a time

More information

Michael Seeley Sermon for Revive at Five Sunday, April 25, 2010

Michael Seeley Sermon for Revive at Five Sunday, April 25, 2010 Michael Seeley Sermon for Revive at Five Sunday, April 25, 2010 Ecclesiastes 3 A Time for Everything 1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born

More information

LESSON PLAN. Key Verse Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

LESSON PLAN. Key Verse Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 LESSON PLAN Key Verse Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 Supplies A recording of Simple Gifts * Crafting activity materials (see page 5 of this lesson plan) A song sheet with

More information

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Craig Hills 25 Nov Bible 2000 (6) Dr. James W. Lewis, Instructor

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Craig Hills 25 Nov Bible 2000 (6) Dr. James W. Lewis, Instructor Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Craig Hills 25 Nov 2003 Bible 2000 (6) Dr. James W. Lewis, Instructor Hills 1 Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 New Living Translation 1 There is a time for everything, a season for every activity

More information

Read Psalm 1:3. How has God cultivated you to bear fruit in season this year?

Read Psalm 1:3. How has God cultivated you to bear fruit in season this year? Chapter 1 Questions for Study and Reflection: Read Psalm 1:3. How has God cultivated you to bear fruit in season this year? When have you experienced a season of singing, as described in Song of Songs

More information

Andrew Stepp Ecclesiastes

Andrew Stepp Ecclesiastes Andrew Stepp Ecclesiastes The Bible didn t invent wisdom it was all over the ancient world and all over the modern world. So what sets biblical Proverbs apart from all the other proverbs (proverb ers)

More information

Ecclesiastes Lesson 6

Ecclesiastes Lesson 6 Lesson at a Glance Lesson Objectives The students will summarize the message of Ecclesiastes in their own words. The students will identify three things that Solomon considered meaningless. The students

More information

ECCLESIASTES SERIES ONE WHAT TIME IS IT? PASTOR GLENN BARTEAU 12/14/07

ECCLESIASTES SERIES ONE WHAT TIME IS IT? PASTOR GLENN BARTEAU 12/14/07 ECCLESIASTES SERIES ONE WHAT TIME IS IT? PASTOR GLENN BARTEAU 12/14/07 1 (Hook) Colie was giving a little commentary on life one day in the car under her breath she said: I can t wait until I grow up.

More information

Your vision must be pure and sacred

Your vision must be pure and sacred 10 The path of Nirvana There is no place without 'God, and there is no form without the Divine. Whether one is in a forest or in a town, on a mountain top or in a valley, wherever one may be, one is not

More information

Redeeming Time Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. Dr. Steve Lee. I. The Frustration of Dealing with Seasons in Life

Redeeming Time Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. Dr. Steve Lee. I. The Frustration of Dealing with Seasons in Life Redeeming Time Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Dr. Steve Lee I. The Frustration of Dealing with Seasons in Life Q Wisdom Literature Ecclesiastes is the testimony of a man who calls himself The Preacher. He is on a

More information

Ecclesiastes 1:2 niv "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." Ecclesiastes 12:8 niv

Ecclesiastes 1:2 niv Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 12:8 niv Ecclesiastes 3 Ecclesiastes 1:2 niv "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." Ecclesiastes 12:8 niv "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything

More information

Life Savors: Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes Part I. Rev. John Hill June 17, 2007 Contemporary Service

Life Savors: Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes Part I. Rev. John Hill June 17, 2007 Contemporary Service Life Savors: Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes Part I Rev. John Hill June 17, 2007 Contemporary Service Do you remember your first love? My first love s name was Mary and we dated for several years in high school.

More information

Seasons Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. PW Emerson 06/16/2013 Ten:27 Ministries

Seasons Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. PW Emerson 06/16/2013 Ten:27 Ministries Seasons Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 PW Emerson 06/16/2013 Ten:27 Ministries Most people would say we have FINALLY hit summer. Today s hi is forecast to be 84 degrees and no rain until late tonight. ASK Who here

More information

1. LEADER PREPARATION

1. LEADER PREPARATION apologetics: RESPONDING TO SPECIFIC WORLDVIEWS Lesson 7: Buddhism This includes: 1. Leader Preparation 2. Lesson Guide 1. LEADER PREPARATION LESSON OVERVIEW Buddha made some significant claims about his

More information

Newsletter BIBLICAL INSIGHTS FOR TODAY S MANAGERS

Newsletter BIBLICAL INSIGHTS FOR TODAY S MANAGERS Newsletter BIBLICAL INSIGHTS FOR TODAY S MANAGERS V OLUME 4, I SSUE 5 B Y: R ON R. KELLEHER INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The Seasons of Life Seeking God in Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring In Eastern Washington

More information

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. I know Who Holds My Hand

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. I know Who Holds My Hand Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 I know Who Holds My Hand Sometimes I wish I knew what God knows about all of my life. After all, Scripture says that God knows the end from the beginning. 1 But, perhaps if I did know

More information

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Sunday School Lesson for February 1, 2004. Released on January 30, 2004. Study Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. A Time for All Things Questions and answers below. TIME: about 950 B.C. PLACE: Jerusalem Ecclesiastes

More information

Igniting a Heart ablaze Part Two Text Mark 12:30 (mess).

Igniting a Heart ablaze Part Two Text Mark 12:30 (mess). Igniting a Heart ablaze Part Two Text Mark 12:30 (mess). Intro: Good morning and welcome to restoration life church. You are here at an exciting time as we are on the second week of a new series called

More information

Do you think the New Year really will be a happy one for you?

Do you think the New Year really will be a happy one for you? Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 1 3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3

More information

Lessons From Ecclesiastes

Lessons From Ecclesiastes Lessons From Ecclesiastes Student Workbook Prepared By: Orville Vaughn (651) 402-5011 www.northcountrylight.com Permission is granted to copy any portion of this material as long as the content is not

More information

I Can Do It Myself! really wanted believed

I Can Do It Myself! really wanted believed 1 I Can Do It Myself! I have two children, they are both grownups now When my children were younger, I would often have some job to do around the house, and occasionally one or both wanted to help me.

More information

Ecclesiastes. Finding Purpose in Life Under the Sun. Lesson 11 - Wise and Joyful Living Ecclesiastes 11:1 12:1

Ecclesiastes. Finding Purpose in Life Under the Sun. Lesson 11 - Wise and Joyful Living Ecclesiastes 11:1 12:1 Ecclesiastes Finding Purpose in Life Under the Sun Lesson 11 - Wise and Joyful Living Ecclesiastes 11:1 12:1 Review Ecclesiastes Preacher; one who addresses an assembly Writer Solomon Theme Vanity - the

More information

As far back as I can remember, every time I left the house where I grew up, my

As far back as I can remember, every time I left the house where I grew up, my Proverbs 1: 20-26, 32-33 Be Wise As far back as I can remember, every time I left the house where I grew up, my mother would say to me, Be good. I remember hearing that into my forties and fifties. So,

More information

SYMPATHY Sermon preached by Dr. Lester Start on September 30, 1979 at First Baptist Church 315 W. Michigan Ave. Kalamazoo, Michigan SYMPATHY

SYMPATHY Sermon preached by Dr. Lester Start on September 30, 1979 at First Baptist Church 315 W. Michigan Ave. Kalamazoo, Michigan SYMPATHY SYMPATHY Sermon preached by Dr. Lester Start on September 30, 1979 at First Baptist Church 315 W. Michigan Ave. Kalamazoo, Michigan SYMPATHY Surely one of the most poignant verses in all the Bible is our

More information

Sympathetic Joy. SFVS Brahma Vihara Month March 2018 Mary Powell

Sympathetic Joy. SFVS Brahma Vihara Month March 2018 Mary Powell Sympathetic Joy SFVS Brahma Vihara Month March 2018 Mary Powell It is important to understand how much your own happiness is linked to that of others. There is no individual happiness totally independent

More information

How to Cope When You Are at the End of Your Rope

How to Cope When You Are at the End of Your Rope How to Cope When You Are at the End of Your Rope Dear Friend, How many times have you cried out for help when you felt all the pressures have pushed you over the cliff of life? There you are hanging at

More information

Seeking an Answer Long ago in a far away land a young couple married and soon the wife gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Like all new mothers she carefully counted ten fingers and ten toes and she and

More information

Welcome! QUIET HOOVER TOWER ONTEMPLATION MUSIC. Unwind and Thrive. BeWell.Stanford.edu

Welcome! QUIET HOOVER TOWER ONTEMPLATION MUSIC. Unwind and Thrive. BeWell.Stanford.edu HOOVER TOWER CARILLONCONCERT C QUIET ONTEMPLATION AND MUSIC Welcome! TODAY S CONCERT IS THE FIRST EVENT IN THE CONTEMPLATION BY DESIGN PROGRAM which continues November 3-7, 2014 Details about this new

More information

Scripture Readings. For. The Burial Office. and A Celebration of Life. As suggested in the Book of Common Prayer

Scripture Readings. For. The Burial Office. and A Celebration of Life. As suggested in the Book of Common Prayer Scripture Readings For The Burial Office and A Celebration of Life As suggested in the Book of Common Prayer One or more of the following passages from Holy Scripture is read. If there is to be a Communion,

More information

Ecclesiastes. by Ross Callaghan. Author. Type. Date. Theme.

Ecclesiastes. by Ross Callaghan. Author. Type. Date. Theme. Ecclesiastes by Ross Callaghan http://rosscallaghan.yolasite.com Author Type Date Theme Some think Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon. This is based on the introduction to the book: The words of

More information

The Danger of a Monotonous Life Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Pastor Bryan Clark

The Danger of a Monotonous Life Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Pastor Bryan Clark September 5/6, 2009 The Danger of a Monotonous Life Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Pastor Bryan Clark Video: In ten years I will have read my last bedtime story. In ten years I ll be driving. In ten years I m going

More information

The Books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. by Mike Willis and Dan King

The Books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. by Mike Willis and Dan King The Books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon by Mike Willis and Dan King Guardian of Truth Founda tion 2009. All rights re served. No part of this book may be repro duced in any form without written permission

More information

REDEEMING THE TIME or THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE! Ephesians 5:15-16

REDEEMING THE TIME or THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE! Ephesians 5:15-16 1 REDEEMING THE TIME or THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE! Ephesians 5:15-16 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (NKJV) Look therefore carefully

More information

Source: Proverbs , 3.1-5

Source: Proverbs , 3.1-5 Solomon in All His Glory Rev. Dr. Martha ter Kuile Minister of Worship, Congregational Care and Faith Development The Story 13: The King Who Had it All January 25, 2015 Source: Proverbs 2.1-11, 3.1-5 My

More information

Meaning In A Meaningless World Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-26

Meaning In A Meaningless World Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-26 Meaning In A Meaningless World Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-26 August 4, 2013 11 th Sunday After Pentecost In Charles Dickens famous story, A Christmas Carol, Jacob Marley comes back from the dead in

More information

Watch Night. New Year s Eve Worship. Calvary Lutheran Church and School December 31, :00 p.m.

Watch Night. New Year s Eve Worship. Calvary Lutheran Church and School December 31, :00 p.m. Watch Night New Year s Eve Worship Calvary Lutheran Church and School December 31, 2018 + 7:00 p.m. 9807 Church Road Dallas, Texas 75238 214-348-5567 Watch Night Christian Vigil on New Year s Eve Watch

More information

May the words of my lips and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

May the words of my lips and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. May the words of my lips and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen. We often think of life as a journey. The Christian life, is often

More information

THE STORY The Resurrection Luke 24/ Romans 8; I Corinthians 15. Introduction

THE STORY The Resurrection Luke 24/ Romans 8; I Corinthians 15. Introduction 1 THE STORY The Resurrection Luke 24/ Romans 8; I Corinthians 15 Introduction 1. Right now, literally as we speak, the National Scrabble Championships are going on in Buffalo, NY. I know you can hardly

More information

Ecclesiastes Chapters 3 and 4 John Karmelich

Ecclesiastes Chapters 3 and 4 John Karmelich Ecclesiastes Chapters 3 and 4 John Karmelich 1. I was torn between two titles for this lesson: It should either be called "Solomon's mid-life crisis" or the simple word "time". After writing most of this

More information

Walk a Mile in His Shoes by Rev. Kathy Sides (Preached at Fort Des Moines UMC )

Walk a Mile in His Shoes by Rev. Kathy Sides (Preached at Fort Des Moines UMC ) Walk a Mile in His Shoes by Rev. Kathy Sides (Preached at Fort Des Moines UMC 4-12-2015) In 1970 Joe South wrote and sang a song entitled Walk a Mile in My Shoes. How many of you remember it? It was basically

More information

A Prayer-Full Life Praying Like the Psalmists: Praying Raw Psalms 126 and 39 Kevin Haah. February 21, Turn on Timer!

A Prayer-Full Life Praying Like the Psalmists: Praying Raw Psalms 126 and 39 Kevin Haah. February 21, Turn on Timer! Turn on Timer! Good morning! [Slide 1] We are in the middle of a series on prayer entitled, A Prayer-FULL Life. [Slide 2] Today s sermon title is, Praying Like the Psalmists: Praying Raw. I know many of

More information

Jacob s Blessing The God Who Blesses Pastor Kim Engelmann West Valley Presbyterian Church

Jacob s Blessing The God Who Blesses Pastor Kim Engelmann West Valley Presbyterian Church Jacob s Blessing The God Who Blesses Pastor Kim Engelmann West Valley Presbyterian Church Date: 2018-05-06 Have you ever had a time when you just needed a hug? I had a morning like this recently. I had

More information

Ecclesiastes: Life Under the Sun Bro. Kory Cunningham

Ecclesiastes: Life Under the Sun Bro. Kory Cunningham Ecclesiastes: Life Under the Sun Bro. Kory Cunningham Before we get started, I want you to imagine with me for a moment. Tomorrow you go through your normal day, and at some point, you check in with your

More information

BUILDING. a. Nehemiah Learns About the Problem (Nehemiah 1:3)

BUILDING. a. Nehemiah Learns About the Problem (Nehemiah 1:3) BUILDING THE WALL Tanner Peake - NOVEMBER 17, 2012 1. The Story Abbreviated a. Nehemiah Learns About the Problem (Nehemiah 1:3) i. They told me, The exile survivors who are left there in the province are

More information

Dukkha: Suffering in Buddhism

Dukkha: Suffering in Buddhism Dukkha: Suffering in Buddhism Awareness and Transcendence By Nobue Urushihara Urvil (Ph. D. student of the Institute for the Medical Humanities) The Buddha: the Enlightened One Buddhism is not a simple

More information

A reading from the book of Isaiah

A reading from the book of Isaiah Isaiah 60:19 A reading from the book of Isaiah No Longer shall the sun be your light by day, Nor the brightness of the moon shine upon you at night; The Lord shall be your light forever, Your God shall

More information

NEW BEGINNINGS. And then at a point a little later this year, when my chaplain s L-plates have carefully been removed, I hope to take.

NEW BEGINNINGS. And then at a point a little later this year, when my chaplain s L-plates have carefully been removed, I hope to take. 12T H F EB R UA RY 2017 NEW BEGINNINGS Vicar s Blog You stand in the rain for an hour or so waiting for a bus, and then two come along together, keeping each other company. Typical. Last week it was announced

More information

First Reading. Old Testament. Job 19:1, 23-27a I know that my Vindicator lives. A reading from the Book of Job

First Reading. Old Testament. Job 19:1, 23-27a I know that my Vindicator lives. A reading from the Book of Job Job 19:1, 23-27a I know that my Vindicator lives. A reading from the Book of Job Job answered Bildad the Shuhite and said: Oh, would that my words were written down! Would that they were inscribed in a

More information

A SERVICE HONORING THE LIFE OF J, Nineteen days old. August 14, **** - September 2, ****

A SERVICE HONORING THE LIFE OF J, Nineteen days old. August 14, **** - September 2, **** A SERVICE HONORING THE LIFE OF J, Nineteen days old. August 14, **** - September 2, **** FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF 7:00 PM September 6, **** PRELUDE Organ Church Organist CHALICE LIGHTING

More information

All Souls Church, Unitarian. Compassion

All Souls Church, Unitarian. Compassion All Souls Church, Unitarian Covenant Theme Guide February 2017 Compassion God s dream is that you and I and all of us will realize that we are family, that we are made for togetherness, for goodness, and

More information

Ecclesiastes Preachers notes Sermon 01 - Life unfiltered

Ecclesiastes Preachers notes Sermon 01 - Life unfiltered 1 INTRODUCTION What does it mean to be successful in life? Our world is consumed with success. The answer to this question is all over the media and advertising: get the sexy girl, get the job, get 500

More information

Comfort An Awesome Thing!

Comfort An Awesome Thing! Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 2 Cor. 1:3 Comfort An Awesome Thing! Theme: Comfort is essential during the hard times in life. We

More information

CONTENTS. Much Love and Thanks... 9 A Place to Breathe 11 Part I: Exhaling 15. Part II: Inhaling 57. Free to Breathe 177

CONTENTS. Much Love and Thanks... 9 A Place to Breathe 11 Part I: Exhaling 15. Part II: Inhaling 57. Free to Breathe 177 CONTENTS Much Love and Thanks... 9 A Place to Breathe 11 Part I: Exhaling 15 Chapter 1: Getting Real 16 Chapter 2: Talking It Out 29 Chapter 3: Finding the Right Road 42 Part II: Inhaling 57 Chapter 4:

More information

ECCLESIASTES (Teacherʼs Edition) Part One: "All Is Vanity" (1:1-11) I. Introduction of Vanity 1:1-3 II. Illustrations of Vanity 1:4-11 Part Two: The

ECCLESIASTES (Teacherʼs Edition) Part One: All Is Vanity (1:1-11) I. Introduction of Vanity 1:1-3 II. Illustrations of Vanity 1:4-11 Part Two: The ECCLESIASTES (Teacherʼs Edition) Part One: "All Is Vanity" (1:1-11) I. Introduction of Vanity 1:1-3 II. Illustrations of Vanity 1:4-11 Part Two: The Proof that "All Is Vanity" (1:12--6:12) I. Proof of

More information

#1 Old Testament Reading Wisdom 4:7-15. A Reading from the Book of Wisdom

#1 Old Testament Reading Wisdom 4:7-15. A Reading from the Book of Wisdom #1 Old Testament Reading Wisdom 4:7-15 A Reading from the Book of Wisdom The just man, though he dies early, shall be at rest. For the age that is honorable comes not with the passing of time, nor can

More information

The Heart of a Healthy Church #14. 1 Thessalonians 5: 12-15

The Heart of a Healthy Church #14. 1 Thessalonians 5: 12-15 The Heart of a Healthy Church #14 1 Thessalonians 5: 12-15 We are getting close to the conclusion of the first letter that Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church. He has covered much with them; seeking

More information

Making Prayer a Priority

Making Prayer a Priority Making Prayer a Priority Charles F. Stanley - In Touch Ministries Seasons of prayer 01 A time to begin There s never a bad time to take our cares to God. No matter where we are in our spiritual walk whether

More information

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed Are Those Who Mourn Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. The fallen world we live in today embraces amusement and the pursuit of pleasure and leisure without considering

More information

Jnana, Dharma and Bhakti. The Hindu Way of Life and Three Paths to Moksha

Jnana, Dharma and Bhakti. The Hindu Way of Life and Three Paths to Moksha Jnana, Dharma and Bhakti The Hindu Way of Life and Three Paths to Moksha Hindu way of life u Three paths to moksha: 1. The path of knowledge (jnana-marga, jnana yoga) 2. The path of action (karma-marga,

More information

Pastor Robert Simmons June 12, 2016 Philippians 4:10-13

Pastor Robert Simmons June 12, 2016 Philippians 4:10-13 LEARN TO BE CONTENT Pastor Robert Simmons June 12, 2016 Philippians 4:10-13 10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity

More information

12/15/15. Ecclesiastes 1-2

12/15/15. Ecclesiastes 1-2 1 2 12/15/15 Ecclesiastes 1-2 We begin in our journey through Ecclesiastes and pray that God will give us understanding that will produce wisdom in our lives lest we think ourselves the exception to the

More information

Antebellum America: Second Great Awakening & Transcendentalists. Ms. Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY

Antebellum America: Second Great Awakening & Transcendentalists. Ms. Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY Antebellum America: Second Great Awakening & Transcendentalists Ms. Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY 1. The Second Great Awakening Spiritual Reform From Within [Religious Revivalism] Social

More information

Connected and Fruitful Going Deeper Series

Connected and Fruitful Going Deeper Series 1 Beaverton Foursquare Sunday A.M. 2-15-15 Going Deeper Part 7 Pastor Randy Remington Connected and Fruitful Going Deeper Series Introduction This will be the final Passover Meal for Jesus and his Disciples

More information

13:1-3; 10-13; 16-17; (NIV)

13:1-3; 10-13; 16-17; (NIV) The Pearl of Great Price: Matthew 13 Sub title: Christ: God s Favorite Son, Our Treasure Introduction Jesus brings seven parables in Matthew 13. Each of them is designed to teach us something that pertains

More information

The Upside Down Matthew 20:1-16 Annual Conference 2018 Pastor Brian Messler Thursday July 5, 2018

The Upside Down Matthew 20:1-16 Annual Conference 2018 Pastor Brian Messler Thursday July 5, 2018 The Upside Down Matthew 20:1-16 Annual Conference 2018 Pastor Brian Messler Thursday July 5, 2018 Prayer: Wonderful, grace giving God. We thank you for the grace you give to us in the midst our brokenness

More information

The Longest Night A Gathering on the Winter Solstice Monday, December 21, 2015

The Longest Night A Gathering on the Winter Solstice Monday, December 21, 2015 The Longest Night A Gathering on the Winter Solstice Monday, December 21, 2015 Orchard Valley United Church 130 Cornwallis Ave, New Minas NS (902) 681-0366 THE LONGEST NIGHT I will give you the treasurers

More information

Funeral Masses and Readings

Funeral Masses and Readings Funeral Masses and Readings Dear Parishioners, Our Parish family extends it s deepest sympathy and prayers to you and your loved ones at this time of your loss. This booklet is to assist you in the planning

More information

Dance Celebrate what God has done!

Dance Celebrate what God has done! Dance Celebrate what God has done! Friends, I don t know if you watch much late night TV or not, but it seems that The Tonight Show is doing pretty well with the new host Jimmy Fallon. In that movie Bacon

More information

A reading from the book of Job. 19:1, 23-27

A reading from the book of Job. 19:1, 23-27 1 st Reading 1 A reading from the book of Job. 19:1, 23-27 Job answered and said: Oh, would that my words were written down! Would that they were inscribed in a record: That with an iron chisel and with

More information

One of my students has studied Aikido. He said his teacher told him something that was

One of my students has studied Aikido. He said his teacher told him something that was 1 You Are YOU Joan Halifax Roshi* One of my students has studied Aikido. He said his teacher told him something that was the most important thing he ever heard. His teacher said, You are you. I agree with

More information

Happiness. Pursuit. The Pursuit of Happiness. The. Whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

Happiness. Pursuit. The Pursuit of Happiness. The. Whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he. The Pursuit of Happiness The Pursuit of Happiness Do you remember those round, yellow, smiley-faced stickers that showed up frequently on stationery and postcards? Often they were accompanied by the simple

More information

Sermon Series John 12:23-26

Sermon Series John 12:23-26 Sermon Series John 12:23-26 Preached on Palm Sunday, April 1 st, 2012 The Rev. Dennis Whalen Lighthouse Lutheran Church Freedom, PA 15042 Palm Sunday Processional Reading: Matthew 21:1-11 Old Testament

More information

Holiday Survival Guide - 3

Holiday Survival Guide - 3 Holiday Survival Guide - 3 Tis the season for Worry 20-40% of total sales for the year will happen from Nov-Dec So when those stores have those crazy sales 40% off That just means that we have been overpaying

More information

Preparing for the Present Second Sunday in Advent December 9, 2018 Gordon Wiersma. Text: Malachi 3 Luke 1 Luke 3

Preparing for the Present Second Sunday in Advent December 9, 2018 Gordon Wiersma. Text: Malachi 3 Luke 1 Luke 3 Preparing for the Present Second Sunday in Advent December 9, 2018 Gordon Wiersma Text: Malachi 3 Luke 1 Luke 3 I don t know about your household, but in my household dinner happens every day it is relentless

More information

How to Use This Prayer Guide

How to Use This Prayer Guide How to Use This Prayer Guide In all that we do, Bible Study Fellowship recognizes our utter need for and dependence upon God. As we look forward to People of the Promised Land, Part I, we invite you to

More information

Solomon s Twelve Secrets Session 2: Solomon s Bad News Is Good News For Us! Edited Transcript

Solomon s Twelve Secrets Session 2: Solomon s Bad News Is Good News For Us! Edited Transcript Solomon s Twelve Secrets Session 2: Solomon s Bad News Is Good News For Us! Edited Transcript Patrick Morley Good morning, men. Please turn in your Bibles to Ecclesiastes chapter two. The reason that I

More information

Series Been There- Done That- Now What? #4- MORE VALUABLE THAN MONEY Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Series Been There- Done That- Now What? #4- MORE VALUABLE THAN MONEY Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Series Been There- Done That- Now What? #4- MORE VALUABLE THAN MONEY Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 03-11-11 BRO BRIAN HANEY ANCHOR OF HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH I. LOOK UP! SEE THAT GOD ORDERS TIME A. GOD ORDERS THE SEASONS

More information

Broken Keys of the Kingdom: Godly Character for a Godless World Less is More Subseries New Life Assembly Matt 5:4; Luke 6:21b January 9, 2011

Broken Keys of the Kingdom: Godly Character for a Godless World Less is More Subseries New Life Assembly Matt 5:4; Luke 6:21b January 9, 2011 Broken Keys of the Kingdom: Godly Character for a Godless World Less is More Subseries New Life Assembly Matt 5:4; Luke 6:21b January 9, 2011 Main Sermon Idea: In the midst of our sorrows, we know that

More information

Becoming Nothing: A practice in Silence and Solitude

Becoming Nothing: A practice in Silence and Solitude Becoming Nothing: A practice in Silence and Solitude In solitude I get rid of my scaffolding: no friends to talk with, no telephone calls to make, no meetings to attend, no music to entertain, no books

More information

STEP 12: COMPASSION, COMMITMENT, DRUDGERY

STEP 12: COMPASSION, COMMITMENT, DRUDGERY STEP 12: COMPASSION, COMMITMENT, DRUDGERY This little study will bring us to the end of our examination of Step Twelve, and indeed to the end of this collection of studies on the last three Steps. It examines

More information

Our Personal Walk with the Lord

Our Personal Walk with the Lord Our Personal Walk with the Lord by Jeanne Vincent But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as

More information