Stewardship refers to right relationship and right use of our talents, time and energy, and money for the purpose of doing God’s work in the world.  I’d like to reflect on stewardship in light of the bible and current situation in our country.

Does love have any power? It forgiveness possible?

The gospel and other readings today make the claim that loving service to others has the power to bring life and freedom out of unmerited suffering and death. Does love have any real power today in a world beset by overwhelming injustice and violence? Can we stake our lives as Jesus and his disciples did on the promise that the costly way of love saves and liberates us and others? Let me share a story of one person who helped me answer that question.

“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

The Jesuit scholars John Donahue and Daniel Harrington wrote about our gospel passage today that it is “the longest sustained treatment of any ethical issue in the gospel.

Good morning. How good to be with you. As you and I start our journey together and walk the way that God has prepared for our church, I would like to reflect today on what I think the gospel story of the Syrophoenician woman tells us about the essence of the Christian path.

            No one would blame you if you listened to the gospel reading about the Syrophoenician woman and reached this conclusion: on a bad day, even Jesus can be a jerk. It’s hard to read this story, and not feel like ‘what is going on here’? The woman is a mother who is desperately seeking help for her suffering girl. Jesus refuses her request to cast the demon out, and basically calls them ‘dogs’ – an incredibly offensive insult in that time. We don’t find another instance when he insults someone like this anywhere in the gospels. So why?

Stay broad St. Paul’s, protect the both/and, keep rejecting the hard either/or choices, that masquerade as courage or righteousness, but in fact are nothing more than the first sign of a lack of faith. Be the church that says, “Whatever you are looking for in a church, you can find it here.” Is it sacred music? We have that. Is it robust children’s programs? We have those. Is it outreach to the world? We have that. Is it the Protestant call to hearing the Word that changes everything? We have that. Is it the Catholic sacramental presence so thick that you can taste it? We have that too. They all go together here and that is why there is room here for all of us both now and in the future.