awater

October 4

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Saturday, October 4

LUKE 10:17-24
I give lessons on being joyful and more child-like.

Prayerthoughts
a. There was real joy for the seventy-two who returned from their missionary activity. Am I a basically joyful person? Where can I be more joyful?

b. The Lord tells his disciples and us that we should be joyful at our spiritual accomplishments leading to eternal life. As I study my day yesterday, were my actions the actions of a truly spiritual person? (This is the task of the meditation.)

c. What is my understanding of “child-like”?

d. Often being “child-like” refers to people who are not solicitous for power. How do I want too much power?

e. What is God’s will for me?

f. Jesus has given us His idea of God in the Gospels. Does God play a significant role in my life right now?

g. I have truly seen Jesus in the Scriptures. Am I trying to identify with Jesus enough in the words that I read?

h. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Baruch 4:5-12,27-29 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

GOD UNDERSTANDS

+ The Hebrew Scriptures’ Book of the Prophet Baruch speak important words today in the first reading

- Baruch acknowledges the sinfulness of the past, but then adds what is most important for us to hear:

“Fear not, my children; call out to God! He who brought this upon you will remember you. As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God, turn now ten times the more to seek him; for he who has brought disaster upon you will, in saving you, bring you back to enduring joy.”

+ Those words of Baruch are among the most encouraging words in the Bible: are among the most important words in the whole Bible

- even though you have been punished and deserve it, God will save you bringing you back to enduring joy

- for example, in terms of the Gospel, the words are very important for what might be called “the modern 72”

- we don’t know much about the seventy-two that Luke speaks of

- but they were a group that Jesus sent out to the places that he intended to visit, and they were to prepare people for the kingdom of God

- it is a good description of what we are all called to do as Christians today:

- prepare for Jesus by announcing that the kingdom of God is here

- and in that sense, we might be called the “modern 72”

+ “Preparing for the kingdom of God” means in today’s world that we must be people who lead ourselves and others to an understanding of the presence of God in our lives

- it was the ultimate reason of why people set up the Church as we know it today--what our Church should be all about, namely, creating the presence of God in this world today

- and one of the primary “doctrines” if we can call it that is the statement of Baruch:

- we are called to bring that presence into a complicated world

- and say to it, that even though we don’t understand why things happen the way they do, or when we are so discouraged

- we are still being led to enduring joy

- or in other words, to say to the world—God knows what is going on even if we don’t.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Watermelon Sugar" -- Harry Styles

MORE THAN A FEELING

The Gospel

JOHN 15:14-17

Jesus said: "You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another."

Gospelthink: I chose you to be a person who tries to love everyone. Is there anyone in my acquaintances that I do not love as I should?

"Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening. And it sounds like a summer feelin’, it’s so wonderful and warm. Breathe me in, breathe me out. I don’t know if I could ever go without. I’m just thinking out loud. Watermelon sugar high. I want that summer feelin’, getting washed away in you. I just wanna taste it, Watermelon sugar high."

Feelings are an important part of the Gospels. It is clear that Jesus's feelings for his Father were strong. And as one studies those feelings, it becomes evident that the feelings that Jesus has are merely the beginning of his love for His Father. His love goes much further than feelings.

It is the same with his feelings for his disciples. It is clear that he has strong feelings of appreciation and care for them. But it goes much further than that. He calls it being a "friend" to them, that is, having the love of a friendship for his disciples. Then he calls his disciples to have that same love for one another. The point is that in Jesus's mind, there are two thoughts: "feelings of love" and "love itself." Feelings of love do not describe love. Love is much more than feeling love.

It is an important fact as one studies the multiple love songs that are produced in the music genres of our culture. The feelings of love tend to dominate a love relationship because it is the feelings that we can see and experience. Love goes much further than that. Thus in Harry Styles' song "Watermelon Sugar," the feelings of love are quite apparent: a "summer feeling," "wonderful and warm," "getting washed away in you," wanting to "taste it."

But the conclusion of the song, and the conclusion of every love song, must be that the love they want or describe is more than feeling. Here, he sings, "I don't know if I could ever go without" the love. His words imply permanence which only comes about after the feelings of love are present.

The love of a permanent relationship is a love that will not cease. It must be true when a couple makes the commitment to be with one another forever. In Jesus's mind, it must be the commitment of every one of us for each other.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, there are many times when we have the feelings of love. Give us the grace to understand that if we are going to truly love, we must go further than feelings. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We want good feelings with love, but we must work at being truly loving.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Watermelon Sugar" teach young people?
2. Sometimes in Christian circles, there is a distinction made between "like someone" and "love someone"? Is that a good distinction to make as we read Jesus's statement to love everyone? Yes or no and why?
3. In your opinion, what is a "watermelon sugar high"?
4. What is your definition of a "friend"?
5. What is your definition of "true love"?
6. There are other relationships in a person's life that are permanent besides marriage. Give some examples/
7. Do you think that a Christian can make a commitment to love everyone with a true love? Yes or no and why?