http://www.tkayala.com/2013/05/mothers-day-resources.html
http://www.tkayala.com/2012/05/mothers-day-prayers-collection.html
http://www.tkayala.com/2012/05/mothers-day-may-13.html
http://www.tkayala.com/2013/05/mothers-day-2013.html
http://www.tkayala.com/2013/05/mothers-day-anti-war-reminder.html
http://www.homilystories.in/2014/05/mothers-day.html
***************
I must candidly confess that when I was in seminary the
16th chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans didn't do much for me. It struck me
as being boring nothing more than a long presentation of people's names, most of
whom I could not pronounce; I usually skimmed over that part so I could get to
what I considered to be the real Gospel. Over the years I have greatly changed
my attitude about this particular chapter and I have discovered that there is
much more to it than I had first imagined. For example, it is interesting to
note that of the twenty-six people who Paul singles out for his personal
greeting, six were women. Now that strikes me as being rather interesting, since
Paul has frequently gotten a bum rap for being a male chauvinist. I think it
also shows us the tremendous influence that women had in the early church. In
the male oriented first century Palestine, it is telling that Paul could not
describe the church without mentioning the significant role of women.
Verse 13 of chapter 16 is particularly interesting and it
is one that scholars have struggled with over the centuries. Paul writes: "Give
my greetings to Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine." Now this
statement could be taken two ways. It could mean that Paul had two distinct
women in mind--the mother of Rufus and his own personal mother. Or, he could be
saying: "I salute Rufus and his mother, who is like a mother to me." If that is
what he meant, and most Biblical scholars agree that that is indeed what he
meant, then it raises some interesting speculation. When and where did Paul meet
Rufus' mother? Did she nurse him through some serious illness?
Did she receive him into her home for an extended stay
during his missionary journeys? How did this woman and Paul form such a close
bond that he refers to her fondly as being like his mother? Mark tells us that
Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus cross, had two sons: Alexander and
Rufus. Was this the same Rufus to whom Paul was speaking? If that is true, his
mother would be Simon of Syrene's wife. No one knows for sure who this
remarkable woman was who served as a mother figure for the great Paul. But it
really makes no difference, because what he writes makes an excellent
springboard for a Mother's Day sermon.
1. First, mothers should be saluted for their tenacious
love.
2. Secondly, mothers should be saluted for the tremendous impact they have.
3. Third, mothers should be saluted because where they are, that is where home is.
Do you remember
playing "Follow The Leader" when you were a kid? The "leader" called the shots.
Whatever way the leader went, whatever the leader did, the "followers" were
supposed to imitate. It was a fun game until some "leader" decided to do
something, well . . . not smart. Jumping over a ditch was an adventure until
someone didn't quite make it and tumbled down and got hurt. "Following the
leader" goes bad when the leader goes bad, when the "leader" doesn't consider
the welfare of the led.2. Secondly, mothers should be saluted for the tremendous impact they have.
3. Third, mothers should be saluted because where they are, that is where home is.
Sheep are great at
playing "follow the leader." The "herd mentality" looms large in a sheep brain.
If sheep are in a line and a stick is thrust in front of one animal, forcing it
to jump over that barrier, all those following will jump over that stick -
whether it is there or not. For sheep, seeing a member of their flock jump over
"something" is enough to make the next animal jump up and over whatever that
"something" is - whether it physically exists or not. Make one sheep jump and
you can make a whole herd jump - regardless of whether there is actually
anything to jump over.
Growing up in Galilee
Jesus knew sheep like a cowboy knows cattle. Jesus knew the instincts, the
needs, the intuitions of the sheep that surrounded him in his homeland. Jesus
used that everyday knowledge to reveal to the people he encountered the desires
that he knew permeated and perforated their lives. Jesus always dealt with
people on the basis of a one-on-one personal contact. But he also knew all about
our communal needs - our desires to be connected in some way to a larger whole,
to be connected to a community. Jesus knew we are needy lambs and yet also
hopeful herds looking for a leader.
In this week's gospel
text Jesus offers himself in three different roles: first as the shepherd, then
as the gatekeeper, and finally as the gate itself. Jesus is the port, the
patrol, and the portal...
___________________________
What I want to deal with is leadership. People are saying
in Boston, Mass, Palm Beach, Florida, and towns throughout our country that
there must be something wrong with the church. Why has the religious leadership
failed?
Now let us travel 3000 miles to Israel. In towns very
familiar to us because they are biblical towns there is a war going on in the
streets. The two sides are deeply religious and yet they are at each other's
throats. Even the children there are abused and used as human bombs.
People are saying in Palestine, Jerusalem, Kabul, and in
towns all over the east that something is wrong. Why has the religious
leadership failed?
Leadership. We all want good leadership. Good shepherds to
lead us in and out of green pasture. We vote hoping to elect it, we apply for
jobs hoping to work for it, and we go to school hoping to be educated by it. But
we do not always find it. The trust we place in our leaders can be broken. So
what are we to do? John 10 holds the answer...