Year B
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 23
Ephesians 2:11-22
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56<\/p>\n\n\n\n
May the words of my mouth O God\u2026 speak your truth\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes\u2026 when we\u2019re at work\u2026 we need to be team players\u2026 sometimes things come up that just\u2026 need\u2026 to be\u2026 tended to\u2026 though I\u2019ve worked in places\u2026 where some people consistently did as little as possible\u2026 and yet managed to not get fired\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I know that some organizations\u2026 expect their employees to do more than can possibly be done in an eight-hour shift\u2026 but cannot pay them overtime\u2026 and they may even ask why they punched out four minutes late\u2026 and I know some people who\u2026 from the moment they get to work\u2026 until the moment they leave\u2026 never stop\u2026 have a hard time slowing down\u2026 have a hard time taking a break\u2026 or taking a breath\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the rituals that Joel and I often go through\u2026 around dinnertime\u2026 could be called\u2026 The Daily Report\u2026 we recount the litany of all we\u2019ve done and accomplished that day\u2026 what I did at\u2026 and for church\u2026 and what I may have done at home\u2026 he\u2019ll tell me what he can about the residents he serves\u2026 and the activities he led\u2026 about any errands he ran\u2026 ] on days off it may be what laundry I washed\u2026 and if I went to the store I\u2019ll just set the receipt right on his couch cushion\u2026 it’s kind of like your pew at church\u2026 so he can read what I bought\u2026 and I don’t have to remember\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes he\u2019ll speak\u2026 \u00a0and when he’s done\u2026\u00a0 then I\u2019ll speak\u2026\u00a0 sometimes we alternate as we think of things\u2026\u00a0 we don\u2019t really think it has anything to do with our self-worth\u2026\u00a0 not really\u2026\u00a0 we don\u2019t keep track of who did more things\u2026\u00a0 not really\u2026\u00a0 we don\u2019t kick ourselves when we remember something we really needed to do\u2026\u00a0 not real-ly\u2026\u00a0 ] well maybe sometimes\u2026\u00a0 but we can laugh about it\u2026\u00a0 because we don\u2019t take ourselves too seriously\u2026\u00a0 not really\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two weeks ago we heard about how Jesus called the Twelve\u2026 and began to send them out two by two\u2026 gave them authority over unclean spirits\u2026 how they cast out demons\u2026 and anointed with oil many who were sick\u2026 and cured them\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And now\u2026 the apostles gather around Jesus\u2026 and recount their lists for him\u2026 tell him all that they had done and taught\u2026 I wonder if they all took turns\u2026 or just spoke up as they thought of things\u2026 I wonder if they thought it had anything to do with their self-worth\u2026 if they wanted to earn Jesus\u2019 favor\u2026 we remember James and John wanted to sit at Jesus’ left and right hand\u2026 but Jesus didn\u2019t do\u2026 what Joel and I sometimes\u2026 um\u2026 rarely do\u2026 he didn\u2019t keep score\u2026 he didn\u2019t offer any words of praise\u2026 instead he simply said\u2026 Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rest a while\u2026 not\u2026 how many other appointments do you have today\u2026 not what\u2019s on your To-Do List for tomorrow\u2026 not\u2026 can\u2019t you just squeeze this one thing in before you go to sleep\u2026 but instead\u2026 come away and rest a while\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes\u2026 we do need to rest a while\u2026 the spirit\u2026 mind\u2026 and body\u2026 need to be fed and nourished in different ways\u2026 before we\u2019re ready to do more\u2026 a well-balanced meal\u2026 perhaps doing a daily examen\u2026 and a good night\u2019s sleep\u2026 for example\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Jesus didn\u2019t just want them to take a break from their activity\u2026 this was not just taking a break from mission\u2026 this coming away to rest wasn\u2019t about doing less\u2026 but about him teaching them something more\u2026 and the reason we know this\u2026 is because one doesn\u2019t usually go to a deserted place\u2026 to rest and eat\u2026 a deserted place is not where food is normally found\u2026 ] not only that\u2026 in the verses that were omitted from today’s Gospel\u2026 vv. 35 – 52\u2026 Jesus has just fed the 5,000\u2026 and so everyone has already eaten\u2026 no\u2026 this is a time for a deeper teaching about the nature of mission and how it\u2019s to be carried out\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n And another reason we know this\u2026 is because v. 52 says: they did not understand about the loaves\u2026 and their hearts were hardened\u2026 so Mark uses the image of a boat once again\u2026 to convey\u2026 to give us the inside scoop\u2026 that an interior journey is about to take place\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now when you sing\u2026 there\u2019s a certain way of breathing\u2026 a certain way of projecting your voice\u2026 so it comes more from here [belly]\u2026 from your diaphragm\u2026 and not from here [throat]\u2026 I\u2019ve struggled learning this\u2026 mastering this\u2026 I may hit it sometimes\u2026 but many times I don\u2019t\u2026 and when I don\u2019t\u2026 I lose my voice\u2026 my effort becomes strained\u2026 weakened\u2026 but apparently\u2026 when you sing from here [belly]\u2026 when you\u2019re grounded here [belly]\u2026 singing is easier\u2026 sounds better\u2026 and you can do it longer and with less effort\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so we could say that Jesus wanted the disciples to sing from their true Source\u2026 from the source of Compassion\u2026 so they could feel it more deeply\u2026 convey it more easily\u2026 more effectively\u2026 and for a longer time\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n John Shea wrote\u2026 the scoop on compassion is that it can be tiring\u2026 but the hint in today\u2019s text\u2026 is that compassion is a form of rest\u2026 when we try to be compassionate from a perspective of difference\u2026 when we see ourselves as superior and the other person as needy\u2026 when we are called upon out of our greater health\u2026 or knowledge\u2026 or wealth\u2026 or expertise to help\u2026 we can quickly get worn out\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when we understand compassion from a perspective of sameness\u2026 when we understand compassion as happening on a level playing field\u2026 we find in ourselves a link that connects us with the Other\u2026 but this link cannot be forced or manufactured\u2026 we cannot make a mood of it\u2026 it must be genuinely perceived\u2026 and we must resist from identifying it with any advantage we may have\u2026 the possession\u2026 or attribute\u2026 or knowledge that makes us a little bit better or a little bit luckier than they are\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not easy to do though\u2026 because all of our lives we have been taught to use our differences to gain advantage\u2026 and so we tend to think more about what makes us unique\u2026 instead of that which makes us One\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to move from difference to sameness\u2026\u00a0 we must come away to a deserted place to rest\u2026\u00a0 to listen to each other\u2019s stories\u2026\u00a0 and hear\u2026\u00a0 and recognize\u2026\u00a0 re-Cognize\u2026\u00a0 that our own story is contained in those of Others\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we recognize our sameness\u2026 when we recognize what it is in each of us that connects us\u2026 when we increasingly see the face of Christ in everyone we meet\u2026 then our possessions\u2026 attributes\u2026 or knowledge\u2026 simply become tools that we can use to heal\u2026 and not things that make us better\u2026 and then our actions come from a space of communion\u2026 from a common humanity\u2026 from a common Source\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compassion is not an achievement\u2026 but the recognition of a deeper truth of solidarity which already exists\u2026 and the consciousness of this truth is found in a deeply restful place\u2026 from which our actions flows seamlessly\u2026 without pressure or pushing\u2026 ] happening\u2026 seeming to happen\u2026 more by itself\u2026 it’s almost like singing from here [belly]\u2026 it becomes easier\u2026 is sweeter\u2026 and you can do it longer and with less effort\u2026 ] so as you are able\u2026 take some rest the rest of this summer\u2026 but also come away\u2026 and take some Rest\u2026 it may be almost as good\u2026 as touching the fringe\u2026 on Jesus’ cloak\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Year B Jeremiah 23:1-6 Psalm 23 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 May the words of my mouth O God\u2026 speak your truth\u2026 Sometimes\u2026 when we\u2019re at work\u2026 we need to be team players\u2026 sometimes things come up that just\u2026 need\u2026 to be\u2026 tended to\u2026 though I\u2019ve worked in places\u2026 where some people consistently did as little as possible\u2026 and yet managed to not get fired\u2026 And I know that some organizations\u2026 expect their employees to do more than can possibly be done in an eight-hour shift\u2026 but cannot pay them overtime\u2026 and they may even ask why they punched out four minutes late\u2026 and I know some people who\u2026 from the moment they get to work\u2026 until the moment they leave\u2026 never stop\u2026 have a hard time slowing down\u2026 have a hard time taking a break\u2026 or taking a breath\u2026 One of the rituals that Joel and I often go through\u2026 around dinnertime\u2026 could be called\u2026 The Daily Report\u2026 we recount the litany of all we\u2019ve done and accomplished that day\u2026 what I did at\u2026 and for church\u2026 and what I may have done at home\u2026 he\u2019ll tell me what he can about the residents he serves\u2026 and the activities he led\u2026 about any errands he ran\u2026 ] on days off it may be what laundry I washed\u2026 and if I went to the store I\u2019ll just set the receipt right on his couch cushion\u2026 it’s kind of like your pew at church\u2026 so he can read what I bought\u2026 and I don’t have to remember\u2026 Sometimes he\u2019ll speak\u2026 \u00a0and when he’s done\u2026\u00a0 then I\u2019ll speak\u2026\u00a0 sometimes we alternate as we think of things\u2026\u00a0 we don\u2019t really think it has anything to do with our self-worth\u2026\u00a0 not really\u2026\u00a0 we don\u2019t keep track of who did more things\u2026\u00a0 not really\u2026\u00a0 we don\u2019t kick ourselves when we remember something we really needed to do\u2026\u00a0 not real-ly\u2026\u00a0 ] well maybe sometimes\u2026\u00a0 but we can laugh about it\u2026\u00a0 because we don\u2019t take ourselves too seriously\u2026\u00a0 not really\u2026 Two weeks ago we heard about how Jesus called the Twelve\u2026 and began to send them out two by two\u2026 gave them authority over unclean spirits\u2026 how they cast out demons\u2026 and anointed with oil many who were sick\u2026 and cured them\u2026 And now\u2026 the apostles gather around Jesus\u2026 and recount their lists for him\u2026 tell him all that they had done and taught\u2026 I wonder if they all took turns\u2026 or just spoke up as they thought of things\u2026 I wonder if they thought it had anything to do with their self-worth\u2026 if they wanted to earn Jesus\u2019 favor\u2026 we remember James and John wanted to sit at Jesus’ left and right hand\u2026 but Jesus didn\u2019t do\u2026 what Joel and I sometimes\u2026 um\u2026 rarely do\u2026 he didn\u2019t keep score\u2026 he didn\u2019t offer any words of praise\u2026 instead he simply said\u2026 Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while\u2026 Rest a while\u2026 not\u2026 how many other appointments do you have today\u2026 not what\u2019s on your To-Do List for tomorrow\u2026 not\u2026 can\u2019t you just squeeze this one thing in before you go to sleep\u2026 but instead\u2026 come away and rest a while\u2026 Sometimes\u2026 we do need to rest a while\u2026 the spirit\u2026 mind\u2026 and body\u2026 need to be fed and nourished in different ways\u2026 before we\u2019re ready to do more\u2026 a well-balanced meal\u2026 perhaps doing a daily examen\u2026 and a good night\u2019s sleep\u2026 for example\u2026 But Jesus didn\u2019t just want them to take a break from their activity\u2026 this was not just taking a break from mission\u2026 this coming away to rest wasn\u2019t about doing less\u2026 but about him teaching them something more\u2026 and the reason we know this\u2026 is because one doesn\u2019t usually go to a deserted place\u2026 to rest and eat\u2026 a deserted place is not where food is normally found\u2026 ] not only that\u2026 in the verses that were omitted from today’s Gospel\u2026 vv. 35 – 52\u2026 Jesus has just fed the 5,000\u2026 and so everyone has already eaten\u2026 no\u2026 this is a time for a deeper teaching about the nature of mission and how it\u2019s to be carried out\u2026 And another reason we know this\u2026 is because v. 52 says: they did not understand about the loaves\u2026 and their hearts were hardened\u2026 so Mark uses the image of a boat once again\u2026 to convey\u2026 to give us the inside scoop\u2026 that an interior journey is about to take place\u2026 Now when you sing\u2026 there\u2019s a certain way of breathing\u2026 a certain way of projecting your voice\u2026 so it comes more from here [belly]\u2026 from your diaphragm\u2026 and not from here [throat]\u2026 I\u2019ve struggled learning this\u2026 mastering this\u2026 I may hit it sometimes\u2026 but many times I don\u2019t\u2026 and when I don\u2019t\u2026 I lose my voice\u2026 my effort becomes strained\u2026 weakened\u2026 but apparently\u2026 when you sing from here [belly]\u2026 when you\u2019re grounded here [belly]\u2026 singing is easier\u2026 sounds better\u2026 and you can do it longer and with less effort\u2026 And so we could say that Jesus wanted the disciples to sing from their true Source\u2026 from the source of Compassion\u2026 so they could feel it more deeply\u2026 convey it more easily\u2026 more effectively\u2026 and for a longer time\u2026 John Shea wrote\u2026 the scoop on compassion is that it can be tiring\u2026 but the hint in today\u2019s text\u2026 is that compassion is a form of rest\u2026 when we try to be compassionate from a perspective of difference\u2026 when we see ourselves as superior and the other person as needy\u2026 when we are called upon out of our greater health\u2026 or knowledge\u2026 or wealth\u2026 or expertise to help\u2026 we can quickly get worn out\u2026 But when we understand compassion from a perspective of sameness\u2026 when we understand compassion as happening on a level playing field\u2026 we find in ourselves a link that connects us with the Other\u2026 but this link cannot be forced or manufactured\u2026 we cannot make a mood of it\u2026 it must be genuinely perceived\u2026 and we must resist from identifying it with any 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