God Will Take Care of Us

God Will Take Care of Us

Discipleship Questions for

Sunday August 10, 2008

Scripture Readings:

First Reading: 1Kings 19:9a, 11-13a

Psalm Reading: Psalm 85

Second Reading: Romans 9:1-5

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33

First Reading 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a

A reading from the first Book of Kings

Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord.

At the mountain of God, Horeb,

Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.

Then the LORD said to him,

“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;

the LORD will be passing by.”

A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains

and crushing rocks before the LORD—

but the LORD was not in the wind.

After the wind there was an earthquake—

but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake there was fire—

but the LORD was not in the fire.

After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.

When he heard this,

Elijah hid his face in his cloak

and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14.

(R.) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

I will hear what God proclaims;

the LORD—for he proclaims peace.

Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,

glory dwelling in our land.

(R.) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Kindness and truth shall meet;

justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.

(R.) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;

our land shall yield its increase.

Justice shall walk before him,

and prepare the way of his steps.

(R.) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Second Reading Rom 9:1-5

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans

I could wish that I were accursed for the sake of my own people.

Brothers and sisters:

I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;

my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness

that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ

for the sake of my own people,

my kindred according to the flesh.

They are Israelites;

theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,

the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;

theirs the patriarchs, and from them,

according to the flesh, is the Christ,

who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

This text is used in the following liturgical events:

Second Reading from Friday Ord Time 30: Year 1 (weekday Ordinary Time)

Gospel Mt 14:22-33

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Command me to come to you on the water.

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat

and precede him to the other side,

while he dismissed the crowds.

After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

When it was evening he was there alone.

Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,

was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.

During the fourth watch of the night,

he came toward them walking on the sea.

When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.

“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.

At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Peter said to him in reply,

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

He said, “Come.”

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.

But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;

and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,

and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

After they got into the boat, the wind died down.

Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,

“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Discipleship Questions:

1. What do you know about the Desert Fathers? Please go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Fathers for a brief review.

2. Please read the following and discuss: Probably the most obvious key to the spirituality of the Desert Fathers is their focus on “stillness” before the Lord

I’m telling y’all this because it was with this in my mind that I came to the readings for today and it was no coincidence that the First Reading for today was the one scripture in the entire Bible that is the foundational verse for the Desert Father’s decision to flee from the profanity of the world to the stillness of the Deserts of Egypt and Syria.

All of this also connects with the Gospel reading but more of that soon.

Let me read our First Reading once again and see if you can spot the verse that the Desert Father’s heard and set off for the Desert:

1Kings 19:9

9a. There Elijah went into a cave on Mount Horeb and spent the night. . . . 11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Did anyone spot the verse? It’s verse 12After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Now a better translation for the words “gentle whisper” “DemmarmahDaka” is literally “a voice of thin silence.” It’s this verse that stands behind the whole Judeo-Christian mystical tradition.

The Desert Father’s saw in this single verse God’s invitation to flee to the silence of the desert to find Him! . . . and they did!!!

This little verse launched the 4^th Century Monastic movement that flourishes to this very day. Mother Theresa and Henri Nouwin are just two names that many of us are familiar with. Thomas Merton is another one. These modern day monastic’s continue to influence the minds and hearts of our world.

They have discovered that it’s often in the stillness that God is most vocal and most easily heard.

It’s often in the quietness and stillness of silent contemplation that the greatest challenges and opportunities for profound change have occurred in our lives but Oh how hard it is to find a time and space for quiet prayer and contemplation in this frenetic world!

At the center of all of the recorded meditations of the Desert Fathers is their deep and abiding desire to be closer and closer to their resurrected Lord Jesus! When you read their simple but profound writings it’s impossible to miss their drive to draw ever closer to the Lord – to be sold out completely to him.

3. Please read the following and discuss: Probably the most obvious key to the spirituality of the Desert Fathers is their focus on “stillness” before the Lord

All of this also connects with the Gospel reading but more of that soon.

Let me read our First Reading once again and see if you can spot the verse that the Desert Father’s heard and set off for the Desert:

1Kings 19:9

Did anyone spot the verse? It’s verse 12After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Now a better translation for the words “gentle whisper” “DemmarmahDaka” is literally “a voice of thin silence.”It’s this verse that stands behind the whole Judaeo-Christian mystical tradition.

The Desert Father’s saw in this single verse God’s invitation to flee to the silence of the desert to find Him! . . . and they did!!!

This little verse launched the 4^th Century Monastic movement that flourishes to this very day. Mother Theresa and Henri Nouwin are just two names that many of us are familiar with. Thomas Merton is another one. These modern day monastics continue to influence the minds and hearts of our world.

They have discovered that it’s often in the stillness that God is most vocal and most easily heard.

4. Please read the following and discuss: When we first felt convinced that this was God’s plan to resource the spreading of His Kingdom throughout the world we committed to it in Fear and trembling. We probably felt a bit like St. Peter before he walked on the water.

In our Gospel reading we see St. Peter walking on water. Try to imagine what was going on in Peter’s mind when he saw Jesus walking towards them on the stormy seas. . . . . .

Listen as I read it once more but this time from Eugene Peterson’s “The Message:”

Matt. 14:24 Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. 25 At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. 26 They were scared out of their wits. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror. 27 But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” 28 Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.” 29 and Jesus said, “Come ahead.” Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. 30 But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” 31 Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?” 32 The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. 33 The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, “This is it! You are God’s Son for sure!”

You see St. Peter looked at Jesus over the storm tossed waves and perhaps thought . .

“I know that Jesus is the Son of God . . . and I’ve seen Him overrule the laws of nature in miracle after miracle but now I want to experience this power personally and in doing so to declare my absolute trust in my Lord!”

And now Jesus turns to us and offers us the same opportunity – we can turn to God and walk on water or we can continue to just think about!

There really are at least two types of Christians – those who trust their God and those who simply use His name.

Our financial challenges would disappear if all of us tithed or even just began to approach a tithe by committing to give say 2% of their income to the Church. That’s how we started.

Where do we place our hope – in God or in things – money, insurance policies, investment properties, the stock market? There’s noting wrong about being a good steward of your resources but where is your hope? If it’s actually in the things of this creation it is terribly and tragically misplaced.

Things are cold comfort when we face eternity alone!

This morning God is giving you and me another chance to enter more fully and more completely into a faithful relationship with Him. To free ourselves from our dependency upon the “THINGS” of this world and to declare our absolute trust in Him.

God and God alone is our ultimate hope. Oh, He gives us things but they must never be the source of our hope.

They do so easily become our hope but the truth is that at the end of it all is our sovereign loving God inviting us here and now to rest our hope in Him and to spend the rest of our lives at peace knowing that He will most assuredly take care of us!

Our hope is in Him and not in things!