<html><body>Part 2 - <div><br></div><div>I hope you enjoy happy worshipping this weekend!<div><br></div><div>Bob</div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> I don’t know how often I think and talk about our Baptismal Covenant. You know: “</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? Will you proclaim by<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">word and example the Good News of God in Christ? Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” <sup>5</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> In other words, will you keep working on following Jesus, and all that that entails?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> For those who’ve been a member of a Christian congregation for a while, this shouldn’t be a surprise. Even for those who’ve attended only a few services, the implication about how we’re called to be followers of Jesus shouldn’t be a secret. There’s to be a tension in life, say the Gospels. We should look critically, with open eyes, at ourselves; and we should look compassionately, lovingly at everyone else; in other words, the exact reverse of the steward, who had had in his hands the opportunity to do great things for the Lord of the Banquet, but who blew it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> “Narcissistic, manipulators, defenders of their own causes, auctioneers of vain crusades.” Perhaps we can see where this headline may be pointing now. And that fellow who wanders around in a long, white coat? That’s Francis, Bishop of Rome, spiritual father to the Roman Catholic Communion. And while he’s not been shy about criticizing business, and governments, and so on, that’s <b><u>NOT</u></b> whom he was describing last week.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> “Pope Francis met 154 recently appointed bishops from around the world. They were attending a week-long seminar in Rome for new bishops.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> “In a nearly 40-minute prepared talk, the Pope warned new bishops against using their office to be self-serving, but rather to share the holiness, truth and love of God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">“Pope Francis again underlined how important it is bishops be good Samaritans with concrete ‘palpable’ acts of mercy.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But what Francis said directly to bishops, he expected the same to be said to their priests under their care and, in turn, to the congregations under THEIR care. And, we must add, the congregations then have to assume the same mantle and, as forgiven and renewed people, they themselves are not to abuse the gifts with which they’ve been entrusted. Everyone one of us, lay AND ordained, must be there to be able to nourish the gifts with which God has blessed all in creation, and which are waiting to be released and affirmed,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> As Francis put it, “</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">So many people need and seek mercy, he said. They know full well they are hurting and ‘half dead,’ so if they sense a merciful soul is passing, they will respond.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> “They are fascinated by [mercy’s] capacity to stop when so many walk on by; to kneel when a certain rheumatism of the soul keeps many from bending down; to touch wounded flesh when a preference for everything to be sterile prevails,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> “Never forget the ‘shiver’ of love and trepidation felt when God called and still calls you, the Pope told the bishops. It is not necessary to put up a front or ‘invent a profile’ when we have God, ‘who is greater and does not scorn’ what<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">little we have or ‘become scandalised by our wounds’.” </span><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">6</span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> And every place where Francis said “bishop”, insert your own name.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> It’s a heck of responsibility, being a steward, and we can and do stumble so often. When we hear this parable, we can mutter under our breaths, if we wish, there, but for the grace of God, go I.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> The parable leaves us, leaves the church, with a question mark, however. Will we find the parallels between the situation and ourselves in time for us to make a course correction? I feel that that’s why Jesus told the story, that the Church, all its constituent members, may not squander the property we have from God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> God help us!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">NOTES:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">[1]</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> “Steward” by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(32, 32, 32);">Br. Curtis Almquist <a href="http://ssje.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=344ed142b391b2b520df4080c&id=84bb52eb92&e=d3bff814a3" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(43, 170, 223);">Society of Saint John the Evangelist</span></a> 12<sup>th</sup> September, 2016 <a href="http://ssje.org/word/?p=12981">http://ssje.org/word/?p=12981</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> “Steward” by <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Br. Curtis Almquist <a href="http://ssje.org/"><span style="padding: 0in; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); border: 1pt none windowtext;">Society of Saint John the Evangelist</span></a> <a href="http://ssje.org/word/?p=12895">http://ssje.org/word/?p=12895</a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">3</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"> StoryPeople 16<sup>th</sup> September, 2016 "The Crew at StoryPeople" <a href="http://www.storypeople.com/">www.storypeople.com</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">4</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Linda McMillan, Shanghai, China. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/messages/hannukahlinda">https://www.facebook.com/messages/hannukahlinda</a> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">5</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <i>“The Baptismal Covenant, Holy Baptism”</i>, Book of Common Prayer, Church Publishing Corporation, New York. Pages 304-5<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">6</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <i>“Pope Francis tells new bishops: the world is tired of ‘trendy’ priests” by</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong><a href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/author/carol-glatz/" title="Posts by Carol Glatz"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Carol Glatz</span></a> </strong>posted<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Friday, 16 Sep 2016 <a href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/09/16/pope-francis-tells-new-bishops-the-world-is-tired-of-trendy-priests/">http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/09/16/pope-francis-tells-new-bishops-the-world-is-tired-of-trendy-priests/</a> </span></p></div></div></body></html>