Since You're Not Going to Eat That...

A lot of times it is said that if you want to know what a person would like for a gift, simply look at the kind of gifts they give to others.

This makes a lot of sense as we often imagine that everyone would quite naturally like the things that we enjoy.  I mean, who wouldn't?

If it is good enough for me, it is good enough for them, right?

Here's another way of thinking about this:

Have you ever given someone a gift that you really wanted?  Or at least wouldn't mind having?

How many times have you taken home a gift from a Dirty Santa exchange that you bought, wrapped and presented for the party?

What is our motivation for the good we do?  Are we really just in it for numero uno?

I would hope that we could see past ourselves.  Sometimes I think that we do.  But other times, we miss the mark and are feathering our own nest.

This Sunday, we will continue to examine John Wesley's historic General Rules.

We're on rule two:
Doing good.

Okay, this sounds rather easy when you see it in print. We all know that we should do good.  We all know that we should help others.  So why don't we?

Why is it like pulling teeth sometimes?

Maybe its because other people are just as cussed as I am sometimes.

I really like this prayer by Reinhold Neibuhr:

   O God, who has bound us together in this bundle of life, give us grace to understand
   how our lives depend on the industry, the honesty and integrity of our fellow <people>;
   that we may be mindful of their needs, grateful for their faithfulness, and faithful in our 
   responsibilities to them; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I will be using the lectionary Gospel reading this week which is Mark 1:29-39.  I invite you to read it and see where Jesus made a habit of doing good things but still needed some time to refresh.

This Sunday, I hope you'll choose a place for your own refreshment and if you are in Edmond and unaffiliated with a congregation, I hope you'll join us!

In Christ,

Sam