Saturday, October 07, 2017

Football Counter-Programming 2017: Week 6


Last Sunday, Fr. Jason (my priest at All Saints Episcopal Church) continued the examination of the Book of Exodus--which is part of the Diocese of Southern Ohio's Exodus Big Read. And--as shown in the embedded video of the sermon below--the theme was on our tendency to complain . . . and why that might be.

I really urge you to watch the video below and think about the pattern of complaining that you might have in your life. I know that I have been thinking a lot about complaints (and fighting not to do so) all of this week. And I will try to continue being mindful of that in the weeks following this one.

To give you full context of the sermon, I have included the first and second readings from this past Sunday to help you understand what Fr. Jason is referring to.

(And, yes, I know that at the five minute mark, Fr. Jason makes reference to college football. In his defense, he has no idea that I would use his words in my weekly post against college football.)

The first reading for Sunday, Oct. 1, from Exodus 17: 1-7

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?" But the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried out to the Lord, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." The Lord said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying "Is the Lord among us or not?"

The second reading for Sunday, Oct. 1, from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians 2: 1-13

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete; be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God, as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.



Thanks for stopping by. Good luck to you as you begin a more positive journey. When we meet face-to-face, let's celebrate our new, healthier, happier outlook together.

And until next week, remember . . . no matter how many turnovers your alma mater's defense fails to secure in the third quarter of today's game . . . try NOT to complain about it.

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