May 22, 2022
6th Sunday of Easter
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Gospel of John
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
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John 14:23-29
This text touches on several themes, not all of them clearly connected, so the first challenge for a preacher is deciding which part(s) of it to preach. The farewell discourse (John 13-17), like other extended speeches of Jesus in John’s Gospel, does not always move with a linear logic but in something more like a spiral. Various themes are repeated in different places, and as the text circles back to them, they do not always seem directly related to what immediately precedes or follows. So here in quick succession, we find the themes of loving Jesus and keeping his words, Jesus and the Father abiding with disciples, the role of the Advocate, the peace that Jesus gives, the counsel to have no anxiety or fear, the departure and return of Jesus, his relation to the Father, and a call to rejoice and believe. Connections can certainly be found among these verses, but any attempt to treat them all in a single sermon would likely fail to give any of them its due. The text’s assigned parameters in the lectionary seem arbitrary, and we will likely need to be selective, choosing smaller portions of the text to explore.
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The word translated “Advocate” by the NRSV is paraklētos, and no single English word can convey its meaning. It literally means, “the one who calls from beside” or “the one called to the side of.” Dr. Paul Simpson Duke
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Mid-Week Chat with
Fr. Tom
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Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
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Pope - In need, cry out to God |
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5 ACTIONABLE WAYS TO
LOVE LIKE JESUS
Jesus’s example and teachings show us at least five ways we can love more like Him. While it’s not an exhaustive list by any means, these practices can provide us with an actionable starting point to apply to our imperfect, human lives.
To love like Jesus, we must:
- Be mindful. We need to connect more deeply with our lives and the people in them, rather than living a detached, disconnected existence.
- Be approachable. It’s important for people to feel safe approaching us; in other words, we must become less exclusive in our interactions with others and more welcoming to those who seek us out.
- Be full of grace. We must be willing to relate to others in a less judgmental way.
- Be bold. We have to shed our fears, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV).
- Be self-giving. We need to become less self-absorbed and more invested in those around us.
Over and over, Jesus demonstrated these qualities to show us that they’re not unattainable ideals. Instead, they’re a doable way to get an earthly handle on a heavenly ideal.
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Did you help someone today? How? |
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-Prayer Meditation-
Spend a few moments and let these words of Jesus speak to the deepest part of your heart, your life, your fears - “do not let your heart be troubled” - “peace I leave you”.
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Summer Squash Pizza
The best way to eat your summer veggies!
Kate Merker
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Ingredients
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise
1/2 small yellow summer squash
1 tbsp. plus 4 tsp. olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and pepper
1 lb. pizza dough, at room temperature (or use premade Naan bread)
Flour, for dusting
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 small red chile, thinly sliced
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 c. mixed fresh herbs (mint, parsley, chives), chopped
Directions
- Heat grill to medium-high and arrange so half will give direct heat and other half will give indirect heat.
- Brush zucchini and squash with 1 tablespoon oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place vegetables on grill over direct heat side. Grill, covered, cut side down, until grill marks appear, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and grill until barely tender, 1 to 2 minutes more; transfer to cutting board and slice.
- Working on floured surface, shape pizza dough into 12- to 14-inch round and place on flour-dusted baking sheet. Brush top with 2 teaspoons oil.
- Transfer pizza dough to grill over direct heat, oiled side down, and grill, covered, until top begins to bubble and bottom is crisp, 2 minutes (use tongs to peek underneath).
- Working quickly, brush top of dough with remaining 2 teaspoons oil.
- Flip dough to indirect-heat side of grill, then top with sliced zucchini and squash, onion, chile, and goat cheese and continue grilling, covered, until dough is cooked through and charred in spots on bottom, 3 to 5 minutes more (cheese will melt during this time).
- Transfer to cutting board, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with herbs.
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St. James the Greater
2502 11th Street, Ste 1 Eau Claire, WI 54703
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