Say It

Podcast from this past Sunday at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL.  Acts 1:6-14.
"Say It" podcast

Worth Saying

This week's Bible reflection (I don't get it) laid out the beginning for today's sermon at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL
"Worth Saying" podcast

I don't get it

Sometimes I think I have it all figured out. 

I don’t.

• I don’t have the answers to all the religious questions figured out.
• I don’t have the answers to all the political questions figured out.
• I don’t have the answers to all the social questions figured out.
• I don’t have the answers to any of life’s questions figured out.
• I don't have the answers to the questions of the universe figured out.

I don’t even know many of the questions I could be asking to try to figure out any answers.

Of course, that never stops me from saying what I think. I really do listen to opinions that aren’t my own. Unfortunately, too often I fail – not because I know I don’t have things figured out, but because I think that I do. I ask, far too often, questions that have an agenda to see if someone is ‘with me’ or ‘against me.’ I am often, even usually, smart enough to keep my mouth shut rather than offer an opinion just to begin a conversation that would likely become heated. But I do have opinions about many things. I have opinions about the wedge issues of our time. Sometimes I talk about them. I write about them. I show up and demonstrate about them. I vote according to my views about them.

But I really do know, even though I don’t always show it, that I don’t get it. 

But I am trying. (Yes I am!)

The disciples had been through it all. They’d seen miracles. They’d lived through Jesus' death and were now experiencing the resurrection. And they asked Jesus if now was the time he was going to kick some Roman backside and put everything the way it was supposed to be.

 

Jesus told the disciples, in so many words, that he wasn’t about kicking Roman backside. But instead of scolding them for not getting it, Jesus reminded them that someone would be there to stand by their sides as they continued the journey of not getting it, but still trying.

Tthey didn’t get it. I don’t get it. And I'm still trying.

Worth saying

This week's Bible reflection (Still not getting it)  provides some good foreground material that, mixed with some good background material, is now Sunday's sermon at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL
"Worth Saying" text
"Worth Saying" podcast

Still not getting it.

Sometimes I think I have it all figured out. 

I don’t.

I don’t have the answers to all the religious questions figured out.
I don’t have the answers to all the political questions figured out.
I don’t have the answers to all the social questions figured out.
I don’t have the answers to any of life’s questions figured out.

I don’t even know many of the questions I could be asking to try to figure out any answers.

Of course, that never stops me from saying what I think. It doesn’t stop me from asking more and more questions.

Unfortunately, too often it stops me from listening – not because I know I don’t have things figured out, but because I think that I do. I ask, far too often, questions that have an agenda to see if someone is ‘with me’ or ‘against me’

I don’t get it. 

But I am trying.

The disciples had been through it all. They’d seen miracles. They’d lived through Jesus death and were now experiencing the resurrection. And they asked Jesus if now was the time he was going to kick some Roman backside and put everything the way it was supposed to be.

Jesus didn’t scold them for not getting it. He just reminded them that someone would be there to stand by their sides as they continued the journey of not getting it, but still trying.

I’m glad they didn’t get it. I’m glad I don’t get it. And I hope to never stop trying.