Cup o' Joe

Readings for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Zechariah 9:9-10;  Matthew 11:25-30Our world loves to be loud and showy.  Our world stands in awe of power and strength.  But our God comes not in those ways.  Our God comes in quiet and vulnerability.  Our God comes not on a steed but on the back of a donkey.  Our God sits not on the throne of power, but washes the feet of others.  It's really a simple lesson, but one we need to hear over and over because the air we breathe says otherwise.  We are invited to be little ones.  We are invited to humility.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks to you for continuing to open yourself to the Word of God.  That's what really matters.  Comment?  Question?  Shoot it my way at [email protected]

Readings for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Romans 6:3-4, 8-11;  Matthew 10:37-42Jesus continues to prepare His followers to go out and bring the Gospel to the world.  And what does that look like?  It looks like loving God before everything else in our lives.  That includes parents.  That includes children.  It even includes ourselves.  Paul reminds us that we are dead to our own agendas and we now live for God.  But don't confuse the two.  They are not polar opposites.  It is less either/or and more both/andSpecial thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Also thank you to you for journeying with me and opening yourself to the Word of God.  Have a comment or question?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Gospel for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Matthew 10:26-33Jesus is continuing to give a pre-game, fire-up speech to the Twelve before sending them out, but his words have an ominous tone.  He speaks about fear and Gehenna and proclaiming on rooftops that which has been given to us in a whisper.  So how does this make sense to us?  What can we take from it?  It all comes down to the voices we listen to within.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks to you for listening and continuing to open yourself to the Word of God!  Have a comment?  Send it my way at [email protected]

Gospel for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Matthew 9:36-10:8Welcome back to Ordinary Time for the first time on a Sunday since Feb. 19.  Yes, maybe it's ordinary and mundane, but it's where most of our lives are lived.  And Christ walks with us here.  So if we, as our title suggests, are the answer - what is the question?  Today our discussion revolves around the crowd and who is a part of that.  And if what Jesus says about harvest and laborers is true and that we are to ask the Maker of the Harvest to send laborers, how does that prayer get answered?Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performance of our intake and outtake music.  Thank you for taking time to open yourself to the Word of God!  Have a comment, question or critique?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the Solemnity of the Body & Blood of Christ - Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a;  John 6:51-58It's all right there in Deuteronomy: God let us be afflicted with hunger in order to feed us His very being.  Everything else leaves us wanting and wandering in a desert needing more and more.  There is only one thing that satiates that hunger - and it's what we celebrate today.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Also thanks to you for listening and opening yourself to the Word of God.  Questions?  Comments?  Send them my way at [email protected].  

Readings for the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity - Exodus 34:4b-6; 8-9; John 3:16-18Unknowable and undefinable.  That's God's own definition of God's very self.  Yet that doesn't keep us from trying to know and define God.  And that's a fine thing.  Theologians have been doing it for millennia.  We all have.  That's how we come up with the very definition - three yet one - that we celebrate today.  But don't let past understandings or misunderstandings confine you.  God is bigger.  God is always bigger.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for composing and performing our intake and outtake music.  And thanks to you for taking time to listen and open yourself to the Word and God's indescribable Self.  Questions and comments can be sent my way at [email protected]

Readings for the Feast of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-11; John 20:19-23This weekend we celebrate not just an event that happened 2000 years ago, but an ongoing reality within our individual lives and the life of the Church.  And we will hear not only one rendition - but two: Luke's and John's.  And while both are different - different places, different scenes, different outcomes, both are true.  The Spirit can and will come into whatever place we find ourselves.  The Spirit will broach any wall we put up.  And the Spirit will drive us someplace new...if only we say yes and allow it to happen.  

Feast of the Ascension of Jesus - Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Gospel of Matthew 28:16-20What does it take to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?  Well, a whole lot, really.  It takes tenacity.  It takes strength.  But more than anything?  It takes presence.  It simply means we need to show up and be counted.  Often times we can fall into the trap of perfectionism, knowledge or righteousness before we can say yes to this call.  Our readings today dispel this notion.  We can either listen to the voice and call of Jesus, or the voices in our heads telling us that we are not good enough.  Our choice.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Thank you for taking the time to open God's Word with me.  Question?  Thoughts?  Critiques?  I can be reached at [email protected]  

Gospel for the Sixth Sunday in Easter - John 14:15-21Can there ever be too many A Few Good Men quotes?  I think not.  Today we speak about truth - and what it is.  Why?  Because Jesus promises to send the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth.  But what exactly does that mean for us?  While I certainly cannot claim to have a handle on it, I invite us into that conversation to ponder just where that invites us.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and playing of our intake and outtake music.  And thank you for listening!  Comments?  Questions?  Thoughts?  Send them my way at [email protected]

Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Easter - John, Chapter 14, verses 1-12Special episode today because you get lots of cultural references like The Softer Side of Sears and Jack Nicholson quotes from A Few Good Men.  What could go wrong with those?  But the real good news lies within the Word of Jesus - that we don't need to be afraid.  Jesus and the Father are One.  If we've seen one, we know both.  And that is such good news for all of us.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her writing and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks to you for supporting this podcast!  If you like it, rate it well and/or pass it along to someone you know - that's the best way for it to grow.  Comments?  Send them my way at [email protected]

Fourth Sunday of Easter - Gospel of John, Chapter 10, verses 1-10This Sunday is commonly called Good Shepherd Sunday, and it's easy to see why.  Our readings are saturated with reminders of God's goodness and invitation to trust and follow.  But to follow, we need to listen.  And to listen, we need to be able to hear God's voice.  That's never as easy as it seems.  But you and I are made to hear that voice, each in our own unique way.  And what better way to reference that than to refer to an album that is now 44 years old?  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performance of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks to you for listening and supporting this podcast!  Have a take or suggestion?  Send it my way at [email protected].  

Third Sunday of Easter - Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24:13-35Today, we hear one of Luke's masterpieces in telling us the resurrection story of two disciples walking on their way to Emmaus.  While on their journey, wrapped up in their own pain and disappointment, Jesus draws near.  But they don't recognize Him.  It's only later - in the Breaking of the Bread - that their eyes are opened and all the puzzle pieces fall into place.  So that's a good question for us.  How do we recognize Jesus when He draws hear to us?  And what are the signs we can be paying attention to that we are living or acting or loving in His spirit?  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performance of our intake and outtake music.  Thank you for taking the time to open yourself to God's Word alongside of me!  Comments?  Questions?  Challenge?  You can reach me at [email protected]

Gospel for Divine Mercy Sunday - John 20:19-31We hear the same Gospel every year on this Sunday - Jesus coming into the fear and isolation of the disciples on Easter Sunday night and wishing them peace.  And this is what divine mercy looks like...not just for those disciples all those years ago, but for you and I now.  Jesus does not stay distant.  There is no wall too tall or locked too tight into which Jesus will not go to meet with us.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Thank you to all of you for listening and passing along to others.  That's the way this pod grows.  Comments?  Questions?  Shoot them my way at [email protected]

Easter Sunday Gospel - Mt 28:1-10Our 40 day retreat is finished.  We reach the holiest three days within our liturgical year: the Triduum.  The Three Days.  And what they reveal to us is no less than a mirror showing us the pattern of our own lives.  Death.  Waiting.  Life.  It's as simple as that.  And the more this idea takes root within us, the more we see it everywhere around us.  It's the air we breath.  But the best part?  Life, not death, has the last word.  As Rob Bell says, Love Wins.  Today we celebrate that victory and it's a victory worth God's own being.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and playing of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks for listening to the podcast!  If you have any thoughts, questions or critiques, you can send them my way at [email protected]  Blessed Easter!

First & Second Reading for Palm Sunday (April 2) - Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11Suffering is a reality in the world.  It was true for Jesus.  It will be true for us.  We live most of our lives in between Good Friday and Easter Sunday - in that middle space that holds the suffering of the past and has not experienced the full resurrection of the future.  Our readings for Palm Sunday take us right to that space.  But don't lose heart - we are not at the end.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  I can be reached at [email protected] if you have any comments or thoughts on the podcast.  Blessings and love to you as we enter into this Holy Week...

Gospel for the 5th Sunday of Lent (March 26): John 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-35This Sunday, as we draw nearer to Holy Week, we hear of perhaps what is considered Jesus's greatest miracle - and God's greatest sign of what the Kingdom is meant to be: Life!  This also sets the stage for why Jesus, in the minds of those in power, must die.  This week - the raising of Lazarus.  "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the Glory of God?"  And just what is that glory?  Gotta listen to find out...Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performance of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks for listening!  As we prepare for our holiest week, may you be filled with the life that is the essence of our God.  I can be reached at [email protected] with any questions, thoughts or criticisms.  

Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Lent - John 9:1-41In another multi-layered, long Gospel from John, we actually see many of the same attributes that we did last week.  Faith is a progression.  However, there are two other points of note.  Like the blind man in the story, how do we answer the question when people ask us who Jesus is?  And how often do we get caught up in the non-important details and miss the presence and action of God in our midst?  If we do, we're in good company.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Thank you for listening and blessings on your Lenten journey!  I can be reached at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments. 

Third Sunday of Lent - John 4:5-42We enter a three week stretch in our cycle of readings where we will have three Gospels from John in a row, all very long.  So because of that, we will focus only on the Gospels in those podcasts.  That begins today with an incredibly layered and deep story - the Woman at the Well.  There are dozens of places the Word of God could have taken us this week in this story.  I chose two.  And they are pretty good.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for composing and performing our intake and outtake music.  And thanks to you for listening!  I'm hopeful that your Lent thus far has been helpful to you on your spiritual journey.  Questions?  Comments?  Shoot them my way at [email protected]

Readings for the 2nd Sunday of Lent: Genesis 12:1-4a; Matthew 17:1-9The word "vocation" finds its roots in the word "summons".  And it's easy to fall into the trap that says once we've found our vocation, we've done the heavy lifting.  It's over.  Now I just ride that out the rest of my life.  But we would be incorrect.  God continually calls us.  And that calling often will call us out of our comfort zone and into the wilderness; into the great cloud of unknowing.  We hear it in our first reading today with Abram and we hear it in our Gospel  with Peter, James and John.  Listening.  Hearing.  Fear.  Courage to move forward.  Trust in the one who journeys with us.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and playing of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks for taking the time to listen.  Blessed Lent to you all!

Readings for the First Sunday in Lent - Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7;  Matthew 4:1-11In the Book of Deuteronomy, God tells us "I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  Choose life, then, that you and yours may live."  And while we don't hear that exact reading today, we really do.  We hear about the choices of Adam and Eve and Jesus, and the profound consequences of each.  It's no surprise that as we begin this season of Lent, we are faced with these readings.  If we wish to be new people when we come to the waters and new life of Easter, we have to make some decisions, too.  

Readings for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Leviticus 19:1-2; 17-18; Matthew 5:38-48Jesus continues through His Sermon on the Mount, once again inviting His disciples to take the law into their hearts and not live it as an external reality.  One of the examples He uses is turning the cheek and walking the extra mile.  But how do we do that and not allow ourselves to be abused or become the victim?  How do we carry our dignity in that moment?  We also see how God invites us to be holy, merciful and perfect, just as God is holy, merciful and perfect.  But how on earth can we do such things?  I don't think it's as hard as it sounds...Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performance of our intake and outtake music.  And thank you for listening, rating and passing along this podcast to those you think would appreciate it.  Comments?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Sirach 15:15-20; Matthew 5:17-37My friends, we are created in the Image and Likeness of God.  What, exactly, does that mean?  That answer is beyond my pay grade and beyond the scope of this podcast, but certainly part of that image and likeness is the ability to carry free will.  What we do with that free will determines how well the Kingdom continues to be built among us...or torn down.  Fire and water are set before us.  You and I have to know when to choose one and when to choose the other.  Jesus helps unlock the key in the Sermon on the Mount.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performance of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks to all of you for listening!  Feel free to rate the podcast - that will help people find it when they are looking for a podcast to assist their spiritual walk.  Comments?  Send them to [email protected]

Readings for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary TimeJesus continues through the Sermon on the Mount, picking up from last week's discussion of the Beatitudes.  Today, Jesus reminds us that you and me - we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  Not the person down the street.  Not the person in front or behind us in the pews.  You.  Me.  In all of our wheat and weeds.  In all of our strengths and weaknesses.  The Kingdom of God resides in our yes.  And what an important yes that is, for others will see it and be given permission to do the same.  Or not.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks for taking the time to open God's Word with me!  Comments?  Questions?  Critiques?  I can be reached at [email protected].  Bless you, my friends!

Readings for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13;  Matthew 5:1-12aOn this 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount with some of the most beautiful words in all of Scripture - the Beatitudes.  But before we can even really begin to unpack their beauty, we instead focus upon the first line in that passage.  Jesus saw the crowds.  What a reassuring statement.  We also unpack the difference between charity and justice - and remind ourselves that we are called to breathe with both of those lungs.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  And thank you for listening!  Comments?  Suggestions?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Isaiah 8:23-9:3;  Matthew 4:12-23Today we hear about Jesus moving from Nazareth to Capernaum, and in so doing, brings the Light of God to a people walking in gloom.  Jesus also calls his first disciples.  How does this speak to us today?  Our world continues to be in darkness and gloom.  Do we believe the light is stronger?  And what are we willing to set aside today in order to answer Jesus's call to follow Him?Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her writing and performing our intake and outtake music.  Thank you for listening!  Have a comment, question or critique?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; John 1:29-34If you're like me, it can be easy to fall into the trap of praying to God and assuming God will do all the work.  I'll sit by and spectate while God does the heavy lifting.  And while that hold seeds of truth (it is always God's action and not ours), God needs our assistance.  God needs our yes.  For it is through us - through the people of God - that God will show God's glory.  We participate in the salvation of God and building God's Kingdom.  If we don't do it, it won't happen.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks for listening!  If you ever have any comments, feel free to email them to me at [email protected]

Readings for the Feast of the Epiphany: Isaiah 60:1-6; Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12Sometimes God is hidden in plain sight - we simply have to have the eyes to see.  But it's not that easy.  To be pulled and stretched into a larger image and understanding of God, we have to let go of previous images, take God off the shelf on which we've placed God, and re-think our understandings.  It means setting aside control and allowing God to invite us in deeper.  But it's in that place that the revelation - the epiphany - truly takes place.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her writing and performing our intake and outtake music.  Have a comment or question?  I can be reached at [email protected].  Thanks for listening!

Readings for the Feast of Mary, Mother of God (Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, verses 16-21)For eight full days following Christmas Day, the Church celebrates what is called the Octave of Christmas.  Eight days of Christmas!  This eight day period ends every year with the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.  But why does the Church do this?  Why is Mary held in such high esteem?  And what does Mary have to teach us today?  We attempt to ask - and perhaps even attempt to answer - some of these questions in our pod this week.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her writing and performing of our intake and outtake music on this podcast.  Thanks for your listening and supporting the show.  You can reach me at [email protected] if you have any comments.  Bless you and Merry Christmas!

Readings from the Mass at Night, Christmas Eve: Isaiah 9:1-6; Gospel of Luke 2:1-14 (The Message translation)God's Word carries all the power this week.  God, in God's great vulnerability and desire to not remain distant, is born into the chaos of a stable and into the chaos of our world.  That alone is worthy of celebration.  But it was not a one time event.  What we celebrate this day is the coming together of heaven and earth in the person of Jesus Christ.  And because of that, everything is changed.  There is no more sacred and profane split.  Rather - God is present everywhere.  Even now.  If we have but the eyes to see.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for the writing and performing of our intake and outtake music.  Have a comment, question or critique?  You can be in touch with me at [email protected].  Blessings to you this Christmas and always!  May you experience the presence of Christ born anew into the chaos of your life this day and always!

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent - Isaiah 7:10-14; Matthew 1:18-24My friends, the time of waiting is coming to an end.  But just what is the purpose?  What exactly are we waiting for and why do we celebrate it?  Ambrose and Duns Scotus would tell you - it's all in the name.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for our intake and outtake music.  Have a comment, critique or a challenge?  Throw it my way at [email protected].  Thanks for listening and blessed fourth week of Advent!

Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10;  Luke 11:2-11Our readings today invite us to look for God in places we don't expect - like dry deserts or unforeseen happenings.  John the Baptist couldn't understand what Jesus was doing - so much so that he began to doubt whether he was right to point to Jesus as the One to come.  But Jesus gently reminds John what the Kingdom of God is really about...and it doesn't look like John expected.  Those places within our lives or communities or world that we think are dead?  They have potential.  All they need are the right hands and the right conditions.  And they will bloom unexpectedly.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for the intake and outtake music of this podcast.  Looking to contact me?  I can be reached at [email protected]  Thanks for listening!

Second Sunday of Advent - Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 3:1-12Matthew puts the favorite phrase of Jesus into the mouth of John the Baptist today: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"  This phrase most likely does not mean what you think it means.  It is not calling us to individual penitence.  Instead, it is inviting us to think differently.  To reimagine our world.  To reimagine God and God's action within this world.  And to reimagine where our place and efforts fall into this picture.  Isaiah gives us a glimpse towards the end of his reading.  But we have to make this vision our own.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and playing of our intake and outtake music.  Thanks to you for taking time to open yourself to the Word of God.  Have a comment, question or challenge for me to add into the pod?  Email me at [email protected].  

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent - Isaiah 2:1-5; Matthew 24:37-44Human nature is to look for God in ways that God has come to us (individually or collectively) in the past.  "God did it this way in Scripture, so that is the way God will do it again." Or "I experienced God in this place in the past.  So I have to keep going back to that place to find God again."  Maybe those are good ideas.  I don't want to limit God.  But today's readings invite us out of those patterns.  God will come in precisely the way and time that God will come.  And it is almost always new.  And what does that require of us?  To stay awake and be on watch with an open heart that we allow to be taken.  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her composition and playing of our intake and outtake music.  Like to be in touch with me?  You can reach me at [email protected]

The Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe - 2 Samuel 5:1-3; Luke 23:35-43Hey listen, who am I to disparage a Grammy award winning, multi platinum recording artist?  Mad props to Lorde.  But she got it wrong.  When we talk about Royals, it's not about Cristal, Maybach or diamonds on our timepieces.  No gold teeth or Grey Goose.  It's about dying so another can live.  Lordship looks more like a cross than a Rolls.  It looks more like shepherding than it does trashing hotel rooms.  And you and I are baptized into that.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her original composition and playing of our intake and outtake music.  Have a take for me?  You can send it to me at [email protected]

The Readings for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mal 3:19-20a; Luke 21:5-19We are nearing the end of the liturgical year, and so the readings have a feel of looking toward the end of time.  But are they really?  In fact, they have already happened.  And are happening right now.  And will happen then, too, whenever "then" is.  For our worlds are continually changing and ending and beginning.  There is only One constant.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for writing and performing our intake and outtake music on the podcast.  Have a challenge, critique or question?  Send it my way at [email protected]  And thanks for listening!  Bless you, my friends!

Readings from the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time:  2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14;  Luke 20:27-38With apologies to The Boss and the blatant rip-off of the title off of one of his albums, today we look deeper into resurrection.  The idea of resurrection had to grow within Judaism...it wasn't there from the beginning.  And so even in Jesus's time, there were those who didn't believe in it's reality.  Today, Jesus is challenged by one of those groups.  And His response challenges us in our time today.  How do we view resurrection and what does that mean for us both now and later?Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her original score and performance with our intake and outtake music.Have a comment, a critique or a challenge?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: Wisdom 11:22-12:2; Luke 19:1-10Listeners today get my best Shrek impression (which, frankly, isn't that great) - but it invites us deeper into Scripture using a wonderful story of a short man looking to see Jesus.  If we find ourselves within these readings, then we, too, have to ask - what boundaries keep me from seeing Jesus?  And what am I willing to do to get around them?  Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for composing and playing our intake and outtake theme.  Have a comment, critique or a challenge?  Send it to [email protected]

Readings for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18;  Luke 18:9-14Thankfully, God loves us all equally.  But God seems to have a unique love for the poor, the orphan, the widow.  I can't pretend to fully understand what that is about, but it seems to come from a place of genuine need.  The destitute have no need for pretensions or to put on airs.  Their cry seems to come from an understanding of what they lack and what they need.  It's real and it's honest.  The same, unfortunately, can not always be said about those with means.  Jesus's parable today reminds us of that.Have a question, comment or a challenge?  Throw it my way at [email protected] thanks to Bridget Zenk for her original score and performance of the intro and outtake music!

Readings for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Ex 17:8-13; Luke 18:1-8Jesus speaks to us about the topic of prayer once again using a parable, but this one can be a bit muddy.  Combining the first reading with the Gospel, are we to understand using prayer to mow down our enemies?  Do we have to cajole God to get what we want?  Prayer can be a mystery.  This week, we attempt to peel back a few layers using critical and adult eyesight.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her original score and performance of our intro and outtake music.  Questions?  Comments?  Challenge?  You can reach me at [email protected].  Thanks for listening!

Readings for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 2 Kings 5:14-17; Luke 17:11-19Today we break open a story you know inside and out - but it's about so much more than mere gratitude.  It invites us to know ourselves and to trust those needs to a God that  knows our deepest needs even more than we do, to move forward in trust that the unseen can happen and to know that our salvation lies in realizing that all is gift.  Ten lepers from 2000 years ago get to teach us all that.Have questions, critiques, comments or a weekly challenge for me?  You can email me at [email protected] thanks to Bridget Zenk for composing and playing her original music in this podcast.  

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4;  Luke 17:5-10When Jesus called Peter out of the boat, everything in Peter's understanding of the world around him told him that this was foolish.  No human can walk on water. But what Peter chose was to believe in the vision of the One who called him out.  And so he took a step.  That's not the Gospel we hear today, but it points in the same direction.  Faith is more than a bunch of head knowledge.  It's trusting in something we have not seen, but living in a way that invites it into reality.For those interested in the challenge mentioned within the pod, my email is [email protected].  Feel free to lay down the gauntlet.  Let's have some fun with this.Special thanks to Bridget Zenk for her original score and performance with the music at the beginning and end of this podcast.  

The readings for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Amos 6:1a, 4-7;  Luke 16:19-31Unlike last week's readings, this one is not hard to interpret.  In fact, it hits us right between the eyes.  Don't listen to these readings or this podcast unless you are ready to be trapped in the truth.  Both Amos and Jesus reach across the centuries to speak to us here, today.  Give us eyes to see, Lord. Should you wish to enter into the challenge I put forth in the podcast, you can reach me at [email protected]  What challenge you ask?  Guess you'll have to listen to find outOriginal score written and performed by Bridget Zenk

The Readings for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Amos 8:4-7; Luke 16:1-13Last weekend, we heard Jesus give us three parables that were fairly straight forward and easy to understand pointing us toward who God is and how God views the lost.  This weekend, Jesus gives us another parable that is much harder to wrap our minds around, but it points toward the same place.  And so to help us grasp the depth of its meaning, we look to no other place than the sage wisdom of CW McCall and that ageless tune, Convoy.Original Score written and produced by Bridget Zenk

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 15, verses 1-32I read the long version of the Gospel for this weekend's 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  You may hear the short version at Mass, but it's too good to pass up.  Today Jesus, in the form of story telling, reminds us who God is, how God is, and who we are and the value we carry.  All of us.  No exceptions.  It's too good to miss.Original Score written and performed by Bridget Zenk

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 14, verses 25-33Just one reading today, but one is enough to challenge us on many fronts.  Jesus confronts the throngs following Him and draws a line in the sand and asks us which side do we wish to be upon?  We're either all in or we're not.  God can work with either side but it's those in the middle that are pretending something that God can't work with.  It's a decision we have to make every day.  And nothing - not even blood ties or commitments can get in the way of that decision.  Original Score written and performed by Bridget Zenk

Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Luke 14:1, 7-14There is a clear thread through our readings today that speaks about humility.  And since that connection is so obvious, we explore what humility is and what it is not in this episode.  But there is a parable at the end where Jesus invites us to ask, who is around our table?  And why is that important both to them and to us?Original Score written and performed by Bridget Zenk

Isaiah 66:18-21;  Luke 13:22-30On this 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, the readings are filled with both incredibly good news and incredibly hard news.  And both are true.  Everyone is invited.  All are welcome.  Nations from the north, south, east and west will stream toward the Lord's holy mountain.  All peoples will be gathered in the Kingdom!  But the way is narrow and the gate is small and the work is hard.  How can both be true at the same time?Original Score written and performed by Bridget Zenk

Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10;  Luke 12:49-53In these readings for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we look into the role of prophet, and the rewards a prophet reaps.  It's no walk in the park, Kazansky.  Oh yeah, you and I have been baptized into that role, too.Original Score written and performed by Bridget Zenk

Wisdom 18:6-9; Luke 12:32-48Usually when we talk about thieves, our minds turn to sinister activities and nefarious individuals.  Not today.  In this episode, we are invited to take stock of those walls we put up to keep out the very Thief that desires to get in.  And why do we do so?  And perhaps most importantly, can that Thief be trusted so as to tear down the walls that we have constructed?Original Score written and performed by Bridget Zenk

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23   Luke 12:13-21What is it we seek?  What do we possess and what possesses us?  In the end, does any of this matter?  Heady questions, but Jesus (and Qoheleth) walk us down that path this week.  Original Score written and performed by Bridget Zenk