A Time To Feed - July 4th

From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough

Greetings to all! 
Blessings as summer gets underway, and may you share many happy days with those you love, including the upcoming 4th of July. 

 If anyone would like to read more of the novenas mentioned below, you can go to my blog at www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com. I will be adding a prayer a day until the 9 days are complete. Feel free to visit the blog as often as you would like. There is quite a bit there. 

​If I can be of assistance in any way, please let me know. I am slowly adding more services, and Zoom does seem to work quite well. God is showing us the way. Blessed be. 

Scripture: Matthew 14:14-16
"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, 'This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.'

 Jesus replied, 'They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.'"

Meditation
This text is the beginning of Matthew's telling of the feeding of the five thousand, a story I always find inspirational. It is often easy to dismiss a situation and say, "Well, I have nothing to offer."

​Yet, in this story we hear Jesus telling us that we can always "feed" someone. It may be with food, but it may also be a simple offering of encouragement and friendship.​

Being present with a listening ear and heart can be quite comforting. Our good intentions, while often subtle, can make a difference in someone's life. Remember, you can always offer a silent prayer. God will hear it. 

My husband and I try to take turns walking our dog in the morning. Jack (the dog) and I walked in the neighborhoods throughout the pandemic. It was fairly easy to provide physical distancing when we met other walkers. Often we would say hello, but rarely was there much conversation.

When we were finally able to go without a mask outside, people's behavior changed and people started talking to strangers once more. What a relief! I suddenly realized that in every meeting, Christ is present. I knew that intellectually, but it took a year of isolation to deepen that knowledge.​

I believe it is my responsibility as a follower of Christ to hold that knowledge and to remember it when I am speaking to others. It does not matter if the person is of another faith, or if they believe they are of no faith. I don't have to talk about it, but I do have to live it.

​My respect for the other person is one way I can feed that person, and as long as I stay aware, I can feed others. This is true for all of us. ​

We can all treat one another as Christ-filled beings. If you are of another faith, you will word this differently. However, as long as our intent is to honor the sacred within every person, we all can silently offer blessings of acceptance and peace. This is true whether we are masked or not.
 
Prayer 
I have been sharing on my blog and Facebook page a set of novenas (a prayer a day for nine days) that I first shared in 2005. I have found returning to them enriching. I will share here the prayer from Day 3. Please note I have made one edit: In the first and last line, I substitute the word Christ for the word love. This has deepened the prayer for me. Feel free to make the prayer your own. I pray each one of you remembers that your soul is sacred, for it is God's own.
May the world know peace. 
 
Day 3 
 I greet this day with Christ in my heart. 
I will love those I confuse as enemies 
and find ways to know them as friends. 
I encourage my friends as they become 
my brothers and sisters. 
I will find ways to applaud. 
I release harmful words and thoughts. 
When I am tempted to criticize, 
I will find compassion. 
When I am moved to praise, 
I will speak out clearly. 
I will join the birds, the wind ,and the sea 
as nature speaks praise for the Creator. 
I will become as music with the children of God. 
As I remember my resolve, I will uplift my life. 
I greet this day with Christ in my heart.
 
Rev. Carol E. Parrish-Harra

Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ
 
www.slzchurch.org 
www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com