Mark 3:13-19
I'm thinking of a wonderful song I heard in Promises, Promises on Broadway sung by Kristin Chenoweth. The lyrics go like this, "a chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sitting there but a chair is not a house, and a house is not a home, when there's no one there to hold you tight and no one there you can kiss goodnight".
To many in the gay community, the word 'home' does not bring back fond memories as it should. To a teen or young adult, abused, berated, disowned and thrown out of their house, the memories are not so sweet. Still, I think we all know what a home should be. Perhaps not apple pies cooling on the window shelf or a white picket fence, but certainly a haven, a place of comfort and refuge. A safe and loving place, where people live shared lives of caring and commitment to each other.
It is that safe and loving place that I'd like to conjure in your mind. That's where Jesus went after he laid the foundation of his ministry by naming his Apostles. When Jesus really started his ministry and knew what was ahead, he went home to his mother's house - his home - his place of comfort and love. This place could have been far from a safe and loving haven for him. Forget about anyone being gay for the moment, how could Mary have reacted to a son who always was so different? While his ministry certainly would be even more of a challenge to Mary and we do not know many facts about Jesus' youth (from any canonical books anyway), he certainly was different. Finding him in the temple after being missing for days, preaching in the synangogue as a youth. Mary had her hands full. But Mary obviously did create a loving home and that is where Jesus returned to as this passage indicates.
Our instincts tell us always to go home to a place of comfort. My favorite time of day is coming home to my husband and and our cat - our home. When anyone has serious problems, one place people often go is to church, another 'home' , a place of comfort and love and consolation. It is said that home is where the heart is.
What do we do about creating a safe home, a welcoming home, a loving and nurturing home? And not just in our house and not just at church. What do we do to make people feel at home in our presence? As a gay person or as the parent or relative of a gay person, how do we nurture a feeling of love and acceptance - a sense of 'home'. After all, a home is more than a building.
"a chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sitting there but a chair is not a house, and a house is not a home, when there's no one there, to hold you tight and no one there, you can kiss goodnight".
Kiss and hugs to everyone, brothers and sisters.
I'm thinking of a wonderful song I heard in Promises, Promises on Broadway sung by Kristin Chenoweth. The lyrics go like this, "a chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sitting there but a chair is not a house, and a house is not a home, when there's no one there to hold you tight and no one there you can kiss goodnight".
To many in the gay community, the word 'home' does not bring back fond memories as it should. To a teen or young adult, abused, berated, disowned and thrown out of their house, the memories are not so sweet. Still, I think we all know what a home should be. Perhaps not apple pies cooling on the window shelf or a white picket fence, but certainly a haven, a place of comfort and refuge. A safe and loving place, where people live shared lives of caring and commitment to each other.
It is that safe and loving place that I'd like to conjure in your mind. That's where Jesus went after he laid the foundation of his ministry by naming his Apostles. When Jesus really started his ministry and knew what was ahead, he went home to his mother's house - his home - his place of comfort and love. This place could have been far from a safe and loving haven for him. Forget about anyone being gay for the moment, how could Mary have reacted to a son who always was so different? While his ministry certainly would be even more of a challenge to Mary and we do not know many facts about Jesus' youth (from any canonical books anyway), he certainly was different. Finding him in the temple after being missing for days, preaching in the synangogue as a youth. Mary had her hands full. But Mary obviously did create a loving home and that is where Jesus returned to as this passage indicates.
Our instincts tell us always to go home to a place of comfort. My favorite time of day is coming home to my husband and and our cat - our home. When anyone has serious problems, one place people often go is to church, another 'home' , a place of comfort and love and consolation. It is said that home is where the heart is.
What do we do about creating a safe home, a welcoming home, a loving and nurturing home? And not just in our house and not just at church. What do we do to make people feel at home in our presence? As a gay person or as the parent or relative of a gay person, how do we nurture a feeling of love and acceptance - a sense of 'home'. After all, a home is more than a building.
"a chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sitting there but a chair is not a house, and a house is not a home, when there's no one there, to hold you tight and no one there, you can kiss goodnight".
Kiss and hugs to everyone, brothers and sisters.
He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve, Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Then he went home;
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