[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Epiphany 5 Gospel

[Joseph Parrish]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Fr HC Smith" <howard.smith at anglican.org.au>
> Date: February 2, 2011 4:32:32 AM EST
> To: "Propertalk" <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
> Subject: [propertalk.topic] Epiphany 5 Gospel
> Reply-To: propertalk.topic at ecunet.org
> 

> Hi friends,
> I certainly appreciate all the work of those who post to this meeting; you help me to broaden my picture.  I hope that some of my thoughts will add to your outlook as well.  Here are a few short thoughts for the Gospel for Epiphany 5, from and Australian angle.
> Howard
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> * Today we heard Jesus tell his followers they are like "light".
> + Have a look around at the lights we use in Church: candles;
> - now imagine it's dark and the electricity has gone off: we
> only have the candles;
> - now look what happens when I cover up a candle with a
> "snuffer";
> - it's no use any more.
> + One of the things Jesus is reminding us about, today, is that we
> turn lights on, or we light candles, so that they will be useful;
> - lights can help us a lot, in the dark.
> - With lights we can do all kinds of things that can't ordinarily
> do when it's too dark to see.
> 
> * So what might that mean, since Jesus says we can be like lights?
> + I reckon he's saying that we can be very helpful and very
> useful to each other.
> + God made us to be helpful to one another,
> and especially useful in helping us to live the way God knows is
> best for us, the way set out in the Scriptures and in the
> examples of people who have lived before us.
> + There are many people we come across who help us to do
> things we can't do for ourselves;
> - e.g. in hospital (when we are sick and depend on others for
> so much) we have doctors, nurses, social workers,
> psychologists, Chaplains .;
> - in schools we have teachers, assistants, clerical staff,
> cleaners, bus drivers .
> - in shops we have knowledgeable staff, decorators and
> designers, accountants .
> - all these people are like lights in dark places, people who
> help us do things we can't do all alone.
> + But as well as that there are friends who can help each other;
> - and we can be friends to other people too:
> - we can listen and understand, we can encourage, we can
> laugh together, we can walk together, we can work together.
> + There is something you can do for someone else.
> - Jesus encourages us to reach out to others and offer some
> help,
> - in other words: to be like a light when it is dark.
> +So don't hide away in your own little space: show your light!
> - and one of the good things that happens is that we will
> encourage other people to "turn their lights on" too;
> - and that makes even more light, so we can do even more
> things.
> 
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> The Rev'd Dr H.C. Smith
> Retired Anglican Priest
> Orange NSW
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> 
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