St. Thomas' Episcopal Church: Youth Mission Trip 2006 Spiritual Program

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St. Thomas' Episcopal Church
315 Lindsey Street • Reidsville, N.C.

Youth Mission Trip 2006
Spiritual Program

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

Sunday

Mark 4:2-20

2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold." 9 And he said, "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!" 10 When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; 12 in order that "they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.' " 13 And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

James 2: 14-26

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. 20 Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. 23 Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

Story for Sunday Evening

Stopped

Unknown author

Cars were at a stoplight. The light turned green, but the man didn't notice it. The woman behind him begins pounding on her steering wheel and yelling at the man to move. The man doesn't move. The woman is going ballistic inside her car, ranting and raving, pounding on her steering wheel and dash. The light turns yellow. The woman begins to blow the horn, flips him off, screams profanity and curses. The man looks up, sees the yellow light and accelerates through the intersection just as the light turns red.

The woman is beside herself, screaming in frustration as she misses her chance to get through the intersection. As she is in mid-rant she hears a tap on her window and looks up into the barrel of a gun held by a policeman. The policeman tells her to shut off her car while keeping both hands in sight. She complies, speechless at what is happening. After she shuts off the engine, the policeman orders her to exit her car with her hands up.

She gets out of the car and he orders her to turn and place her hands on her car. She turns, places her hands on the car roof and quickly is cuffed and hustled into the patrol car. She is too bewildered by the chain of events to ask any questions and is driven to the police station where she is fingerprinted, photographed, searched, booked and placed in a cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approaches the cell and opens the door for her. She is escorted back to the booking desk where the original officer is waiting with her personal effects. He hands her the bag containing her things, and says, "I'm really sorry for this mistake. But you see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. Then I noticed the: "Choose Life" license plate holder, the "What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the "Follow Me to Sunday School" bumper sticker, and the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. So, naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car !"

A time for reflection

Distribution of today’s tangible: SEEDS

Sunday evening                                                                                                            CLOSING

When the Lights are On from the Iona Abbey Worship Book

Leader: When the Lights are on and the house is full and laughter is easy and all is well. . .

Voice: Behold I stand at the door and knock

Leader: When the lights are low, and the house is still and the talk is intense and the air is full of wondering. . . .

Voice: Behold I stand at the door and knock

Leader: When the lights are off and the house is sad, and the voice is troubled and nothing seems right .

Voice: Behold I stand at the door and knock

Leader: And tonight, always tonight, as if there were no other people, no other house, no other door

Voice: Behold I stand at the door and knock

Leader: Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest; stay with us for the day is ending. Bring to our house your poverty

ALL: FOR THEN WE SHALL BE RICH

Leader: Bring to our house your pain,

ALL: THAT SHARING IT WE MAY ALSO SHARE YOUR JOY

Leader: Bring to our house you understanding of us

ALL: THAT WE MAY BE FREED TO LEARN MORE OF YOU

Leader: Bring to our house all those who hurry or hobble behind you

ALL: THAT WE MAY MEET YOU AS THE SAVIOR OF ALL

Leader: Bring to our house your Holy Spirit

ALL: THAT THIS MAY BE A CRADLE OF LOVE

Leader: With friend, with stranger, with neighbor, with the well-known ones, be among us tonight

ALL: FOR THE DOORS OF OUR HOUSE WE OPEN AND THE DOORS OF OUR HEARTS WE LEAVE AJAR.
Ministry/missions to POOR

Monday Morning

Mark 10:17-31

17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: "You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.' " 20 He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

Mother Teresa: A modern day missionary and saint

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje*, Macedonia, on August 27, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. At the age of twelve, she felt strongly the call of God. She knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ. At the age of eighteen she left her parental home in Skopje and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. After a few months' training in Dublin she was sent to India, where on May 24, 1931, she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep impression on her that in 1948 she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work.

On October 7, 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Holy See to start her own order, "The Missionaries of Charity", whose primary task was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after. Over the years, Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity grew from 12 to thousands serving the "poorest of the poor" in 450 centers around the world. Mother Teresa created many homes for the dying and the unwanted from Calcutta to New York to Albania. She was one of the pioneers of establishing homes for AIDS victims. For more than 45 years, Mother Teresa comforted the poor, the dying, and the unwanted around the world.

Mother Teresa gained worldwide acclaim with her tireless efforts on behalf of world peace. Her work brought her numerous humanitarian awards, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. In receiving this award, Mother Teresa revolutionized the award ceremony. She insisted on a departure from the ceremonial banquet and asked that the funds, $6,000 be donated to the poor in Calcutta. This money would permit her to feed hundreds for a year.   She is stated to have said that earthly rewards were important only if they helped her help the world’s needy.

Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997 and was beatified by Pope John Paul on October 19, 2003.

Missions to the POOR

Monday Lunch

This BLOG was posted by John Scalzi at www.scalzi.com/whatever/003704.html on September 3, 2005 12:14 AM in the wake of Hurricane Katrina

Being poor is getting angry at your kids for asking for all the crap they see on TV.                                         Being poor is having to keep buying $800 cars because they're what you can afford, and then having the cars break down on you, because there's not an $800 car in America that's worth a damn.                  Being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.                                                                                       Being poor is knowing your kid goes to friends' houses but never has friends over to yours.                 Being poor is going to the restroom before you get in the school lunch line so your friends will be ahead of you and won't hear you say "I get free lunch" when you get to the cashier.                                          Being poor is living next to the freeway.                                                                                                Being poor is coming back to the car with your children in the back seat, clutching that box of Raisin Bran you just bought and trying to think of a way to make the kids understand that the box has to last.                              Being poor is wondering if your well-off sibling is lying when he says he doesn't mind when you ask for help.                                                                                                                                                       Being poor is off-brand toys.                                                                                                                 Being poor is a heater in only one room of the house.                                                                            Being poor is knowing you can't leave $5 on the coffee table when your friends are around.      Being poor is hoping your kids don't have a growth spurt.                                                                         Being poor is stealing meat from the store, frying it up before your mom gets home and then telling her she doesn't have make dinner tonight because you're not hungry anyway.                                                Being poor is Goodwill underwear.                                                                                                       Being poor is not enough space for everyone who lives with you.                                                   Being poor is feeling the glued soles tear off your supermarket shoes when you run around the playground.                                                                                                                                           Being poor is your kid's school being the one with the 15-year-old textbooks and no air conditioning.     Being poor is thinking $8 an hour is a really good deal.                                                                       Being poor is relying on people who don't give a damn about you.                                                      Being poor is an overnight shift under florescent lights.                                                               Being poor is finding the letter your mom wrote to your dad, begging him for the child support.    Being poor is a bathtub you have to empty into the toilet.                                                               Being poor is stopping the car to take a lamp from a stranger's trash.                                        Being poor is making lunch for your kid when a cockroach skitters over the bread, and you looking over to see if your kid saw.                                                                                                                            Being poor is believing a GED actually makes a goddamned difference.                                           Being poor is people angry at you just for walking around in the mall.                                                        Being poor is not taking the job because you can't find someone you trust to watch your kids.         Being poor is the police busting into the apartment right next to yours.                                       Being poor is not talking to that girl because she'll probably just laugh at your clothes.                 Being poor is hoping you'll be invited for dinner.                                                                           Being poor is a sidewalk with lots of brown glass on it.                                                                    Being poor is people thinking they know something about you by the way you talk.                              Being poor is needing that 35-cent raise.                                                                                        Being poor is your kid's teacher assuming you don't have any books in your home.                            Being poor is six dollars short on the utility bill and no way to close the gap.                                        Being poor is crying when you drop the mac and cheese on the floor.                                                    Being poor is knowing you work as hard as anyone, anywhere.                                                                     Being poor is people surprised to discover you're not actually stupid.                                                  Being poor is people surprised to discover you're not actually lazy.                                                     Being poor is a six-hour wait in an emergency room with a sick child asleep on your lap.                   Being poor is never buying anything someone else hasn't bought first.                                                    Being poor is picking the 10 cent ramen instead of the 12 cent ramen because that's two extra packages for every dollar.                                                                                                                          Being poor is having to live with choices you didn't know you made when you were 14 years old.         Being poor is getting tired of people wanting you to be grateful.                                                           Being poor is knowing you're being judged.                                                                                         Being poor is a box of crayons and a $1 coloring book from a community center Santa.                             Being poor is checking the coin return slot of every soda machine you go by.                                            Being poor is deciding that it's all right to base a relationship on shelter.                                                 Being poor is knowing you really shouldn't spend that buck on a Lotto ticket.                                          Being poor is hoping the register lady will spot you the dime.                                                                Being poor is feeling helpless when your child makes the same mistakes you did, and won't listen to you beg them against doing so.                                                                                                                    Being poor is a cough that doesn't go away.                                                                                        Being poor is making sure you don't spill on the couch, just in case you have to give it back before the lease is up.                                                                                                                                     Being poor is a $200 paycheck advance from a company that takes $250 when the paycheck comes in. Being poor is four years of night classes for an Associates of Art degree.                                           Being poor is a lumpy futon bed.                                                                                                        Being poor is knowing where the shelter is.                                                                                        Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so.                           Being poor is knowing how hard it is to stop being poor.                                                                 Being poor is seeing how few options you have.                                                                                         Being poor is running in place.                                                                                                               Being poor is people wondering why you didn't leave.

Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all the poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Monday Evening

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.                                - - - Mother Teresa

Faith and Deeds

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3), and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called "Smile. "

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reaction. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say, hello, anyway... so, I thought, this would be a piece of cake, literally. Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's, one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special play time with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell... and there standing behind me were two poor men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling." His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's light as he searched for acceptance. He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally deficient and the blue eyed gentle man was his salvation. I held my tears... as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked them what they wanted. The man doing the ordering said, "Coffee is all Miss." -- because that was all they could afford. To sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something... hey, they just wanted to be warm. Then I really felt it... the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with his blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me... judging my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you." I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this alone for you... God is here working through me to give you hope."

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me honey... to give me hope." We held hands for moment and at that time we knew that only because of the Grace of God that we had been given, that we were able to give. We are not church goers but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it... then she looked up at me and said, " May I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read, and that is when I knew that we, as human beings and being part of God, share the need to help people and be helped.

In my own way I had touched the people at Mcdonald's, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn... UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this. Learn how to LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS -- NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE. If this true story has touched you in any way, please share it with a friend, so we all can better practice the love that Jesus Christ taught us.

Time for Reflection and discussion

Distribution of Tangible: ONE band

Monday evening

Prayer to make poverty history from the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development

Leader: Christ our Lord,
your light shines into the shadows,
and shows us
where the obstacles to change lie.
We know that often
they are in our own hearts,
in the way we live,
and in our daily choices and actions.

All: May God grant us the courage to change

Leader: We pray that we may accept
the light of your love
as a challenge to change
ourselves and our world.
We pray that, each day,
we make the choices and
take the actions
that will bring an end to poverty and hunger,
and lead us all
towards a fairer world.

All: May God grant us the courage to change

Leader: Be with us, Lord,
as we face your challenge
and learn how to live
our lives in love.
All: Amen.

Tuesday morning

Ministry/missions to the oppressed (for social justice and freedom)

Matthew 13:47-52

47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 "Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." 52 And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

A modern martyr and missionary for social justice: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born February 4, 1906.   From the first days of the Nazi accession to power in 1933, Bonhoeffer was involved in protests against the regime. From 1933 to 1935 he was the pastor of two small congregations in London, and a leading spokesperson for the Confessing Church, which opposed the anti-semitic policies of Adolf Hitler and served as a center for Protestant resistance to the Nazis. In 1935, Bonhoeffer was appointed to organize and head a new seminary for the Confessing Church in Finkenwald. As the Nazis power solidified, he became increasingly involved in the political struggle in Germany. He considered refuge in the United States, but returned to Germany where he was able to continue his resistance., working with groups seeking Hitler’s overthrow.

Bonhoeffer was arrested in April 1943, and imprisoned in Berlin. After an attempt on Hitler’s life failed in April of 1944, documents were discovered linking Bonhoeffer to the conspiracy. He was moved to Buchenwald concentration camp and then later to Schoenberg and Flossenburg Prisons. He was hanged on April 9, 1945 at Flossenburg prison.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is considered a martyr for his faith, and an early proponent of liberation theology, a philosophy that explores the relationship between Christian theology (usually Roman Catholic) and political activism, particularly in areas of social justice, poverty, and human rights. The calendars of the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America commemorate him on April 9, the date on which he was hanged in 1945.

An oft-quoted line from one of his more widely read books, The Cost of Discipleship, foreshadowed his death. "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die."   There is in Bonhoeffer’s life a remarkable unity of faith, prayer, writing and action. The pacificist theologian came to accept the guilt of plotting Hitler’s death because he was convinced that not to do so would be a greater evil.
Let us pray: Gracious God, the Beyond in the midst of our life, thou gavest grace to thy servant, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, to know and to teach the truth as it is in Jesus Christ, and to bear the cost of following him: Grant that we, strengthened by his teaching and example may receive through Jesus Chist our Savior, who liveth and reighneth with the and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Tuesday lunch

Tuesday lunch

Martin Niemoeller was a submarine commander in World War I, winning the Iron Cross First Class. After the war, he spent some time in the Freikorps, studied theology and was ordained in 1931, becoming pastor of St. Ann Church at Dahlem, an affluent suburb of Berlin.

Initially, Niemöller welcomed Hitler's rise to power. In his 1933 autobiography, From U-Boat to Pulpit, Niemöller called the years of the Weimar Republic "years of darkness" and in an afterword to the book expressed hope that Hitler would bring about a "National Revival". The Nazis' praise for his autobiography helped make it a bestseller in Germany.

However, by the autumn of 1934, Niemöller's faith in Hitler had collapsed, and he formed the Confessing Church, a Protestant group that opposed the Nazification of the German Protestant churches, the anti-Christian ideas of certain Nazi leaders, and Nazi racial doctrines, yet declared loyalty to the government. In mid 1937, Niemöller's sermon to an overflowing church concluded with: "We have no more thought of using our own powers to escape the arm of the authorities than had the Apostles of old. No more are we ready to keep silent at man's behest when God commands us to speak. For it is, and must remain, the case that we must obey God rather than man. He was arrested three days later, and after eight months was tried by a Sondergericht (special court) for crimes against the State. Acquitted on the charge of "underhanded attacks against the State," he was convicted of "abuse of the pulpit" and for taking collections. Sentenced to seven months imprisonment, he was released for having already served that time awaiting trial.

As he left the courtroom, Niemöller was placed in "protective custody" by the Gestapo and interned in Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps from 1937 to 1945. After the war, Niemoller emerged from prison to write these words and was instrumental in producing the “Stuttgart Confession of Guilt”, in which the German Protestant churches formally accepted guilt for their complicity in allowing the suffering which Hitler’s reign caused to occur.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--
    because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
    because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
    because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
    because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me--
    and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Tangible: Awareness ribbon: Bound in this pin are ribbons of orange (cultural diversity and racial tolerance), blue (freedom of speech), purple (religious tolerance ) and white (peace),

Tuesday evening

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and American political activist who was the most famous leader of the American civil rights movement. For his promotion of non-violence and racial equality, King is considered a peacemaker and martyr by many people around the world.   The success of his nonviolent campaign to change racial attitudes in America was modeled after those of Mahatma Gandhi, and his methods, in turn, have been utilized by other social protest movements to garner positive social change in modern society. At the base of his nonviolent methods and philosophy, Martin Luther King relied heavily on his Christian faith and principles to inform the decisions and choices as he guided the movement. This excerpt is taken from “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, Dr. King's last, and most apocalyptic , sermon. He delivered it, on the eve of his assassination, at [the Bishop Charles] Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee, on 3 April 1968. He was assassinated on his hotel balcony the next day.

Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. One day a man came to Jesus; and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters in life. At points, he wanted to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than Jesus knew, and through this, throw him off base. Now that question could have easily ended up in a philosophical and theological debate. But Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho. And he talked about a certain man, who fell among thieves. You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side. They didn't stop to help him. And finally a man of another race came by. He got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy. But with him, administered first aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, because he had the capacity to project the "I" into the "thou," and to be concerned about his brother. Now you know, we use our imagination a great deal to try to determine why the priest and the Levite didn't stop. At times we say they were busy going to church meetings--an ecclesiastical gathering--and they had to get on down to Jerusalem so they wouldn't be late for their meeting. At other times we would speculate that there was a religious law that "One who was engaged in religious ceremonials was not to touch a human body twenty-four hours before the ceremony." And every now and then we begin to wonder whether maybe they were not going down to Jerusalem, or down to Jericho, rather to organize a "Jericho Road Improvement Association." That's a possibility. Maybe they felt that it was better to deal with the problem from the casual root, rather than to get bogged down with an individual effort.

But I'm going to tell you what my imagination tells me. It's possible that these men were afraid. You see, the Jericho road is a dangerous road. I remember when Mrs. King and I were first in Jerusalem. We rented a car and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And as soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, "I can see why Jesus used this as a setting for his parable." It's a winding, meandering road. It's really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, which is about 1200 miles, or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you're about 2200 feet below sea level. That's a dangerous road. In the day of Jesus it came to be known as the "Bloody Pass." And you know, it's possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it's possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

That's the question before you tonight. Not, "If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That's the question.

A time for reflection and sharing

Closing : A Litany for social justice

Litany for social justice

Leader: It is not true that this world and its inhabitants are doomed to die and be lost

ALL: THIS IS TRUE; FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT DIE, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

Leader: It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction

ALL: THIS IS TRUE: I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY

Leader: It is not true that violence and hatred shall have the last word, and war and destruction have come to stay forever

ALL: THIS IS TRUE: FOR TO US, A CHILD IS BORN, TO US A SON IS GIVEN, IN WHOM AUTHORITY WILL REST, AND WHOSE NAME WILL B PRINCE OF PEACE

Leader: It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil that seek to rule the world.

ALL: THIS IS TRUE: TO ME IS GIVEN AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH, AND LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE END OF THE WORLD.

Leader: It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are prophets of the church, before we can do anything

ALL: THIS IS TRUE: I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL PEOPLE, AND YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, YOUR YOUNG PEOPLE SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD FOLK SHALL DREAM DREAMS.

Leader: It is not true that our dreams of liberation of humankind, our dreams of justice, of human dignity, of peace are not meant for this earth and this country.

ALL: THIS IS TRUE: THE HOUR COMES, AND IT IS NOW, THAT TRUE WORSHIPPERS SHALL WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.
--from: Service of Prayer for Justice and Peace, Iona Abbey Worship Book

Wednesday morning

Ministry/ missions to the unchurched: the Gospel in translation, going and teaching

Acts of the Apostles 5:17-32

17 Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, 18 arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, 20 "Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life." 21 When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.

When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, 23 "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside." 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. 25 Then someone arrived and announced, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!"

26 Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. 27 When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man's blood on us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

America’s Pastor: Billy Graham

Billy Graham has preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history—over 210 million people in more than 185 countries and territories—through various meetings, including Mission World and Global Mission. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts. Since the 1949 Los Angeles crusade vaulted Mr. Graham into the public eye, he has led hundreds of thousands of individuals to make personal decisions to live for Christ, which is the main thrust of his ministry.

Born November 7, 1918, four days before the Armistice ended World War I, Mr. Graham was reared on a dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Growing up during the Depression, he learned the value of hard work on the family farm, but he also found time to spend many hours in the hayloft reading books on a wide variety of subjects.
In the fall of 1934, at age 16, Mr. Graham made a personal commitment to Christ through the ministry of Mordecai Ham, a traveling evangelist, who visited Charlotte for a series of revival meetings.

Ordained in 1939 by a church in the Southern Baptist Convention, Mr. Graham received a solid foundation in the Scriptures at Florida Bible Institute (now Trinity College in Florida). In 1943 he was graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois and married fellow student Ruth McCue Bell, daughter of a missionary surgeon, who spent the first 17 years of her life in China.

After graduating from college, Mr. Graham pastored the First Baptist Church in Western Springs, Illinois, before joining Youth for Christ, an organization founded for ministry to youth and servicemen during World War II. He preached throughout the United States and in Europe in the immediate post war era, emerging as a rising young evangelist.

The Los Angeles crusade in 1949 launched Mr. Graham into international prominence. Scheduled for three weeks, the meetings were extended to more than eight weeks, with overflow crowds filling a tent erected downtown each night. Many of his subsequent early crusades were similarly extended, including one in London which lasted 12 weeks, and a New York City crusade in Madison Square Garden in 1957 which ran nightly for 16 weeks. In nearly sixty years, , he has preached the message of Christianity around the world, reaching live audiences of 210 million people in 185 countries.

Today, at age 87, Billy Graham and his ministry are known around the globe. He has preached in remote African villages and in the heart of New York City, and those to whom he has ministered have ranged from heads of state to the simple living bushmen of Australia and the wandering tribes of Africa and the Middle East.

Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your servant, Billy Graham, whom you called to preach the Gospel to people across the globe. Raise up in this and every land evangelists and heralds of your kingdom, that your Church may proclaim the riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God for ever and ever.

Wednesday lunch

The author of this story, CHARLES W. COLSON, is a native of Boston and holds degrees from Brown University and George Washington Law School. From 1969 to 1973 he served as special counsel to President Richard M. Nixon. During the Watergate investigation Colson was indicted on a charge unrelated to Watergate– the burglary of psychiatrist Daniel Ellsberg's office. He was indicted for smearing the name of Ellsberg and served seven months in prison.

Rather than hardening him, Colson’s time in prison gave him a greater love for people. Following his conversion to Christianity, not only did old political enemies become friends, but while in prison new friendships were forged with those who might have become enemies.

Presently, Colson is chairman of Prison Fellowship, a ministry he founded in 1976, which makes its headquarters in Washington, D. C.

DOING TIME

    Twenty years ago in the city of San Jose dos Campos, a prison was turned over to two Christian laymen. They called it Humaita, and their plan was to run it on Christian principles.

    The prison has only two full-time staff; the rest of the work is done by inmates. Every prisoner is assigned another inmate to whom he is accountable. In addition, every prisoner is assigned a

volunteer family from the outside that works with him during his term and after his release. Every prisoner joins a chapel program, or else takes a course in character development.

    When I visited Humaita, I found the inmates smiling -- particularly the murderer who held the keys, opened the gates, and let me in. Wherever I walked I saw men at peace. I saw clean living areas. I saw people working industriously. The walls were decorated with biblical sayings from Psalms and Proverbs.

    Humaita has an astonishing record. Its recidivism rate is 4 percent compared to 75 percent in the rest of Brazil and the United States. How is that possible?

    I saw the answer when my inmate guide escorted me to the notorious punishment cell once used for torture. Today, he told me, that block houses only a single inmate. As we reached the end of the long concrete corridor and he put the key into the lock, he paused and asked, "Are you sure you want to go in?"

    "Of course," I replied impatiently. "I've been in isolation cells all over the world." Slowly he swung open the massive door, and I saw the prisoner in that punishment cell: a crucifix, beautifully carved by the Humaita inmates -- the prisoner Jesus, hanging on the cross.

    "He's doing time for all the rest of us," my guide said softly.

    In that cross carved by loving hands is a holy subversion. It heralds change more radical than mankind's most fevered dreams. Its followers expand the boundaries of a kingdom that can never fail. A

shining kingdom that reaches into the darkest corners of every community, into the darkest corners of every mind. A kingdom of deathless hope, of restless virtue, of endless peace.This work proceeds, this hope remains, this fire will not be quenched: The Enduring Revolution of the cross of Christ.

Tangible: A Nail

Wednesday evening

Have you ever made a fool of yourself in public? What if you did it on national TV? On February 28, 1958, Dave Wilkerson did just that--embarrassed himself for the Lord.

Seven gang members went on trial in New York for murder. Dave Wilkerson saw their story in Life magazine and was filled with compassion. The Lord seemed to be telling him to do something about it. Could it be true? Dave Wilkerson was a country preacher in the small town of Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania. What did New York have to do with him? And yet, he could not get the conviction out of his mind. So he spoke to his church leaders and went to the court hearing.

When he tried to speak up, however, policemen seized him, slapped him in cuffs and hustled him out of the court room. They feared courtroom violence. Wilkerson certainly had not succeeded in what he came to do. Had God really spoken to him? How could he explain this to his church back home?

Back in Pennsylvania, the Lord spoke again. Wilkerson knew he must do something. He traveled back to New York several times and walked the streets where he knew gangs operated. Then he recognized God's wisdom in allowing his humiliation. His public arrest won him a measure of acceptance among the youth he had come to help. He sought to lead these young men and women to Christ and to the filling of the Holy Spirit as their best hope for breaking drug addiction and patterns of self-destruction and violence.

Convinced that the only way to keep many of the kids off heroin and out of violence was to give them a place to stay, Dave Wilkerson opened the first Teen Challenge center. Often he did not know where the money to pay the next bill would come from. But God blessed the work. A score of young workers joined him in an effort to evangelize New York's toughest districts. They were threatened, beaten--even stabbed. Yet they persisted. Many teens turned to Christ. Teen Challenge became a national organization.

Among the teens that Wilkerson ministered was Nicky Cruz, a hardened gang leader and member of the Mau Maus. Despite a bitter first encounter in which Wilkerson was badly beaten, he continued to confront Nicky with God’s love and forgiveness and ultimately Nicky was converted and left the gang life behind. Nicky and several of his fellow gang members have gone on to careers in ministry and evangelism themselves. Nicky’s journey to God was recounted in Wilkerson’s book The Cross and the Switchblade and in a movie by the same name which indirectly has impacted the lives of many teens in the years since 1958. Wilkerson remains actively involved in his work with teens and evangelism to this day, still a “fool for Christ”.

Show movie:   “The Cross and the Switchblade”

A time for reflection and sharing

Order for Compline to close

An Order for Compline

Use highlighted choices of responses and psalms

The Officiant begins

The Lord Almighty grant us a peaceful night and a perfect

end. Amen.

Officiant                   Our help is in the Name of the Lord;

People                   The maker of heaven and earth.

The Officiant may then say

Let us confess our sins to God.

Officiant and People

Almighty God, our heavenly Father:

We have sinned against you,

through our own fault,

in thought, and word, and deed,

and in what we have left undone.

For the sake of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,

forgive us all our offenses;

and grant that we may serve you

in newness of life,

to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Officiant

May the Almighty God grant us forgiveness of all our sins,

and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Officiant then says

          O God, make speed to save us.

People     O Lord, make haste to help us.

Officiant and People

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as

it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Except in Lent, add    Alleluia.

One or more of the following Psalms are sung or said. Other suitable selections may

be substituted.

Psalm 4 Cum invocarem

1   Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *

    you set me free when I am hard‑pressed;

    have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2   “You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory? *

    how long will you worship dumb idols

    and run after false gods?”

3   Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful; *

     when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

4   Tremble, then, and do not sin; *

    speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.

5   Offer the appointed sacrifices *

    and put your trust in the Lord.

6   Many are saying,

     “Oh, that we might see better times!” *

    Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.

7   You have put gladness in my heart, *

    more than when grain and wine and oil increase.

8   I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *

    for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 31 In te, Domine, speravi

1   In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame: *

   deliver me in your righteousness.

2   Incline your ear to me; *

    make haste to deliver me.

3   Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,

for you are my crag and my stronghold; *

   for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.

4   Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *

   for you are my tower of strength.

5   Into your hands I commend my spirit, *

   for you have redeemed me,

   O Lord, O God of truth.

Psalm 91 Qui habitat

1   He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High *

   abides under the shadow of the Almighty.

2   He shall say to the Lord,

“You are my refuge and my stronghold, *

    my God in whom I put my trust.”

3   He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter *

   and from the deadly pestilence.

4   He shall cover you with his pinions,

and you shall find refuge under his wings; *

   his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler.

5   You shall not be afraid of any terror by night, *

   nor of the arrow that flies by day;

6   Of the plague that stalks in the darkness, *

   nor of the sickness that lays waste at mid‑day.

7   A thousand shall fall at your side

and ten thousand at your right hand, *

   but it shall not come near you.

8   Your eyes have only to behold *

   to see the reward of the wicked.

9   Because you have made the Lord your refuge, *

   and the Most High your habitation,

10   There shall no evil happen to you, *

   neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

11    For he shall give his angels charge over you, *

   to keep you in all your ways.

12   They shall bear you in their hands, *

   lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13   You shall tread upon the lion and adder; *

   you shall trample the young lion and the serpent

under your feet.

14   Because he is bound to me in love,

therefore will I deliver him; *

   I will protect him, because he knows my Name.

15   He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; *

   I am with him in trouble;

   I will rescue him and bring him to honor.

16   With long life will I satisfy him, *

   and show him my salvation.

Psalm 134 Ecce nunc

1    Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, *

   you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.

2   Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord; *

   the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

At the end of the Psalms is sung or said

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

   as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

One of the following, or some other suitable passage of Scripture, is read

Lord, you are in the midst of us, and we are called by your

Name: Do not forsake us, O Lord our God. Jeremiah 14:9 ,22

People          Thanks be to God.

or this

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy‑laden, and I will

give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;

for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for

your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28‑30

People          Thanks be to God.

or the following

May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our

Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of

the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you

may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his

sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and

ever. Hebrews 13:20‑21

People          Thanks be to God.

or this

Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls

around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Resist him, firm in your faith. 1 Peter 5:8‑9a

People Thanks be to God.

A hymn suitable for the evening may be sung.

Then follows

V. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit;

R. For you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.

V. Keep us, O Lord, as the apple of your eye;

R. Hide us under the shadow of your wings.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Officiant and People

Our Father, who art in heaven,                        Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,         hallowed be your Name,

thy kingdom come,                 your kingdom come,

thy will be done,                  your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.                               on earth as in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.                        Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,                        Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those    as we forgive those

   who trespass against us.           who sin against us.

And lead us not into temptation,                        Save us from the time of trial,

but deliver us from evil.      and deliver us from evil.

Officiant                   Lord, hear our prayer;

People                 And let our cry come to you.

Officiant                   Let us pray.

The Officiant then says one of the following Collects

Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy

defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the

love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours

of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and

chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Look down, O Lord, from your heavenly throne, and

illumine this night with your celestial brightness; that by

night as by day your people may glorify your holy Name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Visit this place, O Lord, and drive far from it all snares of the

enemy; let your holy angels dwell with us to preserve us in

peace; and let your blessing be upon us always; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

One of the following prayers may be added

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or

weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who

sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless

the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the

joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.

or this

O God, your unfailing providence sustains the world we live

in and the life we live: Watch over those, both night and day,

who work while others sleep, and grant that we may never

forget that our common life depends upon each other’s toil;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Silence may be kept, and free intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered.

The service concludes with the Song of Simeon with this Antiphon, which is sung

or said by all

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake

we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

In Easter Season, add    Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Thursday morning

Ministry/ missions to the sick

A Reading from Mark 10: 46-52

46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." 52 Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Highlighted Missionary: Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer was born the son of a Lutheran pastor, and brought up in a quiet valley village in Alsace, then part of Germany and later part of France. He showed no sign of early talent, but in his teens suddenly developed a late flowering of impassioned curiosity. In his twenties he wrote seminal works on Bach, on the Historical Jesus and on organ building. He became an acclaimed organist, a church pastor, principal of a theological seminary and a university professor with a doctorate in philosophy.

None of this satisfied him, and at the age of 30, aware of the desperate need of Africans for medical care, he decided to become a medical doctor and devote the rest of his life to serving the people of Africa. In 1913, at the age of 37, Dr. Schweitzer and his wife, Hélène, opened a hospital in Lambarene, Gabon – then a province of French Equatorial Africa. Here, 150 miles into the interior, with one of the worst climates in the world, he devoted his life to providing health care for the desperately deprived and primitive people of the area.

During the first World War, Schweitzer and his family were interned in France (as Germans and enemy non-combatants). Despite this hiatus from Africa, the hospital never stopped growing. Schweitzer survived another World War, and in 1953, at the age of 78, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 1952. In the speeches and writings during the last years of his life, he emphasized the dangers of nuclear weapons and the nuclear arms race between the superpowers, and was instrumental in reversing American military policy on the testing of hydrogen bombs.Although no longer practising medicine, he continued to oversee the hospital until his death at the age of 90
Today, the hospital founded by Schweitzer continues to serve the region, handling some 50,000 patients each year with a staff of 160 people.

Thursday lunch

The Bible and early church history link the spread of the gospel to care for the sick and healing. The miraculous healings of lepers, the blind, and the lame in gospel accounts and Peter's healings in Acts are intimately connected to God's work of salvation through Jesus Christ.

During a fourth century famine in Turkey, Basil the Great of Cappadocia built a complex of buildings, including a church, a hospice for travelers, and a hospital for the sick. The hospital at Cappadocia is one of the earliest examples in Christian history of a church community dedicating itself to the urgent physical needs as well as the spiritual needs of people. And the spreading of the gospel was clearly aided by the perception that aid and healing were to be found among the early Christian missionaries. The tie between aid and witness is evidenced in today’s gospel reading from Mark.

A reading from the gospel of Mark 1: 40-45.

40 A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." 41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" 42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, 44 saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

If you want to                                                                        excerpted from The Pattern of Our Days, Liturgies and Resources for Worship, the Iona Community

‘If you want to’                                                                                                                           Of course Jesus wanted to                                                                                                        for His prayers and His actions were rooted in love,                                                                      the love of God that set him free to be vulnerable and to care and to live

Of course He wanted to.                                                                                                          Love always wants the best for other people,                                                                             be they lepers                                                                                                                         mothers-in-law, strangers or friends,                                                                                        love always wants their lives to be whole and glad and free.

And of course He wants us to.                                                                                                    For in our streets and communities                                                                                                    it is our hearts and lives He uses                                                                                                                  to make His love and his healing and His justice real.                                                                       It is through how we live and what we do                                                                                    that good news and good things come to other people.

And today He wants us to.                                                                                                                   For He is here among us                                                                                                                         and it is our hands and our prayers                                                                                          through which He comes to us and to those we pray for.                                                      And it is His love,                                                                                                                                  born and alive in us,                                                                                                                              that will heal us and set us free.

Time of reflection and sharing
Tangible: Bandaids

Thursday night
Albert Schweitzer built his African hospital in 1913 in Lambarene and worked there until his death in 1965. A remarkably unique community developed around the hospital, there in the midst of the primeval forest; people with very different motivations, background, and education lived and worked together. These clinicians relied heavily on native assistants to navigate the differences of language and culture represented by patients that arrived from all over Africa for treatment. Gustave was one such orderly and in this story he relates how profoundly Schweitzer’s methods of treatment and love of his fellow man impacted both his colleagues and the community of Africa that he served.

--excerpted from Working with Dr. Schweitzer by Louise Jilek-Aall, M.D

“Compassion.” Gustave tossed the word at me one evening. I waited, for I could see that he wanted to tell me something of importance.

“The word compassion seemed to taste good in Dr. Schweitzer's mouth.” He smiled as he went on: “It took a long time and much discussion around the fire before we boys began to understand what he meant. At first when he told us what it meant, we thought it was a strange weakness of heart he had; a feeling more suited for a woman than for a man. We did not know what to do with that word; it bothered us. And we did not like it. It seemed to come up in the most difficult situation and interfere with our work. In all respect, we warned him not to act upon that sort of weakness; it would ruin his reputation.”

I wondered what kind of difficult situations Gustave was referring to.

“Well, let me give you an example,” explained Gustave. “Dr. Schweitzer would, for instance, place a sick man in a room with the wrong people, just because there was no other bed available.”

I could not help interrupting again to ask what he meant with “the wrong people.” Gustave nodded as if he had expected that question.

“You see,” he explained, “according to our custom, you may help your kinspeople and people of your own tribe. Everybody else is a rival and a possible enemy. If you pity them, it is looked upon as a sign of weakness and before you know, they have taken advantage of you. Dr. Schweitzer, he could care for all people because he did not belong to any of them; we could not. We had many a dispute with him over that. To avoid arguments, we learned to work out among ourselves who it was that would help who so as not to offend people's feelings or violate tribal laws.

“Long hours into the night we would discuss why Dr. Schweitzer wanted to help sick Africans. Maybe he enjoyed the veneration of those he healed? Or was it that he relished the power he had over the evil spirits of sickness and over Death itself? But then we saw his worry when a patient was slow to recover and his sadness when one died, and we realized that he did not consider himself all that powerful. There had to be another reason.

“The name of Jesus and the words mercy and compassion, together with the idea of feeling for those who suffer kept coming up in the talks he gave us; but we remained unmoved. Then, one evening my eyes were opened to what he really tried to convey to us. It was a small event; it might not even make much sense to you.”

Gustave looked at me searchingly.

“Please, tell me, Gustave,” I encouraged him.

Gustave closed his eyes. He spoke in a low voice, searching for the right words.

“One evening I walked past the hospital on my way home. I saw a light in one of the rooms. There were only a few kerosene lamps available for the whole hospital, so I went back to see if something was wrong. I stopped when I discovered that it was Dr. Schweitzer himself who used the lamp.

“Through the open door I saw him bending over a patient and helping him to some water. I knew the patient; a hopeless case of sleeping sickness already in the last stage of the illness, even too weak to lift his head. We had warned Dr. Schweitzer to leave this patient be! In my people's view, a medicine man who continues to treat a dying person loses his power as a healer and becomes the laughing stock of the entire village.

“Annoyed, I was about to turn away when Dr. Schweitzer lifted his head and looked into the dark. There I stood, nailed to the ground. The light of the kerosene lamp shone upon his face and there was something in his sorrowful look that touched my heart. It flashed through my mind: ‘compassion.’ My legs became weak and as I sank to my knees, the spirit of compassion took hold of me and I knew that I would never be the same person again.”

“I was indeed never the same person again.” Gustave took up from where he had left. “For a long time I went around in a daze. I was shaking and feeling like I would cry, but I could not. From that time on I listened more to Dr. Schweitzer, especially when he talked about Jesus Christ. It was as if-as if Jesus was a close friend of his-still alive and walking with him. Now the story of Jesus took on a new meaning for me. I sensed that compassion had been his way of life.

“I longed to talk with Dr. Schweitzer about the thoughts in my mind, but I was not able to speak about it. The missionaries who had tried to convert us to Christianity had frightened me. They said our African ways were bad-that we had to give them up if we wanted to be Christians. I felt too strongly rooted in the life of my village to throw away the authority and teaching of my elders, even for the sake of Christianity.

“Dr. Schweitzer did not show disrespect for our African ways, therefore we could listen to him without apprehension. Still, my mind was not settled when he spoke of Jesus. I became forgetful and did things wrong at work. The pain and anxiety I felt must have been on my face, for one day Dr. Schweitzer asked if I was not happy here at the hospital. I do not remember what I said to him but he put his hand on my shoulder and said that neither the Christian missionaries nor anybody else had the right to impose a new religion or lifestyle upon us.

“‘The knowledge of Christ might lead to a search for new ways within your culture,’ he said. ‘To accept new ideas does not mean you must give up your traditions; it may even enrich them!’ To make me feel better, he added that the Europeans of today who claim to be Christians neither follow the tradition of Jesus nor do they understand the language he spoke.

“‘The importance of Jesus Christ to mankind,’ Dr. Schweitzer explained, ‘does not lie in the rituals people have made out of his teaching, but in the example of his life. His love and compassion and his willingness to die for the conviction that his death would redeem all men from suffering and sin, these are the deeds that have been remembered throughout time. If you are able to understand this message and conduct your life accordingly, you do not need to worry about the missionaries,’ Dr. Schweitzer told me. His eyes had a twinkle when he said that.

“I felt greatly relieved. From that day, Christianity was not a thing to fear. I could enjoy life in my village, but I could also discuss freely with the boys around the fire about Dr. Schweitzer and what he stood for in our lives.”

Gustave smiled as he got up from the chair. “And here is my final answer to your question why I am not concerned with my advancement in the hospital: I am happy with the work I do.”

A time of reflection and sharing

Closing prayer (St . Augustine)

Watch now , dear Lord, with those who wake or watch or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ, rest your weary ones,            bless your dying ones, soothe your suffering ones, pity your afflicted ones, shield your joyous ones, and all for your love’s sake.
AMEN

Friday morning

Matthew 28:16-20                                                                                                     16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said:                                                                                                            "Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering and the lonely right there where you are -- in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools . . . You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society -- completely forgotten, completely left alone."

       "Find your own Calcutta." That was the response Mother Teresa sent to a woman who wanted to join her in ministering to one of India's most crowded cities.

       Was there a touch of romanticism in the woman's desire to leave all her past behind and serve in a distant, exotic land? Whatever her motives, the terse advice she received is a discerning word we all should heed. It captures the essence of Paul's message to the church at Corinth. Serve the Lord in whatever situation He has placed you (1 Cor. 7:17-24).

       I recall the illusion-puncturing challenge John Alexander, one-time president of InterVarsity, gave to a group of students: "What have you done this past year to make a helpful difference within a mile of your home?" The hungry, the suffering, the unevangelized at our doorstep lack the more appealing aura of the needy souls elsewhere on the planet. But the ones closest to us are those whose needs we are best equipped to meet.

       Let's take personally what Jesus said to a man He had set free from demons: "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the lord has done for you" (Mk. 5:19).   If we look around us through the eyes of Jesus, we're sure to find a Calcutta.

Here for all your talent you may surely find a need,
Here reflect the Bright and Morning Star,
Even from your humble hand the bread of life may feed,
Brighten the corner where you are. -Ogdon

THE MISSION FIELD IS CLOSER TO HOME THAN YOU MAY THINK.

OUR DAILY BREAD, Copyright 1999 by Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids,Michigan. Used by permission.

Friday lunch

A reading from Luke 6:20-36

20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 "Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. "Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

27 "But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

The Meaning of Life                                                                                                       --Abridged and excerpted from It was on Fire When I Lay Down on it by Robert Fulghum

Alexander Papaderos was a doctor of philosophy, teacher, politician, resident of Athens but son of Crete who in the years following World War II founded the Orthodox Academy of Crete, dedicated to human understanding and peace and to healing the wounds of war.   Robert Fulghum recounts his experiences at the institute and the powerful lesson that he learned there.

By the time I came to the institute for a summer session, Alexander Papaderos had become a living legend. One look at him and you saw his strength and intensity -- energy, physical power, courage, intelligence, passion, and vivacity radiated from this person. And to speak to him, to shake his hand, to be in a room with him when he spoke, was to experience his extraordinary electric humanity. Few men live up to their reputations when you get close. Alexander Papaderos was an exception.

At the last session on the last morning of a two-week seminar on Greek culture, led by intellectuals and experts in their fields who were recruited by Papaderos from across Greece, Papaderos rose from his chair at the back of the room and walked to the front, where he stood in the bright Greek sunlight of an open window and looked out. We followed his gaze across the bay to the iron cross marking the German cemetery.

He turned. And made the ritual gesture: "Are there any questions?"

Quiet quilted the room. These two weeks had generated enough questions for a lifetime, but for now there was only silence.

"No questions?" Papaderos swept the room with his eyes.

So. I asked.

"Dr. Papaderos, what is the meaning of life?"

The usual laughter followed, and people stirred to go.

Papaderos held up his hand and stilled the room and looked at me for a long time, asking with his eyes if I was serious and seeing from my eyes that I was.

"I will answer your question."

Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket, he fished into a leather billfold and brought out a very small round mirror, about the size of a quarter.

And what he said went like this:

"When I was a small child, during the war, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village. One day, on the road, I found the broken pieces of a mirror. A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place.

"I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept only the largest piece. This one. And by scratching it on a stone I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine -- in deep holes and crevices and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find.

"I kept the little mirror, and as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child's game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of light. But light -- truth, understanding, knowledge -- is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it.

"I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world -- into the black places in the hearts of men -- and change some things in some people. Perhaps others may see and do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of my life."

And then he took his small mirror and, holding it carefully, caught the bright rays of daylight streaming through the window and reflected them onto my face and onto my hands folded on the desk.

Much of what I experienced in the way of information about Greek culture and history that summer is gone from memory. But in the wallet of my mind I carry a small round mirror still.

Are there any questions?
Tangible: Small round mirror

Friday evening:
Holy Eucharist Rite II, Eucharist Prayer B