Dear Brothers:
Greetings! Happy New Year! THE NICODEMUS LEAGUE RESUMES: Wednesday,
January 20, 2016!!! (I have THR Trustee meetings tomorrow.)
Two good friends of mine (that I met through the Denton
Morning Rotary Club), Marion and Linda Scott, were murdered in
their home this past Sunday. Their residence was roughly two blocks from
my own. On New Year's Eve, a 20 year old woman was killed by gunfire less
than a half mile from where I write these lines. Earlier in December, a
young man was killed in a police action shooting not far from here at the Fry
Street area. Two churches were targeted with bomb threats on
their services for Christmas Eve. The Denton Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship was recently was burglarized, and they sustained damage to
their building in the process.
Most conversations I've had with men over the period
referenced above included comments on the foregoing. Today I was reminded
of a series of Gospel readings for worship last year with selections from John
6. In that chapter, things begin with a blast of popularity. The
Master had just miraculously served 5,000 people. Fully satisfied, the crowd
thought they had collectively won the lottery. They wanted to make him
King by force, we are told. Instant welfare! Then Jesus started dishing
out teaching that didn't resonate with them. Fast-forward to chapter's
end, and there are only a handful left from the literally thousands upon
thousands of people who followed Him -- and some were His own disciples.
Jesus looked at who was left, and it was little more than a handful. He
asks: "You don't want to go away, too, do you?" (Perhaps
the saddest words Master Jesus ever uttered.)
Peter replied: "Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life."
Yes, recent events in Denton scare us -- and this isn't even
to speak of what's going on in our country, polarized as it is to the extreme
as, of all things, another election cycle is upon us. Like the followers
of Jesus in John 6, it all adds up to a big collective desire to go away, hide
your head under a rock, whistle in the dark, be in denial, hope against hope,
etc.
Fortunately for us, the apostle Peter had one of his best
moments when things looks bleak. He knew where the "words of eternal
life" were: at the Jesus point.
God, grant us a 2016 where we stay put at the Jesus
point. Then, fully-gifted by His teaching and Sacraments, we take action
-- as His men! -- with faith and love.
By the way, look us upon Facebook! Our blog
site:
http://thenicodemusleague.blogspot.com
allows you to submit your email to receive updates. Bring a friend on the 20th. More information to follow!
Your Scribe,
Rev.
Paul R.Dunklau
