The Hummingbird


The following is based off of a Children’s message delivered at Asbury on Sunday, May 11, 2014.  It was intended to remind our children that no one is perfect – especially their pastor – and that the answer that God has for is simpler than we tend or want to believe.    Since our children’s messages are not solely for our children, I thought it might be a good one to share…and perhaps there was something in it for us.   Shalom, S.

The Hummingbird
hummingbird number 2
There have been a series of blips in my day to day over the last last few weeks that have taken the form of crisis that needed resolving and as a result have come with all matter of people taking it upon themselves to determine just how I was going to solve of fix their worlds.

Although I tend to like to envision myself as some great problem solver and rainmaker, the truth is I approach everything with a barbarian’s mentality.   I believe that if I exert enough force the problem either moves or I learn to like it.   Picture a rock in the middle of your path; the barbarian solution is to push that rock with every last ounce of your being until it moves.   After you exert every last piece of what you have in reserve, and that rock still stands, its only then that the barbarian begins to realize he or she needs a different course of attack; such as stepping around it.
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The Story of Hairy Mary


brave

As my family will attest, I am a story teller.   I love the fine art of embellishment, coupled with a silly voice and lots of uncontrolled facial and body gestures.   If done well it is an art.  If it isn’t, they just shake their head at my weird-ness. 

I love to tell stories, and I have a giant file at work that has bits of pieces of old legends and children’s stories.   Some of those bits and pieces will never see the light of day.  There might be a good piece to them, but nothing that I can make into a whole.  Others are bound to be part of a posting, sermon, or just random conversation.

In the end, the stories I enjoy most come from a world away.   The stories that come from Japan, China, and other parts of Asia are the most fascinating to me.  They remind me that although our culture is so different, we share some common traits.   Among those common traits is the simple truth that can be found in our stories.

One of my favorites is a Taoist story that is often called the Sack…

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