God at work always

Please note that Dave's Soul Work will be just that without updates on personal activities. I will do that in other emails from time to time.

St. Augustine in his Confessions writes: "You called, you cried, you shattered my deafness. You sparkled, you blazed, you drove away my blindness. You shed your fragrance, and I drew in my breath, and I pant for you. I tasted and now I hunger and thirst. You touched me, and now I burn with longing for your peace."

It is wonderful and gracious how God pursues us to bless, enrich and save us. Reminds me of Jesus' parables of the lost sheep, coin and child. The shepherd (God) pursues the lost one until God finds it and brings it home. Then there is great rejoicing over the lost being found and brought home. God's joy and peace is super wonderful.

Here are the three points from Pastor Steven Rodriguez' sermon this morning on Matthew 2 the account of the wise men coming to worship the new born King as well as the slaughter of the innocents and God's protection of the infant Jesus by leading Joseph and Mary to Egypt and back again. I thought the message was done well and marvel at how gifted and poised these new seminary graduates are. I don't think I had near the command of the pulpit like they do.

1. When you travel with Jesus you never quite know who will show us with him. The wise men were from the east and were gentiles being guided by God to the manger in Bethlehem. They come asking questions of God's religious leaders and people. But it is the questioners who go further in their quest of truth than those who have the answers. Interesting. We need hospitality for those who have questions.

2.When you travel with Jesus you involve yourself in spiritual warfare. At the birth of Jesus the powers of darkness declare war. This is seen in the reaction of King Herod in having all the babies two years and younger killed in the region of Bethlehem. However the worst of deeds by evil cannot defeat or overcome God's plan. We cannot be assured of missing suffering when/if we believe but we do have promise of God's eternal love being present with us always in this life and the one to come.

3.When you travel with Jesus you are called to live a life of radical obedience. We can see obedience in the pilgrimage of the wise men to the Christ child. We see obedience in the life of Joseph and Mary as they are directed down into Egypt and up out of Egypt at the appropriate time. by the way it was pointed out how these travels of the Holy Family parallel that of Israel in the Old Testament who likewise went down to Egypt and up out again.

Enjoy your reflections remembering we do what God says and say what God does.