Unclean Spirit

Hope you all are doing well.. We have had an uneventful week, fairly normal activities. We've had some "mild" days after a string of colder than normal ones. So we've been able to walk outside again with the walks and streets being clear of snow, ice and slush. We've got two days left before leaving for Palos Heights to be with Emma while Leah and Kurt go to some event out of state. Then we leave on Feb. 6 for AZ. As usual we are looking forward to our travels. Hope to see some of you in AZ.

This week's Gospel lectionary lesson was the account of Jesus encountering a man with an unclean spirit or as other versions would put it a demon possessed man. (Mark 1:21-28) The man cries out to Jesus saying, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."

Jesus has everything to do with the unclean spirits of our lives. Jesus did come to destroy sin in all its vestiges. I consider the unclean spirits in my life, the works of the old nature, the self-centeredness I am prone to exhibit and all the ways in which I fail to live with God's love. Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit in the man and heals him of it. Through Jesus I too am healed of my unclean spirit. In the eyes of God I am covered with the pure righteousness of Jesus and given new life. Now it is my privilege and responsibility to live by the Spirit of Jesus who is within me. And when I fail and sin I am to acknowledge and confess it for God is faithful in love to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Streams In The Desert puts it this way, "There is a natural law at work in sin and in sickness, and if we just drift along following the flow of our circumstances, we will sink under the power of the Tempter. But there is another of spiritual and physical life in Christ Jesus to which we can rise, and through which we can counterbalance and overcome the natural law that weighs us down. Doing this, however requires real spiritual energy, a determined purpose, a sure stance, and the habit of faith. It is the same principle as a factory that uses electricity to run its machinery. The switch must be turned on and left in that position. The power is always available, but the proper connection must be made. And as long as that connection is intact, the power will enable all the machinery to stay in operation. There is a spiritual law of choosing, believing, abiding and remaining steadfast in our walk with God. This law is essential to the working of the Hoily Spirit in our sanctification and in our healing."

Albert Einstein wrote this quote on a hotel notepad in 1922, "A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness." Would you believe that this note recently sold for over a million dollars at a Jerusalem auction house? Crazy, yes.

I'm going to officiate my niece Rachel's wedding next fall, the Lord willing. I'm going to meet with Rachel and Jesse while in Palos Heights to do a marriage preparation session. Emanuel and Virginia Feldman are marriage counselors who put together "The Marriage Creed". I'm going to give you the basics of the creed. You can fill in the interpretation.

Comfort each other...

Caress as you would be caressed...

Be a friend and partner...

Be open with each other...

Listen to each other...

Respect each other's rights...

Allow the other to be an individual...

Give each other approval/affirmation...

Cherish your union...

Love one another...

From cousin Mike -"Today is the oldest you've ever been, yet the youngest you'll ever be; so enjoy this day while it lasts."

And, "The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore." I connect with that one.

And, "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived."

Remember to do what God says and to say what God does!"