Sermon Notes:
- ALOHA. To say ALOHA means to share breath -- "HA" -- I share my HA, my life, with you. ALOHA. (分享 “氣息”／生命)
- Bea and I are taking time on a pilgrimage through the Philippines and Taiwan. The two places are very important to the Diocese of Hawaii. Many of the parishioners of the Diocese are from or have family in the Philippines. And Taiwan and Hawaii were once linked together under one Bishop.
- Further, your Bishop David was one of my co-consecrators when I was made a Bishop.
- We are traveling to be with our extended Church family.
- It is an honor to be with you this morning. MAHALO -- another Hawaiian word -- MAHALO means "thank you." MAHALO. (謝謝／感謝之意)
- These past few weeks the Gospel lessons have been from the Gospel of Luke. Jesus calls us to prepare for life with God.
- In today's lesson he uses the image from gardening. Jesus has been teaching and will continue in Luke's Gospel to call people to God. To a new life. He repeatedly describes life with God.
- Today he reminds us that following God demands real Change. It is not about what are parents did or where we live. It is not about what job we have or how much money we have. It is about personal life -- how we live and how we treat others.
- I think Jesus describes three elements to the path of God here in the Gospel of Luke -- especially in his teachings in the stories around today's lesson. The three elements are Compassion, Generosity and Hospitality.
- Compassion (憐憫／同情): In Luke's Gospel, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan in Chapter 10 and the Lost Son in Chapter 15. -- Story: Edward and the Army (傅志平主教的兒子 愛德華 目前在阿富汗從軍 . . . ) -- Compassion must lead us to Generosity. (一個人有憐憫之心／能體恤他人的人，必然會成為一個慷慨大方的人。)
- Generosity (慷慨／寬大): Luke 12:32-34 Jesus taught, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 14:33 "So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions."What is generosity? -- Story: Mr. Venable and the bank (維納伯樂先生 . . . 某家銀行的 “信託部門” 主管 . . .) -- Generosity leads us to Hospitality. (一個慷慨的／寬宏大量的人，必然會成為親切款待他人的人。)
- Hospitality (好客／殷勤招待；親切款待): Luke 14:12-14 Jesus "said also to the one who had invited him, 'When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.'" -- Story: Virginia and the homeless lady, Mary. (維琴妮雅小姐 和 瑪麗亞女士 的故事)
- As we prepare for Easter, we are called to look into ourselves. Do we live with compassion, generosity and hospitality? (我們是否活出 仁慈憐憫、慷慨大方、而且殷勤款待他人 的美好人生？)
- To love the stranger, to share what we have and welcome the outcast to walk with good. (. . . 要愛陌生人，要把自己所擁有的拿來與人分享，要歡迎那些被拋棄的／無家可歸的人，欣然與他們同行。)
- It is to be the strong plant that will not be uprooted and cast away. (這樣，就能成為一棵健康的果樹，結實累累，不至於被人連根拔起，拿去丟掉或燒掉！)
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