Prayer

Lord as we ponder your words open our hearts that we may understand and know you. Amen 

Sermon    

   I have been privileged to be asked twice now to audition for the CBC Production Best in Miniature.   Each time I have made it to the second round which is an accomplishment. It would be a big thing to make it on the show. Exciting and terrifying all in the same breath.  I recently did an in person demonstration of miniature making at Westfield and it was fun seeing the enthusasim for minatures.  Serious miniaturist will spend some coin on these wee bits.  Although I did not come near spending this it is hard to believe that I have a dinning table four chairs and a sideboard in my collection valued at some $600.00 which is considerably more than what I paid for my full sized table and chairs.   These small things, collecting and creating bring joy into ones life.   The small things that can bring great joy.  

The small things.   I watched a glass blower once while in Germany he did a demonstration right on the boat. He was from a small town by the name Wertheim which is known for its glass blowing.  Every year he creates what he calls The Colon sparrow. It is small. He creates them to take to Colon to the Christmas market in the Cathedral square and they are sold for charity. They are not big. They are small and yet they make a large difference. 



  Today’s Gospel is about something that is small and makes a difference. It is a familiar Story of Jesus and the healing of the ten Lepers.  Jesus heals them they go on their way but one comes back and says thank you. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”    

It is a story of healing, it is a story of faith, it is a story of gratitude. 

10 are healed and one turns back realizing that he has been embraced by God and says thanks you.   Does that mean the other nine did not get healed, that they all left ungrateful. No Their story is not told.   In their joy of having a new life they did not look back but looked forward, forward to human contact, of being with family again and community again. 

Did Jesus say because the nine did not return and acknowledge my work they are no longer healed no, He cured them all the same, God’s love knows no bounds, does not seek recognition, does not need gratitude but is giving out of a love for us. 

    A love for us that manifests itself in the small things.  The little differences. It is a love that inspires us to what we claim in our service and living of the Gospel. 

The small things that we do that make a big impact on the lives we touch.   Do we life out the Gospel so that we may say look at what I have done,  no we do it out of a place of caring and love. 

We do it because in our journey we have been touched by the small things embraced by God in small ways. 

Stop and think your life journey where have you seen the embrace of God. Where have you seen grace given.  It is in remembering the journey in those quiet comfort moments that we perhaps see clearly how God has shaped our lives. Sometimes the memories may Bring a smile sometimes a tear. But in both joy and grieve. Laughter and tears. Triumph and challenge we are able to see God and be    Today we celebrate this human yes to God’s grace and to be grateful

We     in our simple lives can  see that God has called us to do extra ordinary things. May we remember what that call to be followers means. 

One came back and said thank you.  I am one of Many Clergy that have served this Church   Thank you for that privilege.  My God’s blessing be with you.   For all that you do for the service of God in this community. Thank you.