Me one the other hand can suffer from squirrel moments.  Squirrel moments you may ask.  Like a dog who is happy content and then sees a squirrel and is totally distracted.  You know those moments you are doing something and you think of something or see something and totally off onto a different track. 

 The distraction takes us away from the task at hand. 

I wonder if the distraction becomes the excuse for settling. 

I wonder if at time we settle for what is because that is what is.  The World spins days to years the moon cycles through her phases.  it is the same coming and goings. The wows of the world blending one to another. It all spins madly one.  Strangely there is a comfort in this. 

After all who wants to live in that old Chinese curse “may you live in interesting times?” 

This can also be the road to the modern temptation of apathy. 

We accept what is and fail to dream beyond what is.  I confess that at times I do enjoy a little flutter and purchase lottery tickets. I always feel it gives me a license to dream big. To think philanthropically. 

To see beyond what is to what can be.   I know that all dreams don’t come true but every once in a while some do.  It is about being open to the vast possibilities of what is possible in the world and not limiting ourselves by our current place. 

 Our story tells us that Jesus knows his course and won’t be deterred. 

It begins with the Pharisees whose first concern is their own power, then Herod’s and bristle at anything that might upset Rome playing the sympathetic concern card and warning Jesus about following the path he is on. 

You know this might be a good time for a career change.  Go back to doing whatever it was that you did before all this talk of God and Heaven on your mind. 

When Jesus responds to the Pharisees’ feigned concern over his safety, we can almost hear Jesus say, “Do you think I was born yesterday?” Jesus is wise to their game and their alliance with Herod, whom he calls a fox—the slyest, most conniving of all creatures accept for politicians seeking reelection . 

As quickly as he identifies the trap, he brushes it aside, re-centering the focus on what matters the most to him: Jerusalem. More than the cen¬ter of the political, theological, and social order, it was also Jesus’ ultimate destination, the culmina¬tion of his earthly mission: to redeem the world and rectify people’s broken relationships with God. To Jesus, nothing else mattered.

Luke offers a les¬son here.  A reminder that there will always be people who are closed minded. Those that will not see beyond their own thoughts and will strive to cause us to stumble.  To them the message is.  stick to the mission. Remember what’s most important.  Don’t forget what is important.  Don’t lose sight of the dream. Don’t abandon your calling.   

Jesus refused to get hung up on the feeble power games played by his political enemies, and chose instead to get to work, and accomplish the tasks he was called to fulfill. 

Having made his point, Luke could have con¬cluded the story here, with a determined Jesus focused on his mission. Instead, he complements this portrait with a depiction of an emotional, poignant Jesus. I feel you get a window into the compassion of Jesus and perhaps the burden of love that he carried that people just did not understand.  In contrast to the fox, we see Jesus as the hen, and we can hear the ache in his voice as he longs for the people to turn from their way¬wardness and turn toward this new kingdom. 

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent to it. How often have I desired to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wing? 

Once more we are reminded to all things there is a balance.  We see Jesus in balance. With mind and heart, he is equal parts controlled and compassionate, determined and devoted. He did not allow petty personal skirmishes to stand in the way of the larger picture: the repentance and redemption of all humanity.

In the balance we discover the center the divine with in us.  The Divine that inspires us to stay the course.  Margry Devega asks the question “What incidental conflicts are keeping us from “finishing our work?”   

Prayers of the people

Hear our prayer we humbly offer

Grant to us your peace O God

Hear our prayer we humbly offer

Grant to us your peace O God.

Prayer 

God who walks this road with us. We listen to the news, we see images of what is going on in our world. Our hearts cannot but help be heavy .  We look at this whole and it is so easy to loose faith, to become discouraged. Our souls are tired. In that moment as we sit on rock on the side of the road you come and sit with us looking at where we have been, where we are going putting your arm around us and simple say I am here. 

You are here God. That brings us great comfortable.  

We pray for all those in Ukraine and Palestine and all those that find themselves in the midst of political upheaval. They are people who are living their worst nightmare. We pray for peace and justice . We remember all those people that are displaced by war and conflict.   We pray for all those that struggle with illness, and the unknown. Those that have become lost on the road of life. We pray that your healing Spirit be upon them. We find great comfort knowing that here in this sanctuary we can bring out prayers to you. Prayers for those who we know, and for ourselves and those that we shall never meet.  Hear our prayers O lord.  Take our hand once more on this road, lead us forward for in our faith we know you hear our prayers. We offer you the great prayer which binds us as one saying…Our Father….