SERMON: “Getting Down to Basics” 1
Psalm 23, Romans 8:28-30
October 16, 2011 (Monserate Mobile Home Park, Chapel) 2:00 p.m.
Rev. Dr. Dennis Ginoza
Is there any here who went to school at a one
room school house? Anyone? …And where was that?
A few weeks ago my wife Sylvia and I were visiting with a
friend in Vacaville, in northern California.
Our friend Elaine said, “Dennis, I have something from you.
It’s an old bell from your elementary school (on island of Maui).
Ring! Time for school. Recess. Lunch time. School’s over.
Those were the good old days.
We were taught the three R’s – Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic.”
In that era we were taught three values.
Respect for our teachers.
Respect for property.
Respect for our elders.
What happened to all those values?
Everyday we recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
I remember the day when we added, “One nation under God.”
Today I have entitled my sermon:
“GETTING DOWN TO BASICS.”
For over 3,000 years the 23rd Psalm has reminded us that
we are sustained by God. God is the good shepherd.
God looks after us day and night.
In time of death we have nothing to fear.
When Jesus came he said,
“I am the good shepherd.”
“I am the door of the sheep.”
Remember some time ago, on television, the high school kids
would say, “Hey, what’s happening?”
In 2009 three million homes were foreclosed.
The unemployment today nationwide is 9.1%
and it’s not getting any better.
Unemployment with teenagers is at 24.6% 2
Hey, what’s happening?
John Kenneth Galbraith, an economist wrote:
“The salary of the chief executive of the large
corporations is not a market reward of achievement.
It is frequently in the nature of a warm personal
gesture by the individual to himself.”
Today we have a problem. The economy is faltering.
In a word: GREED.
It’s time to get back to basics.
We need to go back to the virtues that hold
society together, if you will, and our civilization.
Greek philosophers held up four cardinal virtues:
1. Prudence
2. Justice
3. Restraint
4. Courage
The apostle Paul, who met Jesus on the road to Damascus,
who filled his heart with the spirit of Christ,
came to these three theological virtues:
Faith, Hope, and Love ….but the greatest of these is love.
Mahatma Ghandi, the spiritual leader of India said,
“We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”
His family said, Ghandi said this many times.
In her Diary, Anne Frank wrote:
“In spite of everything I still believe that people
are really good at heart.”
Several years ago, I heard Elizabeth Kubler Ross, in Brawley,
California. Before 400 people—doctors, nurses, teachers,
pastors, social workers, she gave us insights about
death and dying. Really, it was about life.
“One thing,” she said, “that you don’t want to
take away from a person dying is—HOPE.
Each person always has hope there might be a cure.
For over 30 years no, as a pastor, I have concluded that there 3
are three tasks that I had.
One—to receive new spirits in the world. We
celebrate their coming, and we baptize them.
Two—we to help people grow, to learn, and to live.
Three—prepare people to get ready for the next life.
You see, life is eternal.
I was talking to a man the other day. A few
years ago, his wife died of cancer, and he lives
alone. He said to me, “You know, I’m ready to
go anytime. I’ve had a good life.” I understood.
Death is not end;
it’s just another door.
We live in a tough world.
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans says,
“All things work together for good, for those
for those who love God.”
But the question is: Who can we trust? The banks?
the politician? Benjamin Franklin says:
“God works wonders now and then;
Behold! a lawyer, an honest man.”
Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1733
Jesus said: Look at the birds of the air, they don’t store
in barns yet the Heavenly Father feeds them.
Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin.
How much more God will care for you.
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all
these things will be given to you. Matthew 6:25ff
We need a paradigm shift from self to others.
Dale Carnegie, the guru of human relationships, wrote a book
called, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”
He says, there is a law of human contact. If we obey
that law, we will never be in trouble.
The law: “Always make the other person feel important”
If we take interest in other people, we will use every power
to make life better for them. There will be no place
for greed or selfishness.
Carnegie says, philosophers for centuries have been 4
speculating about human relationships.
Zoroaster in Persia, Confucius and Lao Tse in China.
Guatama Buddha in India, Hinduism in India---
they all taught the same principle.
Jesus summed it up in these words:
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Dale Carnegie says, one of his students decided to put the law
to a test: Always make the other person feel important.
A business man from Massachusetts went to Long Island
to visit his wife’s aunt.
The man: “This house was built in 1890, wasn’t it? “Yes,” she
said, “that’s precisely the year it was built.” He says,
“It reminds me of the house I was born in; it was beautiful,
well built, roomy.” “You know, they don’t build houses
like that anymore.”
“You’re right,” says the aged aunt “The young folks nowadays
don’t care for beautiful homes. All they want is an small
apartment, an electric ice box, and they go gadding about
in their automobiles.” Then she showed him the rest
of the house, treasures they collected from the travels—
paisley shawls, English tea set, French beds and chairs,
Italian paintings, silk draperies that once hung in a French chateau.
Then she took him into the garage. Propped up blocks was a car, a Packard.
(It was almost new).
“My husband bought that car just before he died,” she says.
“I have never ridden since his death.” Then she says,
“You appreciate nice things; I’m going to give you that car.”
“What about your relatives? I’m not even a relative.”
“Relatives, yes I have relatives who are just waiting till I die so they
can get the car. But they aren’t getting it.”
Jesus teaches us, we don’t live for ourselves,
we live for others.
What will it profit you, if you gain the whole world, but
lose your soul?
We need to get back to basics. (Ring the Bell)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
9/11 Thoughts -- Fruits of the Spirit
FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT ON SEPTEMBER 11 1
Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Galatians 5:22-23 (Lighting Candle for 9/11 Remembrance)
September 18, 2011 Chapel Service
They say, “There’s nothing like being a grandparent.”
Well, ….. We are now grandparents. Yeah!
On August 11 at 10:38 a.m. our first grandson, Kenan Jacob
was born in Yakima, Washinton to our son Jeremy and his wife Melanie,
8 pounds, 6.4 ounces, and 21 inches. Jeremy who is a medical
doctor received his son into this world. What a privilege!
Kenan is a biblical name, he is the son of Enosh, the son of
Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 5:9)
Kenan is the forefather of Noah and he lived for 910 years.
How many of you have actually seen a bear?
For over 30 years we’ve been looking—at Sequoia, Yosemite,
Yellowstone, and we never saw one.
On August 10 in Glacier National Park we finally saw our first
bear. The next day a bear ran right in front of our van
and I almost hit it; I had to hit the brakes. …And the
car behind me hit his brakes. I say Wow! In four days
we saw a total of 12 bears. August 2011 was a good month.
Good Morning! Bon Jour! Buenos Dias! And Aloha!
The psalmist says, “This is the day that the Lord has made,
let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118:24
Some people say that evil is the absence of good.
Sometimes we say, “Oh, the devil made me do it.”
Have you ever taken a rock to break a window,
just for the fun of it? As children we do things,
bad things, out of our innocence.
Genesis teaches us that evil is personified in Satan.
Evil manifests itself when we separate ourselves
from God. So today, let us always remember,
God is our strength and God is our refuge.
The psalmist writes:
Those who love me, I will deliver.
I will protect those who know my name,
When they call me, I will answer them,
I will be with them in trouble,
2
I will rescue them and honor them,
With long life I will satisfy them and show
them my salvation.
This morning I want us to remember those who we lost
on 9/11. We lost 2,819 people
fire fighters 343
NYPD 23
Port Authority police officers 37
3,051 children lost a parent
those who lost a spouse or a partner 1,609
Let us be in a moment of SILENCE.
The apostle Paul says in Romans 5:5: “But we also boast in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance
produces character, and characters produces hope, and hope
does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured
into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
The prophet Isaiah teaches us that our true worship is God, not
things we make, not ideas we claim, and nothing in human form.
In time of trouble, God will make our bones strong. Then he
leaves us this promise:
Isaiah 58:12
Your ancient ruins shall be
rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of
many generations;
you shall be called the repairer
of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live
in.
On September 11, 2011 the firm of Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 of its 960
employees. This is a remarkable story of heart.
Their offices were located on the 101th to the 105th stories
of the World Trade Center, just above the impact of the
hijacked plane.
Because of such a great loss, Cantor Fitzgerald was not expected to
survive. But the CEO, Howard Lutnick, decided to keep his
3
company going. Lutnick thought surely his employees in
Los Angeles would leave his broken firm. His heart was
pounding when the Los Angeles delegation knocked on his
apartment door. They said, “We’re never leaving.”
Within a week, Cantor Fitzgerald was back on line. Now Lutnick had
a great purpose—to help the families of 9/11. He decided to
give 25% of his profits back to those families for five years
and health insurance for 10 years. By 2006 His company
had given out $180 million to the families. Before 9/11
his company traded primarily bonds. Today this company
had grown into a full-service investment bank. Before 9/11
Cantor Fitzgerald had a total of 2,100 employees, today it
has 4,500.
The reason CEO Howard Lutnick was not in his office at the World
Trade Center that morning was, his son was beginning kindergarten.
He and his wife decided to be there with their son Kyle on his
first day of school.
How Cantor Fitzgerald was going to recover, Lutnick wasn’t sure.
But he believed.
They had lost most of their files and hard drives.
And walla! Cisco Systems sent a dozen 18 wheelers full of
routers, cables and other hardware to Cantor’s office in New Jersey.
Microsoft Corporation sent in 50 employees to help Cantor break
into the password protected computer accounts of all the workers
who were gone. Lutnick says, “Our motivation was to help the
victim’s families.”
When we find ourselves in dust and ashes, our first thoughts are,
How can this be? Why is this happening to me?
All of us, I am sure, at one time or another felt that we came to
the end of the road. Or we find ourselves in a pit. I know I have.
When I was reading Paul Tillich in seminary, he explained we can
find ourselves in a time of emptiness and hopelessness.
But something deep inside of us won’t give up. It drives us.
He calls it, the courage to be.
Jesus knew this courage to be -- total trust in God. On the cross, he said,
“Father, into they hands I commend my spirit.” (Lk. 22:46)
Moses found the same and he led the people out of Egypt.
Deut. 30:9 “I call heaven and earth as 4
witnesses against you, that I have set before you life
and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life,
that both your descendants may live.” I say: Choose life.
On 9/11 the airspace over the United States was shut down.
Thirty eight planes with 6,595 people landed in
in Gander, New Foundland. Schools, churches,
grocery stores, fire stations pharmacies, clubs etc. opened their
hearts for those they called, “the plane people.”
One family invited a couple to their home to use their shower, and said,
“Stay here as long as you want to rest,” and then, they left.
At the country club, they opened the door people who wanted
to golf. They ran out of golf clubs so people brought in more.
At the emergency center, ong tables were set up with land phones
so people could call home.
The Canadian military sent in 5,000 cots.
Pharmacists from town helped fill new prescriptions for those in need, even
calling other countries to verify the correct name.
There was always th smell of fresh, hot coffee to say, “Welcome!”
Diane Kirschke, a Texan, met Nick Marson, an Englishman and they fell in love.
They got married in New Foundland, on the first anniversary of 9/11.
A woman named Louie said, “I live in Hawaii where aloha is pretty present, but I felt
so much aloha here, so welcoming, so trusting.”
Shirley Brooks-Jones was so touched, when place was leaving, she announced
on the intercom, she wanted to start a scholarship fund in Lewisporte. That
scholarship fund raised some $1.5 million.
Jesus came to teach us,
the most important thing for us is to love,
to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind;
and to love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt.22:37)
He said, “Walk the second mile.”
And he says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”
(Matthew 11:29)
In Gander, on 9/11, the spirit of Christ was there, in the
hearts of the people.
Paul says, the fruits of the Spirit are: Love, Joy, Peace
Patience; Kindness, Generosity
Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Galatians 5:22-23 (Lighting Candle for 9/11 Remembrance)
September 18, 2011 Chapel Service
They say, “There’s nothing like being a grandparent.”
Well, ….. We are now grandparents. Yeah!
On August 11 at 10:38 a.m. our first grandson, Kenan Jacob
was born in Yakima, Washinton to our son Jeremy and his wife Melanie,
8 pounds, 6.4 ounces, and 21 inches. Jeremy who is a medical
doctor received his son into this world. What a privilege!
Kenan is a biblical name, he is the son of Enosh, the son of
Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 5:9)
Kenan is the forefather of Noah and he lived for 910 years.
How many of you have actually seen a bear?
For over 30 years we’ve been looking—at Sequoia, Yosemite,
Yellowstone, and we never saw one.
On August 10 in Glacier National Park we finally saw our first
bear. The next day a bear ran right in front of our van
and I almost hit it; I had to hit the brakes. …And the
car behind me hit his brakes. I say Wow! In four days
we saw a total of 12 bears. August 2011 was a good month.
Good Morning! Bon Jour! Buenos Dias! And Aloha!
The psalmist says, “This is the day that the Lord has made,
let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Psalm 118:24
Some people say that evil is the absence of good.
Sometimes we say, “Oh, the devil made me do it.”
Have you ever taken a rock to break a window,
just for the fun of it? As children we do things,
bad things, out of our innocence.
Genesis teaches us that evil is personified in Satan.
Evil manifests itself when we separate ourselves
from God. So today, let us always remember,
God is our strength and God is our refuge.
The psalmist writes:
Those who love me, I will deliver.
I will protect those who know my name,
When they call me, I will answer them,
I will be with them in trouble,
2
I will rescue them and honor them,
With long life I will satisfy them and show
them my salvation.
This morning I want us to remember those who we lost
on 9/11. We lost 2,819 people
fire fighters 343
NYPD 23
Port Authority police officers 37
3,051 children lost a parent
those who lost a spouse or a partner 1,609
Let us be in a moment of SILENCE.
The apostle Paul says in Romans 5:5: “But we also boast in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance
produces character, and characters produces hope, and hope
does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured
into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
The prophet Isaiah teaches us that our true worship is God, not
things we make, not ideas we claim, and nothing in human form.
In time of trouble, God will make our bones strong. Then he
leaves us this promise:
Isaiah 58:12
Your ancient ruins shall be
rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of
many generations;
you shall be called the repairer
of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live
in.
On September 11, 2011 the firm of Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 of its 960
employees. This is a remarkable story of heart.
Their offices were located on the 101th to the 105th stories
of the World Trade Center, just above the impact of the
hijacked plane.
Because of such a great loss, Cantor Fitzgerald was not expected to
survive. But the CEO, Howard Lutnick, decided to keep his
3
company going. Lutnick thought surely his employees in
Los Angeles would leave his broken firm. His heart was
pounding when the Los Angeles delegation knocked on his
apartment door. They said, “We’re never leaving.”
Within a week, Cantor Fitzgerald was back on line. Now Lutnick had
a great purpose—to help the families of 9/11. He decided to
give 25% of his profits back to those families for five years
and health insurance for 10 years. By 2006 His company
had given out $180 million to the families. Before 9/11
his company traded primarily bonds. Today this company
had grown into a full-service investment bank. Before 9/11
Cantor Fitzgerald had a total of 2,100 employees, today it
has 4,500.
The reason CEO Howard Lutnick was not in his office at the World
Trade Center that morning was, his son was beginning kindergarten.
He and his wife decided to be there with their son Kyle on his
first day of school.
How Cantor Fitzgerald was going to recover, Lutnick wasn’t sure.
But he believed.
They had lost most of their files and hard drives.
And walla! Cisco Systems sent a dozen 18 wheelers full of
routers, cables and other hardware to Cantor’s office in New Jersey.
Microsoft Corporation sent in 50 employees to help Cantor break
into the password protected computer accounts of all the workers
who were gone. Lutnick says, “Our motivation was to help the
victim’s families.”
When we find ourselves in dust and ashes, our first thoughts are,
How can this be? Why is this happening to me?
All of us, I am sure, at one time or another felt that we came to
the end of the road. Or we find ourselves in a pit. I know I have.
When I was reading Paul Tillich in seminary, he explained we can
find ourselves in a time of emptiness and hopelessness.
But something deep inside of us won’t give up. It drives us.
He calls it, the courage to be.
Jesus knew this courage to be -- total trust in God. On the cross, he said,
“Father, into they hands I commend my spirit.” (Lk. 22:46)
Moses found the same and he led the people out of Egypt.
Deut. 30:9 “I call heaven and earth as 4
witnesses against you, that I have set before you life
and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life,
that both your descendants may live.” I say: Choose life.
On 9/11 the airspace over the United States was shut down.
Thirty eight planes with 6,595 people landed in
in Gander, New Foundland. Schools, churches,
grocery stores, fire stations pharmacies, clubs etc. opened their
hearts for those they called, “the plane people.”
One family invited a couple to their home to use their shower, and said,
“Stay here as long as you want to rest,” and then, they left.
At the country club, they opened the door people who wanted
to golf. They ran out of golf clubs so people brought in more.
At the emergency center, ong tables were set up with land phones
so people could call home.
The Canadian military sent in 5,000 cots.
Pharmacists from town helped fill new prescriptions for those in need, even
calling other countries to verify the correct name.
There was always th smell of fresh, hot coffee to say, “Welcome!”
Diane Kirschke, a Texan, met Nick Marson, an Englishman and they fell in love.
They got married in New Foundland, on the first anniversary of 9/11.
A woman named Louie said, “I live in Hawaii where aloha is pretty present, but I felt
so much aloha here, so welcoming, so trusting.”
Shirley Brooks-Jones was so touched, when place was leaving, she announced
on the intercom, she wanted to start a scholarship fund in Lewisporte. That
scholarship fund raised some $1.5 million.
Jesus came to teach us,
the most important thing for us is to love,
to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind;
and to love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt.22:37)
He said, “Walk the second mile.”
And he says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”
(Matthew 11:29)
In Gander, on 9/11, the spirit of Christ was there, in the
hearts of the people.
Paul says, the fruits of the Spirit are: Love, Joy, Peace
Patience; Kindness, Generosity
Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
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