These are a few of my favorite things

I don’t mean: “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things”

No…these are a few of my favorite sins…that’s what I am referring to. This Sunday’s sermon cut a little too close to the bone. The gospel reading was from Mathew 5:17-37.
“……. it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. 
But I say to you,
whoever is angry with brother
will be liable to judgment; ……. ‘You fool,’
will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
 ……………….. “You have heard that it was said, 
You shall not commit adultery. 
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. “……. you have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow. 
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem,….
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,' and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the evil one.”
Father talked about what we allow to go on in our heads, sometimes we do not want to let these thoughts go. We don’t want to get over them. We enjoy playing them over and over in our head. He talked about how sometimes we enjoy being angry and carrying a grudge. I gave some thought to the part about “but I say to you, anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” But we do have a choice. We can choose what we want to think about. Displacing bad thoughts with good thoughts…substituting prayer for lustful looks would be a more prudent action than spending an eternity in Gehenna. So, let my “yes” mean “yes” and my “no” mean “no”. I pray, Lord Jesus, that this be so. Let Your words be the “Sound of Music” in my head.

Dear Lord, I am tired of the same old rerun.
Help me “move on” to something more fun.
Fill my heart with nothing but grace.
Take my head to a better place.

It’s not enough to abstain from the action,
But give no thought to the evil attraction.
Your words in scripture You do not mince.
So, please guide my thoughts now and hence.

Amen