334 SE Tecumseh Road  P.O. Box 5  Tecumseh, Kansas 66542  (785) 379-5005  Fax - (785) 379-5061

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Precious oils on our heads Psalm 133 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore. (NRSV)  Unity. What a loaded word. It’s one of those words politicians love to use, calling for national unity before ripping each other to shreds in the halls of government. It’s a word we hear in the church as well. Often, we don’t do much better than the politicians when it comes to truly achieving a sense of unity. Unity. All of us working together toward a common, agreed upon goal. What a concept – right? In the midst of continued (and often bitter and divisive) debate over such issues as war and immigration, it’s hard to not long for kindness, cooperation, unity. The psalmist still speaks to us today, to be sure. In order for us to be those kindred living together in unity, it’s imperative that we first reach agreement upon one of the great commandments: to love our neighbors as ourselves. That’s from Leviticus 19:18, and Jesus repeats it throughout the Gospels. Also in Leviticus: When an alien resides in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizens among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (19:33)  As people of faith, we need to challenge ourselves to reflect upon and pray about such words from God.  Imagine the possibility of living in unity, north (Hermon) and south (Zion) living in harmony. Imagine being anointed as royalty was anointed in the past. The most precious of oils are prepared for the occasion, and are poured over our heads. The fragrance is wonderful, it fills the air all around us, and the precious oils run down our heads, faces, onto our bodies. It is absolutely entrancing, beyond description. That’s how it could be. That’s how the church could be. That’s how the church should be, taking the lead in working toward unity. We are called to do that. We are anointed to do that, you know. Precious words of love have already been provided. All we need to do is keep pouring them over the heads of the neighbors we are asked to love.      - Pastor Piet - April 23, 2006