Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above
with wisdom, power and love.
Our God is an awesome God!

Solomon could have asked for anything,
anything at all.
Yet he chose an understanding heart.
He chose something, not so much for himself,
but for his people.
He chose to be the best king he could be,
not for his own glory and honor,
but for the glory and honor of his people.
The choice he made indicated that he already had wisdom.
He had wisdom enough to know what would benefit the most people.
He had wisdom enough to know what would in the end
make him the best king he could be.
So God poured out on him
wisdom, power and love,
and so much more.

Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above!

St. Paul wrote to the Church of Rome,
and to us, in our second reading today,
reminding them and us,
that we have been predestined.

We have been chosen by God.
God chose us, not the other way around.
God chose us to be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
God chose us to be justified, redeemed, saved by the Blood.
God chose us to be glorified, to share in the very life of God.

Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above!

Jesus share a bit of wisdom with his disciples long ago,
and he shares it with us today.
The kingdom of God is the most valuable thing in the world.
Only a wise person will recognize it,
but if one does recognize it,
one will do whatever it takes to get it.

Jesus shared with his disciples a bit of wisdom long ago,
and he shares it with us today.
Everything, everyone can be found in the kingdom of God.
We don’t have to sort things out ourselves.
God will send angels to that.
We only need to know that all are welcome,
that we don’t have to protect the kingdom from those who are unworthy,
those who are not good enough,
for everyone is worthy,
everyone is good enough to be in the kingdom of God.

There are some people who think that they have to guard the doors to the kingdom,
but Jesus tells us today that there are all kinds of things
and all kinds of people in the kingdom,
and we need to let God and the angels do any sorting that might be necessary.

That is the wisdom Jesus shared with his disciples long ago
and the wisdom God shares with us today.

Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above!

As many of you know, this past week has been quite a roller coaster ride
for me and my family.
Last Sunday, I went home to Cleveland
to see my brother one last time before he died.
He had been on life supports since Friday
and was not expected to live much longer.
Many of you joined my family in praying for a peaceful death,
but our prayers were answered in a most unexpected way.

At 5:00 on Monday afternoon life supports were withdrawn
and to everyone’s surprise he began breathing on his own.
The doctors still thought that he’d only live another day or so,
but he proved them wrong.
He’ll be transferred to a rehabilitation hospital tomorrow,
and then only God knows what his future holds,
just as only God knows what will happen to any of our futures.

Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above!

God’s ways are indeed mysterious and awesome.
Solomon was blessed with more than he expected.
God chose us and predestined us for salvation,
before we were even born.
Jesus shared some wisdom with us,
and God sometimes answers our prayers
beyond anything we could have imagined.

Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above
with wisdom, power and love.
Our God is an awesome God!