Devotion

Scripture

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12.2

A Word of Hope

From what base do you operate?

I go see a lot of comic book movies. In the latest entry from the Marvel universe, I was thrilled to see the new Captain Marvel movie. This is not the DC comics version of the character Billy Batson who shouts Shazam!” No. This character is pronounced ‘Mar-Vell’ and this time Marvel studios gives us a female hero, who, in this case, must outthink her own origin and decide who is she is going to represent and ultimately save. Without revealing spoilers, I was first interested in seeing how the writing team developed a character that originally appeared in comics as a male. The world of superhero comics was predominantly white and male when I grew up. Usually only boys read them. I was “conformed to this world.” But, finally, the studios have realized that the current audience for these movies is everybody. I’ve been thrilled to see characters reworked to fit our current world in which heroes truly do come from a big melting pot. Black or white, male or female, our heroes come to us from all kinds of backgrounds and from varied circumstances.

I’m thankful for this approach in storytelling. It took a long time for me to embrace the idea that our world shouldn’t be structured just to serve the privileged white male. I am the product of mid century thinking, from the era that was realistically portrayed in the TV series called Mad Men. I enjoyed that series not only because it was my era from the 1960s, but also that it represented a society in which the everyday heroes were female, the people never given the highest ranking in my boy-centric universe. Yet, looking back on my real life growing up, my actual favorite heroes then were my grade school teachers, most of which were very strong women, standout survivors of that era.

I remember that about 20 years ago I was casually sharing my experiences about the many strong women in my life who were true leaders. I was speaking with a person I considered to be a friend. The man to whom I stated my obviously feminist viewpoint did not care for my opinion in the least. I told him that the strong women should be applauded for their tenacity, but he was stuck in an earlier time, the Mad Men era when men ruled on all fronts. I concluded that women should be running for the highest of offices including the presidency and he looked at me as if I had gone crazy. So many frightened men still look at me the same way 20 years later. Seeing my old friend’s extreme reaction, I began questioning myself, at that time, and why I was feeling so strongly about women in leadership roles.

My attitude was the opposite of my upbringing and my experiences. Was I led by the Spirit; the will of God? Transformed? I can’t say for sure. I do know I had simply found that those old misogynist teachings were dead to me because so many of my personal heroes for so long had been the women of my life. I had witnessed them continually working harder than any man for that honor. Christopher Reeve once said, “A hero is an individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Even though he had portrayed the first male superhero from which all the others grew, he was referring to anybody and everybody, regardless of gender or ethnic origin. These women had endured in spite of the most overwhelming of obstacles.

So from which base will you operate in this world? Who are the people that you call your heroes? Do they match your race and gender? Are they those certain heroic ordinary people who usually go unnoticed? I, myself, want to complete the unlearning of the message I grew up with, when all my favorite comic book superheroes were white and male. I want a hero to be everybody’s hero, but more specifically I want to be sure to never overlook those ordinary people who do extraordinary things in extraordinary times; the real heroes without credit or awards or a picture in the news.

I hope some of my original women heroes are still around to see Captain Marvel as the representative of the credit they are long overdue in receiving. I’m certainly not paid by the Disney company or Marvel Studios, but I would urge you to see Captain Marvel, a woman of ordinary beginnings who re-defines true heroism. So far, I’ve seen it three times.

Prayer

Send us a hero for these extraordinary times. May she show us how to save us from ourselves and be transformed by the renewal of our minds.

Devotion Author

Charlie Rose
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12.2

A Word of Hope

From what base do you operate?

I go see a lot of comic book movies. In the latest entry from the Marvel universe, I was thrilled to see the new Captain Marvel movie. This is not the DC comics version of the character Billy Batson who shouts Shazam!” No. This character is pronounced ‘Mar-Vell’ and this time Marvel studios gives us a female hero, who, in this case, must outthink her own origin and decide who is she is going to represent and ultimately save. Without revealing spoilers, I was first interested in seeing how the writing team developed a character that originally appeared in comics as a male. The world of superhero comics was predominantly white and male when I grew up. Usually only boys read them. I was “conformed to this world.” But, finally, the studios have realized that the current audience for these movies is everybody. I’ve been thrilled to see characters reworked to fit our current world in which heroes truly do come from a big melting pot. Black or white, male or female, our heroes come to us from all kinds of backgrounds and from varied circumstances.

I’m thankful for this approach in storytelling. It took a long time for me to embrace the idea that our world shouldn’t be structured just to serve the privileged white male. I am the product of mid century thinking, from the era that was realistically portrayed in the TV series called Mad Men. I enjoyed that series not only because it was my era from the 1960s, but also that it represented a society in which the everyday heroes were female, the people never given the highest ranking in my boy-centric universe. Yet, looking back on my real life growing up, my actual favorite heroes then were my grade school teachers, most of which were very strong women, standout survivors of that era.

I remember that about 20 years ago I was casually sharing my experiences about the many strong women in my life who were true leaders. I was speaking with a person I considered to be a friend. The man to whom I stated my obviously feminist viewpoint did not care for my opinion in the least. I told him that the strong women should be applauded for their tenacity, but he was stuck in an earlier time, the Mad Men era when men ruled on all fronts. I concluded that women should be running for the highest of offices including the presidency and he looked at me as if I had gone crazy. So many frightened men still look at me the same way 20 years later. Seeing my old friend’s extreme reaction, I began questioning myself, at that time, and why I was feeling so strongly about women in leadership roles.

My attitude was the opposite of my upbringing and my experiences. Was I led by the Spirit; the will of God? Transformed? I can’t say for sure. I do know I had simply found that those old misogynist teachings were dead to me because so many of my personal heroes for so long had been the women of my life. I had witnessed them continually working harder than any man for that honor. Christopher Reeve once said, “A hero is an individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Even though he had portrayed the first male superhero from which all the others grew, he was referring to anybody and everybody, regardless of gender or ethnic origin. These women had endured in spite of the most overwhelming of obstacles.

So from which base will you operate in this world? Who are the people that you call your heroes? Do they match your race and gender? Are they those certain heroic ordinary people who usually go unnoticed? I, myself, want to complete the unlearning of the message I grew up with, when all my favorite comic book superheroes were white and male. I want a hero to be everybody’s hero, but more specifically I want to be sure to never overlook those ordinary people who do extraordinary things in extraordinary times; the real heroes without credit or awards or a picture in the news.

I hope some of my original women heroes are still around to see Captain Marvel as the representative of the credit they are long overdue in receiving. I’m certainly not paid by the Disney company or Marvel Studios, but I would urge you to see Captain Marvel, a woman of ordinary beginnings who re-defines true heroism. So far, I’ve seen it three times.

Prayer

Send us a hero for these extraordinary times. May she show us how to save us from ourselves and be transformed by the renewal of our minds.

Devotion Author

Charlie Rose
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

Psalm 131 (New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
    my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.

O Israel, hope in the Lord
    from this time on and forevermore.

Word of Hope

 In the NRSV bible, this beautiful scripture is titled “Song of Quiet Trust”.  Never, more than today, have we needed such an absolute trust in God. Yes, we know there is physical danger of serious illness and even death. Yes we know that our normal financial resources and our daily routines are disrupted. Our ways of interacting with our friends and loved ones are no longer an option. It stands to reason that we would feel fear, worry, frustration, and perhaps even anger or depression.  We may feel deprived even before we run out of toilet paper or anti-virus wipes.

Even so, our Christian faith helps us not be overwhelmed. We are reminded in the scriptures that we have hope and comfort in the worst of circumstances. We need not deny our feelings or require ourselves to be anything other than human. We can however, like the writer of this Psalm, calm our troubled souls and trust in God through all the circumstances.  

Easier said than done?  Here are a few ideas that may help. I think of it as Applied Christianity.

1. Start your day with a prayer of thanks for the blessings you have. Ask God to help you be more like Jesus today. Ask God to be a blessing to others.

2. Keep a journal in which you keep a list of all your blessings as well as all the people you have encountered who need prayer or have specific needs like a job or some food, or relationship troubles.  Use these lists to remember to pray for others and to recognize when God makes you aware of a possible solution like a job opening.

3. Keep in touch with your church family online or by phone. Stay conscious of your own spiritual needs.

4. Keep in touch with friends and family. Remember to be as polite and kind to those near you. We may be spending more time in closer proximity to loved ones. Be extra careful to be loving and don’t forget to love yourself.

Prayer

Beloved God, Thank you for being our hope in the midst of a storm. Despite the seemingly insurmountable troubles we face, grant me the faith and courage to keep my eyes on you. I know that you are with us and that in you we are always safe. May it be so.

Devotion Author

Carole Ann Sarah

Scripture

Deuteronomy 2.7

“For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done; God has known your wanderings through this great wilderness…The LORD your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.”‘

A Word of Hope

How often have you started a rather complex and difficult task, and soon had second thoughts about why you were doing it? In Jesus’ humanity, surely there was a period during his wilderness experience in which he must have questioned the deeply spiritual presence within him and the path on which it seemed to propel him. As he realized more about the magnitude of this decision, there must have been the need for a time of serious discernment. Discernment is easier when the daily world activities do not interfere. The desert and wilderness of the great Jordan Valley provided the necessary isolation for a productive time of prayer and self-reflection.

Matthew’s Gospel (chapter 4) states that his journey into that desolate and unwelcoming environment soon caused Jesus’ body to be famished. During discernment, a person may become so physically and mentally exhausted that his mind will offer possible answers in an attempt to clarify or solve the problem. This gospel indicates that the starving Jesus was surrounded by a barren, rocky environment. Realizing more acutely the God presence within his body, he was tempted to allow this divine power to miraculously change stones into life-giving loaves of bread to satisfy his physical hunger. But he resisted the temptation to subvert his inner divine power to satisfy his physical needs.

Later when Jesus told his disciples about this temptation experience, he would have used an Aramaic word like “lachma” to mean bread which satisfies hunger. But that Aramaic word has multiple meanings including “wisdom”. This desert experience was an attempt to search for understanding and assurance about his spiritual quest for life. These dual meanings of the word convey Jesus’ response to the temptation by indicating that humans need not only food to live, but they also need wisdom (divine understanding) from God to live spiritually. Both are necessary.

Prayer

We are in the wilderness. We know the task ahead of us can drain us both physically and spiritually. In all that we seek, may we seek wisdom first that we may remember when you are with us we will never lack a thing.

Devotion Author

Donald (Luke) Day
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

“I pray that out of God’s glorious riches, She may strengthen you with power through Her Spirit in your inner being…And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power, together with all God’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” —Ephesians 3:16-18

A Word of Hope

Sometimes I feel like my own move into progressive Christianity has led me down a more balanced, reasonable, sane path. Many of us don’t roll around on the ground overcome by the Spirit, many of us don’t believe Jesus literally burst forth from the grave, we’re not too sure if we ever think Jesus is really going to come back, and many are rather certain there isn’t going to be some glorious thousand mile-wide city where God’s new house is built and Jesus reigns over the whole earth.

When we read stories in the early Jerusalem church about all the disciples sharing everything in common or about “cities being turned upside down” by the Christians in the Book of Acts, we don’t really associate ourselves with those people.

And maybe we shouldn’t. Maybe these experiences or ideas are too extreme. Too dangerous. Too much. In fact, I’ll go a step further, I’m fairly confident that one of the reasons progressive Christians often abandon the more extreme, absolutistic, intense, magical things is because such ideas do hurt people. They are problematic.

But recently, I’ve realized I miss the extremity, the madness of it all, the wildness, the insanity, the absurd faith. I miss how ridiculously dramatic it all was. Sounds strange, right? Progressive Christianity, with its central focus on evidenced wellbeing and sound ethics, keeps us safe from all of that. Its boundaries, its reasonableness, its sensitivity, its awareness of power and hurts, it keeps us safe. Right? I think it does. But I cannot help but wonder if there might be a way to keep some of those ethics, some of that safety, but add back in some of the wildness, some of the drama, some of the magic.

I wish I had the answer to it. But I read verses like the one above and I see someone who was seeing something unbelievable, something colossal, something not-of-this-world. And I think, where is that? Has my Christianity become entirely humanistic social justice? And don’t get me wrong, I LOVE humanistic social justice! But is there another layer of meaning I’m missing? Is my theism being replaced by my humanism? And right now, I’ve got this one idea to offer: maybe it’s okay to be as dramatic as this writer, to shout things as loudly as they did, to believe something as insanely, as wildly, as disruptively, as they did. Maybe it’s okay to be a dramatic theist.

Prayer

God, can faith be intense without being too dangerous? Is there a way for theism to be dramatically, vividly real without it hurting people? I yearn for it, Mother God. And I need your help, to be filled with the fullness of You. I need Your power, but I’m scared.

Devotion Author

Tyler James, LPC, MA

Scripture

Psalm 77.14

You are the God of great wonders. You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.

A Word of Hope

Praise the Wonders of the Lord

Prayer is one of the ways we communicate with God as speech is a way that we communicate with others here on earth. In all human relationships there are levels of verbal and non-verbal communication. Early on in relation to another it is a “getting to know you” stage which evolves to sharing deeper thoughts and feelings and eventually we are comfortable with simple silence when together.

The same is true regarding prayer. It may begin with our asking for favors for ourselves and/or loved ones that leads to prayers of gratitude and praise and eventually leads to prayer that is known as contemplation. Contemplation is when you are in the presence of God and are comfortable in the silence. Just being together says it all! Instead of talking to or with God, just LISTEN when in the presence of the Lord and give thanks for what you hear!

The Psalms are about being at the level or stage of praise in our relationship to God. We are in awe of God’s wonders. We are thrilled that God sides with us and not our enemies. God watches over the widows and orphans. God gives sight to the blind. “I will sing praise to God all my life.”

Prayer

[Take a deep breath and exhale slowly….do it again and place yourself the Presence of God]

O Holy One! I give thanks and praise for not only all you have done for me, but for all that you ARE to me. You listen when I need to speak with you and you are just present when I have to cry. When I am happy and just want to share my joy with you, you are there. You are always there and that is the greatest gift to me. Help me to be patient with myself and with others knowing that everyone is at a difference place on our faith journey.

We pray these words through your many names, O God!

Amen.

Devotion Author

Bob Shea
Cathedral of Hope / United Church of Christ

Scripture

Isaiah 40:3,4

The voice of the one that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God…

A Word of Hope

And so, it begins. Last Tuesday, the staff at our church received the word that our normal way of life and doing ministry were about to drastically change. A dangerous, highly contagious virus was sweeping the land and the most expedient solution in impeding its spread would be to retreat into the surrounding wilderness, away from the hub of our community efforts. The media, medical community, and the politicians are busy creating new definitions, like social distancing, to describe this new agenda. Isolation, however, is not a new idea.

Many of the super-stars of the Bible were experts at isolating. It actually was their normal way of life. The most famous was Jesus, of course, who not only embarked on those 40 days of fasting and prayer that always usher in the Season of Lent, but who also reserved frequent solitary retreats as regular periods of spiritual refreshment. He was in good company in his reclusive practices. The ancient monks called it solitudinarianism. Prophets such as Elijah, Isaiah, and John the Baptist were model reclusives as was the servant Hagar, whose forced desert isolation with her son Ishmael resulted in the birth of a new nation.

A large percentage of our world must feel like Hagar these days. She was excluded from the family unit of Sarah and Abraham through no fault of her own. Sarah, the matriarch of the Hebrew People had made sure Abraham’s son by Hagar would be out of the competition against her own son Isaac as the leader of their people. Sarah must have seemed like a disease to Hagar. But, Hagar conversed with and confronted God; finally establishing Ishmael in his role as the leader of another tribe, the Ishmaelites, still revered as the ancestors of the Muslims today.

Isolation has a number of different effects on individuals. There was a time in his solitude when Elijah propped himself up against an old tree and just prayed for death. Jesus used his wilderness experiences as times of refreshment, renewal, and commitment. Hagar didn’t like it there in the desert, but knew God never lost sight of her and she never gave up.

In which direction will isolation take us? I have no doubt our church will emerge from this experience stronger than ever. Though we may be “socially distanced”, we are still a cohesive community. Our Biblical predecessors didn’t have the advantages of Skype, Zoom, remote access, cell phone videos, YouTube Networks, and the social media. Our survival is imminent, because, Like Hagar, God has not lost sight of us, or of you, either.

Prayer

In our isolation, we are together in desiring the well being of all. Jesus isolated for 40 days contemplating the same goal. May we discard any feelings of loneliness in favor of the refreshment that can be born in solitude. In our silence, may we hear your voice.

Devotion Author

Dan Peeler
Minister for Children and Families
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Inspired Text

Ephesians 1:18a

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you can experience the hope you were made for.”

Word of Hope

Oh feelings. So many of us were taught that our feelings are dangerous, deceptive, problematic…wicked. We were taught that we certainly shouldn’t trust our feelings or feel them too much. And we certainly were not taught by our culture to listen to our feelings, to trust them, to find in them great wisdom and understanding. In fact, we might have even had a decontextualized Bible verse quoted at us: “The heart is deceptive above all things and beyond cure.”

But the passage I quoted here today is one of many that locates the heart as the source of wisdom, hope and revelation. One of the many things queer and trans individuals offer to the Church is the knowledge that our feelings and bodies are a sacred source of wisdom, that needs to be listened to, or else.

How often do we let our feelings name God? How often do we listen to our feelings describe what it is that we need of and from God? Are we scared to do so? Does that feel too intimate? Too personal? Too close? Or does that feel too heretical? Too blasphemous?

I encourage you when you have a moment to sit still, ask your feelings, “Who do you say God is? Who is God to you?” And see what your feelings say. So much enlightenment and wisdom, so much revelation and hope, lives in our feelings if we will listen to them.

Can you trust yourself? Can you trust yourself to know God? To see God? To feel God? Can you say, “These needs that I have, that genuinely need a God who sees me, who is not ashamed of me, I can trust these needs.” Can you say, “These needs that I have, of a God who believes in me, who actually trusts me, I can believe God is that good?” Can you trust your feelings a bit more this week to enrich your spirituality? To paint an image of God even more beautiful than the one you already have?

Prayer

Wonderful One, my heart says today, “I need a God who respects my boundaries.” I was not taught a God who respects my boundaries. I was taught I had no right when it came to You. But my feelings say that’s what I need. My feelings say I need security, I need the right to control myself, I need the right to belong to me, even before You. And I’m going to believe that you really are that good, that you really are what I need. I’m going to listen to my feelings today, and say that you are a God who can respect me, as I respect You. I love You, Spirit, and I thank you for being one who will talk with me like this. Amen.

Devotion Author

Tyler James

Reading

Some of us have gotten the message that if we cannot [handle the dark emotions and move on], we may not have enough faith in God. If we had enough, we would be able to banish the dark angels from our beds, replacing them with the light angels of belief, trust, and praise. Greenspan calls this “spiritual bypassing”—using religion to dodge dark emotions instead of letting them lead us to embrace those dark angels as the best, most demanding spiritual teachers we may ever have.” Barbara Brown Taylor

A Word of Hope

The letter that came was the trigger. It tracked a history of confusion and hurt. From the time of reading it, shame began to shadow me. In my bed at night the Dark Angel kept vigil while the condemning voices held court—charging, convicting me. There would be no clemency. I grew small before the magistrate. No voice, no defense would sway the power. The only rescuers, Grace and the voice of a friend, in the valley of the shadow, and eventually self-compassion.

In a 2012 talk, Brenee Brown tells of having the worst “vulnerability hangover” of her life after her first TEDX appearance in Houston. She had told the 500 person audience (which grew to 4 million on YouTube) that when her research led her to the conclusion that vulnerability was absolutely necessary for whole hearted living, she had a breakdown. The shame was so great that she kept to her house for 3 days. The compassionate listening of a good friend helped release the hold of this emotion which Brown calls “lethal.” But here’s the good news: it cannot survive empathy.

I am still in the midst of learning from this latest experience, but when a devotional piece writes itself in your head at night, it calls for your attention and risks being spoken. As Rumi proposes in “The Guest House”: Every day can bring joy, depression, or meanness as “unexpected visitors.” Welcome them all, he urges, and treat each as an honorable guest—“even if they are a crowd of sorrows who violently sweep your house empty.” They may be “clearing you out for some delight.” Even “the dark thought, the shame, the malice”—invite them in and “be grateful for what comes because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”

The Orthodox Church speaks of the “bright sadness” of Lent, a phrase that resonates with the deep work of the season. A profound mingling of grief and joy, contrition and forgiveness, crucifixion and resurrection. May your own demanding spiritual teachers, guide you to the cross and into Easter light.

Prayer

Take us by the hand and lead us,/ Lead us through the desert sands./ Bring us living water,/ Holy Spirit come. (Brian Wren)

Devotion Author

Dr. Pat Saxon

Sacred Text

“And Mary Magdalene was there.”

Matthew 27:61

A Word of Hope

The church we belonged to when I was young didn’t “do” Lent. After I heard it mentioned by a few Catholic friends who all gave up chocolate for an unbearably long time, I realized why we didn’t observe it in our church.

That would never fly with the Baptists.

Now as a (no longer Baptist) adult seeking to realize and incorporate this tradition, I still struggle with thoughts like, “There’s already plenty of suffering in the world, thank you. I fail to see how my giving up chocolate is beneficial.” So, if my attempts at Lenten observance look far different from yours, I can only say I come by it honestly; but, I’m a work in progress.

While considering what to write during this reflective period, my soul kept pulling me – inexplicably at first – to Mary Magdalene. Exactly how she played into a devotional for Lent eluded me. But as I continued to meditate on it, I knew why I’d been so strongly drawn to her.

Few individuals, if any, walked so closely with Christ during his final days.

Mary clung to him through his long, difficult journey to the cross. She financed his ministry. She ministered to him as he suffered through the desertion and betrayal of friends during his most devastating times.

Mary remained.

Three of his closest confidants slept rather than stand guard.

But, Mary remained.

His ally, on three separate occasions, denied even knowing him.

But, Mary remained.

One of the twelve betrayed him and set his murder in motion.

But, Mary remained.

Jesus’ inner circle secretly holed up while their Lord was being executed.

But, Mary remained.

While the other disciples grappled with the possibility they’d gotten it all wrong, Mary returned to the tomb.

In the time of his greatest need, most of the disciples were absent.

But, Mary remained.

She was the first witness to the Resurrection.

She was the first minister of the Gospel. (Yes, a woman.)

Because she remained.

As I contemplate her devotion, I’ve determined to be more like Mary Magdalene: assured, dignified, loyal, trustworthy, enduring, fully present, and persistently hopeful, no matter the circumstance.

To remain.

One Lenten season may not get me there. But, it will get me started.

Prayer

Most Loving God,
We thank You for Mary Magdalene and her steadfast presence in the life of Jesus.
May we embrace her integrity. May we be a people who remain when others have pulled away.
May we remain committed to Love and Mercy and Justice, even in the darkest hours when they appear to be lost. May we remain mindful in every circumstance that Soul Force ultimately triumphs over brute force. And may we bear witness to that miraculous, enduring power.

And so it is. Amen.

Devotion Author

Matthew Crawley