Daily Devotions and Podcasts
Prayer: Lord, help me to see You in every part of my day, even in the places I least expect. Open my eyes to Your presence in the ordinary and the extraordinary moments of life. Amen.
The Cathedral of Hope Devotion Ministry began as an answer to Progressive Christians who wanted to start their days with a little insight, observation, or wisdom about the Christian faith from their own point of view. Conservative internet devotions were abundant, but there was not much out there for liberal thinkers. The need was clear.
Being a large church, we had a generous amount of writing talent available and also a large number of congregants with theological training who were not on the pulpit. In the early days of the ministry, most of the writing was done by the clergy, but gradually the majority of the writers emerged from those lay volunteers.
That dynamic is still in place as new authors are always joining in to keep the ideas fresh. It’s a fitting structure for any center of progressive thought. This particular Body of Christ has many voices and each one has a unique and important story to tell.
SCRIPTURE ļ»æ Romans 10:12 The Good News God loves everyone equally. It does not matter the color of your skin or how you identify. WORDS OF HOPE My hero of hope for today is Cheryl Browne. Cheryl Browne, first African-American contestant for the title of Miss America in 1971. Cheryl Adrienne Browne was born in New York City in 1950 and studied dance at LaGuardia High School in Manhattan. After high school, she moved to Decorah, Iowa to study dance at Luther College. After winning the Miss Decorah contest, on June 13, 1970, she beat 19 white contestants to win Miss Iowa, making her eligible to compete for the 1971 Miss America crown. Cheryl became the first black woman to compete for the Miss America title, the first African American contestant to make it to the final, even though competition rule number seven, instituted during the 1930s, which read: “Contestants must be of good health and of the white race,” had been abolished 30 years before in 1940. Her win as Miss Iowa and appearance at the Miss America pageant generated criticism in newspapers, the Miss Iowa pageant board, and to Browne herself. The criticisms ranged from her ethnic background to the fact that she had only lived in Iowa for a short time before entering the competition. In a newspaper interview Browne stated that she was “surprised that Iowa, with its conservative traditions, silent majority, and small black population (1 percent of the state's 1970 population of 2,800,000) was the first state to pick a black girl as its representative.” Years later, speaking about her appearance in the contest, Browne said, “Iowans were very accepting of me, but I think it took the country by surprise to realize that it was a young woman from Iowa who became the first African-American contestant. I don't feel I personally changed the pageant, but I feel that my presence expanded people's minds and their acceptance. And, in subsequent years, they were much more open to African-American candidates [...] I didn't feel hounded by the press, but it was obvious that security was tight —especially at Convention Hall rehearsals when our chaperones weren't always present.” The 1971 Miss America title was won by Phyllis George. Cheryl Browne graduated from Luther College in 1972. She later married Karl Hollingsworth, worked in the financial industry, and had two children. We owe a lot to all our Black siblings who had the courage to be the "firsts" in our nation to break the color barrier. I am thankful to God for giving them the courage to step out and endure all they did for the sake of being first. It was a long time before commercials and television shows and billboards had representation of people of color. It was difficult for them to break into a world controlled by white people! And churches were the worst! I often heard it said that the Sunday 11am hour was the most segregated hour in America. PRAYER God of all people, I am so glad that the song of my childhood is true, even if my church did not practice it. Jesus loves the little children- red and yellow, black and white all are precious in Your sight! Help us love all your children. Not just during Black History Month. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn CoH volunteer
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Words of Hope Podcast
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SCRIPTURE ļ»æ Romans 10:12 The Good News God loves everyone equally. It does not matter the color of your skin or how you identify. WORDS OF HOPE My hero of hope for today is Cheryl Browne. Cheryl Browne, first African-American contestant for the title of Miss America in 1971. Cheryl Adrienne Browne was born in New York City in 1950 and studied dance at LaGuardia High School in Manhattan. After high school, she moved to Decorah, Iowa to study dance at Luther College. After winning the Miss Decorah contest, on June 13, 1970, she beat 19 white contestants to win Miss Iowa, making her eligible to compete for the 1971 Miss America crown. Cheryl became the first black woman to compete for the Miss America title, the first African American contestant to make it to the final, even though competition rule number seven, instituted during the 1930s, which read: “Contestants must be of good health and of the white race,” had been abolished 30 years before in 1940. Her win as Miss Iowa and appearance at the Miss America pageant generated criticism in newspapers, the Miss Iowa pageant board, and to Browne herself. The criticisms ranged from her ethnic background to the fact that she had only lived in Iowa for a short time before entering the competition. In a newspaper interview Browne stated that she was “surprised that Iowa, with its conservative traditions, silent majority, and small black population (1 percent of the state's 1970 population of 2,800,000) was the first state to pick a black girl as its representative.” Years later, speaking about her appearance in the contest, Browne said, “Iowans were very accepting of me, but I think it took the country by surprise to realize that it was a young woman from Iowa who became the first African-American contestant. I don't feel I personally changed the pageant, but I feel that my presence expanded people's minds and their acceptance. And, in subsequent years, they were much more open to African-American candidates [...] I didn't feel hounded by the press, but it was obvious that security was tight —especially at Convention Hall rehearsals when our chaperones weren't always present.” The 1971 Miss America title was won by Phyllis George. Cheryl Browne graduated from Luther College in 1972. She later married Karl Hollingsworth, worked in the financial industry, and had two children. We owe a lot to all our Black siblings who had the courage to be the "firsts" in our nation to break the color barrier. I am thankful to God for giving them the courage to step out and endure all they did for the sake of being first. It was a long time before commercials and television shows and billboards had representation of people of color. It was difficult for them to break into a world controlled by white people! And churches were the worst! I often heard it said that the Sunday 11am hour was the most segregated hour in America. PRAYER God of all people, I am so glad that the song of my childhood is true, even if my church did not practice it. Jesus loves the little children- red and yellow, black and white all are precious in Your sight! Help us love all your children. Not just during Black History Month. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn CoH volunteer
SCRIPTURE ļ»æ James 3:13-16 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. WORDS OF HOPE Many of us find ourselves drawn to wholesome and uplifting characters and people. We’re drawn to the inherent goodness of Superman (and the actor David Corenswet who plays him), the unwavering optimism and kindness of Ted Lasso (and the actor Jason Sudeikis who created him), the smart and kind Elle Woods (and the actress Reese Witherspoon who played her), or the tough-love patriarchal Uncle Phil (played by the equally cool and supportive James Avery). These characters not only entertain and inspire, but in many ways, they make us feel seen, heard, and understood. We admire and often want to be like “nice” people who see the world through optimistic eyes, living a humble and selfless existence. When the apostle James asked the piercing question “Who is wise and understanding among you?”, his answer was not found in blustering fools who coexist comfortably with injustice, but among those whose life showed wisdom through a “gentleness born of wisdom”. Rev. James H. Cone, a pioneering American theologian and founder of Black Liberation Theology, argued that Christian wisdom must be measured by its solidarity with the oppressed and its resistance to systems that degrade human dignity. Any “wisdom” that coexists comfortably with “bitter envy and selfish ambition”, Cone insisted, is not from God. It is the source of disorder and evil. Wisdom that protects power at the expense of people is, by biblical definition, false. “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” This peace is described by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as the presence of justice. Black theology reminds us that peace is not a concept, but something practically made. It is created through courage, truth-telling, and communal love. The apostle James, the Rev. Cone, and Dr. King invite us to examine the wisdom shaping our words, decisions, and relationships. Are we producing humility or self-protection? Mercy or control? Disorder or life? How can we cultivate a wisdom that does not boast, a peace that does not lie, and a courage that does not dominate? PRAYER God of truth and justice, strip from us the false wisdom of envy, ambition, and self-protection. Teach us the humility that shows up in merciful deeds and the courage that stands with those pushed aside. Plant in us your wisdom from above— pure, peace-making, and full of life— so that our lives may bear a harvest of righteousness. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs
SCRIPTURE ļ»æ John 1:5 (NIV) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. WORDS OF HOPE I was once called a “Pollyanna” on social media for an attitude that was too optimistic and perhaps too cheerful. I quickly realized that judgment was surface level, based on a single post, and couldn’t touch what runs much deeper in me. I sent my friend a private reply, saying I could understand how she might see it that way. But I also explained some origins of my optimism. I didn’t grow up in a particularly happy household. We lived under the constant threat of my father’s unpredictable behavior. He was both an alcoholic and bipolar. At least one of those conditions wasn’t his fault and bipolar medications were a few decades away. As to the alcoholism, he came from an era when heavy drinking was accepted, even encouraged, as well as the notion of men ruling the roost with an iron fist; those days when discipline often crossed into what we would now call abuse. We never knew what mood we'd get. When someone lives that way, it’s hard to trust the rare moments of calm, or the sudden bursts of happiness that can tip into mania. Looking back at childhood photos and my grandfather’s 8mm home movies, I notice a consistent optimism on my face. I wasn’t hiding my feelings, exactly—I had found refuge in creativity and comic books. That world became my escape, and, I think, my survival. There was also something inherent in me, a defiance of the depressing household climate. Some of us are born into circumstances that force us to develop inner light early. I know I sublimated those feelings by escaping into my fantasy world of writing and art. What we create in our minds often shapes our emotions and actions. Today is Optimist Day. What stories of your own past have taught you to be optimistic today? We live in a fragile world. These are violent, unpredictable times and the actions, the hopes, of your younger self should spark the same optimism many of us had in our childhoods. It’s ok to dream, to have visions of a better world, to know that silver linings are still not out of style. I recently watched the movie Pollyanna again and better understood the word’s origin. I’m a little prouder now to wear that label— and I should remember it more often. So should all of us. Everyone needs a smile. Even our darkest moments are temporary. PRAYER My Creator, I know I find it difficult on some days to be a beacon of hope to the people I encounter, so I ask that you help me see past my own despair as a bridge for somebody else. In your name, Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie C Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
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