Daily Devotions and Podcasts

SCRIPTURE Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles. WORDS OF HOPE High, high up in the sky over the lake, I watch the flight of what can only be an eagle, its broad circles tracing arcs in the blue. Periodically he needs to gather energy and directed movement, so he flaps his strong wings, but with a seeming ease which belies the power. Then coast, soar, circle. The movement of a fish flutters under the surface of the water and suddenly he dives to capture breakfast. I long for this eagle vision in my spiritual life—the ability to see the smallest movement—but from a larger “field.” And I yearn too for the soaring. Back home and closer to the ground, the Mississippi Kites still roam our skies in the morning, their paths curving over the oaks. The grey falcon-like birds have taken up residence in my neighbor’s yard across the street since Grandmother oak cracked open, collapsed, and was carried away to be recycled into mulch by the city. Though their nest is obscured by a veil of leaves, it’s clear they have young ones as one of the parents carries a largish insect, a grasshopper perhaps, back to the fledglings. Today, walking Sage in the early morning breeze, I stand and gaze upward again—at how they hold steady in a wind and with just the slightest adjustment of their wings, they glide off, cutting arcs as masterfully as an Olympic skater. I marvel and would wish to surrender to the winds of God to carry me in the currents of my life. The song my mother chose for her memorial service sings in my memory, the rich baritone of her pastor full of feeling:  You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, Who abide in His shadow for life, Say to the Lord, "My Refuge, My Rock in Whom I trust." And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to shine like the sun, And hold you in the palm of His Hand. (Michael Jonca) PRAYER Breath of God, Breathe on me and lift me up to soaring even before my final transition. May each of us know such soaring in the arms of Love. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon

SCRIPTURE Job 38.4-7 Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? WORDS OF HOPE Unanswered Questions As our vision of the universe gets larger, our knowledge about it, gets smaller and smaller. Einstein observed that the more he learned, the less he knew. It is often that when we answer a question, ten new questions arise each leading us to more undiscovered and unanswered questions. I find that a flower is not just a stem and its petals, but it is also its seed. What is a seed without its journey? The flower is connected to generations of flowers. A person’s name can imply where they come from and who they are connected to. A rock is the culmination of many smaller particles. I have found no simple answers, but always, more to discover. Humility is considering the possibility that what we do not know we do not know. I do not see all the pieces of life’s puzzle or things that I have yet to experience. If I were to try to define anything, then that would mean pretending I had an understanding of universal truths when I do not fully comprehend anything. We believe that God exists, but what or rather who is God? I could say that God is love, but consider how long it would it take me to describe all of God’s love if I could. Why do so many religious people believe that God is love, but then, condemn people for not believing that their religion is the right one? They have neither learned what love is nor who God is, yet they can judge. How can we judge God’s creation without knowing all the facts? Humanity has more in common than it realizes, for many faiths teach that God is love. The scriptures teach us that we have the ability to set aside our differences and be kind to one another. One day, differing faiths may have less strangers, and more friends. Perhaps, because if we know less, then there is more to learn about each other. PRAYER Lord of mercy, Only You know everything and only You can judge. Help us to be forgiving and kind to strangers. Grant us a humble spirit. Show us how to disagree lovingly. Bless You because You are patient with us. We love You, yet we do not know You fully. Help us to love those that we do know, yet don’t comprehend. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare