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 Luke 10:29 And who is my neighbor? WORDS OF HOPE It’s Sunday morning, so Sage and I are taking an early, early walk. Though it’s no longer dark, the clouds are just barely tinged with rose blush. As we turn east and pass one house after another, those who live there come to mind—the young woman in dental school and her house mate, the couple with a 3-year-old autistic son, a retired veteran with mobility challenges who grieves the death of his beloved German shepherd. Though Sage is a curious dog and friendly with most everyone, she has her favorite neighbors, so she tugs me toward the house across the street where a family--husband, wife, and adult son—abide. Last year they started a lawn and clean up service and are some of the hardest working people I know. Sage is hoping for a belly rub or scruff of her fur before they go off to work, but they are not out yet, hopefully still enjoying a well-deserved rest. As we come to the end of the block, an ache fills my chest. Though the light is on, no Sarah sits on the front porch enjoying the morning and no Keith engages us with his stories. Nor does Osso, their deaf yellow lab, voice his defense of the house as we come by. When Keith told me they were moving about month ago, it was like a kick in the gut. I really miss them. Keith’s warmth and willingness to chat draws people out. Over time we talked of his prize- winning barbeque sauce recipe, his former job filming Dallas Cowboy games for a local TV station, being at the lake, families, and much more. We’ve exchanged fresh tomatoes from his garden and peaches from my favorite orchard in East Texas, and recently he shared a delicious Mexican casserole he made. Once, when Sage’s legs hurt too much to walk any more, he stayed with her while I got the car and took her home. No politics, though, except for one day we slid that way unknowingly when he named the downtown church they attend—one which preaches hatred for gay people. I winced inside, but with this gracious, caring couple---well, that hatred just didn’t stick. Every morning and evening I still sense the emptiness of where they would have been. Grief over neighbors who have moved away is one of the many types of unattended sorrow we carry. I am so grateful for my good neighbors and this morning I hear the ancient question: Who is my neighbor? The answer expands in concentric circles wider and wider. My neighbor is the unhoused woman in a black hijab who takes shelter near the QT, the chatty clerk at Tom Thumb, the irritating solicitors who ignore “no solicitation” signs, the crews tearing up our streets for a city project, but who at the end of a hard day pause to play with Sage. My neighbor is a sister grieving her brother Lindsey Graham and the advocates working passionately to secure safe medical care for women in anti-abortion states. Neighbors are Israelis and Palestinians both carrying ancient wounds, the starving people in the Sudan and the ebola nurses seeking to save lives in Eastern Congo. My neighbor is the great Pacific octopus and the grizzly bear feasting on salmon. Starburst and black holes, neighbors of the universe, all God’s creation. PRAYER God of all creation, expand our hearts and minds to embrace the universe of our neighbors until we can say, with John Donne: No one is alien to me. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon
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Words of Hope Podcast
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SCRIPTURE ļ»æ Luke 10:29 And who is my neighbor? WORDS OF HOPE It’s Sunday morning, so Sage and I are taking an early, early walk. Though it’s no longer dark, the clouds are just barely tinged with rose blush. As we turn east and pass one house after another, those who live there come to mind—the young woman in dental school and her house mate, the couple with a 3-year-old autistic son, a retired veteran with mobility challenges who grieves the death of his beloved German shepherd. Though Sage is a curious dog and friendly with most everyone, she has her favorite neighbors, so she tugs me toward the house across the street where a family--husband, wife, and adult son—abide. Last year they started a lawn and clean up service and are some of the hardest working people I know. Sage is hoping for a belly rub or scruff of her fur before they go off to work, but they are not out yet, hopefully still enjoying a well-deserved rest. As we come to the end of the block, an ache fills my chest. Though the light is on, no Sarah sits on the front porch enjoying the morning and no Keith engages us with his stories. Nor does Osso, their deaf yellow lab, voice his defense of the house as we come by. When Keith told me they were moving about month ago, it was like a kick in the gut. I really miss them. Keith’s warmth and willingness to chat draws people out. Over time we talked of his prize- winning barbeque sauce recipe, his former job filming Dallas Cowboy games for a local TV station, being at the lake, families, and much more. We’ve exchanged fresh tomatoes from his garden and peaches from my favorite orchard in East Texas, and recently he shared a delicious Mexican casserole he made. Once, when Sage’s legs hurt too much to walk any more, he stayed with her while I got the car and took her home. No politics, though, except for one day we slid that way unknowingly when he named the downtown church they attend—one which preaches hatred for gay people. I winced inside, but with this gracious, caring couple---well, that hatred just didn’t stick. Every morning and evening I still sense the emptiness of where they would have been. Grief over neighbors who have moved away is one of the many types of unattended sorrow we carry. I am so grateful for my good neighbors and this morning I hear the ancient question: Who is my neighbor? The answer expands in concentric circles wider and wider. My neighbor is the unhoused woman in a black hijab who takes shelter near the QT, the chatty clerk at Tom Thumb, the irritating solicitors who ignore “no solicitation” signs, the crews tearing up our streets for a city project, but who at the end of a hard day pause to play with Sage. My neighbor is a sister grieving her brother Lindsey Graham and the advocates working passionately to secure safe medical care for women in anti-abortion states. Neighbors are Israelis and Palestinians both carrying ancient wounds, the starving people in the Sudan and the ebola nurses seeking to save lives in Eastern Congo. My neighbor is the great Pacific octopus and the grizzly bear feasting on salmon. Starburst and black holes, neighbors of the universe, all God’s creation. PRAYER God of all creation, expand our hearts and minds to embrace the universe of our neighbors until we can say, with John Donne: No one is alien to me. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon
SCRIPTURE ļ»æ Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea WORDS OF HOPE In our search to truly get to know who God is, have you ever thought of God as the provider for our spirit? Most of us are familiar with Matthew 6.31 which gives us assurance that God is the sustainer of our lives: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?” It emphasizes material provision, but we need much more than food to live a vibrant and spiritually productive life. What about all those intangible needs which we experience every day? How often do you stop your running around and thank God for divine nourishment given to your spirit and your emotional well-being? When things go wrong and the future looks bleak, God's loving presence is a certain source of comfort, guidance, and soul peace. I am reminded of the old story in which a follower of Jesus went for a walk along the seashore. He envisioned walking with God and looking back on the two sets of footprints in the wet sand, symbolic of his prayer life. But this day, his prayer life seemed to have dried up, events in his life were going from bad to worse, and in his deep despair, he wondered if he could go any farther in life. In his prayer, he started to complain to God: "Where are you when I need you? It seems that you have let me down when I really need a lift from you to carry me through these troubles." Looking behind him at the footprint trail in the wet sand, he noticed only one set of prints. He assumed that it was evidence that they belonged to him, and that God had deserted him. He complained more until the ever-present divine voice interrupted and spoke to him. "The single set of footprints which you see trailing in the sand, they are my footprints which were made as I carried you in my arms through your troubles and pain." PRAYER So often we fail to recognize your constant care for our lives, especially our spiritual life. Rather than complaining when things are difficult, may we focus our eyes on you, the One who promises to pick up our spirit and carry us into more peaceful times. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE ļ»æ Romans 8. 38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. WORDS OF HOPE Learning How to Smile Again For each of us, there comes a day when we are called away from this life to be with our Lord in the next. Yet even though we realize this, it is still painful for the ones who feel left behind. The pain of losing a child or the pain of losing a parent has always been too much to bear. We do not want to be reminded of what we lost, but everything it seems, reminds us anyway. How can we go on when our very strength was the loved one who departed? There is no single answer, for we all grieve differently, but there is something that each of us must do: find someone who can help carry the burden. There will be times when you will need to be alone, but always remember that you are never alone, for God is everywhere and is ever near to you. Our emotions are heavy like any burden, and just as many people together can lift a heavy stone, many friends can help us carry the weight of our hearts. Do not attempt to carry your loss all by yourself. Instead, find someone that you trust who knows you and will listen. This could be a family member, old friend, or someone that you see often. It may be that someone is grieving over the same person and needs you as much as you need them. It is not weakness to need help, but to carry your burden alone will only demand more and more strength, until eventually, you are compelled to set it down. God lifts us up when we are low. One of the ways God does this is through people. In truth, our loved ones are always with us, for they live in our hearts. Our bonds with them do not break because of a distance, for we keep those precious memories and lessons they taught us always close to us. We can be comforted by the thought that one day we will be reunited with our loved ones in heaven, and our goodbyes are actually ‘see-you-soons’. PRAYER Spirit of divine love, Carry our burdens, we lay them at Your feet. Comfort our weary minds and relieve our heavy hearts. Dry our tears and teach us how to smile again. Thank You, for the gift of our loved ones. Help us to always keep them alive in our hearts, and to remember that now, they dance in fields of gold. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
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