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 Romans 11:13-29 (The Inclusive Bible) “Now I speak to all who have been welcomed into God’s wide embrace.” WORDS OF HOPE Today is Serendipity Day, and I find myself smiling at the beauty hidden inside that word. Serendipity means discovering something precious in an unexpected way. It is finding a gift you were never searching for, encountering love in an ordinary moment, or realizing that what once felt like a detour was quietly leading you toward something beautiful all along. Life is full of these holy surprises. The moments that shape us most are often the ones we never planned: a friendship that begins unexpectedly, a conversation that arrives at just the right time, a song that comforts a weary heart, or the kindness of a stranger who reminds us that love is still alive in the world. I remember watching the romantic comedy Serendipity years ago. At its heart, the film wonders whether life's unexpected moments are truly random or whether they carry a deeper meaning. Whether we call it coincidence, providence, or serendipity, it speaks to a hope many of us share—that our lives are not meaningless accidents but part of a story still unfolding. Whenever I think about serendipity, I also think about Bob Ross. With his gentle voice and calm spirit, he reminded millions of viewers, "We don't make mistakes, only happy accidents." Those words have become more than painting advice. They have become a way of seeing life itself. What first appears to be a mistake may become the very brushstroke that gives the whole painting its beauty. Perhaps that is one way to imagine God—not as a distant Creator who finished the universe long ago and stepped away, but as the Divine Artist whose canvas has no edges and whose creativity never runs dry. Genesis tells us that God looked upon creation and called it good. Perhaps creation was never meant to be a finished painting hanging in a gallery. Perhaps it is a living work of art, still unfolding with every sunrise, every act of compassion, every child born, and every unexpected moment of grace. If God is the Divine Artist, then I have gradually stopped imagining God in narrow or monochrome ways. Instead, I imagine God as a rainbow-fluid—not because God can be contained by a rainbow, but because no single image, color, language, or metaphor could ever express the fullness of the One who creates all things. Every shade of skin becomes another color in God's palette. Every language has a different melody. Every culture is another brushstroke. Every ability, personality, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and life story reflects another glimpse of the Creator's boundless imagination. Diversity is not something God merely tolerates; it is something God delights in. I believe God delights in LGBTQIA+ people and in everyone who has ever wondered if they belonged. God delights in Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Bahá'ís, people of Indigenous and Native spiritual traditions, people who are questioning, and people who are still searching. We often draw lines that divide "us" from "them," but God's love continually reaches beyond every line we draw. Sometimes I think about the words often attributed to the 14th Dalai Lama: "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." Whether we gather in a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, sacred circle, or simply beneath the open sky, kindness remains one of the clearest reflections of the Divine. Compassion speaks a language every heart can understand. The natural world tells the same story. Trees change with the seasons without fearing the change. Mountains reach toward the heavens. Rivers patiently carve their paths through stone. Birds greet the morning with song. Whales sing beneath the sea. Butterflies emerge transformed. Dogs welcome us with joyful affection, while cats curl into warm patches of sunlight, reminding us that rest can be holy. Every creature reflects another brushstroke from the Divine Artist, revealing a Creator who delights in endless beauty and breathtaking diversity. Serendipity reminds me that God often meets us not through dramatic miracles but through quiet moments: a friend's embrace, a shared meal, a child's laughter, the comfort of a beloved animal, or an unexpected act of kindness. These ordinary gifts become sacred because they quietly remind us that we are never alone. Life will still bring grief, uncertainty, disappointment, and change. There are seasons when we wonder whether the canvas has been ruined. Yet the Divine Artist never abandons the work. Grace has a remarkable way of transforming broken places into places where love grows deeper than before. Perhaps that is the greatest gift of holy serendipity: discovering that we were never accidents. We are beloved. We belong. We are all part of God's unfolding rainbow creation. And as God looks upon humanity, animals, forests, oceans, mountains, stars, and every living thing held together in love, I imagine the Creator smiling with joy and speaking the words that have echoed since the dawn of creation: "It is good." Then, beholding the whole breathtaking masterpiece in all its radiant diversity, God smiles once more and whispers, "No... it is very good." PRAYER Loving and Creative God, thank you for the beautiful diversity of your creation. Help us see your image in every person, welcome those who have been pushed aside, and share your love through kindness, compassion, and grace. May we remember that we are all part of your unfolding masterpiece. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Reed Kirkman
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Words of Hope Podcast
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SCRIPTURE Romans 11:13-29 (The Inclusive Bible) “Now I speak to all who have been welcomed into God’s wide embrace.” WORDS OF HOPE Today is Serendipity Day, and I find myself smiling at the beauty hidden inside that word. Serendipity means discovering something precious in an unexpected way. It is finding a gift you were never searching for, encountering love in an ordinary moment, or realizing that what once felt like a detour was quietly leading you toward something beautiful all along. Life is full of these holy surprises. The moments that shape us most are often the ones we never planned: a friendship that begins unexpectedly, a conversation that arrives at just the right time, a song that comforts a weary heart, or the kindness of a stranger who reminds us that love is still alive in the world. I remember watching the romantic comedy Serendipity years ago. At its heart, the film wonders whether life's unexpected moments are truly random or whether they carry a deeper meaning. Whether we call it coincidence, providence, or serendipity, it speaks to a hope many of us share—that our lives are not meaningless accidents but part of a story still unfolding. Whenever I think about serendipity, I also think about Bob Ross. With his gentle voice and calm spirit, he reminded millions of viewers, "We don't make mistakes, only happy accidents." Those words have become more than painting advice. They have become a way of seeing life itself. What first appears to be a mistake may become the very brushstroke that gives the whole painting its beauty. Perhaps that is one way to imagine God—not as a distant Creator who finished the universe long ago and stepped away, but as the Divine Artist whose canvas has no edges and whose creativity never runs dry. Genesis tells us that God looked upon creation and called it good. Perhaps creation was never meant to be a finished painting hanging in a gallery. Perhaps it is a living work of art, still unfolding with every sunrise, every act of compassion, every child born, and every unexpected moment of grace. If God is the Divine Artist, then I have gradually stopped imagining God in narrow or monochrome ways. Instead, I imagine God as a rainbow-fluid—not because God can be contained by a rainbow, but because no single image, color, language, or metaphor could ever express the fullness of the One who creates all things. Every shade of skin becomes another color in God's palette. Every language has a different melody. Every culture is another brushstroke. Every ability, personality, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and life story reflects another glimpse of the Creator's boundless imagination. Diversity is not something God merely tolerates; it is something God delights in. I believe God delights in LGBTQIA+ people and in everyone who has ever wondered if they belonged. God delights in Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Bahá'ís, people of Indigenous and Native spiritual traditions, people who are questioning, and people who are still searching. We often draw lines that divide "us" from "them," but God's love continually reaches beyond every line we draw. Sometimes I think about the words often attributed to the 14th Dalai Lama: "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." Whether we gather in a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, sacred circle, or simply beneath the open sky, kindness remains one of the clearest reflections of the Divine. Compassion speaks a language every heart can understand. The natural world tells the same story. Trees change with the seasons without fearing the change. Mountains reach toward the heavens. Rivers patiently carve their paths through stone. Birds greet the morning with song. Whales sing beneath the sea. Butterflies emerge transformed. Dogs welcome us with joyful affection, while cats curl into warm patches of sunlight, reminding us that rest can be holy. Every creature reflects another brushstroke from the Divine Artist, revealing a Creator who delights in endless beauty and breathtaking diversity. Serendipity reminds me that God often meets us not through dramatic miracles but through quiet moments: a friend's embrace, a shared meal, a child's laughter, the comfort of a beloved animal, or an unexpected act of kindness. These ordinary gifts become sacred because they quietly remind us that we are never alone. Life will still bring grief, uncertainty, disappointment, and change. There are seasons when we wonder whether the canvas has been ruined. Yet the Divine Artist never abandons the work. Grace has a remarkable way of transforming broken places into places where love grows deeper than before. Perhaps that is the greatest gift of holy serendipity: discovering that we were never accidents. We are beloved. We belong. We are all part of God's unfolding rainbow creation. And as God looks upon humanity, animals, forests, oceans, mountains, stars, and every living thing held together in love, I imagine the Creator smiling with joy and speaking the words that have echoed since the dawn of creation: "It is good." Then, beholding the whole breathtaking masterpiece in all its radiant diversity, God smiles once more and whispers, "No... it is very good." PRAYER Loving and Creative God, thank you for the beautiful diversity of your creation. Help us see your image in every person, welcome those who have been pushed aside, and share your love through kindness, compassion, and grace. May we remember that we are all part of your unfolding masterpiece. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Reed Kirkman
SCRIPTURE Job 12:7-10 But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? WORDS OF HOPE Those of you who are regular patrons of the Devotion Ministry of Cathedral of Hope might notice that some of our authors follow their names with Order of St. Francis and St. Clare. This refers to an Order of this church founded early this century, dedicated to applying elements of Franciscan Spirituality to all our life’s endeavors. Though we no longer have regular meetings, six members of the Order have dedicated themselves to being regular devotion authors. Since St. Francis is the Patron Saint of Animals, today’s Bible verse reminds us that this reading from the Book of Job was a specific inspiration to him in beginning his inclusive ministry. Francis of Assisi respected all creatures in the ecology of the Creation and considered them his peers. This is the essence of Franciscan Spirituality. The writer of the poetic Book of Job makes numerous references to the importance of lessons we can learn from the animals in our lives, and in those ancient times in that part of the world, no one had to take a trip to the zoo to observe an ostrich, a hippopotamus, or a pride of lions. In their wordless way, those animals demonstrated the wisdom of nature, being exactly what they were created to be while their human counterparts worried, squabbled, questioned their faith, and waged their pointless wars. In asking “which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?” the author sees animals as being at peace with what they are and knowing their function in the Creation. In today’s calendar of official holidays, it’s Black Cat Appreciation Day. I have been honored with the companionship of several black cats in my life. They observe us with glowing eyes floating in a black sea of mystery, but their eyes speak of a depth of spirit beyond human understanding. This is the reminder of the God who created us all, our constant companion, our teacher. If we want to know God, we must be deliberate in loving God’s Creation. St. Francis once said, "If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men." PRAYER God of all, thank you for the marvels of nature that surround us, especially our good neighbors, your animals. May we learn from them that we may also be who you created us to be. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
READING Dietrich Bonhoeffer “The blessedness of waiting is lost on those who cannot wait, and the fulfillment of promise is never theirs. They want quick answers to the deepest questions of life and miss the value of those times of anxious waiting, seeking with patient uncertainties until the answers come. They lose the moment when the answers are revealed in dazzling clarity.” WORDS OF HOPE I think we all have a tendency to want quick and immediate answers especially when times are hard or things look like they’re not going to go well. This is human nature. This perhaps is the metaphor of the garden of Eden story where Adam and Eve could not wait but needed immediate gratification of taking from the tree. I think this is a big part of the prosperity gospel that has become manifest in our modern world. Put a load of money in the collection plate. God will reward you handsomely and immediately. In the earliest times of the church, the desert mothers and fathers went out and sat and prayed and waited for the Lord to speak to them. I sometimes suspect that the people who came to meet with them and ask questions hoped that the patient waiting had been done and now the quick answer would flow from the desert dwellers. At first, the church felt that Jesus would return quickly. They believed that within their lifetime Jesus would come again. Two thousand plus years later we seem to think the same. But the truth is, there are no quick answers. In fact, sometimes it takes a very long time. Have you ever heard or read a Bible passage and thought “this doesn’t apply to me.” And then, weeks months or even years later you hear or see that passage again and suddenly it has great meaning for you. This of course is how the prophets often worked. Sometimes their words had an immediacy, and sometimes they were meant for the long run. And sometimes a little of each. In our modern world, it is often hard to take the time to meditate or think through what God wants for us. We pray and hope for answers in the here and especially the now. And sometimes that happens. And sometimes it does not happen immediately. If we stop and think of the ‘kingdom’ of God as being here now, we become less concerned with immediate answers and more concerned with living in the presence of God with us each day. Perhaps in our impatience we fail to take time to look around us to see God in the here and the now. PRAYER Loving God, we thank you for being with us. We ask you to open our eyes to your presence in the places we are now. We praise you for giving us the power to act in this time through your Son to help bring about the world as you wanted it to be. Grant us patience to wait upon you in our lives. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Weber Baker Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare
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