Words of Hope

Scripture

Joel 2. 28

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

A Word of Hope

We sleep at night not knowing the journey our soul is making. Usually, we do not remember our dreams. Sometimes, however, we remember in the morning what was happening underneath the cover of darkness we call the night. We plant seeds deep into the dirt not knowing which direction the roots grow. When we dig, we discover the countless roots that lie hidden underground spanning all directions. If there is anything the darkness of the night or the depth of the Earth has taught me, it is that sleeping things move and buried things grow. To put it another way: progress is not limited by what we can see.

Sometimes, the world seems to be in an endless night of sorrow buried in its own despair. Nevertheless, as each day passes, the next generation is coming closer and closer to inheriting this Earth. Everything that we have planted, the good and the bad, is going to bear fruit to the future. Bitter and sweet fruits are sure to grow according to what has been planted, but I trust that the sweet fruit will always be preferred over the bitter. We always desire for our children to have better, to live better. In this way, each generation that comes into its own leaves behind the promise for a better future.

It was not even a hundred years ago that a gay, black man who struggles with mental illness would not have had the simple opportunity of writing these words, but here I am, the fruit of my foremothers and forefathers. I am proof of their progress despite centuries of injustice, cruelty, and evil. Our children are the evidence that what prevails in this world are our collective hopes and dreams. Like those who came before us, we must give our children everything, all of our love, and anything worth passing onto the future. We must demonstrate our love by believing in our children, for they are the greatest part of us.

Prayer

Spirit of hope,

It is often that we are so limited by what we can see. Despite that, allow our hopes and dreams to go beyond every barrier and obstacle set before us. Grant us the simple joy of leaving behind what we ourselves have inherited, this thing called love. We trust You, although we do not see You and we love You even when we are buried in the night. Amen.

Devotion Author

Jonathon McClellan
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

Sirach 11:1,3

The wisdom of the humble lifts their head high. The bee is small among flying creatures, but what it produces is the best of sweet things.

A Word of Hope

The Scripture above is one of the wisdom sayings found in the Jewish writing called Wisdom of Yeshua son of Sirach which is part of the apocryphal books in the Roman Catholic Bible. Ben Sira composed this book of instruction sometime before 180 B.C.E. Apparently it was used in a teaching program for young Jewish boys were being prepared to assume adult roles in the Jewish community. Its wisdom was highly regarded by Jewish rabbis; therefore, it is possible that Jesus of Nazareth and the apostle Paul were taught some of these words.

Centering Prayer: Lord God, quiet my mind and open my heart to receive your words of instruction to guide my spiritual growth. I give you thanks for your loving care, and in this and all things, I offer you myself that I may be an instrument of your love and peace in this world. Amen.

It is clear that Ben Sira was teaching a group of young men who probably were more privileged in society. Their families may have had enough wealth that the boys got better schooling and were not forced directly into the common labor market. It would have been quite natural that they might fall into the sticky grip of pride; especially, when speaking or teaching others of less means.

However, this admonition is not limited to them. How can it affect us today? The character trait of humility is based upon proper acceptance of who we really are and of valid respect for the worth of the other person’s life and knowledge. The Psalms and Proverbs are filled with many admonitions for humility, and it was a major trait given example in the life of Jesus.

Certainly, it is not a character trait which is given much value by today’s onslaught of self-promotional behavior. However, curiously enough, humility when linked with wisdom is an admired trait when seen in the life of a deceased person. Who gives much honor to the person whose eulogy states that he was an arrogant The humble departed is remembered for acts and words of kindness through which they showed respect to others.

It all boils down to a valid acceptance of the equal worth of every human. That’s how God views all of us, equally worthy of divine love. Why can’t we see others as God does?

Closing Prayer

Providing God, your words of wisdom may be ancient or modern, but they always stand forth with your truth. Teach me to see others as you do. During all of my activities this day, may I attend to your voice of guidance and love. I give you my praise, and may all humanity give you glory. Amen.

Devotion Author

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

Scripture

2 Timothy 1:7  

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

A Word of Hope

Simply and clearly stated in the scripture above, fear does not come from God, it comes from forgetting to have faith in Gods promise. Faith is believing what God says, fear is forgetting the promise.

Countless moments in my lifetime, not to mention in the last few weeks, I have prayed to be released from fear.  Fear is very much a part of our reality, even more so than we realize or want to admit. Sometimes, fear is good, like being afraid to beat the train, or doing something that might bring harm or danger to others.

The spirit of fear, as mentioned in this scripture, is a different kind of fear. This is hidden deeply and hinders us from expressing the love and using a sound mind to claim our God-given power. This fear keeps us stuck by forcing us to second guess or constantly question ourselves even when we know something is right.

While working early voting for several days, I experienced some gripping fears I never knew existed in me. The news reported fear of the unknown on every channel while neighbors threatened each other over yard signs. As I witnessed fear waging wars within my own thoughts and feelings, I recognized how quickly the spirit of fear could take hold.

A sound mind is one of the things that God has promised us and the other is power. When we are bound by the spirit of fear, we become powerless and hopeless. When everything inside of you is telling you its hopeless, and you know it’s untrue, is the very moment to claim your power over fear. With the power of a sound mind and love, remember God does not give us fear, through faith we are promised peace.

Prayer

Creator God let us fall securely into your promise of power, a sound mind and love to conquer all fear. In Jesus name, Amen

Devotion Author

Donna Jackson
When you are tempted to be afraid, reject it and stand on the truth of God’s

Scripture

Psalm 47.1

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

A Word of Hope

Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert? My friends usually think of me as an extrovert because it is my nature to entertain them. I have always had the desire to make other people laugh. When I do that, I am also entertained. But after the party is over, the introvert takes charge. I cherish my downtime and most important of all, to shout with cries of joy for my solitude. This is a time when my ambivert self requires self-care and reflection.

It’s well after Halloween, the season of boisterous extroversion, and we are in the 2020 race to the New Year. As a child, I used to relish this time of year. October being my birthday month always leading up to my favorite holiday, which was Halloween. The other fall holidays couldn’t come fast enough. I’m sure all of us have memories of how gruelingly long it was before Christmas. Holiday anticipation for a child slows to a molasses crawl. For adults the times between celebrations is more like greased lightning. Funny how that works; so little time for self-care, no time to reflect on one event before another one is suddenly in our laps.

This year, added to the usual race to Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and the New Year, we are also confronted with the reality that we will likely be forced to reconfigure those occasions in new and creative ways.

I’m here to tell you that, as you take time to face those challenges, you also must give yourself permission to pre-plan specific times for generously taking care of yourself.

What will you do? -Maybe, take an extra-long bath or an out-of-character afternoon nap? How about a walk on a nice day or finishing a book that nurtures your soul? Take a walk; a real walk, consciously taking in the sights and sounds of the Creation. How about setting aside a specific time to do absolutely nothing? Those are the times when we leave the door open for God-visits; those guided reflections and inspired musings.

I could continue a list of many varieties of self-care methods, but you know yourself better than anyone. Choose the thing that brings you peace even if it’s just 15 minutes. Who knows? You could shout to the Lord with cries of joy.

Prayer

Teach us to love ourselves as you love us and to seek those places of holy solitude that Jesus always found.

Devotion Author

Charlie Rose
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

(Psalm 119:2)

Happy are those who keep (observe) God’s decrees, who seek God’s will with all their heart.”

The Word of Divine Guidance

I remember as a young Baptist boy in Sunday school, we would be given a folded pamphlet which was titled, Read Through the Bible in One Year. The entire Bible was divided into 365 readings of 1, 2 or 3 chapters to be read each day. We would begin with great enthusiasm, but later in the Psalms, we would run into chapter 119. To a little boy, it became a real challenge to read all 176 verses! In following years, I dreaded when that particular night’s reading approached… quite a lot on a little boy’s plate of to-do’s. However, there is a lot of wisdom stored in that chapter. This week’s reflective readings will pull from that long chapter several noteworthy verses which warrant our consideration and plea for divine guidance.

An individual who claims to be in relationship with God can’t be happy or content with their lifestyle if they do not live in harmony with God’s desires for them. Two people cannot walk together if one disagrees and takes a different and opposite pathway! Yet, that is how some Christians try to live their lives. To them “Sunday rules” apply sometimes, but rarely if it requires real effort or a break from the lifestyle of their friends and associates.

This verse reminds us that happiness (inner peace) comes from a stable relationship with God in which the individual keeps (observes) the divine principles for a right lifestyle (righteous). That lifestyle is always in harmony with the wishes of God. Two people, who seem to be walking together but argue about which pathway to take, cannot walk in joyful harmony and peace. We must seek to learn God’s choice… and seek to hear God’s voice, if we hope to walk through life in-step with the desires of God.

Prayer

O God, I seek your desires for my life, and I offer to you my praise for gifting me with your words of guidance and hope. As I study and apply them, I know they will give light to the path of righteous living and allow me to be in harmony with you. In the light of your guiding words, may I always walk in lock-step with you. For you are my joy and peace divine. Amen.

Devotion Author

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