Scripture

As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ 2 Kings 2.11-12

A Word of Hope

In cleaning out my workshop, I came across some old props of 1930-s Restaurant signs that were used in the Arthur Penn/ Warren Beatty movie, Bonnie and Clyde. It was filmed in and around Dallas, with a few scenes shot on the sound stage of a production company where I was employed at the time. Looking at the old Coffee Shop sign, I began reminiscing that no one at the time of its filming had a clue that this well crafted story would become a classic in its genre. The sign was true to the era, but the film’s script had almost nothing to do with the real- life incidents in the lives of the two infamous 1930’s gangsters on which it was based.

Director Arthur Penn was centered in his task to create a memorable tale, just as the writers of 2 Kings were when they wrote the story of the Prophet Elijah ascending to heaven in a whirlwind escorted by flaming chariots. Both Penn the Director and the Prophet invite us to place ourselves in the action as participants in the adventure. The significant difference, of course, between then and now is that we can’t cross reference the heroes of 2 Kings with old newspaper articles, court records and eyewitness testimonies to discover the “real” Elijah. But, I’ve found that each time I read and re-read these wonderful old stories of the Bible, I have less and less need to be curious about their historical veracity. They are simply great stories that somehow speak to me, offend me, surprise me and always teach me. And like any great story on film, or any other medium, they stand alone, they inspire us to examine our own potential and they endure.

Think about the story we read every December about the coming of the Magi. The exact sequence of events, the number of Magi or what form the angels took are extraneous to the central plot about the advent of a newborn who would change and is still changing the world. Like any great movie, the Gospel stories of Jesus contain the greatest elements of the classic plots that still captivate and as we take the actions of Jesus to heart. His story can potentially be the story of each of us.

Prayer

Thank you for stories that amaze and excite us, especially your story of a simple first century rabbi whose words and works will never cease to captivate and inspire our own lives.

Devotion Author

Dan Peeler
Minister for Children and Families
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him…” Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Humanankind will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Humankind will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”  Luke 12: 4-12

A Word of Hope

This is a tough passage from the Gospel of Luke.  “I tell your friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body…”. Seriously?  Think about how many things we do each day with the sole purpose of protecting our bodies because we fear death.  The food we choose to eat, annual physicals, seatbelts, sunscreen, TSA screening, armed guards in our schools, businesses, shopping centers, and even our churches…to name just a few…are all precautions taken to protect our physical bodies and, hopefully, prolong our mortal lives.  Yet, Jesus is telling us not to fear those people and things that kill the body.  He then goes on to say that rather than fearing death of the body, we should fear the one who has the authority to throw us into hell.  These are some scary words!  Or are they?

Though he has a roundabout way of saying it, the point that Jesus is trying to make in this passage is that though our earthly bodies may perish, our spiritual bodies will live on in eternity if we “acknowledge the Son of Man before others.”  In other words, we should fear the death of our spiritual selves more so than the death of our mortal bodies.  Therefore, we should work as hard to keep our souls healthy as we do to keep our bodies healthy and protected.  Jesus tells us If then someone kills our body, they have done all the harm they can do to us because our healthy souls will live on with the Holy Spirit. 

What can we do to provide as much care and protection for our spiritual selves as we do for our physical selves?

• Leave time in our schedules to spend quality time with God every day.
• Look for God in all things and in all people.
• Remember that true joy comes only from God, not from an abundance of material things.
• Put our faith into action, both privately and corporate.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, protector of all that I am, help to me live without fear of bodily death and to know that when it does come, eternal life will be far sweeter than anything I may have experienced on earth.   Amen

Devotion Author

Kris Baker
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

“Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped themwith her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’” John 12. 3-5

A Word of Hope

The narrative of Jesus’ anointing is one of those rare stories that appears in all four Gospels, although the details of location and players vary greatly. (Was it Simon’s house, a Pharisee’s house, or Martha’s house? Was the woman named Mary? Was the anointing criticized by anonymous guests, the disciples, the Pharisee, or by Judas alone?) I love to compare the Gospel writers’ attention to these sorts of details. Each time I read them, I learn a little more about how lovingly and carefully they each tailored these stories according to their particular community’s needs and understanding.

John explains Judas’ response with a little exposition about his being concerned not for the poor, but for his own gain. However, his comment about the three hundred denarii (a year’s wages!) is the one line in the story which, if we actually admit it, sounds like a reasonable assessment of the situation. What a waste! People are literally starving just outside the door! Judas, like most of us, was simply too practical to silently sit there and witness an act of such inexcusable excess! He’s not a villain here; just a master of logical excuses, like me or maybe even like you. He may have had the best of intentions, though John reminds us that the poor, in reality, were not likely to have seen even one of those three hundred denarii.

And Judas is still there today, in this living scripture, to distract us from the central player, possibly Mary of Bethany, whose prophet’s heart informs her exactly when the situation is right and appropriate to be extravagant for Jesus. I believe we each have the ability to follow her and to recognize these situations; selflessly collecting for disaster victims, lending support to Dallas Hope Charities, contributing to the church food pantry, providing supplies for our children. Whoever she was, this was a remarkable woman, and if we let her generous spirit instruct us, her fragrance can still fill the house.

Prayer

May we recognize the times in our lives when Jesus is there before us, waiting patiently for our anointing.

Devotion Author

Dan Peeler
Minister for Children and Families
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

And he went on to say to them all, “Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be.” Luke 12:15

A Word of Hope

What I’m about to tell you took my whole life to learn. This is because it wasn’t until I got to a quiet place where it was just me and God that I started listening. We judge books by their covers like we judge people by their actions, but not everything is always as it appears.

One night I was working out alone at a local gym and a certain man came in. This man was different from everyone else in the gym. He was wearing a 24 karat gold necklace, a $15,000 watch, a diamond ring, and he was carrying at least $50,000 cash. I was in the room with the .1% of the population that controls the wealth and the economy of the world. None of this however is why you will remember him.

This man told me in conversation that he owns a couple of companies and had just bought a new house, but that he spends his nights alone in his new house crying himself to sleep because he cheated on his wife and now he’s going through a divorce. Even his own family had turned their backs on him. Ironically, in the same week I had lost my house and had been reduced to living in the shed of the back of a friend’s house. God was telling me something and certainly I feel like this next part is what has been overlooked for so long by so many.

Every night I went home to my beautiful husband Jesse and our darling baby kitten Yuki, I had something that money couldn’t buy. I learned something that isn’t taught in our schools. I discovered true riches of peace, love, and joy. The next level or next breakthrough that’s going to come isn’t going to happen unless we go back to that manger that God placed Jesus in and learn from it. We have to go back to the cave of Elisha and spend time in Paul’s prison to see what can’t be explained with words. We must learn where gratitude comes from.

Prayer

Long have I been the poor man. It looks as though the wicked prosper and the righteous perish. I hear your voice and you tell me to trust you. Praise You Lord, for I will follow you anywhere. Blessed is the person who puts their trust in You. Amen.

Devotion Author

Jonathon McClellan
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of [Goliath]; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”   I Samuel 17:32

A Word of Hope

I wonder if King David looked back at his battle with Goliath with some mixed feelings.  Maybe you know the childhood stories about David’s giant-sized faith slaying the faithless giant with a little sling shot.  But 1 Samuel 17:19-32 tells the “real story” of how David ended up in that situation.  The story isn’t all that pretty.  David supposedly comes down the mountain from his sheep-tending duty to bring provisions to his brothers fighting the good fight with the Philistines. However, it’s clear he’s more interested in seeing the fighting and trying out his own battle readiness.  David hears of Goliath, the “Champion of the Philistines,” who is intimidating the heck out of the Israelites.  He is told that whoever can slay the giant will be richly rewarded by King Saul.   David asks many more different soldiers if it is true that the King will raise up the one who conquers this intimidating Philistine.  David’s brothers call him out for his pride and boasting to the other soldiers when he should have been taking care of the family’s herd.  While old King David surely must have recalled God’s blessing that allowed him to defeat Goliath, maybe he also now recognized his pride that caused him to rely upon God in picking up that sling shot.

This Lenten season may have caused you to look back at some of your own mixed motives.  Our own stories of grace may have some details that aren’t that pretty.   We might shrink from the Lenten inquiring light shining on those details.  But the Easter News is that God works with all motives, neutral, good and bad as well as those that inextricably intertwine our best and worse selves.    God equipped a boastful and proud young man with a sling shot to achieve more than his own motives ever could.  We can rely upon that same God.

Prayer

Creator,

Empower us today to carry love to your creation in ways far more powerful than our own mixed motives could ever carry us.  Aim our slingshots towards your glory.  Amen

Devotion Author

Brad Syverson
Spiritual Director