Friday - July 14, 2023

READING  “Betrayal by strangers is hard enough, but betrayal by those closest to you is a killer. It destroys trust, it robs the past, it deadens the heart.” Barbara Brown Taylor WORDS OF HOPE He’d been with Jesus for the long haul—for the healing of the blind and the feeding of the multitude. He saw him turn water into wine at the marriage at Cana, witnessed Lazarus wakened from the tomb, walked hundreds of dusty miles talking of the kindom. He was not a fringe member of the followers, but a trusted disciple, the manager of the money, the one who kept food on the table and provided for the poor (Taylor). And when the disciples gather for the Passover meal, Judas sits in the inner circle, his feet freshly washed by his servant-Lord. Jesus calls him out—though not by name: “One of you will betray me,” “one whom I have given this bread when I have dipped it in the dish” (John 13: 21, 25). As betrayal pierces his heart, Jesus stays at the table. He feeds Judas and stays at the table rather than casting him out from the fellowship. And even after Judas’ dark purpose sends him into the night to collude with those who would crucify Jesus, his Lord offers a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” And, oh, what an extraordinary love it proves to be. Taylor continues: “Judas is indispensable to our understanding of holy communion….His presence is our lasting reminder that this is a meal not only for the good, the right, the faithful among us, but also for the crooks and double-crossers, the spies and imposters. It will reveal us for who we are…and that knowledge may send us into the dark, dark night. But it may also allow us to stay put, clinging to the edge of the table for dear life if need be, or better yet, clinging to the presence of the Lord at the head of the table, whose faithfulness does not depend on ours and whose death-defying love knows no end.” PRAYER For all the times we betray others and ourselves, we thank you, O Christ, for your redemptive love. For all the times we cling to you for dear life, we thank you, O Christ, for your wondrous love. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon

SCRIPTURE Luke 2:13-17 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” WORDS OF HOPE In the last few days, we have experienced the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. If we have been fully present to these days of Holy Week and Easter, we have encountered many emotions, with the faith that now we are each filled with resurrection joy and hope. Like those on the road to Emmaus we too are thinking and talking about everything that has just happened. I often wonder exactly what words the disciples used to talk about their firsthand experiences with the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Though I like to think that I have the words to express what is in my thoughts and on my heart, as I bask in the resurrection light, I find my own words inadequate to describe the journey I have just made—a journey from darkness to light, doubt to faith, despair to hope, and sadness to joy. As today marks both the birth and death dates of William Shakespeare (April 23, 1564-1616), it seems fitting to turn to poetry as a way to help digest and “discuss” what many of us may be feeling as we make our way through Easter Week. These are the words of Brazilian theologian Rubern Alves (1933-2014). What is Hope? What is hope? It is a presentiment that imagination is more real and reality less real than it looks. It is a hunch that the overwhelming brutality of facts that oppress and repress is not the last word. It is a suspicion that reality is more complex than realism wants us to believe and that the frontiers of the possible are not determined by the limits of the actual and that in a miraculous and unexpected way life is preparing the creative events which will open the way to freedom and resurrection.... The two, suffering and hope, live from each other. Suffering without hope produces resentment and despair, hope without suffering creates illusions, naiveté, and drunkenness.... Let us plant dates even though those who plant them will never eat them. We must live by the love of what we will never see. This is the secret discipline. It is a refusal to let the creative act be dissolved in immediate sense experience and a stubborn commitment to the future of our grandchildren. Such disciplined love is what has given prophets, revolutionaries and saints the courage to die for the future they envisaged. They make their own bodies the seed of their highest hope. Source: Hijos de Maoana (Tomorrow’s Children), Rubem Alves, Salamanca, Spain: Ediciones Sigueme, 1976. We each have a unique story of our journey with Christ. Each of our stories demands unique words. And, those words may change each time we experience the the Resurrection story. My hope for myself and for each of you is that during this Eastertide, we each take time in prayer and meditation to find our words, to write our stories on our hearts, and speak them out into the world as seeds of love. PRAYER Creator God, you are the author of my story. As I journey through these days, help me to discover the depths of your love and grace. Teach me to walk humbly in your footsteps, to live with purpose, and to carry your light and love into the world. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE  John 18. 20-21 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” ​WORDS OF HOPE ​Have you ever tried to force someone to tell you something before they were ready? On this First Tuesday of Eastertide, I think about the many questions various people would ask Jesus without understanding that his complete answer may have been so complex​,​ the meaning would be lost in translation. Jesus kept things simple​ in his confused and frightening world​. He instinctively knew what they would understand or not. ​It reminds me of the Jack Nicholson line from A Few Good Men in which he played a military Colonel confronting Lieutenant Tom Cruz, "You can't handle the truth!" ​ Jesus was ​the master of his own ​instinctive ​timing​; he knew what was appropriate; Do t​his today, Do that tomorrow.​ The bottom line ​​was for him to fulfill the promises of the bigger picture while creating a sense of freedom and understanding of their world, as he had come to see it.​ For those who manage groups of people or delegate information, ​with any luck, ​we follow a certain criterion for communication; from what is not enough information to too much information. ​Today's news is the prime example of how we must not be inundated with things that don't matter in the moment, but focus on the hope of tomorrow; the very essence of our faith. Things may look darkest before the dawn, but the sun is always shining, even on the cloudiest of days. As you think about our world in its darker days, remember we have faced greater challenges and bigger dangers. During the months of the Pandemic, we knew that the world would never be the same. This sounded bleak, yet we had been given an opportunity to tell the future story in its brightest outlook. We knew there would be loss and sacrifice, but together we forged a better future. Now, during Eastertide, we remember Jesus’ greatest Sacrifice, but we don’t have to wonder about the outcome. We can now handle the truth because we have been gifted with all the facts. The questions have been answered. Eastertide is here. PRAYER God of Resurrections, help us to be lovers of your truth and ambassadors of your hope. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie C. Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE  Genesis 1.1-4 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now, the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light. And there was light, and God saw that the light was good and separated the light from the darkness. WORDS OF HOPE Happy First Monday of Eastertide! “But”, you might say, “Easter was yesterday and the chocolate eggs are already gone.” That would be true, yet in the wisdom of our spiritual ancestors, the story of the Resurrection is too glorious to be concluded in just one day. We have a 40-Day Season of Easter ahead of us. After Christmas Day, we celebrated the 12-Day Season of Christmastide to reflect on Jesus’ birth, but the creators of the Church Calendar are giving us even more time to contemplate the world-changing events of the Redeemer’s sacrifice and resurrection. The forty days also coincide with the amount of time the risen Christ was among us before the Day of Ascension. It is no coincidence that today’s lectionary reading is the first nineteen verses of one of the Bible’s most beautiful examples of Hebrew poetry, the story of Creation. It begins the entire library of books we call the Hebrew Scriptures. The first four verses parallel the Christmas story of the coming of the Light to the world. Eastertide is the time of year to remember the Light of Christ could shine on the Disciples in physical presence at any random moment, even when they least expected it, at a meal, on a fishing trip, strolling down a road; never announced, always inspiring. Today, we have the opportunity to experience that Light, too; to experience the presence of Jesus, maybe through the eyes of a child, the greeting of a long-time friend, the prayers of a stranger on social media, the longing of a person in need. Remembering that we are in Eastertide can be our greatest motivation to be conscious of living out the Light of Christ ourselves for all those diverse neighbors of our lives. This 40-Day Season can serve as a warmup to being the physical presence of the love of Jesus in a season that never ends. PRAYER May the coming Days of the Easter Season transform each of us celebrate the Living Christ by enriching all the ones who surround us. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE  John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. WORDS OF HOPE Today is Good Friday, a day of reflection and gratitude for the ultimate act of love and sacrifice. When Jesus spent his last moment on the cross, he wasn’t looking for instant gratification he was fulfilling his sacrificial commitment to God. When the sacrifice was complete and not a second sooner, Jesus stayed the course, bowed his head and gave up his spirit. As a young girl in the 70s and 80s, I witnessed the give it to me "now" culture. Frozen TV dinners coupled with the introduction of microwaves meant my physical hunger could be satisfied immediately. We could cook an entire meal in literal minutes. Wasn’t the same as Mom’s home cooking, but it satisfied my immediate hunger. Cordless phones and instant photos from a camera helped build a generation where technology quickly filled our needs. Today, instant gratification has become a lifestyle! We are inundated with immeasurable amounts of data that can distribute our thoughts in a nanosecond to absolute strangers. Even modern medical treatments claim to cure our ailments quickly while credit cards give us everything with just a tap. So often we hear about folks being depressed if they only get a few likes on social media. As believers in Christ, we don’t need to worry about how many followers we have, we just need to make sure the one we are following is the inclusive God of everlasting life. Reading scripture and praying may lack instant results but we are always guaranteed a message we can embrace in the midst of a society that feeds us lies. Jesus laid his life on the line because we are loved, not because we are perfect, but because He is gracious. Next time you’re impatient to wait 3 minutes for food, stop and remember how Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice by hanging on the cross for 3 Days to become our eternal bread of life! PRAYER Thank you, God, for your sacrifice and for the time Jesus spent living out the promise of your love for the sake of ALL humankind. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donna Jackson