Friday - September 2, 2022

SCRIPTURE Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you always; God will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.  WORDS OF HOPE In these sun-scorched days of a Texas summer, I have had the opportunity to take more indoor time than usual for meditation and reflection; more time to spend in peace, listening; hearing what thoughts God may send my way. What I’ve found true for myself is that my inner peace, health, and happiness have been much better than I might have predicted. I’ve thought a lot about not only my relationship with the Divine, but with others. The biggest truth is that my relationships: friends, extended family, are not just the people I share time with. They’re also my internet counsel and my foundation for the business of life. I can hear their affirmation, advice, and suggestions for guidance but it all circles back to me and what makes me happiest in the end. And if I’m honest; if we’re all honest, what matters at the end of the day is how we feel and how others make us feel. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was “never let somebody else put out your pilot light.” So, I have to be myself; do the things that make myself ME. My life has often been about resolving problems and restoration. I’ve learned that closing the door on a problem can’t resolve it. Worst of all, closing the door on someone I have a problem with creates unfinished business that could haunt me the rest of my life. Our job is to resolve our issues; strive for the best without expecting perfection. As an artist, I know when the art is finished but I’ve been taught one basic rule about it; never be content that it’s the best. Grow. Do better. Do your best and, as one of the four agreements says, your best is different every day. Your mood, health, and situations can alter what your best is. It’s often a personal choice, other times a programmed response. Relationships with both God and humankind are personal. Only you can know when your connection with God is genuine. Only you can know whether someone is the best match for you. Jobs may also be personal. Only you know whether a job you have works toward fulfilling you. Perhaps you’re asking, is it the best match for my potential? My life, of course, is personal. Only I can live my life. It’s not about how often I can please others or meet everyone’s expectations. It’s about sharing my light and dreams and hope... and some of those days it’s about lighting someone else’s pilot light or perhaps ‘turning up’ the burner! What aspects of your life are making yourself YOU today? What relationships, both human and Divine are giving you peace or nurturing your growth? You might find yourself having a little extra time to relax, be quiet and listen. What guidance is being whispered by God to you today? PRAYER Help me to know that your guidance for me is always available, always present, to strengthen my spirit. May I learn to be silent, to be at peace and to listen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE READING  Exodus 7:14-16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water; stand by at the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was turned into a snake. Say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say, “Let my people go, so that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But until now you have not listened. WORDS OF HOPE It is an interesting coincidence that this passage assigned by the lectionary falls on “VJ Day”. That was the day the Japanese signed formal surrender documents effectively ending WWII. The Emperor of Japan had refused surrender much like Pharaoh until it became obvious that too much death and suffering would befall his people. The stubbornness was not Hirohito’s alone, just as it was not just Pharaoh. His generals and advisors were just as stubborn. Japan like Egypt had never surrendered before. Sometimes it takes more than just signs and wonders, but sadly the blood of innocent people serves as the wake-up call that changes hearts. Pharaoh’s own son had to die before he let Moses’ people go. Facing that personal loss he relented, at least for a while. In the case of Japan, the surrender saved thousands of lives that would have surely been lost had the conflict gone on longer. The good news from that day is that now, Japan is one of our strongest allies and trading partners. The good news for Moses was that his people were freed from bondage in Egypt and left to eventually start a new nation. Both are stories of how people in power often forget how their decisions affect others. The story serves as a reminder that small decisions can have far reaching consequences, and we should weigh our decisions carefully. PRAYER May we remember how God’s had guided Moses to free his people and how hardening our hearts rarely leads to pleasant outcomes. May we listen for God’s guidance when we face our own trials and difficulties. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman

SCRIPTURE Psalm 83.2-4 See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation…” WORDS OF HOPE This is the first day of National Courtesy Month. It’s a celebration we adapted from a Singapore holiday first established in 1979. Some call it National Kindness Month. The great novelist, Henry James, once wrote: “Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; the third is to be kind.” It is rather ironic that in the Daily Lectionary Reading for today, the Psalmist writes a colorful description of the least kind among us. So many of the Psalms were written in King David’s times when there was no shortage of enemy activities, including the countless tribes and nations that surrounded Israel plus the squabbles and insurrections within his own Kingdom.  Three thousand years later, the names and places have been changed, but the world scene is not that different. In ancient days when I was in school, I memorized Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem: "The Charge of the Light Brigade," “Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well…” Do you ever feel like a soldier in the Light Brigade or an average citizen in David’s troubled nation? How do we follow Henry James’ advice or Jesus’ Commandment, “Love your neighbor.?” Or his show-stopping blockbuster in Matthew 5.44: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." The Psalmist is specific and succinct about who those people are and what they do. How do we follow Jesus and include them in National Courtesy Month? I believe most of us know by now that in the social media world, the most courteous response we can give to a potential ranting opponent is no response at all. And Jesus wasn’t being sarcastic or ironic when he told us to pray for them. When we do that, it impacts who we are. What have we gained when we prove to ourselves that we can out-growl our enemies? Common courtesy is not that common anymore. Cultivating kindness within ourselves is not only calming. It’s healing. So, I’m grateful that the people of Singapore established this National Courtesy holiday to last a month instead of a single day. Jesus was inclusive in his instructions about loving our neighbors; all of them. And some of our neighbors are also our enemies. In a month of conscious kindness, I hope to have learned a lot about forgiveness and even more about love. PRAYER Forgiving God, help us to calm our souls and focus on healing our internal angers and external conflicts. May we remember that you are always with us as we are deliberate in practicing the kind of courtesy born from the Love example of Jesus. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Exodus 4:10 “I have never been eloquent. I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” WORDS OF HOPE When We Say, “I’m Not Enough” In today’s Scripture reading, Moses stands before God with a familiar human response: “I’m not enough.” It is one of the oldest excuses in Scripture, and perhaps one of the most honest. Moses knows his limitations. He knows his fears. He knows the weight of what God is asking. And instead of pretending to be confident, he tells God the truth. How often do we do the same? “I don't know enough.” “I don't have the right words.” “Someone else would be better.” “What difference can I possibly make?” Yet God's response to Moses is not, “You are perfect.” God doesn't suddenly remove every limitation or turn Moses into someone he isn't. Instead, God reminds Moses that he will not have to do this work alone. That is an important lesson for us at Cathedral of Hope. Our faith has never been about becoming perfect people before we are worthy of love or called to serve. It is about discovering that God's Spirit can work through imperfect, complicated, wounded, courageous human beings. That message is especially important as today we remember National Overdose Awareness Day . We remember the people whose lives have been lost, not as statistics, but as beloved children of God. We remember families carrying grief, friends carrying unanswered questions, and communities carrying wounds that are often hidden behind stigma and shame. And we remember those who are still struggling, those in recovery, and those who love someone struggling with addiction. The call to follow Christ calls us to move beyond judgment toward compassion. Addiction is not a moral failure deserving punishment. People who use substances are not disposable. Recovery is not always a straight line. And the church must be a place where people encounter grace before they encounter condemnation. Moses wanted to know who would speak for him. God answered by reminding him that he would have help. Perhaps that is the invitation before us today: we do not have to be enough by ourselves. God's work is always bigger than one person. We become the voice when someone else cannot speak. We become the embrace when someone is grieving. We become hope when someone has lost their own. At Cathedral of Hope, may we be a community brave enough to say: We are here. You are loved. You are not alone. PRAYER When we hear the call to serve a wounded world, may we remember Moses and remember that God does not call perfect people. God calls willing people, and then God walks with them. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Rev Dr. Neil G Thomas Senior Pastor Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ

Scripture A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. Proverbs 14:5 A Word of Hope “Be Real and Have Thick Skin”  If you have read or listened to various devotions or books I’ve written over the years, you likely have heard me quote M. Scott Peck, a psychiatrist and popular author of books including, The Road Less Travelled. Dr. Peck often defined mental health as: “Commitment to reality at all cost.” Another best-selling author, Dr. Brene Brown, research professor of social work at the University of Houston and UT Austin, emphasizes authenticity and vulnerability as essential to effective human relationships and genuine connection. The message of the famous children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit, which is perhaps even more beloved by adult readers who often shed tears by the last page, conveys the theme that we are made real by love. Today, being real is still precious but often scarce in practice. With all the political subterfuge, genuine news labelled fake in order to mislead, and fake news lifted up as truth to bolster personal agendas, truth and reality can be elusive. It happens in personal relationships, in business, and in organizations where people-pleasing and telling others what they want to hear is the norm. Not very real or healthy. For the sake of your mental health, for the sake of authentic living, be committed to reality. Be real and have good boundaries—a “thick skin” that isn’t easily perturbed by naysayers and detractors. As the Velveteen Rabbit so aptly explained it: “[Being Real] takes a long time. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” (The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams, 1975, Avon Books) Prayer Dear Jesus who loves us, help us we pray, to be truth-telling followers, real and genuine every day. Amen. Devotion Author Rev. Dr. Gary Kindley, LPC Pastoral Psychotherapist DrGK.org