Friday - September 2, 2022

SCRIPTURE  Acts 2.44-47 All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. WORDS OF HOPE Today’s Scripture reading from the Book of Acts paints a picture of an idyllic and serene beginning of the early church with everyone living in a Christian Camelot and we would not be surprised to hear them bursting into a chorus of : “A law was made a distant moon ago here…July and August cannot be too hot...and there’s a legal limit to the snow here…” The Book of Acts of the Apostles was written by the Gospel writer, Luke, and described a blossoming era well before the letters of Paul which spent a lot of time addressing conflicts in the churches and listing rules of appropriate behavior. In Galatians we read about volatile conflicts between Peter and Paul themselves. No one is immune to being human in the Scriptures, even in the remainder of the Book of Acts. I’ve heard sermons a distant moon ago that declared no one could be a good Christian unless they followed this Acts example of selling all their property and giving their money to the poor. Of course, the scripture doesn’t say that. They sold some of their possessions and property, not all of it. They were basically generous with one another, especially regarding those most in need, as they celebrated their new faith together. I’m grateful to the church councils and faith leaders who compiled the writings that we now call the New Testament. They gave us a good cross section of the best and the worst of times. They let future generations know what to expect. The road to following the Way of Jesus was rocky then and it’s rocky now. Camelot had its problems, too. In Texas, we are assured that July and August temperatures cannot be regulated by the law. And we know that churches are imperfect. Yet, these beautiful words Luke left to us in Acts 2 are always there to remind us that the faith which brought the body of believers together then is the same faith that brings us together now. They set the standard that was a natural result of following the Gospel of Love. PRAYER Thank you, God, for the examples set by those who came before us. May we always remember that the same exuberance for your gospel is alive and in our midst every time we have the opportunity to live it together. Thank you for your church. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Matthew 14:16-21 Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. WORDS OF HOPE Several years ago, I had the joy of attending a dear friend’s installation as the new priest at an Episcopal church. The Gospel reading for that celebratory service was Matthew 14:13-21, the beloved story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. My friend was both excited and understandably nervous; stepping into a new ministry in front of his congregation, family, and friends who had traveled to support him. He began his sermon with a bold line: “I don’t know if the feeding of the five thousand was a miracle or not.” I cringed inwardly, wondering if this was the ideal opening for his first sermon in a new church. Yet he continued thoughtfully, suggesting that perhaps the true wonder was Jesus’ ability to gather five thousand people to sit, listen, and share. After all, many in the crowd would likely have brought food for their journey. With a spirit of generosity sparked by Christ’s presence, there was suddenly more than enough for everyone. But then my friend landed on the heart of the passage with conviction: everyone was invited to the table. No one was turned away. To me, this remains the most powerful truth in the scripture—not debating the mechanics of the miracle but embracing the radical hospitality it reveals. Jesus takes what little is offered, blesses it, and multiplies it so that all are fed and satisfied. This same open invitation echoes every Sunday at the Cathedral of Hope: “Everyone is welcome at God’s table.” In a world often marked by exclusion, scarcity, and division, Jesus models abundance born from compassion and community. When we bring our small loaves and fish—our limited time, resources, or gifts—and offer them willingly, God multiplies them for the good of all. PRAYER O God, may we, like those gathered on the hillside, accept Christ’s invitation without hesitation. Let us come to the table with open hands and hearts, ready to receive, ready to share, and ready to witness miracles of grace in our own lives. In Jesus’ name, all are fed and all are welcome. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR David Sims, Deacon

SCRIPTURE  Romans 9:6 It is not as though the word of God had failed. WORDS OF HOPE There are moments in history when people of faith must decide whether we will merely preserve religion or embody the Gospel. We are living in such a moment now. As Paul writes Romans 9, he is wrestling with questions that continue to haunt the Church today: Who belongs? Who is chosen? Who gets to define the boundaries of God's love? These are not merely theological questions. They are questions with profound consequences for real people, real families, and real communities. Paul's answer begins with a declaration of hope and resistance: "It is not as though the word of God had failed." God's promises have not failed. Human beings have failed one another. Political systems have failed the vulnerable. Religious institutions have too often failed to stand with those whom Jesus embraced. But God's promise to love, to liberate, to heal, and to reconcile remains steadfast. For those of us who have spent our lives ministering alongside LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, people of color, women seeking equality, and all who have been pushed to the margins of society and the Church, this truth is not theoretical. We have seen the damage caused when religion is used as a weapon. We have witnessed the pain inflicted when laws target transgender youth, when immigrants are demonized, when racial justice is dismissed, and when Christian faith is distorted into a tool of exclusion, nationalism, and fear. And yet, we have also witnessed resurrection. We have seen rejected children become beloved adults. We have seen wounded communities become places of healing. We have seen churches once defined by fear transformed into sanctuaries of hope. We have seen God's grace repeatedly break through every boundary humanity has tried to construct. Paul reminds us that God's purposes cannot be confined by our prejudices, our politics, or our anxieties. The God revealed in Jesus Christ consistently disrupts systems of oppression and calls God's people to do the same. Today, on System Administrator Appreciation Day, there is perhaps an unexpected lesson for the Church. So much of what sustains our lives remains unseen. The people who maintain our systems, networks, and infrastructure often labor quietly and faithfully behind the scenes. The same is true of the countless organizers, advocates, pastors, volunteers, caregivers, and justice-seekers who continue the sacred work of building God's beloved community. Their labor may not always be visible, but it is holy work. As followers of Jesus, our calling is not simply to believe that God's promises endure. Our calling is to make those promises visible. This is not a season for silence. It is not a season for respectability politics or cautious neutrality. When vulnerable people are under attack, when truth is distorted, and when fear masquerades as faith, the Church must speak with moral clarity and act with courageous love. The Gospel calls us to defend the dignity of transgender people. The Gospel calls us to welcome the immigrant and refugee. The Gospel calls us to confront racism, poverty, and injustice. The Gospel calls us to reject any theology that diminishes the sacred worth of another human being. God's promise has not failed. The question before us is this: Will we have the courage to live as though we believe it? PRAYER God of justice, compassion, and boundless grace, give us courage for this moment. When fear tempts us to retreat, call us forward. When injustice tempts us to despair, strengthen our resolve. Make us a people who proclaim Your love not only with our words, but with our lives. May we stand where Jesus stood: with the marginalized, the oppressed, the excluded, and the hopeful. And may we never forget that Your promise has not failed, and neither must our witness. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Rev Dr. Neil G Thomas Senior Pastor Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ

SCRIPTURE  Philippians 4:10-13 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. WORDS OF HOPE Oprah Winfrey referenced this Scripture in a recent podcast interview with Keke Palmer. What she said literally stopped me in my tracks: “When I started school, and I didn’t even know who my father was at the time, I used to tell people, ‘Jesus is my daddy.’ I really grew up believing I could do all things because I was God’s child. And so, when I walked into the newsroom and I was the only Black woman there, I just assumed I was supposed to be there because God had made the way for that.” Oprah’s words made me pause because her life is a profound example of what Paul reveals to us in Philippians. If we allow ourselves to develop unshakeable confidence and contentment in God, nothing can stand in our way. Imagine what a difference this could make in your life. Imagine how this mindset could remake our communities, and even our world. I ‘m often caught up in what Buddhism describes as “earthly desires.” I logically understand that we all have inherent worth. Intrinsic happiness and peace can’t come from outside ourselves. Emotionally, though, a big part of me believes I’m only valuable if I’m doing things to please and help others, like writing a really poignant devotion for example. When I start spiraling down the earthly desires path, my goal is to remember that God is right there with me. No matter how bleak things may seem, and no matter how much we may want the external thing, God has already given us everything we need . When we choose to have a relationship with God, we can also choose to be happy in the present moment, no matter our circumstances. PRAYER I claim my unlimited power as a child of God and choose to be content right now, exactly as I am. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Logan Alexander Johnson

SCRIPTURE  Mark 4.30-34 [Jesus] said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” WORDS OF HOPE I grew up on a farm. Many years ago, the Dallas suburbs scattered on the edges of the city were usually farmland. My parents had a five-acre truck farm in one of those edges where we raised chickens, pheasants, guineas, turkeys, pigs, and used the rest of the land to rotate crops. One of those crops was mustard greens, to me, a dish that tasted even worse than it smelled. But it was high on many Texas families’ menu list in the 1950’s. I attended a small Presbyterian church not far from our farm and during one Sunday sermon, when I was actually paying attention, I heard the Parable of the mustard seed and the huge plant that grew from it. The mustard plant in the parable grew so large that birds could perch in its branches. This piqued my curiosity. What was the preacher talking about? Did mustard plants grow into trees in Jesus’ time? After church, I asked my father if the small bunches of mustard greens he hauled to Jack Evan’s produce department each week could grow as big as one of our pecan trees. “Not that big,” he replied, “but they can grow big enough to hold bird nests.” To prove the point, my mother gave me a single tiny mustard seed to plant in our back yard. Mustard plants grow quickly. A few weeks later it had become an enormous bush, and I did indeed see a cardinal take a break on an elephant ear-size leaf. “Why don’t we let the greens grow bigger like this one?” I asked my father. “We pick them when they are young and tender,” he answered. “A plant this big is tough and bitter. Even the pigs won’t eat it.” I couldn’t imagine the pigs lining up for the young and tender plants either, but what he said did inspire me to think about what Jesus could have been talking about in his mustard seed parable. The preacher had said that it was all about the growth of the church from a small pocket of followers in a small city to a major world-wide religion, but that seemed too simple of an interpretation. Jesus’ stories were not about growth and power, and the powerful leaders of his faith were among his greatest adversaries. People in Jesus’ day, himself among them, were much better informed than we are about agriculture. I think Jesus chose a mustard plant for a specific reason to make the parable a warning about the dangers of growing too large too quickly. It’s about a tender message of love losing its flavor and becoming tough and bitter. The early church was still a seed when Jesus told this story, but I believe he could foresee one of the inevitable paths it could take. Of course, Jesus was talking about the Realm (or Kingdom) of God, not just the organized church body the pastor read into the story. I believe that is something that continually grows inside each of us, but we can still learn from the mustard seed simile. Never lose sight of the seed of love that nurtures the growth of our spirits and never be counted among those who equate their faith with power, making it unpalatable and bitter. PRAYER Thank you for Jesus’ visions of eternal truths in terms of the Creation that surrounds us. May they always be the seeds from which our relationship with you continues to flourish and grow. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare