Monday - July 3, 2023
Jonathon McClellan
SCRIPTURE
Ecclesiastes 12:12
Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
WORDS OF HOPE
Warm Tea
We need understanding in order to have peace within ourselves. “Understanding” is our armor against feelings of fear. How often do we ask questions and how often do those questions direct the course of our lives? We ask questions like, “Who am I, why am I here,” and, “What is my purpose,” because without the answers we often feel lost. When we feel lost, it is because we do not know where we are. The only reason that bothers us is because we fear the unknown. Thus, we try to remedy ignorance with understanding.
Our thirst for knowledge is like searching for a good cup of tea. If the tea is too hot, then it burns the tongue. However, if the tea is too cold, then it loses its appeal. When humanity is consumed by its thirst for knowledge, that knowledge can be what hurts us. On the other hand, no desire for new knowledge makes life repetitive and boring. A warm cup of tea is both savory and soothing just as an appreciation for knowledge can be. The first step of understanding is knowing that you do not understand. The next step is coming to terms with that.
If we do not love ourselves despite our ignorance, then by effect we are creating a rule that we can only love ourselves when we understand. In all of humanity’s advancements, have we truly advanced? There are more effective ways to end a life than there were a hundred years ago, but is that progress? Perhaps, a lack of understanding is not the real problem. Maybe, the real problem is that we cannot appreciate what we already have. It is natural to be curious. New horizons are on the other side of that curiosity. Be brave and cross the ocean; discover what is on the other side. Consider that what is on the other side of the ocean and that which gives life its savory flavor are the unknowns!
PRAYER
All knowing One,
Grant us balance between wanting to know more and being satisfied. Show us the way to having peace within ourselves. We want understanding and even more than that, wisdom. Help us to be grateful for what we have and to truly find what it means to better ourselves. Bless You God, for You have given us so much excitement to discover. Be with us on the road to every new adventure. Amen.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Jonathon McClellan
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
Need More Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE Matthew 19:13 Then children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” WORDS OF HOPE Today is Celebration of Life Day. This holiday of unspecified origin is a day set aside to celebrate children and grandchildren. The Bible, and Jesus in particular, mention children a lot. If you go to one of the online Bibles and do a search on the word children, you will be very surprised how often children are mentioned. As the passage above indicates how important children were to Jesus. And this is not the only place in the book of Matthew where Jesus references his children. In another verse, he says that unless you become like small children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. He refers to peacemakers as the children of heaven in what has become called the Beatitudes. Too often in our world today, children suffer because of the callous disregard for the self-centered actions of adults. Famine, war, abuse and disease often affect children most since they are the least capable of doing anything about these things. Often children are disowned by their families because of their sexual orientation or their beliefs. And to be fair, many children are adopted in the loving families. Many people work with children as teachers, mentors, and spiritual guides. And these people, whether they realize it or not, are doing God‘s work. For your devotion time today, celebrate the children in your life. If possible, share the day with a child, grandchild, niece or nephew. Here are some suggestions from the National Day Calendar. • Read a book with a child. • Get on the floor and put a puzzle together. • Build something with your child. • Invite all the cousins to play board games. • Bake cookies and decorate them. Even the smallest child will learn something. • Make popcorn and watch a movie. • Tell the story of how the grandparents met. • Get out the art supplies and create. PRAYER Magnificent Creator who we look to as our parent, give us the mind and heart of children so that we may come to you through Jesus as little children, open to learning, open to loving, open to being loved. DEVOTION AUTHOR Weber Baker. Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clair
SCRIPTURE Matthew 9.14-17 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The wedding attendants cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are ruined, but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” WORDS OF HOPE Having achieved the status of being “vintage” at age 75, I sometimes feel like one of those “old wineskins”. I think sometimes it’s good to hear the words of scripture anew and look at them as though I have never seen them before. Then let them speak to me fresh. For me that means I have to put away my “little Golden Book of Bible Stories” and read the words as an adult, with all my life experience included and yet I try to read them, listening for a new message. I find I can be old and yet still have the ability to preserve the “new wine” of the Scriptures. These words speak to me and give me the hope I need to face the day. Reading them I feel like Jesus is with me, his voice a soft whisper in my ear. He lets me know I am part of that wedding party, and I am filled with gratitude that I can still find truth that resonates with me in words written millennia ago. Not the simple words of a story, but underlying truths that are eternal. PRAYER May I always find myself as a new wineskin ready to receive the new wine of God’s word. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman
SCRIPTURE Philippians 4:7 CEV God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. WORDS OF HOPE Paul was writing to the Philippians who were under control of the Roman Empire in what was known as the ‘Pax Romana’ (the ‘Roman Peace’) where no-one was allowed to disturb the peace. So, one sure way to safeguard compliance, was to install a professional army ensuring everyone complied, and anyone rebelling, was crucified or murdered. While times are a bit unsettling today, we are reassured through numerous versus in the Bible, hundreds of books, and pod casts which explain the many ways one can become more peaceful. There are even herbs, potions, symbols and air fresheners designed to create a more peaceful presence. However, none of these external factors can bring the kind of inner peace that is promised when we release our thoughts and give our fears to God. I read a story about an artist who painted a roaring waterfall, under a dark sky with lightning all around. At closer inspection he had included a bush at the edge of the falls and painted a tiny bird nesting peacefully on her eggs. The art was titled “peace”. The artist illustrated the bird in this small bush who was waiting patiently to birth new life even in the midst of chaos. PRAYER Creator God, in the midst of our chaos give us the courage to change our heart and mind with your supernatural, calming, assurance of peace. In Jesus name, Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donna Jackson
SCRIPTURE Acts 8:36-39 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. WORDS OF HOPE The Spirit meets people on desert roads. Waters of grace and acceptance are always close at hand. In Acts 8, Philip encounters the Ethiopian eunuch on a lonely stretch of desert road. The eunuch is powerful in the court of the queen of the Ethiopians and faithful enough to journey all the way to Jerusalem to worship. And yet their body marks them as different. According to religious tradition, they do not fully belong. Their devotion is real, but their access is restricted. Still, there they are—on the margins, reading scripture aloud, hungry for understanding, thirsty for grace. Author and theologian Christina Cleveland, in her book God is a Black Woman invites us to imagine God as a trans Black woman: a God who knows what it is to be surveilled, dismissed, excluded, and yet to remain fierce in love. A God whose body has been declared “out of place,” whose wisdom has been ignored, whose presence has been policed—and who nonetheless shows up precisely where life is hardest and hope feels most fragile. On that desert road, it is this God who draws near: not enthroned in the temple but walking alongside a seeker whose body has been deemed a problem. When the Spirit sends Philip to the eunuch, Philip does not interrogate their worthiness. He does not demand conformity or correction. He does not ask them to leave parts of themselves behind. He listens. He shares the good news of Jesus. And then, without hesitation or condition, Philip baptizes them. The chariot stops. Water appears in the wilderness. Joy erupts. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke often of the “beloved community”—a vision of God’s future breaking into the present, where dignity is not rationed and justice is not delayed. Acts 8 is a beloved-community moment. On that road, the arc of the moral universe bends—not because institutions finally caught up, but because the Spirit refused to wait. The eunuch asks the question that echoes through every liberation struggle: “What is to prevent me from being baptized?” God’s answer is immediate and holy: Nothing. For trans and gender-diverse people, Acts 8 proclaims a tender and revolutionary truth. Your body does not disqualify you. Your identity is not a barrier to grace; it is an invitation to it. Baptism was never about fixing bodies or erasing difference. It was never meant to restrain joy or delay belonging. Baptism names what has always been true: you are already claimed. Already beloved. Already held by a God who knows marginalization from the inside. Roadblocks were never the Spirit’s idea. Neither were borders around joy. The Spirit who hovered over creation, who led people out of bondage, who met a eunuch on a desert road, still moves today—calling us toward freedom, dignity, and love that refuses to be fenced in. The Spirit meets people on desert roads. Waters of grace and acceptance are always close at hand. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs
READINGS “This is the air I breathe, This is the air I breathe, Your Holy presence living in me.” ( From the song, Breathe, by Michael W. Smith. Lyrics by Marie Barnett - 2012) “The whole problem is to establish communication with one’s self.” E.B. White WORDS OF HOPE Breathe. Love. Hope. Act. Pause where you are for a moment, and as best you can take a deep breath in. If you are congested or otherwise compromised, breathing may not be as easy for you. Still, you are breathing or you’d be dead! Take a deep breath in now—and briefly hold it. Then slowly release the air back into the world. You are connected to the world through your breath. Feel the connection. We are connected now, whether you are listening to a narrator giving voice to my words aloud or are reading these words with your own vision. A connection has been made. Human beings are designed for connection. It is in our DNA. It is the reason that solitary confinement is a far worse form of punishment than any other for those imprisoned. It is why orphaned babies fail to thrive if they are not given touch, attention and affection. If you are feeling overwhelmed by life, pause and focus on your breath. If you are troubled by social injustice, political discord, or government that seems unresponsive to genuine human need, take a breath. You are not alone and you are not powerless, though it may seem that way. The Spirit of God is at work for good, despite human suffering, conflict and turmoil. That truth doesn’t imply that everything gets resolved exactly as we would like or as timely as we would hope. Creation has been set in motion by the God of Grace who values Free Will and Liberty greater than control. Therefore evil, too, must exist. Dr Martin Luther King calls our attention to Theodore Parker’s now famous observation, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Breathe. Do lovingkindness. Work for justice. Stay connected with yourself, your Higher Power, and the Spirit that moves, empowers and births Hope from despair. Breathe. Love. Hope. Act. PRAYER Come Holy Spirit and stir up a fresh wind to blow over our nation and all the world. Refresh us, empower us, redeem us, that we might rise, empowered by Love, to seek Justice in the name of the Prince of Peace. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Rev. Dr. Gary Kindley Pastoral Psychotherapist DrGK.org
READING Every January, we perform this ritual together. We shake off the indulgence of the holidays and brace ourselves for improvement. We tell ourselves that this will be the year we get it together…that any mess was temporary…that with the right plan, the right habits, the right mindset, we can finally become the person we were always supposed to be. This is not a small thing. In the United States and Canada…, New Year’s resolutions have become a kind of secular sacrament—an annual recommitment to the belief that limits are a problem to be solved. But what if they aren’t? –Kate Bowler, “A Resolution for People Who Are Already Doing Their Best” WORDS OF HOPE Kate Bowler expresses a perspective that we would do well to examine. At the beginning of every year, we are barraged with advice about New Year’s resolutions from all our communications modes. Searches turn up the following: “New Year, New You,” a flurry of entries with varied numbers of “best” resolutions—from 18 to over 100, “achievable” resolutions, resolutions “that you’ll actually keep,” fun resolutions, resolutions that will inspire you, and so on. In addition, there are essays on why we make them, why we break them, and even neuroscientific analysis. And now we have apps that can help us measure our progress and mood daily. (The premium version of one starts at $39.95 and gets you access to professionals, daily tracking, analysis and more.) Overwhelmed yet? Several years ago I stepped away from making resolutions in favor of New Year’s prayer, listening deeply throughout the year for the Spirit’s guidance and periodically taking stock. This year, though, Kate Bowler’s reflection struck a chord in me. A religion professor at Duke Divinity school, writer, and podcast host, Bowler also is a historian of American self-help. Her research suggests that over and over again the message we hear is “the only limit is you. If you could just overcome the mental block, the laziness, the lack of discipline, then the “real” version of your life could begin.” Particularly for those who struggle with perfectionism, this message can feel like massive bullying. In 2015 Bowler’s perspective changed radically mostly from being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer at the age of 35. “The fantasy of unlimited agency collapses quickly when your life includes chronic illness, caregiving, grief, uncertainty, or responsibilities you didn’t choose. Which is to say, we are all ushered into the “fellowship of the afflicted” (as Margaret Feinberg calls it) one way or another.” This year she suggests trying to practice “limited agency.” “I don’t mean the kind of resignation that says, “oh well.” I mean the kind of clarity that comes when you’ve hit the edge of what you can do and you stop pretending otherwise. Limited agency is the humility to admit, I don’t get to steer the whole story, paired with the courage to say, but I can still choose something. It’s a celebration of small, real choices made inside real constraints. Not a fantasy of transformation. Not a dramatic reinvention. Just the steady practice of asking: what is mine to do, and what is not? Sit for a moment with how those last paragraphs strike you. Does defensiveness rise up inside? No way; I can do a lot more than that! Does curiosity arise, wondering if there might be something helpful in her perspective? Do you find a truth about your own life—and the burden of constant striving? Something else? I invite you to take whatever comes up into prayer and listen for the voice of the Spirit. PRAYER Oh, You who know us better than we know ourselves, guide us lovingly into a life of wholeness and purpose. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon