Monday - June 26, 2023

SCRIPTURE Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. WORDS OF HOPE Each one of us is God’s handiwork, uniquely made to fulfill our role in God’s divine plan. The difficulty with this is that none of has the details of the whole of this plan. We spend a lot of time wondering why life is unfolding the way it is, why there is so much pain and suffering around us, and where is God in all of the chaos? Living these questions does test our faith regularly. And I think that also is part of God’s plan. When God created human beings, God already knew that we were imperfect. At the same time, God also created for us a path of redemption through grace. The adversity, daily challenges, difficult human relationships, and unexpected glimpses of beauty and kindness we face each day are God’s tools. They are what God uses to mold us into his image. And through it, all of this shaping and forming, God loves us unconditionally. The only part of God’s big plan that we really need to know is that we are called to share this same love with all of God’s children. That is the essence of the plan. Perhaps Lennon and McCartney summed this all up best in their 1967 song, “All You Need Is Love.” There's nothing you can do that can't be done Nothing you can sing that can't be sung Nothing you can say, but you can learn How to play the game It's easy All you need is love All you need is love All you need is love, love Love is all you need… Nothing you can know that isn't known Nothing you can see that isn't shown There's nowhere you can be that isn't where You're meant to be It's easy… All you need is love (all together now!) All you need is love (everybody!) All you need is love, love Love is all you need… The encouraging message for us now sixty years after the penning of these words is that there is nothing that God hasn’t already thought about and prepared for. I don’t know that John Lennon’s text of “It’s easy” rings true for many of us right now, but “love is all we need” does. We must love ourselves with our whole heart; we must love our neighbors as ourselves; we must welcome and love the strangers just as God welcomes and loves us. As the words of John 3:16 tell us, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Love, a true and Godly love, is all we need. PRAYER “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Amen (Psalm 139:14) DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Psalm 65:5 Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness, O God of our salvation . WORDS OF HOPE  During this reflective time of Lent, whether we rest our trembling soul in God's embrace, or we walk with confidence in God's path; in all things and in all times of life, we can experience new and wonderful revelations of divine care and love. They are like jewels along our path. All that we must do is maintain awareness of God's presence in our every step. Don't be distracted by the noise and confusion of the world around you. Focus your attention on God who will lead you forward and free you from fear of the uncertainty of the unknown. That's the root of the word "salvation" as used in this verse. God is the One who frees you to live your full potential as a human directed by divine love. God frees you to live and see awesome things every day of your life! The Psalmist also says: "Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in God who will bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:5) This provides us with reassurance. Now, as a Christian it is our responsibility to trust God's Spirit to be fully present and helpful in each of our daily interactions with others. Sometimes, we must walk into a day without springtime blue skies, but we are not alone in the effort to find blessings in each of our human encounters. However, we must make a conscious effort to be aware of the Spirit's presence and guidance in those opportunities. That may sound like a daunting challenge. I would like to suggest some exercises to build up the necessary "spiritual muscles" to begin this task. First, as you encounter someone, acknowledge them. Second, if you start to have a conversation, pause and silently seek God's presence in your words. If the other person asks a question or seeks your opinion, pause (as if giving their question additional thought) and ask God's Spirit to guide your response. You'll be surprised how much better that human interaction progresses. God's Spirit is a fantastic guide and help! PRAYER Lord God, quiet my mind and sharpen my attention to your Spirit's presence in my life. It is my desire to live this day in closer relationship with you and to express your love in each of my interactions with other people. Be it ever so. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE  Philippians 2:7,8 [He] emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. WORDS OF HOPE Easter was always a special time for our family. While we were taught to celebrate the resurrection, it was also filled with anticipating egg hunts and special dinners. As a little girl, my mother would wrangle me into some dress for church, insisting I appear pristine for the festive occasion. While I dearly loved my mother and wanted to surrender to her wishes, I recently found a photo where I was all dressed up with an Easter basket in one hand and a baseball glove in the other. Apparenty I wasn’t willing to empty myself completely, but I did try. In the above Scripture, Paul declares the very nature of Jesus Christ, who possesses the image, likeness and glory of God, fulfilling a prophecy by emptying himself to become a servant to all humankind. God did not use nature or divine power to manipulate an advantage over creation but instead became clothed in humility to such a degree that Jesus, God in the flesh, allowed people to spit on him, abuse him, condemn him, deny him, and ultimately kill him. The resurrection was the ultimate servant sacrifice by the very God who was also the Creator of life. Jesus didn’t empty something from himself; instead he emptied himself from something…the very essence of God. I read an article highlighting how the Bible opens with the creation story that describes a loving God who cares for all creation while holding a special love for Adam and Eve. Then the article reflects summations’ of how the rest of the Bible is the story of God orchestrating arrangements through the flesh of the Son, Jesus, to serve the world. From the beginning into eternity, God has always and will always serve the world and all who are in it. PRAYER Creator, Servant, God who devotedly loves ALL creation, fill us with profound humility so we can genuinely reflect your self-giving heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donna Jackson

READING Blessed Words Antiphon for the Holy Spirit BY HILDEGARD OF BINGEN TRANSLATED BY BARBARA NEWMAN The Spirit of God is a life that bestows life, root of world-tree and wind in its boughs. Scrubbing out sin, she rubs oil into wounds. She is glistening life alluring all praise, all-awakening, all-resurrecting. WORDS OF HOPE Hildegard of Bingen is one of those people who is on my list of historical figures I would like to have met. She lived in the 1100s, was the Mother Superior in her monastery, was a scientist, a theologian, a composer, and a preacher. She’s also credited with having written the oldest surviving morality play. And as the above quotation shows us, she was a poet. This was a period of time when women were very much treated as inferior as much as in any period of history. For her to have accomplished all the things she did against great odds, is amazing to me. She was known to have visions. And she believes she had been instructed by God in one vision to record her visions. Being a woman in that age, she was hesitant to do so. Eventually, she was given dispensation by the Pope to record her visions as revelations of the Holy Spirit. I can personally say I really love and appreciate this poem of Hildegard. It is for me, one of the best understandings of the spirit of God. It clearly states what the spirit of God is and does in a simple yet deep manner. For me, it is an exceptional piece to read and contemplate in those moments when I need some quiet reflection on the power of God and the power of God’s Spirit. I invite you to take a moment with this inspired work and to consider the working of God’s spirit in your life. PRAYER Spirit of God be with me as I go through me days. Awaken me. Resurrect me. Bring me life and life abundant. DEVOTION AUTHOR Weber Baker Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare.

SCRIPTURE  Matthew 9:27-31 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you have faith that I can do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith, let it be done to you.” And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them, “See that no one knows of this.” But they went away and spread the news about him through all that district. WORDS OF HOPE I like this story because it shows a little of Jesus humility and a lot of his followers humanity. Jesus tells the blind men that their faith has healed them and then admonishes them not to tell anyone about what happened. Immediately they go off and spread the word. That’s a very human thing to do. They wanted to share the event that changed their lives in such a profound manner. I would expect it since everyone they knew had seen them as blind and suddenly they could see. Curiosity would lead to questions and by answering they do exactly what Jesus tells them not to do. Jesus on the other hand takes no credit for the miracle. He attributes it to their faith and wants no credit for it. Humility, part of what makes Jesus so interesting. His main concern is spreading the message and not glorifying himself. The miracle in this story is not the important message to me; it is Jesus humility and his understanding of the humanity of his followers. Perhaps the writer of this gospel was trying to convey that to his audience, Jews. Having been raised a Jew myself, I think I sometimes hear Matthew’s words differently than a gentile audience. Matthew refers to “The kingdom of heaven” not the “kingdom of God” since God’s name is revered and is not used in Jewish texts. Adonai, Hashem, Yhwh, and Elohim are used in Hebrew texts as place holders for different aspects of God. Jesus in this story also becomes an aspect of God’s powers, but he doesn’t name it and insists it not be spoken. Maybe that should be enough for us. To know Jesus is bringing God’s message, one that is so profound that it really cannot be put into words without minimizing it and stealing the power from it. Sometimes it is what is not said in the scriptures that speaks volumes about the true power of the divine. PRAYER May we open our eyes to see the Divine in ways we never expected. May the words and actions of Jesus be signposts on our journey of faith. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman