Monday - May 13, 2024

SCRIPTURE The Book of Psalms 25:6-8 (adapted from NRSVUE translation) Be mindful of your mercy, O God, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from days of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, Holy One! Good and upright is God; therefore God instructs the broken in the way. WORDS OF HOPE The Sins of Youth and Other Times I have replayed them in my head too many times. Poor decisions of my past. Hurts I’ve inflicted on people whom I genuinely loved and cared for. Words I’ve spoken thoughtlessly that left wounds upon others. Actions I took or neglected to take. The writer of today’s passage from the Book of Psalms understands. Sins of our youth are common. The Creator of our frontal lobe where decisions are made must understand better than any experienced neurologist. After all, that part of the brain isn’t fully developed until around our mid-twenties (usually a bit earlier in women) so I would imagine God’s expectations are lowered and forgiveness is a given. What about the rest of our life? The years of our 30’s and 40’s and upward can seem equally horrid in places. The poor choice that cost us dearly. The good job we left too soon. The failed relationships, broken marriages, poor parenting. It is the human experience—but not entirely. We can take comfort in knowing that it is also the nature of being human that along with mistakes there will be successes. There are times of blessing and opportunity and moments of unexpected kindness and serendipity. Theologically, we call it Grace. We demonstrate both our character and our persistence by trying and failing and trying again. We make many good choices, too. Especially when we follow the path that Jesus demonstrated which became known simply as, The Way. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. What the Apostle Paul proclaimed as the fruit of the Spirit of God. The nature of the Christ-follower. Psychologists and sociologists tell us that there are times when we are not fully prepared for what we face. Those are times when we did the best with what we had or what we knew at the time. Or perhaps we are still making choices out of our wounded parts that were formed from childhood hurts or neglect. We’ve not taken time to heal our wounds and live out of our better and true Self. Turn the page. It gets better, especially when we seek to make it so. As the Psalmist said so well, “All the paths of the Divine are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep covenant and seek to live in God’s sacred way.” PRAYER Dear Jesus, who loves us, help us we pray, to strive for good choices, and live in Grace when we stray. Today, may we offer ourself and others Grace. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Rev. Dr. Gary G. Kindley, LPC Pastoral Psychotherapist drgk.org

SCRIPTURE  Genesis 1:25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds… and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. READING “We have only begun to love the earth, … only just begun to envision how it might be to live as siblings with beast and flower and not oppressors.” Denise Levertov, “Beginnings” WORDS OF HOPE Last Wednesday, Sage and I pulled up at the old house in East Texas that has been a sanctuary for some 40 years. I was exhausted and, like so many, had been battered by the cruelty and chaos of the powers that be and needed renewal, so the trees’ vibrant greening, the migratory loons calling across the waters, and the does heavy with child called my heart to open. Since tumultuous weather had pummeled the area a few weeks ago, I entered the house cautiously—checking ceilings for leaks and other signs of damage. A sigh of relief issued forth as all seemed well—until I reached my bedroom where signs of a raccoon incursion from the attic were everywhere: broken ceiling tiles, scraps of old insulation, animal droppings, new raccoon scat, and muddy paw prints. While empathizing that these masked creatures had probably sought refuge from the storms, I was disheartened at the wreckage and that rather than being able to rest while here, I’d have to kick into work mode trying to find someone to repair the house and make sure there were no critters still in the attic. I would also have to don mask and gloves and disinfect the area in a way that would protect Sage and me from toxins in raccoon scat. Beginning to unload the car, I saw something move on the leaf bed by the back door. I walked closer and discerned the dark shape and patterns of a snake, but couldn’t tell whether it was venomous or not. At my closeness, she arched her slender neck in warning, and I scooted Sage into the house. I told her that I meant her no harm—and hoped that my soothing tone and the lack of hostile action would signal my non-threatening presence. This is not to say that I am casual about snakes: The bite of a copperhead years ago landed me overnight in the Marshall hospital followed by several painful days at home, so I have a healthy respect. But in Franciscan mode, I resisted what seemed the code of many area folks—to kill snakes in any situation—and left her to find her safe place. When Brad, the wildlife removal person, came out, he was a spiritually grounded man who sang in a praise band and lived by a creed for animal life akin to my own, using humane traps and non-toxic products. God does indeed show up in strange places! As we discussed procedure, I felt the worry begin to release in the face of his expertise and his care. In the midst of these encounters, a beautiful cedar waxwing flew inside, rapt by the holly berries which load our bushes, and, in spite of much wooing and humane ways of encouraging him to return to freedom, he stayed the night. Over the course of the time he bunked in with us, he grew to know my voice, I think, becoming less frantic when I approached, at times perching quietly on a curtain rod. A few days ago, the administration gave the go-ahead to ignore the endangered species protections in the Gulf of Mexico though a huge number of species have gone extinct worldwide. While the extra intensity and care on behalf of these 3 creature-kin asked for more from me in a weary time, I cannot think it is less than what they are due as God’s good creation. And I think of those who gave—and give—extra care to me and feel grateful that Brad and I were here for them. PRAYER Teach us, God of all creation, that practicing care for our creature-kin is indeed another kind of “Good Trouble.” Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon

SCRIPTURE Ephesians 3:4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. WORDS OF HOPE Ancient Writings On this first week of the Season of Eastertide, I’m wondering if the writers of scripture would be curious about all the church Seasons or astounded that people are still reading and interpreting their narratives and letters. In this stage of human development, we have a rare opportunity to understand that what we do will likely have an impact in the distant future. The internet makes us aware that what we report on social media immediately becomes news about who we are. We have the chance of purposefully creating our legacy for future generations multiple times over. The ancient writers may not have known the impact of their epistles and grocery lists, but here we are the stewards who have a unique glimpse at how these civilizations lived, fought, and died. A snapshot of time. We try to ‘read’ what we can into the lives of those people who struggled to live in such a mysterious and violent era. The people who fought to survive in Jesus’ day had a much bigger puzzle to fill in about their origins, what they believed, and whether or not they had a greater purpose. Yet, here we are with their mail which was postmarked 2000 years ago. What an incredible gift they left us. Their thoughts are now our Gospels. Theologians have been busy for millennia trying to decipher their ancient code that has now fallen into our hands. Perhaps instead of zooming into ancient scriptural insights with our modern microscope, we might be wiser to attempt to understand who those original authors were, living under Romam rule, contrasted to our lives today, with freedom to speak our minds. There are many among us however, who have taken advantage of that freedom and interpret those ancient writings to their own political advantage. There are those who consider themselves Christians yet manage to ignore the bigger picture teachings about loving our neighbor as ourselves and have in many ways reverted to eye-for-an-eye, tit-for-tat mentality. They will be leaving behind their lessons in bullying and brutality, but my prayer as I write my feelings and complaints on the internet is to consider “what will my life look like when somebody reads my own mail in a few thousand years?” What will I do or say to create a better world with my life and works as an example? It helps me to remember to pause before I rant. What will you tell yourself as you write your own thoughts and feelings that could someday be considered somebody’s internet scriptures? PRAYER May I never shy away from telling the truth of God’s love for all and may the spirit of my conversations or writings always reflect the spirit of Jesus. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie C. Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. WORDS OF HOPE Do you ever just open the Bible and let whatever passage appears speak to you? This practice is called bibliomancy. You may enter into this practice with a specific question or concern in your heart; or, you may come with an openness that simply desires that God fill your heart and mind with whatever God believes you need in that moment. Like many of us right now, the goings on in our country and in the world weigh heavy on my heart. Most days the only thing I feel I can do is pray. Recently I began my morning prayer time with my thoughts going in what seemed like a million different directions. I randomly opened my Bible to this, Psalm 36, from The Message.  The God-rebel tunes in to sedition— all ears, eager to sin. He has no regard for God, he stands insolent before him. He has smooth-talked himself into believing That his evil will never be noticed. Words gutter from his mouth, dishwater dirty. Can’t remember when he did anything decent. Every time he goes to bed, he fathers another evil plot. When he’s loose on the streets, nobody’s safe. He plays with fire and doesn’t care who gets burned. God’s love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks. How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings, To eat our fill at the banquet you spread as you fill our tankards with Eden Spring water. You’re a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light. Keep on loving your friends; do your work in welcoming hearts. Don’t let the bullies kick me around, the moral midgets slap me down. Send the upstarts sprawling flat on their faces in the mud. I am particularly drawn to the use of the word “God-rebel” instead of wicked. It cuts right to the implied actions of those who commit wicked deeds. When these actions are distilled down to the lowest common denominator, they all rebel against the “meteoric love of God.” Taken as a whole, this psalm yields a powerful and comforting message. Read it carefully, and then read it again. What words and phrases speak to you? What part of this psalm will make today easier for you to face? PRAYER Author of the Universe, open my eyes to see wonderful things in your Word! Guide me to the words I need so that I may grow in understanding, knowledge, and faith. Remind me that meditation on your words will bring peace to my days. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare

SCRIPTURE  Song of Solomon 2:11-12 See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. WORDS OF HOPE How amazing is the arrival of Spring! Sometimes in Texas, it slips up on us. But this year we kept having several days of cold, even freezing weather almost up until the official beginning of Spring! I am blessed to volunteer at one of the most beautiful places to spend time in Spring (as confirmed by Southern Living magazine). Dallas Arboretum plants 500,000 bulbs of Tulips, Daffodils and Hyacinth in such a way that they pop up weekly starting as soon as it is near Spring. And when the bulbs are spent, the amazing Azaleas start their amazing show of how amazing God’s beautiful Earth can be! I feel close to God every time I walk through the awesome 66 acres of the Arboretum! I am blessed to give tours of the DeGolyer home - the family who made the first 44 acres of the Arboretum their retirement home in 1940! I feel like the scripture above was written for such a time as Spring in Texas and the beauty of the gardens. Last month we broadened our horizons by doing a photo shoot for a beautiful high school senior young lady at Ft Worth Botanical Garden. I was amazed at their many arches heavy with Wisteria! The smell was incredible! I am so blessed to be able to see such amazing places that show me the most beautiful handiwork of God. How much must God loves us to shower us with so much beauty! As I drive from place to place this time of year, I am also blessed to see the Texas State flower- the spectacular Bluebonnet! It is such joy to see them growing on the roadside! One of my best friends likes to be a co-creator with God. She spends a lot of her spare time with her hands in God's soil. She refuses to let me call it dirt! She nurtures plants and grows flowers and herbs. She even brings plants back to life after it appears I have murdered them! She has a magic touch with plants! She prays as she has her hands in God's precious soil. She is my biggest prayer supporter! I hope you are blessed to get to see lovely flowers, even if it is a lone Iris or Rose in a garden near you or Bluebonnets along the roadside. AND I hope as you see flowers, you are conscious of the graciousness of God for allowing us to have such wonderful visions of nature to be a blessing in our life. PRAYER God of all good gifts, today we praise you for the glory of plants that bloom in such amazing beauty that makes our world such a wonderful place to live. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn CoH Volunteer