Devotion

Scripture

“The Beloved makes me lie down in green pastures. God leads me beside
the still waters and restores my soul.” Psalm 23: 2-3

Reading

Re-imagining a peaceful night spent in a forest, poet Mary Oliver writes:

I thought the earth remembered me, she took
me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts,
her pockets full of lichen and seeds. I slept as
never before, a stone on the riverbed
nothing between me and the white fire of the stars
but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths
mong the branches of the perfect trees.

EARTH DAY

A Word of Hope

Sometimes the need for nature is as strong as thirst on a summer hike. It has been so for many of us during this long pandemic year. And because travel has been restricted, we have re-learned the treasure of daily beauty. A mockingbird singing the dawn awake. Tiny green leaves unfurling after the winter storm. Rolling on the grass with dogs. A loon’s tremolo before returning North. A crow’s guttural “uh-oh” high in a pine. An early monarch floating on the breeze.

Oliver hits on something important in her lines: Nature welcomes us with her beauty like a relative gone missing—which we do with our self-absorption, busyness and worry. Her embrace can even be “forgiving.”

“I know, I know, she soothes. So much comes between us. And now, especially with these pandemics—the sickness unto death, the hatred and violence, the loss. But come to me, you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will re-member you, restore you to wholeness.”

In a 2018 sermon, Barbara Brown Taylor claims, “Beauty might turn out to be so woven into the hem of the Savior’s garment that we cannot reach out to touch it without being healed, then sent on our way to make more of it in the world.”

Prayer

On this Earth Day, and every day, may our work be loving this world and restoring God’s creation in gratitude, in deep gratitude. Amen.

Devotion Author

Dr. Pat Saxon

Scripture

Mark 16: 9-18

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.

A Word of Hope

Today’s lectionary reading is one of those “proof texts” that provide evidence and names witnesses in regard to sightings and encounters with the risen Christ. As always, the accounts are varied and even sometimes conflicting in the four Gospels, just as witnesses in our world often offer many variations of their reports on a recent event. Point of view, degree of perception, and personal prejudices always contribute to what each considers the “gospel truth.” That phrase alone is ironic since each of the Gospel writers told their own versions of their own truth tailored to the needs and understanding of their particular communities.

On one proof-text fact, however, all of the writers agree. Mary Magdalene was the first person to experience the awe of seeing the empty tomb, and the first to bear witness of that event. On that morning, there might have been at least one or several other women with her, there were sometimes angels present, along with other minor variations reported by the writers, but Mary was always the central figure of this history-altering scene. This is why she rightfully has been given the title of “Apostle to the Apostles.”

Mark tells us that the men history later named the Apostles were together in the famous Upper Room, mourning and weeping that morning that Mary made and reported her discovery. A couple of them were moved enough by Mary’s testimony to follow her to the tomb in order to check out the situation themselves. Jesus had clearly told them that he would rise again, but I’ve often wondered if they would have ventured out of hiding that day to see if he had been telling the truth without Mary’s urging. Would we be reading the empty tomb story today? 

Mary Magdalene had been present throughout Holy Week as Jesus’ final drama had unfolded. She was there at the foot of the cross and she was there at the tomb at the crack of dawn on the morning after the sabbath to carry out the ritual of anointing that was the ultimate symbol of love and loyalty of her people. Later that morning, as she was also the first to encounter the risen Christ himself, Jesus did not feel the need to instruct her as to her next move. All he said was, “Mary.” He knew she would get the job done. She did.

Prayer

Thank you for the consistent love and loyalty Mary Magdalene still demonstrates for us today. May we recognize your voice in our own journey along your path and know in our hearts what route to take when you simply call our names.

Devotion Author

Dan Peeler
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

Romans 6:5, 9-11

For if we have been united with him (Christ Jesus) in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his… We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died once [as a physical human being], but the life he now lives, he lives to God. So, you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in [the resurrected] Christ Jesus.

A Word of Hope

Today’s Scripture reading are some words of Paul to the young Christians in Rome. Today, if you ask people: “What will happen to you when you die?” Often, you get a blank stare which resembles the eyes of a deer in the headlight of an approaching car. Some will say: “I’ll go to heaven”; whereas some will freely admit that they believe they already have a reserved spot in hell. However, a significant group will have no answer or they will talk about fading away in sleep to nothingness, nonexistence.

 Each of these individuals is deeply invested in their current life circumstances, their health, possessions and prestige; however, they seem to have made little investment (limited interests) in their existence after death. There will be an existence after death for each human. Even those who spurn the welcoming embrace of a loving God will not evaporate into nothingness at death. An afterlife experience was guaranteed at the moment of universal Creation; because our universe was created with an ultimate purpose. And that divinely inspired purpose is for humanity to have an authentic and intimate relationship with the Creator God!

Nothingness after death has nothing to do with it. We were created to be in relationship. Paul often preached that our relationship with the Creator God should be like the vibrant relationship Jesus had with his Abba Parent. The resurrection of Jesus demonstrates to us that such an authentic and vibrant relationship with God is not stamped out by physical death; rather it is resurrected into a new and more vibrant relationship which has no end. We are offered an eternity to be spent in the presence of God or not. But it is not a free ticket offered just because we were born on planet Earth.

We must recognize God as our creator, welcome the divine embrace and invest our life’s effort living up to our part in a vibrant relationship with the Holy One. Jesus’ words of love, his life and resurrection guide and inspire us along this path to an eternal relationship with God. It is my hope that every week of Eastertide will greatly bless you, and the resurrected presence of our Lord will guard you throughout each day.

Prayers

All praise be yours, O risen Lord, from death to endless life restored, both you and our Maker, we adore and Holy Spirit ever more.” (Easter doxology to Jesu dulcis memoria.)

“Yours, O God, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty. Alleluia!” (An ancient acclimation of praise)

Devotion Author

Donald (Luke) Day
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

1John 3:11

For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Words of Hope

It’s a simple message.  Deceptively so. That one sentence sums up the greatest of Jesus’ teachings and yet it is so difficult to hear and even more difficult to put into action.

“Love one another.”

I suspect if you are like me, I usually follow that with a question.  “Yes, but what about people who hurt me?”

“Love one another.”

Yes, but there were kids on school who teased me and called me a “fag” and beat me up?

“Love one another.”

Yes, but what about that guy who I gave my heart to and he stomped on it and left me?

“Love one another.”

Yes, but what about the thief who broke into my house and stole my stereo system, my TV and my computer?

“Love one another.”

But, what about the politician who lied over and over and sponsored bills that tried to take away my rights?

“Love one another.”

Yes, but what about the policeman who beat and almost killed my friend simply because they were black?

“Love one another.”

It’s not so simple is it?  And that is the point.  Jesus doesn’t call us to do the easy things. He calls us to do the hard things: to love people as human beings even though they are flawed, even though they are misguided, even though they don’t love us, even though they are unlovable.

We are called to love everyone as God’s children.  That does not mean we have to tolerate bad behavior, ignore misdeeds or offer blanket forgiveness for something that seems unforgivable.  It means we have to remove ourselves from situations where we or others are being harmed.  It means we must hold people accountable for their actions and it means we must do it with love.  What Jesus calls us to do is to refuse to be motivated by hatred.  We must never succumb to the blind anger and emotions of the moment, but seek justice, not revenge.  We must show mercy in our works and as the prophet Micah said, “walk humble with our God.”

 “Love one another.”

That is the hard path Jesus set us on.

As a more contemporary voice said, ”All you need is love.”

Prayer

May we first love one another and approach every aspect of our life and our dealings with others with this in mind.

Amen

Author

Hardy Haberman

Scripture

Luke 24:13-34

That night at supper table the stranger took the loaf of bread, and he blessed it, broke it and gave it to each of them. Immediately, their eyes were opened to recognize him as their beloved Master Jesus! With that recognition, Jesus disappeared from in front of them.

A Word of Hope

On Easter Sunday this year, many of our church members took the opportunity to worship together in the same space for the first time in over a year. Though socially distance and with excellent safety precautions in place, it was a Resurrection Sunday to truly celebrate!

People celebrate Easter for many reasons. The ancient pagans celebrated this time of new birth for earth’s plants and animals. It marked a new beginning and refreshment for their lives after a long cold winter. Early Christians added to this tradition their remembrance of Jesus’ resurrection and their promise of new and eternal life with him in heaven.

That hope broke loose the chains of the old and opened new prospects for growth in their spiritual lives. In the little town where I grew up, Easter was such a time. Added to those thoughts of celebration was the possibility of a new suit and shoes to wear to church for my brother and me. For our mom it was a new hat and for our dad, it probably meant a leaner wallet to pay for all of it.

The family would assemble at someone’s house and a dinner with far too much food was always gorged down by happy celebrants. Easter was anticipated and celebrated with great joy. No one wanted to miss Easter. We are still in the Season of Eastertide. What does Easter mean to you? That’s a really important question to ask oneself and get a good solid answer. Does its meaning seem to be a superficial celebration, or is it an opportunity to reflect on the hope and joy of relationship with God now and forever?

Does it encourage you to plunge deeper into a spiritual journey with guidance of the Holy Spirit? Does it confirm and strengthen your desire to live a more vibrant life following the teachings of Jesus? Meditate about this for a few minutes before you begin today’s activities. How will it change what you do and say around others? Will these thoughts improve your Christian witness to the world?

Prayer

My God, I come before you in this moment of quiet. I want to be fully present to you so that you can speak to my soul and enlighten my mind. Motivate my hands and feet into ministry which honors you, and in all things that I do and all that I am, may you be glorified and manifested into this world. May your presence which is expressed through my life become a blessing to others. Amen.

Devotion Author

Donald (Luke) Day
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

1 Corinthians 3.6

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

A Word of Hope

Guts are such an incredible thing, aren’t they? Deep in our physical guts are our intestines which contains the recipe for about 70% of our immune system, digesting our food, and oddly, among other things, to somehow give us a response helping us make quicker decisions often faster than our brains can keep up with. According to healthline.com “Your gut may not be a literal voice, but its functions communicate in a form of code.”

We’ve all heard the phrase “go with your gut!” or “gut feeling” and oddly enough, the last few days have proven to me in different circumstances that my own gut feelings were more often than not, correct. I wished I had listened to them in every occurrence, because I wasted precious time second guessing my instinct. What about you? How many times have you kicked yourself for having dismissed your first, best gut feeling? You probably did that an hour ago.

In the popular Star Wars movie series, various characters have been known to say “I have a bad feeling about this.” I’m no stranger to the Force. To me, it’s just another designation of that person of the Trinity we call the Holy Spirit, the internal Eternal who comforts and guides us. But even with that knowledge, I’m second-guessing myself on why it is so difficult to listen to my overriding gut instincts.

Going back to something I said earlier, I don’t think it’s really true that our emotional “gut feeling” is something happening outside of our thinking. I believe our brains are wired with so many millions upon millions of learned behavior that our spirit and our brains are working together to quietly inform us about situations which may be eluding us at the moment. Our brains and spirituality, reason and emotion, all work hand in hand. One is never working without the other.

I invite you today to stop for a minute or two and reflect on some past situations in which your gut feeling was instructing you, particularly those times when you ignored it. What can you learn from these choices? Once again, we are faced with the conundrum of deciding whether we are physical bodies with a spirit or spiritual bodies living inside of matter. I’m not denying that there is safety within reason; safety does matter. We must learn why those strong, instinctive gut feelings are there to begin with.

Are they a force of habit which we have conditioned ourselves to ignore first? Perhaps that gut Force is informing us to live a better life; taking into account everything we have learned up to that very moment. Perhaps it’s time for all of us to form a better habit of listening intently, replacing the negative with the positive.

I’ll start by saying, I’ve got a very good feeling about this. What is your still, small voice telling you?

Prayer

Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.

Devotion Author

Charlie Rose
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

Matthew 22.23-33

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children.  The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third.  In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection, [whose] wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’  He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

Word of Hope

So, what is it that the Sadducees are really worried about in this passage? Are they truly concerned about who is married to whom after the resurrection?  Likely not.  Their purpose in asking this question is not the hope of a definitive answer, but rather to try to trip up Jesus with “the rules.”

The rules for levirate marriage as outlined in the Book of Deuteronomy were intended to insure care for a widow, to simplify matters of inheritance, and to continue the family lineage of the deceased.  Taken at face value, the purpose of the rule makes sense.  The Sadducees, however, weren’t concerned with any of this.  They were challenging the notion of life after death, the conflict between the Old Testament rules and the preaching of Jesus.  As might be expected, Jesus called their bluff.

As a child, I was a rule follower because I was told that rules were intended to make my life, and the life of those around me, safer and better.  As an adult, I find myself more like the Sadducees, questioning rules and those who create them.  It is not my ideas about the need for rules that has changed; rather, it is my growing skepticism surrounding the intent of those who make rules that has changed.  Many rules now seem to be created not with the goal of protecting and bettering the lives of all human beings.  Instead, they seem to be enacted with the sole purpose of furthering division and injustice amongst people, making the powerful more powerful and the marginalized even more marginalized. 

Sometimes we have a responsibility to challenge rules, to ask the probing questions, to be like the Sadducees.  But, just like those making the rules, we need to be honest in our intent.  Like the child who believed that rules were intended for good, as adults, our challenges to rules also must be intended for the greater good.  When this line is unclear, turn to Jesus in prayer.  If our hearts are not pure, the message, “you are badly mistaken” will likely be delivered.

Prayerful Words

God of the Living, I pray that I have the strength, courage, and wisdom to live my life each day by the rule that is yours, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  May these words be my impetus for both following and questioning the rules made by human minds.  Amen

Devotion Author

Kris Baker
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Scripture

Acts 2.14-24

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

[Preparation: Take a deep breath and exhale slowly….do it again. One more time. Place yourself gently in the presence of your God]

Word of Hope

This passage reveals one of the more dramatic examples of the presence of the Holy Spirit. The people of Jerusalem following that most eventful weekend that saw the execution of Jesus of Nazareth were now hearing from his apostles. These timid and generally uneducated men where loudly proclaiming Jesus as Messiah and Lord and in multiple languages so that everyone within earshot could understand.

The people thought that the disciples of Jesus were drunk, and Peter simply countered that it was early in the morning and not typical behavior! He was “drunk” in the power of the Spirit that gave him courage and confidence and life-altering joy that he and the others had seen the

One that they had last seen on Golgotha last Friday. How would you react if your saw a friend who dies in a car crash on Friday and then he visited with you in the flesh on Sunday?

The Apostles were shocked and inspired in the same way but even greater since it was with the power of God. There would be time enough for fear and disagreement later, but not on this special day when they were on fire with courage and hope and love and faith in the Risen Lord.

Prayer

O Holy One! We find you in others and the events of our lives and through prayer. Our reflection upon Scripture is also an occasion to find you, to hear you and to rejoice in all that you are to us. Help us to be ever mindful of your presence with us and allow us to proclaim it as boldly as the Apostles did so many years ago. Let others be amazed by our faith and our proclamations and our joy that you are among us each day now and forever.

Amen

[Take a deep breath and exhale slowly….do it again.]

Amen.

Devotion Author

Bob Shea
Cathedral of Hope / United Church of Christ

Scripture

Exodus 14:21-22 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Exodus 10:19 So the Lord shifted the wind to a very strong west wind which took up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt.

Word of Hope

Big Wind Day is observed each year in the United States on April 12th. National Big Wind Day commemorates the recording of the highest natural wind gust measured on the Earth’s surface. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934, the Mount Washington Observatory recorded winds at 231 miles per hour.

I spent my Junior & Senior high years in Lamesa, Texas. We have really big wind there, but not 231 mph unless it is a tornado! Every outfit had a headscarf as part of normal wear. Usually, our wind was full of sand, especially when there were not crops growing in the cotton fields.

I am not a fan of big wind. But God uses the wind as needed and for good, like in the Exodus scriptures above. We do not always see the purpose of things in nature in our wisdom. Things are purged so new things can grow. Floods dry out because of winds. We don’t usually enjoy the removal of dead leaves from our trees because it messes up our yards.

Nature is an amazing balance of elements. God controls them. However, humans cause the balance to be unbalanced by our bad habits and trash and thoughtlessness.

Doing self-checkout recently at Lowes I was encouraged to see a sign saying to not place my items in a bag if it was not necessary! I was so grateful to see that sign. I had hoped Dallas would stick to the ban on plastic bags it tried several years ago. But it did not last.

We must learn how to be good stewards of our Earth. I hope you all are good at recycling. I hope you take your reusable bags to the grocery store. Those are the least things we can do. We need to learn all we can do to help preserve the Earth. It is not ours to use up. A part of Christian stewardship is to learn and do all we can to produce less waste.

The United Churches of Christ encourage congregations to intentionally reflect upon God in relationship to caring for creation. They advocate for environmental justice. As we work for racial justice, we must not also forget our responsibility to care for our environment as well.

Prayer:

God of the Wonderful Earth our home, Thank you for its beauty and comfort. Help us be mindful to help preserve the Earth. May your blowing wind remind us to each do our part to keep pollution of waterways and byways clean. Help us leave our Earth a better place for our families to come.

Devotion Author

Jan Nunn
CoH Volunteer

Scripture

“That night the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, saying . . . ‘And now you’ve shown us what we asked for. You’ve solved the king’s mystery.” Daniel 2:19 and 23. (The Message)

A Word of Hope

When I was 6 or 7 the biblical character Daniel was my superhero. I wasn’t allowed to watch Superman or Batman on tv. (My parents thought “Lassie” was more appropriate). But Daniel was pretty cool. He could tame lions and walk through fire. And in today’s assigned lectionary (Daniel 2: 1 – 23) he was clairvoyant.

A nifty trick being able to not just interpret dreams but also to see the dreams of another person. He could headline Las Vegas. According to Daniel’s interpretation the king dreamed of a statue. Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that he was the statue’s head of gold and that all the other kingdoms that came after would be inferior. Never hurts, when interpreting dreams to throw in a little flattery, especially if the king threatens to kill you if he doesn’t like what he hears. And you hope by the time the future you predict comes around, you will be long gone just in case.

Well, it would be great to be a superhero with special powers. Especially predicting the future. Because lately I feel like my every day human powers are put to the test beyond what I can handle. Maybe it is because after more than a year the end of the pandemic is in sight, but I can’t let up yet. I need to hang on just a little longer.

And what does it mean when I say “the end is in sight?” The end of what? And what is on the other side of these past 14 months? Those are just some of the many unknowns.

Call me cynical cause I have a feeling answers won’t come in a dream. And, I don’t have a clue about the future. But I do have friends who have hung in with me and share what we are going through. I have found new ways of being in God’s presence. New opportunities to stay connected. New sources of God’s voice.

So, I am not yet thinking too much about the future. Still taking it a day at a time. It is the assurance of Easter that our future is secure. You know, being fully alive in the present moment may be all the superpower I need.

Prayer

God of my being. Moment by moment I have all the powers I need.

Devotion Author

Dennis Bolin