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Thursday - April 11, 2024
Dr. Pat Saxon
INSPIRATION
And on the 9th day, God looked around on [God’s] wide- eyed children and said they need a companion, so God made a dog.
Please listen to these words of hope. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDrabmm421I
WORDS OF HOPE
Just weeks before I had stood at the end of a raised metal table in my vet’s office holding Lily’s golden head in my hands and whispering my love through tears. Once again cancer had laid low the life of my dearest companion. My grief was still tender, but as I sat on the deck at the lake in East Texas in spring, two beautiful sleek bodies chased each other along the shoreline—bumping each other, mouthing pretend fierceness, splashing into the water and back out, rearing like ponies, their front paws in the air….Pure animal energy and play pulled me into delight in spite of myself. Coco and Charlie, as they were to be known, had been abandoned, and after a few months of foster care, I adopted them both—wildly loving again.
Today is National Pet Day. Ask anyone who loves an animal companion—cat, dog, fish, bird, hamster, bearded dragon, etc.. -and they will not be at a loss to tell of the saving grace of their particular beloved one. When I touched in this morning with a few COH folks, Bill Johnson offered this tribute: “My cat, Duff, has a loud and powerful purr-box. It's what attracted me when I adopted him from a shelter. When he rests next to me, the purr vibrates into my body. It's comforting to both of us, he's doing it now.” A member from East Texas writes passionately of her dog Nick (who attends zoom meetings): “I would never have made it through losing my wife if I had not had my little dog Nicki to cling to. During the times when I was left in the home alone, he was there for me. He didn’t care that I was crying my eyes out or praying or screaming. He was there for me no matter what. He is still here for me now. He’s my best little guy.”
By now most of us have read or heard of the research which acknowledges the physical and psychological benefits of bonding with an animal…--from lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, enhanced quality of life, healing from serious illness, better emotional state, sense of security and acceptance, the reduction of anxiety and depression. *
By now we have become used to seeing the teams of golden retrievers travel with their handlers to minister to people traumatized by catastrophic weather events and by gun violence. It always moves me and I think: Thank God the dogs are here.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Dr. Pat Saxon
*Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine
https://cvm.msu.edu/news/perspectives-magazine/perspectives-fall-2018/the-health-benefits-of-owning-a-companion-animal
Previous Posts
SCR IPTURE John 14:22-24 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.” WORDS OF HOPE This passage paints a very different vision than the one often pictured by some hymns and sermons. It implies that Jesus’ return will be through his followers. Those who keep his word. No mention of people flying into the air or Jesus floating on a cloud. He states that his home will be with those who love him. Later, in another verse he states that the Holy Spirit will remind his followers of what he said. To me this passage and the ones that follow let me know that if I am expecting Jesus to appear again and rescue the world from its troubles, I am missing the message. His words can live within me, and I can go out into the world and change it for the better. The Gospel of John is filed with mystic signs and miracles, yet this simple passage gives a direct answer to the question of “When will we see Jesus again?” If we keep his word and continue his mission, we will see Jesus in each person we touch. It is our job to reveal Jesus in our words and deeds. PRAYER Great mystery, I give thanks for the life and words of Jesus who brought clarity and simplicity to your message. May I seek to live out those words each precious day of my life. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman
SCRIPTUR E Job 12.7-10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands. WORDS OF HOPE For years, we looked forward to the completion of the James Webb Telescope. Finally, that has come to pass, and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) or just Webb , is already sending us some spectacular images that allows us to look billions of years into the past. The idea in building the Webb’s predecessor, the Hubble Telescope, was to look further and deeper into space so that we can begin to learn the origin of everything. With the Webb, we’re movin’ now! I believe we are on the brink of discovering something thrilling, life-changing, and truths that will no doubt rock our individual core beliefs. Yike! Please don’t take my blanket away while I’m sleeping in my own beliefs. I’m so happy and content with familiar, manufactured conceptions and suspicions about the world I live in! My sense of security mostly comes from the world in my head which I have created for myself. Do you do that? I’m an artist co-creating my world and existence both with and without my external surroundings. I have the same thinking tools common to all of us, gifted from the source we call the Creator, the God of many names, who is to some the security construct manufactured by us, to others the eternal ground of being in spite of our beliefs. I personally believe that God created us to share in the delight of the Creation. The images we have seen from space so far are giving us just a hint of how much greater that Creation is than we could ever have dreamed. The lesson here to me is that we should never be afraid to dream bigger. Definitely things to ponder, right? What do you think? Do you want to see our destiny in a big telescope? In your own mind? What do you want to see? What do you want to avoid? What truth do you want the Eternal God of the Universe to reveal to you? PRAYER Thanks be to God, we have now seen billions of years into the past. May we be brave enough to take the next step to open pandora’s box; open enough to allow the hidden secrets of the Universe to inform us, so that we may build a better future for all. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie C. Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE 1 Chronicles 29.11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. WORDS OF HOPE You can say a lot about something by its surroundings in the environment. A tall and strong Douglas fir tree may flourish for many decades standing alone in an open break in the forest; whereas, the much smaller redbud tree grows best under the protective branches of much taller trees. Probably all teenagers have been warned that a bad environment will mean trouble for them. The presence of people or things around us has great influence on how we live. Do you regularly sit down, look around yourself and ask how your surroundings influence your lifestyle and well-being? That's a good checkup for one's life. Do you recognize who or what are the influencing elements in your surroundings? As a Christian, we can mature and flourish like that smaller redbud tree when we live under the protective canopy of the Divine's loving and protective arms. God is ever present to gently correct and guide us through life. The problem arises when we become unaware of God's presence and try to live in isolation of such loving care. Each day it is helpful if we take repeated moments to remind ourselves of God's presence and give thanks that divine loving care is always present to nourish us on our life journey. As one of our favorite Psalms, Psalm 95, reminds us, "For God is our Maker, in whose presence we live." PRAYER Ever-watchful God, may we always be aware of your presence and never try to live in isolation of such loving care. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Genesis 1.1 In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth… WORDS OF HOPE Do you like to ponder the origins of the Universe? Is it thrilling or scary? In the 1968 film, based upon the book by Pierre Boulle, Planet of the Apes, we’re given an opportunity to question something for ourselves. In it, the wise orangutan played by Maurice Evans tells the astronaut, Taylor (Charlton Heston), “to not go looking for his destiny because he may not like what he finds.” I think there’s a great deal of truth to that for many of us. We earthlings are constantly in search of something that builds up our human-born egos. Perhaps, it’s also true that I must question whether I really want to know anything about the beginning of everything because, I might not like what I find. It may unravel my personal security of the presumptions I desperately cling to. Let’s think about that for a minute. Some of us grew up with Bible stories about the first two people. In the book of Genesis, Adam was, poetically, formed from the dust of the earth and then Eve was formed of Adam. Today’s scientists tell us we are all made of stardust, the same chemical composition, and technically the dust of the earth. So far, we’re not too far off. Later, in our school years we began getting glimpses of the evolution of humankind on Planet Earth, as well as our billions of other life forms. So many theories about how and why these things exist, but they, too, were created from the stardust that landed on the earth. But, who created that stardust? The big bang theory seems reasonable; the idea of multiple universes exploding out simultaneously and forming (hypothetically) identical planets with millions of doppelgangers of us. (That would explain why all the beings the Star Trek explorers meet on other planets are always humans!) Should we question whether these multiple universes were created by the same omnipresent God, the One who made a plan for everything and everyone, which obviously has to include distant planets which were formed a long time ago in galaxies far, far away. The truth is out there and it’s also right here, in our hearts. The poetic writers of Genesis and the theorists of our scientific community often conflict but sometimes coincide. My prayer is that mutual respect is always present and as we seek the answers, may we ask the right questions. PRAYER Thank you for giving us exploring minds. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie C. Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Ezekiel 38:7 Be prepared and prepare yourself and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. WORDS OF HOPE Sometimes we don’t get to prepare. A fatal diagnosis leads to the death of a loved one six weeks later. A truck careens through a red light, crashing into a neighbor’s car, sending them to months of rehab before they can walk again. The company downsizes right before Christmas, laying off dozens, including yourself. But often enough the opportunity to prepare comes from a holy place and brings outsized blessings. At the end of a contemplative prayer session in early January, a vision of a wholistic pre-and post-surgical spiritual practice took shape for the total knee replacement which lay before me in March. As soon as the details were clear, I began to incorporate elements of the practice into daily life. Particularly deep and anchoring was the pre-dawn centering prayer practice—and time for “chatting” with God. Both the deep quiet and close, conversational prayer have drawn me into the oceanic Love and Grace of the Divine. Attending to the physical dimensions of life was also crucial. I was already walking daily to immerse myself in beauty and to strengthen my legs, but I also knew that the inflammatory response to sugar, which I loved, was not “a friend” to a healing body. Though I had often curbed sweets, something about placing this quest in a wholistic spiritual practice led to greater obedience, and I added other healthy eating habits too—more omega threes, fruits and vegetables, for example. My mental and emotional life needed some tuning up as well. I was led to discern the health of my interactions with others. It wasn’t that I lived in the land of “positivity.” My conversations with others were true and deep, but sometimes relationships can become toxic, and that energy is anything but healing. Once an email from someone threatened to draw me into a long replaying of a former colleague’s abuse. But I heard it for what it was, rejected the invitation, and kept my equanimity intact. Excessive rumination and worry also got bumped out of the brain space, and my inner critic took a vacation to the Bahamas. Listening for departures from the practice was important so I could rebound as quickly as possible. As you may imagine, even with a solid practice, as surgery approached, anxiety increased (though not soaring to intense heights). I turned to a couple of women who are “tender mothers” for me and asked them if they would be standby supports to whom I could turn if I needed. Throughout the months, everything was wrapped in a cloak of prayer. Now, it’s important to say that my preparation practice, as any other spiritual practice, doesn’t have to be anyone else’s. Each of us can create a process that suits and supports us. For example, one woman I met in the hospital liked the idea and said that time spent with her grandchildren—the delight of her life—would be essential for her. Just recently I found a website that suggests doing guided meditation for best surgical outcomes. https://healingworksfoundation.org/guided-imagery/guided-meditations-to-promote-successful-surgery/ Shaping our own practice, we become co-creators with the divine. PRAYER Risen Christ, you have said that you go ahead of us to prepare a place for us. May your holy presence guide and direct all the practices of our lives. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon
SCRIPTURE Isaiah 28.23 Give ear and hear my voice, Listen and hear my words. WORDS OF HOPE In this Season of Eastertide, celebrating those 40 days the resurrected Christ walked among us, you are invited to meditate on imagining yourself in the role of one of Jesus’ close disciples recalling the still-fresh occasion of being with him and the others during the Last Supper. There are men in the room who are older than you are and wiser, more experienced, who seem to know what to say in difficult situations. There are others who are simple fishermen who followed Jesus because they were invited by Him. For you, it has been almost three years now that you have been with Jesus and you wonder tonight what it was that first attracted you to him and the group that surrounded him? Was it just plain curiosity or a feeling of adventure? Remember how your friends thought that you had lost your mind when you told them that you were going to follow Jesus? But, somehow, deep down ... you knew that you really had to...that you really wanted to see what Jesus had to offer. And what a three-year period it has been! You realize how you have grown to really admire this man from Nazareth. In fact, you have grown to love him in a way that is difficult to describe as all love is. You just feel totally at home with him...secure with him...in fact, you feel totally accepted by him even as you make dumb mistakes like the one in Galilee last week. You told him what had happened and apologized and he broke into a large grin. He told you it was okay and invited you to share in a piece of bread and a cup of wine that he had. Although the whole business is a bit crazy, you know that you are where you are supposed to be. You turn to Peter who is on your left for some more wine and he passes you the jar as he tells you to help yourself. You really don't want to sleep while there is still a chance that Jesus will speak. You turn to your right now and look at Jesus and see that he is talking quietly with John who everyone knows is his best friend. He is talking too quietly to hear so you start talking with the others near you. Suddenly there is a lull in all of the chatter that happened quite spontaneously, and Jesus looks around the room and smiles and you and the other smile back. Your heart begins to beat faster, and you are not sure why. As Jesus begins to speak you and the others shift your body position to see him better and in order to pay better attention to what he is saying to the group. Jesus is seated four people away from you to your right. He speaks: “As my Abba has loved me, so I have loved you, live on in my love. You will live in my love if you keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Abba's commandments, and live in God’s love.” His eyes were moving from one person to the other and you are struck when his eyes meet yours. The feeling you have is that he is speaking directly to you and as if there were no one else present in the room. He continues: “All this I tell you that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you.” PRAYER Speak to me God, for your servant is listening. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Bob Shea Cathedral of Hope / United Church of Christ
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Cathedral of Hope
Proclaiming Christ Through Faith, Hope and Love
5910 Cedar Springs Road | Dallas, TX | 75235
214-351-1901
info@cathedralofhope.com