Thursday - August 24, 2023
Dr. Pat Saxon
SCRIPTURE
ļ»æ2 Samuel 1:11-12
Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan…
WORDS OF HOPE
“No time to grieve…” was the lead on a recent news post about the survivors of the devastating fires on Maui. Most of us have never experienced the catastrophic loss of family, friends, property, community, animals, natural beauty, and culture that our Hawaiian neighbors have endured, but it is understandable how the trauma would overwhelm and block normal grieving processes. And I pray that, in God’s good time, the people can mourn and lament, individually and collectively.
Today large numbers of us still carry “unattended sorrow” from Covid losses and the broken relationships, disappointment, and disillusionment from the fractures in our society. An adage in grief circles is that if you don’t address your loss, it will come back and bite you in the … backside. Our lives, relationships, health, work, creativity, and dreams can all be impacted in serious ways. It is also true that new loss can open up old unhealed grief.
That reality has drawn close this summer. As I have mourned the death of my precious dog Charley, unhealed grief from the death of my blessed friend of 56 years has re-emerged. Inviting this difficult guest into my heart again is painful, but holding sacred space for mourning opens the possibility of healing and new life.
Dale Woolery asserts that we can go for years without grieving because our culture minimizes its importance. “Too often we are consciously or unconsciously encouraged to set our John Wayne-like jaws and ride tearless into the sunset…. It took me almost 40 years to begin grieving the death of my father.”
“[When I was 5], I was unable to experience the loss. I did not have the support I needed to face the pain. So, I went on in life almost as if nothing had happened. But I was not okay. Even if I seemed fine. Such significant losses have consequences—life molding consequences. When a crisis eventually forced me to dock my life’s ship in a therapist’s office at age 41, I knew I was sinking. I had no idea that some of the holes in my hull could be attributed to my father’s death…. Over time it became clear that I hadn’t just lost a father—but a model for manhood, a pattern for [intimate] interaction, a guide in life’s storms, and the tender love and essential structure which fathers can pass on to sons.”
Woolery was fortunate. Not only did he seek the help of a counselor; he was able to sit down with his uncles, sharing stories, and reclaiming lost parts of his father’s life. Never could he have guessed what sacred work grief could be and the freedom and new life it would yield. May it be so for us all.
PRAYER
Oh God, who holds our tears in a bottle, help us grieve and lament the losses in our lives and the life of our world. There is so much, so much. Help us be part of the healing. Amen.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Dr. Pat Saxon
Need Some Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE Job 38.4-7 Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? WORDS OF HOPE Unanswered Questions As our vision of the universe gets larger, our knowledge about it, gets smaller and smaller. Einstein observed that the more he learned, the less he knew. It is often that when we answer a question, ten new questions arise each leading us to more undiscovered and unanswered questions. I find that a flower is not just a stem and its petals, but it is also its seed. What is a seed without its journey? The flower is connected to generations of flowers. A person’s name can imply where they come from and who they are connected to. A rock is the culmination of many smaller particles. I have found no simple answers, but always, more to discover. Humility is considering the possibility that what we do not know we do not know. I do not see all the pieces of life’s puzzle or things that I have yet to experience. If I were to try to define anything, then that would mean pretending I had an understanding of universal truths when I do not fully comprehend anything. We believe that God exists, but what or rather who is God? I could say that God is love, but consider how long it would it take me to describe all of God’s love if I could. Why do so many religious people believe that God is love, but then, condemn people for not believing that their religion is the right one? They have neither learned what love is nor who God is, yet they can judge. How can we judge God’s creation without knowing all the facts? Humanity has more in common than it realizes, for many faiths teach that God is love. The scriptures teach us that we have the ability to set aside our differences and be kind to one another. One day, differing faiths may have less strangers, and more friends. Perhaps, because if we know less, then there is more to learn about each other. PRAYER Lord of mercy, Only You know everything and only You can judge. Help us to be forgiving and kind to strangers. Grant us a humble spirit. Show us how to disagree lovingly. Bless You because You are patient with us. We love You, yet we do not know You fully. Help us to love those that we do know, yet don’t comprehend. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE ļ»æ I John 1:5 This is the message we have heard and proclaim to you, that God is light and in God there is no darkness. WORDS OF HOPE After reading todays’ scripture, take time to be quiet with it and let God's Spirit talk to you about what you've read. Quietly read it again several times: “This is the message we have heard and proclaim to you, that God is light and in God there is no darkness.” Try meditating on those words to better explore the fullness of their meaning. Try to be so mindful of the words that you feel like you're falling into a pool of deep water... a pool of deeper experience with God. I believe that if you practice this approach, you will be drawn into a richer awareness of your relationship with God. In cultivating a richer awareness of God, define the scripture to yourself. God is pure light, perfect light, not a speck of darkness, a holy brightness. Our faith always has taught us that the Creator God's nature is perfect in all aspects, perfect wisdom, perfect love, and perfectly pure and holy. That perfection contrasts with humanity's mottled behaviors and failings. Our human character is often inconsistent and mixed in motive. Even in the midst of human goodness, perfection is elusive. The Judeo-Christian God has always existed separate from our less-than-perfect humanity. Part of this realization is the basis for the concept that God is holy. In the Psalms, we read that: "Holy is God's name." (Psalm 30:4) The Jews thought that you could understand the nature or characteristics of another person if you knew or spoke their name. When God blessed Abram and promised that he would be father to a multitude of offspring, God gave him a new name, Abraham, which denoted that promise. When we speak of God as holy, we state that God is set apart from us, other-than-us, God is pure perfection. It is our affirmation that God is different from us; we are not God. In meditating on the eternal truth that in God there is no darkness, we come face to face with the "otherness" of God, and that should instill a sense of awe in us. It is a true declaration of worship... Awesome God, Holy God, Pure and Perfect One. PRAYER Lord God, quiet my mind and open my heart to learn more about you. Guide my times of meditation, and allow me to better experience your unlimited majesty. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Psalm 19:1 ļ»æ The Heavens are declaring the glory of God, and their expanse shows the work of God’s hands. WORDS OF HOPE How often do you ask God to do things for you and either do not wait for God to act, or do not recognize God’s answer and blessing to you? I found a cute example of ways we expect God to respond, but miss seeing God’s answer to us: A Reflection: The person whispered, "God, speak to me." And a meadowlark sang. But the person did not hear. So the person yelled, "God, speak to me!" And the thunder rolled across the sky. But the person did not listen. The person looked around and said, "God, let me see you." And a star shone brightly. But the person did not notice. And the person shouted, "God, show me a miracle!" And a life was born. But the person did not know. So, the person cried out in despair. "Touch me God, and let me know that you are here!" Whereupon God reached down and touched the person. But the person brushed the butterfly away and walked on. Author unknown MORAL: Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way you expect. PRAYER God who is always near, help us to see you in the wonders you send to show us your amazing love. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn Cathedral of Hope Volunteer
SCRIPTURE ļ»æ Luke 15.16 But Jesus would often go away from the crowd to pray in quiet places. WORDS OF HOPE I recently attended something called a “new moon sound bath.” It sounds mystical, doesn’t it? It’s actually a yoga space filled with about 25 or 30 people engaging in light stretching, breathing, and the soothing tones of singing bowls. It’s relaxing and allows your mind to either engage…or wander. Occasionally, someone would fall asleep, signaled by a bit of snoring. Nobody cared. The hum and vibration from the sound bowls, chimes, and rain stick felt almost otherworldly. Those natural, non-electronic sounds, while staring quietly at the ceiling, invited a release from the noise of the day. I often find myself unable to control the moment. Too many days are filled with anxiety from listening to endless news and politics, always politics. Sometimes I wonder why I’m so drawn to that uncontrollable static in the first place. The yoga space glowed with purple and pink lighting, almost like staring into a distant galaxy. We were given permission to drift away. Only once, during one of these sessions, did someone truly doze off hard. Evidently, the release was deeply needed. Whatever worries had carried them to that moment were simply gone. The room filled with intermittent giggles before someone finally nudged them awake. A faint “sorry” was whispered, and we continued with gentle movement. The entire experience lasts only about an hour, yet it feels much longer—as though time itself briefly loosens its grip. For lack of a better description, it’s an inner-city wilderness moment. For a short while, we surrender worry, schedules, and the exhausting need to stay in control. Do you meditate or pray? In Retreats throughout the years, I’ve heard descriptions of intense meditation practiced by both Christian and Tibetan monks, and I sometimes wonder if deliberately seeking collective peace can somehow quiet the low vibration of fear and chaos around us. In a similar way, what did Jesus experience during his walks in the wilderness? Surely, away from the crowds, there was silence there. Prayer. Reflection. Release. Years ago, I walked among the giant trees in Muir Woods in California. It’s difficult to explain, but I felt a powerful vibration in my chest, almost overwhelming, as though the ancient forest itself was welcoming me into communion. Perhaps that’s why one section there is called Cathedral Grove. A posted sign read, “Enter Quietly.” Where are your Cathedral woods? Where will you give yourself permission to commune on a higher plane? When will you finally release the need to control? When you arrive at that place, a place unique to you, no one will need to tell you to “enter quietly.” PRAYER I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. Lord, guide my thoughts and keep me focused on Your truth. Amen. -Psalm 119.15 DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE ļ»æ Psalm 94:18–19 When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. WORDS OF HOPE Oh, how quick our minds are to chide us for our clumsiness or sound the alarm of eminent danger! Yet, multiple studies have shown that most of the things we worry about never come to pass. I see the truth in that wisdom, for I have done my share of worrying that brought me no benefit. In retrospect, none of those worries were worth the time spent on them. No mistake or misstep will become a defining moment unless we allow it. Sure, we can learn from our mistakes but making them does not make us flawed or wrong. Instead, let us counter our mind chatter with the certain knowledge that Jesus calls us “friend” and declared that we are divine royalty, Heirs and Joint Heirs with Jesus Christ! The psalmist shows us the way. “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” Let us live joyfully, for this brings honor to our beloved God! PRAYER Dear God, when my mind would lead me into fear, worry, and anxiety, help me to remember that you are always with me, always loving me and affirming my worth. I will then, be able to honor you with Joy and a life well lived. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Carole Anne Sarah
READING ļ»æ Isaiah 51:1-3 Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah, who bore you, for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many. For the Lord will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. WORDS OF HOPE I was born to a scientist and his wife. Their families were vastly different in that my father’s family came from Eastern Europe and my mother’s family came from the hills of Tennessee. My mother was Christian and my father was Jewish obviously from different quarries, yet they gave me a sturdy foundation as a child. They nourished my curiosity, grounded me in the Jewish faith, and instilled in me a good sense of my heritage and an appreciation for all people. I consider myself very lucky to have been raised by such loving parents and am reminded of their strength and patience with me almost daily as I stumbled my way through childhood. I also know not everyone is so lucky, but if we look back far enough we all can find that quarry of which Isaiah speaks. More importantly, we are not destined to become our parents. God gives us the grace and room for us all to grow and develop into our best selves, if we are patient and follow the spiritual guidance we receive. It’s not a recipe for success, but rather a puzzle which we are given that hints at the direction we should travel. Those clues are disclosed not only through scripture, but through our interaction with others on the same journey. We are all seeking the Lord in our own way. We are all hewn from the same rock. PRAYER May we all find comfort and guidance in our journey, and may we work together to create a new Eden in the deserts of our lives. DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman