Thursday - August 31, 2023

SCRIPTURE Mark 6.47-51 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately, he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. WORDS OF HOPE Following the life of Jesus, Mark continually reports the most remarkable of events in the most casual of ways. He writes in succinct news reporter terms, sharing only the facts without commentary. He would never be able to find a job on the legacy networks today. His favorite word is “immediately”, never troubling us with superfluous details. Mark just reports the news. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus notices the disciples’ difficulty with the oars. Later, he casually walks on the water to check out the situation and is about to stroll on by when he hears cries of fear from the boat. We are informed that the men are believers in ghosts, which heightens their fear, so “immediately” Jesus calms the situation down, first his friends and then the storm. Mark concludes that the astounded boat crew does not have any spiritual understanding of who Jesus was or what had happened. Earlier that day, they had witnessed Jesus feeding thousands of hungry people from a basket of bread and fish. They readily believed that the apparition on the lake was a ghost but, were unable to accept the conspicuous fact that they were in the presence of God. Their hearts were hardened. Are our hearts hardened these days? Are we so numbed by sensationalized news or political partisan rhetoric that it will take a storm to wake us up to the presence of God in our lives? If this story teaches us anything, it is that God is ever present, always aware, hears our cries, and then moves as God moves. Mark, in his succinct accounts, never gives us a formula for gaining immediate access to God. He simply states that in any situation, God is always there beside us. The rest of the story is up to us. And that’s the way it is. Mark’s news reporting at its best.  PRAYER Ever present God, you have stilled countless storms in our lives. Please help us to remember that you will always be there beside us for the next one. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Matthew 19.14 But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'" WORDS OF HOPE Do you have any favorite Halloween memories? Growing up, I knew from shopping with Mom, when Halloween was approaching. We’d see all the latest costumes fresh on the racks. The big names were Batman and Superman for the boys, then Batgirl and Supergirl for the girls, if you wanted to be a superhero. The littler kids could be Casper the ghost, or maybe a Smurf. Then there were the usual suspects of a witch, gypsy, hobo, or vampire. I remember one year I got the mask for Frankenstein’s monster; no pullover costume that would have been labeled “Universal’s Frankenstein’s Monster” just the mask so we could make the costume at home. A few of my friends grew up in super conservative Christian homes. Their churches had Halloween parties labeled Fall Festivals and they had to dress as their favorite Bible character. No ghosts or witches allowed! They might be sent out as Jesus or maybe Samson. God knows they could have raked in the candy if they thought about calling the mummy costume Lazarus. Then they could also have trick-or-treated in the real world, too. How sad for those kids whose parents weren’t well-versed enough in their Bible knowledge to know the Good Book talks about the Witch of Endor and the Ghost of Samuel. Even Jesus’ disciples believed in ghosts, since they first thought Jesus was one when they saw him walking on water. Then real horror began to strike door to door trick or treaters as sick adults began to put pepper or drugs in candy, and many of the more caring churches, like Cathedral of Hope, began to sponsor Trunk or Treat and supervise the source of the candy. (And no restrictions allowing Bible character costumes only.) Halloween parking lot events are often scheduled in full daylight. Sort of takes a lot of the spooky magic away, but safety is the prime directive. But modern kids will never know what we had back then. Halloween was cool. And most of the neighbors knew each other. There were incentives to creatively dressing up if you wanted to get the best candy! Halloween was earned and every Bit-O-Honey and Tootsie Roll you got were the fair wages of participating in ghoulish delight. Halloween adventures and costumes are still some of my best childhood memories. I hope children now will have wonderful Trunk or Treat memories as well. Anway, Happy Halloween! PRAYER Creator God, thank you for giving us imaginations and the incentive to use them. Thank you for opportunities to enrich the lives of children and be part in creating a few positive childhood memories. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie C. Rose  Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

READING An ancient Church Doxology Glory to God our Creator, Glory to Jesus, Revealer of the Divine, Redeemer and Lord, and Glory to God's Spirit, indwelling, enabling and sustaining. WORDS OF HOPE Today’s meditative reading emphasizes some of the characteristics of the three Divine manifestations of the Trinity (Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit). It makes us more conscious of their significance whenever we say this or a similar doxology with prayers or hymns. In fact, if we add it at the beginnings and at the ends of our prayers each day. It represents a wonderful way to clear our minds before we proceed with whatever is on our minds to speak to God about in our meditative times. It’s a way to sustain our consciousness of the Divine One at the conclusion of prayer. Our God is indwelling, enabling and sustaining. "Amen", which means "be it so" to affirm your prayer statements, does not carry the same lasting impact of the holy which this doxology might. If we memorize these words of worship and use the doxology often, reviewing them aloud or silently, as we go through routine moments of life, it is a great way to "stay connected" to God even in busy times. As we say this doxology of divine praise, we should be conscious of what it really is - a hymn of praise! We should hang on to the thought of each word... savor each word like a good piece of Godiva chocolate, and get all of the sweetness out of it! Our God is indwelling, enabling and sustaining. PRAYER Thank you, God, for loving and giving us your help to be examples of your love to others. We acknowledge that you are our Maker, in whose Hand we are held, and in whose Presence we live. O God, may I obediently listen to your guiding voice. Glory to God, our Creator; Glory to Christ Jesus, Revealer of the Divine, Redeemer and Lord; Glory to the Holy Spirit, indwelling, enabling and sustaining. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be into eternity. Glory be to God! Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE  Exodus 2:1-10 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrews ’children, ’she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Yes’. So, the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages. ’So, the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and she took him as her son. She named him Moses,‘ because’, she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’ WORDS OF HOPE While I am normally a great lover of irony, today’s passage from Exodus and the current state of the world, have an irony that I wish I did not have to see. Many things about the passage stand out in comparison with the world today. A family seeks refuge for their young son who has been born into a situation where the authorities (Pharaoh) are trying to destroy the firstborn sons of the Hebrews, because they have become so numerous. The irony comes in that refuge was found in the very household of the Pharaoh. As no doubt, we all know, this son of the Hebrews becomes like a son to the Pharaoh. He bears no outer characteristics that make it impossible for him to advance in the Egyptian hierarchy. Pharaoh's sister has no problem seeking out and finding the Hebrew mother of this child in order that she can suckle him. And so today, in the Middle East for example, we find that still in that part of the world (and too many others) conflict is still happening often for much the same reason; there are too many of them there. And no doubt if we were able to look deeply into the events of those places, we would find people who, like the Pharaoh's daughter ,are taking in anyone from either side who needs help. And if by some chance, you know someone in one of those places or anywhere in this troubled world, use the miracle of technology to greet them, to let them know you care. Perhaps that will encourage them to do the same. Perhaps that will spill over to people in places where personal communication can preserve peace. PRAYER Hello God. I greet You today and ask that You bring a heart for peace to everyone everywhere. May they learn that the simplest acts such as a simple greeting, can make the world You have given us a better place. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Weber Baker Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare

SCRIPTURE Psalm 92 1-4 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands, I sing for joy. WORDS OF HOPE In the early 1900's in Louisiana, land was sold in square acres. That worked well except that the actual earth is curved and does not conform to traditional square measurements. Here and there a pie shaped bit of land was used to make the correction. That area was designated as "no man's land." It could be used by anyone although no one could actually own it. A family settled on one of these. They built a small house and created a meager living from selling firewood in a nearby town. One morning after giving thanks for their food, their mother told her family that the food they were eating was the last in the house. Heavy flooding prevented them from getting into town to sell wood or buy supplies. She urged them not to worry, for God would provide what was needed. Years later, they remembered their mother singing as she washed the dishes and went about her chores. The children kept brushing aside their fear, reminding each other that God would provide. "Mama said so." Sure enough, a little after noon, a tall man in a flat bottom boat arrived bringing a load of groceries. Mr. Miller, a farmer, explained that God told him to bring the food. The grateful family thanked him profusely as they carried the supplies inside. Mr. Miller insisted he could take no credit. He was only doing as God had bid him, and it was all God's bounty anyway. This scenario played out again and again until the floodwaters receded. Afterward, Mr. Stafford put firewood on Mr. Miller's porch each time they carried some into town. Mr. Miller, not willing to take payment for something God told him to do, kept bringing more food from his farm. Future generations would refer to this as "The Great Reverse Feud". Mr. Stafford told his children to find ways to help the Miller family in any way they could. Though, I did not know the story then, the "feud" was resolved when I, the granddaughter of Mr. Miller, married Mr. Stafford's grandson. Today, I am grateful for the gifts of generosity and gratitude. I believe these twin gifts are the seeds of great happiness and joy. PRAYER God of my Fathers and Mothers, Sisters and Brothers, May I be ever mindful of your blessings and your bounty. Grant me a caring heart and generous hands. Make my life a celebration of all that you are and all that you have given me. I love you, God. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Carole Anne Sarah