Tuesday - December 26, 2023

SCRIPTURE Psalm 83.2-4 See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish. “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation…” WORDS OF HOPE This is the first day of National Courtesy Month. It’s a celebration we adapted from a Singapore holiday first established in 1979. Some call it National Kindness Month. The great novelist, Henry James, once wrote: “Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; the third is to be kind.” It is rather ironic that in the Daily Lectionary Reading for today, the Psalmist writes a colorful description of the least kind among us. So many of the Psalms were written in King David’s times when there was no shortage of enemy activities, including the countless tribes and nations that surrounded Israel plus the squabbles and insurrections within his own Kingdom.  Three thousand years later, the names and places have been changed, but the world scene is not that different. In ancient days when I was in school, I memorized Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem: "The Charge of the Light Brigade," “Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well…” Do you ever feel like a soldier in the Light Brigade or an average citizen in David’s troubled nation? How do we follow Henry James’ advice or Jesus’ Commandment, “Love your neighbor.?” Or his show-stopping blockbuster in Matthew 5.44: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." The Psalmist is specific and succinct about who those people are and what they do. How do we follow Jesus and include them in National Courtesy Month? I believe most of us know by now that in the social media world, the most courteous response we can give to a potential ranting opponent is no response at all. And Jesus wasn’t being sarcastic or ironic when he told us to pray for them. When we do that, it impacts who we are. What have we gained when we prove to ourselves that we can out-growl our enemies? Common courtesy is not that common anymore. Cultivating kindness within ourselves is not only calming. It’s healing. So, I’m grateful that the people of Singapore established this National Courtesy holiday to last a month instead of a single day. Jesus was inclusive in his instructions about loving our neighbors; all of them. And some of our neighbors are also our enemies. In a month of conscious kindness, I hope to have learned a lot about forgiveness and even more about love. PRAYER Forgiving God, help us to calm our souls and focus on healing our internal angers and external conflicts. May we remember that you are always with us as we are deliberate in practicing the kind of courtesy born from the Love example of Jesus. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Exodus 4:10 “I have never been eloquent. I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” WORDS OF HOPE When We Say, “I’m Not Enough” In today’s Scripture reading, Moses stands before God with a familiar human response: “I’m not enough.” It is one of the oldest excuses in Scripture, and perhaps one of the most honest. Moses knows his limitations. He knows his fears. He knows the weight of what God is asking. And instead of pretending to be confident, he tells God the truth. How often do we do the same? “I don't know enough.” “I don't have the right words.” “Someone else would be better.” “What difference can I possibly make?” Yet God's response to Moses is not, “You are perfect.” God doesn't suddenly remove every limitation or turn Moses into someone he isn't. Instead, God reminds Moses that he will not have to do this work alone. That is an important lesson for us at Cathedral of Hope. Our faith has never been about becoming perfect people before we are worthy of love or called to serve. It is about discovering that God's Spirit can work through imperfect, complicated, wounded, courageous human beings. That message is especially important as today we remember National Overdose Awareness Day . We remember the people whose lives have been lost, not as statistics, but as beloved children of God. We remember families carrying grief, friends carrying unanswered questions, and communities carrying wounds that are often hidden behind stigma and shame. And we remember those who are still struggling, those in recovery, and those who love someone struggling with addiction. The call to follow Christ calls us to move beyond judgment toward compassion. Addiction is not a moral failure deserving punishment. People who use substances are not disposable. Recovery is not always a straight line. And the church must be a place where people encounter grace before they encounter condemnation. Moses wanted to know who would speak for him. God answered by reminding him that he would have help. Perhaps that is the invitation before us today: we do not have to be enough by ourselves. God's work is always bigger than one person. We become the voice when someone else cannot speak. We become the embrace when someone is grieving. We become hope when someone has lost their own. At Cathedral of Hope, may we be a community brave enough to say: We are here. You are loved. You are not alone. PRAYER When we hear the call to serve a wounded world, may we remember Moses and remember that God does not call perfect people. God calls willing people, and then God walks with them. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Rev Dr. Neil G Thomas Senior Pastor Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ

Scripture A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. Proverbs 14:5 A Word of Hope “Be Real and Have Thick Skin”  If you have read or listened to various devotions or books I’ve written over the years, you likely have heard me quote M. Scott Peck, a psychiatrist and popular author of books including, The Road Less Travelled. Dr. Peck often defined mental health as: “Commitment to reality at all cost.” Another best-selling author, Dr. Brene Brown, research professor of social work at the University of Houston and UT Austin, emphasizes authenticity and vulnerability as essential to effective human relationships and genuine connection. The message of the famous children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit, which is perhaps even more beloved by adult readers who often shed tears by the last page, conveys the theme that we are made real by love. Today, being real is still precious but often scarce in practice. With all the political subterfuge, genuine news labelled fake in order to mislead, and fake news lifted up as truth to bolster personal agendas, truth and reality can be elusive. It happens in personal relationships, in business, and in organizations where people-pleasing and telling others what they want to hear is the norm. Not very real or healthy. For the sake of your mental health, for the sake of authentic living, be committed to reality. Be real and have good boundaries—a “thick skin” that isn’t easily perturbed by naysayers and detractors. As the Velveteen Rabbit so aptly explained it: “[Being Real] takes a long time. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” (The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams, 1975, Avon Books) Prayer Dear Jesus who loves us, help us we pray, to be truth-telling followers, real and genuine every day. Amen. Devotion Author Rev. Dr. Gary Kindley, LPC Pastoral Psychotherapist DrGK.org

SCRIPTURE  Proverbs 3:3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. WORDS OF HOPE Did you have a diary when you were young? If so, what did you keep there? A record of the day’s happenings? Achievements and disappointments? Reflections on parents, friendships, “crushes”? Maybe you spoke of your first kiss—but if the person wasn’t the right gender, likely you recorded it only if you had a lock and key. Some periods of my life I’ve kept journals faithfully, at others, more sporadically. I still have a number of them, and last weekend I was nudged to read a very important one. It was a deep dive into grieving and spiritual growth work after my beloved partner died. It began in the beauty of Taos, NM—one of our sacred places—chronicling hikes with Maggie, my golden retriever, daily prayer and spiritual readings, sometimes copying passages which particularly spoke to me. Learning contemplative prayer was another focus, as well as recordings of dreams, the swings of a wide range of emotions and deep yearning for God. It traced a year’s sabbatical journey to special places of ours to remember and create simple grief rituals as I scattered her ashes. It included my first year of spiritual direction with the wise and compassionate Rev. Dr. Mona West who tutored me in forms of prayer, coached me in lectio divina, shared writings of the female mystics, helped me discern that seminary was not my calling, supporting instead my entering the Spiritual Formation program at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decater, Georgia which allowed for me to fly in and out for courses as my schedule permitted. It includes my wrestling with whether to stay closeted when I entered the program or to be open about my identity, and recounts early experiences on that journey into authenticity. It records as well the early “callings” to the ministry of compassion—to grief ministry and congregational care with Rev. Dr. Sharon Bezner and her encouragement to begin writing for the devotional ministry. Woven through it all is the stunning beauty of nature and its healing—of loon call and autumn gold, pinion fires and spring rain. Of course, these days the forms journaling can take are quite diverse—with digital formats and the ability to add photographs, video, personal artwork, and more. Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, I encourage you to try your hand at keeping a spiritual journal. Having said that, it is important to say that the sacred permeates ordinary life and moments of presence and quiet, so the content need not just be only those Damascus Road transformations. An entry might offer gratitude which bubbles up while sitting with your morning coffee listening to bird song. Or wrestling with a life choice, Jacob-like. It might be a Psalms-like cry of lament at a time of great pain. Or remembering a time when you were surprised by, felt rescued by, the magnitude of God’s Grace appearing unexpectedly. Even sowing the seeds of a few paragraphs a day can grow into a rich harvest. PRAYER Move in us, O God, to be able to write the truth of our stories—even if only in the privacy of our rooms. But when we can summon courage and desire, may we share the old, old story that others may know the power of Your Saving Grace to draw us back from the verge of despair, to sustain us in sorrow and sickness, and to lead us to our heart’s calling. In your holy and healing name, Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon

SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:6-13  While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” WORDS OF HOPE The woman approached Jesus with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume. She broke it open and poured it on his head. Her act was extravagant, costly, and prophetic. In a culture that often silenced women, she offered total devotion at the exact moment. While others calculated the “waste,” she recognized Jesus’ approaching death and responded with surrender. Jesus called it beautiful and promised her story would be told wherever the gospel is preached. This account speaks powerfully because today is Women’s Equality Day commemorating the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. The 2026 United Nations International Women’s Day theme is Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls. The theme demands more than symbols and demands structural changes by dismantling barriers and discriminatory systems. The unnamed woman embodied that spirit. She did not wait for permission. She acted boldly, offered her best, and absorbed the criticism. Jesus’ defense of her reveals the consistent pattern that God honors the costly contributions of women—from Deborah and Mary to the suffragists who risked everything for the vote. Too often, voices still cry “waste” when women pour out their gifts in leadership, advocacy, or ministry. Jesus’ words cut through the noise: “Leave her alone. What she has done is beautiful.” Female devotion is not peripheral to the gospel. It is central. We are invited to live this out. Women are called to steward their gifts courageously. Allies must emulate Christ by protecting, amplifying, and partnering with them. Practical devotion includes advocating for education and justice, resourcing women’s ministry, and mentoring the next generation. Extravagant worship of time, talent, and treasure poured out on Jesus prepares the way for Kingdom impact. PRAYER Receive this Blessing Lord Jesus, teach us to break open our own alabaster jars—not only in worship, but in justice and action. Give us courage to pour out costly devotion dismantling barriers, defending the overlooked, and advancing dignity for every woman and girl. Let the fragrance of our lives honor you and lift others into freedom and opportunity. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR David Sims Deacon