Tuesday - June 25, 2024
Webber Baker
SCRIPTURE
Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) from the Prologue
Many great teachings have been given to us through the Law and the Prophets and the others that followed them, and for these we should praise Israel for instruction and wisdom. Now, those who read the scriptures must not only themselves understand them, but must also as lovers of learning be able through the spoken and written word to help the outsiders.
WORDS OF HOPE
Today is National Columnists Day. Columnist is one of those words that I, and I think, many people toss around without thinking about it’s true meaning. So, I went and looked it up. In general, a columnist is someone who writes features for publication in a periodical which often include comment and opinion. Of course, the term comes from the days of newspaper printing; because newspapers are always printed in columns. But the term is now expanded to people who write for blogs.
But I couldn’t help but think how appropriate that definition would be in many ways for the writers of the Bible, especially for the authors of the epistles. While often recording the events of the life of Jesus, while at the same time using those as a base for commentary on the actions of the people to whom they are writing. The apostle Paul is probably the best known for doing this, and I know that not everyone agrees that he should have the high standing within the church that he does. I agree.
But we find this throughout the Bible. I once heard a very fundamentalist preacher make the comment that one of the outstanding features of what we call the Old Testament, or the Jewish Testament is how self-deprecating it is. It is a series of stories about how the Israelites often fail to follow God and how God would step in, often with a prophet or other leader, and set them back on the proper path. And then they would again fail and the cycle would repeat. I never really thought about it that way, but in some ways it is true. And it’s also true that the Scriptures of other major religions do not seem to record so many failures and redemptions. And I don’t think it’s because those other groups didn’t have failures and redemptions, they just did not remind themselves of those things all the time.
But if you look at Christian scriptures, old and new, you begin to realize that telling a story with some opinion and commentary is the essence of the Christian scriptures. Granted these were not written with the idea of publication outside of perhaps the immediate audience to which they were intended, at least in terms of the epistles. The gospels were only written down at a time when it was becoming obvious that the end times were not quite as imminent as was originally thought by the followers of Jesus; and in most cases written down after the letters of Paul and the other apostles.
But otherwise, they do follow the concept of a columnist quite well.
So, I think it’s important to remember that these works were not intended as historical records, but are opinion and commentary wrapped in historical events that themselves had not ever been recorded except through oral tradition. Often, they were meant for a specific time or a specific people and can be viewed as guidance, but not necessarily as commandments.
PRAYER
Loving Creator, thank You for giving us the wisdom of others, and the ability to understand what it is You have in mind for us. We thank you for your Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, and the spirit of love which comfort and guide us in all our days.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Weber Baker
Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare
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SCRIPTURE Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you always; God will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. WORDS OF HOPE In these sun-scorched days of a Texas summer, I have had the opportunity to take more indoor time than usual for meditation and reflection; more time to spend in peace, listening; hearing what thoughts God may send my way. What I’ve found true for myself is that my inner peace, health, and happiness have been much better than I might have predicted. I’ve thought a lot about not only my relationship with the Divine, but with others. The biggest truth is that my relationships: friends, extended family, are not just the people I share time with. They’re also my internet counsel and my foundation for the business of life. I can hear their affirmation, advice, and suggestions for guidance but it all circles back to me and what makes me happiest in the end. And if I’m honest; if we’re all honest, what matters at the end of the day is how we feel and how others make us feel. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was “never let somebody else put out your pilot light.” So, I have to be myself; do the things that make myself ME. My life has often been about resolving problems and restoration. I’ve learned that closing the door on a problem can’t resolve it. Worst of all, closing the door on someone I have a problem with creates unfinished business that could haunt me the rest of my life. Our job is to resolve our issues; strive for the best without expecting perfection. As an artist, I know when the art is finished but I’ve been taught one basic rule about it; never be content that it’s the best. Grow. Do better. Do your best and, as one of the four agreements says, your best is different every day. Your mood, health, and situations can alter what your best is. It’s often a personal choice, other times a programmed response. Relationships with both God and humankind are personal. Only you can know when your connection with God is genuine. Only you can know whether someone is the best match for you. Jobs may also be personal. Only you know whether a job you have works toward fulfilling you. Perhaps you’re asking, is it the best match for my potential? My life, of course, is personal. Only I can live my life. It’s not about how often I can please others or meet everyone’s expectations. It’s about sharing my light and dreams and hope... and some of those days it’s about lighting someone else’s pilot light or perhaps ‘turning up’ the burner! What aspects of your life are making yourself YOU today? What relationships, both human and Divine are giving you peace or nurturing your growth? You might find yourself having a little extra time to relax, be quiet and listen. What guidance is being whispered by God to you today? PRAYER Help me to know that your guidance for me is always available, always present, to strengthen my spirit. May I learn to be silent, to be at peace and to listen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE READING Exodus 7:14-16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water; stand by at the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was turned into a snake. Say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say, “Let my people go, so that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But until now you have not listened. WORDS OF HOPE It is an interesting coincidence that this passage assigned by the lectionary falls on “VJ Day”. That was the day the Japanese signed formal surrender documents effectively ending WWII. The Emperor of Japan had refused surrender much like Pharaoh until it became obvious that too much death and suffering would befall his people. The stubbornness was not Hirohito’s alone, just as it was not just Pharaoh. His generals and advisors were just as stubborn. Japan like Egypt had never surrendered before. Sometimes it takes more than just signs and wonders, but sadly the blood of innocent people serves as the wake-up call that changes hearts. Pharaoh’s own son had to die before he let Moses’ people go. Facing that personal loss he relented, at least for a while. In the case of Japan, the surrender saved thousands of lives that would have surely been lost had the conflict gone on longer. The good news from that day is that now, Japan is one of our strongest allies and trading partners. The good news for Moses was that his people were freed from bondage in Egypt and left to eventually start a new nation. Both are stories of how people in power often forget how their decisions affect others. The story serves as a reminder that small decisions can have far reaching consequences, and we should weigh our decisions carefully. PRAYER May we remember how God’s had guided Moses to free his people and how hardening our hearts rarely leads to pleasant outcomes. May we listen for God’s guidance when we face our own trials and difficulties. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman
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