Tuesday - September 19, 2023

READING  Dietrich Bonhoeffer “The blessedness of waiting is lost on those who cannot wait, and the fulfillment of promise is never theirs. They want quick answers to the deepest questions of life and miss the value of those times of anxious waiting, seeking with patient uncertainties until the answers come. They lose the moment when the answers are revealed in dazzling clarity.” WORDS OF HOPE I think we all have a tendency to want quick and immediate answers especially when times are hard or things look like they’re not going to go well. This is human nature. This perhaps is the metaphor of the garden of Eden story where Adam and Eve could not wait but needed immediate gratification of taking from the tree. I think this is a big part of the prosperity gospel that has become manifest in our modern world. Put a load of money in the collection plate. God will reward you handsomely and immediately. In the earliest times of the church, the desert mothers and fathers went out and sat and prayed and waited for the Lord to speak to them. I sometimes suspect that the people who came to meet with them and ask questions hoped that the patient waiting had been done and now the quick answer would flow from the desert dwellers. At first, the church felt that Jesus would return quickly. They believed that within their lifetime Jesus would come again. Two thousand plus years later we seem to think the same. But the truth is, there are no quick answers. In fact, sometimes it takes a very long time. Have you ever heard or read a Bible passage and thought “this doesn’t apply to me.” And then, weeks months or even years later you hear or see that passage again and suddenly it has great meaning for you. This of course is how the prophets often worked. Sometimes their words had an immediacy, and sometimes they were meant for the long run. And sometimes a little of each. In our modern world, it is often hard to take the time to meditate or think through what God wants for us. We pray and hope for answers in the here and especially the now. And sometimes that happens. And sometimes it does not happen immediately. If we stop and think of the ‘kingdom’ of God as being here now, we become less concerned with immediate answers and more concerned with living in the presence of God with us each day. Perhaps in our impatience we fail to take time to look around us to see God in the here and the now. PRAYER Loving God, we thank you for being with us. We ask you to open our eyes to your presence in the places we are now. We praise you for giving us the power to act in this time through your Son to help bring about the world as you wanted it to be. Grant us patience to wait upon you in our lives. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Weber Baker Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare

SCRIPTURE Psalm 139: 8 If I descend to the depths of Sheol, you are there.  WORDS OF HOPE I remember the day my mother quit going to church. She had long been a faithful member of Cochran Chapel Methodist and head of the Care Corps for 17 years. Though she could no longer drive, needed the assistance of a walker, and lived in assisted living, a friend picked her up every Sunday so that she could worship in community. The reason she gave for not going was that it was too painful and laborious to get ready, given her severe osteoarthritis. Though that made sense, I wasn’t convinced that this was the whole truth. After looking back on the early stages of mom’s dementia, I think it was equally likely that she did not want her memory issues exposed as they would be on Sunday mornings when she wrapped up folks in her large-hearted embrace and caught up on how they were. Soon she could not manage her medications herself and later I found that her practice of doing the daily crossword wasn’t all that it seemed: she was filling in letters for the responses, but they didn’t spell a word. The most painful and difficult manifestations of the disease were the anger and aggression. Seemingly overnight the person who mothered scores of young women in the boarding program at the school where we both worked, whose “Millie hugs” and listening ear soothed fears and anxieties, became reactive and hostile with aides, and therefore she became increasingly isolated. Before the most severe stages set in, I’d had a conversation with mom trying to affirm God’s presence in the midst of her pain. With the assuredness of an experienced teacher correcting an uppity student, she said, “Pat, I talk with Jesus every day.” As the grey fog closed in around her, I so wished that, in the core of her interior self, that were still true. In my own friendships and congregational care work, I journey with caregivers pretty regularly, often for a family member with dementia. One friend shared, after a few years of caregiving, that when her husband died, she could only remember the person whom disease had radically diminished and feared that it would be so forever. But after months, the bright, lively, funny man she and her daughters loved returned in memory. Recently, as a friend and I sat over brunch, she shared advice a supportive physician gave her in the early days of her husband’s condition: 1. Preserve Ted’s dignity (name changed for privacy). 2)Take the actions she must take to keep herself and Ted safe. 3) When Ted balks at a decision she has made thoughtfully and with care, his preferences must be set aside. She must do the thing anyway. Writer Louise Penny’s has offered her own experiences about her husband’s Alzheimer’s and the grief of losing him. Penny and her husband Michael, a pediatric hematologist and brilliant scientist, decided that they were going to go public with the diagnosis to try to educate others and dispel some of the shame about the disease, a shame which drives families behind closed doors and into isolation. In an article for AARP, the mystery writer tells of the promises she made to Michael in the early stages-- for example, that she would never leave him behind and that they would never leave their rambling home in the country. But as the situation worsened, she had to break those promises, moving into a smaller, single level condo, and others for safety and to be able to navigate daily life with less stress. Though there were times that were hard, hard, hard and she was exhausted and wept often, her deep love for Michael sustained her. And, rather than losing him quickly to a heart attack or stroke, she and Michael had the “long goodbye,” as Nancy Regan called it. Every day she whispered into her beloved’s ear: “You are magnificent. You are brave……You are safe and you are loved.” https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/stories/mystery-writer-essay/ I was not with my mother when her great heart failed, but it was a blessing when the Sunday before, two friends who loved her encircled her bed with me while I prayed for the light and love of her homegoing. PRAYER Be with us at the end, O God, no matter our condition. Whisper into our ear, “You are magnificent. You are safe, and I love you.” Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon

READING Prayer attributed to St. Francis: "Lord, make us an instrument of your peace..." WORDS OF HOPE My personal meditations of each week are often based on the Prayer of St. Francis. Although this prayer reflects the teaching and lifestyle of Francis, these are not his words; hence, we say it is "attributed" to him. The real author is unknown. It appeared in an Italian religious publication near the end of the First World War and quickly circulated throughout France. It is sometimes called a prayer for peace. Usually, it is written in the second person plural addressing “us”. I often modify it so that its meaning is expressed more personally. (Make ME an instrument of your peace) If we desire to be instruments of God in this world, each of us individually must commit ourselves to that task. And the field of our action starts with our most immediate personal contacts, our daily life interactions. So, let's meditate on this prayer as if it is speaking directly to you and me.  In praying these words, it often helps our concentration to speak them aloud: "O God, may I be an instrument of your peace." Our current world order is certainly a place where peace is like a starved orphan in the corner of most countries and a missing part in the lives of many people. Today, there are dominant and active forces which act to disrupt individual and societal peace. This phrase from the prayer points out the fact that peace comes from God! Human ego and fear are at war against the expression of that divine peace. God's desire for us always has centered on peace and harmony among all of the elements of Creation. Because of our strong conflicting psychological drives, it seems almost impossible for humans to create peace with each other. It's only when we borrow from divine peace that we can generate peace among us. By that I mean, it's only when you and I project God's loving peace into our social interactions that we can share true peace. God alone seems to be the origin and well-spring of true peace. The daily challenge is: will you and I carry God's peace into the lives of other humans? It's a matter of our choice! We must desire to become peace-makers with God's help. God allows each of us to take this sweet balm of holy peace and, by our words and actions, heal the wounds and fears of others. Receiving this divine gift is our choice. Am I God’s instrument of peace today? PRAYER Lord God, may I receive the words of this prayer for peace as your wisdom. Plant them deeply into my soul; grow my devotion to you and change me to become a voice of peace in all my human interactions. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE  -James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. WORDS OF HOPE A couple weeks ago I had an early flight out of DFW. Because lines and gate changes are unpredictable, I got to the airport early “just in case.” I prepared for the worst, and was gifted with the best; no issues at all getting checked in and moving through security. This allowed me time to grab breakfast in the terminal. Though the line for coffee and a breakfast biscuit was long, it moved quickly. Most people grabbed their sack of food and headed out into the gate area. I had time, so I found a seat in the restaurant where I could sit and relax a bit…and people watch, my favorite airport activity. My spot was right across from a bank of trash cans. Halfway through my meal, I noticed a small-in-stature, middle-aged Muslim woman pulling the barrels out, tying the full bags up and replacing them with new ones. As she did this, she meticulously sprayed with disinfectant and wiped down the area all around. I watched for several minutes. People walked over and dumped their trash. She politely stepped out of their way. No one spoke to her. Not a single “Good morning.” When I went to dispose of my trash, I handed her a $20 bill and said, “Thank you for what you for your work.” She looked at me stunned and said only, “Why?” I told her that she was appreciated. I then went back to my table to finish my coffee. Once the trash cans were neat and clean and the woman had cleared and wiped the dirty tables in the area, she walked over to me with a smile on her face and said, “Thank you.’” I replied, “You are most welcome.” And we both went on with our day. The good deed in this story is the work of the woman. Despite being seemingly invisible to the majority of people in the airport, she continued to do her job as if every eye around was watching…deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. As I sat on the plane awaiting take-off, I replayed a discussion from my CoH small group from the night before. We left each other that night with the challenge to pay attention to the people whose presence, labor, wisdom, or care that often goes unnoticed. I hope the woman cleaning up at this airport restaurant on that Tuesday morning knows that her presence, work, care, and wisdom were all seen and greatly appreciated. She made an impression on me that will linger on. How many people move through their days unnoticed by those around them? God sees them. And God sees those of us that do not notice them and their deeds. I challenge each of you to accept the challenge our small group undertook; pay attention to the people whose presence, labor, wisdom, or care often goes unnoticed. In the words of a wise friend of mine, “Change how you see. See how you change.” PRAYER Jesus, you show us the beauty of valuing the least, the last, and the overlooked. As I go through my day, help me to open my heart to see those who are often unnoticed and to accept and learn from the wisdom they share. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Psalm 9:1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will recount all your wonderful deeds. WORDS OF HOPE My word for 2026, drawn from a group of face down cards on the first Sunday of the year, is Witness. It fits me pretty good. Last month we met a couple of women at lunch after a Wings basketball game from a very conservative town in Virginia. They came to Dallas for two Wings games. They were a couple, but not out in their town. They were surprised to see so many gay people at the Wings game. They had never seen that many gay people in one place before and were surprised to see how open the gay people were in public. They never expected that in Texas! Of course, I asked them if they had heard of the world's largest gay church that was in Dallas! They had never heard of a gay church at all! I spent some time (ignoring my friends at my table) telling them about Cathedral of Hope and how we had championed the gay community for 56 years! They were amazed to hear of a church that welcomed and celebrated gay people and all people. I hope they have seen our web site by now; I am trying not to be too aggressive. But I did tell them about our website and became Facebook friends with one of them, It is amazing after all this time to still find people who have not heard about Cathedral of Hope. Maybe the local, VERY conservative university in their town blocks the internet and airways so no one can hear the good news that God loves gay people. We try so hard to reach everyone. Earlier this year I met a young gay college student right here in Dallas who did not know about CoH. She did not even know the Arboretum had a Pride celebration. I told her all about CoH. She was amazed to hear about such an unusual church. I guess we all must keep witnessing about God's inclusive love! My Baptist roots told me I needed to do that! But I doubt they would be pleased to know my witness of God's love is inclusive not condemning! PRAYER Amazing God, thank you for our church and the 56 years we have shared your inclusive love with the world! DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn Cathedral of Hope Volunteer