Wednesday - April 24, 2024

SCRIPTURE 1Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. WORDS OF HOPE The American Nurses Association is celebrating National Nurses Week 2024 May 6 - May 12, and throughout May. This year's theme, "Nurses Make the Difference," honors the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in every health care setting. On this day, we raise awareness of all nurse contributions and commitments and acknowledge the vital role nurses play in society. If you have ever been in a hospital, no doubt you sing praises of nurses. You see a doctor maybe once a day. But your continuous care is provided and supervised by the nurses. If you have an unexpected event, the nurse will be the one responding. If you did not know it before the COVID-19 pandemic, you know it now: Nurses are the unsung heroes of healing. From delivery rooms to disaster zones, medical facilities would simply not function without them. They are the lifeblood of every health care setting. The history of nursing in the U.S. military dates as far back as the Revolutionary War. Military nurses often worked for little to no pay, under dangerously deplorable conditions, without rank or recognition. And nurses did more than save lives; they paved the way for future generations of nurse professionals by changing the course of American medical history. In Arlington National Cemetery's Section 1, you will find a diverse mix of grave markers, from basic white headstones to massive, ornate monuments commissioned by generals and other U.S. leaders. Among them, you will also find the graves of 23 pioneering female Civil War nurses. God calls humans into service where they can best serve. We sometimes only think of ministers as being called. But when we think of the nurses, we must admit they must have received a special call. They must have extra grace from God to deal with people at their worst! My nurse friends tell of patients so hard to deal with in their pain and fear during hospitalizations. They do fight the good fight like our scripture above mentions. And often in very difficult circumstances like Covid and challenging patients. We acknowledge that like the theme of this year's celebration, nurses make the difference! PRAYER God who calls us to serve humankind in many ways, thank you for the precious gift of the nurses you call to help us when we are suffering illnesses. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn CoH Volunteer

SCRIPTURE  Acts 10:34-25 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. WORDS OF HOPE In the 10th chapter of the Book of Acts, we hear the story of Cornelius and Peter. Cornelius is a Roman centurion described as a God-fearing, generous man who prayed to God regularly, but had yet to hear the Good News of Christ. Being instructed by a vision from God, Cornelius sent for the Apostle Peter to come to him in Caesarea. Meanwhile, in town called Joppa, Peter is having his own peculiarly odd vision that shows him that ‘nothing that God has made is unclean’, teaching Peter that this Good News he preaches is to be shared beyond just the Jewish people. So, when Cornelius and Peter meet, they share their stories of God’s visions with each other. As a result, Peter preaches the Gospel directly to a Cornelius, his family, and many gathered friends. And for the first time, a Gentile audience hears the Good News of Jesus Christ. “God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” These are radical words, both then and now. God shows no favoritism. God accepts those who love God and love others. There are no darlings. There are no exclusions. God loves all. How easy is it for you to hear that message? In some ways, it’s an easy missive to hear because it means we’re included. In other ways, it’s a difficult idea to hear because it means the people we don’t like are also included. Not only does God love difficult people, but God doesn’t love us more and them less. My dad had two signs on his desk. The one facing outward read “God loves everyone, but I’m his favorite.” That was his tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating humorous message to put visitors at ease. The other sign facing toward him read “God loves the people that annoy you.” It was his constant reminder that God shows no favoritism and accepts everyone, so he should too. When I get cut-off in traffic or listen to someone bloviate politics that make my blood boil, I don’t want God to accept them. Wherever there are people who share my ideals and do amazing things to help others, I want God to shower them with special blessings. Cornelius wanted that to be different. Peter preached that it should be different. No exclusions, no favorites. We are all loved and beloved by God. PRAYER You extended your arms on the hard wood of the cross, Lord Jesus, so that the whole world might be embraced by your love. Thank you for your servants, Cornelius and Peter, who taught us to love as you love, without exception or favor. Lead us from prejudice to truth. Deliver us from division to unity. Enable us to reconcile and be reconciled. And all for your love’s sake. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs

SCRIPTURE Jeremiah 29.12  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. WORDS OF HOPE On the National Day of Prayer Since 1952, the National Day of Prayer has been officially held on the first Thursday of May, inviting us to pray for the nation in accordance with our own religious traditions, although it was Judeo-Christian in its origins. Its roots were planted in 1775 when the first Continental Congress called for a National Day of Prayer. In 1808, Thomas Jefferson, who was instrumental in the establish of the majority of this country’s founding documents, said, "Fasting and prayer are religious exercises; the enjoining them an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the time for these exercises, and the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets.” Jefferson, who was not a Christian in the formal sense of his day, was a follower of the teachings of Jesus regarding God’s unconditional love for all and was an aggressive opponent of our government ever imposing a National Religion on its citizens. He said, “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State." That’s why it’s important to remember that today, those of us who practice prayer and meditation, in any religious tradition, or personal belief, are encouraged to unite in centering that energy regarding the spiritual health of our nation. It is by no means Nationalism Day of Prayer, which is defined as identification with our own nation’s interest to the exclusion or detriment of all other nations. It is not a day for imposing and requiring one particular belief system’s doctrines on the whole nation to the exclusion of all others. It is simply, and powerfully, a day of prayer, accomplished by whatever means each of us honors and defines that tradition. For those of us who include times of prayer in our daily lives, today may not be that different than many others. But it’s a good day to channel that positive energy, combining it with the hearts and minds of our sisters and brothers of all the faiths and philosophies that are practiced freely in our Nation. PRAYER Thank you for the wisdom of our founders who protected our freedom to worship from all other freedoms enumerated in our Nation’s Constitution. May we reflect that wisdom as we pray today for your tolerance and inclusive love to be understood and practiced by all. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCR IPTURE John 14:22-24 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.” WORDS OF HOPE This passage paints a very different vision than the one often pictured by some hymns and sermons. It implies that Jesus’ return will be through his followers. Those who keep his word. No mention of people flying into the air or Jesus floating on a cloud. He states that his home will be with those who love him. Later, in another verse he states that the Holy Spirit will remind his followers of what he said. To me this passage and the ones that follow let me know that if I am expecting Jesus to appear again and rescue the world from its troubles, I am missing the message. His words can live within me, and I can go out into the world and change it for the better. The Gospel of John is filed with mystic signs and miracles, yet this simple passage gives a direct answer to the question of “When will we see Jesus again?” If we keep his word and continue his mission, we will see Jesus in each person we touch. It is our job to reveal Jesus in our words and deeds. PRAYER Great mystery, I give thanks for the life and words of Jesus who brought clarity and simplicity to your message. May I seek to live out those words each precious day of my life. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman

SCRIPTUR E Job 12.7-10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands. WORDS OF HOPE For years, we looked forward to the completion of the James Webb Telescope. Finally, that has come to pass, and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) or just Webb , is already sending us some spectacular images that allows us to look billions of years into the past. The idea in building the Webb’s predecessor, the Hubble Telescope, was to look further and deeper into space so that we can begin to learn the origin of everything. With the Webb, we’re movin’ now! I believe we are on the brink of discovering something thrilling, life-changing, and truths that will no doubt rock our individual core beliefs. Yike! Please don’t take my blanket away while I’m sleeping in my own beliefs. I’m so happy and content with familiar, manufactured conceptions and suspicions about the world I live in! My sense of security mostly comes from the world in my head which I have created for myself. Do you do that? I’m an artist co-creating my world and existence both with and without my external surroundings. I have the same thinking tools common to all of us, gifted from the source we call the Creator, the God of many names, who is to some the security construct manufactured by us, to others the eternal ground of being in spite of our beliefs. I personally believe that God created us to share in the delight of the Creation. The images we have seen from space so far are giving us just a hint of how much greater that Creation is than we could ever have dreamed. The lesson here to me is that we should never be afraid to dream bigger. Definitely things to ponder, right? What do you think? Do you want to see our destiny in a big telescope? In your own mind? What do you want to see? What do you want to avoid? What truth do you want the Eternal God of the Universe to reveal to you? PRAYER Thanks be to God, we have now seen billions of years into the past. May we be brave enough to take the next step to open pandora’s box; open enough to allow the hidden secrets of the Universe to inform us, so that we may build a better future for all. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie C. Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare