Wednesday - April 9, 2025
Carole Anne Sarah
SCRIPTURE
Luke 5. 27-32
After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Then, Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
WORDS OF HOPE
This story from Luke is pretty straightforward. First of all, Jesus stepped outside of the expectations of the established religious leaders. He saw a tax collector, sitting at his task of collecting taxes. This was not a former or reformed tax collector, but one clearly practicing his trade. For whatever reason, this was not a respectable profession. Still, Jesus bid him, "Come, follow me".
Levi, the tax collector, left his tax booth and followed Jesus, just left his job, and followed Jesus! Then Levi puts on a grand banquet, inviting a whole slew of tax collectors and other friends to introduce to Jesus.
It seems like Jesus couldn't make a move without the church leaders complaining. They went to his Disciples and asked why Jesus was sharing a meal with such disreputable people. Jesus stepped in and answered for himself. He made no apologies for the company he kept. He made it clear that He was here for those who needed him. It did not matter then, if the person was worthy of Him. Of course not, none of us are worthy until He makes us so.
It is important that we do not exclude or shun those whom we judge "unworthy". No matter what any of us have done or not done, we are worthy because God is a god of love and grace.
PRAYER
God, we are grateful that you sent your son Jesus to show us the way to live for you. Let us follow in his footsteps. Help us to remember that we are worthy and so are the ones we call "they". When we are tempted to judge others or shun their friendship, may we choose to love them, care for them, and share the good news that they are worthy and welcome to God's love and grace. Amen.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Carole Anne Sarah
Need More Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE Isaiah 41.10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. WORDS OF HOPE Never Alone; A Meditation for Maundy Thursday God is a companion more desirable than a million friends. It is better to be alone with God than it is to be surrounded with much company and no fellowship with the divine. God is the friend that never leaves you and never forsakes you. Who is a better friend than God? I have had many friends, and many times we parted ways because of our differences, but God will never abandon you. Why should I be lonely when I am not alone? God is everywhere. Where I am God is. God is with me on top of the mountain and is with me when I am in the lowest valley. In the shadow of death God is with me; therefore, I will not fear. No one can make you feel lonely without your consent. If you are convinced that you are alone it is because you agreed to the suggestion. Seek God and you will find your best friend. A person with a million friends has little remembrance of their need of God. I would rather be popular with God than be popular with much of humankind. This is not to say that companionship is not to be desired. Companionship is good. When we do good unto others it is as though we are doing it unto the Lord. Fellowship is not to be forsaken, and the opportunity is a precious gift from above. However, to have fellowship with God is far more desirable of an opportunity. To have a lot of company is a gift, but so too is isolation. Many friends bring much happiness. Isolation gives you the opportunity to sit down with the Hole One. Pray for understanding. Isolation is not a curse, but an opportunity. The love of God far surpasses romance. Intimacy with God develops when one is alone with God. The Lord’s love is the greatest love; therefore, choose God. PRAYER My God and dearest friend, Show us that You are here right next to us. Comfort us with Your words of love. Teach us wisdom and incline our hearts towards Your presence daily. Thank You for never leaving us. When I am aware of Your presence, all is well with my soul. Keep our eyes on You always. Bless You Lord for these gifts of time with You and companionship. We love You God. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE John 13:21-26 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining close to his heart; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So, while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So, when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. WORDS OF HOPE This scene is much more than a foreshadowing of Jesus’ betrayal, it gives an intimate glimpse into the personal lives of the disciples. It’s easy to imagine everyone sitting and in the case of one, reclining across Jesus’ lap, close to his chest. An intimate meal among very close friends and one that seems not only personal but sensual. I like knowing that Jesus and his chosen family were human. That they ate, drank and slept together as they traveled around teaching and healing. I find their humanness is what makes them believable, not the miracle stories, but the small impressions the gospel writers give. I believe in Jesus. I believe in his teachings and his words and his presence in my life. Had he not been depicted as a human, I would find the scriptures harder to believe. PRAYER Holy One, who gave us the prophets, who gave us your commandments, who brought Jesus into the world, I give you thanks. Without your word and Jesus, my life would be less filled with love and grace. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman
SCRIPTURE 2 Corinthians 2:15 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. WORDS OF HOPE On this Holy Tuesday, as Jesus made his words and presence known among every level of the population of Jerusalem, let’s consider the wisdom in this prayer by John Cardinal Newman: "Dear Jesus, help me to spread your sweet fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that my life may be only a radiance of your life. Shine through me, and be so in me, that every soul with whom I come into contact may feel your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see not me but only you Jesus and give you glory. Stay within me and then I will begin to shine as you shine; so, to share as to be a light to others, and that light, O Jesus, will be all from you. It will be you shining on others through me. Let me preach you without preaching, not by words alone but by my life example; by the captivating force and sympathetic influence of what I am which is the evident fullness of the love my heart and life bears for you. Amen" Were there specific portions of this prayer which had extra meaning to you? That's probably God's Spirit talking to you about your life’s need for a more vibrant spiritual life. The phrase that stays with me the most from this prayer is: "Dear Jesus, help me to spread your sweet fragrance everywhere I go." When I was a kid, we used a common phrase to describe another kid whom we disliked: "he's a stinker!" It may have become part of our vocabulary from the old Our Gang movies, in which one little nuisance boy was named Stinky. Have you ever wondered if your presence, words and actions within the group might be given a similar label? As we go about our life, we emit an emotional and “spiritual fragrance" which has an effect upon other people. Will it be good or "stinky"? All of us have known individuals whose fragrance spreads gloom, doubt, suspicion and gossip. However, a life filled with the Spirit of God has a very different fragrance. Each Christian is like a rose bush which God planted in the individual’s daily life. The loving life of Christ shines upon its leaves and urges each rosebud to open its petals wide to let the sweet scent of God's love perfume the whole garden area. I’m reminded of the words from 2 Corinthians 2:14-15; "But thanks be to God, who in Jesus Christ always leads us... and through us spreads in every place [we go] the sweet fragrance that comes from knowing Jesus. For we are the aroma of Christ among those” [with whom we have contact]. (II Corinthians 2:14-15) Will our aroma be one of kindness, forgiveness, love and acceptance which is the scent of God to a needy world? PRAYER “Let me preach you without preaching, not by words alone, but by my life example; by the captivating force and sympathetic influence of what I am which is the evident fullness of love my heart and life bears for you." Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE John 12:1-3 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. WORDS OF HOPE When you read the first 11 verses of the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of John, with whom do you identify? Who are you in this narrative? Are you Lazarus, recently raised from the dead by Jesus? One moment, you’ve experienced the pain of dying and the moment of death. The next moment, you’re home with your sisters, reclining at the table and eating food, things you thought you’d never experience again. Are you Martha, moving about the kitchen and the dining area? One moment, you’re grieving the loss of your brother and the loss of any status in the community. The next moment, you’re serving food to your once deceased brother, to your miraculous friend Jesus, and the rest of the men who are disciples of Jesus. Are you Mary, pouring a pint of your treasured perfume on the feet of Jesus, wiping his feet with your hair? One moment, you would give literally anything to have your brother back. The next moment, you’re so moved by gratitude and worship that you literally give everything you have to anoint the feet of the miraculous Savior. Are you Judas Iscariot, complaining that extravagance was literally poured on the rabbi? One moment, you are wondering if you’ve taken too much from the money bag for yourself instead of the poor. The next moment, you can’t imagine how much more could be in that bag of money, if it weren’t for that woman’s gratitude. Are you a member of the crowd, hoping to catch a glance of the itinerant and miraculous rabbi and the man whom he raised from the dead? Are you looking to see the miracle for yourself? Are you hoping for a miracle in your own life? Could the rabbi possibly do that for you? Are you one of the chief priests who feel ever more threatened by this Nazarene named Jesus? One moment, he’s a bothersome rabbi who is distracting the people from your selfish agenda. The next moment, he’s raising a man from dead and receiving a grateful anointing that you’ve never received? As you walk with Jesus during this Holy Week, find yourself in the story. Read about the people in the story and wonder if you don’t see your own life in theirs. Immerse yourself and see the Passion narrative in a new way. PRAYER Let us pray. From the Collect for Monday of Holy Week in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer: Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs
SCRIPTURE Exodus 3:14a God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” WORDS OF HOPE Being the Love That Others Can See “The God who is—the I am who I am—cannot act apart from love!” That quote is by William Paul Young, author of the book, The Shack. Young put those words in the mouth of his divine, incarnational woman-of-color character, “Papa,” who spoke them in both the book and the movie by the same name. God is love and God does not—cannot act apart from love. Such is the nature of this Holy Mystery who gave birth to all Creation. Love is the primary ingredient of Creation. Love gives birth to life in all its diversity, complexity and abundance. When we are at our best, that is when divine love shines through. Humans are perfectly imperfect people who can aspire to live into our capacity for good. And when we do, the world is better. Lives are changed. Hope and healing and laughter become abundant. All because of love. Scary things can happen in this world. Earthquakes shift everything and shake us to our very core. Fear-driven ideas of scarcity and change cloud people’s thinking, giving rise to authoritarian leaders. These fear-mongers announce that they have the secret answer to make the world better. They point fingers at who is to blame and stoke hate, division and fear to accomplish their goals. And the realm of Heaven-on-earth that Jesus describes becomes tarnished by a false narrative and self-serving ideals. Only love can change that. John the Evangelist writes in 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Paul Young has reminded us, “The God who is—the I am who I am—cannot act apart from love.” Follow Christ’s lead and do the same. PRAYER Holy One, may we be the faith that Jesus lived so that others may see and believe. In the holy name of the love that is pure Grace. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Rev. Dr. Gary Kindley Pastoral Psychotherapist drgk.org
SCRIPTURE Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. READING “The places of the greatest disruption in my life have surprisingly been, too, the occasions of the most profound gifts. The seasons when I have allowed myself to feel my broken heart, and to know my woundedness, are the times when my compassion for the world has deepened….” Christine Valters Paintner WORDS OF HOPE “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” I quip to a friend as we pass in the Narthex at yet another Celebration of Life service. Yet another for a beautiful-souled person in our congregation, a servant of God. Yet another for family and dear friends who are bereft, hearts broken open in love and sorrow. Yet another for those who will walk the night corridors robbed of sleep and awaiting the dawn. Truth is all of us are carrying layers of unresolved grief. When we do not honor our sorrow, it gets blocked and distorted. Add to this all of the losses and assaults to dignity and freedom we as a community and country have faced in the last months, and it’s a wonder we can function at all. Recently, I wrote a set of beatitudes for a disenfranchised grief round table calling for a resistance to suppressing our grief, trying to hold it all together. This morning I offer them as an invitation to speak the truth of our mourning together. Blessed Are We Who Mourn Blessed are we who mourn, who no longer muffle our cries in the night but by daylight and in the company of others here claim our sorrow, sorrow unacknowledged by our families and communities, sometimes even by ourselves. The death of an incarcerated neighbor, a favorite aunt, a gay partner, a mentor, childhood friend, a beloved animal companion. The death of a student, a miscarriage, a shattered marriage, a son’s death by suicide. Blessed are we who mourn loss of livelihood and purpose, loss of mobility and health, loss of house and home, loss of faith and hope, our field of dreams, loss of those with whom we used to mourn. Blessed are we who mourn the assaults upon the safety and dignity of the queer community, upon those who look different, love differently, pray differently, upon the poor and marginalized, upon all who feel endangered this day. Blessed are we who mourn world sorrow—the devastation in Israel and Gaza, Ukraine, the Sudan. The apocalyptic climate disasters of fire, flood, earthquake, and tornadic winds. No, we cannot simply build again. Trauma imbedded within, we cry out our lament in protest and mourning. Blessed are we who mourn, and we give thanks that we are not left companionless, but are held in the wide mercy of God and in this good company of faith. Amen. PRAYER Midwife of our weeping, hold us in times of grief and loss. Be with us as we give expression to our love. Amen. (-from A Different Kind of Fast, page 174) DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon