Wednesday - February 26, 2025
Kris Baker
SCRIPTURE
Luke 17:3-4
So, watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
WORDS OF HOPE
Carpe Diem! Seize the day! We’ve all heard this phrase many times, I suspect. It’s offered to encourage us to make the most of the present day, to not get bogged down in regrets about the past or fears about the future. The phrase carpe diem as it is understood today is thought to have been taken from a line in one of Horace’s Odes, dating from 23 BCE. The complete line is “carpe diem quam minimum credula postero,” which translates as “pluck the day trusting as little as possible in the next one.”
It is interesting to me that we have shortened Horace’s sentiment by dismissing the part about trusting as little as possible that there will be a tomorrow. I don’t think that these words are meant to instill fear or anxiety, but rather to remind us that we must live in the now and be fully present to that living. As Jesus says to the disciples in the above passage, “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.” The sin is in the past; forgiveness is in the present. Forgive now as you may not have that opportunity tomorrow.
When times are good, “seizing the day” is an easy and enjoyable thing. But what about on the hard days? The bad days? The ugly days? The days when it feels like we are the ones being seized by life itself? As difficult as it sounds, these are probably the times when we need to fervently seize the day.
On the evening of April 3, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was scheduled to lead the Memphis sanitation workers, who were striking over poor wages and working conditions, in a prayer service and rally. As the evening approached he was physically and mentally exhausted. King asked a close friend, Ralph Abernathy, to address the people for him so that he could stay at the hotel and rest . When Abernathy took the podium by himself, mayhem ensued in the crowd, prompting him to contact King and ask him to please come. Martin Luther King came and addressed the crowd, speaking for over forty minutes. This would be his final speech as he was assassinated the next day on the balcony of the very hotel room where he had hoped to rest on this night.
What would Martin Luther King, Jr. have missed if he had not taken the podium that night? What would the world have missed if he had not seized that day, April 3, 1968? Much like Jesus in his final days, King knew his days were numbered. Taking the podium on that night gave him the opportunity to bid farewell to the nation, though the Memphis sanitation workers and the nation were unaware that this was the case.
Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero. Pluck the day trusting as little as possible in the next one…even when this is hard to do.
PRAYER
Loving God, even when my day is hard and my prayer seems only for a better tomorrow, help me to seize this day and make it the best that I can. Remind me that in making this choice, my actions have the potential to make today, and maybe tomorrow, better in some way. Amen.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Kris Baker
Need Some 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 It’s now been years since the lockdown days of the pandemic when the calendar on my bedroom wall seemed to have "uncertain" written for every day's activities. Even though those lockdown days are behind us, so much uncertainty remains. In such times, life can get really weird with everything turned upside down. The threats of a war-torn world and economic storm clouds still look menacing. Through the years, I have learned, that in such times of uncertainty, to look out for God's unexpected "drop-in" opportunities. When we focus on God’s presence in our lives, our usual routine is less congested and there is more time for new experiences with the Divine One. We are veterans of living in troubled times and always should be prepared to take shelter from more of life’s storms that are coming our way. If the pandemic taught us anything it’s that there are many degrees of uncertainty that we can endure. When I lived in San Francisco, I had a friend, Giancarlo, who told me: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning how to dance in the rain". The presence of God's Spirit in your life makes a wonderful dance partner! Venture forth into this life even with its uncertainties. The old hymn, How Firm a Foundation, based on the words of Matthew 11.28-30 comes to mind: "The soul that on Jesus still leans for repose, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake. In the days ahead, may our confidence in the trustworthiness of God's care be expressed in all our daily activities. PRAYER "To you, O God, I lift up my soul, in you I put my trust! I know you will not let me be humiliated or triumphed over by these adversities and fears." Even in times of uncertainty, "teach me your way and show me your path" to follow... "For you are the God of my salvation and in you I have placed my trust all the day long." Amen. (Psalm 25:1-4) DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Psalm 66:8-9 Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. WORDS OF HOPE There is an ongoing debate among sociologists and psychologists about generational trauma—as if it were a contest over whether the Silent Generation endured more than Gen Z, or Baby Boomers more than Millennials. The Silent Generation experienced the Cold War and geopolitical anxiety. Boomers faced Vietnam, assassinations, and deep internal conflict. Millennials encountered repeated systemic shocks after September 11 and the Great Recession. Gen Z’s story is still unfolding, marked by COVID-19, climate anxiety, and the advent of AI. Last Sunday night, my spouse and I went to the Bruno Mars concert, and the evening opened with pure joy. DJ Pee Wee—actually Anderson Paak—took the stage, spinning funk, soul, and hip-hop while dancing with infectious energy and pulling the entire stadium into the moment. He called out “Where are my ’70s babies?” and dropped a Whitney Houston track, then shouted, “How about my 80s babies?” and then moved through the decades, each one met with louder singing and laughter. From 60-year-olds like us to teenagers, everyone knew the songs. It was shared, unfiltered happiness. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 66 a communal and personal song of thanksgiving, praising God for delivering His people through intense trials into a place of abundance. The passage highlights God's protection of life and a call to share how God hears prayers and remains steadfast. Each generation has had their trials in their formative years. Be it during under the desk in Cold War drills or school shooting drills. We’ve been locked up during COVID when we were supposed to be in classrooms, and we’ve had our number selected at the end of high school to go to fight a war in Southeast Asia. We saw the planes fly into buildings and Gaza practically bombed out of existence. Yet every generation has found a way to sing, to dance, to laugh—despite all we’ve carried and endured. The Psalmist reminds us that God has delivered us and continues to rescue us still. The life and teachings of Jesus inspire and guide us forward, and the Holy Spirit moves among us, leading us through and bringing us out into hope. PRAYER Gracious God, You have carried every generation through trial and joy. When burdens feel heavy, remind us that you are still delivering and restoring. Fill us with your Spirit, that we may live with hope, unity, and joy. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs
SCRIPTURE Genesis 5.20-22 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.” WORDS OF HOPE Noah’s Flood, the all-time favorite Bible narrative of children, is today’s Hebrew Scripture lesson, told during the Eastertide Season as one of the Bible’s most dramatic tales of new beginnings. Children who hear the story readily ignore the part that tells of the wrath of an angry God destroying every living thing on the entire planet except for Noah’s family and all the fauna and edible flora of the world. They just want to see the dramatic 2 by 2 animal parade marching through the Ark’s open door. Children don’t worry themselves with the question of whether the story is about an actual event or is just a colorful animal story, and good for them. There is nothing literal about it. The classic Flood Story is a derivative tale based on Babylonian mythology. Noah is Ziusudra, a righteous man the gods have designated to save his family and various animals from a great flood that occurs in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Ziusudra, like Noah, is a righteous person and in each version, there is a divine warning, plans for a large boat, a sacrifice after the waters have receded, and a renewed relationship between the Divine and humankind. But the gods of Babylon had destroyed all of humankind not because they had broken any moral code, but because they were too noisy. I suppose part of Ziusudra’s reconciliation with the divine was to keep the volume down. That would be good advice for interpreters today who teach the story of Noah’s Ark as a literal event. So much noise about an ancient myth that is a comforting reminder in the worst of times, God can send a rainbow, that there is always a renewal and recovery on the horizon, that our precious natural recourses, our animals and our food sources, are essential, and that life is made up of a series of new beginnings if we practice God’s example of forgiveness and love. We do not compromise the integrity of the Bible in understanding it is a library of information made up of wisdom writings, songs, poetry, actual events, historical fiction, stories of faith, courage, and hope. And within that diversity, are the great myths, like Noah’s Flood which is not literal truth, but an iconic tale about the truth, the truth of humankind’s flaws and progressive relationship with the eternal God of Grace. PRAYER Thank you for new beginnings, for reminders of the true essentials of life, and for our daily opportunities to love and forgive one another, regardless of circumstances we. can’t always control. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” WORDS OF HOPE Free from what? I think about this often and though Jesus was speaking to Jews who had never known captivity in their lifetimes, so what freedom was he talking about? Well, for me finding truth had always been a quest. I guess it was instilled in by my father who was a research scientist. The very foundation of research is empirical truth but guided in many cases by inferences and intuition. He taught me that black and white choices were rare occurrences in science, much as they are in life. He taught me that truth, especially philosophical truth, is something that can be found in many ways, and each of us is seeking that truth that is relevant to our lives. He instilled in me a curiosity that has followed me all my life, from my study of philosophy in college to my self-guided study of spiritual truths. So how can discovering a truth set me free? Well, one of the “truths” I have discovered is that my relationship with the Divine is important in my life. Though trying to find empirical proof of that is a fruitless pursuit, my intuition and the inferences I get lead me to believe that there is something greater than myself influencing my life. I believe that is the truth Jesus speaks of. Knowing that sets me free to experience life without too many irrational fears. PRAYER May we all find a truth that can set us free. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman
SCRIPTURE John 10.27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. WORDS OF HOPE I heard a comedian recently describe a relationship in the simplest, most basic terms: “A relationship is two people deciding what to eat until one of them dies.” I chuckled—but there’s a strange truth in it. Aren’t relationships, whether with people or with God, exactly what we make of them? What you give is usually what you get, in just about everything. Take artists, for example—painters in particular. Some are minimalists: less is more. Others add and refine, layering detail right up to the edge, knowing they must stop before the work becomes overworked. Both approaches can succeed, but only when the artist understands where that line is. That seems to be the key in so many areas of life: knowing when less is more, and when too much begins to take away from the whole. There’s a kind of balance point—a place of optimization—that shows up whether you’re painting a canvas or even doing your taxes. Preparation matters. Thinking things through matters. And somewhere in that process, you begin to recognize when enough is enough. Chuck Jones once described the dynamic between the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote as a kind of insanity cycle—essentially redoubling effort for the same or even lesser result. That idea sticks. It’s a reminder that effort alone isn’t the answer; thoughtful direction matters just as much. And yet, we’re surrounded by people—ourselves included—who sometimes just need a little grace, or a gentle nudge in a different direction. Whether they take it or not is another story. Maybe that’s part of what a relationship with God looks like: learning to recognize the right moment to act, to pause, or to adjust course entirely. So, what’s the balance? Mind your own business? Live and let live? There’s wisdom there—but I think I’ll keep listening for that quiet, steady God-voice. More often than not, it has a way of guiding relationships—of every kind—back to where they need to be. PRAYER May I always take the time to be open to your guidance, to listen for your voice, and to adjust course according to your perfect will. DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie C. Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Matthew 25.35-40 ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” WORDS OF HOPE World Give Day 2026 is on Monday, May 4, 2026, aimed at fostering global kindness through acts of giving and volunteering. Volunteering and giving are amazing acts of service for Cathedral of Hope. We don't need a day like today to call us to serve our community! Every day our church family is actively serving those in need. Our members are giving out blessing bags to strangers in need on the corner, helping cook meals to serve to those in the community who are home insecure, going to our community partners to rescue food and share it with other agencies and with food insecure neighbors, buying our monthly groceries for Pac the Pantry or planning for boxes of food for our local school for spring break or the baskets for 500 families at Thanksgiving. Why do we do that? Because we are blessed by God and cannot help but serve others because of our gratitude to God for all we have received in finding CoH as our home and family! These times we live in currently are difficult. Gas and food and everything are more expensive. BUT we are still blessed and realize these stresses are even more difficult for those who are home insecure in our city whose circumstances are far worse than ours. To whom much is given, much is expected. Not just on Give Day, but continually. God calls us to be faithful in helping others! If you are not bringing groceries on the last Sunday of the month for Pac the Pantry, or coming in on various Saturdays to help make blessing bags, or volunteering on Monday for iCare, or Tuesday to cook or help plate food for Taste of Hope, or Saturday mornings to help with BACH (Breakfast at Cathedral of Hope), PLEASE figure what you can do to help those in need. Even if your help is a smile and an encouraging word to those in need. Making them feel seen is a very important gift to them. PRAYER God who cares for us all. Help us remember to be giving to those in need always so all feel valued and loved. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn Cathedral of Hope Volunteer