Wednesday - January 31, 2024

The Reverend Dr. Neil G. Thomas

SCRIPTURE

Mark 5. 1-20

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

WORDS OF HOPE

At first glance, this scripture seems a little weird. Jesus arrives on the other side of the sea and is confronted by a man who has made his home among the tombs, among the dead. This is his environment and his expectation based of his circumstances and Jesus meets him. Mark says that the man fell to his knees at the sight of Jesus and is confronted by his own question, “What do you want from me?” In the ensuing conversation Jesus offers him freedom from the impure spirits that had tormented him and sends them into surrounding pigs who run off, rushing down a steep bank and into a lake where they are drowned.

Those who witnessed these events, those who saw the impact of Jesus’ encounter with the man were both confused and perhaps frightened, asking Jesus to leave their region. The man is left to witness to his own people just what Jesus had done for him and, with his testimony, the people were amazed.

Of course, as with all Scripture you must be able to contextualize them within the times that they are written. Pigs are not kosher and the book of Deuteronomy states that the Israelites shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcass. In their tradition they are unclean, and it is understandable why pigs are used in this miracle.

The bigger story, for me, in this miracle is in the question that the man asks of Jesus, ““What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” While this is a question from within him, from the “legion”, this is a question that is vital for us all.

We are so often taught a theology of asking God for things. This is not a bad thing. In my daily prayers I often find myself asking God for things, for answers, for other people to be blessed. However, it is less regular that I sit in my own life and ask God to tell me what God wants from me. Is this your story as well?

The more I thought about this today, the more I realized that perhaps, if I spent more time asking God this question, perhaps I would have more clarity for my life and my vocational work.

Believe me, I am grateful to a God who has often rescued me from numerous situations that could lead me on a destructive path or a path that is not beneficial. I am grateful to God who has offered me ways to follow the call that I believe that God has placed in front of me. I am grateful to God who reminds me every day that my everyday actions can make a difference. Today, I am convicted by the question what more can I do for God and what does God want from me.

The conclusion of this story is a testimony to what happens when you are listening to God’s response to our question. For the man in the story, he found wholeness and healing. He found a new life that bore testimony to others, leading them to belief in Jesus.

Friends, our story is a testimony for others and Jesus calls us to live our story – a story that is still evolving and not yet finished. However, this story has an impact and will help others to see your changed life. This is the miracle.

In the words of one of my favorite hymns, Amazing Grace, “I once was lost but now I’m found.”

May we take a moment, amid our asking God for blessings, to also ask God, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

PRAYER

God, thank you for your faithfulness toward me, hearing my prayers and responding to my needs. Hear me today, O God, as I ask You – What do you want from me? Amen.

DEVOTION AUTHOR

The Reverend Dr. Neil G. Thomas

Senior Pastor

Pronouns: he/his/him

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Thursday - July 16, 2026

By Dan Peeler • July 16, 2026

SCRIPTURE Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”? WORDS OF HOPE If you have ever had any question in your studies of the Bible about Genesis being written by more than one author, look no further than the first verse of Chapter 3 in which the serpent slithers his way into biblical immortality. The first two chapters have just wrapped up the beautiful Creation poem, concluding that all was good, very good. Then comes Chapter 3. Enter the snake. Things were not so very good anymore. The author uses the serpent to personify temptation, introducing discernment in the eternal struggle between good and evil. It reminds us of the consequences of disobedience, yet it is not pictured as the embodiment of evil itself, but rather crafty, a persuasive thinker. In the Christian Scriptures, Jesus praises the snake for its wisdom; “Be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove.” (Matthew 10.16) The snake was also used as the symbol of the Tribe of Dan in the Hebrew Scriptures, the tribe of the wise and discerning Judges. Moses himself used a sculpture of a snake as a reminder of the wisest decision to follow. But human history has not treated the snake well. Most of the misconceptions began when the snake was inaccurately interpreted as the Devil in disguise. He was not. He was just an animal that later readers in the Christian era decided to retrofit with their own characterization of evil incarnate. The snake’s reputation never recovered. Even today, many readers insist that the animal was and is the devil. There are those among us, however, who honor a knowledge of science and the ecology above centuries-old superstitions. Today is World Snake Day, an international celebration dedicated to recognizing the importance all efficient predators among our neighbors in nature. Like sharks, snakes perform an essential role in the balance of wildlife, and like sharks, they should be left alone, not only because they could do us harm, but because we could do greater harm to them. They are essential in nature. We are not. They are also not pets. 75% of all snakes that are sold in the exotic pet market do not survive and many more die in poacher-for-profit hunts. And still others are killed simply because they are snakes in the assumption that all snakes are venomous. They are not. In the United States, among the thousands of species of snakes, there are 22 recognized species that are venomous. The best known are rattlesnakes, cottonmouth water moccasins, copperheads, and coral snakes. Each is easily recognized and all are important predators of rodents and other small mammals that spread deadly diseases to humans. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors, all our neighbors, and some of our neighbors are snakes. I’m sure on that point most of us would agree. And the best way to love many of our neighbors is to leave them alone. We have invaded the snake’s world with our incessant expansion into environments where we do not belong. World Snake Day is a good day to remember we have more than enough predators in our own human community that need our full attention instead of vilifying a valuable player in God’s Creation. Let the snake have its own world while we make our best effort to patch up our own. PRAYER God of All, thank you for the vast variety of your Creation, for all the kittens and puppies, the Tasmanian Devils and the Angel fish, and we thank you on this special day for the essential work of your snakes. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Wednesday - July 15, 2026

By Hardy Haberman • July 15, 2026

SCRIPTURE Matthew 13:10-13 Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’ WORDS OF HOPE In Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point he speaks of the “stickiness” of a message. He speaks of ideas becoming sticky when they engage the audience, and stories are very effective at this. I believe Jesus understood that as well. Rather than just make pronouncements about how people should live and interact with one another, he told parables. Stories, with important messages inside them. They are “sticky”. I do a lot of speaking at various events, and I always try to use stories to illustrate the points I am trying to make. It works surprisingly well. I have to attribute some of that to Jesus’ parables in scripture. His lessons stick with me and weave their way into my mind. PRAYER May we understand that the stories we read and the ones we tell can carry valuable messages in ways that are easier to absorb than simple pronouncements. May we be grateful for the stories of our lives and use them to carry the messages we get from Jesus to others. DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman

Tuesday - July 14, 2026

By Kris Baker • July 14, 2026

SCRIPTURE Philippians 3:12-14 from The Message I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. WORDS OF HOPE One of my spiritual disciplines for the last thirteen years has been to take an intentional photo each day that represents my life in the present . This practice has forced me to stop for a moment and look and think and pray about my place in the world at that moment. This practice asks me to honestly consider where I am and who I am right now. And looking back on these accumulated 4500+ images of days past reminds me of how each day has led me to where I am today and will accompany me to where I will be tomorrow. I was recently invited to share some, ten to be exact, of these photos in an artist’s showcase. I am not loyal to any particular subject when it comes to taking photographs. Where and how do I even begin choosing only ten? I started scanning my archive, tagging the photos that spoke most clearly and loudly to me today. A theme quickly emerged. I am drawn to images of the horizon. I still had problems selecting only ten photos, but the project title, “Chasing the Horizon,” came easily. Photos of a horizon remind me of my spiritual journey. God is beckoning us onward toward something that we cannot see clearly. We know not what lies beyond that imaginary line. We move toward the unknown-ness of the horizon, toward Jesus, in faith. The Christian journey is about forever chasing the mystery of that horizon. In photos, the horizon line is a constant, yet really only a theoretical boundary where earth and sky meet, where humanity and divinity become one. When we look at the world from our perspective, that horizon line is always at eye level. Thus, God is always at eye level. Jesus is right there in front of us reaching out to us from a place where we can easily see him and reach back. Though the horizon lines in my photos are a constant, the foregrounds in the images are vastly different. Rocky cliffs, ice, rough seas, fields of flowers, smooth beaches, mud and muck, darkness, light—all the things that metaphorically represent the many daily circumstances in which we find ourselves as we navigate our earthly journey. As Paul says to the Philippians, we need to keep running forward. Notice that Paul says without turning back, not without looking back . Keep moving forward, chasing the horizon, toward Jesus, but never lose sight of how far you’ve come. Look back every now and then at the moments of your life that have led you to today. PRAYER God , please give me faith and courage to chase the horizon. Guide my steps over the smooth and the rough ground beneath my feet and through both the darkness and light before me. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare

Monday - July 13, 2026

By Charlie C. Rose • July 13, 2026

SCRIPTURE Psalm 121.2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. WORDS OF HOPE Do you ever read Horoscopes? I used to follow them occasionally until I read a little about their history, originating in ancient Babylon, adapted by the Greeks and Romans and based on the fact that they believed the heavenly bodies were not just named after deities. They were deities. Venus and Mars were actually sitting up there directing the days of our lives. So, when I glance at a horoscope these days, it’s for fun or curiosity and sometimes they offer more than the usual fortune cookie promise. I saw one the other day that relieved me of the notion that I needed to rely on so many outside sources to get a job done or project finished. The message carried forth a sense of hope I could use that day. There is so much truth in that statement because I realized it’s valid most of the time. You might’ve heard the old phrase, “if you want something done right, do it yourself!“ This gives me a sense of empowerment beyond anything else I can think of. I don’t doubt there are situations that will happen that will leave me to think there are no solutions to any given challenge of the day, but my faith and self-confidence has increased, faith in my God, the one Jesus talks about. When I accept that reality, I find myself relying on God’s guidance and not wasting time thinking I need outside help when the same amount of time can be used toward personal problem-solving and completion. There is God’s quiet inner voice in all of us which at times can be locked away or hidden from our consciousness if we don’t listen for it. The voice says to me “you have everything you need in this moment to…“ And that’s the place where I have to fill in the blank. What is it I want to accomplish? What is it I want to change about my life in this moment? How can I use my life and experience to help someone else? What is your inner horoscope telling you today? What do you face that might be your biggest challenge? You may not find the answer in the next five minutes, but this is the first action of asking God, the higher power, the universe, to reveal the answer to you. In the overnight delivery/immediate satisfaction that our world seems to offer, I’m a firm believer in a small meditative moment when I quiet my mind and sit in silence doing nothing more than breathing and waiting. In that time, I often make peace with some temporary conflict. It’s not the answer for everything. There are things outside of our control; things that can’t be answered immediately. For those things, I can meet the challenge by calming myself by getting busy doing something unrelated, or best of all, by helping someone else. PRAYER God of the multiverse, may I always remember that the help I need doesn’t come from fantastic beings who live in the stars and planets, but from within me, because that’s where you live. DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

Friday - July 10 , 2026

By Weber Baker • July 10, 2026

READING The first service one owes to others in a community involves listening to them. Just as our love for God begins with listening to God’s Word, the beginning of love for others is learning to listen to them. God’s love for us is shown by the fact that God not only gives God’s Word but also lends us God’s ear. . . . We do God’s work for our brothers and sisters when we learn to listen to them." ——-Dietrich Bonhoeffer WORDS OF HOPE Listening. I have come to realize that listening is a skill. It is learned. I liken it to learning any skill. It takes desire, practice, patience and control. And having a good role model helps. This of course, is not meant to be confused with hearing. We hear lots of things. We may be sitting in a coffee shop and hear a conversation near us. When I was young, I was taught it was rude to listen in on such conversations. Listening means not just hearing the words, but as we listen, we pay attention and interpret. We must have a desire to listen to others. It means not just hearing what they’re saying, but looking for the meaning, the emotion, the soul that they are expressing to us. In the current age, we have far too many people who do not care to listen more or even to hear words of others who do not see things the way we do. And even if we have the desire to listen to others, we must practice listening. I was a middle school teacher for 25 years. It took me a while to get to a point where I was able to truly listen to my students. I had the desire; but I did not possess the skill. It took a while for that to develop. And one of the things that I realized was, I couldn’t just passively listen but I also needed to ask when I did not understand. And while we may not realize that when we’re doing it, that asking conveys our desire to listen. It gives an indication that we are truly listening. And why we may think we should listen quietly. It is important to understand what we are being told. I would argue that patience is also a learned skill, and that while we are practicing listening, we must also be learning and practicing patience. If we do not already have some patience built up this can make it even more difficult to listen well. Practicing patience starts, I believe, with conscious effort. We let someone in line in a traffic jam. We let someone ahead of us who has fewer items than we have in the grocery line; etc. When listening to others, truly listening in order to absorb, interpret, and feel what the other person is trying to communicate, we need to exercise control. It is too easy to jump in with suggestions, advice, or interpretation before we have heard everything, before we have had a chance to truly absorb what we are being told. In talking about community Bonhoeffer makes it clear that listening is something we owe the community and which brings us into community with others. Listening to God‘s Word allows us the chance to integrate that Word into our life. And it further gives us the opportunity to integrate that word into our actions within our communities. Listening to others is indeed God‘s work. PRAYER Great Creator, we thank you for listening to our prayers and supplications. We ask you to help us develop the skills necessary to be effective listeners to others so that we may learn to love them and to include them in our communities. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Weber Baker Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare

Thursday - July 9, 2026

By Dr. Pat Saxon • July 9, 2026

SCRIPTURE Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles. WORDS OF HOPE High, high up in the sky over the lake, I watch the flight of what can only be an eagle, its broad circles tracing arcs in the blue. Periodically he needs to gather energy and directed movement, so he flaps his strong wings, but with a seeming ease which belies the power. Then coast, soar, circle. The movement of a fish flutters under the surface of the water and suddenly he dives to capture breakfast. I long for this eagle vision in my spiritual life—the ability to see the smallest movement—but from a larger “field.” And I yearn too for the soaring. Back home and closer to the ground, the Mississippi Kites still roam our skies in the morning, their paths curving over the oaks. The grey falcon-like birds have taken up residence in my neighbor’s yard across the street since Grandmother oak cracked open, collapsed, and was carried away to be recycled into mulch by the city. Though their nest is obscured by a veil of leaves, it’s clear they have young ones as one of the parents carries a largish insect, a grasshopper perhaps, back to the fledglings. Today, walking Sage in the early morning breeze, I stand and gaze upward again—at how they hold steady in a wind and with just the slightest adjustment of their wings, they glide off, cutting arcs as masterfully as an Olympic skater. I marvel and would wish to surrender to the winds of God to carry me in the currents of my life. The song my mother chose for her memorial service sings in my memory, the rich baritone of her pastor full of feeling: You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, Who abide in His shadow for life, Say to the Lord, "My Refuge, My Rock in Whom I trust." And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to shine like the sun, And hold you in the palm of His Hand. (Michael Jonca) PRAYER Breath of God, Breathe on me and lift me up to soaring even before my final transition. May each of us know such soaring in the arms of Love. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon