December 18: Zechariah 5-6; Psalm 136; Mark 14

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.   Psalm 136:1

God’s love is steadfast; it is never failing.

God loves you today, just as you are, no matter where you’ve been, what you have done, who you are.

It’s hard for us to understand this kind of love.  Even our best human love is based on conditions: I will love you (as long you as you don’t......)  Usually, our condition comes down to: I will love you as long as you don’t hurt me too badly.

But, we disappoint and hurt God over and over.  Every time we choose a different way, every time we ignore someone else’s need, every time we leave no room for God in our schedule, every time we put ourselves first and foremost.....when we act like God is not our God.....God is disappointed.

And yet, every time, God forgives.  God continues to love us.  There are no conditions or limits to God’s love.  God continues to yearn for us.
And while this kind of love boggles our minds, today let it seep into your heart and spirit, transforming you from the inside out.

Today, God loves you with a love that outshines any love this world has to over.  Today and every day.  Let this be your Truth today.

December 17: Zechariah 3-4; Psalm 135; Mark 13

“Take off his filthy clothes.”   Zechariah 3:4

“If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts...”    Zechariah 3:7

This is a God who desires us to be restored to wholeness; a God who provides us ways to rid ourselves of the habits and choices which make us less than what we are designed to be.

This is a King who offers us full participation---even leadership---in the Kingdom.  Not just leadership, but ownership.

This God, this King, offers this all freely, with great love, over and over again.

Today will we say yes?  Today, will we accept it?  Is today the day?

December 16: Zechariah 1-2; Psalm 134; Mark 12

“Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in your midst.”   Zechariah 2:11

This is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

December 15: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

December 14: Haggai 1-2; Psalm 133; Mark 11

The prophet Haggai is persuading the community to complete the project of rebuilding the Lord’s temple.

So is the Psalmist.

So is Jesus in the gospel of Mark.

We rebuild God’s temple---where God lives---by living in a new way.  God’s temple isn’t a building (as it was in Haggai’s time).  It is a people.  God declares that God lives in God’s people---humanity.

We rebuild God’s temple when we strive to live from what we have in common---the unity the Psalmist sings about---rather than living a life that is fighting about our differences.

We rebuild God’s temple when we seek reconciliation rather than proving we are right.

We rebuild God’s temple when we seek union with God through prayer rather than filling our schedule with more and more ways to “get ahead.”  Jesus turns over the tables because the people are focused on their own needs rather than the needs of the community.  Because the people are living in ways that declare they provide their own security, and it is not God who provides for us.

Today’s readings beg us to consider: How will we rebuild God’s temple today?

December 13: Zephaniah 3; Psalm 132; Mark 10

I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.    Psalm 132:4-5

Find a dwelling place for God.  Seek a home for the Divine.
The Psalmist declares that this is our work.

And here’s the thing, as Jesus reminds us in Mark (and everywhere else through Scripture):
God’s dwelling place is IN humanity---in us----in our flesh.  We are a people of the Incarnation.  God enfleshed in human form.  Immanuel: God with us.

Advent is all about preparing room for God in our hearts.  So that God may dwell within us.  Prepare Him room.

Too often, our words, actions, and choices push God to the edges, or even out of the doors, of our heart.

Today, let every heart prepare God room.  God dwells in us.  Let’s be radically welcoming.

December 12: Zephaniah 2; Psalm 131; Mark 9

Today we hear:
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his commands....

And in Mark 9, we have the Transfiguration where Jesus led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves...

Today I was reminded...not just in these readings, but in my life....how important it is to seek the Lord, to go off apart to seek God.

All day today, all the little things that happen each day---many of the same things that happened at other times during the week---made me crazy, and annoyed, and made me feel depleted by the end of the day.  I didn’t seem to have a reserve of patience or tolerance today.  I was discombobulated.

Finally, as I felt the stress build up between my shoulder blades, I realized what was so different today.  I was so busy to be on time to my first appointment of the day....I didn’t set aside the time I needed this morning to pray.  I decided I could get by on just a few moments of silence and “Hi, God.  Please help me today.”

While my “mini” prayer is certainly better than nothing (at least I acknowledged God’s presence and guidance in my life), I didn’t actually put God in charge of my day.  I didn’t center my day and my schedule on being God’s child.  I put my agenda (and what I thought was important) out in front, putting God in the backseat.

And I paid the price (and unfortunately, so did others who interacted with me today).

Tomorrow I will definitely start my day with God---seeking the LORD by setting time apart for Jesus’ voice and hand to guide me.  Tomorrow will be a better day.

December 11: Zephaniah 1; Psalm 130; Mark 8

How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?

I am sure many of us have asked the same question:  How can we feed all these hungry people?  We look at the suffering in the world and it is so easy to become overwhelmed.

How can we end hunger?  Drought? Poverty? Homelessness?

Jesus’ response to the disciples’ question: What do you have?

Our first step toward alleviating suffering among God’s people is to consider what we have, and then we must be willing to break it and share it.....to give it away....without qualifications...because someone else has a need.

When Mother Theresa was asked why she wasn’t overwhelmed when she thought about how she would save India, she replied that she wasn’t try to save India.  She was saving one person at a time.  One Jesus at a time.

So shall we.  So shall we.

December 10: Habakkuk 3; Psalm 129; Mark 7

In all of today’s readings, we hear about trust in God.  In Mark, we have unexpected people putting their trust in God.  Faith is all about putting our beliefs in action.  If we say God is Lord of us, God saves us, then our actions should display our trust that it is God who is God; it is God who is our salvation and strength.

It is God
not money,
not power,
not status,
not our achievements,
not our intelligence,
not our abilities,
not our position,
not luck
nor chance
nor fate.

It is God.
From God we receive our blessings.
From our blessings we bless others.
From this way of living
we are made whole,
we are saved,
we are restored.
God’s Kingdom come.

Thank you, God, for all you have given us.  May we have opportunities this day to bless others from our blessings. AMEN.

December 9: Habakkuk 2; Psalm 128; Mark 6

Happy is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways.  You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands....

The promise is clear:  if we will choose a new way to live---the Way of Jesus---then we will have happiness; we will become whole; we will have shalom, peace.

But, somehow, we think that this promise means our happiness comes without struggle or pain.  So, when we experience struggle and pain, we may be tempted to think: “Well, that Jesus thing was a nice idea, but I guess it doesn’t work.”

Walking and living like Jesus doesn’t mean there will not be suffering; Jesus suffered.

It means we will be sustained through the suffering, loved through the suffering, and there will be new life after the suffering.  Living the Jesus way means we bring light into the world---the light of compassion, mercy, forgiveness and kindness.  We don’t do this for a future benefit, but the benefit that is received right now---the fruits of the labor of our hands which are the postive consequences of our good choices, our generous acts, and our kind words.

This Way is not a program or a “how-to” manual. It is a process---a series of shedding habits and taking on the ways of light.  Sometimes we fall back or stay stagnant; other times are times of great growth and movement.  And through it all, we will be sustained.  As Mark 6 reminds us, this is a God of abundance, but first we must be willing to share and to give of what we have.

December 8: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

December 7: Habakkuk 1; Psalm 127; Mark 5

Habakkuk cries out the question that is on all of our lips:

How long, O Lord?  How long will we suffer?  Why do you let us suffer?

The Church and its people have struggled to answer this question since it all began.  I'm not sure I have a better answer.  Or an answer at all.  But, here are some thoughts on it that can be shared this day:

The Creation story tells us that God's initial plan and dream did not include pain and suffering.
But our desire to put ourselves in the place of God----demanding to know all there is to know (from the tree of good and evil) instead of trusting for God to know all there is to know----and acting on this desire of ours threw God's plan totally out of whack.

Could God---Creator of all---simply start again?  Wipe out the errors and get us back on track.  Well, yes, I suppose so, if God wants something less than real and intimate relationship with Creation.  But our salvation story makes it clear that God deeply desires a real and intimate relationship with all of Creation---including us.  And for relationship to be real and authentic, then both parties must choose to be in the relationship.  Both parties must be committed.

God has initiated this relationship. God has given us all the tools, and God has removed all the barriers, so that we can build this intimate, life-giving, world-changing relationship with the One who creates, sanctifies, and redeems. But we must choose to enter the covenant as well.  We must say, "I do."

 And when this walk toward God brings us suffering?  When life hands us pain and injustice-----where is God then?

Right with us.  Jesus died on the cross so that we might know the divine suffers along with us.  And then God infuses us with new life as we are resurrected.  Not just after death.  But after pain and suffering.  If we, like Jesus, can hand it over to God and trust that God has new life and new breath for us, we will be given new life.  God doesn't duck out of the suffering.  God sustains us through the suffering into the promise of new life.

December 6: Nahum 3; Psalm 126; Mark 4

Sometimes I think we think that the Kingdom of God is someone else's job.

I don't know, maybe we think it's purely God's job.

Or the Church's job.

The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how."

We are the "someone" who scatters the seed.  We do this by living the Way Jesus shows us to live.  The way of fellowship, breaking the bread, continuing in the study of the apostles, serving others, healing others, including others, forgiving others, taking time apart to pray, walking with others, loving others, worshipping God.

We are agents of God.  We are the living members of Christ called to fulfill God's mission: "to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." (Book of Common Prayer, 855).  We scatter the seeds when we are faithful to our baptismal promises.  We don't always have to know how our actions directly lead to God's Kingdom being known and grown, but we do have to trust---to have faith--that if we are living the Way, then the seed will grow.

December 5: Nahum 2; Psalm 125; Mark 3

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore.   --Psalm 125:2

What a beautiful image for us to consider this day.  God surrounds us, God's people.  We may be in the valley; we may be on our way up (or down) the mountainside; we may be at a peak.  Wherever we are, God is there.  Protecting us.  Yes, the rains still fall and the winds still blow.  Nature still experiences drought or frost or flood, but God's presence (like a mountain) lessens it.  Provides shelter.  Gives us a solid foundation.

And not just when we are good or deserve it. But from this time forth and forevermore.  As we delve into the Advent season---a season of preparing ourselves for Jesus to be born in us----let us remember what the Incarnation declares:  God is born into humanity.  God dwells within God's people---no separation and no obstacles.  God desires to be intimately connected to, and known by, us.  Let us trust in this Truth today.

December 4: Nahum 1; Psalm 124; Mark 2

Many of us know this story of the paralytic being let through the roof in order to be healed by Jesus.  I've heard and read it several times myself.  And today, something struck me.

Of course, we think, it's so nice of his friends that they take him to see Jesus and don't give up because they know and trust that Jesus can heal him.  They believe Jesus can heal their friend.

So often, we say that we believe Jesus heals and Jesus saves.
But how often do we take our broken places to Jesus and place them at the Lord's feet so they can be transformed and made whole? More than once Jesus asks those who come to him: Do you wish to be healed?  We might think it's a no-brainer, but is it?

To be healed often requires we must let go of something.
To be made whole often requires a change in our way of living.
To be made well means we must allow our dark places to be exposed to the light.

Today God calls us to lay ourselves before Jesus and allow our God to make us whole.
This takes faithfulness......and hope......and trust.

Our help is in the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.

December 3: Micah 7; Psalm 123; Mark 1

Again the prophet Micah reminds us, as all the prophets do, that God is merciful.

Even though we can't seem to get it right, even though we continue to disappoint, God's love never fails.  God steadfastly shows compassion and forgiveness to God's people.

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession?  He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency.

I don't know about you, but I have a habit of holding onto anger.  Not only my anger toward others, but also my anger toward myself.  There is something about anger that we humans seem to enjoy.....how strange.

We do think of it as a negative emotion---and it is a "darkness" rather than a "light" because it destroys rather than gives life.  But, if we are honest with ourselves, we tend to feed it instead of squelch it.  I wonder if it has something to do with the need to be right, and our anger is usually toward someone we feel has "wronged" us, so to hold our anger is to continue to lift ourselves up as the one who is right....or at least "in the right."

Prayer opens up the window for God's grace to pour in.  And when we are angry, grace is exactly what is needed.  Letting go of anger is not about someone deserving it.  Letting go of anger is about releasing ourselves from the prison that anger puts us in----the destructive cycle of being the victim in order to justify our behavior and reactions to the one who has hurt us.

What might change in our lives if we asked the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts so that we delight in clemency rather than "being in the right?"

December 2: Micah 6; Psalm 122; Matthew 28

This verse from chapter 6 of Micah is one of my favorites:

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

So often I hear people say they wish God would have just spelled it out for them....just tell them what they are supposed to do.  Well, here it is:

1.  Do Justice (God's justice which is always communal, not simply personal)
2.  Love Kindness
3.  Walk humbly with your God

There it is.  Spelled out in black and white.  But, oh, not so easy.

To do justice is to consider the needs of others and work for their safety and security, not simply our own.  To love kindness means we have to take action for the benefit of the other---all others---even the annoying, those who have hurt us, and our enemy.  To walk humbly with God means that we must accept that we are dependent on God.  God is God and we are not.  God is our Master and Lord, not our schedule, our pocketbook, or our pleasure.

This Advent, let's choose one way---one thing we can do---to accomplish God's request for us.  Let's intentionally make this choice, and follow through on it, throughout this season of preparing for Jesus coming into our heart.  Repentance starts with one step.

December 1: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

November 30: Micah 5; Psalm 121; Matthew 27

I wonder if Jesus had Psalm 121 in his head when he was preparing for the cross: I lift my eyes up to the hills.  From where will my help come?

And as he suffered, just as we suffer, he wondered where God was in the midst of it all. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

And God's answer: Resurrection.  New life from the ashes. God's answer is resurrection.

November 29: Micah 4; Psalm 120; Matthew 26

For all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.

In what god's name do we walk?  To walk in the name of God is to follow God's ways and commands.  So, for Christians this means to love one another as we have been loved by God---with sacrifice and mercy and forgiveness and compassion.  Because loving others this way is loving God.  Loving others this way is to walk in the name of God.

Or do we walk in the name of another god?  Perhaps we live our lives according to the ways of power or fame or consumerism or vanity or reputation or .......?

What drives us?  What do we look to as our goal, our end hope?  Is it financial success or employment success or recognition in the community or beauty?

Or is our deepest longing to be more and more like Jesus?  Are we motivated by grace and love like Jesus---seeking the benefit of God by seeking the benefit of others?

In Jan Karon's book At Home in Mitford, the character Fr. Tim tells someone: If you keep your eyes on other Christians, you are bound to be disappointed.  The key is to keep your eyes on Christ.

November 28: Micah 3; Psalm 119:145-176; Matthew 25

Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did to to me......just as you did not do it to one of the least of these,  you did not do it to me."

As we give thanks this day for our blessings---which are abundant and rich because we have life, hope, and eternity with God---let us remember the least of these.  And let us determine how we can do for them and what we can, and will, do for them.  For by doing for them, we are doing for Christ.

November 27: MIcah 2; Psalm 119:113-144; Matthew 24

I will surely gather all of you, O Israel...

God desires ALL of humanity.  Each one of us.  The bright and beautiful.  The annoying and silly.  The gentle and good.  The angry and the oppressed.  The black, the white, the tan, the straight, the gay, the transgendered, the doubtful, the faithful, the valiant, the coward, the rich and the poor.

Surely I will gather all of you....

November 26: Micah1; Psalm 119:73-112; Matthew 23

"...as for me, I will meditate on your precepts...." (Psalm 119: 78)

To meditate on God's precepts, God's ways, God's laws.  To let those ways of being seep into our bloodstream as the life-giving, life-preserving source that they are.  What might this mean for us?  Are we willing to partake in this type of meditation?

The Truth is: Living God's way, by God's law, will transform us.  Make us more like Jesus: forgiving, merciful, compassionate, steadfast in love, full of grace.

The Question is: Are we willing to be transformed?  To be changed?  To let go of those pieces of us---those parts of our lives---that keep us from being Christ-like?

If our answer is yes, then we are to soak up God's ways through study, prayer, sacrament, and fellowship so that whose we are becomes who we are.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.... Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart." (Psalm 119: 105, 111)

November 25: Jonah 4; Psalm 119:33-72; Matthew 22

Oh Jonah!  Angry because God shows mercy.  Angry because the people of Ninevah actually listened to his prophecy and changed their ways.  Angry because they then made his words of warning fall flat.

Jonah is angry because he feels God's grace and mercy make him look like a fool.

How often do we get angry because we think other people do not deserve God's grace?  Because we think they are not worthy (like we are) of knowing God's blessings....they haven't worked hard enough or prayed long enough or scraped low enough to deserve it.

Grace is not about deserving.  It's about love.  Loving someone enough that you want, and work for, that person's benefit----regardless of their actions.  Thank goodness God loves us like this.  May the Holy Spirit empower us that we might love others in the same way!

Lord, infuse us with your grace so that we may flow from your love. ---Mechthild of Magdeburg

November 24: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

November 23: Jonah 3; Psalm 119:1-32; Matthew 21

God changed God's "mind."
Not sure if a divine entity
has a "mind"---
such a human concept---
but it's the best we can do
to understand the limitless,
the mystery,
that is God---
we put God in human terms.

Why did God change directions?

Because humanity did.

Negative consequences were abandoned.
Because humanity turned the corner.
Because humanity changed its ways.

So, it's not so much that God changed.
But humanity changed.

This is a God of second chances.
There is always hope.

November 22: Jonah 2; Psalm 118; Matthew 20

We've all felt like Jonah.
Finding ourselves in deep waters,
weeds wrapped around our heads,
the water closing in over us.

Like Jonah,
we must remember
that God holds us
even when the waters are rough
the way forward is dark
and we are drowning.

God will bring us out of the Pit.
God is our deliverance.
God will set us back safely on dry land.

We must remember:
God's steadfast love endures forever.

November 21: Jonah 1; Psalm 117; Matthew 19

We've all felt like Jonah.
Feeling like God is asking too much of us...
God is asking something that is too hard....
God is asking us to do the impossible...

And, like Jonah,
when we try to run from God's call to us,
not only does it affect us,
it affects others.

There is no running from God.

November 20: Obadiah; Psalm 116; Matthew 18

Obadiah--the shortest book in Old Testament---a warning against arrogance.  A warning against placing oneself above others---putting oneself at the center---in God's rightful place.

In Matthew, when the disciples are fishing for a compliment and ask who is the greatest in the kingdom of God (hoping, of course, to hear their own names), Jesus brings forward a child.

A child--one who had the lowest status in this culture.  One who had no rights, no power and no privilege.  Because power and privilege do not equal status in God's kingdom.  What give us status in the eyes of God is that we are God's beloved children.  Therefore, we are all equal in God's eyes as far as our worth and value are concerned.  No one is not a child of God.  No one.  Remembering this, and that it is God who creates and gifts us, will help us to keep our puffed-up pride in check.

God desires the return of every sheep to God's flock.  And we are just the shepherds to be about the business of seeking the lost.  May God grant us the opportunity to care for the lost today.

November 19: Amos 9; Psalm 115; Matthew 17

In Amos we have heard of God's disappointment in us.  In Amos, just as is the case throughout Scripture, we are reminded that God's steadfast love for us cannot be broken.  That God's anger never lasts forever.

This is a God of second (and third, and fourth, and...) chances.
May our words and actions give thanks and praise to God for this Good News today.
God's love for us never fails----even when we are at our worst.  Praise be to God!

November 18: Amos 8; Psalm 114; Matthew 16

In Amos we hear that God has been warning us since time began.

God has been warning us about the consequences when we use others as a means to gain for our benefit.   We have been made aware, again and again, that there are dire consequences for us neglecting our call to be stewards of Creation and caretakers of one another.  Whenever we put down the yoke of caring for our sisters and brothers, there is always fallout.

It is not so much that God punishes us for our sin but that Creation is designed in such a way (requiring our stewardship and love) that our sin has consequences.  Our selfishness leads to brokenness.

Today, let us actively heed these warnings.  May God grant us the eyes to see where the needs are; may the Holy Spirit grant us the strength to do what is needed; may Jesus infuse us with the desire to use our blessings in order to bless.  May God's will be done by us this day.

November 17: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

November 16: Amos 7; Psalm 113; Matthew 15

God sets a plumb line in our midst.
So that we might know.
So that we might know how we have fallen short.
So that we might know where we are headed.
So that we might know.
Know how to live
as a human.
So that we might know
how to live
as one created in the image of the divine.

A plumb line.
Jesus.

November 15: Amos 6: Psalm 112; Matthew 14

Amos 6 reminds us that if we live in the lap of luxury, we are living outside of God's plan.  God's plan places abundance in humanity's reach.  But that abundance doesn't reach to the edges of humanity if some grab more than their share---more than what their needs require----leaving not enough for others.

And it doesn't matter if some get more because they are faster, brighter, stronger, luckier.
If we are faster, brighter, stronger, and luckier, then we are even more responsible to make sure those who are not blessed in the same way have what they need.

God commands us to take care of the orphan, the widow, the resident alien among us because we are able to do so; because we are bound to them; because they are God's own.  If we have more, then the truth is, we have more to share and more to do and more to give.  Blessed to be a blessing.

November 14: Amos 5; Psalm 111; Matthew 13

Jesus' parables tell us that God's kingdom is something that starts small, but then grows....
The Kingdom of God is a treasure that is worth everything we have.....

Be a magnet for Christ:  Draw people's attention to God's action in the world and in our lives.  Sow the seeds of God's Kingdom. Infect the world with the love of Jesus.

November 13: Amos 4; Psalm 110; Matthew 12

These stories of healing and Jesus being questioned whether it's right to heal on the Sabbath usually make me think: Duh!  How silly these people were....thinking it wrong to heal at any time.

And then I stop and think:  When do I refuse to heal?

• When I refuse to forgive
• When I refuse to listen
• When I don't take the time to really pay attention to someone
• When I ignore another's cry for help because:
• I am too busy
• I am too tired
• I don't know the person
• They live so far away
• Shouldn't they just learn to help themselves 
• I can turn off the TV, turn the page in the magazine, throw away the letter....
• When I demand my way is the only way
• When I forget that the person on the other side is loved by Jesus just as much as I am

Today, I pray I do better than yesterday.  Today, I ask to be a healer instead of one who wounds.
Lord, infuse me with your grace so that I may flow from your love.

November 12: Amos 3; Psalm 109; Matthew 11

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."---Matthew 11:28-29

Goodness, I don't know about you, but I needed to hear these words today.  I need to be reminded that when life has worn me down to a bare nubbin' there is a place I can go to be restored and to gain new vision.  I can rest in the love of Christ, in the arms of God, through the practice of prayer and devotion.

Will that make the problems and the stresses disappear?  In my experience, no.  But it does:

• secure time and space in my life for the holy---restoring my spirit
• grant me new eyes with which to see the struggles
• help me to gain perspective
• allow me to get a bigger picture and consider the views of others
• give me a chance to catch my breath
• fill my well of life-giving water--the Spirit sustains me

The practice of prayer restores my soul.  This is how all shall be well.  God's love cannot be overcome by anything--no evil, no destruction, no bad choice or horrible habit, no sin, no stupidity---God's love is steadfast and unshakeable.  So, come.  Come and find rest.

November 11: Amos 2; Psalm 108; Matthew 10

Happy Veteran's Day

We give thanks for our Veterans this day:

O God of truth and justice, 
we hold before you those whose memory we cherish, 
and those whose names we will never know. 
Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world, 
and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm.
As we honour the past, may we put our faith in your future;
for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever. Amen. (from Scottish Episcopal Church)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. John 14:27

Matthew today reminds us that being a follower of Jesus is not all sunshine and lollipops.  When we truly live the other-centered life of Christ, others will not understand.  They will resist it---it will seem completely "unnatural" to them.  Funny, since Jesus' nature is our true nature, but it is one we must learn and allow ourselves to be transformed into rather than one that simply "fits."  That's what sanctification is all about....learning to be our true selves---made in the image of God.

November 10: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

November 9: Amos 1: Psalm 107; Matthew 9

for his steadfast love endures forever....

I need this Truth today.  That no matter how much I mess up.....because I have and I will....God will continue to love me, to walk beside me, to cleanse me so that I can start anew.

Of course, for that cleansing to happen, I must first confess my error, my sin, and I must place it into God's hands instead of carrying it around so it can infect me again.

But what a joy to rest in today---that God is a fountain of love that never runs dry, never turns off, never forsakes.  A Truth I need to hear this day and every day.  For God so loved the world....For God so loves me.....

November 8: Joel 3; Psalm 106; Matthew 8

For the Lord is a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel." -Joel 3:16

When I read passages like this, I often think to myself: "Boy, am I glad I'm not Jesus!  It would be so hard to be the One everyone needs to turn to for refuge..for safety...for security."

Silly me.  We are the living members of the Body of Christ....we are to be as Jesus in the world.  This means that we are called to be a refuge and a stronghold for any and all of God's people who need a refuge.  Any one of them.  Even if they don't deserve it or they are a stranger to us.

Of course, what that refuge looks like will be different for each one......but it certainly doesn't mean to turn a blind eye or to ignore the need or to wait for someone else to step up to the plate.

With this realization, I often let God know that I think God is asking just plain too much of me.

And then, God reminds me: Hey!  I put you in community.  No one said you should do this alone.

Someday I'll get it....

November 7: Joel 1-2; Psal 105; Matthew 7

Joel is a prophet writing in a time of crisis:
Wake up, you drunkards, and weep...."

Joel is calling to people to action.  This is something that we Christians are called to do.

How do we do this?  It seems that mostly we tend to only pay attention to individuals and chastise them as individuals, but the prophet here is addressing an entire nation....a group of people....and saying: "Hello?  We're in trouble here; we can't ignore it."

Okay, you might be thinking, but I'm no prophet.  I'm not going to go around telling people what to do.

Well, I believe we are all callled to be prophets---those who point to Jesus and Jesus' way---but we don't all have to do it with our words.

When we refuse to take part in a system or a policy that is destructive, we are prophesying.
When we choose not to live in ways---even if they are popular and socially acceptable---that we feel go against God's ways---then we are prophesing.
When we support systems and organizations that are life-giving and that are in alignment with Resurrection living---we are prophesying.

Being a prophet isn't necessarily about speaking with a bullhorn.....it's about living in a way that points to Jesus.  So, let's wake up and prophesy.  Prophesy, mortal, prophesy.

November 6: Hosea 13-14; Psalm 104; Matthew 6

In the Gospel today, we read the Lord's Prayer.  What a radical prayer this is.

First of all, we proclaim that God is OUR father--not my father--but ours.  Right away, we claim not only our individual relationship with God, but also our communal relationship with God and each other.

Next, we pray that God's name may be hallowed---made holy.  God's name is made holy through our actions---humanity's actions as living members of the Body of Christ.  We recognize our mission--which is God's mission---to live consecrated lives in order that God's name be hallowed.

And when God's name is hallowed and our lives are lived as such, it is then that heaven is known on earth.  Heaven---where God dwells---among humanity.

Next we again proclaim our interdependence on one another as we ask for OUR daily bread.  This simple sentence declares the Truth that God believes all people to be radically worthy of having enough.

"And forgive us our debts...."  Forgiveness.  The very core of this consecrated life.  To let go of grudges in order that we might be freed from our hatred, our pettiness, and our thirst for retaliation.  Forgiveness.  To release another from our anger and woundedness.  Forgiveness---the sacrificial act of putting the other's wholeness above our need to be right or to be justified by vengeance.

"Rescue us from the evil one."  Evil is a real presence in this world.  But God promises to protect us---not that we won't necessarily have to face evil, but that we will have the strength to be sustained, and that no evil can overcome the love of God.

We pray this prayer so often that we might miss exactly what it's being said.  This is a radical prayer that is centered on what God does in our lives instead of what we do or what we want.  A humble prayer that recognizes God is God, and we are not.

November 5: Hosea 11-12; Psalm 103; Matthew 5

Whenever I read Psalm 103, I hear the song "Bless the Lord" from Godspell.  It's a joyful, upbeat song.  It's a song that would be a wonderful way to start and end each day.

To start each day listing all the benefits God has given me.  The benefits I can expect that day.  And it would be good to tally up the things I take for granted....they are so easy to miss.  You know things like: fresh air, clean water, daylight, my health, enough food to eat.  Things that I take for granted but things that not everyone has.

And what a way to end each day: to take the time to list all the benefits that saw me through the day.  Because even on my worst days, I still have: family and friends who love me, a home, clothes to keep me warm, a warm bed in which to sleep, fresh air, clean water, daylight, my health, enough food to eat.....

So many benefits that I accept casually and simply as a given.  So many benefits that enable me to provide benefits for others.

Bless the Lord, O my Soul.

November 4: Hosea 9-10; Psalm 102; Matthew 4

The temptation of Jesus.  In Matthew 4, we hear of Jesus' very human moment----hungry, tired, depleted, he is faced with that word: "IF....."

This is the very word that often challenges us.  The world whispers in our ears and in our hearts: "If...."
If you were smarter,
If you were stronger,
If you were more capable,
If you were a better person,
If you were thinner,
If you were normal,
If you were truly a Christian......

That word "If" tries to make us forget our true identity---just like Evil tempted Jesus to forget his identity---as beloved children of God.

Instead of starting with IF, let's start with: I am sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ's own forever.  Let's start with who we are and whose we are.  And then we need to place practices and places in our daily lives that help us remember our true nature.  We need to take time to remind ourselves of our origin and foundation so that we don't lose our way. These times and practices, these places and rituals save us from hunger, tiredness, and emptiness so that the world's whispers will not hold us in its grasp.

When it comes to our identity, there is no "IF."  There is only: For God so loved the world.

November 3: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

October 31: Hosea 3-4; Psalm 99; Matthew 1

How wonderful that in this midst of fall....before Thanksgiving and Advent and  before Christmas.....we are given the gift of the story of Incarnation.

Incarnation.  The story when God placed his only Son---Divinity itself---smack dab in the messiness of humanity.  In a lowly manger.

Humans often want to believe we should only put God and praise God in clean places.  In holy places.  Places where the ritual is just right; the gold and silver are gleaming; the candles are properly lit, and everyone says the right thing at the right time.

But, when God is in control of how the Body of Christ is received in the world, God placed divinity in a manger amongst ordinary people----without gold, without candles, without ritual----but still very holy nonetheless.  What made it so holy?  God dwells among us.  Immanuel.  Heaven on earth.

October 30: Hosea 1-2; Psalm 98; Revelation 22

How interesting to read the critique of religious life---and how it is found so wanting---in Hosea while at the same time pondering the prophetic vision of God's Kingdom found in the book of Revelation.

One could be considered current status (Hosea) while the other (Revelation) is the hoped-for end result.

And that's where we find ourselves: in the already but not yet.  The in-between times.

The question for us today is how do we move from our current status toward the hoped-for end result?

What are we willing to do to completely and fully lay claim on the salvation that is already ours?

Are we willing to let go of our status quo?
Are we willing to take on transformative tasks and practices?
Are we willing to let the Holy Spirit breathe new life into our dark spaces?

And let everyone who hears say, "Come." 
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift."

October 29: Daniel 11-12; Psalm 97; Revelation 21

This reading from Revelation is one of my favorites.  It gives a glimpse into what the Kingdom of God looks like.  And this isn't a glimpse of some ethereal, cloud-filled territory we will move to when we die.  Heaven is meant for us now---and later.  We experience it already, but not fully yet.

Whenever we act and move from the love of God, instead of the love of self, then we experience Heaven--God's Kingdom---where God dwells.  And God promises to dwell within humanity.

Today, allow yourself to rest in the beauty of these words and then look for their living reality in your life and the life of the world around you.

Today, make Heaven a reality for others.

Then I saw a new heaven and new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"See, the home of God is among mortals.  He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes.  Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away."

October 28: Daniel 9-10; Psalm 96; Revelation 20

In today's Psalm, the Psalmist declares:
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;....Declare his glory among the nations....

How do we bless the One who has provided everything?  How do we bless the Creator who blesses us?  How do we declare God's glory?

The book of Daniel offers us a glimpse into an important element of this-----repentance.

Often, we think of God's forgiveness as merely an eraser.  We feel badly about what we've done, so we ask God to forgive us.....and God does.

But, repentance isn't about merely saying we are sorry; it's about change, transformation, metanoia.  Repentance means we turn around; we do a 180.  We change our ways.  We return to God.

Daniel prays to God as the voice of Israel:
All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice.

Step one in repentance is to recognize our error and to own up to it.....to seek forgiveness.

Step two is to turn away from the evil we have done.  To choose another way of being.

Step three is to begin to live in that other way---the Jesus way---with God at the center and sacrificial love as our method of living.

And these three steps repeat over and over because this is no easy task.  But, by repeating these steps---by making repentance part of our daily discipline and our rule of life---we are changed and transformed.  We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to become more and more like our Lord--putting others first and asserting God with our words and actions.  Our rough edges are smoothed; our dark places are removed. Our hearts are pierced with the love of God and our very being is opened to the possibility of a new way, a new life.

Make repentance a part of your everyday prayer life.

Sing to the LORD, bless his name;....Declare his glory among the nations....

October 27: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

October 26: Daniel 7-8; Psalm 95; Revelation 19

Both the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation offer us visions.  Visions of what it might look like when we live in such a way that God's Kingdom reigns---in all times and in all places by all people.

Of course, we catch glimpses of that Kingdom now.  When we help and serve one another.  When we seek forgiveness and reconciliation.  When we work toward unity of our common callling instead of focusing on what differs among us.

If you were to describe in writing what you believe the Kingdom of God looks like, what would you write?  And what are you willing to do and be in order for that vision, that dream, to become reality?

October 25: Daniel 5-6; Psalm 94; Revelation 18

Daniel 5: Is this where we get the saying: It's obvious: the writing's on the wall?

Strange things, huh?  And when we get these texts that we can not swallow as a story of facts---we still need to wrestle with the Truth for which the story is told.

No one is so powerful, important or of such a status that they are above God.

We all are accountable for our actions and choices---even the King (and great cities of power like Rome).

But, in the end, Scripture tells us---God is the one who does the weighing, the judging, the analysis.

And, in the end, Scripture tells us---God "desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4)

Praise be to God!  Give thanks to God today, in word and deed, for your salvation.

October 24: Daniel 3-4; Psalm 93: Revelation 17

I always loved this story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  Not even so much because they escaped the fiery furnace....I love the sound of their names.

And while I know this is not a historical document----it is a story that tells a great Truth:
God is sovereign over all.

And again, it brings us to the idea of whether or not God causes every event or God works through every event.

God does not cause Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's troubles today, that is for sure.  Human beings do---Human beings with our frailties of pride, stubbornness, greed, and vengeance.

But God certainly does work through this disastrous event.  And the Truth for us is that God saves.

We are not always saved from pain and suffering; we are not always saved from "the trial."  But God does promise if we place all our trust in and on him, God will be there to embrace us and restore us and redeem us---no matter if the distress we are in is of our own causing or someone else's.  God is sovereign and God saves---even in the midst of humanity's cruelty to one another.

October 23: Daniel 1-2; Psalm 92; Revelation 16

One of the great questions we have is how God works through and in the world.  Does God control every event and item that happens in this Creation?  As Creator, we know that God can control Creation, but does this mean that whenever something happens it is God's choosing.....God's doing?

Many peoples throughout time would answer yes; we see evidence of this in both the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel.  But if God causes all to happen....God causes destruction and warfare and disease and violence.  That's pretty hard to swallow considering the entirety of Scripture which tells us that God---as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier---is all about creating and not destroying.  God is about giving life, not causing death.  God is a God of Resurrection---bringing forth new life out of death.

So,  what do we do with these texts of Scripture that express the belief that God causes all things to happen?

The LORD let King Jehoiakim of Judah fall into his power....(Daniel 1:2)

The Hebrew is not quite so straight-forward...more along the lines that the Lord gave of his hand to Daniel.....more the idea that the Lord allows rather than the Lord causes.

So maybe our question is: Why does God allow these things?  And maybe an idea to be pondered today is: Instead of thinking of God as working on us, maybe we could begin thinking of God working through us.

What does this slightly new perspective tell us about God and our relationship with God?

October 22: Ezekiel 47-48; Psalm 91; Revelation 15

So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel.  You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who reside among you and have begotten children among you.  They shall be to you as citizens of Israel; with you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel..." (Ezekiel 47:21-22)

Here we have resident aliens and native Israelites treated alike---a principle of holiness.

This text challenges us to consider what it means to belong....to move from "alien" to "citizen."  We are challenged to consider how God defines belonging.  What are God's requirements for being considered a "citizen," one of God's own?  The answers to these questions, for Christians, trump the State's answer.

These thoughts stretch us because we have been instructed to think in boundaries---boundaries that define us---boundaries that determine who is in and who is out, who is worthy of receiving and who is not----who is our obligation and who is not.

In Jesus, those boundaries are dissolved.  Those boundaries are erased.  Leaving just an "us" where before there was a "them."  So, how will that change how we live?

October 21: Ezekiel 45-46; Psalm 90; Revelation 14

The Book of Revelation is a vision.  A vision that combines what has happened with what can be.  In Chapter 14, we come upon the one hundred forty-four thousand "who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads." This number is symbolic of the multiplication that is expected to happen among believers.  I do not believe it is meant to be taken literally---as a restriction to how many dwell with God in the eternal life.  The rest of Scripture contradicts that interpretation.  Rather, it is an image that implies there is great multiplication of believers.

Those who have his "name written on their foreheads."  That's us.  We baptized believers, we are "sealed by the Holy Spirit of baptism and marked as Christ's own forever."  We are marked.  And our markings should be visible.  Like the Marks of Mission in the Episcopal Church:

~ To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom

~ To teach, baptize and nurture new believers 

~ To respond to human need by loving service 

~ To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation

~ To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

Who we are and what we believe should be visible to others.  How will we live the mission of Christ today?  How is God calling each one of us to proclaim, teach, nurture, respond....to seek, challenge, pursue and strive in our everyday lives today?  

How will people konow that the Lord is our dwelling place?

October 17: Ezekiel 39-40; Psalm 88; Revelation 11

Wow!  We have the measurement of the temple in two different readings today....goodness, that lined up well.

The measurement of the temple---where God dwells.  And, as we know, the temple isn't really a building.  Yes, most of us go to a building to worship God---but the building merely serves as a place for the community to gather.  It is often beautiful and has beautiful items and symbols to remind us of God and to help us truly put ourselves into the presence of God----but the building isn't where God lives.

The true temple is us----the Body of Christ.  Jesus promises to dwell within us and we in him.  In fact, this has been a promise of God since the beginning.  God dwells within us.  We are the temple.

So, the "measuring of the temple" is actually a judgement if you will.  A judgement isn't about leading to a punishment....it's about taking a measure of how close we are to Jesus or how far we still have to go.  It's an important step in repentance----a step of discerning how well we have aligned ourselves with our True North.  If we miss this step, we won't know how to change our direction.

How wonderful it will be when that seventh angel can truly say: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever."  This is the pronouncement that will be made when we have aligned ourselves rightly with Jesus.  So, let's take some time today to "measure" the temple----let's take some time today to discern where we are rightly aligned with Jesus and where we are missing the mark.  And then, let's ask God to help us know how to correct our steps and to move back to center.  To move back to Jesus.  To make heaven known on earth.  Thy Kingdom come.

October 16: Ezekiel 37-38; Psalm 87; Revelation 10

Prophecies:  Not a telling of the future so much as a telling of the way things will be if......

The way things will be if we continue to ignore our calling to be the living members of the Body of Christ in the world

OR

The way things will be if we live into this calling of sacrifical love that Jesus embodies.

This reading from Ezekiel is one of the prescribed readings for the Easter Vigil because it prophesies the Resurrection----new life begun where before there was only death.  Notice the details:

Yes, God provides the life, but it is mortals who calls forth the breath that provides the new life.  This is how Resurrection happens......God provides the breath/wind/spirit and humanity provides the Body.

God desires to use you today to breathe new life into something or someone who needs the breath of God blown into the midst of them.  It may be the simple act of listening.  It may be noticing one who needs help and providing that help.  It may be giving your time or your talent or your treasure.  It may be a lifted prayer.

God uses humanity in acts of Resurrection.  Practice Resurrection today.

October 15: Ezekiel 35-36; Psalm 86; Revelation 9

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. Psalm 86:8

It seems to me, humanity's biggest mistake is to idolize other things, people, and gods.  This is not merely done by kneeling in front of a statue or praying to an entity.  Whenever we worship---give unadulterated adoration--- toward something or someone other than God---then we are practicing idolatry.

For Americans, idolatry doesn't usually look like it did to the early church.  The early church was dealing with other gods---the pagan gods of other cultures and religions.  This isn't usually our fight.  The early church was also dealing with a government, Rome, that demanded its citizens proclaim their leader, the Emperor, to be god.  This is something we know about.  In America we certainly have leaders and entertainers and athletes and politicians who desire us to treat them as if they are infallible and worthy of a great amount of our time, talent, and treasure.

And often, in America, we get sucked up into the pursuit of many things that can derail us from our pursuit of Jesus.  We think we must spend the majority of our time making more money or becoming more powerful or achieving more accomplishments.....as if our security is found in these things.

As Christians, we know our security is found in God.  And the gifts and treasure God has given us are to be used to advance God's Kingdom. Yes, we must work to provide for us and our people, but not to the point that we neglect our relationship to the Divine.  The Book of Revelation was meant to be a vision of what may come, or could come, as well as a way to understand what had already happened.  How today can we turn from idolatry and back to God?  What simple act can we do to take the first step of repentance and return?

October 14: Ezekiel 33-34; Psalm 85; Revelation 8

Trumpets are blowing in both the prophecy of Ezekiel and the Apocalyptic vision of John in the Book of Revelation.  Trumpets are blowing.

The blowing of trumpets was a warning sign---a sign to pay attention.

God sends warning signs to us; sometimes they come from the voices of people;  sometimes our bodies make it clear to us; sometimes the warning comes from elements outside of ourselves.  No matter what form the warning takes, the Holy Spirit sends us signals to let us know we've gotten a bit off track.

For me, I can often tell when I am "off-center" and "off-balanced."  When I feel things get a bit chaotic and stressfull...that is always a good indication that I have not spent enough time centered in Christ.

Words from friends, family, and strangers often are signs for me as well.....as long as I'm listening in a way that I can truly hear.

God doesn't always come in an earthquake or rumbling....God even shows up in the silence---like the great silence that accompanies the breaking of the seventh seal in Revelation.

The key is to expect God to send us these warnings and signs....and then to carefully discern their meaning and direction.  Where are the trumpets blowing in your life today?

October 13: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

October 12: Ezekiel 31-32: Psalm 84; Revelation 7

The space between.  Between what has happened and what will happen.  The space of already and not yet.

This is where we live. We are the servants who are sealed with God's mark on our foreheads: "You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own forever. BCP 308

This chapter serves as an interlude between what has been (before the Messiah) and what is to come.

Now, realizing that God has placed the choosing into our hands is a bit scary.  But remember, God is the Alpha and the Omega.  Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne.

Do we believe God is going to get what God wants?  Are we ready and willing to be God's agents, and in thanksgiving, serve God and God's purpose?  Read verses 15-17 of this seventh chapter; if this is the reality you wish to live in, then say yes to God.

for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

October 11: Ezekiel 29-30; Psalm 83; Revelation 6

I get Chapter 6.  We all try to explain and understand the misery we have experienced.  We all desire to give our pain and tragedy a narrative.

Here we have the writer narrating the calamity in life---the tragedy of humanity living in God's creation thus far.

But this chapter ends with only six of the seven seals opened....what will happen next?

October 10: Ezekiel 27-28; Psalm 82; Revelation 5

They sing a new song...(Revelation 5:9)

The life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus have given us a new song.  Given us a new way of being and living.  Given us a new start (apocalypse remember: when the Messiah comes, one way of living ends and a new one begins).

Let our lives sing this new song.
A song of God's justice and mercy.
A song of kindness and compassion.
A song of forgiveness and reconciliation.
A song of inclusion and gathering.
A song of hope and new life.

What notes of this song will your words and actions play today?

October 9: Ezekiel 25-26; Psalm 81; Revelation 4

I can only imagine...
And this is just what the writer of the book of Revelation did---imagined or experienced a vision of what it must look like to see God seated upon the throne.

It doesn't matter if this is what it truly looks like or not.  What matters, the Truth, in this vision is that Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.

God is eternal.  Eternal is a bit different than everlasting.  Everlasting, in my mind anyway, has a starting point.  A beginning but then goes on for forever once it's started.

Eternal has no beginning...and no end---or God is the beginning and the End.  God always has been and always will be.  Even when we totally mess up.  Even when we take the wrong turns.  Even when humanity is at its worst and forgets that we are made in the image of the divine.  God is the beginning and the end---there is no time without God.

Even though God is in control, it doesn't mean that God controls every event that happens.  It's like being parents of children.  In many homes, the parents are "in control."  They set the boundaries and agenda of the family.  However, sometimes those kiddos do things that the parents have no control over---and on purpose---because if the parents do not grant the kiddos any choosing, then the kiddos will never learn how to be responsible adults who can manage in this world.

Because God is so powerful, God has enough power to grant us the ability to choose---And our choices cannot end or destroy God.  They can certainly disappoint and disconnect us from God.  But God Almighty is eternal.  What hope and joy that Truth contains!

October 8: Ezekiel 23-24; Psalm 80; Revelation 3

This chapter of the book of Revelation is asking one question:

Are you in or are you out?

Are you lukewarm, the voice asks.....then I will spit you out.  Lukewarm means we are neither in or out; we are riding the fence.  God doesn't call us to ride the fence but to put our skin in the game---to put our whole self into this process of sanctification, of being made holy so that we may make Christ known in the world.

"Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut." (3:8)

In Christ, God has removed all barriers between us and God.  The obstacle between earth (where humans dwell) and heaven (where God dwells) has been removed.  Will we choose to stand at the threshold (I love Jesus, but....) or will we step over into the realm where we believe that Jesus, the Messiah, lives and reigns....and therefore, calls us to live differently than we did when we lived on the other side?

The choice is ours.  No one can take away that choice.  But we can certainly deny it.

Are you in or are you out?

October 7: Ezekiel 21-22; Psalm 79; Revelation 2

Revelation!  Talk about a book of the Bible that has people guessing.  This week let's focus on this book that has generated so much talk and hype.

First of all, this book is not a text one should read literally.  It is a book of revelations---yes, some of it can be said to have been based on historic events and places(the destruction of Jerusalem and the city of Rome, for example), but it isn't only an historic text.

And yes, it is certainly written to reveal truths to us---to give us a hopeful vision into how things could turn out---but not in such a way that we can predict when and where things happen.

And it is definitely apocalyptic.  The Jewish people believed in an apocalypse---that when the Messiah came, one way of living would end and another begin.  As Christians, we believe this too.  But, for us, we are called to recognize that we are to be agents into this new way of living---our actions (empowered by the Holy Spirit) bringing God's Kingdom to life in this realm.
"To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom...." (Revelation 1:5-6)

In this revelation, Jesus speaks to us:
"I know your works, your toil, and your patient endurance....I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name....But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first....." (Revelation 2:2-4)

Today we are invited to ponder how we have abandoned the love...the love we felt when we first became enthralled with Jesus.  The litte details of the day can drag us down.  We get tired of being patient; tolerance can exhaust us; generosity can deplete us; kindness and compassion have a way of wearying us.

We must remember what Jesus did to endure these toils and taxes on him.  He prayed.  He sought time with God.  He went away.  He replenished himself.

We have been granted the gift of a community who can bear our burdens with us; a community who will dive into Scripture with us; a community who will pray with and for us.
We have been given the well of living water and Spirit in the form of Sacraments.
We have the luxury of free will-----so we can choose how to schedule our time and to choose to make time to sit at the feet of God, our Creator.

God knows we will all fall short.  Falling short is not the problem.  Choosing not to be replenished so we can continue on in the works of Jesus is the issue.  How will you be renewed today?

October 1: Ezekiel 11-12: Psalm 75; 1 John 5

Mortal, you are living in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.   Ezekiel 12: 2-3

Goodness, God could just as easily be speaking to us instead of to the prophet Ezekiel thousands of years ago.

We too have eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear.

We fail to see how our self-centered ways are depleting Creation.
We fail to hear the cries of the hungry and thirsty.
We fail to see the injuries we inflict on others with our words.
We fail to hear the laments of those who mourn the fatalities of warfare.
We fail to see the lost among us.
We fail to hear the many labels we use to divide instead of unite.

God must be wondering: When?  When, my people, will you hear and see?

September 30: Ezekiel 9-10; Psalm 74; 1 John 4

What does love mean to you?  How do you know someone loves you?  Is it words?  Is it actions? Is it both?

Beloved, let us love one another.  For love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.  1 John 4: 7-8

You know what love means to you.  You know how it feels to be loved.  You know what you need in order to know you are loved.

So.......

Beloved, let us love one another.  For love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.  1 John 4: 7-8

September 29: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

September 28: Ezekiel 7-8; Psalm 73; 1 John 3

Whoever does not love abides in death.  1 John 3: 14

When we take action that is not love....

When we react in anger and hostility....

When we reject instead of welcome....

When we ignore instead of notice....

When we wound instead of heal...

When we hoard instead of share...

When we deny forgiveness instead of reconciling...

When we turn the other way instead of showing mercy...

We die instead of live.  We murder instead of giving life.  We destroy instead of building up.

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.  1 John 3: 18

September 27: Ezekiel 5-6; Psalm 72; 1 John 2

But you have been anointed by the Holy One....

These are words I need to hear today.  I need to be reminded that I have been set apart by God.  Set apart not because I am more special than anyone else, but set apart so that all may be set apart.  Being anointed isn't about a small inclusive circle so that I can lord my "holiness" over others.

We are anointed in our baptism so that we might become a shining light.  A light that attracts.  A light that shines for others to see and know what goodness is---God is good.  And in Him there is no darkness at all.

God is counting on us to know and act in ways that say: I am anointed........come, and be anointed too!

September 26: Ezekiel 3-4; Psalm 71; 1 John 1

If we say that we have fellowship with Jesus while we are walking in the darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as Jesus himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another...  1 John 1:6-7

In one of our post-communion prayers, we give thanks to God for making us "living members of the Body of Christ."

We are living members of the Body of Christ!

I know, we hesitate to fully take this in because we know we are not worthy, not up to the job.
But God already has that taken care of.

If we honestly, and regularly, stop to look within ourselves---to identify the shadows and darkness within us---AND if we seek to give up those shadows and darkness....and allow ourselves to be strengthened by the Spirit---to be empowered to live into this new life in Christ---if we take the promise of reconciliation and redemption seriously.....

We can then walk in the light of Christ.  In the life of Christ.  Then we have true fellowship with one another.  Then we live what we believe.  Then we reveal Christ to the world.  Resurrection.

September 25: Ezekiel 1-2; Psalm 70; 2 Peter 3

Mortal: I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me...

Hear God speaking this to you today.  Except God sends us out not only to one people, but to all peoples.  We are sent as apostles to preach the Good News of Jesus.  We may do this in words, but perhaps even more importantly, we are to do this in our actions.

We speak to people by choosing to act in ways of love and mercy, forgiveness and generosity---like Jesus.

We speak to people when they see us choosing what is best for others and for all, rather than simply what is in our own benefit only.

We speak to people when they see us sacrificing our time, talent and treasure for the needs of others.

We speak to people when they witness our kindness and inclusiveness.

We speak to people when we welcome them by simply listening to their story without judgement.

We speak to people when we tell them their place is right alongside our place, and both our places are at God's table.

Actions and behaviors are essential for preaching.  If our actions and behaviors don't reveal Jesus, then our words about Jesus will fall empty.

September 24: Lamentations 5; Psalm 69; 2 Peter 2

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.  At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me.

Let's imagine for a moment that God is the wind.  Blowing everywhere, always present, sometimes palpable, sometimes quiet and calm.

Now let's imagine we are in a room with a window.  As wind, God seeks to enter the room---even if only through the cracks and crevices of the closed window.  Inside the room, we desperately need the refreshment that comes from fresh air.  Sometimes we just sit there and bemoan our state:  "O, I wish I could breathe in the fresh air!  What I wouldn't do for a brisk breeze right now."

When we pray, we do more than bemoan; we actively seek that fresh air.  We open the window--sometimes a crack and sometimes throwing it wide open--and let the fresh breeze of God blow into our lives.  Instantly, we are given refreshment, and the longer we remain in the fresh air---we will be provided answers---ways forward, whatever our situation may be.

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.  At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me.  (Psalm 69: 13)

September 23: Lamentations 3-4; Psalm 68: 2 Peter 1

The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall!  My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.  But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of hte LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;

There are so many times when life hands us pain and sorrow, affliction and grief.  At these times it may be hard to understand what good our faith does for us.  After all, believing in Jesus Christ doesn't take away the humiliation, the rejection, the disease (dis-ease), or the injuries that are so much a part of living in this world.  This is why we cry out, just as  the writer of Lamentations does; we cry out in our pain.

But believing in Jesus--which means knowing Jesus, having a relationship with Jesus, and acting out of this relationship with Jesus---does offer us a buoy in the middle of our storms.  Because knowing and being known by Jesus means we are connected to others---others who will serve as our lighthouse and life preservers when the water gets too high.  Because in God's realm, it is all about community.

In community, we work together to support our faith with "goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love." (2 Peter 1:6-7)

Being a Christian doesn't mean there is no suffering.  Jesus suffered.  Accepting God as our Master, declaring Jesus as our Lord and Savior, means there is redemption and restoration from the suffering.  There is Resurrection.  Praise be to God!

September 22: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

September 21: Lamentations 1-2; Psalm 67; 1 Peter 5

This is a book of poetry.  Songs of lament meant to appeal to God's mercy.  At times, it is hard to read.  But we understand the words and feelings all too well...

As we live in another week when violence by gunfire has taken lives, this time at the Navy yard, and as we read the book of a people's cry to God to end this suffering, let's begin to ask the hard question: what are we called to do to end this suffering?

Lamenting at a time such as this is needed.  It is part of our human nature to weep and wail at injustice and evil.  But God also calls us to take action, to change, to demand a way to restore justice.

I'm tired of weeping and wailing at the daily instances of violent gunfire in the United States.  Today I must also consider how I can be part of a solution.  I'm not sure of the answer as of yet; I know it includes prayer.  But, I think it involves more than that.  Step one: I must be willing to accept that I have a part to play in it.  Step two:  I need to educate myself on gun laws and politicians and what is happening in my country.

I'd like to avoid step two.  It just depresses me.  But the endless slaughter of people due to gunfire depresses me even more.

Gun fatalities exceeded 30,000 per year and terror fatalities totaled about 3,400 since 1970, yet we treat acts of terror with an understanding that we will do anything to stop it but don't react the same way for gun violence. (www.msnbc.com)

You may not feel the same way as me; that's okay.  But things we lament should also be things we feel deeply enough to desire to change.  We should be willing to consider our part in it.  How might we be agents of transformation----midwives of God's Kingdom----in these situations?

September 20: Jeremiah 52; Psalm 66; 1 Peter 4

Be hospitable to one another without complaining.  Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. (1 Peter 4:9-10)

What if, as soon as we recognized a blessing in our midst.....
What if our first thought could be: How do I use this for the benefit of all?  How do I use this gift as a blessing to others and not just to myself?

What if, at those times when we expect gifts (birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, etc).....
What if knowing we will be "gifted," we earmark those gifts as blessings toward others.  If those of us who already have our needs met, what if we declared that our Christmas or birthday gifts should be given to bless others?

We could encourage our loved ones to give money to charitable causes of our choosing...
We could ask others to utilize the Episcopal Relief and Development's catalog of Gifts of Life that provides medical, educational, and food/water needs for those living in distress.
We could ask others to give of their time for a service project.
We could .........we could live differently.  We can live differently.  Because we are blessed.

What if......?

September 19: Jeremiah 50-51; Psalm 65; 1 Peter 3

Some of us have issues with 1 Peter's description of marriage, don't we?  Of course, we must remember that in the time Scripture was written, marriage was a different thing than it is in  our society.

But, this doesn't mean these texts have no truths to speak to us today.  So, what is the truth here?

The truth is that marriage is a covenanted relationship between two individuals.  And the two individuals, like Christ, promise to live out a sacrificial love.  And this love requires stances that are not popular in our culture: submission, obedience, and sacrifice.

Yes, these texts have been used as instruments of abuse by suggesting that one partner in a marriage (traditionally, it has been the wife) is somehow "less than" the other.  But, in the context of the entirety of Scripture, in the context of what Jesus says and does in Scripture, no reasonable student of Scripture could hold this evil sentiment as truth.

In Christ there is no male or female; there is only a child of God.  All are to be equally valued and all are equally worthy.

Somehow, we have so twisted up things to make these words: submission, obedience, and sacrifice---into words of weakness.  We have become so caught up in our individualistic rights that we dismiss the notion that we live and act for the common good, not simply our own good.

As Christians, Jesus is our ideal---our compass----our Way.  Jesus submitted; Jesus obeyed; Jesus sacrificed.

These texts that are difficult for us to swallow are the very texts with which we must wrestle and question instead of dismissing.  Today we are called to consider: how do we lay down our lives for another?

September 18: Jeremiah 48-49; Psalm 64; 1 Peter 2

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. (1 Peter 2:1)

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could simply say: Today's the day.  Today's the day when I am no longer mean or angry or jealous or vengeful or full of gossip.  Today's the day when my words will no longer hurt people, and I will be able to forgive as soon as I'm injured.  Today's the day I rid myself of all that gunk.

I do believe most of us long for this.  But, how do we achieve it?

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

We are to come to Jesus.  Come to Jesus and witness what it is to truly live as a human, as God planned and designed.  Come to Jesus and let go of those parts of us that keep us from living as God's child---willingly sacrifice those broken pieces of ourselves so that we can be made holy....a holy priesthood.  This means we must come, we must learn, we must be willing to be transformed, we must let go, we must lean into the power of Christ given to us through the Holy Spirit.  We must be willing to be made new.  For we are more than random individuals living out our days on this earth.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 

September 17: Jeremiah 46-47; Psalm 63; 1 Peter 1

Psalm 63:1
O God....my soul thirsts for you....my flesh faints for you...

Do our souls thirst for God?  Does our flesh faint for God?

This means that we realize that we have a complete dependence.....COMPLETE DEPENDENCE....on God for the very stuff of life.  This declares that we cannot live without God.

If this is our Truth, then as often as we seek to eat and drink.....we seek God.
As much time and energy as we put into our next meal and our pleasure....we give to God.

It means that God is our security, our lifebood, our nourishment.
The Psalmist calls us to consider our daily schedule and habits and to reflect on whether or not we truly hunger, thirst and desire God.

When you consider how you make decisions, how you spend your time, talents, and treasure, how you live your day: what part does God play in your life?  What is God's status in your home?

September 16: Jeremiah 44-45; Psalm 62; James 5

Psalm 62: 1
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

For God alone.  It is God alone who redeems us, who sanctifies us, who restores us.
The Psalmist knows we have a part in this; we wait.

We wait by taking time to sit in silence and prayer with God each day.
We take a "consecrated pause" in our lives---a Sabbath---to meet with God.

We wait by making room for God to lead us and guide us.
We recognize that our ways are folly and it is God who has designed the grand scheme for our lives.

We wait by humility, obedience, and faithfulness.
We put God first by putting others first, setting aside our wants to meet another's need.
We live as Christ lived.......with sacrificial love.

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

September 15: Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church

September 14: Jeremiah 42-43; Psalm 61; James 4

Craving: an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing

Cravings can make us crazy.  Irrational.  And downright disobedient.

We know we don't need something, and yet we want it.  And that want grows and grows until it feels like a need.  It no longer appears to our heart and mind as a luxury, but as something we cannot live without.  It has grown into a craving.  And cravings are trouble.

Trouble because they make us blind to true need---that which is essential for life.
Cravings make us blind to our own need.  Cravings make us blind to the need of others.  We lose sight of things that are essential---like community, prayer, study, sleep, recreation, healthy eating, healthy stewardship of our gifts---all because we have a yearning, a longing, for something not currently in our possession.

Maybe we crave more stuff, a bigger house, the newest tech-toy, a better car, some new shoes.....
Maybe we crave more recognition, more power, more status, more fame, more position.......
Maybe we crave more silence, less people, less words, less responsibilities, just plain less.....

Now, none of these things in and of themselves are bad.  But when we seek them at the cost of our needs---AND when we seek them at the cost of someone else's (anyone else's) needs---then we have lost our Way.  

God asks that we consider the other, and our own NEEDS, before (and while) we act.  We must not let our cravings be our Master, our compass.  

September 13: Jeremiah 39-41; Psalm 60; James 3

The Letter of James is a letter that I have read and re-read.  And a lot of it has to do with the Third Chapter.  This Chapter convicts me.

With it [the tongue] we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God.

Unfortunately, this is more true of me than I desire it to be.

Probably for most of us.

The same mouth and tongue that praises God and says my prayers, reads the Scriptures, prays the Psalms---that same tongue and mouth curses my fellow brothers and sisters.
It curses by:

• gossiping
• making assumptions about another
• talking about them without their input
• reliving my anger toward them only so that anger may grow
• complaining about another
• withholding words of forgiveness and mercy
• talking for them instead of to them
• making fun of or belittling them

Words can bring solace; words can bring pain.
Words can close wounds; words can slice wounds open.

We are a people of reconciliation.  The Letter to James reminds us that we must be mindful of the power that is wrought by our words.

Come, Holy Spirit, and give us the desire, and ability, to control our words so they may be used for unity instead of division.  Amen.

September 12: Jeremiah 36-38; Psalm 59; James 2

James is a book that almost didn't make the Bible!  Whether or not it would make the final cut was hotly debated (or so the scholars/historians tell us).  Thank God we have this wonderful epistle with so many pragmatic and wise words for living in our everyday lives.

Chapter two delves into the debate: faith or works?  Which one saves us?

Well, faith does.  But the writer makes the argument that one cannot truly have faith (belief) without it finding its way into our actions, our words and our choices.

Someone once said to me:

Want to know what you really believe in?  What you really value?  Then, take a look at your calendar and your checkbook.  Wherever you are investing your time and your treasure.....that's what you value.

Hmmm, made me think. And it may not be that simple....but there certainly is truth in that observation, isn't there?  Jesus put it a bit differently:
 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:21

September 11: Jeremiah 34-35; Psalm 58; James 1

"It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away."  (James 1:11)

Wait a minute!  Does God really dislike the rich that much?  Is it a sin to be well off?

No, I don't think so.  But God does expect those who have been blessed with much to be a blessing to others.  And more of a blessing than some......because the wealthy have the ability to be a blessing in a way that the poor cannot.  It's that simple.

Scripture doesn't say that it's important for everyone to have an equal share.  It's not about equality. It's about equity.  Everyone (yes, each person on the face of the earth) has the natural right to have enough.  To have enough to live.  Give US this day OUR daily bread.  I believe that when we pray the Lord's Prayer, this is what we are asking: that each may have what is needed for the day.

So, this means that some of us--either due to hard work, different gifts, luck or happenstance--will have more than someone else.  And that's okay.  It's what we do with our the abundance that matters.  It's about what we do with our excess (that which is over and beyond what we NEED, not over and above what we want) that God wants us to think about carefully.

John Wesley had a great plan for wealth.
         Make as much money as you can, so
         You can save as much money as you can, so
         You can give as much money as you can.

I think God would approve.

September 10: Jeremiah 31-33; Psalm 57; Hebrews 13

The prophet Jeremiah reminds us: God promises to restore us.  God promises to return us home.  And if we learn nothing else from Scripture, surely we learn that God keeps God's promises.

This story, this history, of ours with the Creator declares and displays over and over that God is a God of steadfast love and mercy----never wavering, never broken, never abandoned.

And the object of this wonderful and vast love?  Us, my brothers and sisters.....all of us....all of humanity.....all of God's children.

Restoration. Redemption. Return.  What a promise.
May today be a litany of thanksgiving to God in all that we say and do.

September 9: Jeremiah 28-30; Psalm 56; Hebrews 12

The Psalmist writes of the exhaustion that life in this world creates.  We've all known these times....when we are feeling so depleted we lack even the energy to smile...to rejoice with another...to do much of anything, frankly.

Like the Psalmist, we may feel "trampled," "injured," or "afraid."

At these times, we must go to the fountain of living water.  We must make and take time to pray.  I don't know about you, but my first action in prayer used to be (and sometimes still is) to fill the silence with my chattering noise (in my head or aloud), filling the space with my complaints, my needs, my requests.

Now, I try to begin my prayer time in silence.  This takes a while...to silence the noises in my head, my heart, and my spirit.  But, as I do, I make more space for the Spirit.  To inhabit and dwell within me.  To lead and instruct me.  To show me the Way forward---providing answers for me.

Prayer: a balm, a guide, an answer, and a foundation for our lives.

"In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid.  What can a mere mortal do to me?" (Psalm 56:10)