READING ļ»æ “In indigenous ways of thinking, we don’t call these natural resources. We call them relatives. They are beings, people, which share their gifts with each other and us. When someone shares their gifts with you, your first response is gratitude, and that gratitude cements a response of love.” Robin Wall Kimmerer WORDS OF HOPE I slide my fingers slowly over the inside of her outstretched arm, smooth and brown, learning, as with a lover’s hands, each part of her. A low curved ridge curls over a shallow trough —the sinew and ligament of her limb-- and border the long muscular shape. The word “limb” arcs the synapses of the brain to suggest that we are both limbed beings, kindred, Sisters. Sister crepe myrtle has been rooted in my back yard for years. First planted as a small scrub, she has grown wildly, her crown shaped eastward—as some of the sunlight has been absorbed by a much larger hackberry tree which overshadowed her. Still, her rangy arms stretch in their own design over my yard. She is not “aesthetically pruned”, as some like to do, and tiny scratch marks from 1000s of squirrel journeys cover her trunk, but to me she is beautiful in all seasons with her fushia blossoms in summer, orange-red tinged leaves in fall, and polished bare branches in winter. Though I have always been of Nature’s tribe, stopping to behold the tiniest purple flower in the grass and listening raptly to the joy-song of the wren, I have realized that even this deep appreciation is objectifying in some sense—I the observer, they the other, I the witness, they the witnessed. At this time of my life, I am seeking to learn, pray into, and practice an even deeper spirituality of relationship with the natural world. One of my teachers in this school of relationality is Robin Wall Kimmerer-- plant ecologist, scientist, author of Braiding Sweetgrass , and wisdom-carrier of the Patowatomi people. Kimmerer notes that nowhere in our conservation dogma does the word love appear. And yet for her love based in gratitude is at the heart of things. The task is to invite people to love the world, as we will sacrifice to save what we love. She references an ecopsychologist who asserts that we have a “species loneliness”—separate as most of us are from the living world. And, from the stories that people have shared with her, many are feeling an almost desperate longing for renewed connection. Kimmerer believes that the earth too is lonely for us and yearns to be in loving relationship. Now, in this time she calls the Great Remembering, we are recalling what it was like to hold the earth in love and be held by her. May we learn our lessons well and become not just stewards of the land, but her lovers. PRAYER Oh God, who loved and blessed all creation, animate in us the devotion and love necessary to sacrifice for the preservation and flourishing of the living world. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon
SCRIPTURE John 11.32-35 When Mary [of Bethany] reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” she replied. Jesus wept. Centering Prayer : Lord God, quiet my thoughts and open my spirit to receive your words into my soul. May they find rich opportunity to grow and nourish my spiritual journey with you. Amen. WORDS OF HOPE We live in a harsh society in which compassion sometimes seems out sync with our daily lives, but hear these words: "God is full of compassion and mercy, come let us adore God." This phrase forms an introductory statement to a Franciscan morning prayer which has been prayed for centuries, and its message represents an essential aspect of the Christian journey. Let’s look at the word compassion . From its Latin origin, it is a compound word: com meaning with and passio meaning sympathy; to be in sympathy with, suffer with, experience the distress or sorrow of others. Referring back to that introductory phrase ("God is full of compassion"), it means that God experiences our suffering alongside us. This is a startling pronouncement about the character of the Absolute Sovereign God of this universe. Earlier humanity viewed God as very distant, up in the heavens and away or out of reach for human beings. However, Jesus revealed to us a God which is close, nearby, whose Spirit can live with and in our daily experiences; a God which also senses our sorrow, pain, loss and even our joy; a God which wants to be a true participant in our full life. God wants to live our daily life, step-by-step, in intimate relationship with us! Jesus is the great revelation of this divine nature as expressed in human form. The Gospel of John (Chapter 11) gives the account of Jesus’ response to the emotional pain experienced by the sisters and friends of Lazarus who had died. When he arrived, Jesus found them in deep sorrow and crying over the loss of this friend who was such a good man. "When Jesus saw them weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved." As he approached the tomb, we read the shortest verse in all the Bible: "Jesus wept". Jesus felt their pain and sorrow. As a human, Jesus genuinely expressed sorrow for the loss of Lazarus' friendship and cried as we might do in that experience. Jesus demonstrated to us in human form the depth of God's compassion at Lazarus' death and the family's grief. As the Franciscan prayer phrase reads: "Our God is full of compassion", let us adore the compassionate God who knows us and who loves us so much and wishes to experience that love in an intimate relationship with our full life. PRAYER God of all, today, may we strive to practice the same compassion for others as you have forever felt for us. Devotion Author Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Proverbs 8:1-4 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? At the highest point along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gate leading into the city, at the entrance, she cries aloud: “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. WORDS OF HOPE During a recent time of morning prayer and meditation I found myself struggling with how to face the day. On my mind was a laundry list of questions—Why are things in the world the way they are? What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to feel? What information is true? What is real? And the list went on until finally that still small voiced pierced through my chaotic thoughts and whispered, “what one thing do you need right now/?” This one question erased all the others. I sat with it for what seemed like an eternity thinking about an answer…wisdom. The word wisdom rang out clearly in my head and heart. Though my answer was definitive, upon further reflection it came with more questions…what is wisdom and how do I find it? Wisdom is not knowledge. Wisdom is not truth. Wisdom is what leads us to knowledge and truth. Wisdom is a lens though which we experience life. In one of his daily meditations, Franciscan priest Richard Rohr writes: “One of the keys to wisdom is that we must recognize our own biases, our own addictive preoccupations, and those things to which, for some reason, we refused to pay attention. Until we see these patterns (which is early-stage contemplation), we will never be able to see what we do not see. Without such critical awareness of the small self, there is little chance that any individual will produce truly great knowing or enduring wisdom.” “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind” writes Solomon about wisdom in the above passage in Proverbs. It struck me when reading this and then thinking about the words of Richard Rohr that it is not wisdom itself that we seek; she is there before us at all times. But rather, we must seek to find a space for wisdom to dwell within. Those biases that we carry, the judgement that we harbor, the meaningless distractions that we allow to punctuate our days, the false sense of comfort we seek in worldly things all take away from the place where wisdom desires to live and grow. In Chapter 3 of Proverbs, Solomon writes, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge God, and God will make straighter your paths.” This is where I find myself right now, learning to trust in a bigger way. Amidst all that is going on around us, we must maintain our trust in God remembering that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts and God’s thoughts are not ours. PRAYER Loving God, help me to navigate my days not relying solely on my own limited understanding, but trusting in your infinite wisdom. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE I Corinthians 1:27-29 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. WORDS OF HOPE Being a fan of the works of Aaron Sorkin (think The West Wing, A Few Good Men, Moneyball, The Newsroom), I find myself wishing I could wake up one morning with the rapid-fire dialogue plus the witty and intellectual banter of one of his characters. Particularly in academic situations, I want to have the banter of President Josiah Bartlett or Anchorman Will McAvoy. Instead, I wake up as the same old me. Writing better than I speak, I can’t recall names when I want to and struggle to put together coherent sentences in the moment. If scripture ever had an Aaron Sorkin character, it would be the Apostle Paul. He is classically trained, a citizen of Rome, well-traveled, and able to debate among the Greeks and in the Synagogue. Yet here, in 1 Corinthians, Paul makes the assertion that the message of the cross is “foolishness” and “a stumbling block” and “a weakness”. He offers a radical redefinition of value and meaning. While human wisdom often seeks logical explanations and strength, Paul insists that God's plan operates on a different plane, one that subverts worldly expectations. Paul asks rhetorically, “Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law?” and argues that God has made the wisdom of the world foolish. This is not a rejection of intellect, but rather a critique of pride and self-reliance. The Jews want miraculous signs, the Greeks want solid philosophic thought. Instead, Paul presents a “Christ crucified” which makes no sense to either group. This inversion is intentional. God does not conform to human categories or expectations but acts through ‘foolish’ means to fulfill God’s purposes. While human wisdom often seeks logical explanations and strength, Paul insists that God's plan operates on a different plane, one that subverts worldly expectations. ļ»æ I still want to wake up one morning with the witty banter of an Aaron Sorkin character. But even more so, I wake up every morning knowing of God’s good grace and humbly accepting that God’s wisdom is greater than anything I could imagine. PRAYER Lord, help me to trust in the wisdom of Your cross, even when it seems foolish to the world. Teach me to boast only in You, knowing that my strength and salvation come from Your grace alone. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs
SCRIPTURE Habakkuk 1: 1-3 How long oh Lord, must I cry out for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you “VIOLENCE” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and conflicts abound. WORDS OF HOPE One evening after watching a news report where folks were being arrested at a peaceful demonstration, I literally said out loud, “Really God, where are you during this absolute insanity of injustice? Are you just going to idly sit by and let the destruction happen?” I wondered if I could stay where I am, keep the faith and maintain my calm. While researching the Bible for the answers, I discovered it’s full of folks who felt the same way and found this current situation in our world is really nothing new. ļ»æ In my quest for biblical support, I found solidarity and optimism in the story of Habakkuk. He wrestled with this problem as all around him injustice and fear were running rampant. He too was infuriated by how the wicked always seemed to prosper. He felt like God was just hanging out, doing nothing about all the evil happening around him, and after all, wasn’t that God’s job! So, he cried out as well and petitioned God to do something and stop the chaos. It’s a remarkable story about faith, patience, and God’s timing. In the end, God declares he will deal with evil and restore justice. Habakkuk learns to trust God and live by faith, even in the face of adversity. His experience reminds us though the world may be filled with evil and suffering, God's ultimate plan of justice will triumph even when things seem uncertain or difficult. This includes both the punishment of the wicked and the restoration of the righteous. While I unequivocally believe God will prevail, I am just wondering…..God, could you please hurry? PRAYER Creator God of ALL, give us the stamina to maintain our faith, the courage to stand up to adversity and the wisdom to know your word will prevail! In Jesus name, Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donna Jackson
SCRIPTURE Proverbs 26:20 NIV Without wood a fire goes out. WORDS OF HOPE The Serenity of Silence Today is Juneteenth, the day slaves in Texas finally learned they were free long after the end of the chaos of the Civil War. Today many African Americans gather in silent prayer to honor the occasion. Silence is not the absence of chaos but the presence of control. Rage is chaotic, so too is lust; neither of which need sound to be present. To quiet the storms in our hearts, we need only bring order to the confusion. One can stay silent only by showing restraint. A teacher should instruct by considering what she or he says. Every manner of thought passes through the mind, every kind of emotion is felt in the heart, but if each thought were said and every emotion expressed, then even in sleep there would be no rest. Silence bridals the tongue and reins in the heart. It does not always stop the fire within, but it keeps the fire from spreading. Consider silence when you do not know what to say. It is better to say nothing than it is to say the wrong thing. How good it is to sleep in peace. It is hard to sleep under a bridge while a train is passing by. Likewise, let your words offer the listener rest and try your best not to argue. Anger without control ruins relationships but anger with control sees the end of it. There are times when we cannot stay silent, for a pot will boil over if the lid is kept on for too long. However, if we are patient and wise, then we will choose the manner in which we speak and the time. Many monks meditate in silence. Some have found silence so valuable that they even take a vow of silence, meaning that they live their entire lives without speaking. Perhaps, this is the reason why they never go to war. How can there be a fire with nothing to burn or how can there be an argument without words? Quiet places are quite peaceful. There is music all around us, and we can hear it only if we are listening. PRAYER Gentle Spirit, Teach us wisdom. Help us to understand. Some of us do not know peace. Grant us the serenity of silence. Let our minds be at rest and our hearts be still. Bless You, for always making a way. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Daniel 1: 11-16 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So, the guard took away their choice of food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. WORDS OF HOPE During the Babylonian exile, the Hebrews adopted a lot of customs and learnings from the Babylonians. This story of Daniel, the same one who was rescued from the “lion’s den” is one I never really examined, but it contains an interesting nutritional observation. Daniel, in his quest to keep what we now call the Kosher Laws refused to eat the food provided and insisted on a diet of simple vegetables and water. Not surprisingly after a few weeks, he was healthier than the others who had been eating what was most likely non-kosher meals and meat, I would guess pork. It’s a biblical argument for a vegetarian diet, but more importantly, it is an illustration of how Daniel followed his traditions as the others adopted those of the Babylonians. Not everything about a new culture is positive, nor is it negative. It is just new, and as such may or may not be a good thing. The story reminds me to be open to new experiences and ideas but to not discard all my old ones. After all the old ones got me this far. PRAYER May we always be open to new ideas yet still be guided by God’s grace and wisdom. DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman
SCRIPTURE Proverbs 13.10 Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. James 3.17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ļ»æ Sirach 11:1,3 The wisdom of the humble lifts their head high. The bee is small among flying creatures, but what it produces is the best of sweet things. WORDS OF HOPE There is so much speculation, so much misinformation, so many outright lies floating around our multitude of news sources these days, we long for some good old-fashioned words of wisdom. Where do we find it? You and I should both know the answer to that: The wisdom literature of the Bible, both in the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures of the Protestant Bible, and in the Apocryphal books of the Roman Catholic version. Sirach is one of the best known of these books. The words are from the great wisdom teacher, Ben Sira. But wisdom, even then, came with a price. Here it is clear that Ben Sira was teaching a group of young men who probably were more privileged in society. Their families may have had enough wealth that the boys got better schooling and were not forced directly into the common labor market. It would have been quite natural that they might fall into the sticky grip of pride; especially, when speaking or teaching other men of less means. However, the danger of pride is not limited to them. How can it affect us today? The character trait of humility is based upon proper acceptance of who we really are and of valid respect for the worth of the other person's life and knowledge. The Psalms and Proverbs are filled with many admonitions for humility, and it was a major trait given example in the life of Jesus. Certainly, it is not a character trait which is given much value by today's onslaught of self-promotional behavior. However curious enough, humility when linked with wisdom is an admired trait when seen in the life of a deceased person. Who gives much honor to the person whose eulogy states that he was an arrogant fool? However, the humble departed soul is revered and remembered for the acts and words of kindness by which that person showed respect for others. The essence of wisdom boils down to a valid acceptance of the equal worth of every human. That’s how God views all of us, worthy of divine love; why can’t we see others as God does? PRAYER Creator of all, help us to remember that the wisest among us are also the humblest. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Ephesians 4:1-3 (The Message) In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. WORDS OF HOPE Get Going and Use the Gifts You’ve Got! The writings of the Apostle Paul come alive in this contemporary paraphrase of the New Testament by American pastor, Eugene Peterson. There is an importance, an urgency to these words. They call us to the task of living out our journey on the path that the early disciples simply named, “The Way.” It is the path God calls you to travel. Where does that road go? It is a journey that is unique for everyone, yet similar. Whatever our gifts, we are to “pour ourselves out for each other in acts of love.” We are admonished to see beyond differences and quickly mend fences. Wow! Does that sound relevant and needed today! Verses 4-6 continue, “You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.” Then, just when you think Paul’s message is describing some overly homogenized social melting pot, there is verse 7: “But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift.” You may be struggling right now, but don’t ever succumb to the falsehood that you don’t have gifts that this world needs. Cultivate the discipline of a grateful heart. Offer loving kindness to someone who is ignored or rejected. Be the hands and feet of Christ through service, compassion, speaking up, and taking a stand when it matters. We can’t fix everything or save everyone. God doesn’t expect us to. God expects us to use the gifts we were given to bring hope and light to troubled people in tough places. Get going, and remember to use the gifts you’ve got! PRAYER Dear Jesus who loves us, help us we pray, to use what we have, be who we are, and follow Your Way. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Rev. Dr. Gary Kindley Pastoral Psychotherapist drgk.org
SCRIPTURE Matthew 19:13-14 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” WORDS OF HOPE Images of child labor populate the fiction of Romantic and Victorian England in works such as William Blake’s “The Chimney Sweeper” and several of Charles Dickens’ novels including David Copperfield. With the surge of industrialization, children often had their innocence stolen by harsh, abusive, and perilous situations. While his father was in debtors’ prison, Dickens himself worked 10 to 12 hours a day, separated from his family in unhealthy conditions in Warren Blacking Factory. In his autobiography he described the place as "a crazy, tumbledown house with rotten floors and staircase, dirty and decaying, with rats swarming down in the cellar.” https://editions.covecollective.org/content/memory-trauma-and-poverty-child-labor-charles-dickenss-david-copperfield Today, World Day against Child Labor, tragically highlights that this deplorable situation still exists across the globe. Though the UN adopted a goal of ending child labor by 2025, some 160 million youth are subject to the practice, some of the worst manifestations of which are slavery, forced labor, trafficking, and the recruitment of children in military service. * In the US in 2025, states are going in both directions—with some strengthening protections and others loosening. For example, in January Illinois limited the number of hours that children and youth can work during a school week to 18 and blacklisted certain types of employment: cannabis dispensaries, the adult entertainment industry, gambling establishments, and gun ranges. **As well, harsher penalties for violations will be enforced. On the other hand, according to the Economic Policy Institute, lawmakers this year proposed legislation in Florida, Kentucky, and Ohio that would undermine federal laws on child labor, minimum wage, and worker health and safety protections. “These proliferating state challenges to federal law are laying the groundwork for more extreme and dangerous Project 2025 proposals to allow employers across the country to hire children for hazardous jobs or to allow states to opt out of various federal labor standards like the minimum wage.”*** Texas child labor policies are actually quite extensive and can be found at the link below.**** EPI lists Texas as one of 14 states which had enacted stronger policies for protection in the years 2021-2024, but did not list specific ways for the states. Of course, enforcement of the statutes is crucial. Given the weak enforcement of safety in the foster care system, neglect in labor enforcement might be suspected as well. Deitrich Bonhoeffer once said that “the test of the morality of a civilization is what it does for its children.” The young are one of our most vulnerable populations and more easily controlled and exploited. Any endangerment or violation of them--physically, psychologically, mentally, spiritually-- should wound us all and stir us to justice seeking. Jesus reserved some of his harshest statements for those who harmed children: In Matthew 18: 6 he asserts, “If anyone causes one of these little ones…to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Let all who have ears, let them hear and take heed. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon ļ»æ *https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/un-calls-for-urgent-action-as-world-misses-2025-goal-to-end-child-labour **https://www.newsweek.com/child-labor-laws-changed-five-states-2008126 ***https://www.epi.org/blog/coordinated-attacks-on-state-labor-standards-are-laying-the-groundwork-for-dangerous-project-2025-proposals-to-undermine-all-workers-rights/ ****https://www.twc.texas.gov/sites/default/files/fdcm/docs/whcl-75s-twc.pdf
Cathedral of Hope is excited for our 3rd Annual Cathedral of Hope Cabaret Saturday, August 2 at the Rose Rome at S4
Friends, ļ»æ Time seems to pass so quickly these days and we are into the Summer here in Dallas. With soaring temperatures and not much of a reprieve at night, I do hope that you are keeping hydrated, safe and taking care of you. That is the theme of our current sermon series at Cathedral of Hope, “Sustaining the Soul.” We are hearing the words of Howard Washington Thurman, author, philosopher theologian and civil rights leader and, of course Jesus who remind us of the importance of taking care of ourselves to be of service in the work of Jesus in our world today. This Sunday we will focus on the strength that we find in community, that we are bound together in love – that we are one in Christ Jesus. Join me again this Sunday and let us sustain our soul through the strength that we find, together.
Greetings, We are now in the third week of our current sermon series, “Ask Me Anything”, and as I add, “theologically!” Over the past couple of weeks, we have been responding to some of the questions that you requested us respond to as we grapple with faith and the deeper questions that we may have pondered. This Sunday is Mother’s Day and the question that we ponder is “Was Jesus Married?” I am eager to tackle this question, especially considering the Scripture that has been selected for this Sunday. Over this past week there has been a lot to process, specifically in relation to the unrest in our country and in our world.
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