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5910 Cedar Springs Road | Dallas, TX 75235
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Rev Dr. Neil G. Thomas

Friends,



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.



Previous Posts

By Dan Peeler 26 Mar, 2024
SCRIPTURE John 12.34-36 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Humanity must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Humanity’?” Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. WORDS OF HOPE The first three Gospels present highly abridged outlines of the chronological life of Jesus, from his birth through highlights of his ministry and leading to the events of what we now call Holy Week, climaxing with his death and resurrection. John, however, spends the majority of his narrative on Holy Week. Today’s reading from John’s Gospel is a typical example of Jesus’ interaction with seemingly countless groups of the people who had come to Jerusalem that week for the Passover celebration. They were a diverse group made up of devout Jews from many provinces, curious gentiles, jealous religious leaders, disciples, critics, friends, and enemies. Each had lists of questions to either honestly gain information or trick him into revealing he was an imposter. Jesus was centerstage of the spotlight. The last sentence of today’s passage gives us what I’m sure is an accurate description of the way most of us would react under that kind of pressure. (Jesus left and hid himself from them.) Wouldn’t you? The Holy Week lessons continually reveal Jesus’ fully human nature. He is compassionate. He is frustrated. He is angry. He is exhausted. Even John, whose Gospel usually emphasizes the “signs” that establish the Messiah’s divinity, now writes about the Jesus who lives next door. It is a message that we each need to remember as we prepare ourselves for the gravity of the events of Good Friday. The agony he is about to experience solidifies his union with humanity. He is one of us about to die for all of us. PRAYER Remind us that we no longer walk in the darkness but are children of your light. As we study and meditate on the events of this holiest of weeks, may we never lose sight of the source of that light. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
By Jonathon McClellan 25 Mar, 2024
SCRIPTURE Proverbs 26:20 NIV Without wood a fire goes out. WORDS OF HOPE For Holy Monday The Serenity of Silence  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 only stay silent by showing restraint. A teacher should instruct by considering what 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 only hear it 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
By Donna Jackson 22 Mar, 2024
SCRIPTUR E Proverbs 16:9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. WORDS OF HOPE I really enjoy live theater and recently while watching a rehearsal, the director yelled “cut” and all the players became silent, turned their attention to the director and listened for new instructions. The players may have been the stars who were performing yet the director behind the scenes was clearly in charge. William Shakespeare said, “all the world is a stage, and all men and women are merely players”. That is certainly true in my life. One day I’m caught in a comedy, another day smack dab in the middle of a tragedy. Then, some days are filled with both or often several scenarios which play out at the same time! I can think about infinite numbers of situations that can and have played out as scenes of my life. As they continue to unfold, I can always tell who’s directing my steps by the way I feel, how I respond to situations and how others become affected by my actions or inactions. Sometimes it’s easy to get frustrated by others then take on the task of re-directing them or search for ways to give them new lines to meet our needs. Even with good intentions, that doesn’t always work, and then that scene can become a huge mess that needs to be cleaned up or changed. When I reach the point where my lines are unclear, or I get bent out of shape, I stop, ask myself who’s in charge and how did everything get so out of control? The answer is always the same, a resounding ME. That’s when I need to yell “Cut”! God is truly the qualified director, and my job is to stop and listen. All I need do is show up, let God take control and remember I am an unfolding story with an amazing, loving Director. PRAYER Creator God, as we surrender to your guidance, we know the story will be glorified by your love and grace. We give you thanks for establishing our steps and will continue to trust, believe, and recognize you always present the path of peace. In Jesus name, Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donna Jackson
By Donald (Luke) Day 21 Mar, 2024
SCRIPTURE  Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7 Come, let us sing to our God; let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before God's presence with thanksgiving, raising a loud shout with song. For the Most High is our God, the great sovereign over all else. Come, let us bow down and bend our knee and kneel before our God. For God is our Maker, in whose presence we live, and in whose hand we are held. Oh, that today I will listen to God's voice. WORDS OF HOPE This is one of the Bible’s most vibrant Psalms of praise to God. These verses ask us to do something which is very foreign to the life of most Americans; yet it would have been very understandable to ancient Israelite worshipers. "Come, let us bow down..." Recently I watched an old interview with Megan Markle's (former Duchess of Sussex and American wife of the grandson of the Queen) in which she had been surprised to learn that even within an informal setting of the Royal family, when in the presence of the Queen, she was expected to bow. Why? Certainly, it is a sign of respect for the rank of the other person, but it is also a signal of where one's attention is placed. I imagine that a bow to royalty while continuing to eat a breakfast pastry or chomping on a big wad of bubblegum might be considered an indignity and sign of disrespect. Why is it any different when we approach God in prayer? At that time, we want God to hear our voice and speak to us. We want to demonstrate the reality that God is very different than we are, and that God is sovereign over all. So, a bow to God is more than just a sign of respect. It also signifies that we want to focus our attention on the experience with God. Now, do we have to get down on our knees to pray? As an Episcopalian, I learned when to pull down the kneeling bench at appropriate times in the worship service. But did that really help me focus my attention toward God, or the arthritic pain in my body? The body position is not as important as the "position and focus of one's mind and attention". Our act of bowing before God might consist of a few moments of focused quiet before prayer in a manner which would indicate, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening." PRAYER God, our Maker, may we never lose sight of the majesty of who you are. Whether in our minds, in our hearts, or in our physical being, may we always be eager to bow down before your eternal loving presence. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
By Hardy Haberman 20 Mar, 2024
SCRIPTURE John 12:34-36 The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” Jesus said to them, “The light is in you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” WORDS OF HOPE “The light is in you…” That phrase may be one of the most radical things Jesus said, especially in considering the theology of the day. At that time, God appeared in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Jesus comes along and intimates that God, or at least the light of the Messiah, is in us! It is a light that helps us walk through the darkness of our world. I love this image, because I know I have met people who seem to have an inner light that shines bright enough to be “seen”. Like that old spiritual, “This Little Light of Mine”, those people let it shine in all aspects of their life. That is something I aspire to do and I believe it is exactly what Jesus was speaking about. He emphasizes that God’s light is not only in us but is something we must make visible in order to be guided through our world. I believe his message was to not hold his message of liberation and salvation to ourselves, but share it through our lives and works. PRAYER May we become Children of the Light by sharing the light of the divine in all that we do. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR  Hardy Haberman
By Kris Baker 19 Mar, 2024
SCRIPTURE There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… Ecclesiastes 3:1 WORDS OF HOPE Today, precisely at 10:06 pm in Dallas, marks the vernal equinox. The equinox brings with it the start of spring—the season of renewal, fertility, and abundance. Scientifically, the vernal equinox is one of two days a year when night and day, darkness and light, are of equal duration. We often talk about seeking equality. Using the natural world as an example, we see how rarely true equality actually takes place; two out of 366 days this year. Yet, the natural world uses the varying rhythms of light and dark to create balance, something that we also desperately seek in our daily lives. Just like the trees and the mountains and the flowers and the animals, sometimes we need more darkness than light, more cold than warmth, more drought than rain, more activity than sleep, more work than play. For the earth, and for us, balance and equality are not synonymous. Think about an acrobatic on a tightrope. Our perception is that that person is standing on a thin rope with his or her body equally distributed on either side. Just as with the equinox, that is not true for most of the time that the acrobat is on the rope. The tightrope walker is continually adjusting slightly their balance from side to side as they take each step and as the rope beneath them sways with these movements. As Christians, we often find ourselves, like the tightrope walker, trying to find balance—balance between prayer and action, stillness and activity, solitude and community. As the earth has different needs throughout its yearly cycle, we also have varying needs on our faith journey. As we approach Holy Week, take some time to think about balance in your life. What changes can you make so that you will emerge at Easter as Holy Whole? PRAYER Loving God, with each breath and each step that I take today, remind me to be aware of what I truly need in this moment. Lead me toward those things that will help me to find balance in my life so that I can become whole and holy. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
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