Friday - April 19, 2024

READING “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet shatter every closet door.” Harvey Milk WORDS OF HOPE It is ironic that this morning, when I am called to write a devotion that comes out on Harvey Milk Day, I read a NYTimes article on a Pee Wee Herman documentary shown at Sundance this January. Essentially, Paul Reubens, the actor who eventually took on the persona of Herman, speaks of getting involved with an attractive man in the 70’s, moving in and beginning an intimate relationship, but then, feeling that he was losing his identity, ended that relationship, and decided to go back in the closet. According to Mark Harris, “The shock is that, out of what he acknowledges was “self-hatred” and “self-preservation,” as well as ambition and the practical impossibility of surviving as an out Saturday-morning children’s star in the 1980s, he hid his true self even from many close associates and friends.” (NYTimes, May 12, 2025) Harvey Milk, on the other hand, was a visionary civil and human rights leader who was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. “Milk’s unprecedented loud and unapologetic proclamation of his authenticity as an openly gay candidate for public office, and his subsequent election gave never before experienced hope to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people everywhere at a time when the community was encountering widespread hostility and discrimination.”* One of his successes was mobilizing to defeat Proposition 6, a California ballot initiative which would have mandated the firing of teachers who were openly gay. Milk felt strongly that we had to come out to fight for our rights: “We are coming out to fight the lies, the myths, the distortions. We are coming out to tell the truths about gays, for I am tired of the conspiracy of silence, so I’m going to talk about it. And I want you to talk about it. You must come out.” Milk received regular death threats and knew that with the animus in some circles there was the possibility of his getting killed. One of the multiple copies of his will includes a directive “in case of my assassination” and included the quotation at the beginning of this reflection. On November 27, 1978, Dan White, a disgruntled former city supervisor, assassinated both ally-mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk. But instead of curtailing the LGBT+ movement, it helped fuel greater commitment to claiming our rights. The juxtaposition of these two stories-- along with the resurgence of intolerance and hostility particularly toward the transgender community fueling the passage of bills and executive actions-- has raised the possibility of some people feeling the necessity of going back into the closet or not risking coming out. And this morning I worry that we will harshly judge folks who feel that they need to choose safety. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I want us to be loud and proud, to speak and write, and to advocate and protest for our rights. But I don’t want to see what has happened in some circles about the Israeli-Arab crisis—the labeling of anyone who does not support Israel 100 percent, no questions asked, as anti-semitic. As followers of Jesus, we must give each other more respect, care, and love than that. PRAYER Justice Loving God who created each of us “fearfully and wonderfully,” help us push back against all that would oppress and turn back the progress we have made. And help us honor and support each other –even when our choices about whether we can live out loud and proud-- are different. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR  Dr. Pat Saxon

SCRIPTURE Leviticus 19:13-14 “You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” WORDS OF HOPE These are part of the commandments given in Leviticus that are often overlooked by people with only a cursory understanding of the Holy Scriptures. They are often dismissed as the Levitical Code and relegated to something only the priests followed, and indeed a lot of Leviticus is arcane and not particularly relevant to today’s world. Yet there is wisdom here that is tough to overlook. We live in a world where stealing and defrauding workers seems to be a “business model” and keeping money as long as possible and as much as possible is a national pastime. Maybe it’s time we took some of the scriptural commandments to heart and rather than just posting them on walls, we tried to understand their meaning. That last line in particular sounds like a biblical version of DEI. Funny how thousands of years ago the writers of this book knew it was morally wrong to make things inaccessible to those with disabilities. Inclusion and equity is the message of Jesus as well. He didn’t turn people away because they looked different or had disabilities or were outcasts of society. He opened the way for them and welcomed them with open arms. I am reminded of a friend of mine when I was growing up had polio. His family had built a swimming pool in their back yard so he could do exercises in the water and improve his muscle condition as he recovered from the disease. Swimming pools were a rare luxury in the 1950’s and my friend was generous. He welcomed me and my friends over to his house to swim whenever he was there. He modeled grace, even though he was profoundly disabled, and I never saw his disability as something to be shunned. PRAYER God of many names, may we deal fairly with all we come in contact with, and may we use our skills and actions to remove stumbling blocks to your grace. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR  Hardy Haberman

SCRIPTURE Ephesians 4: 21-24 (NLT) Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. WORDS OF HOPE I was ten years old when I chose to become a Christian. I thought I would automatically think and act like the new person I was supposed to be. That idea did not last long. I still had some pretty uncharitable thoughts. I was still tempted to lie when I thought it would be to my advantage. In short, I discovered following Christ meant I had to put some effort into being Christ-like. Over time, I learned that it is definitely worth the effort. I also learned that the "Jesus Way" makes my life easier and more rewarding. My brother Butch told me an interesting story illustrating how this works in everyday life. He was approached by a customer looking for something in the department next to his. He had just received a message that his supervisor wanted to talk with him, but he decided to help the customer first. Together he and the customer located what was needed, but a necessary component was on a top shelf. He was about to search for a ladder to access it when "George," the person in charge of that department, returned. Butch showed him what the customer needed and asked if George would finish helping the customer so Butch could respond to his supervisor. "You have a ladder in your department. Get it, and help the customer yourself," George responded sharply. Butch admitted he had several thoughts about things to say or do. Still, he recalled that he had prayed that morning for God to guide him in all his interactions that day. So, he said, "OK," and helped the customer. The next day, he prayed for God's guidance and grace as he started his day. He specifically asked God to help him deal kindly with the troublesome co-worker. Towards the end of the day, Butch saw an opportunity to finish cleaning and tidying his area early. Then he went to George and said, " I've finished early in my area. Can I help you with anything?" Astounded, George said, "I have never had anyone offer to help me, especially after how I treated you yesterday." He apologized for his behavior. Butch accepted the apology and said he had often needed grace from others too. Together they attacked the tasks in George's department. Now, they help each other when they can. That story illustrates the "Jesus Way" pretty well, as I see it. It is easier to meet an unpleasant encounter gracefully if you have started your day in communion with God. Notice that I did not say that my brother, the "Christian" in this story, is a role model for all to follow. He is not. He is human and my brother, so I know there are plenty of other times he has been the one in need of grace. And God is always there for him, granting grace as needed. I love the story because it reminds me that God can create some delightful endings from the mess in our daily lives. We don't have to quit our jobs to serve God, and we don't have to speak from a pulpit to deliver a powerful message. PRAYER Beloved God, Thank you for providing encouragement through our fellowship with one another. Thank you for your infinite grace and for making our lives better. Help us to remember that every person we encounter and every situation is an opportunity to practice love and grace, as you have taught us. Multiply your love through us. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Carole Anne Sarah

SCRIPTURE  Acts 11:20-21 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. WORDS OF HOPE “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” In Acts chapter 11, we read about the church in Antioch, a community of believers that emerged as a result of the scattering that followed the persecution triggered by Stephen's martyrdom. As the believers dispersed, they spread across regions including Cyprus, Cyrene, and Antioch. It was in Antioch, as in so many places, where the Good News took root and prospered because of the faithfulness of the followers of the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand guided them in their speech and in their actions. Indeed, throughout the book of Acts, we discover that the scattered and persecuted church integrated spiritual practices and material generosity. Prayer, worship, evangelism, and fellowship are closely knit together with care for those in need. We read at the end of the 11th chapter that they respond to the Spirit’s leading to provide for a prophesied famine. We see that in our own faith community, where these believers respond not only on Sunday mornings, but on every day of the week in feeding the hungry, caring for children, rallying to causes, and so much more. It is in the midst of this narrative about faithfulness and response, teaching and serving, evangelism and outreach, that the final words of Acts 11:26 are: “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch”. When we model our church life after the first-century believers in Antioch—living as faithful disciples, discerning and responding to the Spirit, remaining mission-focused, and treating our material resources as deeply connected to our spiritual lives—we reveal to the world a clearer and more compelling picture of what it truly means to be “Christian.” PRAYER When we mirror the church of Antioch, walking faithfully in step with the Spirit, hearts attuned to the call of mission, hands open in generous surrender, seeing no divide between soul and substance— then, and only then, Lord Christ do we offer the world a glimpse of the name “Christian” in all its truest, most radiant beauty. Help us to do so. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs

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