Friday - June 12, 2026

SCRIPTURE Gensis 13:18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to God. Now the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. Gensis 18:1 WORDS OF HOPE I used to say—only half-jokingly—that I hoped I died before she did. Over the years our relationship had become, well, intimate in a way I hadn’t thought possible. I’d always loved her long-limbed beauty, the way her branches stretched across space as if she were yearning for the light. But I think that it was after the arborist broke the news that she had a disease that would eventually take her down that my heart opened to her even more deeply. I ordered special organic nutrients to be injected into the soil several times a year to bolster her system. As with any other loved one, I would try to extend her life as long as I could. Greeting her every morning as Sage and I go for our walk, I speak my love and gratitude for her strength and beauty. She has endured for 65 years through thunder storms with strong winds, lashing rains, and even hail. Sometimes I slide my palm over her rough bark and tousle the leafy green clusters which wave their greeting. And oh, how her fall glory electrifies! Perhaps my Irish heritage imbued me with the blood of Druids, a people for whom the great oaks are sacred sanctuaries. Last week while talking to a neighbor, I heard a lightening-scale crack and thunderous thud as the fissure in her massive trunk split open and she crashed to the ground. When we arrived at the house, the great sheltering canopy of Grandmother Red Oak lay splayed and broken all over the yard. That night, after a skilled tree removal person had been secured, grief came. Tears fell and memories surfaced—like the summer a mother owl and her four fledglings held vigil in her branches at night. At dusk I walked among the beautiful wreckage and prayed and spoke to her. Tears washed my cheeks again in the morning while Isidoro and his son set about their work. I asked him if he would cut me a few pieces to keep. He did not think that was foolish and produced strong, solid, beautifully grained sections.  Sometime in the second day of my grief, I thought: This is not just my loss. The Mississippi Kites who have been perching in some bare branches before their morning flight have had to relocate. The blue jays who year after year raise their families there have lost their home—and the squirrels who rest in the heat of the day on her broad branches and scramble about in play and harvest her acorns for food are displaced. All have lost something. Even the young cotton tail who finds shade and water underneath her looks confused as she sits on the edge of the yard and peers into a transformed landscape. As I pray for these creatures, the lessons of adaptability and resilience come to mind, teaching me as well. And I take some comfort in the one remaining section of Grandmother that is still alive and green and in the hope that even after the terrible breaking she will thrive. A new sitting area graces the front yard—centered around the large oak sections cut for me, and now holding aloe vera and summery petunia, with small agaves at the base. It will be a kind of outdoor altar for the sacred oak, for all the beauty and strength and grace and blessing she brought. At the thought of the welcome this new setting offers, I smile in gratitude. Receive this blessing: “Blessed are the ones who trust in the LORD, whose confidence is in God. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. They do not fear when heat comes; their leaves are always green.” Jeremiah 7-8 adapted DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon

SCRIPTURE James 1. 2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. WORDS OF HOPE God’s Kindness It is in the human experience that we often live without knowing all the facts. The future, God’s purpose for our lives, and the choices that we should make are all at times things shrouded in mystery. Yet, without knowing, somehow, we live without this knowledge every day. There are times, however, when our questions and desires for the answers burn within our hearts so much that it consumes our every waking thought. In these moments, it is easy for us to be dissatisfied with God. At times, we would rather relieve the stress of our minds by following the instructions of people who claim to have the answers. With no clear direction or clarity, how could we possibly have peace of mind? Instead of looking for the sun to shine every day, what if we became comfortable when it rains? In a perfect world the weather would never pose any threat. The temperature would always be comfortable and white puffy clouds would offer us plenty of shade. It is a fact that most people thrive on days like this, but when the weather changes unexpectedly and we become inconvenienced by it, we become uncomfortable. We look to God to give us a good weather report but would be uncomfortable if God gave us a bad one. We have not learned how to be comfortable when the forecasts for our lives show us failing, making mistakes, and struggling. God does not give us all the answers, and by not doing so, does us a great kindness. How many of us would enter a competition that we knew was going to be a great struggle with many mistakes made, and that would eventually end in our failure? Most of us would not see the point in entering a race that we had no chance of winning. However, even when we fail, we gain experience, and with experience, knowledge, and with knowledge, understanding, and with understanding we gain the ability to be wise. If God told us everything, then we would avoid hard times, the very times in our lives which builds our character. I would rather not know and struggle, than to know how to avoid the very things which are meant to grow me. PRAYER Creator God, Help us to trust You. Remind us of Your love and of Your desire to prosper us. We do not know the way in which we should go, but we know that You are guiding us to where we should be. Lord, grow our faith. In the fiery trials, we know that You will fashion us into pure gold. Help us to believe when we do not see and to have peace in You, our mighty God. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Matthew 5:16 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your God in heaven. WORDS OF HOPE It is easy to feel helpless in the face of big problems like child abuse or a war, or persistent racial injustice. Our helplessness results in anger and depression. Sometimes it feels like our efforts have been futile and there is nothing we can do. But we must do something if we are to live with ourselves. A song from my childhood, "Brighten the Corner Where You Are" reminds me we can all do something. We can pray, we can ask God to help us recognize opportunities for actions. We can write letters, make phone calls. We can be generous with our smiles. Yes, even a smile can make a difference. I used to be a frustrated, overworked social worker for Child Protective Services. On one especially challenging day, I took the elevator to the basement where our office was located. A young man held the door while I rushed on. He looked me in the eye and his smile was so genuine it drew me out of the dark place my last appointment had brought me. To my surprise he turned out to be my secretary's brother. She introduced us briefly and went to lunch with him while I met with my next appointment. The smile stayed with me, cheered me up, and gave me energy to face the next problem. He never knew his smile would affect the rest of my life. The very next day, my secretary learned her brother had died in an automobile accident. I attended his funeral. I had known him for only a moment. He taught me how important a smile can be. Even during the pandemic, I thought to smile at strangers even behind the mask. My eyes carried the message. PRAYER May we always remember to brighten the corner where we are and never forget that sometimes the smile we give can be a gift that lasts forever. DEVOTION AUTHOR Carole Anne Sarah

SCRIPTURE  Proverbs 27:9 Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy, for good friends are like the anointing oil that yields the fragrant incense of God’s presence. WORDS OF HOPE Today is National Best Friends' Day. What a wonderful day to celebrate! Friends are the most amazing gifts from God! We have a multi-color sign in our backyard that says FRIENDS in big letters! It was a gift from friends. They knew what brings us joy. Going through tough times, God knows that we are weak beings. Though we have faith in God, we need some Earthly beings who give us big hugs that help put us back together when our pieces are beginning to scatter! Those are gifts from God that no money can purchase! When my brain goes out of control, my friend texts or calls me and first says BREATHE! Then she says have you tried this, or I will help you find a solution! She talks me off the brink of losing my mind! She is my prayer warrior, as well. As soon as I text her with a concern, I receive a reply that prayers have been said. Some may talk about fun and shenanigans they have with friends. There are those experiences too. Sport events - especially with Special Olympics athletes - are shared joys we have together. Attending church is our special time together. Our life group of amazing women is a very special treat each week. All those women are amazing friends. And I am blessed to have other friends as well who bless my life in good times and bad. The number of friends who checked on us during my knee surgery and brought food is amazing. Our group of amazing friends who gather for Easter lunch is also the same group of people who gather the Sunday before Thanksgiving and work together to collect and prepare 500 baskets of Thanksgiving meals to be donated to families in need. And it’s the same prayer group who lifts our prayers to God when we have concerns. You may say I can't have that many best friends. These are the BEST people, and God gave them to me and shares them with others and my awesome church and with those who received those 500 Thanksgiving baskets! My cup runneth over with the love of best friends! PRAYER God of perfect gifts, I thank you for the wonderful gift of the amazing friends you have given me. I know how much you love me because of the loving friends in my life. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn CoH Volunteer

SCRIPTURE  Psalm 30:4-5 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. READING Don′t forget where you came from Don't forget what you′re made of The ones who were there When no one else would care Don't be afraid to cry now Even when the world comes crashing in Don′t forget to sing when you win – The chorus of the song “Don’t Forget (Welcome to Wrexham)” WORDS OF HOPE About ten years ago, some friends invited me to a pub early on a Saturday morning to watch an English Premiere League Football match. In this context, football = soccer. The team they root for is known as Arsenal Football Club and they were playing their rivals Tottenham Hotspur. After watching just one match with a raucous and rowdy crowd, I was hooked. I started following Arsenal… and then world football… and then the Champions League… and Major League Soccer in the U.S… and so on. I recruited my spouse to The Arsenal fan base, known as the Gooners, as well. And yes, I’m absolutely thrilled about the World Cup being played in our backyard (anyone have a spare ticket to England vs. Croatia?). Last week, on a Tuesday afternoon, Arsenal fans all over the planet, who number in the hundreds of millions world-wide, sat glued to watching a match between Manchester City and Bournemouth (yes, that Bournemouth, the city of our own Pastor Neil’s birth). If Bournemouth could win or tie City, then Arsenal would be the Premiere League Champions for the first time in 22 years. As the seconds ticked down and we all collectively held our breath, the match finally ended in a tie and our beloved team won the league. For all of us fans, it was a moment of ecstasy. After finished in second place for three years in a row, after so many disappointments and let downs, after getting so close and not winning, the relief was joyous. The song “Don’t Forget (Welcome to Wrexham)” is about the fans of another long-suffering football club in Wales. The song reminds those fans what the writer of Psalm 30 was also singing to the long-suffering people of Israel at the dedication of the temple. Those lyrics? Sing praises. Remember God has been with you. Remember that the Lord shared favor with you during your trials and heard your cries for mercy. See how God turned your wailing into dancing and how grief was turned to joy. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Don't be afraid to cry now. Even when the world comes crashing in. But don′t forget to sing when you win. Beloveds… there are trials all around us. In our personal lives, in the lives of so many who are suffering, and in our community. Psalm 30 reminds us that weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. That it’s okay to cry now that the world is crashing in, but God is already about the business of flipping wailing into dancing and grieving into joy. And when that does happen, don’t forget to sing when we win. PRAYER Lord of both tears and triumph, Thank you for staying with us through every long night of waiting, disappointment, and hope. When the world feels heavy and our hearts are weary, remind us that joy still comes in the morning. Turn our wailing into dancing, our grief into song, and our fear into courage. Teach us to remember where we came from, to celebrate with gratitude when victory comes, and to never forget to sing your praise. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs