Friday - June 9, 2023
Thomas Riggs
SCRIPTURE
Acts 28:1-2
Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.
WORDS OF HOPE
The first ten verses of the 28th chapter of the Book of Acts contain several extraordinary miracles that might be so outrageous as they cannot be believed.
The first miracle is when Paul throws a pile of brushwood on a fire and he is bitten on the hand by a viper. So tenacious was this bite that the viper fastened itself and would not let go. Can you picture Paul holding out his arm and there’s a snake just hanging there? The local islanders were so shocked that they believed that Paul was a murderer and that the goddess of Justice finally caught up to him. But when Paul suffered no ill effects from the hanging viper, they changed their minds and decided that perhaps Paul was a god.
And then there’s the part of the narrative where Paul heals the chief official’s father. Even though healing stories are familiar in scripture, can we say that makes them no less extraordinary? The story goes on to say that this action was so well received that the inhabitants of the island who were sick came to Paul and were cured.
Harmless snake bites and healing the sick might grab the headline, but what might easily be overlooked in this narrative, however, are the acts of kindness from people who lived on the island of Malta.
Having no reason to trust Paul and his companions, when they washed up on shore, the islanders showed them unusual benevolence. Despite not knowing them, these new friends built them a fire (from which Paul’s serpent emerged!) and took them in out of the rain and cold. Soon after, the leader of the island welcomed Paul into his home and showed generous hospitality for three days. Upon departing, these new friends gave what they were able to speed Paul and his friends on their way.
What we find in this generosity is a truer and more compelling extraordinary miracle. God works to turn complete strangers into great friends, especially when they're going through a hard time. It's interesting how sometimes people who may seem unrefined or unsophisticated are actually the most approachable and friendly. In fact, the actions of so-called barbarians or heathens can shame those who claim to be civilized Christians. God is always raising up people to be a source of comfort and blessings during tough times.
How often in your own life have you been blessed by the kindness of those who are most unlike you? When have you been given a gift by a person whom you, for whatever reason, would normally avoid? When has a person stopped to help someone else who is down when their own resources are meager?
And the question we are called to ask of ourselves: When will we be that person who helps, who gives, and who shares? How can we be an extraordinary and miraculous part of someone’s story of need?
PRAYER
from St. Ignatius:
Dear Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight, and not to heed the wounds, to toil, and not to seek for rest, to labor, and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I do your will. Amen.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Thomas Riggs
Need Some Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions
READING Prayer attributed to St. Francis: "Lord, make us an instrument of your peace..." WORDS OF HOPE My personal meditations of each week are often based on the Prayer of St. Francis. Although this prayer reflects the teaching and lifestyle of Francis, these are not his words; hence, we say it is "attributed" to him. The real author is unknown. It appeared in an Italian religious publication near the end of the First World War and quickly circulated throughout France. It is sometimes called a prayer for peace. Usually, it is written in the second person plural addressing “us”. I often modify it so that its meaning is expressed more personally. (Make ME an instrument of your peace) If we desire to be instruments of God in this world, each of us individually must commit ourselves to that task. And the field of our action starts with our most immediate personal contacts, our daily life interactions. So, let's meditate on this prayer as if it is speaking directly to you and me. In praying these words, it often helps our concentration to speak them aloud: "O God, may I be an instrument of your peace." Our current world order is certainly a place where peace is like a starved orphan in the corner of most countries and a missing part in the lives of many people. Today, there are dominant and active forces which act to disrupt individual and societal peace. This phrase from the prayer points out the fact that peace comes from God! Human ego and fear are at war against the expression of that divine peace. God's desire for us always has centered on peace and harmony among all of the elements of Creation. Because of our strong conflicting psychological drives, it seems almost impossible for humans to create peace with each other. It's only when we borrow from divine peace that we can generate peace among us. By that I mean, it's only when you and I project God's loving peace into our social interactions that we can share true peace. God alone seems to be the origin and well-spring of true peace. The daily challenge is: will you and I carry God's peace into the lives of other humans? It's a matter of our choice! We must desire to become peace-makers with God's help. God allows each of us to take this sweet balm of holy peace and, by our words and actions, heal the wounds and fears of others. Receiving this divine gift is our choice. Am I God’s instrument of peace today? PRAYER Lord God, may I receive the words of this prayer for peace as your wisdom. Plant them deeply into my soul; grow my devotion to you and change me to become a voice of peace in all my human interactions. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE -James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. WORDS OF HOPE A couple weeks ago I had an early flight out of DFW. Because lines and gate changes are unpredictable, I got to the airport early “just in case.” I prepared for the worst, and was gifted with the best; no issues at all getting checked in and moving through security. This allowed me time to grab breakfast in the terminal. Though the line for coffee and a breakfast biscuit was long, it moved quickly. Most people grabbed their sack of food and headed out into the gate area. I had time, so I found a seat in the restaurant where I could sit and relax a bit…and people watch, my favorite airport activity. My spot was right across from a bank of trash cans. Halfway through my meal, I noticed a small-in-stature, middle-aged Muslim woman pulling the barrels out, tying the full bags up and replacing them with new ones. As she did this, she meticulously sprayed with disinfectant and wiped down the area all around. I watched for several minutes. People walked over and dumped their trash. She politely stepped out of their way. No one spoke to her. Not a single “Good morning.” When I went to dispose of my trash, I handed her a $20 bill and said, “Thank you for what you for your work.” She looked at me stunned and said only, “Why?” I told her that she was appreciated. I then went back to my table to finish my coffee. Once the trash cans were neat and clean and the woman had cleared and wiped the dirty tables in the area, she walked over to me with a smile on her face and said, “Thank you.’” I replied, “You are most welcome.” And we both went on with our day. The good deed in this story is the work of the woman. Despite being seemingly invisible to the majority of people in the airport, she continued to do her job as if every eye around was watching…deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. As I sat on the plane awaiting take-off, I replayed a discussion from my CoH small group from the night before. We left each other that night with the challenge to pay attention to the people whose presence, labor, wisdom, or care that often goes unnoticed. I hope the woman cleaning up at this airport restaurant on that Tuesday morning knows that her presence, work, care, and wisdom were all seen and greatly appreciated. She made an impression on me that will linger on. How many people move through their days unnoticed by those around them? God sees them. And God sees those of us that do not notice them and their deeds. I challenge each of you to accept the challenge our small group undertook; pay attention to the people whose presence, labor, wisdom, or care often goes unnoticed. In the words of a wise friend of mine, “Change how you see. See how you change.” PRAYER Jesus, you show us the beauty of valuing the least, the last, and the overlooked. As I go through my day, help me to open my heart to see those who are often unnoticed and to accept and learn from the wisdom they share. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Psalm 9:1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart: I will recount all your wonderful deeds. WORDS OF HOPE My word for 2026, drawn from a group of face down cards on the first Sunday of the year, is Witness. It fits me pretty good. Last month we met a couple of women at lunch after a Wings basketball game from a very conservative town in Virginia. They came to Dallas for two Wings games. They were a couple, but not out in their town. They were surprised to see so many gay people at the Wings game. They had never seen that many gay people in one place before and were surprised to see how open the gay people were in public. They never expected that in Texas! Of course, I asked them if they had heard of the world's largest gay church that was in Dallas! They had never heard of a gay church at all! I spent some time (ignoring my friends at my table) telling them about Cathedral of Hope and how we had championed the gay community for 56 years! They were amazed to hear of a church that welcomed and celebrated gay people and all people. I hope they have seen our web site by now; I am trying not to be too aggressive. But I did tell them about our website and became Facebook friends with one of them, It is amazing after all this time to still find people who have not heard about Cathedral of Hope. Maybe the local, VERY conservative university in their town blocks the internet and airways so no one can hear the good news that God loves gay people. We try so hard to reach everyone. Earlier this year I met a young gay college student right here in Dallas who did not know about CoH. She did not even know the Arboretum had a Pride celebration. I told her all about CoH. She was amazed to hear about such an unusual church. I guess we all must keep witnessing about God's inclusive love! My Baptist roots told me I needed to do that! But I doubt they would be pleased to know my witness of God's love is inclusive not condemning! PRAYER Amazing God, thank you for our church and the 56 years we have shared your inclusive love with the world! DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn Cathedral of Hope Volunteer
SCRIPTURE Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. WORDS OF HOPE I love the idea of ordering things from a kiosk, like the ones they have at some McDonalds - Not that I allow myself to eat there too often. It seems virtually trouble free and accurate. You can add extra cheese or pickles, tell it no onions, and the list appears before you on the screen. Oddly enough, I first discovered these kiosks while on vacation one year in Paris at the equivalent of McDonalds they call the Q, I think. The biggest difference is they are actually good burgers without all the added chemicals we allow in the States, and which are outlawed in Europe. I like that. Europeans are smart and they seem to have each other’s backs. In fact, I don’t think we’re too far away from ordering medical services from kiosks. We have telemedicine already. It seems like a natural next step. You could be an A-lister and get premium, but non conflicting treatments while you’re out cold. Think of it! Having your gall bladder out? You could add on cutting of that ingrown toenail while they’re at it. Come to think of it, we already do that with religion and spirituality. So many of us pick and choose our favorite things to either believe or omit out of all the things religious practices offer. Uncomfortable with the dark-skinned Jesus? Make him lighter. Middle Eastern Jesus too Jewish? Make him a protestant televangelist full of the right gospels to fit specific political temperaments. Want a more exciting origin story? Make Jesus’ birth take place in Roswell New Mexico. No limits to the menu. It seems like this kiosk thing is an idea that has been waiting to be born for centuries. If you have one, what does your Jesus look like? If you could order up your own custom afterlife, what would that look like? Is it a big party with all your loved ones with you, or is it lights out, you’re at peace? I don’t have to wonder if I would want Jesus to be there. After all these years of picturing my own image him, I have no doubt I would be surprised. PRAYER Lord Jesus, in our fast-moving world full of changes and distractions, help us to slow down long enough to get to know you better in the assurance that you know us and care for us 100%. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE Psalm 63:1,3-4 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water... Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. WORDS OF HOPE In Love I am moved by this love poem from the psalmist to God. If written from one mortal to another, we would say he was “definitely in love". I still say that he was and believe that it is a wonderful thing to be in love with God. Those who know me well will not be shocked. They know that I am a great proponent of being "in love." I confess publicly that love is a risk and I am a compulsive gambler. Some think that love is a feeling that just happens when the right two people get into close proximity. I believe that it is much more easily understood and predictable. "Falling in love happens when we allow ourselves to be authentic and honest, daring to share things about ourselves that we are afraid may not be acceptable to another. When the other person hears our truth, and understands or even celebrates us as we are, something goes zing within. They are inspired to dare sharing a piece of their truth and experience a zing when we accept. On it goes, until we are both feeling known, really known, and zings abound as we finally declare ourselves "in love". I think I understand how the Psalmist got to the place of writing this beautiful poem to God. The writer bared his soul, accepted that God knew the very worst of him and the depth of his longings, even those for which he had no words. And he allowed himself to experience the love of God both in spite of and perhaps even because of who he was. That is how I believe we too can experience the amazing love that inspired this psalm. PRAYER God, my first lover and my greatest love: I come before you, knowing that you see every truth there is to know about me, even those which I have not permitted into my own awareness. I am humbled by the knowledge that you love me, sometimes in the presence of my bad and my ugly parts, sometimes because of the good or even great that is within me that I cannot see. I love you, God. I love to be in your presence. Help me make time to spend alone with you so that our love can grow. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Carole Anne Sarah
SCRIPTURE Matthew 15: 33-38 The disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” Jesus asked them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled, and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. WORDS OF HOPE This well-known miracle story is one that has been dissected many times, but the phrase that speaks to me is the disciple’s question, “Where are we do get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” It’s a question we are still asking today. There are countless people in our own city facing what is referred to now as “food insecurity” but I prefer the term “hunger”. We live in a society that has enough riches to create trillionaires yet so many people go hungry. I think the point of the story is not the miracle Jesus performed, but the question of how to do it. If we ask it of ourselves the answer becomes clear. We must share our riches. Whether through taxation or charity, we can feed everyone. We do it at Cathedral of Hope every week, serving literally millions of meals every year to anyone who needs a meal. We manage to do it and yet we still each have enough for ourselves. It’s a “no-brainer”. If we truly want to follow Jesus’ guidance, we should share our resources. PRAYER Help us to learn the discipline of sharing, whether through tithing or acts of generosity. We have enough to make sure no one goes hungry. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman