Monday - August 19, 2024
Thomas Riggs
SCRIPTURE
Luke 14:21-23
The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
“‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
WORDS OF HOPE
I found myself standing at Bierstadt Lake, at an elevation of 9466 feet above sea level, in Rocky Mountain National Forest. Looking over the exceptionally clear water, dotted with reeds, lily pads, and hungry ducks, the Continental Divide opened up in front of me. In the cool mountain air, the wind whistled through the pines. I felt a closeness to God, looking at this expansive view of creation. But it wasn’t quite church.
Sitting around a table with old and new friends, we laughed at the holiday costumes people were wearing and told stories about our lives and swapped silly anecdotes. Over beverages and copious amounts of food, we simply enjoyed each other’s company and lived in the moment. But that too wasn’t quite church.
Belting out familiar songs and inviting us to enjoy new melodies, the exquisitely talented pianist (and guitarist and percussionist) weaved his words and music into a tapestry of audio art that left all of us breathless. Immersed in his artistic world, we left that night experiencing something transcendent. But that also wasn’t quite church.
In her book Searching for Sunday, Rachel Held Evans wrote this about a faith community: The church is God saying: ‘I’m throwing a banquet, and all these mismatched, messed-up people are invited. Here, have some wine.’
At times in my life, I've tried to distance myself from church due to personal hurt, rigid doctrine, and an inward focus. Whenever possible, I avoided church and sought fulfillment elsewhere. And even while beautiful vistas, transcendent art, and loving friends and family bring beauty, inspiration, and camaraderie into my life, there always seemed to be something missing.
What I failed to see about church was that God is hosting a banquet. She lays out a table with bread and wine, inviting me to take and eat, to drink and remember. She consistently invites me to join both those I love and those I struggle with. She reminds me that I'm meant to come to the table alongside messy people, those with agendas, and those who make mistakes, as I am among the most flawed. She assures me that her love extends to everyone—no exceptions, no preferences—and that includes me too.
PRAYER
We give thanks for the church. The community where a feast is set for messy, messed-up people. Thank you for bread and wine, given even to the likes of me. Amen.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
Thomas Riggs
Need More Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE Psalm 92 1-4 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands, I sing for joy. WORDS OF HOPE In the early 1900's in Louisiana, land was sold in square acres. That worked well except that the actual earth is curved and does not conform to traditional square measurements. Here and there a pie shaped bit of land was used to make the correction. That area was designated as "no man's land." It could be used by anyone although no one could actually own it. A family settled on one of these. They built a small house and created a meager living from selling firewood in a nearby town. One morning after giving thanks for their food, their mother told her family that the food they were eating was the last in the house. Heavy flooding prevented them from getting into town to sell wood or buy supplies. She urged them not to worry, for God would provide what was needed. Years later, they remembered their mother singing as she washed the dishes and went about her chores. The children kept brushing aside their fear, reminding each other that God would provide. "Mama said so." Sure enough, a little after noon, a tall man in a flat bottom boat arrived bringing a load of groceries. Mr. Miller, a farmer, explained that God told him to bring the food. The grateful family thanked him profusely as they carried the supplies inside. Mr. Miller insisted he could take no credit. He was only doing as God had bid him, and it was all God's bounty anyway. This scenario played out again and again until the floodwaters receded. Afterward, Mr. Stafford put firewood on Mr. Miller's porch each time they carried some into town. Mr. Miller, not willing to take payment for something God told him to do, kept bringing more food from his farm. Future generations would refer to this as "The Great Reverse Feud". Mr. Stafford told his children to find ways to help the Miller family in any way they could. Though, I did not know the story then, the "feud" was resolved when I, the granddaughter of Mr. Miller, married Mr. Stafford's grandson. Today, I am grateful for the gifts of generosity and gratitude. I believe these twin gifts are the seeds of great happiness and joy. PRAYER God of my Fathers and Mothers, Sisters and Brothers, May I be ever mindful of your blessings and your bounty. Grant me a caring heart and generous hands. Make my life a celebration of all that you are and all that you have given me. I love you, God. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Carole Anne Sarah
SCRIPTURE Acts 6. 1-4 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So, the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. WORDS OF HOPE This is an interesting passage to think about. Widows, in other words the least fortunate among them, were being overlooked because of lack of time and resources among the original 12 Disciples and their immediate followers. The factions of the Early Church began to complain that not enough was being done for the ones they favored. The leaders just were not doing their jobs! Certainly, in the modern church, no one has any cause to complain about anything. (That may be alternative truth, but it’s a nice dream.) We haven’t changed that much in 2,000 years and some complaints, in the form of well-considered observations, can actually inspire changes for the better. In Acts, we are not aware of the degree of heat in their discussions or the tones of voice of either the Hellenistic or Hebraic Jews. But we know that the church leaders did listen to what was being said and took action to rectify the situation. Their solution: They were too busy ministering the word to wait tables and someone else should do that. Maybe they hadn’t read James’ pastoral letter that stated “true religion” was feeding the widows and orphans? (Perhaps he hadn’t written it yet.) I’m sure Luke, who wrote Acts, had no intention of making the church leaders look bad. This is a story about the birth of volunteerism. The solution was to appoint other willing people to share the responsibilities. The early church was a family. Each member had specific gifts and the only requirement was to choose from among them ones who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. This narrative exemplifies the equal importance of every member of the Body of Christ and why it is important to choose the right person for the right job. As the church in Acts continued to grow, the leaders did faithfully spread the Gospel, but also spent much of their time waiting countless tables, nurturing the Spiritual growth of the followers of Jesus Christ. Then as now, the most revered leaders emulated the humble behavior of the greatest Servant who was ever among us. PRAYER Open our eyes to see the unlimited callings available to each of us in your house. Give each of us the Spirit and Wisdom to find our own. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE 2 Timothy 3:10-15 You, however, have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance. You know the persecutions and sufferings I have endured, and yet the Lord rescued me from them all. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will face persecution, while evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the sacred scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. WORDS OF HOPE United Nations Day Today, October 24th—United Nations Day—I pause to remember that we are part of a world bigger than ourselves. The UN was formed with a vision: that nations could come together for peace, dignity, and justice. That vision reflects the heart of God—the God who created every culture, every language, every person, and delights in our diversity. God’s love has no borders. God’s love flows into every life, every community, every nation, and into places we are still learning to see. When I read 2 Timothy 3:10-15, I hear a call to live faithfully with courage, love, patience, and endurance. Faithfulness is not easy. It asks me to speak truth when silence is safer. It calls me to stand with the marginalized even when it is risky. For me, living faithfully means being a straight ally—standing beside my LGBTQIA+ siblings: lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and nonbinary people—who too often hear the world or even the church telling them they are not enough. I choose to use my voice, my presence, and my actions to reflect God’s radical, inclusive love. At Cathedral of Hope, I see this love lived out every week. Here, the welcome is real, the table is wide, and every person is affirmed as beloved. Every time I worship here, I am reminded that God sees everyone, and that I am called to stand with those who are pushed aside. Being an ally is active, not passive. It is showing up at Pride, amplifying voices that have been silenced, confronting prejudice in family and community, and standing up wherever injustice appears. On this United Nations Day, I remember that God’s love does not stop at my city, my church, or my country. God is present with refugees crossing borders, with trans youth seeking safety, with queer people living where their love is criminalized, and with all who are denied dignity or justice. If God’s love truly knows no borders, neither can my discipleship. I am called to stand in solidarity locally and globally, to resist systems of oppression, and to embody justice wherever I can. I know being an ally is a lifelong practice. I am still learning, still making mistakes, and still discovering how God is calling me to grow. I choose to listen, to act, to celebrate the joy and resilience of my LGBTQIA+ siblings, and to reflect God’s love in every word, every action, and every decision. Every day, I recommit: to live boldly, to love courageously, and to stand for justice. God’s love is bigger than any nation, border, or label—and that love calls me to courage and witness. PRAYER God of all nations and all people, Thank You for creating this beautiful, diverse world. Thank You for Cathedral of Hope, where I see Your radical love lived out. Thank You for calling me to stand as a straight ally, to support my LGBTQIA+ siblings, and to resist injustice. Help me to live faithfully, to speak truth courageously, and to act with patience and endurance. Strengthen me when the work feels heavy. Remind me that silence is never the answer. May my life reflect Your radical, inclusive love—a love that knows no borders, embraces every child of God, and draws all nations, peoples, and communities into Your Kin-dom of justice, peace, and hope. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Reed Kirkman
READING “For the beauty of the earth,/for the beauty of the skies,/for the love which from our birth/over and around us lies./Lord of all to thee we raise/this our hymn of grateful praise.” * Folliott S. Pierpoint WORDS OF HOPE OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! comes easily to my heart and mind and lips in these early autumn days, as a mild cool front has swept through North Texas. In summer’s lingering heat, I yearn for my favorite time of the year when temperatures drop and I can leave both doors open and the breeze flows through the house. Walking out on the deck, I stretch out my arms in greeting and want to imprint everything I see and feel. Oh My God! ---the neighborhood deer, their path curving in front of the house, headed for their morning feeding of corn. The soft eyes of does, the velvet budding antlers of young bucks, the bold yearling who looks straight at me and begins to cross the road as if to connect, then, seeing Sage, suddenly stops and returns to the fold. Oh My God! ---a large male bald eagle soaring over the house, then perching high on a pine bough, regal, watchful over his domain….OH MY GOD! ---a hummingbird flying onto the deck near me, but not as close as Jill’s spirit-bird which brushed my cheek after she died. Oh my God. ---the water lapping at the edge of the lake, waves upon waves upon waves. ---obsidian black night sky with constellations beyond naming spread across an endless vista…. ---the Super Harvest Moon lingering in the morning sky tinted with dawn’s rose and bluish watercolor wash…Oh My God! ---the liquid, trusting eyes a loving dog who rolls over for a belly rub…. ---the sounds of silence. oh my God. ---at Hurricane Creek, the mystic place, morning’s soft light glints through oak and pine. The energy of holy presence draws forth tears, speaks to me in song of the goodness of God, reassures me that They are here, with me, in me, and will not leave me….Oh, my God, Oh, my God….The phrase softens into tears, and then no more words, only felt, oh my God…. *** I had meant for these images, these awe bursts, to be private, mine alone, but reconsidered. Given the level of moral injury we are exposed to every day in our culture, as Rabbi Tirzah Firestone asserts, we all need regular spiritual practices that are grounding, healing, and which return us to the source of light, goodness, love, and peace. So here’s one of my lists—born first of simple noticings, taking in anything which stirs and opens my heart in awe or moves me to tenderness or creates a rush of gratitude, “punctuated” by an exclamation of Oh My God! Or quieter, oh my God…. This morning I invite you to enter your own awe-burst experience. It will lift your heart and remind you that the earth is filled with the glory of God. PRAYER I give you thanks, O God, for all the ways your Grace meets us. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Dr. Pat Saxon *link to a John Rutter version of the hymn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlBkpAm3fhw
SCRIPTURE 1 Peter 5.10 And the God of all grace, who called you to eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. WORDS OF HOPE In the uncertainty of our times, Hope is what the world needs. We are losing so much, so fast. For some, it is their darkest days. Paradoxically, it is when things are at their darkest, when vision shows you a picture of something horrible, that somehow, the tinniest speck of light offers hope. There is one treasure in my mind that I esteem more than anything. It is a memory of a few years ago and begins in a time much like this, in chaos. In the summer of 2017 I was walking aimlessly down an unknown street in the middle of the night. I was looking for Jesus, but I had no idea of where to start. With only the moon and stars to guide me I walked for hours in unrecognizable neighborhoods. Some people might have considered me heartbroken, but it was more than that; I’m used to being broken. This was a boy looking for the light in a pitch-black maze. My faith was fighting harder than it ever had in looking for someone I knew very little about. “Go home,” it was a whisper. I submitted to the voice and I still remember feeling a strange peace the whole way home. I should have been lost, but I made it home exerting no more effort than it took to walk. After my long walk I went to sleep and had a dream that I have thought about every day since that night. Jesus was waiting for me in a beautiful garden sitting on a rock. There were flowers every one or two feet apart from each other in various colors ranging from lavender to tangerine. I walked through these flowers to the loveliest tender loving person wearing a robe of pure white. As I got close to Him, I could actually feel His love, not just for me, but for everyone. That, in and of itself, was the greatest gift I ever remember receiving. In that love, was the hope that I had with all my heart been searching for. This love did not care about our religion, face, or shame. This love was the reason; my reason, and my hope. When I looked at His face I plainly did not understand. In a single moment, His face had the appearance of everyone and anyone you could ever imagine wearing a modest half-smile. If you want to see hope, then look in the mirror and smile, because to me, Jesus looks like you. PRAYER Oh, Creator God, Holiest of Holies, your majesty cannot be put into words. Guide these hearts that gather close to You today. Let us find hope when all seems lost. Let us remember that our precious hope is inside all of Your children who were made in Your likeness. Let us remember that our hope is Your love. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE James 5:7-8 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. WORDS OF HOPE The other day I was having a conversation with a friend about the fact that they were feeling let down, betrayed, abandoned by God right now. These thoughts stemmed from some things that were perceived as being unfair in their personal life and general unhappiness with a God that would allow our world to be so filled with cruelty and hatred. Though I certainly understand the place from which my friend was coming and on the surface share these same curiosities about how God is currently moving in the world right now, my response to this person was to say that I do believe that God is working for our good, that God dislikes the ways of God’s pople even less than we do right now, and that I do firmly believe that God will sort all of these things out in divine time. That in the end, those who can be patient and stand firm in their faith will “inherit the world.” My friend responded almost instantly with, “I don’t have that kind of patience.” The voices in my head seemed a little confused by the words I spoke. I am an idealist and idealists are not known for our patience. The words, “God will sort all these things out in divine time” came from my mouth in that moment, but they were not my words. Generally, I am not a fan of things happening in God’s time. I don’t have that kind of patience! These words were God’s words spoken both to me and through me. Later that evening in my own quiet meditation, this scene from earlier in the day kept running through my head. I came to the realization that the kind of patience that I was talking about is the kind that is enveloped in hopeful expectation, not immediate gratification, and is a mark of a deep faith. The willingness to accept that God is in control, to trust God’s process and timing and, the hardest part, to be grateful for the journey, is to stand like the farmer and wait for the land to yield its valuable crop. All that said, my patience and my faith ebb and flow sometimes hour by hour. There are many moments where I feel defeated and alone; then, these feelings are countered by moments like I had when talking to my friend, moments where I feel strong, empowered, resilient, and like I can persevere, endure, and hold fast to my faith long enough to see this mess to its end, believing without a doubt that God will take care of me. I also believe that God will take care of you. “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart. and wait for the Lord.” ( from Psalm 27) PRAYER Patient God, Lord, please help me to live with patience as I wait on your divine timing. Remind me that in doing so, my faith grows stronger and my heart grows closer to you. May your spirit continue to work in me so that through this patience I may be a reflection of the peace, love, and understanding that you desire for all of your people. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St, Clare