Tuesday - April 7, 2026

SCRIPTURE  Song of Solomon 2:11-12 See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. WORDS OF HOPE How amazing is the arrival of Spring! Sometimes in Texas, it slips up on us. But this year we kept having several days of cold, even freezing weather almost up until the official beginning of Spring! I am blessed to volunteer at one of the most beautiful places to spend time in Spring (as confirmed by Southern Living magazine). Dallas Arboretum plants 500,000 bulbs of Tulips, Daffodils and Hyacinth in such a way that they pop up weekly starting as soon as it is near Spring. And when the bulbs are spent, the amazing Azaleas start their amazing show of how amazing God’s beautiful Earth can be! I feel close to God every time I walk through the awesome 66 acres of the Arboretum! I am blessed to give tours of the DeGolyer home - the family who made the first 44 acres of the Arboretum their retirement home in 1940! I feel like the scripture above was written for such a time as Spring in Texas and the beauty of the gardens. Last month we broadened our horizons by doing a photo shoot for a beautiful high school senior young lady at Ft Worth Botanical Garden. I was amazed at their many arches heavy with Wisteria! The smell was incredible! I am so blessed to be able to see such amazing places that show me the most beautiful handiwork of God. How much must God loves us to shower us with so much beauty! As I drive from place to place this time of year, I am also blessed to see the Texas State flower- the spectacular Bluebonnet! It is such joy to see them growing on the roadside! One of my best friends likes to be a co-creator with God. She spends a lot of her spare time with her hands in God's soil. She refuses to let me call it dirt! She nurtures plants and grows flowers and herbs. She even brings plants back to life after it appears I have murdered them! She has a magic touch with plants! She prays as she has her hands in God's precious soil. She is my biggest prayer supporter! I hope you are blessed to get to see lovely flowers, even if it is a lone Iris or Rose in a garden near you or Bluebonnets along the roadside. AND I hope as you see flowers, you are conscious of the graciousness of God for allowing us to have such wonderful visions of nature to be a blessing in our life. PRAYER God of all good gifts, today we praise you for the glory of plants that bloom in such amazing beauty that makes our world such a wonderful place to live. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn CoH Volunteer

SCRIPTURE  Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46; and Mark 15:34 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? WORDS OF HOPE From the hardwood of the cross, Jesus recites the first line from Psalm 22: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? At the most immediate level, Jesus expresses profound human suffering. It’s abandonment, pain, and isolation. He experiences the depths of human despair, not just physical agony but spiritual desolation. Throughout history and even up to today, in places where conflict, hunger, and displacement overlap, Jesus makes the experience of despair and desolation his own. When Jesus cries out the opening line of Psalm 22, he is not only expressing his suffering—he is standing in solidarity with all who feel forsaken. In Sudan, Jesus bears company with those where civil war has displaced millions, famine is emerging and people are cut off from stability, food, and safety. In Gaza, Jesus shares the plight of those where 80% of the infrastructure is damaged and widespread food insecurity continues. On the streets of the wealthiest country on Earth, Jesus makes the experience his own with the 770,000 persons are in shelters or are unsheltered in the United States each night and in homes where 1 in 5 children are not properly nourished. In the Middle East, Jesus enters into the suffering of tens of millions at risk of hunger due to escalating war. In Lebanon, he stands with the 800,000 people forced from their homes, seeking shelter and safety. Reading Psalm 22 beyond verse 1, we read that the psalm begins in despair but moves toward trust and vindication, even joy. Simply saying the words of verse 1, those witnessing the crucifixion see Jesus pointing beyond suffering to ultimate deliverance. What appears as defeat is actually a part of God’s redemptive plan. This first verse of Psalm 22 holds together honesty and hope. It doesn’t sanitize suffering but anchors it within the larger story of trust and redemption. As you go to the cross on this Good Friday, witness not just the suffering of Christ on the cross, but bear witness to all those with whom Jesus is standing in solidarity. And know that Jesus is holding together both the depth of despair and the stubborn hope of faith. PRAYER Let us pray, from the liturgy of Good Friday in the Episcopal Book of Common prayer: Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs

SCRIPTURE  1 Corinthians 11, 23b-25 On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it he said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me,” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and God’s people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.” WORDS OF HOPE I’m sure that this passage, or a variation of these words, are among the most familiar excerpts of Scripture you hear every week when you participate in the breaking of bread. These words are the Apostle Paul’s which he recorded for all time as he served Holy Communion to his followers in Corinth. On this Maundy Thursday, we remember the establishment of that tradition in the event we now call The Last Supper. As the days of Holy Week come to an end, most people realize that Good Friday does not refer to a “good” event that happened on that day. The “good” part of the event is based on an ancient word, “goude”, meaning pious or holy. That designation began in around 1300 to signify the holiest of sacrifices. On the night before that sacrifice, Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus’ final commandment in the sense of a mandate as he educated his followers in a ceremony that was to become known as Holy Communion. “Maundy” is a shortened version of “mandatum”, a Latin word meaning “command” but it’s more in the nature of an extension of the Love Commandment: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.”(John 13.34) These words were delivered on the same evening as the Last Supper, as he washed his Disciples’ feet. The “mandate” that followed would serve as a reminder to them of the profound extent that love was to reach. Jesus loved them enough to die for them. He was about to literally give his body and his blood. That holy meal was to become a continual reminder of the salvation offered through the ritual of sharing through a meal of mutual love. As he emphasized “Remember me” he was telling them to remember that love has no limits; the mandate of peace on earth. PRAYER May we recall Jesus’ timeless words on this Maundy Thursday as we remember his life of boundless love. As we strive for a world free of hatred and mindless wars, may our love also have no limits. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Dan Peeler Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE John 13:21-26 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining close to his heart; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. WORDS OF HOPE Though this passage clearly foretells of the betrayal by Judas, I find the scene itself has a lot to say. The mention of “ One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining close to his heart;” is what stands out to me here. This disciple, who is never named directly, essentially is laying with his head against Jesus’ chest, in his lap most likely as means were taken while reclining. It is an intimate and very touching image. It is a pesky reference that biblical scholars often debate and try to identify the individual. Some say it is John, the Evangelist, while others argue that is is a metaphorical reference meant to symbolizes the "abiding" relationship Jesus invites all believers into. There are even those who believe it was Mary Magdline, but there are other references to her and the unnamed disciple at Jesus’ tomb. I prefer to think of this as a hint to a same-sex relationship, though there is not any definitive scholarship on this interpretation. I suppose it will always remain a mystery, but it is one that speaks of a deep love and intimacy that resonates with me. Perhaps, at this pivotal moment in Jesus story we can take comfort knowing that Jesus was unafraid to show a physical closeness to his disciples. It reflects the very character of Jesus as being both fearless in his exposing of the one who would betray him and his love and closeness to a person who will most likely remain a mystery. PRAYER May we embrace the love exhibited by Jesus and hold those dear to us even closer, even when we may have fears about what is to come. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR  Hardy Haberman

SCRIPTURE  Romans 8:31-37 If God is for us, who is against us? Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship or distress... No, for in all such things, we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us. WORDS OF HOPE On this Tuesday of Holy Week, sometimes called Jesus’ busiest of days, we observe Jesus in various interactions with every variety of religious leader, disciple, townspeople, and distractors. Everywhere he goes in Jerusalem, he seems to be followed by accusations, questions, and conflicts. Have you ever felt backed into a corner by life’s seemingly overwhelming challenges? Today’s Scripture contains some of the Bible’s most hopeful words and ones most of us need to hear every day. As Paul wrote these words to the young church at Rome, he was offering encouragement and instruction to them. Much like our own world, in the period of 50-60 CE, the Christian church in that city was in constant change. It had gone through an earlier purge of its Jewish citizens under the Emperor Claudius. Many of those Jews, who had been exiled at that time, now had returned to Rome and found that the young church which they previously knew had changed. With the earlier expulsion of its Jewish Christians, the church had become a predominantly Gentile congregation. Many of those returning Jews had probably lost their Roman homes, businesses, and social status. They returned like immigrants to the church they had helped to create, and their welcome back was probably less than enthusiastic. For those faithful Jews, it must have been heartbreaking to sense a separation from all that they had loved in their church group. In our present time, many people are suffering loss. Sometimes, it is manifested in the death of a loved one, loss of a job, or even faith in our own government. Paul encouraged those Jews and Gentiles in the Roman church when he reminded them that hardships happen to all, but hope must not be lost. Paul knew that our greatest treasure, which is our loving relationship with Christ Jesus, cannot be taken away from us. His encouragement continues: "For nothing can separate us from Christ, for I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor rulers, nor things present or in the future, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39) PRAYER Grant us Lord God, not to be overly anxious about the physical things of this earthly life, but to hold dear and love those spiritual gifts which are part of your loving providence for us. Even while we are placed here among those earthly things which are passing away, help us to hold fast to your loving spiritual gifts which shall endure. We pray through Jesus's name. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St Francis and St. Clare