Wednesday - December 27, 2023

SCRIPTURE 2 Kings 61-7 Now the company of prophets said to Elisha, “As you see, the place where we live under your charge is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, and let us collect logs there, one for each of us, and build a place there for us to live.” He answered, “Do so.” Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” And he answered, “I will.” So, he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water; he cried out, “Alas, master! It was borrowed.” Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. He said, “Pick it up.” So, he reached out his hand and took it. WORDS OF HOPE This is a really enigmatic story that is hard to make sense of for me. Floating axe heads? I like to find a piece of every scripture in the lectionary that I can relate to, or that can be the basis of a story, but this one was tough. I thought about it for a long time and then came to the conclusion that perhaps the relevance was there in plain sight. The man chopping down the tree was so enthusiastic or frantic that his axe head flew from his axe and landed in the river. He literally “lost his head” in his enthusiasm. I can certainly relate to that. Sometimes, I find myself so carried away with the action of a situation that I lose my head and get lost. The details become flustering, and I can’t find a spot to center myself. Elisha breaks the problem down to a simple action. One that had magical results, but one that I can take with me. When I become overwhelmed and flustered, I can toss that metaphorical stick in the river, watch the ripples spread out and eventually find peace. At that point my head floats back to me. PRAYER  At times when I am overwhelmed, let me remember that God will help me center myself if I only take a moment to pause and watch and listen. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman

SCRIPTURE  Proverbs 16:11 Honest scales and balances are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are God’s work. WORDS OF HOPE I have just returned from a trip to Ireland with my daughter, her husband, and my four- and six-year-old grandsons. To experience the new and different through the eyes of children is both nourishing and refreshing. We did quite a bit of driving. The first thing the boys asked was, “Why is the steering wheel on a different side from Mommy’s car?” This was not an unreasonable question, though I found the wording quite telling. They didn’t say “wrong side,” but rather “different side.” This question was followed by, “How long until we get to where we are going?” The response, “About 170 kilometers.” As you might imagine, the next question that came was, “What is a kilometer?” Thus began a week of teachable mathematical moments. The six-year-old is a math whiz and entertains himself by doing math problems in his head. He spent the remainder of our trip doing the conversions between kilometers and miles. His fun was expanded when we stopped at our first shop and he learned that the Irish use euros rather than dollars and thus he was presented with more math equations to solve. I share this story because today is Math 2.0 Day, a day set aside to highlight the importance of math in our lives. Though I am thrilled with this little guy’s ability to solve these math equations, I am more thrilled that he never thought the differences in another country were “wrong.” Both boys readily accepted kilometers and euros, as well as biscuits and jumpers, with no judgement or criticism; these were just new, different, fun, and perfectly acceptable, ways to see the world. It may seem like a small thing, but in an age where even the slightest differences in lifestyle, looks, or beliefs can cause such divisive thoughts and actions in our world, I felt blessed by being in the presence of true child-like wonder…and acceptance. This experience made me wonder when it is that we lose our ability to see and embrace difference as something exciting, as something worth exploring and understanding, as something that expands our lives rather than threatens and diminishes it. Coincidentally, we also happened to be in downtown Dublin during the Pride parade and celebration. Though our little boys don’t understand all the significance of Pride celebrations, they do understand the general meaning and were thrilled to find themselves in the midst of all the rainbows, something that is familiar to them. If only we could all accept difference and see it as a gift, as a means to growth, knowledge, and blessings. If only we could cultivate understanding and appreciation by exploring our differences. Like my grandsons, we would learn that 170 kilometers is not as far as 170 miles, and be grateful. PRAYER God of all things measurable and immeasurable, help us to keep an open mind and open heart so that we can learn from all that we experience. Remind us that you are the maker of all things, familiar and unfamiliar, and each is a gift to us. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Proverbs 12:17 When you tell the truth, justice is done, but lies lead to injustice. Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal.  WORDS OF HOPE Mark your calendars for July 7th and join us in celebrating Tell the Truth Day! This day has been around since at least the 1700s and is a reminder of how important honesty can be. Not only is it important to tell the truth, but it's also important to practice active listening so that we can better understand each other. So, this July 7th, let’s all take a moment to reflect on why telling the truth is so important and make sure we commit to being honest with everyone in our lives. That sounds simple. Don't we always tell the truth? What about when a friend calls and wants you to come to help them with a project you aren't very interested in? Are you honest with them - and possibly hurt their feelings. Or do you make up an excuse of a conflict to not go help them? And is that truthful? Is it better than hurting your friend's feelings? How do we balance truth and kindness? When your child does a drawing - it isn't beautiful to anyone but you. What do you tell them? I tried "creative truthful" responses for my children, because my Mom was always brutally honest with me. "You didn't color in the lines, and you smeared a spot!" My response to my children was more “How creative and colorful! Let's display that on the fridge.” I wanted to encourage them; not stifle any creativity they might have. The full truth and nothing but the truth can be hard. I pride myself in being a truthful person. But I become challenged in many circumstances between being honest and being kind. If someone asks how I like their new dress, when I don’t, I try to find something about it I can compliment. My previous denomination tried to get me to be critical about everyone's soul, unless they believed exactly like our denomination and had been baptized exactly like our denomination. I am afraid I told many people untruths over the years! I now believe that love is the important thing. And love is the truth. I no longer believe you must "get right with God" to be saved! The real truth is God's love makes us right and we have that unconditional love and should share it instead of condemnation! The truth and nothing but the truth is love. Love is all you need. God has taken care of everything else! So, I strive to be truthful, not just on Tell the Truth Day. But I don't have to fear eternal punishment if I falter occasionally! Praise the God of Love! PRAYER God of love and truth, help us heal this hurting world with your words of love to all. Help us find the right words to say to bless all we meet. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn CoH Volunteer

SCRIPTURE  Psalm 139:10-11 "If I say, surely darkness shall cover me, and the light (of good old times) around me become dark night; even then your divine hand shall lead me, and your good right-hand will hold me fast." WORDS OF HOPE Today is the 4 th of July, Independence Day, traditionally a day of gratitude for the past and optimistic hope for the future. Hope is the expectation of that which is not yet realized, but desired enough that it is sought. It is one element of the human psyche which motivates life to continue. In these chaotic times, we hear grumbles and genuine concerns around us about the fragility of our hope in the future. When hope is lost, there is deep despair or even loss of the vital force to continue life. Since the beginning of humanity, God has been shown to be the answer to our despair. The Bible narratives and the actions of Jesus show us again and again that God is the true source of our hope. Sometimes we forget this truth and that is not unique to this generation. For several generations before Jesus' birth, Jewish life endured much despair. The Roman army occupied their land with consequent economic hardship and heavy taxation. The Temple authorities and High Priest were "under the thumb" of King Herod and his Roman masters. There was religious dissension, and the former strong voice of God's prophets no longer was heard. It was a time when the voice of God's Spirit seemed to be dulled by uncertainty and almost quenched. The hardship and darkness of daily life seemed to make God's presence very distant. The constant stress and burden of each day could be endured only by a flickering hope that God had not forgotten them. They must have lamented, "When, O God; how long will it be before the past's better times return again?" God's presence in their daily life seem to be diminished; God's voice seemed to be quieted, almost breathless. Still, some people had a fleeting hope that God would break through the spiritual darkness. Little did they know that God was setting the stage for their salvation. In today's uncertain world, you may have experienced similar spiritual stress and uncertainty. How many times have you thought: "When O God, will we get back to normal?" Like that generation of Jews before Jesus' birth, we need to hold tightly and be assured the hope that God is with us in our struggles, and that relief will come with renewal of our spiritual life. We are never separated from God! As the Psalmist reminds us, “Even now your divine hand shall lead me, and your good right-hand will hold me fast." Keep up your hope, God is still working! Every day we remind ourselves of that truth we are celebrating our own personal Independence Day. PRAYER Lord God, bring quiet to my mind and help me to center my attention toward your presence in my life this day. May I clearly hear your voice as you teach me and guide my life in the ways of your love. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE Luke 8.7 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. WORDS OF HOPE Today’s official bizarre holiday is Superman Day. This is always a fun day for me. My earliest television memories were watching the old 1950s TV show, The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves. I was so young in fact that I didn’t really know what I was watching other than a man and in a funny suit and cape, who would jump out a window and fly, and somehow always be positioned in front of his friends to deflect bullets. But it had a lasting effect. Not only that show, but later it became much more about the character and into adulthood about the metaphor. Superman represents so many things. In a way, it’s a similar retelling of the story of Moses in the Bible, sending an infant son in a basket down the river, or a rocket to another galaxy. Or the parallel of God sending his only begotten son, to save humanity from themselves, interfering in the challenges of their lives only as often as needed. I’ve always been fascinated with the costume of Superman beginning with the TV show. There were lots of various costumes that the actor George Reeves had to wear, both in black and white filming and later in color. George even had a special set of outfits he would wear in public for his promotional appearances. Everywhere he went he had to be Superman and at other times to heighten the drama, he would appear as Clark Kent in his suit, hat, and glasses. Kids cheered enthusiastically for Clark as well, knowing who he really was and that he would make the switch into his more colorful costume later. The obvious parallel, which I believe we can relate to is the one we all share, creating different personalities of ourselves at work, or home, or perhaps in different social situations. This isn’t just about Superman. It’s about us isn’t it? Isn’t it about sometimes living out our lives wanting to be perceived as normal to everybody on the surface yet hiding our true selves? Do you ever do that? Do you want to blend in? Or are you the one who dares to be different in a crowd who may disagree with you? Many of us feel confident in speaking our truth. Others are more comfortable being the one doesn’t make waves. There is no right or wrong answer here because we all have our differences of opinion on how we present ourselves; what we’re willing to say out loud, and what we are not. Jesus knew that there was a time for miracles and a time for meditation, a time for raising the dead and a time for resting from it all. In the comic book stories of Superman, he eventually shares his true self with Lois Lane. Perhaps the real parallel is that the people around us are all more like Lois Lane and can’t be fooled by a pair of glasses. Maybe that secret thing about yourself that you hold dear is not so secret at all. Just remember, the children clapped just as loud for Clark Kent as they did for Superman. PRAYER Creator of all, we sometimes live in a world of duel identities. Help us to be flexible in ways we share our feelings in a diverse society but may the message we share always be centered on your love. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Charlie C. Rose Order of St. Francis and St. Clare