Package from Pearl - May 8

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 40, 54; PM Psalm 51; Exod. 34:18-35; 1 Thess. 3:1-13; Matt. 5:27-37

I got a package in the mail from a dear friend the other week. Along with a box of my favorite Andes mints, Pearl relayed a message of Easter joy and love. She said we were in her prayers. In a great display of humor, she said that with the extra time at home, surely our house would be organized and spotless. (She knows of the non-adult inhabitants: two kids and two large dogs, all who track in dirt and chaos daily.) I laughed out loud, stepped over a remote-controlled truck, and unwrapped a candy. How I needed her gift of prayer, care, and encouragement in that moment – plus the chocolate!

In today’s Epistle reading, Paul writes to his friends in the Christian community in northern Greece: “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?” Paul and his friends had been separated from their Thessalonian brothers and sisters in Christ for quite some time, and they could not get back to visit. The Thessalonians had experienced resistance and persecution in being church together. There had been hard days, and more strenuous times were ahead. The apostle Paul sent them beautiful words of prayer, care, and encouragement – plus his friend Timothy to check on them…all reminders of abiding God’s love.

The gifts of prayer, care, and encouragement helped sustain the early church in trying times, and these same reminders of God’s love can help us today, until we can meet again face to face. Let’s continue to support one another, as God continues to abide with us.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• What words of encouragement keep you going?

• Who has brought you joy lately?

Daily Challenge

Send a note of encouragement to someone who brings you great joy.

The toxicity of tension - May 7

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalm 50; PM 114, 115; Exod. 34:1-17; 1 Thess. 2:13-20; Matt. 5:21-26

Tension happens in relationships, especially during times of stress. We let off our emotional steam in the direction of those we care about and trust. If you have others living in close proximity right now, perhaps “Operation Tension Mitigation” has been the name of your family dynamic of late. Rather than diffusing stress and moving on with the next project of the day, Jesus challenges us to go further. He calls us today to total reconciliation.

If someone commits murder or violence, judgment is inevitable. However, Jesus takes it one step further: anger, too, will bring judgment, so he says to drop everything and make amends. Jesus knows how divisive and toxic resentment can be, infiltrating intimacy with weeds of irritability. He wants his followers to live fully into the spirit of God’s law – and not just the word of it. In order to give freely of ourselves to God, Jesus knows that we must be unencumbered by darkness and anger.

Though we are in the Easter season and basking in the joy of the Risen Christ, sometimes reconciliation is easier said than done -- especially in times of duress. Surely Jesus’ disciples wrestled with this teaching, too. Reconciliation still can be a goal we continue to work toward… like a habit we work to cultivate. It can make this time of isolation and quarantine less lonely, and much more joyful. Today, take a step toward building a bridge with a brother or sister, spouse or friend…because we are already forgiven by God.  

Alleluia and thanks be to God!

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• How severe a judge are you upon others? How severely do you judge yourself?

• What are your barriers to reconciliation with a loved one?

Daily Challenge

Pray for someone with whom you feel tension and separation. What other steps are you called to make toward reconciliation?

“I have come not to abolish but to fulfil the law” - May 6

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, [53]; Exod. 33:1-23; 1 Thess. 2:1-12; Matt. 5:17-20

Whether we intend it or not, our actions tell a story about what we believe – and influence those around us. That was demonstrated clearly in the sermons preached by three of our Saint Stephen’s high school seniors this past Sunday. The love, guidance, and support they have witnessed in this parish have shaped them in meaningful ways along their paths as Christians.

In our gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus is in the midst of what we call the Sermon on the Mount. He is teaching his disciples and all those gathering around him. Today he is driving home the point that his followers do, and will continue to, lead by example. Their actions point to their beliefs…and so Jesus takes the time to name how influential they can be. And what guides the example they are to set? The Law provides that framework – the rules set forth by God, beginning with the commandments God laid out to Moses upon the mountain. The power and example displayed by Jesus rolls up under that framework, too, for Jesus is a fulfillment of scripture, not a presentation of a new way. Jesus knows that he, too, leads by example.

What is the example you are setting, and what is the framework you are leaning upon? What parts of your framework are strong? What parts need to be reinforced?

— Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• What is the example you hope to set today?

• What or who do you need to support you?

Daily Challenge

Revisit the catechism (The Outline of Faith, beginning on page 845 in the Book of Common Prayer). What parts of our Christian doctrine bolster the example you hope to set?

Trouble with gold - May 5

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalm 45; PM Psalms 47, 48; Exod. 32:21-34; 1 Thess. 1:1-10; Matt. 5:11-16

The other day on PBS I watched an historical exploration of the California Gold Rush in the 1850s. Isaac Baker journaled about his “exotic time in California”. He went westward to strike it rich. Panning for gold was no easy task: leaning over a trickling brook, panning 6-7 days a week from sun-up to sun-down, and earning less than $6 per day (not quite $200 today). Baker observed that these throngs of people, who came from all over the world to make their fortune, were bawdy, reckless, and wild. His time as a goldminer was short-lived; he tried his hand at photography, for which he was better known, and then moved back East.

We have been reading in Exodus of Moses’ time upon Mount Sinai with God. As he descended the mountain, Moses found a bunch of revelry going on in the camp and saw them dancing around a false idol: the golden calf. Aaron, who had been left in charge, was confronted by his brother Moses: “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”

The people had survived exile and the wilderness with God’s protection and Moses’ leadership, but they had grown restless. They doubted if Moses would return and if God was truly faithful to them. They wanted new gods to lead the way. Aaron was not the best of leaders in that moment; he tossed their gold pieces into the fire – and voila! A golden calf emerged. Moses was raging and sought to bring order to the chaos. He didn’t have the latitude of Isaac Baker, changing roles upon seeing the degradation of goldminers. No, Moses was stuck leading this stiff-necked people and appealed to God to atone for their sins.

We humans don’t show the best versions of ourselves when we are exhausted, lonely, and desperate. Here we sit in 2020, waiting in uncertainty, like the Israelites at the bottom of Mount Sinai. When can we resume our normal routes and in-person connections? This lesson from Exodus invites me to reflect on what it means to trust in God’s faithfulness right now, when it is hard to be patient. I am reminded to be generous to others, gentle upon myself, and slow to judge in this time of stress. Today, let us push against the urge to turn toward empty idols for transitory comfort, and instead, stay focused on the message of light and life put forth in the hope of God.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• If you were in Aaron’s position, what would you have done?

• Who encourages you to trust in God when times get hard?

Daily Challenge

Name a frustration that you feel today. Through prayer or quiet time, invite God’s message of light and life to shine upon that problem. What promise lies in the midst of this hardship?

Being open to receive God’s blessing - May 4

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 41, 52; PM Psalm 44; Exod. 32:1-20; Col 3:18-4:6-18; Matt. 5:1-10

Westina Mathews, adjunct professor at General Theological Seminary, served as a spiritual shepherd for a group of about 20 people via ZOOM on Saturday morning. We sat at our own homes, in front of computers, and opened ourselves up for reflection, prayer, and gratitude, guided by writings of the late Fred Rogers. It was a lovely and beautiful spiritual direction session in a group setting.

One of the questions considered was how we are simultaneously givers and receivers, and how we can be both today. One person shared the cycle that you may have experienced: in connecting and giving to others, she has received so much joy. I am reminded of the beatitude we hear today: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” Similarly, in forgiving, we are forgiven; in welcoming, we are welcomed. So often, the action we are doing for others becomes a gift for us, too. The opportunity for us is to pay attention to our interactions, so that we may receive and acknowledge that joy.

This day, the beatitudes strike me as just the right words we need to hear, as salve to bind up our exhaustion; as cool water to refresh us. Let us breathe deeply, sit down, and receive the blessings that Jesus is sharing with us.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• Which beatitude do you most need to hear today?

• What blessing of hope is missing for you?

Daily Challenge

Meditate upon the beatitudes. Practice being attentive and engaged with moments of blessing and gratitude today. Tell one person about the appreciation you feel.

Are you up for a little adventure too? - May 2

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 30, 32; PM Psalm 42, 43: Exod. 25:1–22; Col. 3:1–17; Matt. 4:18–25

“Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” They didn’t come up with a three-year plan of how they were going to start being more faithful. They didn’t go back and convince their friends that they needed to go a different way. Matthew puts the emphasis on ‘immediately.’ There is a sense of urgency in the text, certainly expediency.

I have always wondered what Simon Peter and Andrew saw or witnessed that morning that was so remarkable that they could leave behind everything that made their lives secure. It happens so quickly that they don’t even return home. It should be fair to assume that their loved ones and family were dependent on their livelihood as fishermen, so if they are going to abandon their security and wellbeing, it must have been pretty extraordinary.

Did Simon Peter and Andrew and James and John find newfound freedom when they left everything else behind? I am quite confident that our corporate understanding of the faith, as passed down in tradition, does not suggest that we abandon our families or loved ones, but we might have to abandon the things that we hold onto for security.

What are you holding onto that is holding you back from the life-giving way of Jesus? Is it the refusal to go to church until we can go in person? Or resentment that feels so good to hold onto or makes you feel justified towards that person who wronged you years ago? When the disciples followed Jesus they went out around all of Galilee, preaching, and healing, all throughout. Matthew concludes this passage suggesting that what the disciples experienced was far greater than what they would have if they had reminded behind. Are you up for a little adventure too?

- John+

Questions for Self-Reflection

• What helps you feel safe and secure? What is the relationship of this to your faith? What could your ‘nets’ be?

Daily Challenge

• Think of something that you feel compelled or called to do but have yet to. Today is the day. No procrastinating!

Why do you submit to regulations? - May 1

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 105:1–22; PM Psalm 105:23–45: Exod. 24:1–18; Col 2:8–23; Matt. 4:12–17

Is it overreaching to always apply the lens of what we are experiencing to the daily readings? I almost had to laugh when Paul asks the reader, “why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch’?” I keep waiting to hear Paul say, “Do not go into Jefferson county without a face covering.”

Paul is writing to Christians who have been criticized for doing things outside of the norms of their religious boundaries. He is trying to be encouraging by saying do not let these criticisms weigh you down, but check what is the underlying motivation. In many ways, I hear Paul’s words as the freedom to try new things in a new era. Many of us come to church with a pretty heavy attachment to the faith traditions that we come from. Maybe you are mourning being able to participate in the Eucharist on Sundays, or the old language Bible or prayers, or the pew that your grandparents sat in, and when these are not accessible we find it unsettling or unraveling for our faith.

However, I would suggest that what we are finding is a spirit of innovation in this new age. People are trying to have small groups and studies online (or write reflections) or gather in new virtual ways. Sometimes these programs work, and sometimes they don’t. And I suspect, it should be expected that we will create our own regulations and refuse to participate fully because of our own grief over how things are changing. I don’t want to suggest that there is anything wrong with grieving the loss of what we used to believe was normal, but I do think that the freedom to try something new can be a helpful tool to deepen our spirituality. I mean, Paul does say that we are not of this world. So things are always going to be a little bit out of what is familiar and comfortable when we dig into the faith. Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing.

- John+

Questions for Self-Reflection

• What are the practices of the faith that you miss the most? Why? Is there something new you are trying or participating in that is providing meaning and hope?

Daily Challenge

• Consider participating in an online worship service, book study, small group, or worship service. Do something different that you haven’t done before. Here are some ideas.

But we have never met in person before! - April 30

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 37:1–18; PM Psalm 37:19–42: Exod. 20:1–21; Col. 1:24–2:7; Matt. 4:1–11

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he is addressing a specific community, the one in Colossae, and yet in this section of the letter, he also wants those who have yet to see his face, to be encouraged as they “are knit together in love, to have all the riches of assured understating and the knowledge of God’s ministry.” Paul is writing to people he has yet to meet and they are connected by a letter or epistle. They are united in the faith and a part of the same community by virtue of how they are seeking to support and encourage each other.

I keep wondering when things will return to normal. Last Sunday, we were scheduled to have a Newcomers gathering at my home, one of those events that was dropped when everything else was. And yet I wonder, as we grow in how we connect with one another, will the necessity of having met in person recede? Can you be part of a community if you have never met anyone in that community face to face? How we geographical boundaries and social boundaries shift as the church lives into her mission in the 21st Century?

These are interesting questions to suggest when most of us are attending church online. One thought would be to consider how often we look to find our connection to others through the social values and connections that we all hold when looking to build community within our own tradition. Where do you work? Do you have children? Where do they go to school? Where do you live? Do you know Bob or Sue or Pete? I wonder if these surface-level questions become obsolete when we become connected on something much deeper, our faith in God, and a desire to deepen that faith through a willingness to grow and seek unity with a diversity of believers. Maybe this will make our own faith much richer because it will expand our understanding of the Body of Christ. All we need is a little openness to be willing to go there.

-John+

Questions for Self-Reflection

• When you last walked through the doors of a church, who were the people that you sought out to connect with? Why?

Daily Challenge

• If you are connecting to worship, through the internet, spend time today and tomorrow paying attention to what you can learn from someone else. Maybe it will come through their greeting or prayer requests.

To go up the mountain, we have to leave everyone else behind - April 29

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25–48; Exod. 19:16–25; Col. 1:15–23; Matt. 3:13–17

In today’s Old Testament lesson, there is this great experience of thunder, fire, and smoke upon the top of Mount Sinai. God is reaching out to Moses with instructions for God’s people. Moses makes the journey up the mountain to encounter God while leaving everyone else at a safe distance. For your information, it is farther than six feet away.

I keep wondering what was going through Moses’s mind. How scared must he have been? I mean the mountain was on fire. And wouldn’t he have wanted to take someone with him? Maybe Aaron? Hasn’t he heard of the Buddy System?

Maybe what strikes me most is realizing that there are some places that we must venture to alone. I feel I have been writing a lot about how we share and invite people into our lives in order to recognize our shared humanity and remove isolation. I do wholeheartedly believe this to be true, and Moses does return off the mountain to share in community what he has learned, but he had to go up there alone first. Or maybe what Moses was learning about God, or about himself and his people, was something that the others were not ready yet to hear. Maybe they didn’t yet have the capacity to hear or learn. To go up the mountain, we have to leave everyone else behind.

In these days of a little elevated stress and worry, what are you learning about yourself? Or maybe more profoundly how is this shaping your understanding of God? Is there a scary place you are being invited into, that you must potentially do alone before you can invite others into that space? Are you learning something about yourself that needs exploration or work that only you can do? And if you do this work, how will it better help you to be in community when you return off the mountain?

- John+

Questions for Self-Reflection

• What new thing have you learned about yourself in the last six weeks? How do you see this shaping the person you are becoming?

Daily Challenge

• Take a walk, or intentionally take some time to be apart from people (this includes technology). Name one thing you have learned that others have not yet named that can be used to build up your community.

Bear fruit, just don’t let it be too fruity - April 28

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 26, 28; PM Psalm 36, 39; Exod. 19:1–16; Col. 1:1–14; Matt. 3:7–12

The image of a fruit tree is often used to describe the Christian life. We are encouraged to care for ourselves, to have faith, and if we do, our lives will produce fruit. It is a lovely image that touches on how our faith can both be generative and impact other lives. It is especially poignant in spring when flowers are budding after a long winter or when we hunger for a fresh fruit that is in season from the farmers’ market or local vendor.

But the Gospel has a spin this day and it isn’t very fruity: we are to bear fruit worthy of repentance. Essentially, our lives are to be formed in a way where we have the capacity to turn around, to ask for forgiveness, to apologize, to know that we are not yet our best selves. From this passage in Matthew, this is the fruit we are to bear. Think of all the things we lift up as humans: our ability to be strong, wise, determined, visionary, athletic, amongst many other things. But how often do we lift up humility? What if humility was the most important of all Christian virtues?

One thing I have noticed over the past few weeks is mistakes flow much more frequently when stress is high. In my own life, attempting to home school children, all while writing, planning, editing, responding to emails, and. making pastoral phone and zoom calls has been a challenge and some mistakes have been made. An email or two might have been missed, tempers have flared a few times when patience has been lost, and my best work has not always risen to the top. Are you finding some of the same challenges?

I even wonder if it is at all responsible to expect our best during times of intense stress and challenge? Maybe humility is the only response we can offer that helps us grow. We are all being humbled, but what if this is precisely necessary to move our lives from depending on the strength of our egos to the grace of God? Be gentle with yourselves. It is ok to not be perfect.

- John+

Questions for Self-Reflection

• Where have you made mistakes in this past week? How have those mistakes added challenge to your life? Would you have made that same mistake 6 weeks ago?

Daily Challenge

• Think of one mistake you have made and give thanks for it. Name one thing that you have learned from it.

Cast your anxieties on him, not you - April 27

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15; Exod. 18:13–27; 1 Pet. 5:1–14; Matt. (1:1–17),3:1–6

Last week, we heard a passage from John where Jesus told his disciples to not let their hearts be troubled. They are intended to be words of comfort on the night before Jesus is crucified. In today’s Epistle, there are new words of encouragement, “Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.” While the context is certainly different, there is also a different approach to providing care in the midst of uncertainty. In today’s reading, we are told that we will be anxious, but that we can cast those anxieties on God because God cares. Instead of being told not to worry, there is an acknowledgment that we will have worry, but there is also a reminder that we won’t worry alone.

If we are to assume that we will all have a certain level of uneasiness in life, then a fair question to raise is what is the source or root of that anxiety? Is what we carry around related to how we might anticipate our own suffering or the pain of loved ones and others? Peter continues, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will restore, establish, and strengthen you.” I don’t believe that Peter means to claim that it is God’s will that we suffer. Instead, maybe that part of being human means that we will experience suffering. If it is what is intended, then is it something that should weigh us down or cause us to panic?

The Scriptures commend that what is earthly is temporary and not eternal. Maybe this is why we can cast our anxieties on to God, to carry for us, knowing that strength and restoration are coming in due time. Maybe you already feel strengthened and renewed, or maybe the reality of our common life in this time is causing you to suffer more than you had previously realized. Does naming what we are experiencing allow God to share that burden? Does knowing that it is shared, help you worry less?

- John+

Questions for Reflection

• What keeps you up at night? What are you most anxious about in this time of Covid-19? Can you say this out loud?

Daily Challenge

• Vocalize with a friend or loved one, one of the things that worry you as a way of “casting your anxieties.”

At the end of my rope - April 25

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 20, 21; PM Psalms 110, 116, 117; Exod. 17:1-16; 1 Pet. 4:7-19; John 16:16-33

Moses and the Israelites are slowly emerging from the wilderness, and they are growing weary. They are thirsty and argumentative. Moses asks, “Why do you continue to quarrel with me?” The people complain, “Why did you make us come here?” At the end of his rope, Moses cries out to the Lord, “What am I going to do with these people?”

Flummoxed. Exhausted. Anxious. The sentiments in this reading from Exodus are so timely! Sitting in my house with home-weary kids who are missing school and social contact, there are moments when I feel I am near the end of my own rope. “Lord, what am I going to do with these people?!”

Perhaps you have said these words about someone, or some entity, recently. Moses can be a guide for us during this wilderness time, when many of us are in unknown territory. In the 17th chapter of Exodus, Moses turns to God in prayer, and God answers in faithfulness. God instructs Moses to go ahead of the people, stepping away from the tension of the camp in this moment. He isn’t to go alone, though. With his staff in hand, he’s to take some peers – perhaps for listening ears and wise counsel. And then, he is to go to Mount Horeb, the holy place where he received the Ten Commandments – and God will be with him.

Today, let us seek the space we need, pray for guidance, and entrust our lives to God, even when faced with testing and quarreling.

— Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• Who are the peers in whom you confide when exhausted and empty?

• Where is a holy place for you?

Daily Challenge

The writer of Exodus gives us a challenge: “Write this as a reminder in a book…” Think about the events you want to remember during this time, and those you want to forget. Compose your thoughts and write the story of your experiences as a reminder to share with future generations.

Bumbling and stumbling - April 24

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 16, 17; PM Psalms 134, 135; Exod. 16:23-36; 1 Pet. 3:13-4:6; John 16:1-15

“I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling.” Jesus told his disciples about God’s love, and how to live in community together, because he knew that he would not be with his friends much longer. He was preparing them for the hard times ahead.

My parents, teachers, and other mentors through my life have helped me build a foundation for existence in community as a good citizen of the Earth. When challenges arise, I believe I am equipped with tools and resources figure out the next right step. Stumbling, however, takes me by surprise. These days, I find myself bumbling and stumbling more than I’d like.

We can have structures, methods, and plans in place…but tripping means that our eyes have not been focused in the right place, or our feet are not in sync with the rest of our bodies. We have missed something. Sometimes a stumble leaves mud on our knees or a bruised ego, but other times it renders us broken.

Jesus was preparing the disciples so that their eyes would remain fixed upon him. He warned that uncertain times were ahead. He allowed space for the grieving upon their hearts. Jesus also reminded his friends that his departure was not the end, for he was sending them the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth.

We hear these words from John’s gospel today and appreciate the promise Jesus left for his disciples, and we hear the promise he makes to us. As the path we are walking is treacherous and uncertain, let us keep our eyes focused upon our Lord, so that we will keep from stumbling.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• What stresses in life lead you to stumble?

• Who has helped build your foundation?

  Daily Challenge

Spend ten minutes reflecting in prayer about how the Holy Spirit can be a guide in your life. Write down the truths and insights that come to you through this time of focus upon God.

“No one has greater love than this…” - April 23

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalm 18:1-20; PM Psalm 18:21-50; Exod. 16:10-22; 1 Pet. 2:11-25; John 15:12-27

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” The act of sacrifice doesn’t happen because one person is lesser or more expendable; rather, there is kindred connection between people, grounded in unconditional, selfless love from God.

Who is a friend? Asked another way, from Luke’s parable of the Good Samaritan, “Who is my neighbor?” Is it someone we know intimately? Is it someone who thinks like we do, looks like we do, or agrees with our beliefs? We are all neighbors and friends, connected in God’s love, which supersedes the differences that may separate us.

I am reminded of those who serve and care for those in need – who my preschooler calls “community helpers”: people who restock shelves and assist customers in grocery stores, tend to patients in medical facilities, collect and analyze data to understand the patterns of viral transmission, and respond to many other community needs. These folks are acting out of love and humble compassion, laying down their lives for friends, known and unknown.

Last night, Saint Stephen’s held a panel conversation on Facebook Live among Dr. Paul Goepfert, Dr. Michael Moore, Dr. Dori Pekmezi, and the Rev. John Burruss. They explored science, medicine, emotional well-being, and faith in God, as the world works to get a handle on COVID-19. These content-area experts welcomed questions from viewers, and offered concerns, wisdom, guidance, and insights of reassurance. If you missed it, I commend the recorded exchange to you (click here), as you seek grounding and purpose in this time of pandemic and disruption.

We are physically distant for now, and yet we are not alone. Jesus is our companion in these hard times. And, as our gospel reminds us today, Jesus is calling us to love one another.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• Have I made a sacrifice that put my own life at risk? How did it feel?

• Jesus says that he has told his friends everything his Father has shared; how transparent am I with my closest friends?

Daily Challenge

Spend 10 minutes reflecting on how you serve God. What fruits have emerged as a result? Call a friend to share a story connected to being a servant of God.

Jesus’ love abides - April 22

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalms 12, 13, 14; Exodus 15:22-16:10; 1 Pet. 2:1-10; John 15:1-11

If you were to ask me to define the word “abide,” I would probably offer an answer that points to resting for shelter and restoration. Abide in Jesus’ love. Abide in Jesus. Abide. We are reminded over and over to abide. In the context of today’s gospel, my understanding of “abide” shifts from static rest to dynamic growth.

You see, Jesus paints the imagery of fruit growing on the vine, grown from buds of infancy. The fruit abides upon the vine for deeper connection, for growth, and for flourishing. After all, fruit doesn’t grow unless it is connected to the source of sustained nourishment. A grape pulled off before it is plump will not ripen to its fullest, but will be tossed aside, shriveled.

We are called into awareness of the true vine, so that we may bear the fruits of the Spirit in the light of the Risen Christ. Even in these rocky days, we abide in the nourishment of the Father. It is there that we know God’s love. We are fortified by God’s word and are rooted in God’s commandments. It is in abiding with Jesus that we grow to our fullest – we glorify God and flourish into complete joy.

May you be joyful and bear fruit this day. Alleluia!

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• What branches in your life are no longer bearing fruit?

• What spiritual practices help you to abide in God’s love?

Daily Challenge

Peter talks about Jesus as the living Stone. Go for a stroll today and look for a stone. Pick it up, if possible. Examine the rock and spend time reflecting on the reading from 1 Peter, contemplating the ways God is building you up.

Jesus: The Foundation of our Faith - April 21

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 5, 6; PM Psalms 10, 11; Exodus 15:1-21; 1 Pet. 1:13-25; John 14:18-31

The hymn “The Church’s One Foundation” (#525) has been running through my head. In case you don’t have the 1982 Hymnal handy, the lyrics proclaim that Jesus is the foundation of the Church, created by water and the Word. The verses also speak to human events in the Church that have shaped her since the early days of Christianity; though conflicts and stresses press upon the Church, the saints keep watch over us. They cry out, “How long?” And, then follows the reassurance: “Soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.”

I cling to those words. I know that soon the night of weeping and separation will end, and we will gather in person to celebrate the Risen Son. Before the dawn breaks forth, while sitting in the confines of my house, I do ask, “How much longer?” In this space of prayer and waiting, I feel concern for those who are lonely and struggling; those who cannot visit their loved ones in healthcare facilities; those putting themselves at risk by working in unsafe or contaminated environments; those who are losing their jobs; those who are susceptible to COVID-19; and, those charged with making decisions for the public’s health and safety. I hear God calling for patience and compassion.

What if we leave the saints to linger in the time-delimited question “How long?”, and we lean upon the foundation of our faith, Jesus Christ? Our readings today provide some great grist for us. John’s gospel speaks to the legacy of mutuality and love that Jesus leaves for us. Peter’s letter calls us to prepare our minds for what actions are ahead. Above all, we are not alone in our waiting: we have the Holy Spirit who teaches and reminds us of what Jesus said. It is through the Risen Son’s unbounded love for us that we can put one foot in front of the other in times like this. Let us heed Jesus’ words: “Rise, let us be on our way!”

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• What hymns or songs are on your mind?

• What do you need to do to respond to God’s love in your life? Sing? Sit? Share?

Daily Challenge

• There is some cognitive dissonance in living into Jesus’ command to his friends, “Rise, let us be on our way!” in a time when we are supposed to stay at home as much as possible. Find ways to live into this resurrection call to Christian action today.

Feeling troubled? Turn to God. - April 20

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 1, 2, 3; PM Psalms 4, 7; Exod. 14:21-31; 1 Pet. 1:1-12; John 14:1-17

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Jesus offered this counsel to his friends after he’d told them that he would not be with them much longer, yet they kept asking questions: “But, where are you going? How do we get there? Could you just show us the Father?” While the disciples had seen Jesus perform miracles of feeding and healing, they struggled to believe all they had experienced. They needed reassurance. It was hard for them to trust. Jesus called his friends to go deeper. By moving outside of themselves in love, Jesus told the disciples they would receive the Spirit of truth.

Belief doesn’t always come easily, especially in stress and chaos. How often in these times are we prone to try to get things “under control”? We can become drawn within ourselves, dissociating from connection to others. Preoccupied in a posture of self-protection, we miss the little graces which remind us that God is in the midst of us. Hearing the Good News today, we are challenged to do as the disciples: love God and one another.

What if we go to God in prayer when we feel troubled? When we do, Jesus promises that we will not be left alone. Our eyes and ears will be opened to God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, which has been sent to us.

God abides with us and in us. Alleluia!

- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• The Egyptians did not believe in God. Pursuing the Israelites, the wheels of their chariots got bogged down in the Red Sea. What hardships bog you down?

• At the heart of John’s gospel is relationship. What enhances your relationship with God?

Daily Challenge

• Name a situation that troubles your heart. Ponder where doubt and fear linger in this matter? Pray to God for resolution and peace.

Wilderness or War? - April 18

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 145; PM Psalm 104; Exod. 13:17–14:4; 2 Cor. 4:16–5:10; Mark 12:18–27

When the Israelites have left Egypt, there is a concern that if they face too many challenges, they will want to return to their previous life under Pharaoh’s rule. The most important story in all of the Hebrew Scriptures, the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and Pharaoh, could be turned around because life is just too challenging! In our reading today from Exodus, God plans to lead the Israelites through the wilderness instead of through the land of the Philistines (of war and conflict) which would cause them to desire their previous situation in bondage. In this story, there are two paths that provide options: insurmountable conflict or the wilderness.

There have been some reoccurring themes in our writings recently. The Old Testament texts have been following the story of the Israelites bondage and trying to break free and return to the lives the Israelites believe they are promised. All of us are trying to make sense of the life we have now found ourselves living. Many of us are lost. Others are finding themselves in predicaments that seem insurmountable to pass. It is interesting to me that this text of pushing us into the wilderness is proclaimed during the Easter Season. At the root of the story, it is about the life that we all want to live or that we think we deserve and are promised.

Maybe there is some comfort in knowing that the spiritual journey of our faith has two options, and both are challenging. Oddly, when we gravitate to faith during challenging periods in our life, faith does not promise an easy answer. Instead, it promises a wilderness. I would even wager, sometimes it promises a war within our own conscience. Much of what we find comforting comes not from answers, but from the commitment to support each other in wandering. The Israelites wandered, but they did not do it alone. And in today’s text, there was a cloud that they understood to be the Lord, leading them and guiding them in the way forward. Maybe we can trust that God is leading us in our wilderness, a journey that is moving us forward too.

- John+

Questions for Reflection

• How does your life feel like a wilderness? Where do you have control and where have you lost control? Where is God in the midst of this wilderness?

Daily Challenge

• If you have named something that is out of our control, pray to God to handle that concern. At the end of the day, ask yourself, has this helped me in my faith.

You won’t die, but you will be changed! - April 17

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 136; PM Psalm 118; Exod. 13:1–2,11–16; 1 Cor. 15:51–58; Luke 24:1–12

“Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed” says Paul in this passage from the first letter to the Corinthians. I simultaneously love and am terrified of this passage. We are Easter people which means we are people of the resurrection. What God has done on the cross has changed our lives. When we recognize this truth, our lives are fundamentally different. But how does this actually play out?

I feel like I have worked hard to be the person that I am. Life has shaped me through my experiences, trials and tribulations, failures, and successes. I am probably more comfortable with who I have become in the last few years than ever before in my life. That might just be a factor of the stage of my life that I am in, but to be fair I should claim it. So if someone was going to say, “I am going to offer you the greatest gift ever imaginable, but you will be different because of it,” I am not sure how I would respond. I want the gift, but I don’t want to change or to be changed.

Do you ever feel like you are right and all those other people are wrong! If we just had more people that thought like me, the world would be a better place! I hope you can hear the sarcasm, although, I think it is probably easier to take this position than we want to admit. It is possible that we even default here if we are not paying attention.

But Paul says that we will be changed in the resurrection. If we think that God is finished with us, then maybe you are already the person that God wants you to be. But if the Resurrection is something that is always working in our lives, a reality that is always at play, then the change is not yet complete. Who is God inviting us to be? What is God inviting us to do, be, or change?

- John+

Questions for Reflection

• What are the nonreligious and religious beliefs of yours that you are absolutely certain about? What are you less certain about? Do these beliefs improve your ability to relate and love other people or do they create friction?

Daily Challenge

• Listen for a moment when someone says something or writes something that really bothers you. Instead of picking apart their argument, spend some time reflecting on why they believe what they believe. Could mutual understanding be a goal instead of persuasion?

I don’t want to thank you for tempestuous wind and other weird stuff too. - April 16

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 146, 147; PM Psalm 148, 149; Exod. 13:3–10; 1 Cor. 15:41–50; Matt. 28:16–20

In the psalm that we hear in the afternoon, it is a song of praise that gives thanks for much of creation. There is a thanksgiving of waters, and praising of sea-monsters (yes, you read that correctly), thanksgiving for fire and hail and snow and tempestuous wind. There is thanksgiving and praise for mountains and trees and wild beasts, and winged birds, and of course people both young and old.

Earlier this week, there were some wild winds that ravaged northern Alabama and Tennessee. I remember feeling on Monday morning a smidgeon of gratitude that the tempestuous winds seemed to bypass Birmingham on Easter. I then saw on social media that some of my colleagues in Chattanooga were not so lucky. How can the psalmist give thanks for something so destructive, or fire, or hail or sea-monsters? Well, hail did help the church a few years ago, or our insurance policy did (depends on your perspective).

Some of the social science around being able to healthily navigate adversity suggests that our ability to reframe situations and a posture of gratitude helps us to thrive and be well. I am not sure that I am grateful for tempestuous winds (or other weird stuff too), or the other things that we experience that seem to cause such destruction in our lives, but there is something about having just proclaimed those words and offering them in prayer. I wonder if it makes us more grateful to be able to praise in word what we are not yet able to in our lives?

There is a pattern in the psalms that is important to digest and maybe this is why it is so important to read them day after day in a structured way. I don’t want to suggest that we should feel grateful or thankful for everything we experience, but when the psalms invite us to go somewhere uncomfortable, I do believe it is possible that it can help mold us in a way that helps us rest more deeply in the love of God.

- John+

Questions for reflections

• What are the naturally occurring things of the world that you have trouble praising or giving thanks for?

• Are there other people who are grateful for those same things?

Daily Challenge

• If you have yet to try the rhythm of all of the Daily Scripture readings, make a plan this week to read one psalm a day. I suggest the first psalm listed in the daily readings each day.