Encourage Each Other - December 5

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15; Isa. 5:8-12,18-23; 1 Thess. 5:1-11; Luke 21:20-28

In our morning worship services, we often have a young child, somewhere between 4 years old and nine, serve as a special acolyte.  They carry a small wooden cross, stand at the front of the nave until just after the opening acclimation, and then they are invited to lead other children out of the nave to a small children’s service where they will hear an age appropriate lesson before returning to join their families for communion.   At one service yesterday, the small acolyte was especially stoic in their actions, standing at the top of the sanctuary focused on their role.  I taped him on the shoulder, “it’s time to lead the children” I whispered.  He paused.  Another gentle nudge.

The acolyte walked down the stairs, and then the unexpected.  A full-on sprint came next.  The mad dash to the nave door, as children scrambled out of the pews to catch up amidst the laughter and joy of the congregation as we observed the young child sprinting to his next stop. 

It was a beautiful moment yesterday, one of those memories that makes church memorable.  I thought about the young child when reading our lesson from 1 Thessalonians.  I wonder if he was worried about making it to chapel in time, or worried that he wouldn’t get there soon enough.  I’m guessing he isn’t alone in the mental game of wondering if we are doing our faith correctly or worrying about showing up in the places we are expected to be.  Paul is encouraging the community gathered in Thessaloniki that they already know about the coming reign of God.  Instead of worrying, they should encourage each other, and build each other up. 

How lovely a reminder.   We are called to build each other up and encourage one another in our faith.  This is different than fixing each other’s beliefs or trying to understand everything perfectly.  It’s different even than getting the pace right.  If you are reading this email, thank you.  I hope you are encouraged.  Keep it up. I going to trust that you are living your faith in a beautiful and hopeful way, following the one who teaches us how to love. Thanks be to God.

John

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What encourages you in your faith?  Are their specific people, or a community?

Daily Challenge: Encourage a friend in their faith. Make a phone call. Send an email. Offer to pray for someone. Be Bold!

'Those who have stood by me' - December 2

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35; Isa. 7:10-25; 2 Thess. 2:13-3:5; Luke 22:14-30

Today’s Reflection

Psalm 31 reminds us of how in God we can find our refuge. The psalmist calls out to God, praying that God would, “Incline your ear to me; make haste to deliver me. Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold; for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me” (Psalm 31: 2-3). With these words, we are reminded of several of God’s attributes, including that God protects us, comforts us, listens to us, delivers us, and guides us. In my experience, I have found that one of the chief ways through which God offers us refuge—and does all these things for us—is through the friends God places in our lives, the companions God gives us as we find our way through the changes and chances of this life.

In Luke 22, we find Jesus at the end of his time here on earth. He offered his friends bread and wine, saying them to the very words that we still use today (what we call the words of institution) in our Eucharistic prayers: “Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood’” (Luke 22: 19-20).

Sadly, right after that, Jesus’ friends got off track, worrying about who among them is the greatest and who is the least. Jesus reminded them that what greatness really means is to be a servant, as he has done. And then he says to them, “You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom” (Luke 22: 28-30a). Even Jesus needed friends to stand by him (NRSV) or stay with him (ESV) through the tough moments in life. Jesus’ strong rock, his crag and stronghold, were these friends.

Before the pandemic was ever on our radar, before everyone started Zoom-ing for everything, we set up a Facebook group for our seminary cohort, which is about 17 people who went through the MDiv or Anglican Studies programs together at Seminary of the Southwest. And we had to find a time to meet for video chats that would work for people who are scattered across time zones from Seattle, Washington to Wiesbaden, Germany. We haven’t been meeting quite as often lately—and I’ve been missing these times of encouragement. These are friends who are like family. We are each other’s “crag and stronghold,” and we continue to stand by one another in times of trial—just as Jesus and his friends did, and Paul and his friends in Thessaloniki, too.

I hope you have found people like this as you have journeyed through life, companions to be your “strong rock” along the way. I suspect that for many of you, you have found these kinds of supportive friends in our community here at Saint Stephen’s. To echo Paul’s letter to some of his friends, the Thessalonians, “But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord. … Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word” (2 Thess. 2: 13, 16-17).

Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

Who are the people have stood with you through times of trial, the people who are your rock and stronghold that help you feel safe? And who counts you among the sources of strength and protection in their life?

Daily Challenge

Find a moment to write a note, send a text, or make a call to a few of the “rocks” God has given to you as a source of support and place of refuge in your life. Tell them what they mean to you. Remind them that you are there for them whenever they need a refuge and a castle to keep them safe.

Light and Love - November 30

Today’s Readings: The Feast of St. Andrew
AM: Psalm 34; Isaiah 49:1-6; 1 Corinthians 4:1-16
PM: Psalm 96, 100; Isaiah 55:1-5; John 1:35-42 

Someone told me this week about their spiritual practice and mindset for living: to breathe in light and breathe out love. Absorbing God’s radiance and warmth as the source of inspiration sounds like a robust way to fill one’s lungs with oxygen and one’s spirit with hope. Then, in gratitude, the complementary response is to exhale God’s abiding and honest love to all. Choosing to approach the day in this way sets her in a posture to live fully into God’s grace and generosity.

The mantra of breathing in light and breathing out love is simple in concept and very difficult in application. I pondered a tense interaction that transpired earlier in the week. En route to someone’s house in Highland Park, a fire engine was blocking the road. I could not pass. Just before I backed up, a black sedan pulled in behind me. I waited a moment. I tried backing out, but I kept brushing up against a curb and it was really tight to get past his car. Then, a fire marshal vehicle pulled up, with lights on. I was able to move my vehicle forward for the fire department personnel to get to the scene. I rolled down my window to signal the driver of the black car to pull forward or to back up, so that I could get out more easily. He did not budge.

It did not appear that the fire truck situation would be cleared quickly and I had a pastoral visit to make at someone’s home. This was delaying my arrival even more. I felt trapped and in quite a quandary. After waiting and wondering, I decided to get out of my car and ask the man if he would please move over so that I could get by. He looked at me and shook his head, “No.” He then turned his head away from me. I gestured again. He pulled down his car’s visor so that he could not see me from where I was standing outside his vehicle. It was the most bizarre impasse.

Rattled, I surveyed the gap between our cars and went back to my car. I tried again to extricate my vehicle, backing up tenuously and missing his Honda by mere inches. I turned around and went a different way to the destination. Later that day, I heard the “breathe in light, breathe out love” mantra. I fell short of that mindset in the tension in Highland Park. I felt stress and a lack of understanding. I am still befuddled by the driver of that black Honda.

The reading from Isaiah 49 appointed for this morning reminded me of the centering mantra of light and love. God says to the prophet Isaiah on behalf of all Israel, “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (v. 6b) The Lord sees that the people who have lived through exile and return are an inspiration in their testimony. Their story of hardship and hope is one that can illumine the hearts of others. It is a story to be told to generations of people who also find themselves in spaces of darkness and hopelessness. And even in those places where trees are cut to the ground, God’s love and strength is present as new shoots spring forth from stumps. The salvific promise of Jehovah does not waver; it spreads.

Friends, that hope and love spread through us some days, and always with God’s help. Whether the mantra of “breathe in light and breathe out love” is easy or beyond consideration, know that God is our strength and our constant companion, no matter what.

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

When have you felt trapped, at an impasse? How did you respond? What helped you get through?

Daily Challenge

Sit and contemplate what breathing in God's light and breathing out God's love looks like for you today. Then, try to live into this mantra for a day. Journal about how it went. Tell someone about your experiences - successes and failures!

Accepting Responsibility - November 28

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 1, 2, 3; PM Psalm 4, 7; Isa. 1:10-20; 1 Thess. 1:1-10; Luke 20:1-8

With the Thanksgiving break this past week, my family enjoyed some quality movie time.  On Saturday, we watched the 2017 Wonder Woman box office hit.  The movie is set during World War I, a global war at play.  Wonder Woman believes that the “War to end all Wars” is really the work of the Greek God, Ares.  There is this scene where she is demanding to know who is at fault for the great war.  

 The protagonist, a good-natured US pilot, has promised to take Wonder Woman to the center of the action, but he doesn’t believe that Ares is involved.  There is a beautiful scene where the pilot is arguing about who is responsible for the war and he places the burden of responsibility on all of humanity.   “We are all responsible for this war.” 

Of course, Hollywood had a real villain to make a better movie.  Wonder Woman had returned to defeat the war-hungry Ares, but I appreciated the responsibility of the pilot, the awareness that as humans, our lives are intertwined in a way that makes it challenging most times to discern absolute blame on one side or the other.  We all play a role in perpetuating the world that we have inherited. 

This season of Advent, we have begun reading from Isaiah.  The prophet looks to address an entire people reminding them that the world they are responsible for caring for is not as it is.  It isn’t a lament to how they have been treated (Isaiah will touch upon this later), but addresses initially a self-reflective window to a people’s role in the wellbeing of others. 

What a helpful beginning for this season of Advent! As we long for the kingdom of God to break through, our first inclination is not to turn to all the wrongs done by other people, of the ways we have been wronged, but instead to turn inwardly in exploring our own lives, and to recognize that all of Christianity has played a role in perpetuating this world we have inherited.  And then, through our own repentance and self-examination, we can then turn to God’s agency in making something new out of our lives and this world. 

Our reading today ends:

 “Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Let us follow God and enjoy the fruits of what God is doing in our midst. 

John+ 

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What is your practice of self-examination?  How easy is it for you to accept responsibility for what is much larger than yourself? 

Daily Challenge:    One of the Eucharistic Prayers of the People (Form VI) includes a Confession of sin.  This group of prayers begins on page 392.  Trying using this prayer this week in your personal prayer life. 

'All who knew her called her mother' - November 18

Today’s Readings: Feast Day of Hilda of Whitby: Psalm 122; Ephesians 4:1-6; Matthew 19:27-29 

Today’s Reflection

“All who knew her, called her mother,

because of her outstanding devotion and grace.” —Bede

The woman whose life we are celebrating today, Hilda, was born in 614 in Northumbria, which today is Yorkshire in the north of England. I first heard of Hilda when I visited Yorkshire in 2013. My college roommate Lisa and her husband John had relocated to England for work for a few years; while on sabbatical from my university, I decided to go visit them along with Karen, another college friend.

Lisa had been writing a blog of all their road trips around the UK, and her photographs of the ruined abbeys at Rievaulx and Whitby in Yorkshire had captured my imagination. We arrived in Whitby on a very blustery September morning; the ruins that stand on the cliff looking over the North Sea and the town of Whitby are old, but are in fact of an abbey built later, in Norman times, but on the same site as where Hilda founded an abbey centuries before, in the 600s.

Her name Hilda or Hild derives from the Saxon word for battle, or in Anglo-Saxon Hilda means heroine or in Old German it means the warrior woman. This is an appropriate name for her, as she was born during a time of many wars and power struggles amongst those who wanted to rule over the various regions of what we now think of as Britain. Amidst all this conflict and chaos, Hilda’s father Prince Hereric was forced to go into exile while Hilda was an infant. During this time, Hilda’s mother Lady Breguswith had what has come to be seen as a prophetic dream, which the historian Bede recounts in his History of the English Church and People:

“[Hilda’s] life was the fulfillment of a dream which her mother Breguswith had when Hilda was an infant, during the time that her husband was living in banishment under the protection of the British king Cerdic…. In this dream she fancied that he was suddenly taken away, and although she searched everywhere, she could find no trace of him. When all her efforts failed, she discovered a most valuable jewel under her garments; and as she looked closely, it emitted such a brilliant light that all Britain was lit by its splendor.”

This dream was fulfilled in her daughter, whose life afforded a shining example not only to herself but to all who wished to live a good life.

Not long after this dream, Hilda’s father Hereric was poisoned to death. Hilda, her older sister, and her mother are thought to have lived under the protection of King Edwin, through which Hilda would have had met the many people coming in and out of his court, including members of the early Christian religious communities asserting their influence around England, Wales, and Ireland.

King Edwin married Ethelburga of Kent, which is in the south of England, to which Augustine had been sent to establish the Roman church in what we know today as Canterbury. So, Ethelburga was a Christian and when she moved north to marry Edwin, she did so with the understanding that she would retain her Christian faith and bring along a priest, Palinius. When Hilda was about 13 years old, Edwin and his whole household, and many others around what is now York were baptized on the site of what is today York Minster.

When Hilda was 33 years old—halfway through her life—she took monastic vows. She had thought at first she would live as a monastic in France, but she was persuaded by Aidan of Lindisfarne to remain in Northumbria and work to build up the church there. She began at Hartlepool, and then was tasked to begin a house at Streanshalch, now known as Whitby, and later another at Hackness. The abbey at Whitby was a double house, which means it was both men and women—and Hilda was the abbess for all of them.

What kind of abbess was Hilda that Bede would describe her in such glowing terms—that in her mother’s dream Hilda was signified by a jewel shining its light to illuminate all of England? First, we know Hilda was a church planter—she founded three abbeys or houses, the last one in the final year of her life as her health was failing. Second, we know Hilda was a mentor to many, including to Caedmon, the shepherd turned poet. Many future priests, and five bishops, were spiritually formed in her abbey. Third, we know Hilda was a wise woman and advisor—people sought out her counsel, so much so that her abbey was site of the Synod of Whitby in 664, at which decisions were made concerning whether the church in England should follow the Roman or the Celtic tradition.

Like a multi-faceted jewel, Hilda’s different dimensions or facets allowed the light of Christ to shine out in different directions, magnified through the houses she founded and led, the people in whose lives she invested her time and care, and the leaders whom she influenced through her wise counsel.

Becky+

Questions for Reflection

Who has been a Hilda-like figure in your life, someone who has been a channel of godly wisdom and insight?

Collect for Hilda of Whitby

O God of peace, by whose grace the abbess Hilda was endowed with gifts of justice, prudence, and strength to rule as a wise mother over the nuns and monks of her household: Raise up these gifts in us, that we, following her example and prayers, may build up one another in love to the benefit of your Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Life Lessons - November 16

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30; PM Psalm 119:121-144
Mal. 1:1, 6-14; James 3:13-4:12; Luke 17:11-19

In the opening words of Love is the Way, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry shares that one of his daughters asked him what he was writing about. His answer to her was this: “Some of what I’ve learned from faith, family, community, and ancestors.”

Her response summarized what she heard, “So you’re writing about life lessons?”

Yes. Exactly. Lessons of struggle. Lessons of support. Lessons of being beloved children of God together. Curry cites the influences upon his own path, including his father, grandmother, and Dr. Martin Luther King, who said, “We must learn to live together as brother or perish together as fools.” For if we choose the latter, we turn our backs on community and descend into chaos. Curry suggests that this was true in the 1960s and it is true today.

These nuggets of wisdom and life lessons are woven into the message in the Epistle from James appointed for today, too. Written for an audience that long preceded us, the Christian community was struggling to work through tensions in togetherness. Living “right” is sometimes hard, even when we are grounded in God’s love. This letter from James brings up honest and important topics today. For example, he asks of the community, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” Can you imagine the people lifting their eyes or standing up straighter, as if to subtly gesture that they fall into this category?

James continues, “Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth.” You see, that is where sin and brokenness, disorder and wickedness seep into the cracks…when we put the “I” first. James allows that to sink in and then moves to show the better way – God’s way: “wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.”

In the last 24 hours, there was a parenting tension in our house. A sick kid. A failure to communicate. And frustration. It is tough. And I hear James’ words speaking right to my heart. It is hard to live in community. It is a challenge to stay tethered to the wisdom of God, when I stumble over my own selfishness and insistence on control.

James’ words are humbling to me right now. Life lessons are like that. It is the gift of Holy Scripture, staying grounded in the Word.

The final words of chapter 3 are these: “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.” James ends with a message of hopefulness.

Friends, let us make peace today with our words, our hearts, our hands – always grounded and guided in God’s abiding love.

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

What life lessons do you pass along to others?

Where do wisdom and faith collide for you?

Daily Challenge

Reread the passage from James 3:13 - 4:12. Listen for where you feel conflict or want to say, "Yeah, but...". Spend ten minutes journaling about how God is working on you through wisdom and life lessons.

Pay Attention - November 14

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 89:1-18; PM Psalm 89:19-52; Hab. 2:1-4,9-20; James 2:14-26; Luke 16:19-31

On Wednesday nights, I lead two Bible studies, one for a group of Men at Saint Stephen’s, and the other to a group of Young Adults at Saint Stephen’s.  A typical week includes asking two questions to the entire group before we dig into the appointed scripture passage.  The first question is always the same: “Where did you see God this week?”   

While the Bible studies are open to everyone, we have built over the past year, a pretty committed group.  Most people who attend are regular in their attendance, and the experiment that we are trying is asking the question – if we begin to look for God every week, does it get easier to see God in our lives?  Now, a year into this process rarely does someone lack an answer to this question.  What is even more amazing to me, is we have moved from primarily seeing God in the early morning walks, the vastness of the sky and stars, and the beauty of creation, to also seeing God in the ordinary actions of strangers and friends.  The more people pay attention, the easier it is to see God in all things. 

But it requires paying attention.  Our reading from Habakkuk begins, “I will stand at my watch-post, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint.  Habakkuk is waiting for the Lord, standing attention, and expecting a response.  And the Lord answers him in verse 2 offering a vision of seeing God. 

How different are our lives when we actually pay attention! I have no doubt that God is in your life actively working for we believe that is what it means to be Baptized with the Holy Spirit.  And I have little doubt that the more we pay attention, the more we will realize the gift of the Spirit.  So may we stand at our watch post looking for what God is doing in our midst.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  Where have you seen God this week?  How easy or difficult is it for you to ask that question?

Daily Challenge: Consider going to one of the Bible Studies at church this week, or if you are a member of another faith community, go to one there.  We have 14 offerings every week and you can find the program guide here.

Jesus tells stories to help us repent - November 9

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:97-120; PM Psalm 81, 82; Joel 2:12-19; Rev. 19:11-21; Luke 15:1-10

Jesus told stories that were highly relatable to his audience. The parables were focused upon events that were relevant to the time and place. In Luke 15, Jesus speaks to crowds that include the faithful attenders – Pharisees and the scribes of the Temple – and those who are less pristine – the tax-collectors and sinners. He tells them two stories of loss – one of livestock and the other of money.

The parable of the lost sheep highlights that one sheep was in peril apart from the herd of 100. Jesus asks, “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” He poses the question in a way to assert that the shepherd must seek the lost one. Who would confess to acting otherwise? And then what happens? When the fluffy animal is located, it is lifted up above the brambles and predators and rests upon the steady shoulders of the shepherd. And much joy ensues. The shepherd calls his friends and family, sharing the celebratory spirit that the sheep was lost and now is found. Lest the Pharisees and scribes think he was talking exclusively to the tax-collectors and other garden variety sinners with this message, Jesus adds a fine point at the end of the parable: “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who need no repentance.”

In essence, Jesus says, “I am looking at you, too, my well educated and faithful colleagues. You are not beyond the need for repentance and forgiveness.”

Jesus continues, bringing in an example of a woman who has ten days’ wages – ten silver coins – and one goes missing. It could be the tithe she is to give to the Temple that is lost. And what does the audience expect her to do in response? Search and search and search until she finds it! And like the shepherd who locates the lost sheep, the woman calls together her network of support, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.” As in the previous parable, Jesus adds a note of commentary at the end, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Jesus is preaching the message that repentance is met with joy – ALWAYS. While it is painful and uncomfortable and we might grumble getting to that point, God desires that we turn our faces and our lives toward God. In doing so, we can no longer point fingers or separate ourselves from others. This is not easy.

I wonder what parables Jesus would tell us today? Would he name the midterm elections? Would he address aggressive behaviors of those masked by their vehicles in traffic or by pseudonyms in social media? Would he point to poverty and hunger and war? How would Jesus use the scenarios that divide us to open our eyes to our need for repentance? How would he stir us to see the blessing of God upon us all and available to us all?

Though the mark left by Jesus is two thousand years old, I imagine Jesus’ words and parables to us as people living in the world – regardless of the technological advances – continue to be the messages we read in Luke 15: Persistence. Repentance. Forgiveness. Celebration. Love.

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

Think of a time when you realized a story of criticism was calling you out. How did it feel to see yourself - your sinfulness - recognized? What did you do in response?

Daily Challenge

Say the Confession of Sin (BCP pg. 79). Then, read the Absolution: "Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen."

Sit in prayer, feeling joyful. Imagine God's deep joy in forgiving and welcoming you.

Let's Lament - November 7

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 80; PM Psalm 77, [79]; Joel 1:1-13; Rev. 18:15-24; Luke 14:12-24

Two weeks ago, I was invited to Samford University to answer a simple question with ten other clergy from different denominations: what is the role of lament in your worship? The first half of the conversation was focused on trying to understand how we use lament, and the second half was concerned with helping us to find tools to be more intentional about lament.  I was struck that at least two pastors mentioned that their congregations resist lament because they feel pressure for everything to always be happy and joyful. 

Maybe I was feeling a little self-righteous as I scoffed at the uninformed answer.  We Episcopalians are good at lamenting.  I mean we chant the Great Litany on the first Sunday in Lent, and we read the Psalms, even working through them every seven weeks in our cycle of Morning Prayer.  And my self-righteousness is only possible because of the liturgical nature of our worship.  If I’m honest, I’m not much different.  As a priest, I want people to leave worship hopeful, lifted up, encouraged, and … happy.  And, yes, I know ‘happy’ is rather shallow.

Today, we begin reading from prophet Joel. It begins with a harrowing description of a plague of locusts and then pivots to a military catastrophe that devastates the people. In this section, people are cut off from food, and their lands are devastated.  Later in Joel (2:11b), “Truly the day of the Lord is great; terrible indeed—who can endure it?” Joel is offering a lament, recognizing the pain that his people are going through.  It’s not a happy reading.

But here is why lament is important.  Life might be full of joy, but it is not always happy.  We walk through pain and suffering all of the time.  People can feel cut off from their livelihood and experience great suffering and lament reminds us that this is not a new experience and that God is with us.  Sometimes in naming what is unpleasant, we are then able to move to a more joyful place. 

I’d encourage you not to skip the tougher parts of the Bible.  Maybe those sections resonate today, or maybe they will resonate at another chapter in your life.  The stories are a reminder that no matter what we experience, God is always with us.  We might not be happy, but we will be comforted, and that is good news.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What role does lament play in your faith life?  Is there a certain feeling you expect to come away from at church? 

Daily Challenge: Make a list of things that are not working in your life.  Write them down, then crumble up the paper and throw it away.  How did it feel to name what isn’t working? 

Up to Our Necks - November 4

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 69:1-23(24-30)31-38; PM Psalm 73; Ecclus. 50:1,11-24; Rev. 17:1-18; Luke 13:31-35

Today’s Reflection

It’s healthy to be able to recognize when things are not going so well for us, to acknowledge that we are stuck and that we need some help to get unstuck. In order to get the support we need, we first must admit that we do, in fact, need a hand.

The psalm appointed for this morning shows us a vivid and familiar picture of what it is to feel completely overwhelmed by our life. As we read at the beginning of Psalm 69:

Save me, O God. for the waters have risen up to my neck.

I am sinking in deep mire, and there is no firm ground for my feet.

I have come into deep waters, and the torrent washes over me.

I have grown weary with my crying; my throat is inflamed; my eyes have failed from looking for my God (Ps. 69: 1-4).

This psalm reminds me of a song called “Down in the Lowlands” by Charlie Peacock, who took Psalm 69 and made it his own (way back in 1986). Whenever I hear this psalm, I hear Peacock and his collaborator Vince Ebo as they give voice to this lament:

Down in the lowlands, where the water is deep,
Hear my cry, hear my shout,
Save me, save me,
Down in the lowlands, where the water is deep,
Hear my cry, hear my shout,
Save me, save me.

Could this be it?
Could I be drowning?
Have I failed to be heard by the only one who can save me?
Show me some mercy, and touch me again,
Please lift me up above where I am.

Whether in the original words of the psalmist, or in Peacock’s reimagining of it, Psalm 69 gives voice to that feeling of being overwhelmed by our life, whether as a nation or as a family or as an individual. As noted Psalms scholar Robert Alter confirms, “In this psalm, the familiar image of drowning as a metaphorical representation of near death is elaborated with arresting physiological concreteness: The rising waters come up to the neck; the speaker feels his feet slipping from underneath him in the water as he sinks into the mire; then the current sweeps him away.”

But fear not! Psalm 69 begins to take a hopeful turn. Beginning in verse 14, the psalmist says,

As for me, this is my prayer to you… ‘In your great mercy, O God, answer me with your unfailing help. Save me from the mire, do not let me sink… Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind; in your great compassion, turn to me (Ps. 69: 14-18).

And then later in the psalm, we hear this:

The afflicted shall see and be glad; you who seek God, your heart shall live. For the Lord listens to the needy and his prisoners he does not despise (Ps. 69: 34-35).

When we are feeling most overwhelmed by the deep waters of troubling times, when it seems like there is no escaping whatever situation we find ourselves stuck in, it is good to know that we have a God who will hear our cry and will answer us. We have a God who will turn toward us and show us compassion.

But how does God hear us and show us this compassion? In my experience, God shows that he sees us and hears us when we show up for one another. When we turn toward a fellow human being who is crying out for help—whether they are asking with a loud shout or in a desperate whisper—we are showing God’s saving help and compassion to that person. Who is God asking you to turn toward today, to extend a hand to help free them from whatever deep mire they are stuck in right now?

Becky+

Questions for Self-Reflection

Recall a time when you felt absolutely overwhelmed by life—or maybe that time for you is right now. Did someone come alongside you in a way that helped you keep believing in a God of love and compassion? What did that person say or do that helped you to feel seen, loved, and supported?

Daily Challenge

Ask God to show you someone in your circle of influence who may feel like they are drowning in deep waters or stuck in deep mire at this moment in their life. Listen for how God may be nudging you to be the person who gives them the support they need to get their feet back on dry land again.

All Souls' Day - November 2

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 130; PM Psalm 116:10-17; Isaiah 25:6-9; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; John 5:24-27 

Today is the commemoration of All Souls’ Day, or the day we remember all of the faithful departed. It is an observance that sometimes gets swept up with All Saints’ Day. Often our prayers for the saints expand to involve those who are saints in our own lives. We may do this around this season, or on our own rhythms around a departed loved one’s birthday, date of death, or special anniversary.

The Mexican observance of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) began in the 16th century and continues today, being acculturated into the variety of ways Americans bring celebration and memory, grief and fun together. This occasion is described as a big family reunion in which the deceased are the guests of honor. Through the creation of ofrendas (altars of remembrance), special photographs and items dear to the person who has died are featured and arranged in a decorative manner.

After my mom died, I created an ofrenda unwittingly. I kept photos of her arranged with her jewelry box, perfume, hairbrush, and glasses. I could not bear to move them. It became an altar – a meeting place where I would pause or sigh. I needed that little connection point, because I missed her so much.

In the scriptures appointed for All Souls’ Day, an excerpt from Isaiah 25 is offered. The Lord makes a promise to “swallow up death for ever” and “wipe away the tears from all faces” and “the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth”. In the midst of destruction and loss, God’s people of Israel need to hear this assurance relayed from the prophet Isaiah. They are lost and aggrieved, untethered to a place of home or comfort. These words of Isaiah resonate with me in times when I mourn, for I want to believe that God can bring the kind of change that wraps up death and life together, removing the need to weep and wallow.

Jesus reiterates this promise in the gospel according to John: “Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgement, because he is the Son of Man.” (5:25-27) God gives power to Jesus to share shouts of welcome, to call to the dead and those living. To call the name of each beloved child of God with the resonance of resurrection. To open our ears and bring us to everlasting life. It is beyond my ability to fully comprehend, and yet I am rapt with this promise. My mind does not always grasp it, but I feel it in my chest. I feel that reality. I feel that reconciling love that binds me together with those around me today and those who have died. I know that my Redeemer lives, and that Jesus will not leave me comfortless. He will not leave you either.

So whether you dance in the revelry of the Day of the Dead festivities at Sloss Furnaces tonight or offer prayers to God in thanksgiving for those who have died, hear the encouragement of the apostle Paul in his letter to the church in Corinth: “be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

When someone you love dies, how do you go about saying goodbye? What physical items do you hold onto? How do you pray to God in those times of loss?

Daily Challenge

Take a moment to reflect more on All Souls' Day and those you know who have died. Write their names down. Pray the prayers (in traditional or contemporary language) found in this link. 

The Culture of Busyness - October 31

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; PM Psalm 64, 65; Ecclus. 38:24-34; Rev. 14:1-13; Luke 12:49-59

Last week, I wrote our E-News reflection for tomorrow.   I usually try to have this piece finished by Thursday afternoon for the following week to provide balance for the at least two people who have hands in the E-News.  Unlike a reflection, it’s a shared effort.  Becky responded, “I worry when the letters get so lengthy that not everyone will read through to the end. I will do what I can to condense it.”  I share her worry.  We have two activities on Saturday morning, a parish clean-up day and a Holy Hike.  Confirmations and Baptisms on Sunday morning, a special lecture on Sunday evening, and a “Welcome Back” for the Cursillo community.  It’s impossible to be at two places at the same time, further exposing just how busy we are. 

In full disclosure, I love the vibrancy and joy of our community and the myriad of opportunities that create a sort of religious playground for people to grow in their faith. Talking with a couple after the Celtic Service last night, who chose to stay for our simple soup dinner for the first time, shared how much they are enjoying being a part of an active parish.

Our reading from the Wisdom of Sirach this morning begins with some cautionary advice.  “The wisdom of the scribe depends on the opportunity of leisure; only the one who has little business can become wise” (Ecclesiasticus 38:24).  There are two possibilities worth considering.  It might be possible the overabundance of activities in our community might be the necessary leisure activities for those who work too much in order to find wisdom.  We can be a church full of opportunities to capture the handful of moments where our overworked community can find rest, hospitality, and formation.  It is also possible that we are addicted to busyness.   

I’m not sure there is a clear answer between the two options, but it is worth considering for church staff, clergy, and our community that leisure looks different, and it’s necessary for meaningful growth within our own Christian identity.  What space can you make for leisure? In a world so focused on results, can you find the value of something that was historically viewed as producing nothing?  Maybe that is where we find the wisdom that comes from God.

John+ 

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What do you do for leisure?  What role does leisure play in your life?

Daily Challenge:  If you are looking for ideas read this fun reflection on how to stop being so busy all of the time.

'The joy of your saving help' - October 28

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 40, 54; PM Psalm 51; Ecclus. 34:1-8,18-22; Rev. 13:1-10; Luke 12:13-31

Today’s Reflection

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

Psalm 51: 11-13

Athanasius observed how, “Among all the books, the Psalter has certainly a very special grace… that within it are represented and portrayed in all their great variety the movements of the human soul. It is like a picture, in which you see yourself portrayed and, seeing, may understand and consequently form yourself upon the pattern given.”

Some passages from Scripture we have heard or read so many times that they may lose their impact. Psalm 23 or 1 Corinthians 13 come to mind. Similarly, Psalm 51 is another passage that we have heard so many times that, on the one hand, we feel a certain comfort in its familiarity, and in that way we feel happy when encounter it again and again in our Common Prayer. 

At the same time, speaking from my own experience, I have read parts of Psalm 51 so often as part of Morning Prayer or the shorter Morning Devotion in the Book of Common Prayer that, in order for it to continue to wash its meaning over me in a way that lasts, I have to make myself stop and re-read it. I re-read it in part because I need to hear what it is saying to me and the way in which it is helping me to understand myself in relationship to God. 

But I also force myself to stop and re-read those lines more slowly, pausing between them to let them sink in, because I want what I am praying in those words to be my prayer:

Have mercy on me, O God… [pause] Cleanse me from my sin… [pause] Create in me a clean heart… [pause] Put a new and right spirit within me… [pause] Restore to me the joy of your salvation.

What we learn and find evidence for as we pray Psalm 51 is that our mistakes—our sins—hurt God because we are in relationship with God. As James Mays observes, “Only where people believe that their life is lived in the presence of God, is a gift of God, is summoned and measured, is responsible and accountable to the One who is the source of life—only there does sin as experience and language rise.”

So, when we read here in Psalm 51 that the psalmist has sinned against God alone, this tells us that the psalmist and God know each other. We cannot hurt someone (well, not as deeply, anyway) if we do not know them. So, whether we are talking about David repenting of his misdeeds, or of us repenting of something we “have done or left undone,” God knows about it, cares about it, and is disappointed about it because of being in relationship with us.

This reminds me of the dynamic when I feel disappointed when a family member or friend does something that runs counter to the expectations of how we treat one another in our family or friendship—or their disappointment when they see me not following through with something I promised I would do for them. If I never spoke to or interacted with them, then we would probably have less opportunity for conflict. The fact that we do disagree or disappoint or hurt one another does point to the fact that we are living with and actually interacting with each other—we have conflict and disappointment to repent and forgive because we are in relationship, because we have a closeness between us.

I see that I am constantly falling short in terms of patience and kindness—but I can admit my wrong and be forgiven, and I can model the same to them when they repent of whatever thing they “have done or left undone.” This allows us to have close relationships, even though we disappoint each other and make mistakes in how we treat each other every day.

Love is what allows us to hold in creative tension a close, caring relationship—between us and God, and between us and our neighbor—with sin, repentance, and, ultimately, forgiveness. Psalm 51 is about repentance. But Psalm 51 is mostly about love—the love of a God who wants to stay in relationship with us, his imperfect yet perfectly loved children. 

Becky+

Questions for Reflection

Which lines in Psalm 51 resonate most with you? How do hear yourself and your own relationship with God reflected in the psalmist’s words to God?

Daily Challenge

Take some time today to reflect on what it might mean for God to create in you a clean heart and a right spirit. Would praying each day for God to renew your clean heart and right spirit change the way you approach the responsibilities and relationships entrusted to you?

"Hearken, all you who dwell" – October 26

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, [53]
Ecclus. 28:14-26; Rev. 12:1-6; Luke 11:37-52

The psalm appointed for this afternoon is Psalm 49. The first verse begins, “Hear this, all you peoples; hearken, all you who dwell in the world…” It has me thinking about the sounds and sights going on about me as I write this reflection.

If you walked by our house this morning, you might see and hear several things going on. Our daughter is waiting by the stop sign for her bus to pick her up and deliver her to middle school. She is not terribly loud, especially at this hour of the day. She stands with a fresh face…calmly, serenely, ready to face another day of sixth grade.

If you walked by our house this morning, you could hear the barking of dogs. All people who dwell in our neighborhood cannot help but hear those utterances of enthusiastic canines. They bark for a variety of reasons: first, they are dogs. Other causes often include a neighbor cat who wanders about, passersby exercising with their pets, and the presence our son, perhaps the biggest reason for commotion. He loves to get ready early for school and go outside to run around and play. He chirps in a sing-song voice, “Let’s go, Pumpkin!”, clapping in rhythm to the chants.

Pumpkin is the little dog who lives next door. She scales the fence when she wants a doggie playdate and runs around in our yard, stirring up our dogs. Revelry commences each time. Our dogs are larger and louder; Pumpkin is nimbler. (When she is done with her fun, she scales the fence and goes back into her own yard.)

Upon hearing this morning’s dog chorus – that was a bit on the disruptive side – I peer out to observe the fun. Our six-year-old boy is standing in the raised garden bed and has cajoled Pumpkin to join him. Our two dogs stand outside the raised bed, wagging their tails and barking. Robinson smiles in the chaos.

Today my kids’ proclamation to the world is a bit different from what I see in the headlines. Their mouths speak of focused anticipation. Of playful jubilation. Of God’s hope. And we cover them in prayer as they begin a new day.

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

What are the noises around you this morning? What emotions do they bring up? What memories do they stir? Where do you feel gratitude?

Daily Challenge

There is much darkness in the news, reflecting the complexity of the world around us. Fast from the noise of news headlines today...or perhaps for a half-day. Instead, read and reflect on the psalms appointed for today. Be attentive to where God is stirring you to live faithfully and connectedly today.

God's Healing to Speak - October 24

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 41, 52; PM Psalm 44; Ecclus. 19:4-17; Rev. 11:1-14; Luke 11:14-26

So much of Jesus’s ministry is focused on healing.  People who are crippled, blind, and unable to live into the fullness of life are restored to wholeness.  This is a fundamental part of the Christian story.  Today’s healing story is a little bit different with a person who is mute because of a demon.  The demon is cast out and the one who had been mute speaks.  The people are amazed.  The person has found their voice.  Maybe it is my imagination, but the story might not just be about speaking, but a person who learns to speak about the power of Christ and God’s unconditional healing and love.

I am writing a little later than usual this morning.  Last night, I returned from a three-day retreat as a part of the international Cursillo movement.  The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama has been offering these retreats to provide renewal for adults in the Episcopal Church since 1979.  I’ll be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to the weekend as much as I should have been, feeling the pressure of attending as more of a work obligation than balm for my soul. 

The retreat is beautiful, filled with moments of wonder and a recognition of the care, love, and prayer of others in tangible and meaningful ways.  In a practical sense, it is a series of talks given by lay people with a chance to reflect on those talks and to watch an entire community realize the beauty of the unconditional love of Christ through the hospitality of others.  If you think that sounds vague, it is, and it’s true, but it really doesn’t make sense until one experiences it. 

As we ended the weekend, each person who attended shared a moment of wonder about where they saw God in their life that weekend.  I was amazed by the words that each person offered, and how they touched my own life.  It was as if, God’s unconditional love gave voice to each person there to claim God’s love in their own lives. Two people shared how this weekend, taught them that the church had become their family, the healing power of the Body of Christ.  It was incredibly renewing and beautiful.

If you want to know more, I’d love to share it, or connect you to others so that you may have an experience like I did.  What I know to be true is that the power of God’s love to heal, renew, and give life is real.  And I am grateful for those encouraging voices who nudged me to attend. 

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  Where have you experienced healing in your own life?   

Daily Challenge:  You can learn more about Cursillo by watching this video. 

'Only one thing' - October 21

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35; Ecclus. 11:2-20; Rev. 9:13-21; Luke 10:38-42

Today’s Reflection

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’  —Luke 10:38-42

It’s a scene that may seem familiar to many of you: Someone arrives, perhaps unexpectedly perhaps not, at your home for dinner. I can recall times when we have had friends or family over for dinner, scurrying around, distracted by my many tasks, like Luke tells us that Martha was, so that my home would be clean and comfortable, and the meal would be warm and delicious for our special guests.

It’s interesting to notice the placement of the story of Jesus’ visit with Martha and Mary in the context of Luke chapter 10. Earlier in Luke 10, we hear Jesus telling the story of the Good Samaritan to explain what it means to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. And as we continue on to Luke chapter 11, we’ll hear about how Jesus taught his friends to pray—what we know now as the Lord’s Prayer. Therefore, today’s account of Martha and Mary functions as a hinge between a story about loving God through action, as the Good Samaritan did, and a story about loving God through through prayer. This placement of the story of Martha and Mary seems appropriate because theirs is the story about the tension between the need, on the one hand, to be up and doing, as Martha was, by serving with our deeds, and the need, on the other hand, to be listening to what God is trying to teach us, as Mary was by sitting as Jesus’ feet. In this story, Jesus makes it clear that “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

While in the story of Martha and Mary we hear Jesus prioritizing the importance of stopping our frenetic busy-ness so that we can better listen to him and focus on what he is saying to us, if we think back to the previous story of the Good Samaritan, we hear Jesus in that parable prioritizing action. Oftentimes in Christian discourse we hear about this debate between action and contemplation, which should we be prioritizing in our daily lives as Christ followers? The message we are getting if we look at all three of these passages in Luke together—the Good Samaritan, Martha and Mary, and the Lord’s Prayer—is that we should be both people of action and people of contemplation.

In this brief encounter with Martha and Mary, we see glimpses of the two sides of a balanced life of servant leadership. As 17th century mystic St. Teresa of Avila put it, “Both Martha and Mary must entertain our Lord and keep Him as their Guest, nor must they be so inhospitable as to offer Him no food. How can Mary do this while she sits at His feet, if her sister does not help her.” Likewise, as St. Aelred of Rievaulx, abbot of a Cistercian monastery in Yorkshire observed in a sermon to his brother monks: “By no means should you neglect Mary for the sake of Martha, nor again Martha for the sake of Mary. For, if you neglect Martha, who will feed Jesus? If you neglect Mary, what benefit will it be to you that Jesus entered your house since you will have tasted nothing of his sweetness? Realize, brothers, that never in this life should these two women be separated.”

While over the years many readers of this passage have argued for the superiority of Martha’s action or the superiority of Mary’s contemplation, in fact, what is needful is to find a unity or a balance between action and contemplation. If we are to follow Christ, then we must continually look back to his example of a life that balances action and contemplation.

We never hear what happened after Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better part. It seems likely that, upon hearing Jesus’ response, Martha had a moment of clarity and took a break to listen and learn at Jesus’ feet. Maybe Martha sat down, alongside her sister Mary to listen. Or perhaps Mary stood up and said to Martha, “Sister, you take my place at Jesus’ feet, I will get up to attend to the needs of our guests.”

May we carry the story of Martha and Mary with us as we each day we commit ourselves anew to follow Christ’s example of a life that balances contemplation with action, as well to a life in which we commit to being in partnership with our fellow Christ followers as give each other the mutual support to live lives of both contemplation and action.

Becky+

Questions for Reflection

When you hear the story of Mary and Martha, do you find yourself identifying more with Mary or more with Martha? How do you (or could you) blend elements of both action and contemplation within your personal spiritual practices? How does (or could) Saint Stephen’s blend both action and contemplation into our corporate spiritual practices?

Daily Challenge

Richard Rohr says, “Prayer without action … can promote our tendency to self-preoccupation, and without contemplation, even well-intended actions can cause more harm than good.” Take some time today to learn more about the mission and activities of the Center for Contemplation and Action, founded by Rohr. Consider signing up for their emails, listening to their podcasts, or exploring their online course offerings.

Horns of every shape and kind – October 19

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48; Ecclus. 7:4-14; Rev. 8:1-13; Luke 10:17-24

I love Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man”. As a kid watching the movie over and over, I would march and sing along as Robert Preston sang, “Seventy-six trombones led the big parade, with a hundred & ten cornets close at hand. They were followed by rows and rows, of the finest virtuosos, the cream of every famous band…” Hearing the brass instruments play made me smile with the din of excitement and anticipation.

Horns are not subtle, but declarative. When breath flows through their chambers, the emerging sound grabs our attention, rousing us from sleep with the notes of “Reveille,” the morning bugle call. We are called to a respectful posture when “Taps” is played, the signal for lights out at the end of a military day and at the funeral of a person who served in the U. S. Armed Forces.

The Revelation to John appointed for today also incorporates horns – trumpets to be precise. Angels play them. Those notes that blast forth from the heavenly chorus ring out to rouse humans from our sleep. They call us to a respectful posture…not to honor our compatriots who have died in service to our country. Rather, the horns blow to bring a respectful demeanor to the earth in the wake of the sacrifice of the Lamb, who is Christ Jesus. The ordered cacophony of seven trumpets ushers in destruction of a third of all creation (of which we read in chapter 8) and woe (in chapters 9-11). Angels sounding the trumpets in Revelation do not inspire us to march about and sing along with full hearts. These horns bring hard truths and prophetic promises. And it is dark.

Revelation is ordered as the final book in the New Testament and wraps up the Bible. What a way to wrap up this story of God’s people! This apocalyptic book of prophecy and social commentary presents vivid visions and descriptive language of action and mystery. There are bad guys, angels, special effects, and one hero – Jesus, who died and was resurrected. Much is to be interpreted and decoded in the metaphors and allusions. Some have made it their life’s work to unravel and understand the symbols and messages to be preached.

People in the second or third century of the Common Era would not feel my cognitive dissonance - a collision of nostalgia and terror - in pondering the echoes of brass instruments in the book of Revelation. The sounding of horns meant stark warnings. It was horns that we are told were blown for seven days to break down the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6). Trumpets were the terrifying battle warning that troops were heading in their enemy’s direction, ready to attack. These metallic tones were for warning, not entertainment. Fear, not joy.

Before the chaos of trumpets and the dark aftermath of destruction in Revelation today, there is silence and prayer (v. 1-4). What if, before the unknowns of your day unfold, you and I take time for silence and sit in prayer with God? Perhaps light a candle as a symbol of your prayer, watching the gentle smoke waft up to be joined with the prayers of the saints. (v. 3-4). This moment or two of stillness can prepare and center us before we enter what feel like assaults from every side. Let us be still for a moment, knowing that God is God, and we are not.

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

How do you respond to chaos? Are you exhausted or invigorated? Is it a new challenge or a tangle of Christmas lights that perplexes you greatly?

Daily Challenge

Slow down today. Set aside time to focus on being in your body, still and breathing fully. Give thanks to God for being with you, no matter what. This can help prepare you for any chaos that will come.

Do not be Ashamed - October 17

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15; Ecclus. 4:20-5:7; Rev. 7:1-8; Luke 9:51-62

The other morning, one of our neighbors showed up a little earlier than expected (eight minutes after I had gotten out of bed on a school day, and 32 minutes before we were to leave.   His mother was in the shower and so he took that unsupervised opportunity to flee from their home, and all of a sudden before any coffee was consumed, our kitchen was filled with loud banter about Pokémon.  I crashed back into the bedroom, “Anne, can we have a rule about no Pokémon this early in the morning?!?”  And I thought in my head, “why do they play those stupid cards that make absolutely no sense.”

I’m not sure why I was so irritated. Maybe I was irritated because the house was much louder than I am used to at 6:58 in the morning. Maybe I was irritated because I don’t get Pokémon and the kids are always talking about the trading cards and they are weird. Or maybe it was all due to not having a cup of coffee yet.  Why can’t I just enjoy the uniqueness of my children and what brings them and their friends joy?

I thought of this story as I read the wisdom from Ecclesiasticus also known as Sirach which our passage begins, “do not be ashamed to be yourself.” I worry if I want my children to grow up faster than they should, and what I witnessed too early in the morning was an unabashed joy in being a child.  Yes, the trading card conversation could have waited until later in the morning, but do wonder if we often subconsciously place expectations on others that run the risk of leading someone to be ashamed for enjoying the moments of wonder that shape who they are?

It's a little drastic leap, but we all receive all sorts of messages that shape and inform our consciousness about who we should be, what sort of things we should enjoy, and how we should act.  Some of this is helpful.  I was reminiscing about our colleague, Bob.  My friend and Bob were out to eat in downtown Chattanooga.  I am guessing they both had their collars on.  My friend was surprised when the waitress asked for prayers, Bob stood up in the restaurant and took her hands, and led the three of them in prayer. He didn’t offer the platitude of, “yes, I’ll pray for you.”  He stood up unashamed in public and offered what the needy waitress desired.  It was a moving experience for my friend too, another fellow clergy colleague who would have handled the situation differently. 

“Watch for the opportune time, and beware of evil, and do not be ashamed to be yourself.”  And maybe we should help others be themselves too.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection:  What stories and experiences did this reflection bring up?  When have you been ashamed for who you are?  When have you embraced who you are?

Daily Challenge:  In your prayers today, give thanks for the things that make you unique.  Specifically name those things that you think might be a little quirky.

Lingering on the Mountaintop - October 14

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 16, 17; PM Psalm 22; Ecclus. 1:1-10,18-27; Acts 28:1-16; Luke 9:28-36

Today’s Reflection

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings,* one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. Luke 9: 28-33

You’re likely familiar with the phrase “mountaintop experience.” It means an experience that is inspiring, renewing, transforming—something that seems very different than our day to day life. A mountaintop experience can feel like we have gotten to experience, if even for a brief moment on our life, a glimpse of what heaven might be like. We feel closer to God. We may feel a greater sense of clarity. We may feel a sense of abiding peace. We may feel surrounded and filled with love.

When we get to experience life on the mountaintop, if only for a few moments or hours or days, and we know that it is possible to feel renewed and transformed in this way, it’s only natural that we never want to let it go. It’s natural that we would want to find some way to keep it going, to linger in that little piece of heaven as long as we can, and maybe even make it our home forever.

Maybe you have experienced this in a retreat or a vacation or in a reunion with close friends. I experience a tiny glimpse of this whenever I go for a walk or hike in a beautiful place like my favorite beach in Florida or in a favorite botanical garden, whether here in Birmingham or others I love to visit elsewhere. Or when I travel some place that I love, or have an experience that is spiritually deep or intellectually stimulating, I want to keep that sense of being more attuned and more alive going.

This past week, I was able to take a few days away to travel on my own to North Carolina. While there I got to have a mountaintop experience of sorts. I had the chance to go hear a favorite author and podcaster speak in person. I stayed a couple days with a friend who I have known since I was a college freshman, and to catch up with her over dinner each evening. And I got to immerse myself in a pastors’ conference at Duke Divinity in which I could hear more from very smart people who are thinking deeply and creatively and compassionately about our Christian faith. To top it all off, I took lingering walks in the beautiful Sarah Duke Gardens, on the Duke campus, all three of the days I was there. On that last afternoon, I even found a sunny spot on the South Lawn of the garden and took a little nap using my backpack as a pillow as I stretched out in the grass watching the students and families enjoying this peaceful corner of the campus.

These few days way on this adventure on my own felt renewing and life giving. And as much as I love it here, it was also hard to return to daily life and all my usual responsibilities. And so I understand why Peter and James and John wanted to build little huts there on the mountain so they could keep that moment of transfiguration with Jesus and Moses and Elijah going. If I could have built a little cottage or even pitched a little tent in the Sarah Duke Gardens, maybe right there in the edge of that sunny meadow, I would have been tempted to stay. But as the afternoon was growing late on Tuesday, I knew it was time for me to say goodbye to that mountaintop experience, at least for now, and make my way home to do the work God has given me do here. But we need to be sure we make time and space in our lives to go the mountaintop, at least from time to time, to remind ourselves of what is most important and to reconnect ourselves with the face of God.

Becky+

Questions for Reflection

Tell about a conversation or a retreat or some other experience that you did not want to end. What was it about that moment in time that allowed you to feel you had a glimpse of heaven, or to be transformed and renewed in your faith?

Daily Challenge

Look for a few hours or even a few days in your calendar when you can be intentional about making time for a mountaintop experience. You don’t have to stumble into a mountaintop experience acccidentally—you’re more likely to have one if you make the time for it.

Crying out to God – October 12

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalm 12, 13, 14; Jonah 1:17-2:10; Acts 27:9-26; Luke 9:1-17

Do you ever have a day when you say, “Uncle! Enough! This is so hard!”?

Maybe today is one of those mornings when you wake up achy, exhausted, and foggy. The sunlight is filtered and dim, hiding its rousing energy. Nevertheless, you muster enough forward motion to get up and ready for what is ahead. Nothing feels like it is working. And maybe you must keep all of that bottled up inside, because others are expecting you to keep things moving and functioning. Your spouse has needs. Kids have needs. Coworkers have needs. Those around you have expectations and rely on you.

I am reminded of a song from a movie that came out in 2021. Called “Surface Pressure”, it was featured in the Disney film “Encanto”. Stressors and demands in the family fall upon the shoulders of Luisa the eldest, and she is so strong…until she cannot go anymore.

And then, the breaking point comes. Snap. Crackle. Pop. Over something relatively inconsequential. The burden feels so heavy and sad.

It is in these times that we cry out for God, feeling humbled, low, and alone. Psalms 12, 13, and 14 (appointed to be read this afternoon) speak to these points in our days and lives when we feel desperate, wondering how much longer we must feel the strain. In these moments, we call to God in prayer. Perhaps we even wonder where God is in all the chaos and rubble.

The psalmist writes of isolation and mistrust: “Help me, Lord, for there is no godly one left; the faithful have vanished from among us. Everyone speaks falsely with his neighbor; with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.” (Ps. 12:1-2) In the prayer, God answers, “Because the needy are oppressed, and the poor cry out in misery, I will rise up,” says the Lord, “and give them the help they long for.” (Ps. 12:5)

In Psalm 13, he continues in desperation: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long shall I have perplexity in my mind, and grief in my heart, day after day? How long shall my enemy triumph over me? Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God; give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death…” (v. 1-3)

On days when we feel that our worldview is quite bleak, Psalm 14 meets us in that low place. “The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." All are corrupt and commit abominable acts; there is none who does any good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God. Every one has proved faithless; all alike have turned bad; there is none who does good; no, not one.” (v. 1-3)

If you are in a low place today, do not bottle up your negative emotions. Sit with these psalms of heavy feeling and honesty. Allow that weight to pour out and rest with God. Faithful people for more than two thousand years have prayed these hard psalms that put voice to the stirrings in our hearts and the burdens on our minds. You are not alone in your struggles, beloved child of God.

Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

What situations and people push you to your limit? How do these times help you know yourself more and strengthen you? Where is God in this?

Daily Challenge 

If you are feeling under great pressure today, set aside fifteen minutes to slow down. Pray to God for help. If you cannot find the words, pray the words of Psalms 12 through 14.

Write about what is weighing on you, or call a trusted confidante and share your concern with them. Ask someone to pray for you.