Life is hard - August 28, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalm 12, 13, 14
Job 6:1,7:1-21; Acts 10:1-16; John 7:1-13  

The Book of Job is hard to read – both in the horrible losses that pile upon a prayerful man, and in the ways he processes his grief. I believe it is important to spend time in the Book of Job from time to time, and over the next few weeks, we get to do just that! Excerpts from Job are appointed as the Old Testament readings in the Daily Office lectionary through mid-September.

Job’s hardship and loss are extreme. His grief is visceral and honest. His three closest friends come to his side as he faces the destruction of his family and home. Sadly, Job’s friends struggle to find the right words, and so bumbling through, they indirectly and directly blame the devastation on his lack of faith in God. They offer unhelpful guidance. It is uncomfortable to read.

In today’s excerpt, the grieving Job vents to God: “Do not human beings have a hard service on earth, and are not their days like the days of a laborer?” Yes, it is hard to be a human. It is hard to be an adult. It is also hard for kids to be kids. It is hard to be in relationship with others. Our work is hard. Our losses are hard. Circumstances around us do not always feel comfortable or fair or kind or safe.

Job continues in his plea to the Lord: “What are human beings, that you make so much of them, that you set your mind on them, visit them every morning, test them every moment? Will you not look away from me for a while…If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of humanity? Why have you made me your target? Why have I become a burden to you? Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be.” Job is not wrong in his pleading, self-focused soliloquy. And God can take Job’s heat. And Job needs to get those words and feelings out, just as you and I must give space for similar feelings in our lives.

Friends, life is hard. If we cannot be honest about that, the authentic beauty of life gets obscured. Job brings to the surface an honesty that toxic optimism seeks to diminish. This piece of wisdom literature from Holy Scripture is so important to give space to spiritually and emotionally. Our work here on earth is troubled. I believe that is why, in faith, we look to God to lift us up, heal our wounds, and bring completion to the incomplete we lived in. I think about the Vince Gill song, “Go Rest High on That Mountain” which begins with these words and refrain –

I know your life
On earth was troubled
And only you could know the pain
You weren't afraid to face the devil
You were no stranger to the rain

Go rest high on that mountain
Son, your work on earth is done
Go to heaven a-shoutin'
Love for the Father and the Son

Our faith informs us of this: at the end of our travails, God meets us in love. And right now, in the midst of this life that is both flourishing and passing away, we are invited into honesty and connection with God and one another.  

May God bless and nourish you this day,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

How easy or hard is it for you to hold space with people who are grieving? Where do you feel the discomfort in your body? What does grieving feel like for you?

I invite you to sit with Job today and the next few weeks to explore your patterns of grief - and where God meets you in that tumultuous space. And above all, know that you are loved and not alone in your pain.

Careful Listening

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 1, 2, 3; Job 4:1,5:1-11,17-21,26-27; Acts 9:19b-31; John 6:52-59

When a seminarian finishes his or her studies one of the cruelest realities, she may need to face is how incredibly inept she is. All those things her congregation will expect her to be proficient at are untested tools in her bag of tricks waiting to be used, like undeveloped muscles at the beginning of Spring training. The hope and prayer is that seminarians enter ministry with strong, basic skills and that these will at least be the foundation of what we need to get started.

One thing I did know is that of all the skill sets clergy need one at the top of the list is listening. And an important part of listening is to whom we listen. As the parent of a teenager, I know this is one of my biggest worries - who is he listening to? Who are the people in his life that influence him the most? Of course, I’d like to think he’s listening to his dad and I first, but my gut instinct is that we compete with lots of other voices.

 As an associate rector in a large congregation, I know I need to listen to my members, but in addition, I also need to be listening to God. I can’t say from my experience that this is always easy. Listening to God can be hard, because much like my teenager, we have lots of competing voices in our lives – our friends and family, cultural trends, social media, – the list can be endless.

 In today’s gospel reading from John, Jesus is listening to the crowd and hears their complaints. In response he challenges them to listen to something that will be very hard to accept much less understand. He’s asking his listeners, as well as all of us, to seek something that we cannot see or touch but can only be imagined – to have faith and trust in this unearned gift we are offered. Jesus wants us to realize that the living bread he offers comes only as a gift from God, as grace. We can’t earn it or work for it.

 This is hard, isn’t it? We’re conditioned by everything around us to believe that we must work for everything; that anything worth having must be earned. But when it comes to God just the opposite is true. Like so much of what Jesus teaches, this idea is counter to what our culture teaches.

 So, like the rich young ruler, we hunger for this life-giving bread, and we want to know how to get it. We are, as one writer put it, “Bundles of seemingly insatiable need, running from here to there in an attempt to fill our emptiness.” Jesus says loud and clear, 54Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.” Does this mean we wait for our hearts to be warmed by God’s grace? In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he tells the church “We can plant, and we can water but we don’t make the plants grow – God does that.”  Perhaps what Paul is saying is that we can’t control or conjure up God’s grace, but we can prepare the ground with ideas, experience or an open heart, that will provide good ground for the seeds of God’s grace to grow and bear fruit.

 Saint Stephen’s is entering into the fall program season. There is an abundance of wealth to be had in the form of classes and opportunities to serve. Listening, really listening, always requires taking a breath to focus, listening, not only with our ears,

but also, with our hearts. We have, in our midst, the incarnate God, Jesus Christ. He is offering us the bread that will sustain us through all challenges. Our challenge is to discern, to listen carefully to where God is calling us and then to be ready with ground prepared to be fruitful.

Faithfully,

Sally+

Questions for Reflection: Discernment for where and how God is calling us comes from the Spirit and is fueled by the bread Jesus offers. What prevents you from listening to the Spirit? What are the distractions that you can quiet or eliminate?

Our Unique Paths--August 23, 2024

Today’s Readings:

Psalm 140, 142; Job 2:1-13; Acts 9:1-9; John 6:27-40 

Special Note:

As a precursor to the reflection below, I wanted you to know that The Threshold Center, a new ministry of Saint Stephen’s will begin offering programs this fall.  You may learn more at ssechurch.org/threshold and download a program flyer here. I welcome your questions and participation. Please distribute this flyer to those who you believe would appreciate these offerings. If you would like to receive emails from the Threshold Center, please email admin@thethresholdcenter.org.

Today’s Reflection:

When have you had a dramatic shift in your perspective of reality? Perhaps something wonderful or something tragic caused you to rethink previously held beliefs. For Saul, it was on the road to Damascus, at a time when he was persecuting Jesus’ followers. In a stunning turn of events, confident and cruel Saul, suddenly lost his sight, heard Jesus’ voice, and turned his life from that of a terrorist to that of an evangelist. His transformation was marked by a name change from Saul to Paul.

For me, one of the most painful and profound life-altering experiences was when my best friend, Rhonda Holman died from breast cancer at 39-years-old. Her two young children were only eight and five years old. Rhonda faced her diagnosis and treatments with a fierce desire to live as joyfully as possible. Though she was understandably angry with God at times, she searched many places for hope and healing. Sometimes she prayed in the Catholic Church, other times she attended Indigenous Peoples’ sweat lodges.

Once, when Maya Tiwari was teaching in the San Francisco Bay Area, where were living at the time, Rhonda and I attended her Ayurvedic workshop.  Ayurveda is a medicine system native to India influenced by Hinduism which incorporates diet, exercise, herbs, and other forms of healing. For the first time in my life, I experienced chanting prayers with a group. It felt as if my body’s vibrations changed. I did not understand the Hindu words, but I felt the transcendence of dropping away to a deeper place by the repetitive chant and the many voices carrying me.

Other then purchasing a rarely-opened Ayurvedic cookbook, I never really embraced that philosophy in my life. And, the experience of listening to Maya, a compelling and compassionate woman had a significant impact on me. Not least of which was the gift of chanting as prayer. I have great respect for the teachings of her tradition, even if it is not the path for me. Later, I spent two years practicing and studying Tibetan Buddhism. Again, realizing something was missing for me. It was a Tibetan Buddhist monk who encouraged me to “go home” to Christianity.

It may seem odd for an Episcopal priest to have explored so many different paths to God. I am grateful for each of them.  This intense time of seeking was foundational to a passionate return to my Christian roots; and ultimately a late-in-life call to the priesthood. Each of us is invited to walks a unique path with God. In this moment, I encourage you to listen for the voice calling you home to deeper relationship.

Grace and Peace,

Mary Bea+

Questions for Self-Reflection:

When have you had a dramatic shift in your perspective of reality? What new awareness did you gain?

Bread – August 21, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:145-176; PM Psalm 128, 129, 130, Judges 18:16-31; Acts 8:14-25; John 6:1-15  

Daily Reflection:

Five barley loaves and two fish. That is what we are told disciple Andrew rounds up when Jesus wants to feed the large crowd following him. Jesus takes the bread and gives thanks before he breaks it up and distributes it. He does the same for the fish. The people – many who tag along because they know of his acts of healing – eat until they are satisfied. Five thousand people share this meal, and then they realize that Jesus is something really special.

We read from this same gospel passage just a few weeks ago in Sunday worship, and so these words feel fresh on my heart. The detail of five barley loaves really sticks with me. I can imagine them in my mind, browned and hearty. I think about Eucharist at Seminary of the Southwest, where several of us baked the whole wheat bread for worship in our homes. Those heavy rounds of bread with simple ingredients were nourishing on multiple levels. At the rail to receive the blessed bread as the Body of Christ and the Bread of Heaven, it felt deeply personal knowing that loving hands within our seminary community intentionally prepared the bread.

I wonder who made the five barley loaves in this gospel account. Was it the boy’s mother? Did the boy help her shape the bread into rounds? I wonder if news got back to the baker that it was bread from their own hearth which was blessed, broken, and distributed to thousands of people?

Jesus tells us that he is the bread of life. He longs for us to be nourished by him. For our needs to be sated by his divine, healing presence. For us to feast on the Word…the Word of God. For in partaking of the bread of life, we draw our bodies and our whole selves closer to God.

I imagine Jesus telling God in prayer of all those he has fed and tended. I imagine God beaming at the ways the Son has brought divine nourishment to a people in need. It truly feels like a space of gratitude and mutual thanksgiving. Those five barley loaves are an image of beauty and love for me today. And I give thanks.

May God bless and nourish you this day,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Reflect on how you see bread in your daily life. Some may feel tension around bread - for carbohydrates, for gluten, and the like. What would it be like to revise how we see all food, so that we see it as a sacred and nourishing gift extended to us with God's blessing? How would we eat this food differently? Consider living in this appreciative mindset for one meal, or one day. Savor the bites of food. Listen to the ways you experience the meal. Give thanks. And take a moment to journal or talk with a friend about the experience.

Teachable Moments - August 19, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 106:1-18; Judges 17:1-13; Acts 7:44-8:1a; John 5:19-29

I’m certain we’ve all either said or heard this piece of advice: “Do as I say and not as I do.” I can’t count the times when my children were small when I would catch one of them doing something I had repeatedly asked them not to do. However, if all the stars were in alignment, just before I lost my cool, I would realize I had done the exact same thing. Forget to turn out the lights, leave the water on while I was brushing my teeth or worse, make a snap judgement about someone. Unfortunately, those moments of clarity didn’t occur near as often as I wish they had. 

The purpose of this saying is plain but why do we need to say it? Could it be we’re not near as good at being responsible adults as we would like to be? That actions really do speak louder than words? I was with some children this past summer at camp and as I watched them, I realized how much each one reflected the adult influence in their lives. At dinner some offered to pass the food and get seconds for the table, while others would try to get out of cleanup duty. Some would wait patiently for their turn, while others would try to break in line. 

 The truth is we aren’t born and raised in a cocoon, free of outside influence. Some traits are likely inherited but so very much of who we are is environmental. Their environment being their homelife, the adults and other children they’re around, their family, friends, teachers, and school mates, even the TV programs and music to which they’ve been exposed. All these things influence our young people. I remember when one of mine was about 5, she said something sarcastic and my mother looked at me and said, “Well she has you to thank for that smart mouth.” I was immediately defensive, even though she was at least partially correct. As much as I wish I could control my children’s outside influences, I couldn't then and I still can’t. At that point she was in school more than she was at home with me. There were friends of hers I could tell were going to be a good influence and others I wish she had never met.

I have a strong emotional investment in the children I raised and the children in all the other areas of my life. Do I love them? More than I can say but it’s more than that. I have a vested interest in who they become as adults, as the people who will be raising and teaching and caring for other children. One of Jesus’ two most frequented activities was teaching, the other was healing. He taught in every way possible - as he ate with friends and strangers, as he walked, and as he preached. He used every opportunity with others as a teachable moment. Sometimes he taught through mind-boggling parables, and sometimes by example, but always with the intention of creating fertile soil for deep roots and fruitful growth.

 In the gospel appointed for today, Jesus says, “the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father* does, the Son does likewise. 20The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.” The object of Jesus’ teachings was self-knowledge, for us to discover the image of God which dwells within us all. There is a story about a desert father who was approached by someone who wished to learn from him. The old man replied, I will not tell you what to do but if you wish you can do what you see me doing. Jesus did what he saw God doing. If only we could do and act as the person, we wish our children could be, to help them see the image of God within themselves. Who says we can’t? We can do nothing that is true and good on our own. God’s love and our longing for God are a wonderful place to start. After all, what could be more important than being present in all the good and true ways for our youth? For each other?  

 Faithfully,

 Sally+

Questions for Self-Reflection: Who was a strong, positive influence in your life? What did you learn from them? Do you think about how your actions influence the young people who observe you?

Tired by the journey – August 14, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30; PM Psalm 119:121-144
Judges 13:15-24; Acts 6:1-15; John 4:1-26 

After a full day yesterday, I arrived home and did something uncharacteristic. I stretched out on the sofa and took nap! I woke up a bit disoriented and felt markedly more refreshed. And so, as I read the Gospel according to John appointed for today, what jumped out at the start was verse 6: “Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.” Jesus was worn out. Exhausted. I don’t know exactly what it felt like for Jesus in the ancient Near East to be wearied by fatigue, but I know how I can feel in those moments: Dragging. Groggy. Encumbered.

Jesus is described many ways in Holy Scripture: The Son of God. The fulfillment of God’s promise. A rabbi. A healer. One who goes away alone to reset and pray. I do not remember reading that Jesus was tired. This very humanizing detail about the divinely sent Jesus adds a different shimmer to this day’s gospel.

There are a few points to note. The first is this: Jesus sat down when he was tired. He listened to his body and committed to scaling back just a bit. His good work did not stop. Jesus simply changed the posture of his body to conserve his strength. Perhaps we can do the same…even when it is a time that we would usually be at the peak of our day’s work.

Secondly, there can be unexpected blessing and gift that comes when asking for help. As his friends had gone to purchase food, Jesus asked a woman who came up to the well to draw up some water for him. This was forbidden on a couple of levels. Men did not speak to unaccompanied women who were not their wives or family members – especially in public. The woman was from Samaria; Jews did not share things in common with Samaritans, for they were people of different faiths and practices. Nevertheless, Jesus asked her for a drink from the well when he was in need. The discourse that followed is the longest conversation in the New Testament that Jesus had with a woman. This conversation at the well became a conversion moment for the Samaritan woman, for she was truly seen by Jesus as a person thirsting for eternal, living water. He saw and named the discomfort of her relationship status – being married five times and now living with one who was not her husband. The Samaritan woman at the well became an evangelist for Jesus, as retelling her story opened the eyes of many other Samaritans to believe that Jesus was indeed the Savior of the world. There can be unexpected blessing and gift that comes when asking for help.



Be gentle on yourself today if you are feeling tired out by your journey. Take a lesson from Jesus. Sit down. Conserve your strength. Ask others for help. God will bestow grace on us, just where we are – especially when we realize that it is the living water of baptism that refreshes us.

May God bless you in your work and rest this day,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

How easy is it for you to listen to your body and ask for help today? By extension, who will you help in those exchanges, too?

Sit with God in prayer and lift up those who have, are, and will help you.

Carrying the Light - August 12, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 89:1-18; Judges 12:1-7; Acts 5:12-26; John 3:1-21

The lectionary the Episcopal Church uses recognizes today the life and work of Florence Nightingale. Ms. Nightingale, known for her role as a nurse, was raised in the Unitarian Church however later joined the Church of England. Not typically known for her role in the church, her faith is considered controversial in some ways because of her disbelief in portions of the Creed. However, overshadowing that was her lifelong total devotion to God. 

 At an early age she decided to devote her life to healing through nursing as her way to serve God. She introduced many innovations that have saved countless numbers of lives and changed the practice of health care forever. When the war in Crimea broke out, she was given permission to lead a group of 38 nurses into the battle fields to care for the wounded soldiers. When she returned to England at the end of the war she was recognized as a national hero. Her ally through all of this was the Secretary of War, Sir Sydney Herbert. When he became ill and died, she prayed that God raise him from the dead because she still needed his help to do her work. When her prayers weren’t answered she expressed doubts about God however she wrote in her diary that God eventually spoke to her and said, “‘You are here to carry out my program. I am not here to carry out yours.’ She wrote in her diary, ‘I must remember that God is not my private secretary.’” (The Satucket Lectionary.)

 The collect for today reads in part, “Grant to all who heal the same virtues of patience, mercy, and steadfast love, that your saving health may be revealed to all . . .” In the Acts of the Apostles, we are told, “Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.” The people were filled with wonder concerning this divine healing power the apostles held. Being filled with jealousy and perhaps fear, the high priests of the temple had the apostles arrested. However, they were released by an angel from God so they could return to the temple where they continued to teach the people who had gathered. 

 Ms. Nightingale’s tenacity and strength, came in part from a sense of compassion for the suffering she witnessed, but it also came from the same sense of vocation and desire to do God’s work that the apostles demonstrated. Even though she became discouraged and angry with God she remained loyal, her faith growing throughout her life. 

 No amount of hardship extinguished her hope and determination; if anything, she became more determined. She was known by many as the “Lady with the Lamp,” because she carried a lamp throughout the dark hospital wards at night, checking on her patients. The “light” she carried was a light that was fueled by her faith. As a result, like the apostles, she created a legacy of inspired followers who have kept the light she carried alive. 

 Faithfully,

 Sally+

 Questions for Reflection: Who do you know who carries the light of Christ? Who or what inspires you to keep going when you feel like giving up? How do your life’s choices inspire others to keep the faith and persevere?

Music and lyrics – August 7, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:97-120; PM Psalm 81, 82; Judges 7:19-8:12; Acts 3:12-26; John 1:29-42

Over the last couple of years, I have been ambling through J. R. R. Tolkein’s, The Lord of the Rings. I carry the tome with me when travelling. Savoring this book, I read a page here and there…and sometimes I go on a bit of a tear and get a chapter or two behind me. It is a journey, for sure. I appreciate the poetry and songs that are interspersed as the bold adventurers traverse many a land. I revisit the lyrical portions for content, and I marvel that Tolkein created both story and poetry, weaving them together with careful detail. He plays with language as cultures clash in a time of great change. Tolkein’s gift of creativity and imagination presents a multi-textured narrative that is outside of time. I am a big fan.

Today in the life of the Episcopal church, two obscure names - John Mason Neale and Catherine Winkworth - are commemorated for this day in A Great Cloud of Witnesses and Lesser Feasts & Fasts 2022, works that pull the names of recent and long-ago people whose lives shaped aspects of Christian faith, life, and prayer. Neale (1818-1866) translated ancient liturgies of the early Eastern church and wrote reflections on the Psalms. He is most known in the Episcopal church for the hymns he translated from Latin and Greek – like “All glory, laud and honor” and “Come, ye faithful, raise the strain”, among many others. He brought ancient hymns into an accessible space for those speaking English.

Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878) translated German hymns from the 16th to 18th centuries for use in English-language worship. She published a collection of translations in the mid-1850s called Lyra Germanica, that was reprinted 23 times. Her works introduced into the hymnody of our tradition that remain today include “Comfort, comfort ye my people”, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”, and “Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates”.

John Mason Neale and Catherine Winkworth may not be familiar to you, however, they are reminders to me that poets, translators, and those who craft language offer to us gifts that linger for generations. They open doors to pray the prayers of those who lived long ago, yet their yearnings, questions, and struggles align closely with the stirrings of our own hearts.

Faithfully,

Katherine+

Grace Upon Grace - August 5, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 80; Judges 6:25-40; Acts 2:37-47; John 1:1-18

 In the beginning there were 42 young adults from various backgrounds, faith traditions, genders, and ages. They came together primarily because they all share one basic love and that’s for Camp McDowell. Many of these young adults have grown up at camp. They’ve been there with family on parish retreats, Division of Youth events and for a few brief days at summer camp. Some have only been there a few times while others can’t remember when Camp McDowell didn’t feel like their second home. They compete with young people from across the diocese for the available staff positions each summer. Some have been turned down in previous years and have finally made the cut. The hours are long, the summer heat and humidity can be brutal, the food and lodging are nothing to write home about and the pay is only slightly better than a stipend. None of them do it for the pay or any of the glamorous reasons many young people seek out summer jobs. They do it out of love for the camp and for the friends they have made there in years past.

When they arrive, they’re like the ingredients of a great gumbo. They’re a variety of flavors expressed in all their different personalities and skills. At first some aren’t sure why they’re there but by the end of the summer they know exactly why they were there. After weeks of hard work, raw edges soften and with hearts that become full to bursting, they become one community. Each of them is filled with a sense of light and life and love unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before.  

The light that fills them is a light that shines in the darkness and no amount of darkness that comes with challenges or hardship, heartbreak or disappointment will be able to overcome this light.

The gospel of John tells us that “to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.” These young people become brothers and sisters not by blood but by claiming their place as a child of God, living out the faith that is born from God and shines through them to others.  

The Word becomes flesh not just once but each time one of us opens our hearts to receive the love of God through Jesus Christ. As we share that love we spread Jesus’ light and love to others. That light lives at Camp McDowell. It became flesh as it inhabited each of those young staff members. They each shine with his glory, the glory of God, each full of God’s grace and truth.  I once heard Bp. Kee say that the beauty of Special session isn’t limited to the opportunities it offers the campers, but it’s also for the young people who volunteer, willingly giving up weeks of their summer to work without pay, to be the 24-hour companion of an adult with mental or physical disabilities. Giving the teenagers the opportunity to serve this way is humbling, and life-changing work. It’s the same with the regular camp sessions. It is a humbling, hard, life changing job. There is not a single one of those young people who I wouldn’t welcome into my home. They are some of the finest, most responsible, caring, big-hearted people I’ve ever met. I serve as a session director for the campers, but I’ve realized I do it as much if not more for the time I’m allowed with the staff. These are the people who vote, who will be raising families, sitting in the pews, running our churches, and taking care of our world.

“From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” These young adults are a testimony to why Camp McDowell is so important, why we need to ensure that we always take care of this precious gift which God has given our diocese.

 Faithfully,

Sally+

Thoughts to Consider: What gift can you give a child that is as valuable as an experience at a place that is based on Jesus’ unconditional love, acceptance, and fun? What would our diocese be like without the thousands of ways that Camp McDowell has brought us together? Consider how your personal stewardship extends from our parish to Camp.

Looking up and lost – July 31, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 72; PM Psalm 119:73-96; Judges 3:12-30; Acts 1:1-14; Matt. 27:45-54

In today’s lectionary, we have two passages placed alongside one another for us to inwardly digest as we are able: Jesus’ death on the cross (Matthew 27:45-54) and Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1:1-14). Bystanders in both cases are left looking up. Life feels different in the wake of each change. The network of disciples of Christ must now come together to prayerfully discern what is the next right thing for them to do. But, as they are standing there, looking up at Jesus, how do they move on from where their feet are fixed?

Have you ever felt like that? I remember standing at the graveside at my mother’s funeral. The Rev. Rich Webster was the rector of Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Decatur, and he was a longtime family friend. He had concluded the burial service at the old cemetery in Courtland, a tiny town not far from the Tennessee River in north Alabama. I stood there. People were milling around and walking away. It was a chilly Monday in early December 2002. I could not bring myself to step back. I did not want to move on. It was too hard, and I felt numb, lost, and scared. What was I to do?

What happened for me next was not unlike what happened to the disciples…people stayed with me. As rain began to fall, we hugged one another. We prayed. We shared. And we moved on, one step at a time. In Acts, we read that the people of Galilee – men and women alike who followed Jesus – gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem to pray and share time together.

It is not easy to hold together these powerful readings of change – death, resurrection, and ascension – on this Wednesday morning. Remember that we do not do this alone. Hold these scriptures today in prayer and conversation with others. Grapple with the loss and joy that is held in these stories that give us heartbreak and hope. Know that you are loved by God and that you are never alone.

Faithfully,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Who are the people that stand beside you when you are stuck, lost, and decimated? Reach out to one of those people today. Pray to God in thanksgiving for these companions along your journey.

Dare Greatly - July 29, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; Joshua 24:16-33; Rom. 16:1-16; Matt. 27:24-31

Today the church lectionary honors Mary and Martha, the two sisters of Lazarus from Bethany and friends of Jesus. It’s also the 50th anniversary of the ordination of the Philadelphia 11. The first eleven women who were ordained priest in the Episcopal church prior to the approval of the ordination of women. Their story existed under the radar for decades until it was told through a documentary. The director, Margo Guernsey, wrote that their story is one of how to break down barriers with grace and be true to oneself in the process. Something that’s important for us all to embrace. It’s also about standing up to institutions that don’t allow people to be who they are created to be. Their vision of the world included a vision in which every human being received the love they deserved, loved just as they are. Their story calls all serious listeners to examine the hierarchies we have inherited and challenge one another to envision new structures that allow equal treatment for all races, sexes, and genders. A radical inclusivity that is only a little more than 2000 years old, begun by an itinerant preacher, some called a rabbi, and others called the Messiah, their Lord. Our church honors these strong women, two from Bethany and eleven who made their mark in Philadelphia, women who in many ways were exceptional for their time and who ventured out of their comfort zone, allowing themselves to be vulnerable in order to be who they were created by God to be.

In the gospel for today from Matthew, Pilate succumbs to the pressures of the crowds in the streets. He hears their cries for a crucifixion and rather than release an innocent man he condemns him to die. His fears of the crowd, his peers, the religious authority, all create an inescapable dilemma – he finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Rather than choosing grace he chooses to succumb to the pressures surrounding him. I find it a bit ironic that on this day we have such stark examples of leadership. On one hand someone who was a powerful government official, with more power than most, and on the other, we have two women who in ancient Israel had few if any rights however stuck their necks out for a scandalous rabbi. Such close friends that they are considered among his first disciples. Then another group of eleven women who centuries later, in part following the examples of Mary and Martha, choose to demand their rightful place in God’s church rather than succumb to the religious authorities of the day.

Brene’ Brown in her book Dare to Lead, quotes Theodore Roosevelt who said, “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . . who errs, who comes short again and again . . . and who at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly.” Something Brene’ discovered in her years of research is that those who dare greatly, who exhibit courage and bravery, all experience fear, gut wrenching fear. Fear that they will fail or worst humiliate themselves. What Mary and Martha, and the Philadelphia II don’t have in common with people like Pilate is that their fear created in them a sense of vulnerability that they allowed to surface. Rather than allow their fear to create a suit of armor like Goliath, they relied on what they knew to be right and true, they worked through their vulnerability and exposing their rawest most important values and emotions they pledged their lives to doing what was right and true even knowing they could fail.

Jesus set the mark, an impossibly high standard for daring greatly but there’s nothing that says we can’t try to emulate him in our daily lives, daring to be great, even in the face of potential failure.

Faithfully,

Sally+

Questions for Self-Reflection: When was the last time you allowed yourself to be truly vulnerable, stuck your neck out for what you knew was right even when you knew you could fail?

"Yet Not What I Want but What you Want" - July 22, 2024

Today’s Reading: AM Psalm 41, 52; Joshua 7:1-13; Rom. 13:8-14; Matt. 26:36-46

How often have we prayed to God, desperately asking, begging, pleading and even bargaining with God for something that we desperately want? It might not be something selfish, it might be something for someone else, a good diagnosis, a safe delivery of a precious child, a reprieve from deep depression, a job, an acceptance letter from a sought-after school for a child. The list can go on and on. There are several prayers in the BCP from which the celebrant can choose at the conclusion of the Prayers of the People. There’s one that I almost always use:

“Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in
the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions, we
pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our
sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.” BCP p.394.

The gospel reading appointed for today brings us face to face with our Jesus, our knight in shining armor, our Lord, teacher, and Messiah. Reliving with our Lord, his moments of deepest fear and grief brings home for me just how truly human our Lord was. It breaks my heart a little every time I think about how lonely and afraid he must have been. On the last night in the garden, he asks three of his disciples to accompany him as he waits for the inevitable conclusion of this tragic love story. Jesus says to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.’ 39And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’”  

As I’ve sat with a family recently watching and hoping for a sign that their beloved son will regain consciousness, I couldn’t help but feel inadequate. I was reminded over and over again how what I want for this young man, what his family wants, what any of us may want may not be what we can realistically expect. But isn’t it alright to pray for a miracle? To ask God, even in the face of what appears to be an inevitable conclusion, to let “this cup,” this heartbreaking situation pass away? My thoughts continued to drift back to the prayer, “not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us.” “As you know and love us,” that’s the true salve of all broken hearts, all disappointments, and lost opportunities. The seemingly inevitable outcome may not be interrupted, however, in my sinfulness I am overcome by the knowledge of the all accepting, all forgiving, always present love of Christ. Life’s outcomes will not always please us, but thanks be to God we are not in this alone and no matter the depth of the hurt, our hearts and hands will be held by Jesus Christ.

 Faithfully,

Sally+

Challenge for Self-Reflection: The next time you pray, consider not asking for any particular outcome or result, instead approach God with an open mind, no particular agenda. Try it and "listen" for the presence of God.

Macrina the Younger—July 19, 2024

Today’s Readings:

AM Ecclesiasticus 51:13-22,Psalm 119:121-128 Philippians 3:7-11, Mark 5:20-34

Today’s Reflection:

Today the church remembers Macrina the Younger who was born in the fourth century in Cappadocia. Her family was prominent in the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church of her time. She is called “the Younger” because she was named for her grandmother. Three of Macrina’s brothers became bishops and were spiritual leaders of their day. 

Macrina had a significant impact on the faithful as well. She was the founder of a monastic community of women. In fact, later her brother Basil, who gets much more recognition in the church than does Macrina, modeled his own Monestary after hers. There are many ways we could be inspired by Macrina, but I will highlight two. 

First, Macrina was admired for her devotion to prayer and for studying scripture. She helped to raise those soon-to-be bishop brothers. Therefore, her prayer life impacted theirs and they impacted thousands if not millions of people in their day and to this day. 

Second, Macrina used her privilege for the good. It is reported that she required that women who entered the order, whether slave or free, were treated the same. Imagine the courage and fortitude it took to create a cohesive community that renounced the cultural hierarchical norms. 

It seems to me that there is likely a strong correlation between Macrina’s prayer life and her courage to live out the counter-cultural tenants of her faith. It also strikes me as noteworthy that even though she was not nearly as well known as her brothers, her impact was profound. Reflecting on Macrina’s life affirms for me the importance of being true to prayer and study. And, it has me wondering where I am being invited to be brave in living more fully into the faith, even if it would not be comfortable?

Grace and Peace,

Mary Bea+

Question for Self-Reflection:

What ways of praying are meaningful to you? How does your prayer life impact the way you move in the world? Where are you being invited to be counter-cultural for the good?

Creating Connections - July 15, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 25; Joshua 2:1-14; Rom. 11:1-12; Matt. 25:1-13

“Empathy is an ancient instinct that’s potentially really useful and tuned to a social world where people are familiar to each other, interdependent, and aligned.” Dr. Jamil Zaki

Dr. Jamil Zaki is a professor of Psychology at Stanford University. In his book The War for Kindness, Building Empathy in a Fractured World, Zaki, explores the decades of work that support the theory that empathy inspires kindness and prosocial behavior. His primary focus is on the connectivity between individuals and groups that empathy encourages. His research has looked to answer how we connect, how connection helps us flourish, and how we can learn to connect better. The last ten years of research have shown that empathy is not only a trait but it’s also a learned skill. We’re born with a certain capacity for empathy, but it doesn’t end there. Empathy can be encouraged; it can be taught. It can be modeled in our families and among our friends and co-workers.

This may not be such a stunning concept however in a world where it seems we’re surrounded by divisive actions and divisions; empathy can end up being a critical commodity.  We can, however, make choices that help to create deeper richer empathetic responses which in turn can gradually cultivate fewer divisions and lessen the ones we already have. When someone says something that angers us rather than tune them out or reply in kind, we can ask questions about their opinions and try to understand where they’re coming from. We can choose to engage with others rather than look the other way or angrily dismiss them.

In the Old Testament lesson for today in the book of Joshua, the prostitute Rahab, finds herself in a position where she can choose to help two men whom she knows are spies, or she can turn them away. She also has another choice; she can take them in and then give them over to the King of Jericho, which would result in certain death. Rahab chooses to shelter the men and then when soldiers come looking for them, she hides them, sending the soldiers away on a wild goose chase. We aren’t privy to all of her reasoning however we do know that she knows of the God of Israel, the God who parted the Red Sea and how the God of Israel has gone before them in war, and they have been victorious. Out of fear and probably out of respect for their God she shelters the men. Knowing she is risking everything, she strikes up a deal, her life and her family’s lives for the men’s protection.

As we approach the Fall and we begin to roll out plans for programs and opportunities for involvement, I hope Pastoral Care and Outreach will be two of the areas that you will take a second look at. Getting involved in either group can help to encourage connections not only between our members, but also connections between Saint Stephen’s and our many ministry partners across the city and beyond. Empathy may be a scarce commodity in some people’s minds but not from what I’ve seen at Saint Stephen’s. The world is a very divided place these days, however, we can make a difference, we can forge a connection one small gesture at a time.

Faithfully,

Sally+

Questions for Self-Reflection: When was the last time you avoided someone you didn't agree with or you responded in an argumentative manner? Next time try to listen with a critical ear for areas where you may be able to bridge the gap rather than create a greater impasse. 

Practice the Pause-July 12, 2024

Today’s Readings:

AM Psalm 16, 17; PM Psalm 22 

Deut. 31:7-13,24-32:4; Rom 10:1-13; Matt. 24:15-31

Today’s Reflection:

This past Tuesday night, a group gathered to reflect upon Esther de Waal’s book To Pause at the Threshold: Reflections on Living on the Border. In the entry to the space where we gathered, there were clear demarcations between the hallway and the room, most notably, a seam of carpet and a doorway. As people where about to cross the threshold, I greeted them with an invitation to physically pause before entering the room. “Perhaps you have something you would like to leave behind. Perhaps you want to set an intention for your time in this room. Or, you may simply pause.”

Many of the participants smiled, knowing I was connecting the material in the book with our physical setting. The countenance of some visibly changed as they paused. A deep breath, a slowing down from the pressures of getting to class on time; a rare pause in their day. Others barely paused, anxious to enter and greet their friends. No wrong way or right way to do it, just different approaches.

We live in a culture and a time where busyness is the set point. I have frequently found myself falling into this pattern. Some of us love a rich, full schedule. Some of us are in a chapter of life where work, caregiving, and other obligations require much of our time.

de Waal writes, “By rushing, whether through a sense of duty or obligation, or to save a few extra moments for the task at hand, (we) may gain someone in terms of daily work. What is lost however, is the attention, the awareness of the crossing over into the time and the place for the opus Dei, the work of God.” (2-3)

I commend to you a breathing practice that any of us can incorporate into our daily routine as a means of physically pausing. Perhaps it will enhance awareness of the wondrous work of God around us. This description is from the Calm app and it is called 3-3-3- breathing

“The 3-3-3 breathing is a simple technique that you can use to calm down quickly. Breathe in deeply for three seconds, hold your breath for another three seconds, and then gently exhale for three seconds. This pattern helps you focus on your breathing and slows down your heart rate, making you feel more relaxed. It's a great tool to use when you're feeling anxious or stressed and need a quick way to regain your calm.”

I would add, may we remember that every breath we take is the breath of God.

Grace and Peace,

Mary Bea+

Question for Self-Reflection:

How do you incorporate pausing in your day? What would it be like if you stopped at the entry to your home and said a little prayer of acknowledgment of what you have left behind an intention for where you are entering in?

Pater Noster - July 10, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalm 12, 13, 14
Deut. 1:1-18; Rom. 9:1-18; Matt. 23:27-39

I often write about experiences that feel deeply inspirational, as I grasp at the strings of holiness woven into the lived moment. I also write about those times when I was brought up short, realizing a mistake or oversight. Today, it is the latter that comes to mind. I made a change without signaling first, and it caused a ripple of uncertainty in a space where comfort was expected.

I’ll first provide a little context: Coordination of liturgy is part of my role since I joined the clergy at Saint Stephen’s in 2019. Liturgy is defined as “the work of the people”; my behind-the-scenes planning offers the scaffolding beneath which we as a community pray on Sunday mornings. Your voices then give depth to the gifts we offer to God through spoken word and song. In conversation with our clergy, I plan a calendar that mirrors the readings that all Episcopal churches (and other churches who follow the Revised Common Lectionary) read during Sunday morning services. We rotate through varied prayers across the year. Many prayers are found in the Book of Common Prayer, although there is sometimes variation. Our Sunday bulletins reflect all that we pray, so that the congregation may easily follow along and participate.

At Saint Stephen’s, we are in a two-month cycle in Sunday worship, in which we will pray two of the Eucharistic Prayers from a source called Enriching Our Worship. This supplemental liturgical material within the Episcopal church offers ways to expand language, images, and metaphors in worship. Some prayers are drawn from ancient mystics who shaped the earliest version of the Church, and other prayers use contemporary language to meet people where they are today. These resources were authorized at General Convention in 1997 and approved to use in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama by our bishops. During my time here, we have pulled from Enriching Our Worship (EOW) during the summer months, before returning to the Book of Common Prayer in the fall.

When editing the bulletins for this past Sunday, I asked that we insert the contemporary version of the Lord’s Prayer with the expansive language for the Eucharistic Prayer; I remembered this as our Saint Stephen’s rhythm when using EOW sources. This version of the Lord’s Prayer is in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer – Morning Prayer (p. 97), in the prayers for Noonday (p. 106), Evening Prayer (p. 121), Compline (p. 132), and Holy Eucharist (p. 364). (Have you ever noticed that both versions of the prayer are side-by-side in each of these settings?)

As the congregation said the great AMEN at the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer, we began to say the Lord’s Prayer. The words on the page did not match the words etched upon the hearts, minds, and lips of many worshiping in our midst – and there were nearly 250 present at the 10:15 service! I saw people exchange glances of concern or confusion. I, too, looked to my bulletin to guide me through the familiar – yet slightly tweaked – language. Following the service, I heard from one parishioner who was not pleased with the change…and perhaps you were unsettled, too.

I reflected upon Sunday’s worship and that discordant moment. As John Burruss - rector of Saint Stephen's - is on sabbatical until September 3, I did not reach out to him to talk about this. However, I had a faint recollection of an exchange from several years back, when I suggested we use the contemporary version of the Lord’s Prayer for a short time. John said no readily: “Do not change the Lord’s Prayer. It will not go well.” Those words echoed in my head on Monday afternoon as I looked back on prior years’ bulletins.

I take away two insights from this experience. First, careful consideration goes into liturgical planning; I was not as careful as I ought to have been – and my mistake created unnecessary disruption. For that, I apologize. Secondly, when making a change, it sure helps everyone follow along – and understand – when we talk about it first.

When you pray the Lord’s Prayer, I invite you to pray it in the language of your heart – traditional, contemporary, or even in another language. Regardless, those words draw us toward God as we pray as Jesus taught us to do.

May God be with us as we learn, and be praised in our lived experiences,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Spend time reflecting on the contemporary version of the Lord’s Prayer. What do you observe? Where are the spaces of tension? What feels inviting?

Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your Name,
    your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
        on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
    as we forgive those
        who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
    and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
    and the glory are yours,
    now and for ever. Amen.

Our Spirituality and How We Learn - July 8, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 1, 2, 3; Num. 32:1-6,16-27; Rom. 8:26-30; Matt. 23:1-12

When I was finishing my master’s in theology one thing stood in my way to graduating - writing my thesis. Of course, this is always done at the end. Most people however, prepare for this their entire two years. I hadn’t. I had been on another degree path and so here I was changing horses in mid-stream. After much delay and worry I chose an area close to my heart. - how what we know and how we come to know it, is connected to our faith. Where is God in the process of knowing? Understanding how I learn is connected to my spirituality seemed important. I began by examining the teaching models which had been used for generations in most classrooms. For years the classic hierarchical models of instruction, from the top down, were the standard. My question was, “Is that the model which is most conducive to learning something so that we really come to know it in our being, not just memorize it for a test?”  How do we come to know in a way that we have ownership, know it so that it really matters to us?

As our son was preparing for his first year in college, he told us he wanted to teach. He stated it was because he had some teachers who had planted within him the love for learning, and he wanted to share that with other students like himself. Thinking back on who those teachers were, they were the ones whose students felt respected and encouraged to share their opinions and ideas. They encouraged open-hearted discussion. They were not the teachers who primarily taught through lectures and graded solely on test results.

Parker Palmer who has written several books on spirituality, wrote a book entitled, To Know as We are Known: Education as A Spiritual Journey. This book was the inspiration for my thesis. When he began writing he was meeting with Henri Nouwen and others. They were in regular conversation around what this book addresses, the spiritual and communal dimensions of education.

In the gospel reading for today, Jesus expounds on the importance to his disciples of understanding their role, which was not as a teacher but that of students. Jesus made it clear that the only true teacher was himself, the Messiah, their Rabbi. And that no one on earth would hold the role of authority of father for them except their father in heaven. Life as a follower of Christ was as a student.

Hopefully, we all strive to be lifelong students, learning from one another. In our baptismal service we pray “Give them an inquiring discerning heart, the courage to persevere, a spirit to know and love you.” We learn best in situations of open-hearted dialogue, with patience for others’ beliefs and agreeing to seek consensus not domination as right, declaring others to be wrong. Palmer emphasizes the need to see with a vision that includes both our minds and our hearts. Neither one by itself is sufficient. We need both, what he describes as “whole-sighted” to see a world of “fact and reason” along with a “world warmed and transformed by the power of love.”

As we seek to know and understand Jesus’ teaching and his desires for our lives, and at the same time understand and live in our ever-changing, demanding world, it seems to me that seeking a more “whole-sighted” way of knowing is in line with the spirit of Jesus’ teaching. We can encourage and intentionally create spaces where learning includes a whole-sighted way of knowing one another and taking into consideration the challenges that we face today. Our children face a world more complicated and demanding than anything anyone has ever experienced. Instilling in them a way of knowing that includes both their minds and hearts will serve them well as we all continue to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Faithfully,

Sally+

Questions for Self-reflection: Who were some of the teachers who inspired me? How do I honor them in my life today? Do I intentionally live into the prayers of my baptismal covenant? How can I become more intentional as a student of Jesus Christ?

Thoughts. Speech. Actions.

Today’s Readings

Psalm 140, 142; PM Psalm 141, 143:1-11(12)
Num. 24:1-13; Rom. 8:12-17; Matt. 22:15-22

Today’s Reflection:

Thoughts. Speech. Actions. There is a progression from our thoughts to our speech and ultimately our actions. (Of course speech is a kind of action, but for the purposes of this reflection we will identify speech as its own category.) Awareness of our thoughts is the genesis of actions that are beneficial to ourselves and our communities.

Thirty years ago, while living in Tokyo, I began mindfulness meditation. I was amazed at the myriad of thoughts that buzzed across my screen in even the shortest “sits.” We tell ourselves so many stories—about ourselves, other people, and our very perception of reality. We are greatly influenced by the expressed thoughts of those around us. Today, as a regular practitioner of Centering Prayer, a Christian contemplative practice, I continue to be reminded of how easily I am distracted. That said, God is growing in me an awareness that being true to practicing contemplative prayer supports my being less “reactive” and more “responsive.” Pausing to pray in this way invites us to pause throughout the day to consent to God’s presence and action within.

In our social media-soaked world, words are cheap. Lots of words are thrown around with varying levels of thoughtfulness attached to them. If our words are often precursors to actions, it is important for us to use our words for the purposes of honoring life, honoring one another. Intentionality around thoughts and speech creates fertile ground for beneficial actions. 

In our Gospel today we learn that “…the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him (Jesus) in what he said.” The preceding chapters in Matthew give clues as to the thoughts of the Pharisees, Chief Priests, and Scribes. They appear to be threatened by Jesus’ teachings and followers. These threatening thoughts lead to words that demonized Jesus and actions that led to his death. 

We are invited by Jesus to love one another as he loved us. Part of that love is an awareness of our impact on ourselves and others. If you are interested in developing a contemplative practice, I suggest you go to the Contemplative Outreach website and learn about Centering Prayer. Also, we have a group that has faithfully met in the chapel on Wednesdays at 10 am. Perhaps you would like to sit and pray in this way with others, amending the soil from which God is growing you. If attending a local group is not possible, there is a wonderful Centering Prayer app that has many helpful resources.

Grace and Peace,

Mary Bea+

Question for Self-Reflection:

What are some of your recurrent/repetitive thoughts? Do they honor life? If so, give thanks, if not what might God be inviting you to do to break this unhealthy thought pattern?

The return to reality is a bummer - July 3, 2024

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:145-176; PM Psalm 128, 129, 130
Num. 22:41-23:12; Rom. 7:13-25; Matt. 21:33-46

A return to reality is a bummer. Both of our kids have had fun adventures with family and friends so far this summer. In the last week, Sam and I have watched each of our kids experience the wave of disappointment and exhaustion that follows. Our children cannot stand back and know that this discomfort is going to crash upon them. We as parents cannot stop that process; we can only pause, give them space, and remind them to be gentle with themselves and one another until they reacclimate to the rhythms of life at home and the post-fun blues clear.

As adults, we go through these swells and troughs, too, though we may have adopted practices to not feel the jarring discord, or we have so many other pressing needs that we do not stop to pay attention to the side effects of re-entry. Perhaps we also equip ourselves with a mindset that keeps us tethered to our center, so that while there may be changes around us, we are still standing on the foundation that makes us who we are.

In the gospel according to Matthew at the start of chapter 21 (from which we read a latter portion today), Jesus was escorted into Jerusalem on a donkey, with cries of “Hosanna!” How exhilarating for those around Jesus to watch that reception. Then, we hear Jesus tell parables of disappointment, rejection, and death. A return to reality can be a bummer.

And yet, Jesus models authenticity, as he is honest in his speech and stories. He is the reason that Paul is fervent in his letters to the church in Rome about the tension that exists between knowing the love that God extends to us in living into the law, and yet being pulled and tempted by sin. Paul writes that he sees ways that sin dwells within us, so that while we know the good choice, we act in more corrupted and dividing ways. “I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” (7:23)

Paul’s words resonate with me. I can identify with that feeling of being captive to the ways that sin skews my thoughts and words and deeds. When we are aware of the sins that plague us, we repent and return to God. We are invited to re-center ourselves upon the foundation of God who loves us.

Join me in praying today for peace. Peace within ourselves. Peace within our homes. Peace with our communities. Peace in our nation. Peace in our world. I pray that the chains of sinfulness and deception which cling to us may fall aside, so that we can see clearly, sing praises fully to God, and seek goodness in ourselves and one another.

May you feel fulfillment in God’s faithfulness today,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Ponder the reading from Romans 7:13-25. What words or phrases cause your ideas to light up? Where do you have tension in this reading? Pray about what God is calling you to pay attention to this week.

Waiting - July 1, 2024

AM Psalm 106:1-18; Num. 22:1-21; Rom. 6:12-23; Matt. 21:12-22

“Prayer was never meant to be magic,” the Mother says.“Then why bother with it?” the daughter asks. Because it’s an act of love,” her mother replies. (Madeline L’Engle, A Ring of Endless Light)

 How many times have we impatiently demanded that God answer our prayers, almost as if God is at our beck and call, responding whenever we need something, as if by magic. Then if we see no evidence that God is listening, we turn our face away as if to say, “Go ahead, two can play this game.” As if God’s seeming lack of response is proof of God’s lack of concern for us. We’ve become so spoiled with instant almost everything, we’ve come to expect instant success rather than anticipating what the act of waiting can produce.

 Sue Monk Kidd in When the Heart Waits, describes the process of transformation that can occur while we wait, when we allow “the time and space necessary for grace to happen.”  Kidd describes it as a process during which grace transforms our lives so that we become a container in which the Holy Spirit can dwell. Prayer can feel like a time of waiting, an act of love that often feels unrequited, while all along the love our prayers contain is not only going out to God but at the same time is transforming us as well.

 Once in a conversation with a monk, Kidd asked how he learned to be so still. He laughed at her and said that she had bought into the myth that in being still we are doing nothing. He went on to say that “when you’re waiting, you’re not doing nothing. You’re doing the most important something there is. You’re allowing your soul to grow up. If you can’t be still and wait you can’t become who God created you to be.”

Jesus teaches us that whatever we ask for in prayer with faith, we will receive. He doesn’t say, how or when but there is the implication that through faith we will receive God’s grace.  

 Today is the church honors the life and legacy of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe married Calvin Stowe, a professor at Lane Theological Seminary. She along with her husband were outspoken critics of slavery and supported the Underground Railroad. She’s probably best known for her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), a fiction voicing her antislavery beliefs. Abraham Lincoln is said to have asked her if she was “the little lady who started this great war,” referring to the firestorm of angry debates her book had sparked. It was not until 1865 that the Emancipation proclamation was passed, declaring all slaves should be freed. And even then, it would be an endless effort for those who had been enslaved, along with their descendants to possess the same rights as all other Americans. Stowe was from a faith-filled family. No doubt her faith must have given her the courage to speak out for those things she knew to be wrong. She must have also understood the power of prayer and how our time is not God’s time; that along with prayer comes waiting, waiting for God to transform us and those for whom we pray.

 In today’s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive. Waiting is hard work. It requires patience and the certainty that in waiting God’s present, a certainty that only faith can bring. Faith that God knows our deepest prayers before we can even put words to our inner most needs. Faith that God will answer not with what we ask but with what we need.

Faithfully,

Sally+