Shining Spirit

“…if anything is excellent, if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is holy, all that is just and all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, or heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you.”

“Be glad in the Lord always. Again, I say be glad!…I have learned the secret of being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength.”

“…but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and I press on for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus. So all of us who are spiritually mature should think this way, and if anyone thinks differently, God will reveal it to him or her. Only let’s live in a way that is consistent with whatever level we have reached.”

“,,,do everything without grumbling and arguing…among these people you shine like stars in the world, because you hold onto the word of life.”

“…don’t do anything from selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves.”

Words that can change the world!

On your walk through this day, stop for a moment and admire the golden colors on the small shrubs.

Feel the texture of the large wet stone. Is that frost on your hand?

Wish for the pine tree a good and peaceful day.

Do you see your reflection in the little pond? That’s you looking back at you.
Give yourself a big hug. No one is looking.

The mist over the pond and moving through the trees has come to greet you.
Good morning, soft and beautiful mist.

Follow the way. It’s tempting to stay in this lovely place. But, guess what
awaits you farther along the Way.

Now, repeat after me….”This is the day the Lord has made…”

Words on a page?
No. Light for a journey.

Irrelevant?
No. Irresistible.

Out of date?
No. Read behind the words.

Comfort and Encouragement?
Yes. Without question.

Lifegiving?
Not unless you read it.

There’s a story being told all over town.
Have you heard it? It’s making the rounds.
Remember the deaf man who sits at the gate.
the one who holds out that nasty plate,
begging for coins or food?

They say he hears now, as well as I do,
and it’s all because this Jesus came through,
observed the poor man’s unfortunate state,
walked over to him, took his plate
and shattered it on the ground.

Then standing before the Nazareth man,
the beggar felt his gentle hands
as a hush fell over the gathered crowd
and, never speaking a word aloud,
Jesus opened his life to sound.

He restored his hearing, set him free
to hear a song, listen with glee
to children at play, a bluebird sing,
the voices of friends, so many things
he had never heard before.

The crowd was amazed, and I was, too,
but I remember now, there were a few
who frowned and scowled as they walked away,
these Temple leaders had nothing to say
about the deaf man’s miracle day.

As this day begins,
this unmerited gift of Grace,
may you be drawn ever closer to
the Christ within your being, and may he
guide you through the hours,
comfort you in any sadness,
protect you from all harm,
speak to your heart’s longing,
remind you that you are loved,
share your laughter and joy,
open your spirit to the mystery of awe,
and tell you again that you
are wonderfully made —
spoken into life by the God
who knows your name.
Amen

Maggie never liked thunderstorms.
At the first hint of thunder,
before my human ears could hear it,
she would start looking for a place to hide.
This was one of her favorite spots.

The thunder in my brain right now is
pretty intense. The Pandemic is still
out of control. Terrorists threaten
again…here, in our own nation.
Unbelievable, but true.

Just like Maggie, I have found my
comfort retreat, and I recommend it to you.
“Praise be to the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
compassion and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles…”
(2 Corinthians 1:3)

Drawing closer to Christ through
acts of praise or study or acts of
compassionate care will provide
the comfort and the sense of
stability we need in these uncertain times.

The choice is ours: We can hide in our
fear or we can go deeper in our faith.
It’s our choice.

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

I will not be afraid.

Therefore, we will not fear,
though the earth should change.

I will not lose hope.

Though the mountains shake
in the heart of the sea.

I will live with courage.

Though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble
with its tumult.

I will not lose hope.

Let love be genuine, hate what is evil,
hold fast to what is good…Rejoice in
hope, be patient in suffering, persevere
in prayer…If it is possible, so far as
it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

I will hope.

As children of God, we affirm:
that God, who is Love, created all and called it good,
that God is present with all of creation and that,
in darkness and in light, God is faithful;
therefore we, too, seek to be faithful.

That Jesus came to show us Love with a human face,
that he taught justice and reconciliation and suffered on our behalf,
and that through his faithful example, he embodies hope;
therefore we, too, seek to be people of justice, reconciliation and hope.

That the Holy Spirit guides and accompanies us,
that this same Spirit offers wisdom and discernment,
and that, when we are open, the Spirit can always find a way;
therefore we seek to be people filled with God’s Spirit,
discerning, loving and transforming our world. Amen.

(Daily Prayer for all Seasons, Church Publishing, pp 84-85)

Tough second shot!
Is that a 6-iron? 8-iron? Baseball bat?
Life can be pretty challenging, can’t it.
I guess that’s an understatement in the midst of
a Pandemic and political pandemonium.
And so I remind myself, and you, that what
seems like an overwhelming, unmanageable
challenge can become bearable, at least, when
we remember roots and relationships. Our
roots are planted in the courageous hope of
our faith demonstrated in the life of
Jesus, and our blessing in hard times
is in relationships with people who care,
love, and support. Friends. The One who
said “I call you friend” and the ones who
live in community with us and support us
in very practical ways.
Whatever your circumstance today,
be thankful for roots and relationships.
By the way, I think it’s a 3 wood.

I am a jigsaw Puzzleist.
I specialize in Puzzleology.
A year ago, I wouldn’t get near a puzzle.
Who wants to just sit there and look for the
backend of a cow or one piece of green grass
among hundreds? Well, I do now. It like creation
all over again. Let there be a red pickup!
Do you think… No, never mind.
Anyway, I look forward now to the challenges
and the pleasures of Puzzleology.
Some puzzle scenes are so lovely, so inviting
that I don’t want to tear them up, destroy
such a lovely creation.

What happened yesterday in D.C. was an
expression of strongly held values fanned
into flame and set loose on the community to
denounce and demand and even destroy.
Nothing creative, constructive or
compassionate about it. Destruction is a lot
easier than creation. Hours of painstaking
effort to build the puzzle. Ten seconds to
destroy it.

Here’s the point.
We have an ethical, moral and spiritual stake
in this puzzle creation called a nation-community.
This puzzle is never quite finished. Some pieces
are clearly in the wrong places, bad fit, and they
need to be changed. The picture is not finished,
maybe it never will be. It is certainly not perfect.

But, then, neither are the Puzzleologists. Working
together, recognizing that all the pieces are
different but essential, building something
beautiful by sharing resources, and exchanging
wisdom, experience, and insights will help
us create something wonderful, something
we can all claim because we built it together.
Out of a heap of incoherent confusion
comes a loveliness that appeals to us all.
Whatever your understanding about God,
may that Creative Force remind us that
community is better than confusion and
conflict, and that each of us who claim a
place in The Way of Jesus are bound by
spiritual principles and teachings that are
guidelines for personal and community
creation. Some people believe that God
continues to create and that we are
co-creators with the ongoing Sacred
effort. Well, in the Spirit of Christ,
let’s work on this puzzle together,
resolving our differences, valuing
each other’s insights, communicating
compassionately, sharing the effort
toward a common goal.

Yesterday is yesterday. It has no place
in the ongoing creative process of putting
together the pieces of a community. God
give us courage to be creative and
compassion to care.

May it be so. Amen.