Category Archives: Daily Devotion

Alms and Prayers

Lent

February 25, 2023

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Concerning Almsgiving

‘Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Concerning Prayer

‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:1-6

I must admit I have no patience with coddling the wealthy to support programs for the poor. Having special rooms for them at a banquet where they are served cocktails in a private room with a harp playing in the background is not my cup of tea, while the other donors hang around in the hallways waiting for the doors open to let them in the event. Help-yourself refreshments are usually available for this group, served with coffee or tea. It apparently is the worldview of our day. Jesus set the standard when he said in Luke 12:48b, From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more, will be demanded.

Setting an example with wealth is a different story. My dad told the story that during the depression, there was a run on banks throughout Oklahoma created by fear-fed rumors that said the banks were failing and people clamored to get their money out which probably would have caused the banks to fail. In the small town of Pawnee, Oklahoma, its leading citizen, known as Pawnee Bill, Gordon William Lillie, a popular entertainer, and rancher, loaded a wheel barrel full of his money and pushed it down the main street for all to see to the bank to deposit it. People calmed down, and the bank survived to serve them.

In like manner, there is a time and place for prayer, both public and private. We truly would not know how to pray in those times of tragedy if we had not invested our time in daily communion with God.

Prayer:
Lord prepare me, to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true
And with thanksgiving, I’ll be a living, sanctuary, oh for you*. Amen.

*”Lord Prepare Me To Be a Sanctuary Lyrics.” Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 24 Feb. 2023. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/29786117/West+Angeles+C.O.G.I.C.+Angelic+%26+Mass+Choir/Lord+Prepare+Me+To+Be+a+Sanctuary>.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

40 Days of Wondering in the Wilderness

Lent

February 23, 2023

Scripture Reading:

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. –2 Corinthians 5:20-21

The Greek word presbeuó, translated here as ambassador, means to act as an established statesman (diplomat) – a trusted, respected ambassador who is authorized to speak as God’s emissary (represent His kingdom).

This term is used in the ancient phrase, “I am on embassy to the Emperor, I am an ambassador” (Souter) – i.e. as someone respected as trustworthy (loyal, knowledgeable), especially in the opinion of those they know (belong to)*.

When I read this scripture, I thought of former President Jimmy Carter, having recently heard that he had chosen to stop all medical treatment and shift to hospice care. He embodies this scripture. He is the example we need to follow, and yet, I fear he is seen as a rarity that is viewed beyond our ability to emulate. Of course, his presbeuó is Jesus Christ. Christ-followers are called to be the example of God’s love for the world, and I fear we sometimes get off track. I fear we grow uncomfortable with loving without judging, which leads us to transition to creating God and God’s love in images in which we are more comfortable. There was a time when being left-handed was seen as being the mark of Satan, and toddlers had their arms tied to their sides until they had mastered using their right hand. Now we pick on sexual differences as being evil. Just exactly how that is supposed to be a danger to anyone else is beyond me. And racism is still alive and well in our worldview, although the very existence of different “human races” has been debunked by genetic science.  We do great harm to future generations when we fail to follow the example of Christ in living love.

Prayer: Lord, as we enter the time of Lent, when we relive your 40-day sojourn in the wilderness facing the temptations of Satan, guide us to wrestle with the temptations we face enticing us to take wrong paths and show us the right path.  Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/4243.htmpre

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

A New and Right Spirit

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

February 22, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 51:1-17

To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy|
   blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
   and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
   and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
   and blameless when you pass judgement.
Indeed, I was born guilty,
   a sinner when my mother conceived me.

You desire truth in the inward being;
   therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
   wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
   and blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
   and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
   and sustain in me a willing spirit. –Psalm 51:1-12

Verse 10 is a daily prayer for me. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. For me, it is important to address my missing the mark as quickly as possible, but that can only happen if we acknowledge and are aware of what we have done. We seem to have an epidemic in our nation where we project our interpretation of our actions as something that may not be God’s interpretation. We must be in a close enough relationship with God to have a new and right spirit.

Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Repairers of the Breach

Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

February 21, 2023

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 58:1-12
Shout out, do not hold back!
   Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
   to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet day after day they seek me
   and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
   and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgements,
  they delight to draw near to God.
‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
   Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,
   and oppress all your workers.
Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
   and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
  will not make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
   a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
   and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
   a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the fast that I choose:
   to loose the bonds of injustice,
   to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
   and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
   and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
   and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
   the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
   you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,
   the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
   and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
   and your gloom be like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually,
   and satisfy your needs in parched places,
   and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
   like a spring of water,
   whose waters never fail.
Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
   you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
   the restorer of streets to live in.

This is probably the longest scripture I have included in these devotions, but I could not segment out one part today to hone in on. Don’t just read it; live into it.

Prayer: Please guide me to be a repairer of the breach. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Being Church

Ordinary Time

February 20, 2023

Scripture Reading: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Yet even now, says the Lord,
   return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
   rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord, your God,
   for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
   and relents from punishing.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
   and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain-offering and a drink-offering
   for the Lord, your God? –Joel 2:12-14

We really need to examine ourselves before we can make a difference in the lives of others. Jesus put it this way:

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. –Matthew 7:5

I was raised in the church and did not know anything other than going to church on Sunday. When I was a young adult on my own, I started attending a church that was apparently amid a major meltdown. I watched and listened to the bickering and thought, look at these hypocrites, until one Sunday, I was struck by the recognition that the only person I knew for sure was a hypocrite sitting in that church that morning was me. I decided to take a vacation from church for a while. Some Sundays, I just slept in; on other Sundays, I visited various churches to see where I might fit. At times I went to brunch with friends who did not attend church.  I did this for a few months until I got my head on straight, realizing that I had as much responsibility as being the church at any congregation as anyone else in attendance. At the next church, I walked into, I felt at home and became very active while I lived in that area.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for putting up with my taking long paths to find your truths. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Spiritual Disciplines

Ordinary Time

February 19, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 17:1-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

Jesus seemed to be preparing his closest disciples for what was to come next in his ministry, specifically his death, and resurrection. He planted seeds in their memories so that when they grieved their loss, flashes of those discussions returned to help them assimilate how they would turn such pain and despair into actions that literally changed the entire world, which Christ-followers are still striving to implement today as we work to build the Beloved Community.

Two thousand years later, where do we disciples obtain those spiritual seeds to store in our inner beings that are ready when we need them the most to fortify our work in attaining Christ’s vision? Practicing the spiritual disciplines is a primary source of such nourishment. There are many sources to help guide us in developing spiritual disciplines. I found Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster most helpful. They are not new. I learned much from reviewing The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, written in the 1500s.  The actual actions we adopt for our spiritual disciplines are not as important as our dedication to following a consistent pattern of communion with God and self-examination. We must resist the temptation to hone God in our image rather than working diligently to serve God from the aspects of the image of God in which all people are created.  

Prayer: Lord, help each of us find the best way to stay in close communion with you and live our lives as you equipped us to do in your image. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Listening and Hearing

Ordinary Time

February 18, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 17:1-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

Let us consider this phrase from the above scripture.  ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’

The Greek word for listen is 191 akoúō – properly, to hear (listen); (figuratively) to hear God’s voice which prompts Him to birth faith within (cf. Ro 10:17)

Romans 10:17—So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

Also, the word for hear has an additional meaning, 189 akoḗ – properly, hearing; used of inner (spiritual) hearing that goes with receiving faith from God (Ro 10:17), i.e. spiritual hearing

And discerning God’s voice; Galatians 3:2,5—The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?

And finally, Jesus said, Matthew 13:14: With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: “You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive.

We will never be able to understand fully others we are called to love if we do not take the time to listen to the voice of God’s Son, the Beloved, and learn from his Word.

Prayer: Lord, help invest more time in listening with understanding in our communication with you and with one another. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Holy Spirit

Ordinary Time

February 17, 2023

Scripture Reading:

2 Peter 1:16-21

So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. –2 Peter 1:19-21

How do we discern when we are following our interpretation of scripture rather than its spirit-led intent when we want it to say what we want it to say? I hear people rationalizing ways of being that are in direct opposition to my understanding of scripture. Indeed, I have read scripture that I wondered how Jesus would interpret and how I apply it to my way of being. That requires me to invest more in understanding the workings of the Holy Spirit.

I remember, as a preschooler going with my family to a revival meeting to which our Pentecostal neighbor had invited us. I had never experienced people in church speaking in tongues and throwing themselves on the floor. I spent most of the service under the pew hiding behind my parent’s legs; they let me stay there. We did not return for the remainder of the revival. My older brother and sister did not have the same fearful experience I did. Back at home, my mother explained that people have a lot of different ways of worshipping God, but I fear that experience tainted my exploration of the Holy Spirit.

As we enter the Lenten season, I plan to delve into a better understanding of the Holy Spirit. I would encourage others to join me. It is challenging. Just now, I decided to quote one of my favorite choruses. When I Googled it to copy it here, I got the version printed below, which is not the same as the one I learned as a child. The fifth line l learned is worded Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. On Google, the first entry was a ten-verse hymn.

Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me,
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me. *

Perhaps what I need to develop is faith and trust in God, who knows me completely and will communicate with me as the person I am.

Prayer: Lord, Spirit of the living God, Fall Afresh on me. Amen.

*The chorus Spirit of the Living God by Daniel Iverson. See at https://hymnary.org/text/spirit_of_the_living_god_fall_iverson#Author__st__1_

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

What is Truth

Ordinary Time

February 16, 2023

Scripture Reading:

2 Peter 1:16-21

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. –2 Peter 1:16-18

How do we describe the indescribable? How do we convey the magnitude in our lives of God’s gift of God’s Son to open wider the door of God’s blessings and love? No cleverly devised myths but eyewitness accounts were passed down to us, and each of them conveys a different description based on the witness’s needs at the time and Jesus’s response to those needs.  Thomas wanted proof; Peter wanted to take action. Martha wanted help cooking dinner for Jesus, but her sister, Mary, just wanted to sit at his feet and take in every word he spoke. The centurion asked him to heal his servant, but as a person of power, he readily recognized one with greater power and understood Jesus just needed to say the word, and his servant would be healed.

We live in a world of cleverly devised false accounts and half-truths, posing to be the truth. We waded in such grime throughout the 2022 election cycle and barely got the chance to observe Christmas before it started again targeted at the next election cycle. Jesus tells us in John 8:31-32, Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ Later, Pilate recognized the weak nature of politics in the following discourse with Jesus at Jesus’s trial before Pilate,

Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’ (John 18:36-38)

We continue to search for truth today, and finding it demands our close communion with God as we strive to be in the world but not of the world so that we can share the love of God freely with all the people of the world, all of whom are made in the image of God.

Prayer: Open our hearts and minds to your truth and your way of living. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Working Toward the Common Good

Ordinary Time

February 15, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 2
Why do the nations conspire,
   and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
   and the rulers take counsel together,
   against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
‘Let us burst their bonds asunder,
   and cast their cords from us.’

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
   the Lord has them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
   and terrify them in his fury, saying,
‘I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.’

I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, ‘You are my son;
   today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
   and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron,
   and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
   be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
   with trembling kiss his feet,
or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way;
   for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are all who take refuge in him.

This was an interesting scripture to read in the beginning days of the Oklahoma Legislature’s 2023 Session. It always starts with many bills designed more to get legislators’ names in the news about hot-button issues rather than the difficult task of seeking common ground to provide the Common Good. Once the dust has settled, those 3,000 or so introduced bills will be culled down to a few hundred that each can make a major difference in our lives. I invite you to join me in praying for our elected officials as they move through this process.

Prayer: Lord, guide your people in working toward the Beloved Community as we participate in our civic duties working toward governance that provides for the Good of All.  Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.