Ah, Holy Jesus

Prayer of devotion:

Blessed Lord,
You are God’s face, made manifest for all the world. I thank you for your life, death and resurrection, signs of God’s gracious love, poured out for me. I turn toward you now, opening myself to your teaching, and emptying myself of all worldly pretense. Amen

Reading:

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended
That man to judge thee, hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus hath undone thee.
‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee;
I crucified thee.

Therefore kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee,
I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee;
Think on thy pity, and thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving.

--The hymn, “Ah, Holy Jesus”, verses 1, 3 and 5; text: Johann Heermann, translation: Robert Bridges

Meditation:

This is a most stunning hymn, and reading it aloud doesn’t quite do it justice. The music, written in the sixteenth century by Johann Cruger, allows the singer to really feel the emotion of this address to Jesus upon the cross. Waves of rising and falling notes carry one through the terrible events of the Passion.

I don’t know how many times I’ve sung this hymn. Many. It is one of my favorites, and I often pick the hymns for church, so I know we’ve sung it at Abiding Peace on numerous occasions. Still I am brought up short each time I sing verse three, with its devastating last line, “I crucified thee.” It is indeed “stunning;” one can’t help but feel stunned by that terrible admission.

I also find myself wanting to get out from underneath the weight of that admission. Perhaps you experienced a similar sensation upon reading it. We weren’t really there. We weren’t shouting “Crucify him!” Surely we would not have participated in that tragic low point of humanity.

Perhaps not. Perhaps we would have been among those who stood by Jesus until the end. What this hymn reminds us is that we are among those who must stand by him today.: “Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee, I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee.”

Take a few moments to stand at the foot of the cross, to adore Jesus and pray him.

Prayer of Hope:

Lord Jesus,
You took upon your body pain and suffering in my name. I pledge this day to take on healing and love in your name. I bow before you, and declare that you are Lord, my savior and my friend. Amen

The Search for God

Prayer in Preparation for Meditation:

God of Light,
I seek your presence more deeply in my life. And yet I know that it is my own heart which must open to you. Open me now, that I would take you into my being, and choose your ways in all that I do. You are my rock and my redeemer, and I bask in your love. Amen

Reading:

We would know more of you

You are the God of all truth, the God of deep hiddenness.
God of all hiddenness who shows yourself in your being hidden,
who hides yourself in your disclosures,
We would know more of you
of your goodness and your mercy,
of your large purposes and long-term dreams,
In your presence we become aware of how little we know of ourselves,
of our interests and passions,
of our fears and dreads,
of our own wonderments and gifts.
In your truthfulness, let us know more of you
and in knowing you, ourselves as well.
We pray in the name of Jesus, where we see you fully,
and ourselves clearly. Amen

--Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament Theology Class, September 29, 1998

Meditation:

One of my favorite activities when I was a day camp director was the Scavenger Hunt. I’d write up a list of questions to answer (how many benches are there in the park?) and things to find (ten pieces of litter, a branch in the shape of a letter). The kids seemed to enjoy searching for the items on the list, and we’d always have prizes for each group as they finished.

There is a prize in our search for God as well. In fact, as the great Hebrew Scripture scholar Walter Brueggemann reminds us, there are several prizes. We get to know God better. We find ourselves seeing Jesus more clearly, as he is the manifestation of the Creator. But the search itself is a prize. In searching for God’s face, we come to see our own more clearly.

What have you learned about yourself, by looking for God?

What has God shown you today?

Prayer of joy:

God my Creator,
Thank you for making yourself known, and for allowing us to search for you as well. I give you thanks for creating me in your image, and for enabling me to be like you in so many ways. I thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ, who shows us your love and compassion, and leads us to make them our own. Amen

A Peace Devotion

Prayer for Peace:

God of the Mountain,
We long for peace in our world. We long for peace in our time. We know that it is your desire that peace wash over the nations, and that love might become the centerpiece of our diplomacy. Help us to do what we can to bring the hope of peace into the reality of our lives. Amen

Reading:

In days to come,
the mountain of the Lord’s houseshall be established
as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.

Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that we may learn the ways of God
and that we may walk in God’s paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
The Lord shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

Meditation:

Here’s my dream of a required class for every person on Earth: “God’s Ways 101.” I know that any class with “God” in the name will not happen everywhere, but I desire it nonetheless. It wouldn’t be a strictly “Christian” or “Muslim” or “Jewish” class. It wouldn’t have to include an interpretation from any religion.

The class would just acknowledge that there is something greater than us, and that that greater something wants us to live in peace. As evidence of the fact that there must be something greater than us, I offer simply the fact that we continue to make war with one another.

Wouldn’t it be great if every child of, say, fourteen years of age, sat down to learn how to walk God’s pathway to peace? Those who object to God on principle would still have to acknowledge that learning peace would be a great thing for us all.

Hey, I had to take Statistics, and I don’t believe much in them.

Prayer for healing:

God of all,
Teach us your way of peace. Guide our feet as we seek to walk your paths. May there be an end to all violence and war. May those who take up arms learn to lay them down, and may we never learn war any more. Amen

Week of Sabbath II, Day Seven

Prayer for healing:

O Lord,
The good which I know I do not always do. Sometimes I do what is not good, knowing that I will be sorry later. I call upon your strength to carry me through moments of weakness, that my life might be a testament to your goodness. Amen

Reading: Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Meditation:

When I first applied for candidacy in the Lutheran church, I had to go to Oakland, California, and meet with the Bishop’s Assistant in charge of those things. She had a couple of candidacy committee members in her office, and they asked me a few questions to get a glimpse of whether I was seminary material.

I can only remember one of the questions: “So why do you want to be a Lutheran pastor?”

To be honest, I didn’t know a whole lot about Lutheran history. I loved my church, and I loved what I knew of its doctrine. So I gave the only answer I could: “Because of grace.”

At the time, I thought it was an incomplete answer. Today, I think it is the best answer possible. Lutherans are not the only people who speak the language of grace; but we are the community born out of a monk's struggle to find grace, a struggle which led him (Luther, that is) to the book of Romans. What Luther read there ignited a fire which, in turn, ignited the Protestant Reformation. Into that Reformation were called people of many traditions, including, eventually, the Catholic Church with which Luther had taken exception. Opening the doors of faith to God's grace is surely Luther's greatest gift to us all, and for that, I am proud to call myself a Lutheran.

We are a people of God’s grace, justified by God’s loving action through Jesus Christ. And that is enough.

How does being justified by God’s grace lead you down new pathways for the sake of the gospel?

Prayer of thanksgiving:

God of grace,
I give you thanks this day that you have called me into your loving presence, and fortified me with your hope and strength. I know that you are with me in sorrow and joy, loving me into better ways of being each day. I pray that you would continue to shower me with your love as I grow. Amen

Week of Sabbath II, Day Six

Prayer of hope:

Precious Lord,
Take my hand and lead me from death to life. Make me an instrument of all that is good in the world, and lead me to proclaim peace and justice for all. Amen

Reading:

Make us worthy, Lord,
To serve others throughout the world
who live and die
in poverty and hunger.
Give them, though our hands, this day their daily bread,
And by our understanding love,
give peace and joy.
--Mother Teresa

Meditation:

There was never a doubt that Mother Teresa would become a saint. She gave her life to the poorest and most powerless people in the world. She lived among those people, in the slums of Calcutta, for much of her life.
Her funeral was attended by many of the most powerful people in the world. That’s kind of a funny juxtaposition, if you think about it. Ironic to the tenth power. There were those at Mother Teresa’s funeral who had the power to alleviate so much of the suffering she tended to daily. Few would argue that there isn’t enough food in the world—daily bread for all. It’s just not in all the right places. In this country, we destroy it, in order to keep free market capitalism flowing smoothly.
So why isn’t everyone fed? Why are people suffering throughout the world? Perhaps we have failed to pray Mother Teresa’s prayer, and to require it of those we would elect to lead us. Perhaps all we need is to pray for the worthiness to serve others, and to work for daily bread for all of God’s children.

Prayer of commitment:

God of the least of these,
I pray this day for those who suffer. I pray for those who are hungry and thirsty, for those who are sick from diseases that have cures, and for those who cannot earn enough to live a good life. Help me to do what I can myself to work for an end to their suffering. And lead me to stand up, in the town square and the voting booth, and help to change the world. Amen

Week of Sabbath II, Day Five

Prayer in preparation for meditation:

O God,
I turn to you for a word of hope. Write your word onto my heart, that I may know your ways better through the proclamation you have for me today.

Reading: Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord.
“Plans to prosper you
and not to harm you,
plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Meditation:

After I was removed from candidacy in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and while I was still nursing the wounds of that rotten experience, a dear friend, Pam, sent me these words from Jeremiah. I cherish that 8 ½ X 11 square print, with its beautiful calligraphy. It was just what I needed to hear. I didn’t even dare to hope that those words would bear out for me within the year.

Pam and her husband Paul were parishioners at my internship site, Lord of Light Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was at Lord of Light that I learned that God’s plan for me really was that I would become a pastor. And it was the support of that congregation which carried me in the sad days after the ELCA declared that it didn’t share God’s plans for me, since I was unwilling to get into that crowded closet with its other gay and lesbian pastors.

Thirteen of those great folks from Lord of Light flew to Kansas City for my ordination at Abiding Peace in Kansas City. That event was the culmination of a year in which God’s plan had broken through the darkness of policy and prejudice. The future God promised, the future which they had assured me would come, had indeed arrived. They told me there was a shout of joy when their rented van turned into the driveway and they saw “Pastor Donna Simon” on the sign.

Sometimes it takes others to proclaim God’s promise to us. I am grateful to the shepherds of Lord of Light and Abiding Peace Lutheran churches, who have shown God’s face to me so many times. Truly God is present in their words, their love for one another, and their loving actions on behalf of others.

Prayer of joy:

Spirit of Love,
May we be the reflection of your hope to the world today. May others see in us the love of God, which sustains and nourishes the world. Grant us a spirit of true joy, and allow others to see you in us. Amen

Week of Sabbath II, Day Four

Prayer for healing:

Spirit of comfort,
Surround me in times of loneliness and pain. Lift me up in your strong hands, and teach me to surrender to you. Help me to know your presence when I can see only darkness. Bring me back to joy. Bring me back to life. Amen

Reading: From Psalm 138

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down towards your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love
and your faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.
On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.

Meditation:

I love the idea that we have “strength of soul” which can be increased. I can’t help but picture a bunch of souls (don’t ask me what they look like—it’s kind of a murky vision) in a weight room, working out.

What sorts of exercises lead to strength of soul?

What is the benefit of having a “strong soul?” How does strength of soul lead us toward the fulfillment of God’s vision for us?

Think of a time that you felt weak. Did you feel that weakness in your soul? How did you rise above it? If that time is now, how can God help you?

Prayer of thanksgiving:

God of love,
Thank you for hearing my prayers. I know that you receive every word I send to you, and that you know the prayers of my heart, before they ever cross my lips. I give you thanks this day for the strength you have given to me, especially when I have needed it most. Amen

Week of Sabbath II, Day Three

Prayer of hope:

God of all grace,
I pray this day for a world free from hunger. I pray for a world free from violence. I pray for a world in which each child is healthy, happy, and loved. I pray for justice to take hold of our leaders, and for peace to take root in our cities and towns. I pray for your will to be done, for all the people of the world. Amen.

Reading:

What actions are
most excellent?

To gladden the heart of a human being.
To feed the hungry.
To help the afflicted.
To lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful.
To remove the wrongs of the injured.
That person is the most beloved of God
who does most good to God’s creatures.
--The Prophet Muhammed

Meditation:

There is a war brewing across our planet. It is not a war of guns and rockets. It is a war of the heart. In the hearts of people all over the world is a smoldering anger which turns easily to prejudice and hate, ignited by violence and bloodshed, which we watch from our living rooms on television.

This war is a fight for the soul of Islam, and it is being fought by Muslims, Christians and Jews alike. Islam is under attack, from without and within. From without are those who declare that Muslims are an angry and violent people. From within are those who know that the heart of Islam is in the words of the Prophet above, and in the very name “Islam.” It means “peace.” It comes from the Arabic, “Salaam,” which sounds like its Hebrew cognate “Shalom” and has been a form of address for Semitic people for centuries. They greet one another with a word of peace.

The Prophet Muhammed spoke readily of justice for all people, and of the imperative of peace. His people have lived in peace for centuries, with one another, and with their Christian and Jewish neighbors. But that peace is threatened by extremism of two kinds: Muslim extremism, which hates the neighbor; and the extremism of those who fail to see the Muslim as neighbor. Both are equally dangerous, and we pray for an end to the bloodshed each has wrought.

Prayer for Peace:

God of all,
Rain down peace upon your peoples. Gather us together, one human family in many expressions. Teach us the ways of justice, that we might follow in the footsteps of Abraham, of Jesus, and of Muhammed. I pray for an end to war, and a return to peace. Amen

Week of Sabbath II, Day Two

Prayer for hope and healing:

God of love,
Help me to see love in those I meet along life’s journey. And help me to be love for my neighbor in need, tending to the needs of those who are my sisters and brothers. Forgive me when I turn away from those who need my help, and strengthen me to provide it when I can. Amen

Reading: Matthew 5:38-42

38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

Meditation:

Walter Wink, whom I like to call a “theologian of justice,” has gone to great lengths to show that Jesus’ admonition to “turn the other cheek” is actually an underhanded way to get the best of an adversary in the Roman Empire in the century. The theory goes that the adversary will strike you with a fist on the right cheek (since all adversaries are right-handed), but when you offer your left cheek, he will be forced to slap you. The slap makes him look silly. Okay.

I love Wink—I really do. But I think this passage is best read as written. Jesus asks us to live differently from the way we’ve been taught. Jesus asks us to practice radical nonviolence, to be willing to look silly ourselves to avoid harm to others. He asks us to practice radical giving, to be willing to give not just that bit we can surely afford, but to give something we might need ourselves, if someone else is in greater need.

These teachings are difficult. But no one can accuse Jesus of asking little, or giving little, for that matter. He gave all that he had, and asks us to give a lot as well. It is the least we can do, really.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

Lord,
It is difficult to turn the other cheek, especially when we have been grievously harmed. It is hard to practice nonviolence in the way that you teach, and to give from those things we need. Lead us and guide us to learn your way, and be patient with us when we stumble. For we desire to do your will. Amen

Week of Sabbath II, Day One

Prayer in preparation for meditation:

O God,
Open my heart to hear your voice, in a whisper or a shout. Make me ready to receive you as Lord of all. Quiet the worries of the day, and come to me now. Amen

Reading:

In spite of everything, I still believe
that people are really good at heart.
I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation
consisting of confusion, misery, and death.
I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness;
I hear the ever-approaching thunder, which will destroy us too;
I can feel the suffering of millions, and yet,
If I look up into the heavens,
I think that it will all come right,
That this cruelty will end,
And that peace and tranquility will return again.
In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals,
For perhaps the time will come
When I shall be able to carry them out.
--Anne Frank

Meditation:

I have always loved these words from Anne Frank, who is perhaps the best known of all of those who suffered and died at the hands of the horrific Nazi regime. There is a special poignancy in the first and last sentences. They speak of a hope we know was not realized, and the loss of a beautiful spirit, a young woman who still believed in goodness, though she had witnessed first hand so much evil.

Those two sentences should be written on our hearts. It is easy to become disillusioned with our world, our leaders, and even ourselves. But God calls us to look upon the creation and see what God saw, that deeply, fundamentally, we are good. The number of people who do good in the world far outweighs the number which work for ill gains.

We must do this because it is our call, and because it prepares us for the day which Anne Frank dreamed of for herself: the day in which we will be called to live out the ideals we’ve upheld, in spite of everything.

Prayer of joy:

Great God of all creation,
Help me to see the good in your world. Help me to prepare to speak a word of justice in times of trial, and to do acts of kindness in days of turmoil. I give you thanks for making me to be your servant, and to glorify your creation. Amen