Ten Minute Sabbath

Wild Grapes in God's Vineyard

2007-07-29T08:09:00.000-05:00

Prayer of Hope:
Lord of All,
You remain faithful when all others have fallen away. Your steadfast love for us all is a daily miracle. We give you thanks, for your love and your patience with our shortcomings. Lead us to show this same love to those with whom we have built our lives. Amen

Lesson: Isaiah 5:1-7
Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watch-tower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it;
he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it?When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;
I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting;
he expected justice, but saw bloodshed;
righteousness, but heard a cry!

Meditation:
This reading is typically called “The Love Song of the Vineyard.” One might expect from that title that the song would be something light, something akin to The Carpenters’ “Close to You,” or one of the wonderful love ballads crooned by Nat King Cole or Johnny Mathis.
Not so much. This song is an intentionally thinly-veiled allegory about Israel’s unfaithfulness to God’s commands, and the wrath which arises in God when God discovers that they are growing “wild grapes,” instead of good ones. God threatens to allow the vineyard to be “trampled down,” laid to waste, since it will not produce the fruit for which it was planted.
These are harsh words. This is a picture of God which those of us who also claim the New Testament or Christian Scriptures don’t tend to like very much. We see a mean and punishing God, who visits wrath upon those who disobey.
Make no mistake, though: this is a love song. It is the song of a love so deep that the loved one’s betrayal cuts the lover to the core. God’s anger is a righteous anger—the anger of one who has created, tended and nurtured human beings, and been forced to watch as they start wars with one another and oppress those who are without power (the ones whose cry is raised to God in the last line of the lesson). God is angry, true enough, but it happens that when you love someone deeply and want the best for that person, you become angry when the object of your love does things which are dumb, like starting wars and oppressing others. This isn’t a sign of lack of love; it is a sign of the depth of love. While the lover threatens to give up the loved one, to turn the vineyard into a “waste,” we know that this never happened. God never abandoned Israel, though Israel was sometimes overrun by conquerors like the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Lessons like this one are meant to explain why Israel couldn’t simply remain dominant throughout her history. But they do more than that, because underneath this picture of God’s wrath is a reminder to those of us who know the whole story: that God never did remove the vineyard’s hedge, that God never did give up on the people of God. God continues to love us, even when we stray far from God’s intention for our lives.
It’s a different sort of love song to be sure—one more akin to Shakespeare’s surprising Sonnet, number 130:

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

This is probably the most delightful of the love sonnets; a portrait of love so real that it looks beyond blemish and remains steadfast. Such is the love which we receive from God.

Prayer of Joy:
God of Love,
We rejoice that you have tended us and helped us to grow. You never leave us, even when we stray far from your commandments. We thank you for your constancy, and for teaching us the love which sees all, yet loves always. Amen

Lamenting

2007-02-03T17:11:00.000-05:00

Prayer of Hope:

All-knowing God,
Your wisdom is great. You created the world and all that is in it. You created human beings and blessed us with many gifts. We want to trust in your wisdom, but sometimes we are weighed down with grief and despair. Sometimes the difficulties of life feel like too much for us. Help us to find you in those times, and to know that you are ready to hear our lament as well as our praise. Amen

Reading: Lamentations 5:15-22
1The joy of our hearts has ceased;
our dancing has been turned to mourning.
The crown has fallen from our head;
woe to us, for we have sinned!
Because of this our hearts are sick,
because of these things our eyes have grown dim:
because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate;
jackals prowl over it.

But you, O Lord, reign for ever;
your throne endures to all generations.
Why have you forgotten us completely?
Why have you forsaken us these many days?
Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored;
renew our days as of old—
unless you have utterly rejected us,
and are angry with us beyond measure.

Meditation: Go ahead and cry

The book of Lamentations is ascribed to the prophet Jeremiah; its full title in Greek and English is “The Lamentations of Jeremiah.” Tradition allows that Jeremiah withdrew to a cave after the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and carried off its king and many of its subjects. There he wrote this series of poems, which lament God’s forsaking of God’s people, which has resulted in their terrible fortunes. The prophet knows the people are to blame for this misfortune—he tells them that repeatedly in both the book of Jeremiah, and in Lamentations.
It doesn’t matter whether this book was actually written by Jeremiah. It doesn’t matter when it was written. What is important to us, as “consumers” of the Holy Word, is that scripture allows for wailing and gnashing of teeth. A whole book is devoted to a people feeling bad about what has happened to them, and describing their ordeals in great juicy detail.
There are lamentations throughout scripture. Many of the Psalms are songs of lament. Jesus laments twice. The first is a mini-lament—in the Garden of Gethsemane, he lets God know that it would be okay if the cup of his destiny passed from his hands. On the cross he offers a full blown lament: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Paul laments his work, his suffering, the time he has to spend in jail.
God’s Word gives us permission to complain. We’re often told that we shouldn’t complain. It’s true that we shouldn’t complain all the time. It’s equally true that we shouldn’t complain about minor inconveniences. But when lousy things happen to us, scripture has taught us that we are allowed to wail, to moan, to cry, and to complain. Bitterly even. Right to God, who is listening to all that we say, even the things which start “Hey God, I don’t like…”

Prayer of Thanksgiving

God of Light,
I give you thanks for being with me in my joy and in my sadness. Thank you for the gift of lamentation, for allowing your people to come to you with our deepest pain, and to cry out to you when we feel despair. We know that you are with us in the light and in the darkness, and we promise to turn to you in both. Amen

2006-12-24T09:13:00.000-05:00

A Prayer of Yearning:

Come into our hearts, Emmanuel. Fill us with joy at your very presence in our lives. Allow us to gaze upon you with wonder, as you appear to us again, a baby in a manger. May we hear the angels sing their most holy song: Peace on earth. Amen.

Reading: Luke 2:8-14

8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors!”

Meditation:

I usually change that last line. It’s probably wrong on some level, but I am far from alone. I usually make it “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace.” So it’s not so much changed, really, as truncated.
The Christmas songs change it too. “Peace on earth; goodwill to men”—you’ll hear that. You’ll hear a lot of “peace on earth,” but not so much that last part: “…among those whom God favors.”
I’d like to say it’s a mistranslation, but the Greek really says “among men in whom God is pleased.”
No matter. That last part is redundant anyway. If we are at peace with one another, then God is pleased. If we’re pleasing God, by living in harmony with our neighbors far and near, then there will be goodwill among human beings.
The promise of peace has been lifted up before every generation. And every generation has found ways to fulfill the promise, and to break it. As we celebrate the joy of Christ’s birth, let us dedicate ourselves wholly to bring the promise to fruition: “Peace on earth; goodwill to all.”

A Prayer of Hope:

God of all love,
The promise of peace is possible through your divine will. Teach us to live out the promise in all that we do—to work for peace between the nations, and to strive for constant peace within our hearts. We long to please you, and know that it is a simple task. We lean on the love and teaching of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is for us the one of peace. Amen

Searching for Hope in a Time of Tragedy

2006-10-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

Searching for Hope in a Time of Tragedy

Prayer of Hope:

God of all the nations,
Sometimes it seems that hope is too far away from us. We reach for it, but cannot pull it in. In those moments, lend us your spirit, that your strength and wisdom might become ours, leading us from death to life, from despair to hope. Amen

Reading: From Psalm 42

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me continually,
‘Where is your God?’

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise God,
my help and my God.

Meditation:

Senseless. What other word can there be for the shooting of little girls? It is senseless.
We find it difficult, in the face of unmitigated tragedy, to wrap our minds around the totality of the violence. Eleven little girls, kept safe from the world in a tight-knit Amish community, are shot and wounded, at least five mortally.
It is harder still to wrap our hearts around such an event. It is tempting, surely, to ask the question asked of the Psalmist: “Where is your God?”
The only answer we can give is the one that the Psalmist gives. God is in our hope, and our hope is in God. There is no sense to be made of such a horrific act. We can only do what that Amish community will do—pray to God for continued hope in the face of violence and tragedy, and pray for all of those who have been touched by this senseless act.
Sometimes our only hope is borrowed, from the God who is above all.

Prayer of Solace:

Loving God,
Surround those who are grieving with your love and comfort. Bring healing to those who have been deeply hurt, in body, mind and spirit. Lead us to new hope, which reaches out to those in need with hands that are gentle and hearts that are open. We turn to you now, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

God Yearns

2006-09-29T11:49:00.000-05:00

Prayer of Love:

Creator God,
You made the world and called it good. Help me to remember that in your eyes I am good. Help me to see the goodness in myself, to love myself just as you love me. I pledge my love to you, a fitting response to the boundless love you heap upon me. Amen

Reading: Walter Brueggmann, “The God who yearns and waits for us”

We are strange conundrums of faithfulness and fickleness.
We cleave to you in all the ways that we are able.
We count on you and intend our lives to be lived for you,
and then we find ourselves among your people
who are always seeking elsewhere and otherwise.
So we give thanks that you are the God
Who yearns and waits for us,
and that our connection to you is always from your side,
and that it is because of your goodness
that neither life nor death
nor angels nor principalities
nor heights nor depths
nor anything in creation
can separate us from you.
We give you thanks for your faithfulness,
so much more durable than ours. Amen.

Meditation:

More often than one would expect, I find myself in conversation with someone who thinks that he or she is not doing as good a job at being a Christian as he or she could be. The person usually believes that his knowledge of the Bible isn’t sufficient, or that she could be doing more for the world, or that, God forbid, he sometimes has doubts about God.

The most honest response is probably “you’re right on all counts.” We could all know the Bible better; we could all be doing more for the world, and we all--at least those of us whose faith is mature enough to allow it--have doubts. It is probably fair to say that God desires more from each of us. God desires the best from us, and knows we have it in us.

It is more than fair to say—in fact it is the plain truth—that these moments are actually part of the work of a Christian. We are called to strive to do better. We are called to yearn for God, and to yearn to do God’s will, just as God yearns for us, and draws us toward the divine will.

And the rest of the truth is that God loves us to pieces, even when we fail miserably--which is seldom the case, though we often think it is. God is nuts about us, and rather pleased with us, for we were, after all, made in God’s image.

Prayer of Thanksgiving:

God of all grace and mercy,
You yearn for me even when I am far from you. You love me even when I fail to do your will. You are always there to help me improve, to set me back on the path of righteousness. Thank you for that. Amen

This Little Light of Mine

2006-09-29T11:22:00.000-05:00

Prayer of Joy:

Lord,
What a wonderful world you have made! I thank you for the beauty of the earth, and the many surprises that await me each day. Help me to continue to see opportunity, even in challenge. I receive this day with joy. Amen

Reading: Mark 4:21-23

Jesus said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’

Meditation:

This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine…

This simple song is surely in a close race with “Jesus Loves Me,” for the distinction of first song learned in Sunday School. People who have grown up in church tend to know “This Little Light of Mine”. Because it is a Sunday School song, it may be considered sweet, but not too weighty. This isn’t “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word,” after all.

But what a wonderful message this is! In a Lutheran baptismal service, a representative of the congregation lights a candle and gives it to the one baptized (or the parents, if the baptized is a small child). As the candle is given, the representative says, “Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.” The congregation, as the embodiment of the Body of Christ, calls upon the newly baptized person to shine, shine, shine, so that God may be glorified.

God has “lit us up.” We all have a light within us, and we’re called to illuminate the world with it. Jesus reminds us that just as we wouldn’t put a lamp under a bushel basket, neither should we hide our light from the world.

--How can you “let your light shine before others?” What special light has God given to you?

Prayer of promise:

Holy One,
Thank you for filling me up with the light which comes from you. I promise to let my light shine, to illuminate the world with works of justice and charity. I will not hide my light, but will make it a blessing for all to behold. Amen

Seeing the Flower

2006-09-26T15:37:00.000-05:00

A Prayer of Single-mindedness:

Gracious God,
As I prepare myself for meditation, I open my heart and my mind to you. Give me vision which sees the path you would have me walk. Give me knowledge which understands your commands. And give me understanding which places your Word upon my soul. Amen

Reading: "Flower Insights" Thich Nhat Hahn

There is a story about a flower which is well known in the Zen circles. On day the Buddha held up a flower in front of an audience of 1,250 monks and nuns. He did not say anything for quite a long time. The audience was perfectly silent. Everyone seemed to be thinking hard, trying to see the meaning behind the Buddha’s gesture. Then, suddenly, the Buddha smiled. He smiled because someone in the audience smiled at him and at the flower. The name of that monk was Mahakashyapa. He was the only person who smiled, and the Buddha smiled back and said, “I have a treasure of insight, and I have transmitted it to Mahakashyapa.” That story has been discussed by many generations of Zen students, and people continue to look for its meaning. To me the meaning is quite simple. When someone holds up a flower and shows it to you, he wants you to see it. If you keep thinking, you miss the flower. The person who was not thinking, who was just himself, was able to encounter the flower in depth, and he smiled.

Meditation:

This is a quintessential Zen Buddhist story. Among the things to be learned from the Buddhist way is the necessity of just being in a moment. Sometimes not thinking is the way to go.

--How can you turn off your mind once in a while and just see the flower?

--Can you practice, this week, such moments of “mere experience?” Find an object that pleases you, and just enjoy it. Do something you enjoy, and just enjoy it. Don’t worry about other things you could or should be doing. Just be.

A Prayer of Joy:

Creator God,
Your world is beautiful! Help me to see the flowers, the hills, the other beauty which surrounds me. Give me moments of peace, and moments of tranquility, so that I may appreciate the earth which you made. I thank you for it all. Amen

2006-09-26T15:36:00.000-05:00

Prayer of Hope:

God of Compassion,
Sometimes life is really hard on us. Help me to remember that you are with me in difficult times, and that you are working with me to heal my pain and brokenness. Give me patience in the present, and hope for the future, for you are the creator of life, and the source of all hope. Amen

Reading: An Iroquois Prayer

We wait in the darkness!
Come, all ye who listen,
Help in our night journey:
Now no sun is shining;
Now no start is glowing;
Come show us the pathway;
The night is not friendly;
The moon has forgotten us,
We wait in the darkness!

Meditation:

Sometimes it feels like we’re “waiting in the darkness,” doesn’t it? When we’re having trouble in our lives—problems with relationships, physical difficulties, job stress, and other things which weigh us down—it can feel like we’ll never emerge. This prayer emphasizes that sense of darkness which can feel endless, into which no light seems to break. “The moon has forgotten us,” the people declare.

Underneath the prayer, though, is a sense of great hope. We know that even though the night can seem very dark, the moon has not forgotten us. The light will reappear in the morning. The moonlight will return on the next night, or the night after that.

We are not alone in our darkness, either. Even when we cannot see others, in that “dark night of our soul,” they are there with us. Even when we lose hope and faith, God is with us. God never loses us.

--Who walks with you when you wait in the darkness?

--How can you reach out to God in hope, when you feel lost in darkness?

Prayer for Healing:

God of Light,
Stir me to hope and healing. Comfort me, for I feel pain, and sometimes the pain is overwhelming. Come to me even when I do not turn to you, and I will return. I will seek you in the darkness, while I wait. Amen

Who Is My Neighbor?

2006-09-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

Prayer of hope:

God of All,
I pray this day in hope for the world. I pray for the people of the nations, all of the people of the world. I pray that we would learn peace, tolerance, and justice. I pray that we would hold one another to your command, to love you and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen

Reading: Luke 10:25-37

25Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

Meditation:

Chances are, you’ve heard this story before. Even if you haven’t heard the story, you’ve heard the phrase “Good Samaritan.” It has become shorthand for the stranger who does a good deed. Preachers like to point out that this understanding does some disservice to the original story, because the identification of the Samaritan is oversimplified by it. Samaritans weren’t strangers to the folks listening to Jesus; they were the despised “other.” Generations of enmity had poisoned the relationship between Samaritans and Jews, who shared the same contested land which modern day Jews, Muslims and Christians share today—that troubled stretch on the far eastern edge of the Mediterranean.

Although our understanding of the phrase “Good Samaritan” does do away with the racial and ethnic undertones of this story, it does keep the emphasis squarely where Jesus seems to intend it. The lawyer wants to know how he can identify his “neighbor.” From the parable, it is clear that Jesus isn’t so much interested in how to identify the neighbor. He’s interested in how to be a neighbor. The neighbor is the one who shows mercy. And neighbor-ness is a two way street. We become neighbors by showing mercy to one another.

-->Can you imagine a world in which we all try to be neighbors to one another, by Jesus’ definition? How might the world change if we tried to “outdo one another in showing mercy?”

-->Spend some time meditating on the two sides of being a neighbor. How can you show mercy? And how can you receive the mercy of others?

Prayer of healing:

Comforting Spirit,
You know the places in my life in which there is pain. You know my deepest fears, and my greatest joys. Lay your presence upon me like a blanket. Help me to know that you are with me. Help me to turn to you in moments of pain and fear. I give you thanks for the wholeness which is possible in knowing you. Amen

Withdrawal Moments

2006-09-21T17:11:00.000-05:00

Prayer for calm:

Lord,
Quiet my breath. Calm my nerves. Still my busy, busy mind. Settle me down, so that I am able to think, to pray, to simply be with you. Open me up to the wonder of your presence, into which I venture now. Amen

Reading: Mark 5:30-33

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.

Meditation:

Jesus is very busy in Mark’s gospel. He’s moving from one place to another, one event to another, one healing to another exorcism to another miraculous happening. It’s a rather frenetic account, really. Mark uses the word “immediately” more than the other gospel writers combined.
Yet peppered throughout this busiest of gospels are moments like the one in the reading above. “Withdrawal Moments,” we might call them. Jesus withdraws by himself to pray. Jesus withdraws to a mountaintop, taking a couple of disciples. Or, as is the case here, he withdraws with all of the disciples, so that they can rest and eat.
We all need that, don’t we? Those moments away: moments of rest, relaxation, renewal. We need to recharge our batteries.
But notice what happens in this story. Jesus and the disciples withdraw in a boat, and the crowds circle around and get to their destination first. “No rest for the weary,” the saying goes. This happens about half the time when Jesus tries to get a moment away. He’s thrust into action. In the case of this story, he tries to get a private dinner with his disciples, and instead they will wind up providing dinner for five thousand (the feeding story follows immediately upon this one).
Don’t you hate when that happens? You get yourself a nice dinner, and maybe a movie. You eat dinner, set up your pillows and blanket on the couch, maybe make a little popcorn, pop open a box of movie candy (Raisinettes seem to work well)…and the phone rings. Or the doorbell. And the Withdrawal Moment is lost, for a few minutes, or even the whole evening.
Withdrawal Moments are precious. Even more so because they are hard to find, and hard to keep boundaries around. It takes practice, and good effort, and sometimes even the ability to ignore a ringing phone to really rest and renew.
Try it this week. Really find some withdrawal time. Do a devotion. Have a nice dinner. Watch a movie. You don’t have to get Raisinettes, but I really would recommend it.

Prayer of Hope

Blessed God,
Help me to find the time and space to refresh and renew myself this week. Remind me of how much I need a Withdrawal Moment. I thank you for making me a person capable of caring for others. I pray that I will also remember to care for myself. Amen

Ah, Holy Jesus

2006-08-31T13:25:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-31T12:49:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-30T15:23:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-23T12:25:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-23T12:22:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-23T12:18:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-23T12:16:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-23T12:13:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-23T12:11:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-23T12:09:00.000-05:00

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

Week of Sabbath I, Day Seven, Evening Devotion

2006-07-14T14:58:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

God of All,
You are holy, and I bow before you. Thank you for keeping me safe this day, and for the many opportunities I have faced. I pray that my actions have been pleasing to you, and that I have blessed the others whom I have met today.
Amen

Reading: Matthew 9:10-13: All are welcome at the Lord’s table

And as Jesus sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’

Meditation:

One of the great gifts my mother gave to me was that she never picked my friends. Well, once, but it turns out there was a good reason for that. Except for that time, Mom let me hang out with all kinds of folks, and learn for myself which ones I should spend time with.

The Pharisees could take a lesson from my mother. They thought they could tell Jesus and his disciples who the “right sorts of people” were. They were appalled that he would hang out with riff-raff like tax collectors and other sinners.

Jesus offers a good reply—“the tax collectors and sinners are in need of my teaching.” But the rest of the good news here is that we are all sinners. Really, that’s good news. It’s a level field, and we can all be called into Jesus’ ministry of love and healing. There’s no point picking certain folks to hang out with Jesus, because the truth is, we’re all the same, and we all have need of him.

--How do you need Jesus today? Spend some time hanging out with him in prayer.

Prayer of joy:

Lord,
You are the best friend of all! Thanks for wanting to hang out with me, and with all the other misfits like me. I’m so glad that you love me, and I feel blessed that you have called me into your kingdom.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Seven, Morning Devotion

2006-07-14T14:57:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

Lord,
Make me an instrument of your will this day. Help me to look to you for guidance, and to lean on you when my patience is thin, or my anger is quick. Grant me the peace which is found in you.
Amen

Reading: Micah 6:6-8: What does the Lord require of you?

‘With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’ He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of youbut to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Meditation:

Virtually every religious system asks folks to “make an offering” of some kind. Usually the offering is designated to God, or to various gods (in polytheistic systems). Buddhists, who don’t worship a particular god or gods, leave food offerings for dead relatives. Native Americans make offerings to the Ancestors, for rain, sun, protection.

Jews offered several kinds of offerings. The Torah goes to great length to describe the proper offerings for different occasions and festivals, and the proper preparation of all of those offerings.

In Christian churches (and many others today), “offering” usually refers to a monetary gift, most often given to a particular congregation.

All of these offerings are important ways to show our devotion (and pay our pastors—don’t let me downplay the importance of that). But the prophet Micah reminds us that no offering is as importance as the call to justice, kindness, and humility before God. Those gifts make the lives of all people better, so they are closest to the heart of God.

--Which of the three is hardest for you? Why?

Prayer of Joy:

Creator God,
You have made this day precious, and my whole life holy. I give you thanks for all of the blessings of the day, and all of the people I will meet. I will walk humbly with you this day, following your call to justice and kindness, and offering the world the blessing of my loving presence.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Six, Evening Devotion

2006-07-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

Gracious and holy God,
I pray that I have made a difference today. I pray that I have touched someone, made someone’s day better, lifted someone’s spirits. As I rest, may I be refreshed and renewed, so that I might be a blessing to someone again tomorrow.
Amen

Reading: Luke 6:24-26: Woe is me.

‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Meditation:

These woes are all hard to take. Odds are, we can all see ourselves in the former categories, as the objects of woe. We might not be rich…but we’re not so much hungry.

I find the hardest of the woes to be the last, though. To be honest, I want others to speak well of me. Psychologists developed the term “people pleaser” for those folks who want to be liked, but it’s one of those terms like “dysfunctional family” that tend to be liberally applied. Most of us are “people pleasers.” We want other people to like us, to “speak well of us.” The alternative is rather unpleasant, actually.

Surely Jesus doesn’t want people to speak ill of us? Not at all. What he does want, though, is for us to speak the truth to a world which doesn’t always want to hear it. The final woe is a reminder not to offer the false promises of the false prophets, who secured their places in the courts and temples by saying whatever those in power wanted to hear.

It’s hard to “speak the truth in love,” as Paul reminds us in his letter to the Ephesians. First we have to know what the truth is, by taking to heart the teachings of Jesus—even the hard ones. Then we have to be willing to stand up, to speak up, to call the world to a better way than the way of riches and false prophecy.

--How are you able to speak the truth in love? Do you think others hear you?

Prayer of joy:

Lord of Love,
I give you thanks this day for all of your teaching—the simple and the difficult. Grant me the strength to seek the truth you offer, and to share that truth with the world. Free me from worries about what others will think, and lend me your strong voice. For your call is a call to true prophecy, for the sake of all of the blessed ones.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Six, Morning Devotion

2006-07-13T21:42:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

Lord of light,
Shine on me. Fill me with your love, shower me with your mercy, and deliver me from the darkness of sin and despair. You are my rock--the foundation of my life. I rest upon your strength, and I lean upon your wisdom.
Amen

Reading: Luke 6:20-23: “Blessed are you”

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

Meditation:

On the way to church last week, we passed a man gathering up his makeshift bedroll and his meager belongings underneath a freeway overpass. It was a striking snapshot of homelessness—a man living in the richest nation on earth, who spent the night sleeping on a pitched concrete slab.

In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus beatified that man. He lifted up his eyes on the man, and called him “blessed” (Latin: beatus, “blessed” or “happy”—that’s how the “beatitudes” get their name). I could almost imagine his words reverberating across that concrete, gathering that man in, as the man gathered his tattered things. “Blessed are you!” Jesus shouts at the man.

Did that man feel the blessing? Or did he feel more strongly the ambivalence of all of the people who drove by while he tried to sleep?

Surely some of those people were moved, as we were. But, like us, none of them stopped. We had places to be. Places other than the presence of that blessed one.

Prayer of joy:

Lord of All,
You have compassion for the invisible ones. You call blessing upon the least of these, the ones who are overlooked. May the world begin to embrace all of those whom you embraced, and to bless those whom you blessed so long ago.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Five, Evening Devotion

2006-07-13T16:49:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

Spirit of love,
You touch the quiet places in my soul, with your presence and your healing. You know the healing which I need, the ways in which I am troubled, hurt, and angry. Enable me to receive your healing touch, and to be renewed by your love and guidance.
Amen

Reading: Luke 6:17-19: Jesus teaches

Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Meditation:

This reading introduces Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, the much-less-well-known cousin to the section of Matthew’s gospel called the Sermon on the Mount. I actually prefer Luke’s telling of this story, for two reasons. The first is that first line: “Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place.” That seems to me to encapsulate the ministry of Jesus. He “came down to a level place,” became human, just like us. He advocated the leveling of all of the hierarchies of society. He taught that all people—priests and prostitutes, saints and sinners, temple scribes and tax collectors—were worthy of the love of God and each other.

This is amazing teaching. Some have called it a teaching ahead of its time. It is surely a teaching ahead of our time, when so many hierarchies still exist.

--Spend a few moments imagining this “level society.” How would our lives be different? What would you gain in such a world? What would you have to give up?

Prayer of joy:

Lord Christ,
What a wonderful vision you have put forward for the whole world—a society of equals, a rainbow of different folks all working together for the good of all. Thank you for offering this vision to us, and for inviting us to be a part of it. Thank you for calling us to something better.
Amen

Week of Sabbath, Day Five, Morning Devotion

2006-07-13T09:14:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

Merciful God,
I know that you are present for me, but sometimes I feel distant from you. Help me to feel the immediacy of your love, and to reflect that love back to all of the people I meet today.
Amen

Reading: Psalm 51: God’s mercy and our renewal

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.

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.

Meditation:

When I was a kid, we used to collect pop bottles and turn them in for the redemption value. As I recall, even back then it was a nickel a bottle. We’d get enough money for our own pop, and some kind of snack (Snickers, anyone?). It was a very clean transaction, except for those sticky, dirty bottles.

This psalm operates on the notion that we can simply turn our sticky, dirty souls in to God, and God will redeem them and give us new ones. The psalmist actually believes that he can just ask God for forgiveness of any sin, and God will grant it, straight off.

He is correct. God is ever-merciful, and ever-loving. Nothing we can do is unworthy of God’s cleansing love and forgiveness.

--Are you carrying something around that you can turn in to God for your redemption? Hand it over. Then go have a Snickers and celebrate being loved that much.

Prayer of joy:

Loving God,
It is sometimes hard to believe that you are ready to forgive me anything. What about the things I do which seem unforgivable? What about that thing I said yesterday? Can it really be true that you will cleanse us of any sin? You truly are an awesome God.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Four, Evening Devotion

2006-07-12T19:40:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

Blessed Lord,
I am your servant. Lead me onto your pathways, nudge me in the direction you would have me go, and lift me up when I stumble. I depend on you, even as I turn to you with all of my heart.
Amen

Reading: From Luke’s gospel, chapter two: Glory to God in the Highest!

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 -->Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 -->But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 -->to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Christ+e --> the Lord. 12 -->This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13 -->And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, army+e --> praising God and saying,
14 -->‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace.’peace, goodwill among people+e -->

Meditation:

Babies are so tiny and so fragile. So it’s always kind of a surprise when they open their mouths.
Having done a lot of restaurant work, I know that a baby has the power to redirect the attention of everyone in a room. Usually in good ways—by the power of their absolute adorableness. And sometimes they command a room by the power of their lungs.
The point is, babies are a great paradox. They are simultaneously fragile and powerful. Which is probably why the fulfillment of God’s promise came in the form of a baby. Because the promise is full of power, and still it is a delicate thing. It requires our attention, our assention, our best effort.

--How can you hold the power of the promise, and care for it as well?

Prayer of joy:

Gracious One,
I give you thanks for the gift of the baby Jesus—the perfect vision of your promise. May I continue to kneel at his feet, just as wise men and shepherds did so long ago.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Four, Morning Devotion

2006-07-12T05:53:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

God of hope,
Lift me up when I am weary. Take my hand when I stumble.
Sometimes I feel like crawling back into bed. But I know that you have made a beautiful day just for me, and that this day will be all that I make of it. May I make it a testimony to you, my rock and my redeemer.
Amen

Reading: Amos 9:13-15: God’s promise

The time is surely coming, says the Lord, when the one who ploughs shall overtake the one who reaps, and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed;the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land that I have given them,
says the Lord your God.

Meditation:

I chose this text, the final words of the prophet Amos, as the main text for my ordination service. I spent days (no kidding) reading through scripture, armed with my concordance and my shiny new seminary education. I’m still happy with the choice.

These words, which shout out God’s promise of bounty, salvation and safety, seemed perfect to me. I didn’t choose them for myself; I chose them for the community which had gone against the odds (and against the rules) to offer me the chance to be their pastor. Their call was a perfect illustration of God’s promise, which is made not to the rich and powerful, but to those who are without wealth and power, those who are still captive in a foreign land. Our congregation, Abiding Peace, released me from captivity to a church candidacy system which asked gay and lesbian candidates to choose between truth and call. I still burst with gratitude when I think of what a great thing they did, and not just for me. They gave hope to so many, and so many have followed our lead.

I’m proud of that. Probably sinfully proud, since surely it was God at work, and not us. But still I am proud, and grateful, and just as delighted today as I was back in 2000, at the amazing opportunity to lead this great people, the community of Abiding Peace. I truly believe that there is no greater group of disciples of Jesus Christ, and they are still the living picture of God’s promise for me.

Prayer of joy:

Glorious Lord,
You have trusted us with your ministry! What a wonderful opportunity that is! Thank you for gifting us to do your work, and for offering us such a perfect template to follow. We are the children of the promise, and we promise in turn to be the best disciples we can be. In the name of our God, the Redeemer Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, we pray.
Amen

Week of Sabbath, Day Three, Evening Devotion

2006-07-11T17:09:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

Lord of All,
The things of this world can impose on us, keeping us from seeking your guidance, and drawing us down the pathways of greed, contempt and selfishness. The good news is that we desire to do your will. Help us to turn to you for the strength to withstand the cares of the world, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things.
Amen

Reading: Mark 4:10-20

10 When Jesus was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; 12in order that“they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand;so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.” ’

13 And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word. 15These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’

Meditation:

I’m always amused by the first line of this passage. “When Jesus was alone, those who were with him along with the twelve…” Huh? Was he alone, or were there well over a dozen people there?

Of course, we all know that it is possible to feel alone in a room full of people. Sometimes we don’t know the other people very well. Sometimes we feel alone because we think we’re unworthy—because we think others in the room are smarter, or funnier, or have better jobs, or are better looking than we are.

One of the great things about the great parable which we’ve heard today is that it levels the playing field. Sort of. Mark’s Jesus makes the distinction between the disciples, who have been “given the secret of the kingdom of God,” and the other folks listening to Jesus, who must receive their teaching in parables. But the parable itself teaches us that anyone can be good soil for the Word of God. Anyone who hears the word and takes it into his or her being becomes a rich growing field for the work of the spirit.

--How are you good soil for God’s Word?

--What helps you to be good soil?

Prayer of joy:

God of all grace,
Your Word lights my path, illuminating the way of righteousness and love. With you I am never alone, no matter where I am. Thank you for your presence, and for nudging me onto the right pathways.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Three, Morning Devotion

2006-07-11T08:53:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

Great and gracious God,
As I approach this day, help me to be good soil for your Word. May I bless those around me with pleasant words and kind smiles. May I be helpful to those who need help, and supportive of those who don’t—don’t let me be a nag, Lord. I know that with your help I can be a great disciple, a great friend, and a great citizen this day.
Amen

Reading: Mark 4:2-9, The Parable of the Sower

Jesus began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’

Meditation:

The Parable of the Sower dominates Mark’s gospel. It is a great parable, and one of the few for which Jesus offers an explanation. We’ll hear the explanation in our second devotion today.

A parable loses something in explanation, since it works on so many levels. Let’s work the intuitive angle for now. Concentrate on the parts of the parable that jump out at you.

--Did you get a picture of one (or all) of the places Jesus describes? What do they look like?

--Pretend you are the seed. What does it feel like to be in those various places? And have you felt like that yourself? Where?

--Is this parable speaking a word to your life today?

Prayer of joy:

Precious Lord,
Thank you for this day! Thank you for my home, for the food I have to eat, and for the clothes I can put on today. I am truly blessed, and I give you thanks.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Two, Evening

2006-07-10T13:35:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

Blessed Lord,
Even in times of drought, I am not always delighted to see rain. It is difficult sometimes to see the good in things like “bad” weather. Help me to remember to get outside of myself, to be grateful for that which helps others, even when it has no direct benefit to me.
Amen

Reading: Thich Nhat Hahn: “Meditation on Compassion”

Love is a mind that brings peace, joy and happiness to another person. Compassion is a mind that removes the suffering that is present in the other. We all have the seeds of love and compassion in our minds, and we can develop these fine and wonderful sources of energy. We can nurture the unconditional love that does not expect anything in return and therefore does not lead to anxiety and sorrow.

The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of others, to put ourselves “inside the skin” of the other. We “go inside” their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for ourselves their suffering. Shallow observation as an outsider is not enough to see their suffering. We must become one with the object of our observation. When we are in contact with another’s suffering, a feeling of compassion is born in us. Compassion means, literally, “to suffer with.”

Meditation:

There is never much to add to a Thich Nhat Hahn meditation. The Zen-master speaks as eloquently as anyone in our own traditions, often reminding me of a rabbi, and quite often reminding me of my favorite rabbi, Jesus.

I like this meditation because it offers the helpful reminder that compassion is a process. Becoming a compassionate person requires developing the “seeds of love and compassion” we have inside of us. We must “nurture the unconditional love” that each of us is able to show the world. And it won't happen in a day. But we can get a little better at every day.

--Did you make a step toward being a compassionate person today? What ways might you do so tomorrow?

Prayer of joy:

God of all love and compassion,
Thank you for showing us the way of unconditional love. You always love us, even when we might not deserve it. You are always ready to show us mercy. I give you thanks for the ways you have built and nurtured compassion in me, and I look to your guidance in becoming an even greater follower of your way of love and mercy.
Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day Two, Morning

2006-07-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

Prayer of hope and healing:

Blessed Lord,
Thank you for this new day. It is an opportunity to change the world. Let me touch the life of just one person today—making one life better by my words or my presence. I offer myself as a blessing to the world this day.
Amen

Reading: From Psalm 113, a song of praise for God, helper of those in need:

Praise the Lord!Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is high above all nations,
and the glory of the Lord above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high, who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
God raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of God’s people.
God gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

Meditation:

God promises, throughout scripture, to care for those who are in need. Many readers of the Bible find there a “preferential option for the poor,” meaning God offers extra concern for those in need.

--How different would our world be if all of our leaders had a “preferential option for the poor?”

The Psalmist praises God for God’s care for the poor and needy. God should be praised from morning to night (in a pair of devotions, perhaps…). Certainly the Psalmist feels that the greatest thing about God is God’s ability to make the lives of God’s people better.

Perhaps the greatest thing about ourselves, as people of faith, is our ability to use our gifts and our faith to make others’ lives better.

Make someone’s life better today, if only by a kind word. Say a word of praise to God when you do it.

Prayer of joy:

God,
I praise you, from morning to evening, from the rising of the sun to its setting! You have created us, and the whole world, and the creation is amazing! Make me a blessing to those I will encounter today, so that I might become a part of your mission of uplifting. Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day One, Evening Devotion

2006-07-09T17:35:00.000-05:00

Prayer for healing:

God of grace,

You are our light in darkness, our hope in times of despair.

Help me to remember that you are present with me always, and to call upon you when I am in need. Forgive me when I doubt you, and when I fail to trust in you. Amen

Reading: From Exodus, Chapter 16: The giving of bread and Sabbath

On the sixth day the Israelites gathered twice as much food, two omers apiece. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord; bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.”
On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and instructions? See! The Lord has given you the sabbath, therefore on the sixth day the Lord gives you food for two days; each of you stay where you are; do not leave your place on the seventh day.’ So the people rested on the seventh day.

Meditation

I can remember being a child, in those long days before Christmas. I’d go into the living room, paw through the brightly wrapped boxes underneath the Christmas tree, and find the ones with my name on them. And then the next day, I’d do it all over again. As if some of my presents had disappeared overnight. I just didn’t trust that they’d still be there.

When the Israelites were in the wilderness, God sent them food for each day. The seventh day was to be a day of rest, though. So on the sixth day, God sent a double portion, so that the people would have enough food for the next day. Still there were those who went out on the seventh day to collect food, as if they did not believe God’s promise of abundance on the sixth day and rest on the seventh. They not only missed out on food for that day, but they missed out on the day of rest which God had provided by giving so amply the day before.

It’s hard to trust in things we can’t see. It can be hard to believe that God cares for each of us (yes, you) so much that God would provide for us individually. But God has provided so many great gifts for us—the gifts of love, family, friendship, community, and the promise of eternal life.

--How does trusting in God free us to be better servants of God and the world?

--How can you practice trusting in God’s promises this week?

Prayer of Joy
Holy One,
Thank you for the gifts you have bestowed upon me. I give you thanks especially this day for _________________________ . And I dedicate these moments of sabbath rest and meditation to you, who gave us the gift of the Sabbath. Amen

Week of Sabbath I, Day One, Morning Devotion

2006-07-09T06:27:00.000-05:00

Prayer for hope and healing:

Lord God, I offer this time of prayer and meditation to you. Through it, may I come nearer to your love, and feel more deeply your grace. Help me to slow down, to hear your call, and to live into your love and mercy.
Amen

Reading: From Exodus, Chapter 16: The giving of bread and Sabbath

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.’ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, ‘In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because God has heard your complaining against the Lord.
In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

Meditation

The Israelites were thankful when God rescued them from their captivity in Egypt, and led them into the wilderness. But soon, the wilderness got old. This passage falls six weeks into their wilderness time, when they were hungry and tired. They complained against Moses and against God. In return for their complaining, God’s love and mercy were revealed. God sent meat, in the form of quails, and bread, in the form of manna.

--What has God provided for you? Spend a few moments thinking about how God has blessed you in the last week.

Prayer of joy

Lord God, you provide for our every need. We praise you for your glory, revealed to Israel in their desert food and to us all in the salvation we receive in Jesus Christ. Thank you for your steadfastness, your constant love, your unending mercy. Thank you for seeing through our grumbling to the soul of our love for you. Amen.

Mission Statement

2006-07-09T06:11:00.000-05:00

So what is this whole "Ten Minute Sabbath" thing all about?

Put simply, it is an opportunity to pause, turn our attention to scripture, prayer and meditation, and fulfill God's will. God gave us the sabbath, as a rest from the busy-ness of life. God also commands that we observe sabbath. Indeed, God asks us to take a full day for sabbath rest each week. Some are able to fulfill that request; most are not. But our inability to make a full sabbath day each week shouldn't deter us from seeking sabbath where we can. Surely God is pleased whenever we step back from life, however briefly, for quiet rest and reflection.

So what you will find on these pages is an opportunity to observe sabbath, just as God commanded. Each day has two devotions. Each devotion offers a chance to pray, to read a sacred text (some will be biblical, and some will not), and to meditate upon the wonders of our faith and our lives.

You are welcome here. Please use these devotions however you are able, and may God bless your ten minute sabbath.

2006-06-28T11:33:00.000-05:00

Why Sabbath?

Because we need it! Sabbath is our time to step back and breathe. It's like a mini-vacation at a beach town: a chance to slow down, to reconnect with ourselves and those we love, and to simply rest.
God gave us the Sabbath as a gift for our souls. The Sabbath is meant to ensure that we aren't so busy with the affairs of our days that we fail to look around us and see the beauty God has provided.