Surrounded by Friends

Meditation: Help me, O Lord, to not worry so much about the uncertainties of this life, for I am surrounded by your faithful. Amen.

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Daily office year two:

Num 22;41-23:12; Ps. 119:145-176 / 128, 129, 130; Rom 7:13-25; Matt 21:33-46

Sunrise Over the Mountains

Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease,
and the contempt of the proud.

The Lord will keep our going out and our coming in,
from this time on and forever more.

[from Ps 121 and 123]

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Daily Office Year Two:
Num 22:21-38; Ps. 121,122,123 / 124,125,126; Rom 7:1-2; Matt 21:23-32.

The Workers in the Vineyard

Meditation: Lord, may I serve you and my neighbor with a glad and generous heart, not concerned with what I get but with what I give. Amen.

Daily office year two:

Num. 16: 36-50; Ps. 109:1-30/119:121-144; Rom. 4:13-25; Matt. 20:1-16

Quiet

Sometimes just the quiet time feeds us the most. We read a few words, lay the book down, and let our minds go. Sometimes it's just enough to let in, to try and absorb, rather than try to make sense out of something. I have been in close proximity to serious illness, impending death, and death and grieving among friends and family for three months now. This is a sacred time for me and the others who are with me at this time. I need quiet, not noise, not rationalization.

After reading the daily office today I have no words. I would like to share this prayer from the Anglican tradition:

Grant, we beseech the, Almighty God, that the words which we have heard this day with our outward ears, may, through thy grace, be so grafterd inwardly in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honor and praise of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Daily office year two:

Num. 16:20-25; Ps. 97, 99 / 94; Rom 4:1-12; Matt. 19:23-30

Encumberance

This image is from a website called barrierpeaksrpg.worldpress.com. and the page I read was talking about virtual reality games (computer games) and how the equipment, weapons, etc. of the character you chose affected how the virtual character was able to play the game.

There's a lot in today's lectionary about baggage, or what encumbers us. To the Levites in Numbers at this point in their journey, envy and jealousy were encumbering them. We see the phrase "is it too little for you ..." a couple of times in the reading. Apparently, attending to the priests and the holy tent wasn't enough...and nor was escaping from Eqypt, being fed and protected along the way, etc. etc. Paul in Romans is still arguing about how the "law" is encumbering the Jews, preventing them from seeing the larger picture: what is important is apart - and above - the "law" as the Jews are focused on it.

Then comes Jesus' two-part injunction in Matthew (NRSV translation):

(19-14) let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of heaven belongs....

(19:21) If you with to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me.

Fast forward to the "Gamma explorers" in the picture visting this planet. They find the remnants of a long-gone society. I wonder how they interpret what they find: is all this stuff what made the absent culture strong or what ultimately ruined them?

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Daily office year two:
Num. 16:1-19; Ps. 89:2-18 / 19-52; Rom 3:21-31; Matt. 19:13-22

The Work of Our Hands

I like to post a picture or image of something that has touched me in the daily lectionary. Today I googled "working hands" and found this picture (it's from jeannetteb1.wordpress.com). I have NOT read multiple English translations of the lectionary recently - shame on me - so this was an interesting and fortuitous googling.

I was captured by Ps. 90:17 because I am slowly but surely working on a commissioning ceremony for our priest that we can use for the group of cooks we formed to work each Sunday at a local soup kitchen.

Here's the New King James (NKJ) version:

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us.
Yes, establish the work of our hands for us.

Here's the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) which I use all the time:

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
And prosper for us the work of our hands --
O prosper the work of our hands!


A subtle - or maybe not so subtle - difference hits me. In the NKJ version I feel I'm sitting around waiting for something to do, and God provides me the right thing to pursue. In the NRSV I'm out there working away, but realize that I should turn to God for guidance to do the right thing and then bless that work. In the first I am passive and in the latter I'm active.

There's a theme running through the lectionary today for me of following the law vs. following the Spirit of the law. It comes out very strongly in Romans where Paul continues to speak to the Jews about their relationship over time with the law vs. the gentiles who are not under the same law. He is trying to reconcile the two situations to his audience in Rome. I see this theme picked up again in Matthew where, once again, the Pharisees are testing Jesus' knowledge of the law. Even though, the Pharisees say, the Law prohibits divorce, Moses let them do it. "How come?" Jesus response is sharp and to the point: "It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce. But in the beginning it was not so."

So that's the backdrop for the prayer I composed today:

Most Merciful, your gifts, guidance, and pardon have accompanied us through our days, and all our sources of life spring from you; let your favor be upon our works, so that we may faithfully follow the Spirit of your Word and Commandment, to the furthering of your Will and not ours. Amen.

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Daily office year two:
Num 13:31-14:25; Ps. 87/90, 136; Rom. 3:9-20; Matt. 19:1-12

A Forgiving Spirit

O Lord, our supreme heavenly Father, grant me the grace to forgive those who I perceive have wronged me. I am weary of crying out into the dark in the night and waking to find you distant from me. Help me absorb and listen to your forgiving Spirit with the same hope and trust as your people who entered the land of Canaan, despite their fears. Strengthen my faith to trust in your presence. You know my heart, O Lord. Amen.

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Daily office year two:

Num. 13:1-3, 21-30; Psalms 88/91,92; Rom. 2: 25-3:8; Matt. 18: 21-35

Gathering Together

Our Shephard who cared for the one who went away, we ask this day that you heal all those who are brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit, and this we ask gathering together in your name. AMEN.

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Daily office year two:

Num. 12:1-16; Ps. 34 / 85,86; Rom 2: 12-24; Matt. 18:10-20

Become Like Children

Lord, you gave your precepts to your chosen people to guide them in their time of trial and put the spirit of prophesy on them when they strayed, keep me mindful of your will so that I may not be self-seeking but kingdom seeking. Help me to become like a child in my faith and welcome other children who come to you in your name. Amen.

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Daily office year two:

Num. 11:24-35; Ps. 119:97-12 and 81,82; Rom. 1:28-2:11; Matt: 18:1-9

Forgiveness

O God, my Creator, you forgave your unruly people as they travelled from Egypt to the promised land, look with compassion on me now. Relieve me of my distractions that I may draw closer to you, so that I may more faithfully honor you and companion my fellow man. I ask this through Jesus Christ, whom you sent to guide and teach us. Amen.

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Daily office year two:

Num. 11:1023; Ps. 78:1-39; Rom 1:16-25; Matt. 17:22-27

Doubt and Incredulity

Peter, James, and John witnessed the amazing vision on the mountain: Jesus, Moses, Elijah. Seeing is believing? How can we believe sometimes even what we see? We are often exposed to the unbelievable right in front of us. Our limitations and unpreparedness can render us helpless in situations like these. Sometimes it takes time and thoughtful reflection to make sense out of the unbelievable.

Meditation: "Lord, draw me near to you and your glory. May I never doubt your saving help. Amen."

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Daily office year two:
Num. 3:1-13; Ps. 75,76; Gal 6:11-18; Matt. 7:1-13

Sunrise

"Send out your bread upon the waters...Light is sweet and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun." (Eccles. 11:1, 7)

Seeing the sun is a complex process of many gifts of grace working together: eyes that can see, a sun that brings light and warmth, the surrounding sights and smells of the moment. This short passage from Ecclesiastes today invites us to act, not to ponder, not to weigh the options or probabilities of success, but to live in the moment and give of what we have. We don't know if our impromptu gifts will be taken and used or just sink to the bottom. But it is better to use the time and gifts we have than to save them for later. The "seeker" in Ecclestiastes reminds us our days are numbered.

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Daily office year two:

Eccles 11:1-8; Ps. 71; Gal. 5:16-24; Matt. 16:13-20

He has pity...

For he delivers the needy when they call,
The poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy
And saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
And percious is thier blood in his sight.

Ps: 72:12-14

(Image found on chorleoni.org)

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Daily office year two:
Eccles. 9:11-18; Ps. 72; Gal. 5:1-15; Matt. 16:1-12

Working Hands

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might..." (Eccles. 9:10) From this simple statement in the Old Testament reading today, jump to the lakeside with Jesus and his disciples in Matthew 15. Here, after teaching the crowds, Jesus says: "I have compassion for the crowd because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint along the way....How many loaves do you have?" "Seven, and a few small fish."

A little bread and a few fish don't seem like much, but they are what's available and there are a lot of hungry people to feed. By this time the disciples probably know better than to say, "Hold on one minute, Lord. This isn't going to work. We probably should have planned this out BEFOREHAND so we wouldn't be in this situation." At this point a good round of blame-assessing would be in order (does this sound familiar?).

That's not what Jesus expected and that's what the "seeker" in Ecclesiastes has concluded either. If you make big elaborate plans, maybe they work out, maybe they don't. The simple approach is to just look in front of you, use what you have, and make the most of it.

Meditation: "God, we cannot know how something will come out. We do not have certainty in the plans for our days. Forgive our mistakes and false starts to make your will a reality. Stengthen us to continue forward, however, with the hope that when we find the right path and the right work, you will be with us helping to see it through. Amen."

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Daily office year two:

Eccles. 8:14-9:10; Ps. 61, 62; Gal. 4:21-31; Matt. 15:29-39

"A Double Palm Day"

"A double palm day": I saw this photo at http:///churchbytes.me/churchbytes/tag/bad-day.

Meditation:
In the day of prosperity be joyful,
and in the day of adversity be thoughtful,
For daily we lie with lions,
and walk in partial dark and partial light,
towards death.
Along this path welcome others
as you have been welcomed,
despite your failings.
Let this be done, according to your faith.
Amen.

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Daily office year two:
Eccles. 7:1-14; Ps. 56, 57; Gal. 4-12-20; Matt. 15:21-18

Enjoy, But Don't Be Greedy

We are familiar with the theme of "vanity" in Ecclesiastes. Vanity to the modern West usually has connotations of appearances, especially physical, and how the pursuit of appearances either works, but only for awhile, or is completely futile altogether. The bottom line message seems to be, if everything is worthless and not worth pursuing anyway, so why bother at all?

But trickled into today's reading, that's not the message we find if we look closely and think about what the "seeker" is saying: "...it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of life God gives us..." So in the midst of the pessimism that can bog us down everyday (and certainly what we get pasted with in Ecclesiates!) we are gently urged to take stock of what we have and use it, without concluding that we don't have much! The only thing we don't have much of is time.

Meditation: "Most generous God, give us to patience to embrace the blessings we have with contented hearts, and make the most of them to our benefit, the benefit of others, and always giving thanks to you. Amen."

Daily office year two:
Psalm 55; Eccles. 5:8-20; Ga. 3:23-4:11; Matt. 15:1-20

Against All Odds

The photo "Against All Odds" seen here was taken by Paul Sedelnick Paul lives in what's known as the Northest Kingdom in Vermont, not too far from where I live...except about 2 climate zones north! I didn't see this flower for myself, but I can imagine it, having driven over many roads "up north" like the one in this picture. That part of the US is pretty amazing. Here you can see green in background, a far cry from the below zero temps and snow during the winter! That kind of extreme weather takes it toll, and you can see the little cracks opening up along this road. (check out the website woodenhorsearts.com and Paul's page ..../sedelnick)

However, you interpret the lectionary from Matthew today (Jesus walking across the water to meet his disciples during a storm), you can't miss the stiking images, darkness then the eerie light of morning, wind, maybe lightening, uncertainty, the shocking vision of someone (a ghost!) walking across a lake. Prior to this story in Matthew, Jesus had just taught thousands of people and fed them with five loaves of bread and two fish before sending them home.

Today this story comes across to me from the disciples' perspective. What a roller-coaster ride! They just heard a man among them preach with amazing power, and then see a miracle performed with the feeding of thousands. With their bodies and souls fed, the disciples were told to get into the boat and head out across the lake, on their own without their Lord alongside them.

A featured character is Peter. Here we see his impulsiveness and (sound familiar?) approach of "ready - fire - aim!" Repeatedly Jesus taught of the cost of following his teachings. In this story we are reminded through Peter of our humanness, impulsiveness, and emotions which have caused all of us to fail at some time. However, this story reminds us that in times of doubt or calamity we should turn to God in faith and hope that we are cared for and watched after...like in this picture of a flower sprouting up in the crack between the asphalt and the granite curbing.

Mediation: "Lord, help me to trust you always and never doubt your presence power to help me. In moments of doubt and weakness help me to cling to you as Peter did. Strengthen my faith so that I may walk the path you have set out for me, neither veering off to the right or left. Amen."

[you can find additional commentary on today's reading from Matthew, please see www.rc.net/wcc/readings/]

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Daily lectionary year two:
Eccles. 5:1-7; Psalms 40, 54; Gal. 3:15-22; Matt. 14:22-36

Blandina and Her Companions

Blandina, and others, were arrested and tortured in an attempt to extract false statements about the early Christians in Rome during the time of Marcus Aurelius. Blandina exhibited uncommon strength and faith, amazing even her torturers. Finally in exasperation she was bound in a net and tossed to the bulls in the arena to provide public entertainment.

Eusebius said of Blandina and her companions: "They offered up to the Father a single wreath, but it was woven of diverse colors and flowers of all kinds. It was fitting that the noble athletes should endure a varied conflict, and win a great victory, that they might be entitled in the end to receive the crown supreme of life everlasting"

A prayer for this day commemorating Blandina and the Matyrs of Lyons:
"Grant, O Lord, that we who keep the feast of the holy martyrs Blandina and her companions may be rooted and grounded in love of you, and may endure the sufferings of this life for the glory that shall be revealed in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one Go, now and forever. Amen"

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Daily office year two:

The Martyrs of Lyons - Jer. 12:1-3a; Psalm 34:1-8; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Mark 8:34-38



Eccles. 3:1-15; Psalm 119:49-72; Gal. 2:11-21; Matt. 14:1-12

Justin, Martyr at Rome, c. 167

In the middle of the second centry a young Christian community was visited by a seeker for the truth. Justin was born into a Greek-speaking pagan family in Samaria, and was educated in Greek philosophy. Like many others with similar training in philosophy in those days, his mind remained restless by the knowledge and philosophical processes he was exposed to.

"Almighty and everlasting God, you found your martyr Justin wandering from teacher to teacher, seeking the true God, and you revealed to him the sublime wisdom of your eternal Word: Grant that all who seek you, or a deeper knowledge of you, may find and be found by you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Daily office year two:

1Cor. 1:18-25; Psalm 16:5-11; John 12:44-50