Devotions

30.07.2009 :: Genesis 33

2009-07-30T10:27:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 45 1 Sam 16:14-23
Ripon and Leeds - (York, England) The Rt Rev'd John Richard Packer
Ripon and Leeds - Knaresborough - (York, England) The Rt Rev'd James Harold Bell

Reading:
Genesis 33

Thoughts:
There must have been subtext that doesn't come through in the Biblical text. Esau tells Jacob he doesn't want the gifts; Jacob insists; Esau accepts. Esau tells Jacob to come now; Jacob makes an excuse; Esau says he will stay with Jacob; Jacob tells him not to bother; Esau relents and goes on ahead. Then Jacob doesn't go where Esau is - he makes himself a home elsewhere.

It is not revealed why Jacob goes to Shechem instead of to Seir, which is apparently where Esau settled.

Tomorrow: a story of familial love. It's a bit violent, but it's a good story.

29.07.2009 :: Genesis 32

2009-07-29T10:00:00.001-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 44:1-8 Mk 12:35-40
Rio Grande - (Province VII, USA) Vacant

Reading:
Genesis 32

Thoughts:
Jacob contacts his estranged brother, sending him an incredibly generous gift. Then he sends his household on ahead and spends the night alone.

Well, not quite alone.

He wrestles with God this night, and not metaphorically. Jacob is so strong that he is only defeated when God displaces his hip.

I don't know how smart it is to argue with God. I've done it myself, but always with the knowledge and understanding that I am rather unlikely to win out. It's more of a venting when I do it - we all know I'm going to surrender eventually, I just want to put on a bit of a show first. Kind of like an overtired child, fighting sleep.

I have a feeling that, if I were to see God face to face, I probably would find myself flat on the ground in awe and wonder. I certainly wouldn't take him on in any kind of a fight!

I expect that Jacob's wounded hip served as a reminder that he wasn't actually all-powerful. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd become a little bit proud of his wit and cunning; he is, after all, the trickster. "Pride goes before a fall," as the saying goes, and perhaps it is this story that begins the roots of it.

28.07.2009 :: Genesis 31

2009-07-28T13:00:00.004-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 43 Mk 12:28-34
Rio de Janeiro - (Brazil) The Rt Rev'd Celso Franco de Oliveira
Coadjutor - (Brazil) The Rt Rev'd Filadelfo Oliviera Neto

Reading:
Genesis 31

Thoughts:
Well, obvoiusly Laban is none too pleased with his son-in-law. So God tells Jacob to get himself gone. He discusses it with his wives, and they approve of the idea, so they all get ready and leave.

Of course, Rachel steals some stuff from her father while she's packing. (This family is really dishonest!)

Laban goes after Jacob, but God warns him not to do anything nasty. Properly chastened, Laban merely asks about the missing things. Jacob allows Laban to search, and Rachel cleverly sits on the things she stole, telling her father that she cannot stand because she is having her period.

Jacob and Laban build an altar and make a covenant between them, and then Laban leaves Jacob and his family to their own devices.

27.07.2009 :: Genesis 30

2009-07-27T09:34:00.005-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 42 Mk 12:18-27
Rift Valley - (Tanzania) The Rt Rev'd John Daudi Lupaa

Reading:
Genesis 30

Thoughts:
Battling sisters/wives give their husband their servants. Each servant bears Jacob two sons. He has eight sons. Then (this family is great at making deals) Rachel sells her night with Jacob to Leah for some mandrakes, and Leah proceeds to have two more sons and follows that up with a daughter. Jacob now has ten sons and one daughter.

Finally, God blesses Rachel's womb and she gives birth to Joseph (of Technicolour Dreamcoat fame). Eleven sons, one daughter, two wives, two maids. Jacob is blessed. Or not, as the case may be.

Jacob tells Laban he wants to leave now; take his family and go. Laban wants to pay him, but Jacob comes up with a better way of making sure nobody owes anyone anything: he'll stay a bit longer, and take with him all the spotted and striped babies.

Of course, then Laban decides to try to trick Jacob again, and he removes all of the striped and spotted goats. Everyone knows that solid goats breed solid goats, right?

Um, not if they mate in front of poplar, almond, and plane rods that have been cut so that they are striped. Apparently. Though Jacob put them in the watering troughs, so maybe this is one instance where there truly was "something in the water."

He does this several times, apparently, making sure that the rods are in the troughs when the stronger animals are breeding but not when the weaker animals are breeding. In the end, Jacob has a large, strong, well-bred flock all his own, and Laban... doesn't.

24.06.2009 :: Birth of St John the Baptist :: Genesis 29

2009-06-24T14:25:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 18:1-16 Jdg 13
Oxford - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd John L Pritchard
Oxford - Buckingham - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd Dr. Alan Thomas Lawrence Wilson
Oxford - Dorchester - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd Colin William Fletcher
Oxford - Reading - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell

Reading:
Genesis 29

Thoughts:
So Jacob falls for Rachel, because she is beautiful. He works seven years to be able to marry her. And then Laban married him off to Leah, who is older than Rachel, instead. The trickster has been tricked.

But wait!

Jacob makes a deal with his father-in-law. He'll spend the next week as Leah's husband, then he'll marry Rachel, too, and then he'll work for Laban for another seven years.

All of which he does. So the trickster now has two wives, and they are sisters. And, of course, he favours the younger one because she is prettier than the older one.

Well, he can't have been too turned off by Leah's looks, because God opens her womb and she has lots of kids for Jacob. Rachel's progeny total two by the end, and the man has twelve sons (and at least one daughter) by his two wives and their maids.

But, well, as always, the story gets more interesting as we go, and by the time this chapter ends we only have four sons, all borne of Leah. Let's see what happens next!

22.06.2009 :: Genesis 28

2009-06-22T14:47:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 16 Mk 8:27-33
Owerri - (Province of Owerri, Nigeria) The Rt Rev'd Dr Cyril Chukwunonyerem Okorocha

Reading:
Genesis 28

Thoughts:
Jacob gets sent to his wife's relatives to find a wife and to get away from Esau. Esau, hearing his father tell Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman (which is what both of his wives are), goes off and finds himself an Ishmaelite wife. Which... how is that a good idea? Really? Your parents don't like your spouse, so you add one you hope they'll like better? Esau really wasn't all that bright, was he?

Anyway, Jacob heads off to seek his fortune, basically. And before he gets to his destination, he has a dream of angels ascending and descending a never-ending staircase. He is also given a promise in the dream. He's a lucky, lucky man, is Jacob. God is going to bless him, even though he's tricky, a bit mean, and only on the lookout for himself.

Someday maybe we'll understand this one?

20.06.2009 :: Genesis 27

2009-06-21T11:19:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 15 Mk 8:1-10
Ottawa - (Ontario, Canada) The Rt Rev'd John Holland Chapman

Reading:
Genesis 27

Thoughts:
Jacob is a trickster, that's for sure. But his trickery comes and bites him back this time: his brother decides to kill him.

It's good that Rebekah is looking out for her favourite child, since she's the one who told him to steal Esau's blessing in the first place.

This story always makes me wonder if the Hittite women Esau married were really all that bad. I wonder if maybe Rebekah was no picnic for them, either. Was she a shrew, a nag, a woman you didn't want to cross? It's an interesting question. We aren't really given much to go on here, but I wouldn't be surprised.

19.06.2009 :: Genesis 26

2009-06-20T12:54:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 13 Jdg 11:1-6,29-40
Osun - (Province of Ibadan, Nigeria) The Rt Rev'd James Afolabi Popoola

Reading:
Genesis 26

Thoughts:
Wow, like father like son, eh? Isaac lies to people about Rebekah just as Abraham lied about Sarah. You'd think he would have learned... or maybe Abraham never told him about that part.

God blesses Isaac with prosperity. Wells, herds, and crops. What more could a man ask for?

...Maybe agreeable daughters-in-law?

18.06.2009 :: Bernard Mizeki, Martyr :: Genesis 25

2009-06-18T12:00:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 12 Jdg 7:1-22
Osaka - (Japan) The Rt Rev'd Samuel Osamu Ohnishi

Reading:
Genesis 25

Thoughts:
So Abraham has a bunch more kids, sends them all off to live elsewhere, and dies. They bury him with Sarah.

Meanwhile, all these children have kids of their own. Ishmael has twelve sons. Isaac is 40 when he marries Rebekah, and, like his father before him, he must wait on God to have children.

Rebekah bears twins, Esau and Jacob. Esau is the apple of his father's eye because he's a great hunter, while Rebekah favours Jacob. Great way to foster brotherhood, people. Of course, then Jacob goes and convinces Esau to sell his birthright (as the firstborn son, he was Isaac's heir). For a bowl of stew. Good job, Esau.

Family relationships can be incredibly difficult to navigate sometimes, that's for sure - but this is amazing! I can't begin to imagine doing something like that to a family member. Jacob was a pretty devious fellow; this is just one example of many.

At the same time, he always came back to God. Jacob had his faults, but he was strong in his faith, and God blessed him for that.

17.06.2009 :: Genesis 24

2009-06-17T06:29:00.001-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 11:1-5,7 Jdg 6:1,11-32
Orlu - (Province of Owerri, Nigeria) The Most Rev'd Bennett C I Okoro

Reading:
Genesis 24

Thoughts:
Before you get all worked up about the girl having to marry someone she's never met, be aware that this is a time of arranged marriages, and she is a cousin to Isaac.

The other thing that is important here is that, before the servant heads off to find the girl, he swears that if the girl doesn't want to marry Isaac, he will leave her there and come home without her. This is at Abraham's behest. So the girl did have a choice.

What I think is most interesting about this story is the fact that the servant prayed for guidance, established a sign that would let him know it was the right girl, and then followed through on everything. And the girl said yes in the end, so it really did work out for everyone.

(Well, sort of. But we'll get to that.)

16.06.2009 :: Genesis 23

2009-06-16T06:19:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 10:1-12,16-18 Mk 7:24-37
Oregon - (Province VIII, USA) The Rt Rev'd Johncy Itty

Reading:
Genesis 23

Thoughts:
Sarah has died. Abraham wants to bury her, but he wants to do it on his own land. He won't accept charity, even in this time of grief.

To my mind, this is a type of humility. Abraham could have taken any land he wanted from the Hittites; they were offering it to him freely. But he insisted on paying for it. It is important, I think, to recognize the value of things and pay a fair price for them before we take possession of them.

Everything has a price - life, death, and all that comes in between. Sometimes that price is emotional, sometimes it is physical, and sometimes it is fiscal.

But there is always a price.

15.06.2009 :: Genesis 22

2009-06-15T17:57:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 9:1-10 Mk 7:1-23
Ontario - (Ontario, Canada) The Rt Rev'd George Bruce

Reading:
Genesis 22

Thoughts:
I wrote a re-telling of this story a few years ago. I won't post it here because I'm hoping to get it published, and it's easier if it's not been posted anywhere online prior to submission. It was written from the point of view of Sarah, and it plays on the idea of laughter, as well as exploring the relationship between Sarah and Abraham. I wrote it to be told, not read.

There are parallels drawn here, between Isaac and Christ, and between the ram and Christ. Like Jesus, Isaac carries the wood for his destruction. Like Jesus, he is led by his father. And like Jesus, the ram dies in the stead of someone else.

This was a test of Abraham's faith. People wonder if he really would have done it, if God actually told him he should do it, if if if...

I wonder if it matters? Does it really matter if the story was literally true, if we are able to learn from it important lessons about faith and about God?

What lessons do you take away from this story? I am curious.

06.06.2009 :: Genesis 21

2009-06-06T08:13:00.001-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 0 Num. 27:12-23
Okigwe North - (Province of Owerri, Nigeria) The Ven. Godson Ukanwa

Reading:
Genesis 21

Thoughts:
Isaac is born, and all is well, for a time.

Then Sarah gets jealous of Hagar and Ishmael again, and tells Abraham to cast them out of the camp.

They are stranded, but God provides for them. Did he not promise Hagar that Ishmael would father many nations, as well?

Ishmael grows up and becomes a skilled hunter, and he marries a woman from Egypt. Hagar was Egyptian, so this is not odd in any way.

Meanwhile, Abraham is busy making nice with Abimelech and getting settled in amongst the Philistines. We hear nothing of Isaac for a bit. Wait and see what happens next.

05.06.2009 :: Genesis 20

2009-06-05T08:02:00.001-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 128 Num. 24:1-9
Oke-Osun - (Province of Ibadan, Nigeria) The Rt Rev'd Nathaniel Fasogbon

Reading:
Genesis 20

Thoughts:
Abraham lies again. He has this problem, see. He knows the truth and can't seem to speak it because he's afraid. I can't even begin to imagine how Sarah must have felt, having a liar for a husband - and not just any kind of a liar, but one who lies about his relationship to his wife!

It all turns out well in the end, which is really a sign to us that even when we screw up and do the same wrong thing more than once, God will often bless us. We don't deserve it, but there it is!

What is something that you continually find yourself doing - something you know you shouldn't? Maybe, like Abraham, you are a liar. Maybe you are a worrier. Maybe you gossip.

Take some time to figure out why you do these things. Then ask God to help you overcome them.

04.06.2009 :: Genesis 19

2009-06-04T05:34:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 122 Num. 23: 21-30
Oke-Ogun - (Province of Ibadan, Nigeria) The Rt Rev'd Solomon Amusan

Reading:
Genesis 19

Thoughts:
The first section of this chapter is called The Depravity of Sodom. Lot has two guests in his home, and the evil men of the city come to his home to "pay their respects." They want to "know" the visitors, which of course is Biblical code for sexual intercourse. One must assume here that this would be unwanted contact. Lot, not wanting to surrender his guests to these boors, offers his daughters in their stead. Lucky girls, they are spurned in favour of the male visitors. In fact, the Sodomites are about to deal even more harshly with Lot himself when the visitors pull him inside and bar the door. He is new to the city himself, having only lived there for several years by this time, so of course he is next on the list!

Following this lovely little episode, the men get Lot and his family out of the city. They are warned not to look back at Sodom. They are to simply leave behind everything they had known and start over. Lot's wife can't handle it; she looks back and is turned to a pillar of salt. They must leave her behind, as well.

And so God destroys the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Lot settles in the hills, and his daughters get scared that they will never marry, so they get their father drunk and have sons by their own father. Perhaps the family didn't really "deserve" to be saved, after all. Then again, it was a practical solution to a seeming problem the girls faced. Their sons were Moab and Ben-ammi, the ancestors of the Moabites and the Ammonites.

Isaac has a lot of relatives to deal with in the future, doesn't he? Moab and Ben-ammi are cousins; Ishmael is his brother. I guess we will see how things develop over time.

I've read a lot about how the story of the escape from Sodom is similar to our own salvation. We are told to get out of sin, to leave it behind, and not to look back. The difference is that we can ask forgiveness if we do look back. No pillars of salt are we! (Salt comes in after a different fashion in one of the Gospels. No worries, we'll find it eventually!)

03.06.2009 :: Genesis 18

2009-06-03T05:04:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 124 Num. 23:13-20
Oji River - (Province of the Niger, Nigeria) The Rt Rev'd Amos Amankechinelo Madu

Reading:
Genesis 18

Thoughts:
And now Sarah laughs when she hears the prophecy (Genesis 18.12), and then she says she didn't! Maybe Abraham and Sarah were made for each other - all that laughing and lying...

Before Isaac is born, we have lots of important stuff happening. The first is Abraham pleading with God to spare Sodom, which God wants to destroy because it is an evil city. Abraham knows that his nephew Lot is living there, and he doesn't want to see his nephew killed just because he happens to live in the wrong neighbourhood.

So he bargains God down. And in the end, if God can find ten righteous men in the city, he will not destroy it. What is interesting here is that Abraham reminds God that he's supposed to be a just God. "Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked!" (Genesis 18.25) I wonder if God relents because his pride is hurt, or because he was planning to let them alone for the sake of ten righteous men, or because he knows there aren't ten righteous men in Sodom?

02.06.2009 :: Genesis 17

2009-06-02T06:41:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 101 Num. 23:1-12
Bishop of Ohio - (Province V, USA) The Rt Rev'd Mark Hollingsworth

Reading:
Genesis 17

Thoughts:
And so now, now their names are changed: Abram becomes Abraham, and Sarai becomes Sarah. And Sarah, at the age of 90, is to bear a child. So saith the Lord.

This is where Ishmael's future is laid out in more detail: he is to become the father of the Arabic tribes. According to my Study Bible, the Arabs "claim descent from Abraham through Ishmael." This is also the institution of the rite of circumcision, which is to occur at the age of eight days. One must assume that Moslems wait for the age of thirteen years because that is how old Ishmael was when he was circumcised.

It is interesting to note that Abraham laughs at the thought of his wife bearing him a son in his old age (Genesis 17.17), since Sarah herself will do the same later on (Genesis 18.12).

The covenants have been made. What follows is fulfillment of those promises.

01.06.2009 :: Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (trans) :: Genesis 16

2009-06-01T18:26:00.004-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 84:1-7 Rev. 14:1-5
Ogoni - (Province of Niger Delta, Nigeria) The Rt Rev'd Solomon Gberegbara

Reading:
Genesis 16

Thoughts:
This is what happens when humans take events into their own hands instead of trusting God for the things he has promised them. Sarai isn't conceiving, so she tells Abram to go impregnate one of her servants. He does so, and said servant gets uppity with the mistress of the house.

So then Sarai gets mad at Abram, who tells her it's not his fault (of course not, he just had sex with someone else and got her pregnant because Sarai told him to - notice that he's blaming Sarai for something he really shouldn't have done, just like Adam did with Eve and that danged apple...) and says she should have at the servant.

The servant doesn't like being chastised, so she runs away. God finds her and tells her to go back to Sarai, which she does. The child is a boy, and he is named Ishmael. End of story? We'll see.

My Study Bible notes that Hagar (the servant) was Egyptian. Sarai's dealings with Hagar are a foreshadowing of the oppression her descendants will see at the hands of the Egyptians later on in this same book.

God tells Hagar to return, but he also tells her that her descendants will be many, and that her son will be at odds with his own kin. This is about Ishmael and Isaac - brothers who are at odds, long after they themselves have perished.

26.05.2009 :: St Augustine of Canterbury :: Genesis 15

2009-05-26T10:04:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 144:1-10 Rev. 13:1-4
Norwich - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd Graham James
Norwich - Lynn - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd James Henry Langstaff
Norwich - Thetford - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd David John Atkinson

Reading:
Genesis 15

Thoughts:
Cool. You know, I didn't realize that God told Abram about the coming oppression and all when he promised descendants that numbered the stars in the sky. But there it is, in verses 13-14.

It's interesting that God would know about bad things in the future of his chosen people and not do anything to stop it. Then again, it's indicative of his apparent preference of staying out of human affairs except when absolutely necessary. He seems to like to have us make all our own choices, even when those choices are completely stupid.

That's even cooler.

25.05.2009 :: Genesis 14

2009-05-25T11:22:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 107:33-43 Rev. 12:13-17
Northwestern Pennsylvania - (Province III, USA) The Rt Rev'd Sean Walter Rowe

Reading:
Genesis 14

Thoughts:
Lot gets captured by a bunch of invading kings, and Abram and his men go rescue him. Lot sure owes Abram at this point, wouldn't you say?

But we don't get much of a look at Abram's relationship with Lot just yet.

No, instead we see King Melchizedek of Salem (which my Study Bible says is associated with Jerusalem in Psalm 76), who praises Abram and offers him the take.

But Abram refuses, not wanting to be beholden to anyone. A good lesson. He could have taken whatever he pleased; it really was his stuff, after all, since he was the winner in the battle. But he didn't.

14.05.2009 :: St Matthias :: Genesis 13

2009-05-14T10:56:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 106:6-12 Num. 14:26-35
Northern Indiana - (Province V, USA) The Rt Rev'd Edward Stuart Little

Reading:
Genesis 13

Thoughts:
Abram is sometimes thought of as being one of the nomadic princes. He was wealthy - very much so - and moved around a fair amount. Lot was one of these as well, it seems, and when the servants of the two houses could no longer peacefully co-exist, Abram suggested that it might be wise to separate. So Lot went off on his own and found somewhere to settle that would meet his needs and those of his house.

Abram, meanwhile, went the other direction and was promised much by God.

No deep insights here; the story has just begun, really. The action has yet to emerge. Be patient. We'll get there.

13.05.2009 :: Genesis 12

2009-05-13T09:44:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 106:1-5 Num. 14:20-25
Northern California - (Province VIII, USA) The Rt Rev'd Barry Beisner

Reading:
Genesis 12

Thoughts:
Ah, Abram. This is the first time he goes to Egypt and says Sarai is his sister rather than his wife. You'd think he'd learn this time, hey? But that's a discussion for the next time he makes the same mistake.

Abram, his wife Sarai, and Sarai's nephew Lot all head out like God tells them to. They pass through various lands, and God tells Abram which will be his someday. Abram builds a couple of altars, too.

Then he goes to Egypt to escape the famine. Which was probably smart, but what he did there wasn't so smart.

You see, Abram is later re-named Abraham, and Sarai becomes Sarah. They are the parents of Isaac. The Pharaoh of Egypt, thinking Sarai is Abram's sister, takes her for his wife. This isn't good, since Isaac has yet to be born and requires Abram and Sarai to be his parents.

I don't quite follow God's logic in sending plagues upon the Pharaoh in this situation, as Abram was the one who allowed it to happen, but he does it and Sarai is duly returned to her rightful husband. They are then ejected from Egypt.

Most people would learn from their mistakes and not do it again, but I guess Abram wasn't that bright. We'll see that later on.

2009-05-12T10:45:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 18:13-19 Rev. 5:6-14
Northern Argentina - (South America) Vacant
Suffragan Bishop of Northern Argentina - (South America) Vacant

Reading:
Genesis 11

Thoughts:
The tower of Babel, followed by more of those genealogies. I am beginning to wonder if perhaps the genealogies are a narrative technique being used by the author of Genesis, to cover ground more quickly. Here and there we have a bit of a story (e.g., Nimrod), or a full story (e.g., Babel), but mostly we're looking at lists of people. It's like the author is trying to get us to the next Really Important Moment more quickly, and telling the odd story or fact where something seems important enough to be mentioned.

Why bother? Why bother writing lists of genealogies that nobody cares about? Why not just jump to whatever the next big story is and get the action started already?

Patience. We'll get there. The beauty of storytelling is that we can tell a story and give the details necessary so that our audience understands what we want them to understand. We can make a day last seconds, minutes, or hours when we tell it. Draw out the fleeting thoughts of a character so that they take minutes to read, while if the story were happening in real time, mere seconds would have passed.

Enjoy the scenery. You'll be out of breath during the action.

11.05.2009 :: Genesis 10

2009-05-11T09:53:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 100 Rev. 5:1-5
North West Australia - (Western Australia, Australia) The Rt Rev'd David Mulready

Reading:
Genesis 10

Thoughts:
"Not another genealogy! Do we have to read it? These things are so boring!"

Well, no, you don't have to read it. But it will give you an idea of how people are related to each other, and as we've already noted, Genesis seems to be all about relationships.

It also tells you where people settled after the flood, which will be useful when we're reading about wars and stuff later on. It could even give you some insight into things that are happening in the world today.

I dare you to read the whole thing. Hey, this is the chapter that talks about Nimrod! It's awesome! Give it a try.

08.05.2009 :: Genesis 9

2009-05-08T09:33:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 16 Num. 14:1-4
North Kigezi - (Uganda) The Rt Rev'd Edward Muhima

Reading:
Genesis 9

Thoughts:
Most people like rainbows; they're really pretty! Of course, we know the science behind how rainbows are formed. Light refracts through the rain drops and makes the pretty colours.

But regardless of whether or not rainbows happened pre-flood, the fact is that God chose to use them as a reminder - to himself as well as us - that he doesn't want to blot out life ever again.

07.05.2009 :: Genesis 8

2009-05-07T09:22:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 18:7-12 Rev. 4:1-11
North Kerala - (South India) The Rt Rev'd Dr K P Kuruvila

Reading:
Genesis 8

Thoughts:

And when the Lord smelled the pleasing odor, the Lord said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."
Genesis 8.21-22

So Noah makes a sacrifice, and God decides never to destroy his creation again. I find it interesting that God here states that humans are inclined toward evil from the start. He also says that he won't curse the earth because of humans' actions.

Do you believe that people are evil? Probably not - I don't! And I don't think that's what God is saying here, either.

God doesn't say that humans are evil, he says that our inclination is evil. This means that we have a tendency toward evil, not that we are evil. We're attracted to evil, but we ourselves are not evil.

That probably makes about as much sense as anything else we deal with in our faith, doesn't it? The thing is, it is possible to separate people from their actions. People do things they don't want to do, for reasons we won't know unless we ask them. Life isn't abut black hats and white hats - there is no such thing as a person who is unredeemable. "Evil" people simply make poor choices and eventually find themselves in a place from which they can't find an exit. That doesn't mean there isn't an exit, and it doesn't mean they meant to get there when they started out. It's the consequences of their actions, the consequences of their choices.

There's a reason it's called temptation. Evil is tempting. The rewards it promises are so desirable that it can seem worthwhile to just go ahead and do that one wrong thing.

The good part is that the earth won't be destroyed because we succumb to temptation. The bad part is that we will still have to deal with the fallout from those choices - either now or in the hereafter.

So make your choices wisely, and accept the consequences with humility. We've no one to blame but ourselves, after all.

05.05.2009 :: Genesis 7

2009-05-05T14:51:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 101 Rev. 3:1-6
The Most Rev'd Purely Lyngdoh Moderator, CNI & Bishop of North East India

Reading:
Genesis 7

Thoughts:
So everyone goes into the ark, and then the door is sealed and God makes it rain. For well over a month.

That must have been completely un-fun for everyone - people and animals alike. Gray, cloudy, rainy days for a month? It would be like living in BC in the winter, only without the odd sunny day you get there! And to be cooped up in a small space for half a year more? Smelly, no exercise... yeah. I'm sure everyone was glad to get out of there.

It says that every living thing was blotted out. Not erased, blotted out. You know when your pen ink gets all glommy, and it leaves bulges of ink on the page when you're writing? Yeah, that's a blot. It's interesting, actually, that a blot is something unsightly, something that covers up something else... and God is said to blot out life on the earth.

Death is never nice to look at. Perhaps that is the point here.

04.05.2009 :: Genesis 6

2009-05-04T15:02:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 45:1-4,6-7 Rev. 2:1-7
North Dakota - (Province VI, USA) The Rt Rev'd Michael Gene Smith

Reading:
Genesis 6

Thoughts:
Man, God must have been steamed. He makes this beautiful world and creates people in his image, and then they go and screw everything up! Not only that, there was interbreeding going on, and I'm sure he was none too pleased about that, either. There has been much debate about just what the Nephilim were; my study Bible says that it's likely they were angels, and the results of the interbreeding were the "heroes of old" - so perhaps this is where the Greek and Norse mythologies come from.

So Noah finds favour in God's sight, because he's a holy and righteous man. God decides to save Noah and his descendants from the coming devastation, and he tells Noah what to do - build a big boat and take animals into it. And Noah "did all that God commanded him."

How do you suppose that conversation really went? I somehow doubt that God said "jump" and Noah asked "how high?" Like us, I'm sure Noah was doubtful. "Are you sure? Did I hear you right? You want me to what?" But he went ahead and did it anyway. That's pretty cool.

Here's Bill Cosby's re-imagining of that conversation. Enjoy.

29.04.2009 :: Genesis 5

2009-04-29T17:36:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 78:32-39 Num. 11:24-35
Niger Delta, The - (Province of the Niger Delta, Nigeria) The Rt Rev'd Gabriel H Pepple

Reading:
Genesis 5

Thoughts:
Reading this list of names reminds me of one of my grandfather's stories.

"Well, it was a while ago," he'd say (well, not really; I don't remember any of his stories word for word, but this is the kind of story he'd tell). "And I was driving home from the Schusters' - you know the Schusters, their son is Allan, and he's a car salesman in Wetaskiwin now. I was there to visit because Bill - that's Mr Schuster - Bill wasn't in church on Sunday, and Myrna - Mrs Schuster, you know - said he wasn't feeling well. So I thought I should check in on him, see if they needed anything, you know, be neighbourly and do my job, checking in on my parishioners. Well, I was driving home from the Schusters' and I saw a cow in the middle of the road! That cow, I recognized her, you know. She belonged to the McGillicuddies. I don't know how she got out of the field, but there she was. So I went to the McGillicuddy farm to tell them that she was out. Well, Mrs McGillicuddy, you know her, she's always got some kind of food ready. Now, this is Shelly McGillicuddy, not Beverly McGillicuddy. Shelly's parents are Norm and Priscilla Lambert. You know them."

The story could go on for an incredibly long time, just like that. By the time he was done, you'd forgotten why he was telling you the story, and you'd been informed of all the relatives of pretty well every single person he mentioned.

Relationships are important, after all. The lists of generations we find in various places throughout the Bible tell us important things about the people we read of. This particular list lets us know that Noah and his family - the very famous Noah, who survived a flood by building a huge boat on dry land - are directly related to Adam. This gives him an important place in history, and it gives us something to base his story on.

Genesis, as a book of relationships, is as much about our relationship to each other as it is about our relationship to God. The inclusion of Noah's lineage tells us both, because God has a very special relationship with Adam and his family - a relationship that, we shall soon see, is continued with Noah.

28.04.2009 :: Genesis 4

2009-04-28T15:51:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 78:17-30 Num. 11:18-23
Niger Delta West - (Province of the Niger Delta, Nigeria) The Rt Rev'd Adoluphus Amabebe

Reading:
Genesis 4

Thoughts:
It's amazing, the things we do in response to so-called negative emotions. I hold that emotions, in and of themselves, are neither good nor bad; it's what we do in response to those emotions that is positive or negative.

So Cain gets jealous of Abel. Now, granted, okay, he was jealous because God was blessing Abel more than himself. But rather than have a chat with God (who is, arguably, the one who's caused Cain to feel jealous) he takes it out on Abel.

No, I'm not blaming God for Abel's murder. Cain is 100% responsible for his actions here. The thing is, life isn't fair. We know that. So when something good is happening to someone else instead of to us, does it really make sense for us to get upset with the person who's got good stuff going on? Of course not! Resentment is never the way to go. That's just unresolved anger, really.

When confronted with a difficult situation, as Cain was in today's story, it is important to go to the person who is actually causing the hurt. Don't tell Abel he sucks if all he did was make a good sacrifice to God. Tell God you want to make better sacrifices and ask how to improve.

27.04.2009 :: Genesis 3

2009-04-27T20:42:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: Luke 1:68-75 Heb. 9:1-10
Niger Delta North - (Province of the Niger Delta, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Ignatius Kattey

Reading:
Genesis 3

Thoughts:
Ah, the Fall. Eve gets a bad rap for this, but if you read Genesis 2 carefully (see yesterday's link) you'll see that she wasn't even there when God said not to eat from that tree! So she was going on what Adam told her God said.

Leaving aside all the other things going on in this story, let's just look at how human Eve really behaves in this story.

I mean, really, how often do we go off half-cocked, relying on the half-information (and, often, misinformation) others have fed us? It's always a good plan to double-check what we've been told by others.

So what could Eve have done differently?

Well, first of all, she could have asked God what he said, rather than just accepting Adam's account. And secondly, she could have asked God again - to double-check - when the serpent told her something contrary to what Adam had told her. Especially when the information the serpent gave her indicated that God's nature was different from what she knew him to be!

Sometimes we make the mistake of listening to religious leaders over and above what we know is true of God. It's important to listen to religious leaders - they were given their positions for a reason - but at the same time, we must always seek guidance from God directly. He loves us and won't leave us alone in our time of need (even though it might seem like he has). Seek the counsel of those who have been given wisdom by God, but don't take their word for it - always pray before acting, and always ask more than one person (without saying who you've already talked to). If you get conflicting advice, you need to make sure you listen carefully to what God might be saying to YOU and how the advice aligns with the ways in which he has revealed himself to you in the past and in scripture. God doesn't change.

24.04.2009 :: Genesis 2

2009-04-24T14:38:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 78:1-8 Num. 11:1-9
Niagara - (Ontario, Canada) The Rt Rev'd Michael Bird

Reading:
Genesis 2

Thoughts:

Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner."
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,
"This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was
taken."
Genesis 2.18,21-23

The important part of this story is that God is looking for a partner - not just a "helper," not a servant, but an equal partner for Adam. Eve is created out of one of Adam's ribs because she is equal and kin to him. She is made because none of the rest of creation was found to be suited for the role of partner and companion. The notes in my study Bible say that when Adam names Eve as woman, he also renames himself as man, and that the relationship of these two words in the Hebrew implies a partnership rather than a servant-master relationship.

It is interesting, is it not, how much there is in the Bible that states that men and women are equal? It speaks of partnership, of respect, of love, and of care. People might say that Bible-based religion is oppressive of women, but I don't believe it needs to be. If it is, that is because man (not just men, but women as well) has twisted its words to suit his own preferences.

The fact of the matter is, women and men are very different. Our brains function differently, making us suited for different roles in society. And our bodies are strong in different ways - men with more upper-body strength, suited to hunting and fighting, and women with more lower-body strength, suited to child-bearing and long hours squatting near a fire.

I think Genesis will reveal itself to be about relationships - our relationship to God and our relationships with others.

23.04.2009 :: St George's Day :: Genesis 1

2009-04-23T09:51:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 22:27-31 Heb. 8:1-7
O Great Among the Saints and Glorious Martyr George, since you are a deliverer of captives and a defender of the poor, a doctor for the sick and a noble attendant to kings: intercede with us to Christ our God, that He may save our souls.
From the Orthodox Tradition (alt)
PRAY for Royal Peculiars Chapels Royal, Religious Peculiars, and Westminster Abbey
Ngbo - (Province of the Niger, Nigeria) The Rt Rev'd Christian Ebisike

Reading:
Genesis 1

Thoughts:
I wrote this in 2008, to read at the Easter Vigil service at Christ Church Anglican in Calgary.

In the beginning... in the beginning, there was no beginning and there was no end. There was no time. No words, no music, nothing.

But there is God. God has no name, for there is no language. And God always was there, for time does not yet exist.

God is Wind, God is Word, and God is Creator.

Creating is first on the agenda.

God reaches into the nothingness that is, and makes substance. Wind moves over this fluid substance, dancing in the spray.

And language is made: "Light, begin."

The Word creates light. God approves, and draws a line between light and nothing.

"Light, you are Day. Nothing, you are darkness, and darkness, you are Night."

And Night begins, followed closely by Day's first morning.

Wind passes over the face of substance once more, and it is divided in two. Word names one twin Sky and the other Water.

And Night returns, with Day close on its heels.

Now, God draws up the Earth from beneath the Water. Word gives Water other names: Sea, Ocean, River. God is pleased, and the Word calls out Trees and Plants from the Earth. The Wind plays in the leaves and grass, and then Night and Day return in succession.

God hangs lights in the Sky, just as plants had grown from the Earth, with some to accompany Day and others to accompany Night.

Night envelops Moon and Stars, and they are soon followed by Day and Sun.

Now Wind, Word, and Creator conspire together to bring forth sentient life: first the creatures of Water, then the creatures of Sky. And Night and Day return in succession.

God turns to the task of creating the creatures of Earth. Some have fur, some have scales. Some even have feathers, though they do not fly.

And then they turn to creating man, in their image. Of Word comes language, of Wind comes life, and of Creator comes creativity.

And God is pleased with all they have created. The world is good. The creatures of Earth, Sky, and Water are placed under the care of man, as are all green and growing things.

And Night comes, followed, as always, by Day.

And this time, when Day emerged, God sat back and enjoyed the sunrise.

22.04.2009 :: Psalm 10

2009-04-22T14:37:00.004-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 31:19-24 Heb. 7:23-28
Newcastle (AUS) - (New South Wales, Australia) The Rt Rev''d Brian George Farran
Suffragan Bishop of Newcastle (AUS) - (New South Wales, Australia) The Rt Revd Graeme Stanley Rutherford

Reading:
Psalm 10

Thoughts:
I am - or I have been, in the past, and will be again - involved in a few online advocacy movements. The one I am most dedicated to is the autistic self-advocacy movement. I myself am not autistic, but I have many friends who are, and have worked with a lot of children who are.

This Psalm is about oppression, about how those who oppress others seem to think that there will be no accounting for their actions. They do not believe in God, or they do not think he cares about what they do.

The truth is, God cares very much about his people - and we are all his people, whether we believe or not. There are always consequences for our actions, we just need to wait for some consequences to come to fruition.

The oppressors in this Psalm seize the poor and helpless. They murder innocents. And they believe they will not be judged for these atrocities.

These things happen every day to people with disabilities. Non-disabled people are conditioned to believe that they have power and a right to the power they have, and they exert that power in ways that would be considered horrendous in most other situations. People with disabilities are murdered, and their murderers are acquitted because, somehow, society believes that the world is better off without the disabled. People with disabilities are attacked, brutalized, and abused, and the offenders are acquitted because "there isn't enough evidence" (even if the abused individuals are able to speak up on their own behalf) or because "it was justified."

This is unconscionable. That we, as believers, would allow for one second the idea that any part of God's creation is unworthy of respect is absurd.

I believe we must be first to step forward, first to speak out against the atrocities committed by one human being against another. And there is a cost to such action. But that cost is an acceptable one, given the consequences.

Think about it.

21.04.2009 :: Psalm 9

2009-04-21T13:33:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 95:1-7 Heb. 7:18-22
Newcastle - (York, England) The Rt Rev'd Martin Wharton
Suffragan Bishop of of Newcastle - (York, England) The Rt Rev'd Paul Richardson

Reading:
Psalm 9

Thoughts:

For the needy shall not always be
forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish
forever.
Psalm 9.18

I don't know about you, but I find this fairly reassuring. It comes near the end of a long prayer that praises God, asks him to destroy the author's enemies, and any number of other things. But this one verse gives hope for those who have nothing - that God cares for them and will watch over them always. It reminds me of the Beatitudes.

Jesus came, many years after this Psalm was written, to bring hope to the poor and to remind the needy that they are remembered and loved - by God, if no one else.

And how often are we counted among the numbers of the poor and needy? We may have that which we require for survival - food, shelter, friends and/or family - but that doesn't mean we are rich. I am not, of course, thinking of mere monetary wealth.

Yet we are not forgotten. Indeed, we are truly blessed, as children of God! He will provide all we need and sometimes more than that. He loves to shower us with such blessings.

How can we share this hope, these blessings, with others who are poorer and needier than we?

20.04.2009 :: Psalm 8

2009-04-20T15:46:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 37:3-9 Heb. 7:11-17
Newark - (Province II, USA) The Rt Rev'd Mark M. Beckwith

Reading:
Psalm 8

Thoughts:

O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all
the earth!

You have set your glory above
the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and
infants
you have founded a bulwark
because of your foes,
to silence the enemy and the
avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the
work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you
have established;
what are human beings that you
are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for
them?

Yet you have made them a little
lower than God,
and crowned them with glory
and honor.
You have given them dominion
over the works of your
hands;
you have put all things under
their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish
of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths
of the seas.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all
the earth!
Psalm 8

He truly is Sovereign! The Creator of all things is majestic, ruler of all, and worthy of our praise. Let all the world praise his holy name!

May we forever be awestruck at the mercy and unfathomable love of God, that he would look upon us his creation with such favour that he would give us power over the Earth and allow us the privilege of relationship with him.

May all I do be ever pleasing in his sight.

16.04.2009 :: Thursday in Easter Week :: Psalm 7

2009-04-16T16:57:00.004-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 146 Heb. 6:13-20
Bishop of New Hampshire - (Province I, USA) The Rt Rev'd V. Gene Robinson

Reading:
Psalm 7

Thoughts:

I will give to the Lord the thanks
due to his righteousness,
and sing praise to the name of
the Lord, the Most High.
Psalm 7.17

The Lord is indeed righteous and worthy of all our praise.

Sometimes it is difficult to remember to thank him - not just for the wonderful things, but for some of the not-so-great things. And sometimes it's hard to praise him. How do we praise in the midst of trials and trouble?

There's a song I love, on the Believe CD by Vineyard Canada, called "Yet I Will Praise." It is absolutely beautiful, and the chorus speaks so well of how we ought to respond when we think we can't go on:

Even when my heart is torn I will praise You Lord
Even when I feel deserted I will praise You Lord
Even in my darkest valley I will praise You Lord
And when my world is shattered and it seems all hope is gone
Yet I will praise You Lord
(Andy Park, 1999)

I'm not saying it's easy - actually, I'm saying quite the opposite. When darkness overtakes us, we must choose the light. And that is never easy, though it is possible with the strength of God to hold us up.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
The Anglican Church of Canada, 1962

15.04.2009 :: Wednesday in Easter Week :: Psalm 6

2009-04-15T13:08:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 145:13-21 Heb. 6:7-12
The New Guinea Islands - (Papua New Guinea) The Rt Rev'd Allan Migi

Reading:
Psalm 6

Thoughts:

Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of
your steadfast love.
For in death there is no
remembrance of you;
in Sheol who can give you
praise?
Psalm 6.4-5

Who, indeed?

My HarperCollins Study Bible has this to say about Sheol:

6.5 Sheol, the abode of the dead. The one praying seems to be near death. Death is seen as a condition in which one is removed from God's presence and the possibility of worship and praise (cf. Job 10.21-22; Isa 38.18). That fact is given as a motivation to encourage divine assistance.
(notes for Psalm 6)

I don't know that God really needs a reason to heal us - or, at least, he probably doesn't need us to remind him that if we die we can't praise him anymore (well, if we don't go to Heaven, anyway).

The concept of Sheol is an interesting one, at least for me. I suppose I should have been Roman Catholic; Purgatory and that "Catholic guilt" are natural for me. Then again, perhaps that's why I'm Anglican instead! *grin*

I admit that I haven't done a lot of reading up on Sheol. While I find the subject interesting, it's never been one of my passions - I save passion for prayer and vocation. So far as I understand, however, Sheol is considered to be the place we go to await the final judgment, following which we will be placed in our appropriate locations - that is, Heaven or Hell, depending on whether our faith was alive, dead, or non-existent.

Comments? Debate? Please share!

14.04.2009 :: Tuesday in Easter Week :: Psalm 5

2009-04-14T15:11:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 149 Heb. 6:1-6
New Busa - (Province of Ibadan, Nigeria) The Rt Rev'd Israel Amoo

Reading:
Psalm 5

Thoughts:

Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear
my voice;
in the morning I plead my case
to you, and watch.
Psalm 5.1-3

I take this as a reminder to pray. Pray every morning; begin the day in prayer. It is something I often (read: usually) forget to do. But, as they say, "a day hemmed in prayer rarely unravels."

God will hear us when we pray; we need only open our hearts to him and cry out to him. He will hear, he will respond.

Such is the nature of his love.

17.03.2009 :: St Patrick's Day :: Psalm 4

2009-03-17T09:36:00.002-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 119:33-40 Job 28:20-28
Almighty God, who in your providence chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle of the Irish people: Keep alive in us the fire of the faith he kindled and strengthen us in our pilgrimage towards the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Mpwapwa - (Tanzania) The Rt Rev'd Jacob Erasto Chimeledya

Reading:
Psalm 4

Thoughts:

I will both lie down and sleep in
peace;
for you alone, O Lord, make
me lie down in safety.
Psalm 4.8

Only God gives us the security to be able to sleep peacefully while surrounded by enemies.

David was in danger many times in his life, but he always knew that he would be safe, because he was protected by God. That's the kind of knowledge that changes lives and makes us confident children of God!

So here's the deal: trust in God, and you may well find that you sleep better at night.

15.03.2009 :: Lent 3 :: Psalm 3

2009-03-15T15:09:00.004-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 94:14-19 Ro. 11:13-24
Mount Kilimanjaro - (Tanzania) The Rt Rev'd Simon Elilekia Makundi

Reading:
Psalm 3

Thoughts:

Trust in God Under Adversity
A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.

O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying to me,
"There is no help for you in
God."Selah

But you, O Lord, are a shield
around me,
my glory, and the one who lifts
up my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord,
and he answers me from his
holy hill.Selah

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the Lord
sustains me.
I am not afraid of ten thousands
of people
who have set themselves against
me all around.

Rise up, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on
the cheek;
you break the teeth of the
wicked.

Deliverance belongs to the Lord;
may your blessing be on your
people!Selah
Psalm 3

God is our protector, our comforter, our sustainer, our strength, our deliverer, our defender. He loves us and cares for us; else why would be be all of these things (and more!) for us weak, unworthy creatures.

To remember to call out to God for help in our time of need can be incredibly difficult. Sometimes, it's not even something we want to do. Why would he care about us, about what's happening to us? Does it really matter, in the grand scheme of things, whether or not we even believe he will rescue us?

I believe it does matter, and I believe he cares more than we will ever understand.

So even when you find it difficult to believe, even when others are calling you a fool because you believe, call on God.

He will do all he has promised, and he isn't finished with you yet.

14.03.2009 :: Psalm 2

2009-03-14T17:02:00.004-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 123 Job 28:12-19
Mount Kenya West - (Kenya) The Rt Rev'd Joseph M Kagunda

Reading:
Psalm 2

Thoughts:

I will tell of the decree of the
Lord:
He said to me, "You are my son;
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the
nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your
possession.
You shall break them with a rod
of iron,
and dash them in pieces like a
potter's vessel."
Psalm 2.7-9

I chose these verses of this very short Psalm because of the promise the Lord gave the speaker.

In my study Bible, it states that this is the appointment of a new king. I suppose that's probably true, but I want to look at it as a promise to us.

So, what, exactly, is this promise of God? Let's look at the declaration.

You are my son - you are the child of God, with all that entails.
today I have begotten you - though you weren't always God's child, now you are, and this means you are of God.
I will make the nations your heritage - God will give us the nations.
and the ends of the earth your possession - God will give us everything.
You shall break them with a rod of iron - we'll break the things of the world.
and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel - sounds like the things of the world aren't very sturdy.

Okay, I admit, I'm stretching here somewhat. But at the same time, maybe I'm not stretching all that much.

Because, you see, we are children of God, and we are of God. If we ask, God will give us not only the nations, but all we require. And we are to break free of the things of this world, so that we are better able to focus on the things of Heaven - which is, after all, our home!

Is this a promise for you, or is it a promise for someone else?

09.03.2009 :: Psalm 1

2009-03-09T21:51:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 112 Ro. 10:14-21
Moosonee - (Ontario, Canada) The Most Revd Caleb James Lawrence

Reading:
Psalm 1

Thoughts:

The Two Ways

Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of
the wicked,
or take the path that sinners
tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of
the Lord,
and on his law they meditate
day and night.
They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its
season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind
drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not
stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation
of the righteous;
for the Lord watches over the
way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will
perish.
Psalm 1

There are two ways we much choose between: one is prosperous and the other is not. We can choose to follow God, or we can choose to not follow God.

We are to be righteous, to follow God and listen to him.

Just one question for today: which path will you choose?

08.03.2009 :: Matthew 28

2009-03-08T16:32:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Sunday 08-Mar-2009 Lent 2
Psalm: 32:1-7 Ro. 10:5-13
Montreal - (Canada, Canada) The Rt Rev'd Barry B Clarke
Suffragan Bishop of Montreal - (Canada, Canada) Vacant

Reading:
Matthew 28

Thoughts:

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Matthew 28.16-20

Well, that's one way to go out, I guess. "Go tell people about me, baptize them, and teach them what I have said to do. And I will be with you always." I suppose Jesus left them after that; perhaps the ascension, described in other places in the New Testament, perhaps he stayed with them for a while. Matthew doesn't tell us, so I guess it's not important for the story he is telling.

Matthew seems to be about faith and works. We must believe, of course, but we also must act on our faith. From the Greatest Commandment (love the Lord your God with all of your whole being) to the Great Commission (tell the world about my message, and teach people to follow me), Jesus teaches - through words and actions both - that God is Love, and Love requires nothing less than our full devotion and our action.

This is the last chapter of Matthew; when next I write, we will be in the Psalms.

Until then.

07.03.2009 :: Matthew 27

2009-03-07T17:04:00.004-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 15 Job 26
Montana - (Province VI, USA) The Rt Rev'd Charles Franklin Brookhart

Reading:
Matthew 27

Thoughts:

And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Matthew 27.46

Contemplation

slow down
let the world come in
become absorbed in the mysteries of life
listen
pray

Eloi, Eloi...
O my God,
Beloved of my soul.
Needed in my life.
Lama sabacthani...
Where have you gone?
Ido not feel you,
do not hear you,
no longer see you.
Why have you gone?
Ineed to feel you,
need to hear you,
need to see you.
Come back.
Draw me in...

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.
Psalm 22:1,2

04.03.2009 :: Matthew 26

2009-03-03T22:18:00.003-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Wednesday 04-Mar-2009
Psalm: 27:7-14 Job 24:1-12
Mityana - (Uganda) The Rt Rev'd Dunstan Bukenya

Reading:
Matthew 26

Thoughts:

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
Matthew 26.26-29

The institution of the Eucharist. This is pre-crucifixion, and while Jesus knows what is coming, the disciples seem to be largely unaware. This in spite of the fact that he has told them he will die soon.

The bread is his body, the wine is his blood. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine actually become flesh and blood during the rite, through something called transubstantiation. The Anglican Church teaches that the bread and wine take on the same qualities as flesh and blood, but they do remain simple bread and wine. Other sects teach that these are merely symbols of Christ's sacrifice, and still others do not make a practise of sharing the Eucharist for reasons that are not entirely clear to me.

We call it Communion at my church; though I attend an Anglican church, it is a fairly modern type of setting - from the building to the music to the lack of books and pews (i.e., we have a projector for the service as well as the song lyrics, and we sit in cushioned chairs that hook together).

While I don't think the two terms - Eucharist and Communion - are properly interchangeable, they each serve a particular purpose in describing what it is we do each Sunday when we partake of the Sacrament.

"Eucharist" means "thanksgiving." When we take part in this Sacrament, we are thanking God for the sacrifice he made on the cross, as well as for the glory of his resurrection. We are thanking him for all he does for us, for his forgiveness, for his holiness and awesomeness.

"Communion" has to do with community and conversation. As people commune with nature or with God, so too do we commune with one another. When we take part in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we are sharing the bread and wine as a community and showing our unity of faith to God and the world. We are communicating our faith and thanksgiving to all present.

Think on this next time you partake in the Mass yourself. It could change your perspective.

01.03.2009 :: Lent I :: Matthew 25

2009-03-01T15:02:00.004-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 88:1-6 Ro. 9:14-29
Almighty God, who called your servant David to be a faithful and wise steward of your mysteries for the people of Wales: in your mercy, grant that, following his purity of life and zeal for the gospel of Christ, we may with him receive the crown of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Missionary Area of Macau - (Hong Kong) The Rev'd Simon Fan

Reading:
Matthew 25

Thoughts:

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Matthew 25.31-46

I can't do this parable justice.

But Keith Green sure did. Ignore the hair and the clothes and enjoy.

25.02.2009 :: Ash Wednesday :: Matthew 24

2009-02-24T22:31:00.004-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 19 Ro. 9:1-13

Prayer for the People of Zimbabwe
We pray for the suffering people of Zimbabwe,
Forced to live amid deterioration,disease and despair.
We raise our voices on their behalf,
As truth-tellers we want to proclaim 'This is not good',
It is not how God desires our world to be.
Loving Father, look after the people of that sad but beautiful land,
Care for the little ones,
Comfort the dying ones,
And into this hour of darkness may the light of your new dawn begin to shine.
Amen

Harare - (Central Africa) The Rt Revd Sebastian Bakare

Reading:
Matthew 24

Thoughts:

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
Matthew 24.3

You know, I think the disciples were all kind of brave. Either that or completely stupid. Why on earth would they ask him this?!?

Sure, they were curious. But "curiosity killed the cat," did it not?

Oh, maybe that cliche hadn't been invented yet.

Regardless, I doubt they were expecting the long, drawn-out answer they got when they asked Jesus how they would know the world was about to end.

The picture Jesus paints here isn't a happy one. It's exciting, to be sure, but it doesn't sound like fun, and it definitely doesn't sound easy.

Lent begins today: a season during which we focus on preparing ourselves for Christ's coming. We give things up for Lent, and we take things on for Lent, in order to help ourselves become more holy, more like Christ. That's a tall order, but it is one we've been given.

May we all be found worthy at the end of the age.

24.02.2009 :: Shrove Tuesday :: Matthew 23

2009-02-23T22:24:00.003-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 116: 12-end; II Cor. 2: 5-17
The Most Revd Carlos Touche-Porter Presiding Bishop of La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico & Bishop of Mexico

Reading:
Matthew 23

Thoughts:

The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
Matthew 23.11-12

Okay, so I took the easy way out today. It's not like this chapter is something I can parse in a short blog entry! There's too much in it! Jesus gets after the Pharisees something fierce here, and - I must admit - it does make me somewhat uncomfortable to see which statements apply to me.

But everyone is like this, really. We don't like being told that we've screwed up, and we hate being told we're wrong.

But I like these two verses, where Jesus states that roles will be reversed in the end. I will serve you, and you will be exalted. Or, perhaps, vice versa. There's no real way to know which way things will go until it happens.

Last time, I wrote about how we need to love ourselves before we can love others. I think it is quite interesting to note that religion (particularly Christianity) is often mischaracterized as calling us (all of us) to not just humble ourselves, but to prostrate ourselves before all others, to serve everyone else before we look after ourselves.

I believe that the recognition that all people are, in actuality, equal - we're on a level playing field when it comes to God - should have an impact on our lives and the way we treat others. If we understand that we're no better or worse than anyone else, then we should be willing to humble ourselves and serve others without a second thought... and we should also we willing to humbly accept those things which others do for us.

And that is my deep thought for today.

16.02.09 :: Matthew 22

2009-02-16T16:36:00.003-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 149: 1-5 Wis. 12: 12-18
The Most Revd Gerald James (Ian) Ernest Archbishop, Province of the Indian Ocean & Bishop of Mauritius

Reading:
Matthew 22

Thoughts:

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, " "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Matthew 22.34-40

Look, it's my favourite passage, the one that I believe sums up the Christian faith in a tidy little package.

"Love God with everything you are. And love others as you love yourself." Which, as I believe I have noted in past entries, means that we need to love ourselves before we can love others.

If we go back through the Old Testament, we should be able to find a common thread throughout the books of the law and the books of the prophets. That thread has to do with love - love for God, love for ourselves, and love for others. God doesn't tell us to deny ourselves so that others are cared for; no, he says that we are to care for others as we care for ourselves!

I believe that this means that we are unable to properly love others if we do not truly love ourselves. If we are not caring for ourselves, we cannot care for others. If we do not meet our own needs, we cannot meet others' needs. It's not that we don't want to, it's that we aren't able to.

I think this gets into the issue of relationship. We need to have a proper relationship with ourselves and with others if we are to have a proper relationship with God. I say it in this order, though we are told to love God first, because I don't think it is possible to be in a right relationship with God if we are not also in right relationships with ourselves and with others. This is why it is common practice to share the peace prior to sharing the Eucharist on a Sunday morning, and why it is necessary to confess our sins prior to sharing the peace. The idea is to put ourselves into right relationship with God and with others before we partake of something that is so meaningful as the Eucharist.

But how do we put ourselves in right relationship with ourselves?

That is a good question. I think part of being in right relationship with oneself is taking time to spend with God every day. Another part of it is food, both spiritual and physical, in appropriate amounts. And respecting one's limits - how much time to spend with other people, how much money to spend, how much exercise. These are all part of looking after oneself, and it is part of being in right relationship with oneself.

Obviously we can't do everything right all of the time; we tend to fail at loving God with all of our being, too. I think God understands this, and I think we need to cut ourselves some slack, as well. Not too much, of course, but enough that we aren't constantly beating ourselves up over our failures.

There is more, I am sure, but that is all I have for today.

06.01.09 :: The Epiphany :: Matthew 21

2009-01-05T20:13:00.003-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 72: 1-8 Eph. 3: 1-6
O God, who revealed your only Son to the Gentiles by the leading of a star, mercifully grant theat we, who know you now by faith, may after this life enjoy the splendour of your gracious Godhead, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Liverpool - (York, England) The Rt Rev'd James Stuart Jones
Liverpool - Warrington - (York, England) The Rt Rev'd David Wilfred Michael Jennings

Reading:
Matthew 21

Thoughts:

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, "The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately." This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."
Matthew 21.1-11

Wow, what timing.

And what a difference, between Jesus' Epiphany (the magi's arrival) and this entry into Jerusalem.

When Jesus was born, very few people even cared. The arrival of the magi (months, if not years, later) was a sign that he was much more important than other infants, but he lived a fairly unremarkable life until he was thirty years old and began his ministry.

Now that he is an adult and has been teaching and serving people for a number of years, however, Jesus is rather well-known. His arrival in Jerusalem is important, and the people can feel it (perhaps in much the same way the magi and the shepherds did), but they really aren't aware of just why this is important.

We celebrate the Epiphany as the discovery of Christ by those from outside of Israel. But this reading is about a different kind of celebration: that of Christ coming to fulfill his purpose; that of Christ our Lord and King; that of his willingness to serve his people.

Let today be a day of celebration: that of Jesus the newly-discovered Christ; and that of Jesus the fully-realized Christ, Lord of our lives and hearts.

05.01.09 :: Matthew 20

2009-01-04T22:43:00.004-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 9:1-11 Isa 61:8-11
Litoral Ecuador - (Province IX, USA) The Rt Rev'd Alfredo Morante

Reading:
Matthew 20

Thoughts:

This chapter seems to be about greed: first the greed of the workers in the vineyard; then the greed of the mother for her children.

But is it simply about greed?

At the end of the chapter, Jesus heals some blind men who asked that their eyes be opened.

In the first instance, Jesus is telling a parable. In this story, a landowner hires people at various times throughout the day and offers them a particular amount of money. At the end of the day, he begins by paying those who worked the shortest amount of time, and he gives them the agreed-upon amount. By the time he reaches those who worked for him all day, these people are expecting much more than they had originally agreed to, and are upset when they receive the same amount of pay as those who had worked only one hour in the field. But that was the agreed-upon amount, and there was no reason for the landowner to pay them more than they had agreed to initially if he didn't want to.

In the second instance, the mother comes to ask Jesus to ensure that her children receive a place of honour in heaven. Jesus basically says that the request is a foolish one, for they don't know what's coming. And then, of course, the other apostles become angry over the whole thing, and Jesus has to tell them all off (he does this a lot).

The last incident, the one with the blind men, is different. These men hear Jesus going by, and they ask him for healing; when the crowd tells them to go away and be quiet, they call to him even louder. And Jesus hears their cries, and he heals them. We may wonder why, for like the landowner in the parable, Jesus is not beholden to these men; in fact, we may consider them to be greedy like the mother.

But I don't think they're being greedy at all.

No, these blind men aren't looking for status. They aren't looking for more than they need. They simply want to be able to see. If they can see, they stand a much better chance of making a living. They will be able to survive, because they will be able to earn money and purchase food, clothing, and housing for themselves. That's all these men were looking for: a chance at survival.

Ponder this today:

When you come to God, asking him for things, do you ask for things you do not need?
When you ask God for things, are you asking for things that will advance your status among those around you?
When you come to God, do you do it humbly, with the knowledge that what you are asking is something you truly need?

04.01.09 :: Christmas 2 :: Matthew 19

2009-01-03T23:11:00.004-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 149: 1-5 Phil. 3:1-16
Lincoln - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd John Charles Saxbee
Lincoln - Grantham - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd Timothy William Ellis
Lincoln - Grimsby - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd David Douglas James Rossdale

Reading:
Matthew 19

Thoughts:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, "Then who can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible."
Matthew 19.23-26

Getting into heaven is not easy, that's for sure! Yet Jesus tells us the answer, right away: it's impossible for us, but it's possible for God. In other words, we can't get into heaven without God.

Of course, the desire to get into heaven isn't really the best reason for us to claim belief in him. God can see through such foolishness, anyway.

This exchange follows the Pharisees asking about divorce and the young rich man asking how he can be good, and it precedes the speech about "the last shall be first, and the first shall be last." Jesus is telling us that it doesn't matter what we do, for we will never be able to do enough to get into heaven. It truly is the grace of God which propels us through those gates.

02.01.09 :: Matthew 18

2009-01-01T22:12:00.003-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 97: 1,8-end Isa. 53
Lichfield - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd Jonathan Michael Gledhill
Lichfield - Shrewsbury - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd Alan Gregory Clayton Smith
Lichfield - Stafford - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd Alfred Gordon Mursell
Lichfield - Wolverhampton - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Rev'd Clive Gregory

Reading:
Matthew 18

Thoughts:

What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Matthew 18.12-14

I don't actually know any shepherds; do you? Without that knowledge, this may be difficult for us to really understand.

The thing is, the sheep are the shepherd's livelihood. If he loses a sheep, he's out some pay, whether it's his family's sheep or he's a hired hand.

I try to relate this to something like losing a child. My parents had four children, and if one was lost, they would certainly have looked for him or her - having three left doesn't make up for the one that's missing.

I imagine that this is what it must be like for God. If we are lost, the fact that he has millions (billions?) of others in his hand doesn't make up for those he does not have in hand. God is greedy; he wants every single one of us to belong to him.

Are you one of those he's searching for, or one he's found? Better yet, are you one who's never strayed? Is it time to return, time to let him find you, or time to thank him for his love, care, and protection?

What a perfect time of year to do any one of those things!

03.12.08 :: Matthew 17

2008-12-03T18:48:00.002-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 118: 19-27 Isa: 4:2-6
Kitui - (Kenya) The Rt Revd Josephat Vundi Mule

Reading:
Matthew 17

Thoughts:

He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17.20

I remember, several years ago when I was living in North Vancouver, I got on the Seabus to go down into the main part of Vancouver, and I was suddenly struck with the overwhelming sense that if I had to, I could get off the boat and walk across the narrows, no problem. It was sure, a certain thing. Disconcerting, to say the least, but a definite knowledge.

Have you ever had that kind of knowing in your own life? What was it like? Try to remember that feeling as you go through your day. The sense of power is remarkable, and it can give you amazing confidence.

When I Believe

Janna Hoskin

When I believe I am doing your will,
I believe you can do anything.
I believe I am living in you.
I believe I can do anything.

And I can walk on water,
and I can move the mountains,
and I can do anything I please, if you please

When I believe I am doing your will,
I believe you can do anything.
I believe I am living in you.
I believe I can do anything.

And if my heart loses strength,
and if I begin to doubt,
and if I lose sight of you I pray, Lord I pray

That you'll help me believe I am doing your will,
I believe you can do anything.
I believe I am living in you.
I believe I can do anything.

(© 2002, Janna Hoskin)

30.11.08 :: Matthew 16

2008-11-30T21:09:00.003-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 68: 1-10 Col: 1: 1-8
Almighty God, as your kingdom dawns, turn us from the darkness of sin to the light of holiness, that we may be ready to meet you in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
(from Common Worship)
Falkland Islands (Extra-Provincial to Canterbury)

Reading:
Matthew 16

Thoughts:

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?"
Matthew 16.24-26

This passage is probably used a lot in sermons. I know it's used a fair amount in different songs. I can think of two right now - one by Michael W. Smith, the other by Tobymac.

I've heard a lot of talk about what the cross is, what it means to follow Christ, gaining the world only to lose your soul, etc.

It's more of that paradoxical talk that Jesus seems to be so fond of: save your life and you'll end up losing it; lose your life for him and you'll find it.

My personal take on this short piece of the Gospel is that the cross is our vocation. It's not necessarily something we find distasteful; it could easily enough be a metaphor. Just as Christ's purpose was the cross, so too have we a purpose. If we embrace that purpose, then we will find our life and have everything.

What will you choose?

16.08.08 :: Matthew 15

2008-08-16T08:46:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 77 Acts 15:6-21
Gahini - (Rwanda) The Rt Rev'd Alexis Bilindabagabo

Reading:
Matthew 15

Thoughts:
People who think they know God but don't. The Pharisees were keeping the letter of the law without observing the spirit of it.

We are supposed to obey the law, of course, but it is so much more important to have clean hearts and minds. Jesus emphasizes this when he talks about how external actions like washing one's hands before eating don't have much to do with actual cleanliness: that comes from the heart.

How clean is your heart? How often do you allow sin into your life - into your mind and heart? When we allow these unclean things into ourselves, they are revealed in our lives. We end up being like the Pharisess, honouring God with our lips while our hearts are far from him.

15.08.08 :: Matthew 14

2008-08-15T09:11:00.003-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
St Mary the Virgin, Mother of Christ (Assumption)
Psalm: 76 Gen 29:15-30
O God, you have taken yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
from USA Payer Book

Freetown - (West Africa) The Rt Rev'd Julius Olotu Prince Lynch

Reading:
Matthew 14

Thoughts:

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Matthew 14.34-36

Several parts here to look at today. First there's the fact that the people in Gennesaret didn't recognize Jesus immediately. I think that's very important to note, because I think that often we fail to recognize God in our lives.

But notice what happens next: the people send word about his presence, and then bring him their sick for healing. How often do we do this in our lives, when we do recognize God? How often do we proceed to tell others about him and then ask him for healing?

And check it out: these people were confident that just touching his cloak would heal them, and they were right. Have we this kind of faith? The kind that grants us healing with the smallest of motions, the kind that gives us what we need when we've barely figured out how to ask.

There's much to remember, much to think upon, just in those few short verses.

23.09.07 :: Matthew 13

2007-09-23T21:12:00.001-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 98 Lk 8:11-18
Southwest Florida - (Province IV, USA) The Rt Rev'd John Bailey Lipscomb

Reading:
Matthew 13

Thoughts:
Another chapter that has too much in it to be able to talk about all of it. It's a chapter of parables, though, and that gives us a great topic to look at: the use of story as teaching method.

Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.' With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:
'You will indeed listen, but never understand,
and you will indeed look, but never perceive.
For this people's heart has grown dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
so that they might not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn-
and I would heal them.'
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
Matthew 13.10-17

It seems to me that Jesus is telling the disciples that he uses parables (stories) to teach the people because the people need things spelled out for them in a simpler way than the disciples require.

But is that all there is to it? Interpreting stories can be very difficult at times; only the author knows their true meaning. Luckily, Jesus often gives us the interpretation of his own stories.

I think the use of story as a teaching method can be an excellent tool. Often, it is easier to share a difficult truth with someone by cushioning it in "fiction". It is also easier for people to learn when they are given some kind of a story they can relate to. This is why you will find public speakers and writers using anecdotes throughout their work - they retain their audience's attention by giving the people stories in which they can see themselves (or people they know).

Of course, the use of story as a teaching method was used long before Jesus' day; the Hebrews were initially a people of oral tradition, and the Greek myths are nothing if not stories we can learn from!

Keep reading and enjoy the stories. We will learn much from them, together.

11.07.07 :: Matthew 12 :: St Benedict

2007-07-11T23:10:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm 34.1-10 Jer 7.1-15
Port Moresby - (Papua New Guinea) The Rev'd Peter Ramsden

Reading:
Matthew 12

Thoughts:
There is so much in this chapter that I don't know where to start, what to pull out and talk about. It is a chapter of teaching, of healing, of prophecy fulfilled. The pharisees test Jesus and dislike what they find, so they begin to conspire against him. Things are done on the Sabbath which could be considered work, such as plucking heads of grain or curing the sick.

Actually, let's talk about curing the sick on the Sabbath, and plucking heads of grain on the Sabbath.

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work - you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
Exodus 20.8-11

The fourth commandment. Yet what are Jesus and his disciples being reprimanded for?

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
Matthew 12.1

They were hungry, obviously nobody was giving them anything to eat, and they did what anyone would do - they found themselves something to eat! (It wasn't considered stealing, apparently.)

Fasting is considered a spiritual discipline, but at the same time we are to look after our bodies. Fasting that damages the body (as with anorexia nervosa) or that is not purposed to develop our discipline is not something to be proud of or to pursue.
And then there's this other bit:

He left that place and entered their synagogue; 10 a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other.
Matthew 12.9-13

Honestly, I fail to see how doing God's work can possibly be unlawful. What could be more holy than to make someone whole? (Pun not intended.)

There is a lot of discussion, at times, over what day is truly the Sabbath. Jews keep Shabbat from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday. Seventh Day Adventists celebrate on Saturday. Most Christians observe Sunday. But the Sabbath is truly the Seventh Day, which is Saturday. If you look carefully at the passage from Exodus, God says nothing about what day of the week we are to keep holy - he merely says that we are to work six days and keep the seventh holy. And Christians typically keep Sunday because we are celebrating the Resurrection every Sunday morning, not because it's the Sabbath.

(Of course, this doesn't mean that pastors and priests shouldn't get a day off each week because they're doing God's work on Sunday. It's still work, and God himself took a day off after making all of creation, so people definitely need a day off, even if it's all God's work!)

04.07.07 :: Matthew 11

2007-07-04T23:26:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm 29; Mt 22.15-22
The Most Rev'd Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church in the USA
Bishop for the Office of Pastoral Development of the Episcopal House of Bishops USA - (USA) The Rt Rev'd Frank Clayton Matthews

Reading:
Matthew 11

Thoughts:
When I was reading this passage this morning, I was struck by how differently Jesus speaks here than he does elsewhere in scripture. He talks about John the Baptist, his cousin, as being Elijah. Then he talks about how the cities that did not welcome him in will be lost. Then comes how he has so much power.

If it weren't Jesus speaking, we'd think him arrogant.

But then, see... then, he speaks of the rest which awaits the faithful.

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Matthew 11.28-30

Yeah, right. Liar. His yoke isn't easy, and the burdens he gives us aren't light.

Or are they?

Be careful whom you call a liar.

I find that true peace comes when I remember to rely on Christ. My own burdens are heavier than those he would have me pull, and when I share the load with him, they are much easier to deal with.

I think that maybe the load I choose to pull is the wrong one. If I lay my burden down at the foot of the cross, truly lay it down (don't let it remain tied to me, even by a long cord), then I will be rewarded with something smaller and lighter, even if it doesn't look it at first. And with this new load, I am given something else: a partner who is stronger than Atlas, whose footing is surer than the oldest mountain goat, whose steadfastness rivals that of Samwise Gamgee.

Jesus pulls with me, and is strong where I am weak, certain where I falter, and faithful where I fail.

03.07.07 :: Matthew 10

2007-07-04T00:02:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm 28.1-3,5-9; Mt 22.1-14
Peshawar - (Pakistan) The Rt Revd Munawar Kenneth Rumalshah

Reading:
Matthew 10

Thoughts:
The beginning of this chapter lists the names and family connections of the Twelve (vv 2-4). And then, near the end, Jesus talks about how he has come to set family members against one another (vv 34-39).

I do see this often. I see it pending in my own family, as the Anglican Church of Canada heads towards schism.

People read the same text, come up with different interpretations, and can't agree to disagree.

And while I am sure Jesus meant it when he said, "For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household." (Matthew 10.35-36), I am equally sure that such animosity sets his teeth on edge and causes him pain.

We call him the Prince of Peace, yet we ignore the necessity of battle, at times. And I am not pro-violence (quite the opposite, in fact); I speak of another kind of battle: the battle of finding that median between love and righteousness.

01.07.07 :: Matthew 9

2007-07-01T23:06:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm 26; Mt 21.28-32
The Most Rev'd Frank Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada

Reading:
Matthew 9

Thoughts:
Sin & forgiveness. Sickness & healing. Pride & love.

Dichotomies. Dualities.

I notice, in this passage, how Jesus spends his time telling and showing people about who he is, who they are, and what their purpose is. There is such love in his voice as he tells the paralytic that his sins are forgiven, and such tenderness in his eyes as he tells the woman who touched his cloak that her faith had made her well.

Jesus noticed people, and he loved them. In loving them, in noticing them, he saw their deepest need, and he met that need.

Jesus continues to do this today. He notices us, he loves us, he sees our deepest needs, and he longs to meet those needs. The problem is that we are sometimes too self-involved, and we fail to notice him. Can't accept a gift without first noticing that it is being offered to us.

Jesus' ability to love people as they are, his ability to meet the needs they have in the present, these are skills that I so desire to learn.

For me they are the two most important pieces of my life as a Christian. It might be useful to take some time to ponder the question, "What about Christ do I most wish to emulate?"

12.12.2006 :: Matthew 8

2006-12-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 34: 1-6,21,22; II Kgs 2: 13-18
Kubwa - (Province of Abuja, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Simon Bala

Reading:
Matthew 8

Thoughts:
Healings. People who just don't have what it takes to follow Jesus. Calming the raging storm. Casting out demons.

Jesus' ministry was full of signs like these. He is so obviously being proclaimed a miracle-worker, someone whose path is not easy.

In a conversation about my goal with this blog, I was informed that it would be best to follow Matthew with Exodus and to save Genesis for John. I expect I will follow that advice, because it came from a priest who has a lot of experience and a lot of education both. He said that Matthew compares Jesus to Moses and of course John opens with a lot of direct parallels to Genesis.

There is a bit here about priorities, too.

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Matthew 8.18-22

In other words, put Jesus first. Put God first. Don't wait for things to be 'right' before you go after him. He has called you, so follow him - no questions asked. It's going to be tough; you may not always have all of those items deemed 'necessary'. And it truly is an immediate thing. No waiting.

Wait a second - no waiting?

Yes, no waiting.

Sometimes we feel as if we are waiting and that's all we are doing. But there's a difference between waiting on God and making him wait on us.

How silly is it to make someone wait for us when they created us? God has the power to do whatever he wants to our world, and to us, yet we presume - so often, too often - to know better than he about how and when things should happen.

Waiting for God isn't a big deal, either. He knows the right time. He will give us what we need in order to accomplish the tasks he has set us, when we need to complete them. And while we are waiting, we need to be preparing. Active waiting when God is 'taking his time'.

Meandering thoughts tonight.

Tomorrow is Matthew 9 - we'll see how thematic I become.

11.12.2006 :: Matthew 7

2006-12-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 25; II Kgs 2:1-12
Krishna-Godavari - (South India) The Rt Revd Dr. G Dyvasirvadam

Reading:
Matthew 7

Thoughts:

"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
"In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets."
Matthew 7.7-12

I thought I would write about asking and seeking and knocking... but instead, I think I'll look at that last phrase there.

No, not "do to others as you would have them do to you".

"The law and the prophets."

The law and the prophets? What the heck?

This isn't the only time that Jesus uses the phrase. He says it when he details the greatest law and the second (love God and love your neighbour).

What is the law? It's in the early books, ones we haven't read yet because I wanted to start with Matthew. It's the do and do nots.

What about the prophets? They have various books to themselves, as well. But they exist today, just as the law does. Prophets are those who speak the word of God to the people of their time, as well as those of future times.

So, the do and do nots and the people who speak the word of God to others... it can't be coincidence that Jesus uses the two together more than once. And it can't be coincidence that they are used in conjunction with descriptions of love - how to care for one another, and how to be about God.

In fact, Jesus says that this stuff about love is the most important stuff ever. He says that the law and the prophets are all about love. And so I imagine that his purpose was love. Love others, show God's love, be God's love.

The law is about love. The prophets are about love.

The trick is knowing when you're acting out of love and when you've let yourself get mixed up and put the law or the prophets ahead of love.

10.12.2006 :: Matthew 6

2006-12-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 126; II Kgs 1: 1-17
PRAY for Falkland Islands (Extra-Provincial to Canterbury) and all clergy and people of the islands.

Reading:
Matthew 6

Thoughts:
Prayer, our heart's orientation, and our behaviour. In all things, we are asked to put God first.

We are to behave as though nobody is watching. Which makes sense, because really nobody cares except us and God anyhow.

But I love the prayer. The structure of it.

The version I learned first (and still love to recite):

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

The structure is simple:

Give God his due - praise him as he deserves to be praised.
Express your desire for good on the earth - and remember that you are his primary tool for fulfilling that request.
Request that which you require, and ask forgiveness for that which you do wrong - and don't forget to forgive those who wrong you.
Recall the goodness of God and his faithfulness - he won't send you into anything you cannot withstand.
Worship God as he deserves to be worshiped.

It really is a simple formula. Simplified, it's Praise, Request, Confess, Worship.

Of course, I'm sure God doesn't really mind if we don't follow that formula all the time. But if we do, then we can be certain that we've given him his due - something I know I do forget from time to time.

09.12.2006 :: Matthew 5

2006-12-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 146: 4-11; I Thess. 4: 1-12
Kootenay - (British Columbia & the Yukon, Canada) The Rt Revd John Elswood Privett

Reading:
Matthew 5

Thoughts:
The Beatitudes. Blessed are... all the people who are looked down upon, for God will bless them - if not now, then in the next life.

Salt and Light. We need to add flavour to life (no bland nothingness for us!), and show people where to go - as that is the primary purpose of light.

Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. Stick to the law, because Jesus came to fulfill it, not to abolish it - this means we have to obey the law with no mistakes.

Jesus' Teaching Alters the Law. Basically, it's not just the actions we do, but the intent behind those actions (and we can consider thoughts to be actions as well, according to Matthew/Jesus) - a truly frightening thought!

How daunting! To be informed that we must be perfect. Add flavour to life, show the world the truth, be despised, follow the law perfectly (even in our thoughts)... ouch. I know I don't fit that description. I spent today bored out of my skull. I try to point to the truth, but I don't know how well I do at it. I don't think I'm all that despised, either. And I definitely don't follow the law perfectly. I can't even follow my own commitments perfectly yet!

Tomorrow: Matthew 6

07.12.2006 :: Matthew 4

2006-12-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 118: 19-27; Isa. 5: 8-23
Kolhapur - (North India) The Rt Revd Bathuel Ramchandra Tiwade

Reading:
Matthew 4

Thoughts:
The beginning of ministry.

First, Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. He spends over a month there, neither eating nor drinking, and then he is tempted to abuse his power, test his identity, and deny himself entirely.

He then returns home, to Galilee, a land of fishermen. And he calls several to follow him. These men have nothing but the sea, and they drop everything to follow this man - who, according to Matthew, has performed no great miracles.

Then the ministry truly begins. He spends his time with the sick and the broken, healing them. He speaks in the synagogues, teaching the people of the Truth of the present kingdom of God.

I wonder if this is the way in which all ministry must also begin?

From the depths of nothingness, of poverty, of temptation, we are brought into strength and power. We are bolstered by those who recognise the calling on our lives, and we are then able to minister powerfully in our vocation.

So what is your calling, your vocation? Jesus' was to proclaim the kingdom of God. John's was to proclaim Jesus' coming.

Proclaim. What a word. What does it mean?

to announce or declare in an official or formal manner: to proclaim war.
to announce or declare in an open or ostentatious way: to proclaim one's opinions.
to indicate or make known publicly or openly.
to extol or praise publicly: Let them proclaim the Lord.
to declare (a territory, district, etc.) subject to particular legal restrictions.
to declare to be an outlaw, evildoer, or the like.
to denounce or prohibit publicly.
–verb (used without object)
to make a proclamation.

Courtesy of dictionary.com

So, the question is, do we need to use words in order to proclaim something?

Honestly, I don't think we do. I think we can say something as clearly (if not moreso) through our actions. And I believe that Christ's actions proclaimed the kingdom of God just as much as his words did, and I think that to ignore the message of his life in favour of his death and resurrection is to deny a very big part of his calling and vocation - and the very reason he came to earth in the first place.

06.12.2006 :: Matthew 3

2006-12-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

St Nicholas

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 103: 8-13; Isa. 5: 1-7

Eternal God,
in your great love you gave your servant Nicholas a perpetual name for deeds of kindness on land and sea. Grant that your Church may never cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor and the help of those who are tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.Amen.
Anglican collect from For All the Saints: Prayers and Readings for Saints' Days.
Copyright ©1994 General Synod of the Anglican Church in Canada. Used by permission.

Pray for Koforidua - (West Africa) The Rt Revd Francis Quashie

Reading:
Matthew 3

Thoughts:
John was pretty harsh, don't you think? He called people names, he proclaimed the coming king... kind of runs in the family, I guess. *wink*

But this self-confident (or perhaps God-confident) man becomes nothing when faced with his cousin, Jesus. (Can you imagine your cousin being someone that holy? I sure can't.)

"What are you doing here? I can't baptize you... I'm nothing next to you! You're already holy and you have nothing to repent of! Please, you should be the one doing the baptism here."

And Jesus looks at John and smiles, shaking his head. "No, John, I must be baptized by you today. There is a higher power at work here, and I must follow my Father's command."

So John baptizes Jesus, and as the Messiah rises from the water of the Jordan river, the heavens open to reveal the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove. The dove alights on Jesus' head, and God speaks. The voice that called the sun into existence now calls the Son into the beginning of his ministry on earth.

"This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

May I be so pleasing to my God.

Tomorrow: Matthew 4

05.12.2006 :: Matthew 2

2006-12-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 72: 1-4,18,19; I Thess. 2: 13-20
Kobe - (Japan) The Rt Revd Andrew Yutaka Nakamura

Today's Passage:
Matthew 2

Thoughts:
It's interesting, isn't it, that so much more time is given the events surrounding Jesus' early childhood than the circumstances of his birth? Perhaps because Jesus' life isn't about his birth. Sure, he wouldn't be alive if he hadn't been born first, but there is so much weight given to "Christmas" in our religion!

Why is that, really? I'm serious about this question. Why is Christmas given so much attention - more than Easter, more than any other part of Jesus' earthly life?

The idea that we should be kinder to others at this time of year than we are the rest of the year doesn't make any sense. When did Jesus say that? If you can show me the text, I'm all in.

This doesn't mean that I don't plan to celebrate Christmas. If nothing else, it's a great excuse to get together with family and to give people presents for "no reason" other than that they're in your life.

Wait, can't we do that at any time of the year?

Hm.

Owell. I still plan to celebrate Christmas as I always have - with gifts and family and fun and too much food.

Tomorrow: Matthew 3

03.12.2006 :: Matthew 1

2006-12-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Psalm: 68: 1-10; I Thess. 1
PRAY for The Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain (E-P to the Archbishop of Canterbury)

Today's Passage:
Matthew 1

Thoughts:
Perhaps my fellow Roddenberry fans will notice the similarities between Matthew's genealogy of Jesus and the way Klingons and Nietzscheans describe their lineage.

Worf, son of Mog
Klingon

Tyr Anasazi out of Victoria by Barbarossa of the Kodiak Pride
Nietzschean

I apologise for the lack of spiritual insights tonight. That was seriously the main thing that jumped out at me in this reading.

The other part that jumped out at me was the bare-bones retelling of the birth of Christ. I mean, Matthew basically just goes along and says that Mary was pregnant, Joseph (being an honourable man) was going to dismiss her quietly, an angel told him to marry her anyhow, he did, and they didn't have sex until after Jesus was born.

If I wrote a story that gave that few details, nobody would be interested. What about this version is compelling? What keeps us reading? I mean, first he lists a crapload of names of people we may or may not recognise, and then he tells that minimal story? Yeah, right!

And yet... and yet, the story of Christ's birth is fairly well-known. Granted, it's mostly Luke's version (which gained much notoriety thanks to A Charlie Brown Christmas, I'm sure), but still - it's fairly well-known.

Of course, Matthew gives us just that little bit of tantalising information to keep us reading.

What? The chick is pregnant by the Holy Spirit? What does that mean, anyhow? This kid must be important, especially if an angel came and told her hubby-to-be that he should marry her anyhow! Unwed mothers are still not looked on as being all that respectable - back then, they were the dregs of society. Joseph and Mary tying the knot legitimized Jesus in the eyes of the people. Some sources say that the betrothal was the equivalent of marriage in some ways, and that often a man would bed his wife-to-be prior to the actual wedding. Any resulting pregnancy was considered legitimate, as long as the husband claimed the child as his own. In order to do that, he would obviously have to marry his pregnant fiancee.

A quiet dismissal would, of course, still cause Mary to lose face. She would be considered the equivalent of a harlot (prostitute) and could be stoned to death. Basically, by breaking the engagement, Joseph would have been saying that the child was not his and so Mary had obviously had an affair.

So... what's all this got to do with anything? Honestly, I'm not totally sure where we're going with this. I'm just sharing my thoughts as they come, which is the best way to learn, I think! Share thoughts, engage in debate... we'll see what we come up with together. If Matthew is a good storyteller, he's using this first chapter to set the stage for what's to come. Let's find out together.

Tomorrow: Matthew 2!

Changes...

2006-11-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

I've obviously not been posting devotions for the last little while. Life got busy, interesting, and so on. I'm planning to take this up again on December 3, which is the start of a new year in the Church. I've not decided just what, exactly, the devotions will look like, but they'll be different. I thought we might do a chapter of the Bible each day. See how long it takes to get through the whole thing.

God bless.

28.10.2006 :: Growing Up. :: St Simon the Zealot and St Jude, the Apostles with St Jude the Brother of the Lord (HD) (Red)

2006-10-27T23:03:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Kano (Province of Kaduna, Nigeria)

Special Information:
St Simon and St Jude, Apostles (HD) (Red)

Readings:
Psalm 66; Isaiah 28.9-16; Ephesians 4.1-16 (BAS)
Psalm 118; Jeremiah 3.12-18; Luke 6.12-19 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Growing Up.

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.
Ephesians 4.14-16

Be a child no longer. Instead, grow in Christ, becoming more like him every moment of your life.

The Bible compares us to children many times. Probably because, compared to God, we are children! He is our father, and we are his children. He watches over us as a mother hen watches over her chicks; he raises us up in the manner we should go.

Make up your mind, this passage tells us. Don't just go with the flow - choose Christ, and stand firm and true as he did. Spend time with him and you will grow more like him every day.

I still feel very young, though I have celebrated my 30th birthday. I'm sure it's partly due to the ADHD that God saw fit to bless me with. Basically, while I am responsible and definitely an adult, I often feel like a child in the kinds of things I enjoy, in my attitudes towards situations, and in my responses to people and things.

Are we really "as young as we feel"? If so, I'm maybe 15 a lot of the time. (Until my knees/hips act up; then I'm 80.)

With society's emphasis on youth, I am actually not surprised by the number of immature Christians in the world... people who do not think long and hard about their faith or about issues that affect them (or should affect them). People who do not want their faith to touch the deep recesses of their souls.

This spiritual youth is not something we should aspire to. I don't know that physical youth is, either. I would rather be touched deeply by God and grow old and gnarled than remain a spiritual infant and look like my face is made out of plastic.

Think deeply. Immerse yourself.

He'll reveal himself to you when it's time for you to grow up.

Prayer:

Teach us, good Lord, to serve thee as Thou deservest,
To give and not to count the cost,
To fight and not to heed the wounds,
To toil and not to seek for rest,
To labour and not to ask for any reward,
Save that of knowing that we do thy will.
Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)
The Open Gate: Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually, by David Adam. p. 99.
Copyright © 1994 David Adam

27.10.2006 :: Wisdom. :: Alfred King of the West Saxons, 899 (Green) transferred from 26 October

2006-10-26T23:10:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Kampala (Uganda)

Special Information:
Eve of St Simon the Zealot and St Jude, the Apostles with St Jude the Brother of the Lord (Red)
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 31; Sirach 11.2-20; Revelation 9.13-21 (BAS)
Psalm 126,127,128; Ezra 5; 1 Timothy 5 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Wisdom.

Do not find fault before you investigate; examine first, and then criticize. Do not answer before you listen, and do not interrupt when another is speaking. Do not argue about a matter that does not concern you, and do not sit with sinners when they judge a case.
Sirach 11.7-9

Too many times, we get involved in other people's business. We gossip, we offer our unsolicited opinions, and we judge situations without knowing all of the facts.

This passage cautions against all of these things.

Of course, of course it is human nature to do them! But we are called to deny our human nature and take on the likeness of Christ in its stead.

Objectivity can be difficult to come by, to be certain, but it is important to take the time to hear out everyone involved before settling our opinions and prejudices.

Prayer:

For the dullness of our vision,
Father forgive.
For the weakness of our faith,
Jesus forgive.
For the joylessness of our living,
Spirit forgive.
Holy Three have mercy upon us,
Forgive us our sins,
Help us to seek,
Help us to see,
Help us to serve you.
The Open Gate: Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually, by David Adam. p. 53.
Copyright © 1994 David Adam

26.10.2006 :: All that he hath created. :: Cedd, Missionary, Bishop of the East Saxons, 664 (Green)

2006-10-25T22:41:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Kajo Keji (Sudan)

Special Information:
Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, 899 (Com) (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 37.1-18; Sirach 10.1-18; Revelation 9.1-12 (BAS)
Psalm 119, pts 19,20; Zechariah 13; 1 Timothy 4 (BCP)

Thoughts:
All that he hath created.

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God's word and by prayer.
1 Timothy 4.4-5

How often do we turn away from things, saying that they aren't worthy or are sinful, or, or, or...?

And how many of those things that we reject are things that God created?

Perhaps we all need to think a little more, stop and ponder what we are refusing to allow into our lives without due consideration.

Some of these denials are things that God has called certain of us away from, certainly. But we are called to different things at different times, and we need to remember that: what I am called to focus on is not going to be the same as someone else, and I shouldn't push my focus on others.

Prayer:

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

(Chorus:)
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:

(Chorus)

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:

(Chorus)

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
How Great Thou Art

25.10.2006 :: The basis of our faith. :: Feria (Green) [Crispin and Crispinian, Martyrs 285]

2006-10-24T22:40:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Kajiado (Kenya)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 38; Sirach 7.4-14; Revelation 8.1-13 (BAS)
Psalm 119,pts 11,12; Zechariah 8; 1 Timothy 3 (BCP)

Thoughts:
The basis of our faith.

Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.
1 Timothy 3.16

There's a popular saying that if you look at chapter 3, verse 16, of most books of the Bible, you'll find some astounding truth there. I haven't really tested the theory myself, but this verse seems to support the claim.

That word, "mystery", doesn't mean "anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown", like most of us think when we see the word. Here, rather, I think it means "any truth that is unknowable except by divine revelation".

Faith has its roots in belief and is developed by the working of Holy Spirit in our lives. Atheists make fun of us and say that we are irrational, that we are stupid for believing in something that can not be proven (objectively) to exist.

And they're right. An otherwise rational human being can be driven to the edge of reason when the topic of religion comes up. And there is no way to objectively prove God's existence.

That's the mystery of our faith... and the mystery of being human.

Prayer:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds;
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father,
by Whom all things were made:
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man:
And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried:
And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures:
And ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father:
And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead:
Whose Kingdom will have no end:

And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life,
Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,
Who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe in One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the Resurrection of the Dead:
And the Life of the world to come. Amen.
The Nicene Creed

24.10.2006 :: Prayer, Salvation, Mediation. :: Feria (Green)

2006-10-23T22:43:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Pray for the office of the Anglican Communion Observer at the United Nations. Kagera (Tanzania)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 26,28; Sirach 6.5-17; Revelation 7.9-17 (BAS)
Psalm 119 pts 3,4; Zechariah 6.9-end; 1 Timothy 1.18-2.end (BCP)

Thoughts:
Prayer, Salvation, Mediation.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony to which was borne at the proper time.
1 Timothy 2.1-6

Prayer for all men? Thanksgivings for our politicians? What?

Keep reading. God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." That means God loves everyone. He blesses people and he desires their salvation. Which means we have to pray for them, and thank him for them, and all that other fun stuff.

Whether we like it or not.

But wait, Jesus is the only mediator between us and God, so why should we pray for anyone? Isn't that Jesus' job?

It is our job to pray for others, to ask Jesus to intercede on behalf of those we name, those for whom we pray. That is part of loving others as we love ourselves. If we pray for ourselves, how much more should we also be praying for those around us? Especially if they don't know our Saviour!

Prayer:

Jesus, you are the light of the world,
A light that no darkness can quench.

Upon your church
Wrestling with the darkness of evil,
Battling against doubt,
Let your light shine.

Upon the world governments
Facing gloom and despair,
Battling against disaster,
Let your light shine.

Upon those that live in the shadows
Caught up in sorrow and strife,
Struggling against oblivion,
Let your light shine.
The Open Gate: Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually, by David Adam. p. 65.
Copyright © 1994 David Adam

23.10.2006 :: Teaching. :: Feria (Green)

2006-10-22T22:38:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Kafanchan (Province of Abuja, Nigeria)

Special Information:
James of Jerusalem (Mem) (Red)

Readings:
Psalm 25; Sirach 4.20-5.7; Revelation 7.1-8 (BAS)
Psalm 114,115; Zechariah 3; 1 Timothy 1.1-17 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Teaching.

But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.
1 Timothy 1.5-7

I am back, hopefully for good.

I want to use the scripture above to make sure that my readers here do not have or get the wrong idea.

The devotions that I write on this blog are my own musings about faith, God, scripture, etc. I do not claim to have a special revelation of Truth - I merely aim to share what small glimpse of it I have been given.

My goal here is to get my readers thinking about things they maybe haven't really thought about before... to embark upon the journey that will lead them to understanding.

So, hopefully we can all walk together, learn together, and discover Truth together.

"Work out your faith in fear and trembling."

Yes, let's.

Prayer:

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness' sake, O Lord!

Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

For your name's sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Who are they that fear the Lord?
He will teach them the way that they should choose.

They will abide in prosperity,
and their children shall possess the land.
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes his covenant known to them.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart,
and bring me out of my distress.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.

Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
O guard my life, and deliver me;
do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.

Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all its troubles.

Psalm 25

19.09.06 :: Love That Surpasses Knowledge :: Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury, 690 (Green)

2006-09-19T09:59:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Hyderabad (Pakistan)

Special Information:
Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury, 690 (Com) (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 61, 62; Job 40.1-11; Acts 16.6-15 (BAS)
Psalm 95 (to be said or sung in full) 96; 2 Kings 23.21-35; Ephesians 3 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Love That Surpasses Knowledge

I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.
(Ephesians 3.16-17)

There's a passage I forgot about. I know I've heard it in church before, but today it carries extra meaning.

Have you ever had a particularly difficult day, week, weekend, month, year...? When you're stuck in the middle of the tough stuff, you don't want to be reminded that there's good stuff around - except really you do. You need to know that there's good stuff just around the corner, if you just look for it.

How awesome is our God, that he would give us his Son & Spirit to provide us with strength for those difficult times!

I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
(Ephesians 3.18-19)

Last night I saw one of the nooma videos. This particular one is called Rhythm. In it, Rob Bell talks about the music of God - which is in the hearts of all people. He talks about how some people are more in tune with that music and enjoy it, while others get bogged down in all the technical details.

What I think he was talking about was this exact thing in Ephesians: love that surpasses knowledge.

See, if we are too stuck on the specifics, we can miss the beauty of God. And that is so sad. I don't mean to trivialise the importance of study and of knowing our roots and faith - that is certainly important! But our enjoyment of the relationship can be obscured by the details.

Prayer:

PSALM 96. Cantate Domino.
O SING unto the LORD a new song; / sing unto the LORD, all the whole earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, and praise his Name; / be telling of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his honour among the nations, / and his wonders among all peoples.

4 FOR the LORD is great, and cannot worthily be praised; / he is more to be feared than all gods.
5 As for all the gods of the peoples, they are but idols; / but it is the LORD that made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him: / strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 ASCRIBE unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the peoples, / ascribe unto the LORD glory and power.
8 Give unto the LORD the honour due unto his Name; / bring presents and come into his courts.
9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; / let the whole earth stand in awe of him.

10 TELL it out among the nations that the LORD is King; / he hath made the round world so fast that it cannot be moved; he shall judge the peoples righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad; / let the sea make a noise, and all that is therein.
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it; / then shall all the trees fo the wood rejoice before the LORD;
13 For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth, / and with righteousness to judge the world, and the peoples with his truth.
Book of Common Prayer, pp. 453-454.

16.08.2006 :: All the Things You Are :: Hippolytus, Doctor, Bishop in Rome, Martyr 235 (Green) (transferred from 13 August)

2006-08-16T12:25:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Gahini (Rwanda)

Special Information:
Holy Women of the Old Testament (Mem) (White or Blue)

Readings:
Psalm 101, 109.1-4(5-19)20-30; Judges 13.15-24; Acts 6.1-15 (BAS)
Psalm 82, 83.1-8; 1 Kings 1.32-53; 1 Corinthians 12.27-13.13 (BCP)

Thoughts:
All the Things You Are

Time and again I’ve longed for adventure,
Something to make my heart beat the faster.
What did I long for? I never really knew.
Finding your love I’ve found my adventure,
Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster,
All that I want in all of this world is you.
(chorus)
You are the promised kiss of springtime
That makes the lonely winter seem long.
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You are the angel glow that lights a star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Some day my happy arms will hold you,
And some day I’ll know that moment divine,
When all the things you are, are mine!
Kern/Hammerstein, 1939

Last Thursday evening I attended a jazz concert at which the pianist played this song as his signature piece. It's quite lovely (just play the video and you'll understand).

Many people over the years have pointed out that if we take 1 Corinthians 13.4-7 and put our own name instead of love, we will have a description of how we ought to be. I also like to point out that if we remember that God is love, that passage describes to us just how amazing God actually is.

We are the body of Christ; we are to be his ambassadors to the world. We're in a culture that doesn't necessarily recognise, understand, or even know about Christ. It is so important that we take the initiative... live as Christ would have us live... show his love to the world... be his love to the world.

I find myself writing about love a lot these days - not just here, but on my other blogs as well. Not just love between people, but love for God and love for work. It strikes me that the word "love" has ceased to have a lot of meaning these days. I try to reserve it for things about which I am passionate, but it's not as simple as all that. English is a very limiting language.

And yet...

...and yet, it is so very important to feel passion, I think. To be excited. To be able to feel that intensity of emotion about things in our lives.

We are imperfect, limited beings, yet we were created with the capacity to love.

Perhaps that, moreso than the ability to create, is the meaning of "created in his image".

Prayer:

Thou who art over us,
Thou who art one of us,
Thou who art -
Also within us,
May all see Thee - in me also,
May I prepare the way for Thee,
May I thank Thee for all that shall fall to my lot,
May I also not forget the need of others.
Keep me in Thy love
As Thou wouldest that all should be kept in mine.
May everything in my being be directed to Thy glory
And may I never despair,
For I am under Thy hand,
And in Thee is all power and goodness.
Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-1961)
The Open Gate: Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually, by David Adam. p. 106.
Copyright © 1994 David Adam

15.08.2006 :: Possibilities :: The Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary (White)

2006-08-14T23:17:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Freetown (West Africa)

Special Information:
St Mary the Virgin (HD) (White)

Readings:
Psalm 113,115; 1 Samuel 2.1-10; John 2.1-12 (BAS)
Psalm 78 pat 1; 2 Samuel 24; 1 Corinthians 12.1-27 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Possibilities

Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine.

How logical is that? How possible does it seem?

What about all those spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians? How possible are they?

Absolutely, 100%, completely possible.

This reading (1 Corinthians 12.1-27) doesn't list all of the gifts available to us, but rather is more about our attitude concerning them and each other. Again, we have an underlying theme of respect.

Everyone is different. The text makes that quite clear. We are all given different gifts with which to serve God. Rather than lament how lacking we are, we should rejoice in how abundant we are! Rather than look down upon those who don't share our gifts, we should rejoice in the differences between us and take the time to notice how others' gifts support ours - and vice versa!

Respect God, respect ourselves, respect others.

And when we do this, what possibilities abound!

Why, we could even walk on water if we tried.

Prayer:

Open up my eyes I pray
Lord for just a little glimpse of you
That's all I need
All I've ever needed
To see beyond myself, beyond this tiny little world
At all your hands have made,
With beauty and strength alone
I can see you comin' to me now
Ah, like a shimmering light
A shimmering light on an open sea
Barefoot on the water, laughin' at the ocean
Like you were old friends
And callin' out my name sayin' join me now
(Chorus)
Strollin' on the water... high over every care
Strollin' on the water... sinking no longer
Let me rise above the high tide
I can do it, I'll do it yeah,
I know where my strength comes from

Help me cut these bonds where I keep my spirit tied down
All safe and dry... safe and dry and so afraid
Let me come to you, let me run to you,
While my heart's still beating, beating in my throat,
With my sweaty palms and a mouth so dry
Shakin' till I can't stand still
All I'm askin', all I'm askin' is to
Let me cross that great divide between you and I
Only you can take me there, so take me there
(Chorus)
Strollin' on the water... high over every care
Strollin' on the water... sinking no longer
Let me rise above the high tide
I can do it, I'll do it yeah,

I know that you said
Follow me... just let the water flow... let it go
Oh, and keep your eyes on me
You feel alive?
Try turnin' circles... bend your knees
And hold your hands up high
Can ya feel the wind in your hair... with your eyes closed
Take a breath of fresh air... feel the mist on your toes
(look where we are)

Strollin' on the water... high over every care
Strollin' on the water... sinking no longer
Strollin' on the water... high over every care
Strollin' on the water...
strollin' on the water, Bryan Duncan
the last time i was here, 1998

14.08.2006 :: Respect :: Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down, Ireland, 1667 (White) (transferred from 13 August)

2006-08-14T10:19:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Bishop of Fredericton (Canada, Canada)

Special Information:
Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Maximilien Kolbe, Martyres, 1945, 1941 (Com) (Green) Eve of St Mary the Virgin (White)

Readings:
Psalm 89.1-18; Judges 12.1-7; Acts 5.12-26 (BAS)
Psalm 73; 2 Samuel 19.24-43; 1 Corinthians 11.2-34 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Respect

It strikes me that Paul isn't talking so much about "what women should do" at the beginning of the 1 Corinthians reading as he is talking about respect. I say this because he then goes on to talk about the way people are behaving at the Lord's Supper (Communion, Eucharist, Mass). It's an odd segue, to go from women keeping their heads covered to how to behave when "at dinner", unless we look at the underlying message.

Paul's words are about outward behaviour, but the intent (the message contained or hidden within the words) has more to do with inward state (the way the person is in their soul or spirit).

Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man or man independent of woman.
(1 Corinthians 11.10)

When you come together, it is not really to eat the Lord's supper. For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk.
(1 Corinthians 11.20-21)

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
(1 Corinthians 11.26)

So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
(1 Corinthians 11.33)

Respect.

Respect for self, respect for God, respect for others, respect for our activities.

This respect is absolutely part & parcel of the liturgical service within my own faith tradition (Anglican). We approach the Eucharist with reverence, and we conclude with reverence. Worship and thanksgiving are inherent qualities of our Eucharistic service, as they ought to be for all services (especially those at which the Lord's Supper is celebrated).

This reverence, this holy fear, is missing in some contemporary services - yes, even within my own Anglican church. We are so caught up in the goodness of God, in the praises, in the friendship we have with him, that we forget that he's a dangerous God.

Mr. Tumnus: [of Aslan] He's not a tame lion.
Lucy Pevensie: No... but he's good.

Prayer:

WE do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, Trusting in our own righteousness, But in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy So much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, Whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, So to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, And to drink his Blood, That our sinful bodies may be made clean by his Body, And our souls washed through his most precious Blood, And that we may evermore dwell in him, And he in us. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer, pp. 83-84.

11.08.2006 :: Work :: Feria (Green)

2006-08-11T12:11:00.000-06:00

Apologies in advance for missing this weekend; still no internet access from home. This will be corrected in time for next weekend.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Fond du Lac (Province V, USA)

Special Information:
Clare of Assisi, Abbess, 1253 (Mem) (White)

Readings:
Psalm 88; Judges 9.1-16,19-21; Acts 4.13-31 (BAS)
Psalm 59; 2 Samuel 17.1-23; 1 Corinthians 9 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Work

It seems to me that Paul is a bit reactionary. He writes in chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians about how he shouldn't have to work because he's an apostle. Doesn't that seem like he's defending his position from critics?

Now, I do agree that those who are called to ministry shouldn't have to take menial jobs just to support themselves and their families, for don't we all believe that God provides for our needs?

But while Paul makes good points in this chapter, he's definitely being reactive rather than proactive.

I work for a church - I'm their General Secretary (emphasis on the "general"). My father also works for a church - he's an ArchDeacon in the Anglican Diocese of Algoma. My brother works for a church - he's incumbent at a three-point parish in rural Saskatchewan. My uncle works for the church - he is about to become Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Calgary.

Because we work for the church, we are paid by the church and we receive benefits (in the form of health insurance and other such niceties) from the church. We are lucky in that the churches we work for are able to support us adequately; the Anglican Church of Canada sets minimum pay for their clergy that parishes are expected to meet, and this can increase depending on how long a priest has been ordained and whether or not the parish provides a rectory (a practice that is increasingly uncommon). Higher titles (like ArchDeacon or Bishop) also increase the pay.

Yet it's not really all that much. Keep in mind that my father became a priest when I was still an infant, and so his pay was at the base rate. My brothers and I were raised on under $40,000 a year, believe it or not, and we grew up in the 1980's and '90's. And we were a single-income family, to boot.

I think it is incredibly important to support the leaders of the church in whatever ways we can, be it financially or otherwise. When we lived in a rural parish and one of my brothers was in the Children's Hospital in Calgary, Mom stayed in Calgary and we were invited into the homes of parishioners for many of our evening meals. When my parents both had to be away from home, my brothers and I often stayed with parishioners who were quite happy to have children in their home once again.

Giving to the church doesn't simply pay for the upkeep of the building, and it typically doesn't just go towards niceties like a new projector for the words on the screen up at the front (assuming your church even has one of those). The money received on a Sunday morning helps to pay the salaries of those who serve the parish day in and day out, and for a priest or pastor who considers this a way of life rather than simply a job, the salary they receive never pays them adequately for the time they put into their jobs.

I'm a secretary. I go home at the end of the day, and I don't have to work anymore. For someone like my father, though, the job is his life, and where I work a 35 hour week (often more like 40+ hours because I care that much), he will work 80 hours or more. It's not just about Sunday morning, it's about people, and a good priest/pastor knows that, understands that, and puts time and effort into building relationships with the parishioners.

Keep that in mind next time they take up the offering at your church. Think about what you give each week. How can you contribute to your priest's ministry?

Prayer:

Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you,
and of your own do we give you.
ASB
The Open Gate: Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually, by David Adam. p. 76.
Copyright © 1994 David Adam

10.08.2006 :: God is my helper :: Laurence, Archdeacon of Rome, Martyr 258 (Red)

2006-08-10T11:36:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Florida (Province IV, USA)

Special Information:
Laurence, Deacon & Martyr at Rome, 258 (Mem) (Red)

Readings:
Psalm [83] or 145; Judges 8.22-35; Acts 4.1-12 (BAS)
Psalm 53,54; 2 Samuel 15.13-37; 1 Corinthians 8 (BCP)

Thoughts:
God is my helper

He buoys me through difficult times, gives me the strength and the courage to survive the hardest things of my life.

He gives me talent and empathy and, somehow, wisdom. Not a lot of wisdom - I can never compare to Solomon - but enough.

It's so important to remember to thank God for the help he gives us. I know I forget - too often. Yet he does continue to give me the help I need.

God is far more dependable than anyone or anything in this earthly existence. He's really all we need, all we need to depend on. And the help he gives is often more than we need.

Even when we feel he has failed us, there is something good to learn, something that will help us to grow in relationship with each other and with him. It is so important to remember that and to seek the good in all things.

Prayer:

PSALM 54. Deus, in nomine.

SAVE me, O God, for thy Name's sake, / and avenge me in thy strength.
Hear my prayer, O God, / and hearken unto the words of my mouth.
For strangers are risen up against me; / and tyrants, who have not God before their eyes, seek after my soul.

BEHOLD, God is my helper: / the Lord is he that upholdeth my soul.
He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: / destroy thou them in thy truth.

A FREE-WILL offering will I give to thee, / and praise thy Name, O LORD, because it is so comfortable.
For he hath delivered me out of all my trouble; / and mine eye hath seen its desire upon mine enemies.
Book of Common Prayer, p. 397.

09.08.2006 :: Confusion :: Feria (Green)

2006-08-09T12:46:00.000-06:00

Apologies for the missed dates... no internet connection at home yet, and yesterday was crazy at work.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Fianarantsoa (Indian Ocean)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 119.97-120; Judges 7.19-8.12; Acts 3.12-26 (BAS)
Psalm 46,47; 2 Samuel 13.38-14.24; 1 Corinthians 7 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Confusion

It's probably just moving, but lately I've been feeling very scattered, which is basically the equivalent of confused. It feels like there is a lot to be done, and not much time to do it in at all. This is pretty distressing, and can lead to some rather intense moments.

It is so important to keep ourselves from becoming overwhelmed by everyday things. In the Judges reading for today, Gideon's small army overcame their enemies by making it seem that the enemy camp had been overrun. In their confusion, the Midianites killed each other.

How easy it is to allow our own confusion to destroy us! That scattered feeling I mentioned tends to build in my head. Too many thoughts all clamouring to get out at once, too many items on my list of things to get done in a day, too many, too much, too...

But wait.

Go back to the little cave on the hillside and listen for God's voice in the stillness.

Prayer:

37. For those in Anxiety.

ALMIGHTY God, who art afflicted in the afflictions of thy people: Regard with thy tender compassion those in anxiety and distress; bear their sorrows and their cares; supply all their manifold needs; and help both them and us to put our whole trust and confidence in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer, p. 54.

04.08.2006 :: Holy Spirit - Changer :: Feria (Green)

2006-08-04T13:59:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Exeter (Canterbury, England)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 69.1-23(24-30)31-38; Judges 5.1-18; Acts 2.1-21 (BAS)
Psalm 22.1-21; 2 Samuel 2.1-2.1; 1 Corinthians 3 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Holy Spirit - Changer

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
(Acts 2.1-4)

And then Peter, who was so concerned for his own life that he denied knowing Christ three times in a row, gets up in front of everyone in the street and gives a sermon.

Holy Spirit changes us when he comes into our lives. It's part of who he is - part of who God is, I think.

I freely admit to being a "Holy Spirit junkie". I like being where I know God's going to show up. I like being able to see Holy Spirit changing people, watch events unfold. I rarely participate, though I definitely feel his presence and his changing power in my own life.

Acts chapter 2 is my favourite chapter in the whole Bible. (Esther is my favourite book, and Psalm 42.7 is my favourite verse.) Pentecost is my all-time favourite celebration of the church, for obvious reasons.

Yet I don't know that I allow Holy Spirit the power and freedom to make changes in my life that he desires or requires. I do sometimes, but I think I tend to wait until I'm desperate before I let him do anything. I like to do things on my own first.

How many of you are like this? How often do you struggle to get things done, denying God his heart's desire - to help you through the tough stuff?

Prayer:

Unmaker,
Let me learn to abandon myself fully to You.
Rabboni,
Teach me how to listen to You as I have wished in the past.
Father,
Show me what You want of me, so that I can become more and more Your child.
Maker,
Create in me that depth, that solidity and stillness that I so desire.
Changer,
Grant me the capacity to contain all that I must contain, at the same time allowing myself to be contained by You (for You are the only One who can truly contain me).
Servant Love,
Let me be the embodiment of peace and blessing to all I encounter.
Still One,
In times of desperation, may Your calm descend upon me, that I may show Your truth and love to the world.
Faithful One,
Hold me when my fear becomes too large, and remind me that I am able to trust others without losing any of my identity.
Triune God,
May my identity become one with Yours.
© 2005, Janna Hoskin

03.08.2006 :: The mind of Christ :: Feria (Green)

2006-08-03T11:04:00.000-06:00

My apologies for missing yesterday.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Europe, Convocation of American Churches in (Province II, USA)

Special Information:
St Stephen, Deacon and Martyr (HD) (Red) OR Feria (if St Stephen was observed on 26 December ) (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 28,30; 2 Chronicles 24.17-22; Acts 6.1-7 OR Psalm [70],71; Judges 4.4-23; Acts 1.15-26 (BAS)
Psalm 18,part 1; 1 Samuel 31; 1 Corinthians 1.26-2.16 (BCP)

Thoughts:
The mind of Christ

"For who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 2.16)

This verse comes at the end of a long discourse about the nature of wisdom and spirituality.

How wise are we, by the world's standards? Two days ago, I wrote about being "wise in what is good" - knowing about good things and knowing nothing of what is evil. The passage in 1 Corinthians begins by stating outright that we are foolish by the world's standards. And we are, if we are truly following Christ.

Yet it finishes by stating that we have the mind of Christ.

Do I have the mind of Christ?

Do I display his wisdom? Do I show his presence in my life by the things that I do and say? Am I a good representative of my Lord and Saviour to this world that thinks my faith is foolish? How often do I allow the Spirit to speak into my soul, giving me the kind of understanding and discernment I know is available to me through my God?

I have no answers, save that, more often than not, I must respond to each question with a "no".

And I am sad to admit that I do not ask myself these questions nearly often enough to begin with.

Prayer:

Eternal light, shin in our hearts.
Eternal goodness, deliver us from evil.
Eternal power, be our support.
Eternal wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance.
Eternal pity, have mercy upon us;
that with all our heart and mind and strength
we may seek thy face and be brought by thine infinite mercy
to thy holy presence, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Alcuin (735-804)
The Open Gate: Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually, by David Adam. p. 33.
Copyright © 1994 David Adam

01.08.2006 :: Be wise in what is good :: Lammas Day The Maccabean Martyrs (Green)

2006-08-01T09:13:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Enugu (Province of the Niger, Nigeria)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Lammas Day ("loaf-mass day") orginated in Anglo-Saxon England and seems to have been a harvest festival, when loaves made from the summer's first crop of corn were blessed at Mass. It continued to be celebrated in England and southern Scotland throughout the Middle Ages, and survived the Reformation as an entry in the Prayer Book Calendar.

The Maccabean Martyrs are the Jewish mother and her seven sons who suffered death rather than abide by a Greek king's edicts against the Law of Moses. Their passion is recounted in 2 Maccabees 7 (link will let you search for the text easily). The story of the Maccabean Martyrs spoke to the condition of the early Christians under persecution by imperial Rome, and the feast was widely observed in the early Church, both East and West. But its observance gradually waned after the age of the Christian martyrs. It endured in the West under the guise of the feast of St Peter in Chains, which perpetuated the date of a stational Mass at the church of that name in the city of Rome, where alleged relics of the Maccabean Martyrs were enshrined.

**NOTE: My usual sources for Bible passages do not include the Apocryphal books, of which 2 Maccabees is a part. I find this very disappointing. I am happy to have located BibleNet.net, which does include the Apocrypha.**

Readings:
Psalm 61,62; Judges 2.1-5,11-23; Romans 16.17-27 (BAS)
Psalm 6,8; 1 Samuel 24; Romans 16 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Be wise in what is good

For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I want you to be wise in what is good and guileless in what is evil.
(Romans 16.19)

"Be wise in what is good"

wise adj.
1. Having the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting; sagacious: a wise leader.
2. a. Exhibiting common sense; prudent: a wise decision.
b. Shrewd; crafty.
3. Having great learning; erudite.
4. Provided with information; informed. Used with to: was wise to the politics of the department.
5. Slang. Rude and disrespectful; impudent.
Source

"...and guileless in what is evil."

guile·less adj.
1. Free of guile; artless.
Source

Basically, Paul is saying to "know lots about good things and nothing of evil." Of course, that's impossible, but I think his point is that it's better to be unaware of the bad things of the world than it is to know about them.

Of course, there's the saying that goes "what I don't know can't hurt me" - and we all know that isn't completely true. It's a lot easier to be damaged when we aren't aware of the possibilities. On the other hand, knowing all those possible negative outcomes can cause us a lot of needless worry. So really, which is better?

There's another saying, "fore-warned is fore-armed", which basically means that if we know that something bad is coming our way, we are better able to deal with it when it arrives.

I think that there are a certain amount of errors - sins - mistakes - evil - that people almost have to experience/make in order to make wise choices in the future. But I also think that there are always points during each error where we are able to take stock of the situation and say, "Wait a minute, this isn't a good idea and I'd better stop before things get worse." And then we can look at what led us down that path and avoid it in the future.

Of course, most of us don't use those points of reflection as well as we might. I wonder how the world would be different if we did?

Prayer:

Unto the King Eternal
Unto the King Immortal
Unto the King Invisible
The only wise God
The only wise God

Unto the King be glory and honor
Unto the King forever
Unto the King be glory and honor forever
And ever, Amen
©Unverified
Words and Music by Joey Holder

31.07.2006 :: Praise the Lord!?! :: Feria (Green)

2006-07-31T14:46:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Embu (Kenya)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 56,57,[58]; Joshua 24.16-33; Romans 16.1-16 (BAS)
Psalm 147; 1 Samuel 22.6-23; Romans 15.14-32 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Praise the Lord!?!

I moved this weekend. I have yet to unpack much of anything, but at least my bed is made and the guinea pigs have new cages.

It was a difficult weekend. I became discouraged more than once, and tired, and injured a few times. (I think I broke my toe when I dropped a chair on it last night!)

But I survived, praise be! And glory must be given to God, for he provided me with a minivan and a truck on Sunday afternoon, without which my larger items would not have been moved, and I would certainly still be moving boxes if they hadn't helped! God also provided my best friend on Saturday evening; we stuffed her car and mine full and did a trip.

It doesn't stop there, either!

God also provided my brother, who helped me move things every day except Saturday, and my brother's two closest friends, who helped empty the old place and load up my car several times on Sunday afternoon/early evening!

So, God is good and provides in time of need.

Even though I felt like writing him off more than once this weekend.

Prayer:

PSALM 147. Laudate Dominum.

O PRAISE the LORD, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God: / yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful.
The LORD doth build up Jerusalem, / and gather together the outcasts of Israel.
He healeth those that are broken in heart, / and bindeth up their wounds.
He telleth the number of the stars, / and calleth them all by their names.
Great is our Lord, and great is his power: / yea, and his wisdom is infinite.
The LORD setteth up the meek, / and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground.

O SING unto the LORD with thanksgiving: / sing praises upon the harp unto our God;
Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth, / and maketh grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of men;
Who giveth fodder unto the cattle, / and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.
He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse, / neither delighteth he in any man's legs.
But the LORD'S delight is in them that fear him, / and put their trust in his mercy.

PRAISE the LORD, O Jerusalem: / praise thy God, O Sion.
For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates, / and hath blessed thy children within thee.
He maketh peace in thy borders, / and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth; / and his word runneth very swiftly.
He giveth snow like wool, / and scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes.
He casteth forth his ice like morsels: / who is able to abide his frost?
He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: / he bloweth with his wind, and the waters flow.
He showeth his word unto Jacob, / his statutes and ordinances unto Israel.
He hath not dealt so with any nation; / neither have they knowledge of his laws.
Book of Common Prayer, pp. 518-519.

28.07.2006 :: Every Knee Shall Bow :: William Wilberforce, Emancipator fo the Slaves, 1833 (Green) (transferred from 29 July)

2006-07-28T11:49:00.000-06:00

NOTE: I am moving this weekend, so may not be able to post on Saturday or Sunday. I will do my best to keep these coming, though!

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
El-Obeid (Sudan)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 40,54; Joshua 9.22-10.15; Romans 15.14-24 (BAS)
Psalm 132,133; 1 Samuel 19; Romans 14 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Every Knee Shall Bow

"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God."
So then, each of us will be accountable to God.
(Romans 14.11-12)

Funny how God gets to have the final say, isn't it?

And "every knee shall bow" when he does, too.

Arrogance has no place in our lives. Self-righteousness, judgmental attitudes... BEGONE!

We'll be bowing with everyone else when the time comes.

"All are made equal at the foot of the cross."
(Source unknown)

Prayer:

Stir our hearts on fire with love to thee, O Christ our God,
that in its flame we may love thee with all our heart,
with all our mind, with all our soul and with all our strength,
and our neighbours as ourselves,
so that keeping thy commandments,
we may glorify thee, the giver of all good gifts.
Eastern Orthodox Kontakion
The Open Gate: Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually, by David Adam. p. 34.
Copyright © 1994 David Adam

27.07.2006 :: Slaying Our Giants :: Feria (Green)

2006-07-27T18:18:00.000-06:00

NOTE: I am moving this weekend, so may not be able to post on Saturday or Sunday. I will do my best to keep these coming, though!

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Eldoret (Kenya)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 50; Joshua 9.3-21; Romans 15.1-13 (BAS)
Psalm 120,121,122; 1 Samuel 17.31-54; Romans 13 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Slaying Our Giants

So, what's your biggest fear, your biggest challenge in life, the one thing you continually doubt yourself over?

I have many giants in my life. Mainly, my giant is my self-esteem - my belief that can do the things I set out to do, that I am a good person and worthy of love, that I do have the ability to make my dreams happen.

And there are things I could blame that giant on.

I could say that I have more trouble accomplishing things than other people do because I have ADHD. And maybe that's true, but it doesn't excuse me from the need to try... it doesn't give me an "out".

I could say that I'm too old to try getting published now and I really should have focused on my writing earlier in my life. But if I'd done that, I wouldn't have the experiences I do, and my writing wouldn't be as rich as it is.

I could blame low self-esteem on other people, on God, on circumstances, on my diagnosis. But when it comes right down to it, my self-esteem is all about my self.

Which means that this giant of mine, which takes on many different faces (depending on the day, how much stress I'm under, and whether or not I remembered to take my medication), is mine. Nobody else is responsible for it, and nobody else can make it go away. Just me.

And this giant doesn't go away easily. It's a constant battle, really. You know how David took out Goliath with one stone? My giant gets knocked down, but then he keeps on standing up again! It gets frustrating sometimes - if only he'd just stay dead!

Earlier this week, I listened to one of my favourite Bryan Duncan CDs. I'd forgotten how much I liked it. The first track on the album is about this struggle. So here are the words (and the prayer today is a song, too; Casting Crowns is very cool).

In my mind I'm like a kid in the corner
Where I argue with the devil 'til I've had my fill
When I start to believe all the lies that you're tellin' me
Sayin' I'll never make it, I say, "Yes I will"

Just like a bad tune stuck in your head forever
Over and over like the run of the mill
And with every chance that I have to do somethin' good
Here we go: "no you won't", "yes I will"

Chorus:
I said wait!
(Yes I am, yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will
Yes I am , yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will)
Just a minute, said, yes I will!
(Yes I am, yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will
Yes I am , yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will)
Oh, and I said wait!
(Yes I am, yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will
Yes I am , yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will)
[scat singing]
(Yes I am, yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will
Yes I am , yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will)
Said, yes I will
(Yes I am, yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will
Yes I am , yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will
Yes I am, yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will
Yes I am , yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will)

With the war of words begun
And the battle for the mind is on
And, no you won't, yes I will
With the war of words begun
The battle rages on and on
No you won't, yes I will

Game over, you find no one to help, he says.
With bound determination you say, yes I will
You, you better pray cause you know what he's gonna say
Just keep repeatin', you say
(Oh yeah, yes I will!)
Wear it out, say it clear, keep it up
And if there is any doubt, a little louder, you say
Yes I will
He says you're nothing special, you got nothin' to offer
Yes I am, yes I do, and yes sir, yes I will

Chorus

With the war of words begun
And the battle for the mind is on
And, no you won't, yes I will
With the war of words begun
The battle rages on and on
No you won't, yes I will

(With the war of words begun
And the battle for the mind is on
And, no you won't, yes I will
With the war of words begun
The battle rages on and on
No you won't, yes I will)

[over previous paragraph]
In my mind I'm like a kid in the corner
Where I argue with the devil 'til I've had my fill
When I start to believe all the lies that you're tellin' me
Sayin' I'll never make it, I say, "Yes I will"

Just like a bad tune stuck in your head forever
Over and over like the run of the mill
And with every chance that I have to do somethin' good
Here we go: "no you won't", "yes I will"

Here we go: no you won't, yes I will!

Chorus

With the war of words begun
And the battle for the mind is on
And, no you won't, yes I will
With the war of words begun
The battle rages on and on
No you won't, yes I will

With the war of words begun
And the battle for the mind is on
And, no you won't, yes I will
With the war of words begun
The battle rages on and on
No you won't, yes I will
yes i will, Bryan Duncan
the last time i was here, 1998

Prayer:

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
on to the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone

Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
On top of them lookin' down
I soar with the wings of EAGLES
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe-

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
Cause Jesus you are the voice of truth
And I will listen to you, you are-
The Voice of Truth, Casting Crowns
Casting Crowns, 2003

26.07.2006 :: God's Anointing & Protection :: Feria (Green) [St Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary]

2006-07-26T09:22:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
El Salvador (Central America)

Special Information:
Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Com) (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 119.49-72; Joshua 8.30-35; Romans 14.13-23 (BAS)
Psalm 119 pts 15,16; 1 Samuel 16; Romans 12 (BCP)

Thoughts:
God's Anointing & Protection

It is interesting to me, how many ways in which God proves himself to us over and over again. He doesn't really have to, but he does it anyway - I think because he wants us to know just how much he loves us.

When David was anointed to be the next king, I'm sure it was the last thing anyone was expecting! He was the youngest son of a shepherd... in fact, he was the one who had to herd the sheep, more often than not! Yet he was called to be the greatest king of Israel, and is the one man in the entire Bible who is described as being "a man after God's own heart".

When David was anointed by Samuel,

the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon [him] from that day forward.
(1 Samuel 16.13b)

I believe we all have that possibility in our own lives - the possibility of being anointed by God to fulfill his calling on our lives, and the possibility of having Holy Spirit manifest himself fully in our lives.

We also have the honour of God's protection. David was nearly killed several times after his anointing by Samuel, yet God protected him from death. We see that God's protection keeps us from destruction, as his departure from Saul was the beginning of the end for Saul (well, really, Saul's repeated sin was his downfall, but whatever).

How do we come by these things?

We were chosen before we were born for the calling God has placed on our lives. We need but answer that call and accept his anointing, his power, and his protection.

Prayer:

Remember your word to your servant,
in which you have made me hope.
This is my comfort in my distress,
that your promise gives me life.
The arrogant utterly deride me,
but I do not turn away from your law.
When I think of your ordinances from of old,
I take comfort, O Lord.
Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
those who forsake your law.
Your statutes have been my songs
wherever I make my home.
I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
and keep your law.
This blessing has fallen to me,
for I have kept your precepts.

The Lord is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.
I implore your favor with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.
When I think of your ways,
I turn my feet to your decrees;
I hurry and do not delay
to keep your commandments.
Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
I do not forget your law.
At midnight I rise to praise you,
because of your righteous ordinances.
I am a companion of all who fear you,
of those who keep your precepts.
The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
teach me your statutes.

You have dealt well with your servant,
O Lord, according to your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments.
Before I was humbled I went astray,
but now I keep your word.
You are good and do good;
teach me your statutes.
The arrogant smear me with lies,
but with my whole heart I keep your precepts.
Their hearts are fat and gross,
but I delight in your law.
It is good for me that I was humbled,
so that I might learn your statutes.
The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
(Psalm 119.49-72)

25.07.2006 :: Too Big For Your Britches? :: St James the Apostle (Red)

2006-07-25T10:04:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
El Camino Real (Province VIII, USA)

Special Information:
St James the Apostle (HD) (Red)

Readings:
Psalm 34; Jeremiah 16.14-21; Mark 1.14-20 (BAS)
Psalm 119 pts 21,22; 2 Kings 1.1-15; Luke 9.46-56 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Too Big For Your Britches?

In the Luke reading today, Jesus teaches his disciples a few lessons. I'm sure he got tired of having to teach them the same things over and over again, but they just wouldn't get it!

First they're fighting over who's better. I'm sure it was something like little kids jostling for their place in line. Which one of these grown men do you suppose stomped off to the side, red-faced, fists clenched at his sides, yelling, "I am too good!"?

Then they tried to get someone to stop casting demons out of people because he wasn't part of their group.

Finally, they offered to burn up a village of Samaritans when the village people wouldn't allow Jesus to stay with them.

In each case, I'm sure, Jesus sighed and then told them the lesson that they just weren't getting:

"Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest."
(Luke 9.48)

"Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you."
(Luke 9.50)

he turned and rebuked them.
(Luke 9.55)

Basically, Jesus is telling his disciples, "You fools. Stop holding yourselves above others. We are here to serve, not to be served. We are here to do God's will in the world, to bring about his kingdom. Stop acting like those around you. Smarten up. You're getting too big for your britches."

I get that way sometimes. I get indignant when someone doesn't behave as I think they ought; I get upset when someone does something good "for the wrong reasons". Self-righteousness is definitely not a virtue.

I freely admit to being a jealous person. Aren't we all? And isn't such self-righteous behaviour borne of jealousy and the fear that we won't be recognised for who & what we truly are?

Such foolish children we are. For we should know by now...

Our Lord will always notice us!

Prayer:

PSALM 119
PART 22. Appropinquet deprecatio.
LET my cry come before thee, O LORD: / give me understanding, according to thy word.
Let my supplication come before thee: / deliver me, according to thy word.
My lips shall speak of thy praise, / because thou teachest me thy statutes.
Yea, my tongue shall sing of thy word; / for all thy commandments are righteous.
Let thy hand help me; / for I have chosen thy precepts.
I have longed for thy saving health, O LORD; / and in thy law is my delight.
O let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; / and let thy judgements help me.
I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; / O seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.
Book of Common Prayer, pp. 496,497.

24.07.2006 :: Love is the fulfilling of the law :: Feria (Green) Eve of St James the Apostle (Red)

2006-07-24T10:01:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Ekiti West (Province of Ondo, Nigeria)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 41,52; Joshua 7.1-13; Romans 13.8-14 (BAS)
Psalm 118; 1 Samuel 13; Romans 11.1-24 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Love is the fulfilling of the law

the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
(Romans 13.8b)

Jesus himself said that all of the laws and the prophets hang on but two commands: to love God with everything you are; and to love others as you love yourself. All the Romans 13 reading is doing is making it clear to us.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
(1 Corinthians 13.4-8a)

If we are patient with others, if we are kind to them, we are loving to them. If we treat others with respect and do not wish for more than we have been given, we are treating them with love. If we are calm and even-tempered, if we encourage and uphold the truth, then we have love in our dealings with others. If we are not selfish, then we are loving.

If we stand firm and are loyal, if we believe the best, if we hope the best, if we do not let betrayal destroy our relationships, then we have love.

True love doesn't end, it cannot be broken.

Buttercup: You can't hurt me. Westley and I are joined by the bonds of love. And you cannot track that, not with a thousand bloodhounds, and you cannot break it, not with a thousand swords.

In this, at least, William Goldman was correct.

Prayer:

In the love of the Father,
In the light of Christ,
In the leading of the Spirit,
We place ourselves today.
The Open Gate: Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually, by David Adam. p. 13.
Copyright © 1994 David Adam

23.07.2006 :: Voices On the Wind :: The Sixth Sunday after Trinity (Green)

2006-07-23T16:05:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Pray for the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea, the Most Rev'd James Simon Ayong, Archbishop of Papua New Guinea & Bishop of Aipo Rongo

Special Information:
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 16) (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 63.1-8 (9-11),98; Joshua 6.15-27; Acts 22.30-23.11 (BAS)
Psalm 34; 1 Kings 19.1-18; Acts 20.17-38 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Voices On the Wind

And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumptes, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city." ... So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat; so the people charged straight ahead into the city and captured it.
(Joshua 6.16,20)

He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind and earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
(1 Kings 19.11-13)

That night the Lord stood near him and said, "Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome."
(Acts 23.11)

The shouts of the people of God broke down the walls of the city of Jericho. The voice of God, coming in his silence, broke down the walls of fear within Elijah's heart. And the voice of God, coupled with his presence, built up the courage Paul would need to fulfill his calling.

What walls are you called to destroy? What walls are holding you back? What walls do you need to build?

How is God speaking to you, and what is he doing to help you break down and build up the walls in your life and those of others?

Prayer:

Sometimes the night was beautiful
Sometimes the sky was so far away
Sometimes it seemed to stoop so close
You could touch it but your heart would break
Sometimes the morning came too soon
Sometimes the day could be so hot
There was so much work left to do
But so much You'd already done

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
(Sometimes the night was beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days
(Sometimes the night . . .)
(Sometimes the night was beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days
(. . . Was beautiful)
(Sometimes the night was beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days
(So beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
(Oh God, you are my God)
And I will follow You all of my days
(Oh God, you are my God)
And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
(Sometimes the night was beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days
(Sometimes the night . . .)
And I will follow You all of my days
Sometimes By Step, Rich Mullins
The World as Best as I Remember it (Volume 2), 1992

22.07.2006 :: Call & Response :: St Mary Magdalene (HD) (White)

2006-07-22T16:58:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Ekiti Oke (Province of Ondo, Nigeria)

Special Information:
St Mary Magdalene (HD) (White)

Readings:
Psalm 116; Zephaniah 3.14-20; Mark 15.37-16.7 (BAS)
Psalm 5,6; Isaiah 25.1-9; John 20.1-10 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Call & Response

THE CALL

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the Lord.
(Zephaniah 3.14-20)

THE RESPONSE

O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you, I will praise your name;
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of aliens is a city no more,
it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruthless was stilled.

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
(Isaiah 25.1-9)

Prayer:

I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
"O Lord, I pray, save my life!"

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The Lord protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
I walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
I kept my faith, even when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted";
I said in my consternation,
"Everyone is a liar."

What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 116)

21.07.2006 :: Overcome Evil With Good :: Feria (Green) Eve of St Mary Magdalene (White)

2006-07-21T09:38:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Ekiti (Province of Ondo, Nigeria)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 31; Joshua 4.19-5.1,10-15; Romans 12.9-21 (BAS)
Psalm 105 pt 1; 1 Samuel 9.26-10.16; Romans 9 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Overcome Evil With Good

No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
(Romans 12.20-21)

I love watching action movies. Mostly because I really like explosions. If there's a good explosion (that doesn't mean gunfire, but a good screenful of bursting flames, like the Death Star at the end of Star Wars: A New Hope), I'm all over it.

But in most action movies, the evil - the "bad guy" - is overcome by violence on the part of the "good guy".

We are told not to do that.

Yet what happens to us when we strive to respond to evil with good?

An absolutely phenomenal movie about this very thing is called The Mission (or here). It stars Jeremy Irons as a Spanish Jesuit missionary (Father Gabriel) to South American aboriginals and Robert De Niro as his foil, a Spanish slave hunter (Mendoza) who becomes a part of Irons' mission. Their differing views on how to approach pending disaster (as the Spaniards move into the forests of Portugal) are the focus of the movie.

Gabriel: If might is right, then love has no place in the world. It may be so, it may be so. But I don't have the strength to live in a world like that, Rodrigo.

Mendoza: Though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth and love is kind. Love envieth not. Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. But now abideth faith, hope, love... these three. But the greatest of these is love.

(I tried to find a clip of my personal favourite part, but I couldn't.)

Prayer:

PSALM 105. Confitemini Domino.

O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, and call upon his Name; / tell the peoples what things he hath done.
O let your songs be of him and praise him; / and let your talking be of all his wondrous works.
Rejoice in his holy Name: / let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
Seek the LORD and his strength: / seek his face evermore.
Remember the marvellous works that he hath done, / his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth;
O ye seed of Abraham his servant, / ye children of Jacob, his chosen.

HE is the LORD our God: / his judgements are in all the world.
He hath been alway mindful of his covenant, / and the promise that he made to a thousand generations;
Even the covenant that he made with Abraham, / and the oath that he sware unto Isaac;
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, / and to Israel for an everlasting testament;
Saying, 'Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, / the lot of your inheritance.'

WHEN there were yet but a few of them, / and they strangers in the land;
What time as they went from one nation to another, / from one kingdom to another people;
He suffered no man to do them wrong, / but reproved even kings for their sakes;
Saying, 'Touch not mine anointed, / and do my prophets no harm.'

MOREOVER, he called for a dearth upon the land, / and destroyed all the provision of bread.
But he had sent a man before them, / even Joseph, who was sold to be a bond-servant;
Whose feet they hurt with fetters: / the iron entered into his soul;
Until the time that his word came to pass: / when the promise of the LORD tried him.
The king sent and delivered him: / the prince of the people let him go free.
He made him lord also of his house, / and ruler of all his substance;
That he might instruct his princes after his will, / and teach his senators wisdom.
Book of Common Prayer, pp. 464-466.

20.07.2006 :: More Than Conquerors? :: Feria (Green) [Margaret, Virgin and Martyr, Antioch of Pisidia]

2006-07-20T10:21:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Egypt (Middle East)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 37.1-18; Joshua 3.14-4.7; Romans 12.1-8 (BAS)
Psalm 102; 1 Samuel 8; Romans 8.18-39 (BCP)

Thoughts:
More Than Conquerors?

I've been having a not-so-hot week.

It started with a weekend that was mainly full of self-doubt regarding my ability to look after myself (which is silly, because I've been looking after myself fairly well for a very long time now), followed closely by a fight with my boyfriend.

Then I had one good day, after realising that I can, in fact, take care of myself quite well, thankyouverymuch. And then things came crashing down again in a very real way last night.

Today has been fairly good.

But...

...why is it so hard to keep believing that I'm capable? Why is it so difficult to maintain a positive outlook? After all,

in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8.37-39)

Huh.

Nothing can separate me from God's love. When everything else in my life is falling apart, I still have God's love. Do you even realise how phenomenal that is? Do I realise how phenomenal that is?

Because I have God's love, I am able to overcome the difficulties in my life. I can be confident in his love, in his ability to give me the strength to get through whatever insanity may come my way.

I just have to remember it and claim it as my own.

Prayer:

When all around has fallen your castle has been burned
You used to be a king here now no one knows your name
You live your life for honour, defender of the faith
But you've been crushed to pieces and no one knows your pain

Come, come lay your weary head be still my friend
Come, rise I'll place my sword upon your shoulder
Come, rise with me

When tomorrow has been stolen and you can't lift your head
And summer feels like winter your heart is full of stone
Though all your hopes have fallen your skin is now your only armour
Wear your scars like medals defender of the faith

Come, come lay your weary head be still my friend
Come, rise I'll place my sword upon your shoulder
Come, come lay your faithful head, be still my friend
Come rise with me
When All Around Has Fallen, delirious?
Cutting Edge, 1995

19.07.2006 :: No post today

2006-07-19T16:15:00.000-06:00

Due to unforeseen circumstances, today's devotional was cancelled.

We should return to our regular posting schedule tomorrow morning.

18.07.2006 :: Pride :: Feria (Green)

2006-07-18T09:40:00.000-06:00

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
Egba (Province of Lagos, Nigeria)

Special Information:
Feria (Green)

Readings:
Psalm 26,28; Joshua 2.15-24; Romans 11.13-24 (BAS)
Psalm 90; 1 Samuel 2.22-36; Romans 7 (BCP)

Thoughts:
Pride

How often the Word compares us to plants. God is the Master Gardener, and we are the seedlings in his care.

Yet there are always warnings, usually against pride. "Don't get too big for your britches; you could be next," Paul warns, in verses 17-21 (Romans 11).

Of course, we would never do such a thing - we would never look down our noses at those who have been broken off of the main stem, would we? Of course not. But that is pride speaking again, because of course we all do.

God is both kind and severe, Paul continues. Severe in his dealings with the fallen, yet kind to those who "continue in his kindness" (verse 22).

And here we see the mercy and grace of God, for any who are broken off may yet be grafted back in.

So pride in ourselves is useless and foolish, for we are truly no better than anyone else - we have been grafted into the Vine, and all others stand to be grafted in as well, should they choose to be so.

Prayer:

PSALM 90. Domine, refugium.

LORD, thou hast been our refuge, / from one generation to another.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made, / thou art God from everlasting, and world without end.
Thou turnest man back to the dust, / and thou sayest, 'Return, ye children of men.'
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, / and as a watch in the night.
Thou carriest them away as with a flood, and they are even as a sleep; / in the morning they are like grass that groweth up.
In the morning it is green and groweth up, / but in the evening it is cut down and withered.
For we consume away in thy displeasure, / and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation.
Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee, / and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
For when thou art angry all our days are gone: / we bring our years to an end, as it were a tale that is told.
The days of our age are threescore years and ten, / or, if men be so strong, they may come to fourscore years;
Yet is their pride but labour and sorrow: / so soon passeth it away, and we are gone.
But who regardeth the power of thy wrath, / or feareth aright thine indignation?
So teach us to number our days, / that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

TURN thee again, O LORD, at the last, / and be gracious unto thy servants.
O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon: / so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
Comfort us again according to the time that thou hast afflicted us, / and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity.
Show thy servants thy work, / and their children thy glory.
And let the glorious majesty of the Lord our God be upon us: / prosper thou the work of our hands upon us, O prosper thou our handy-work.
Book of Common Prayer, pp. 446-448.