April 12, 2011

In times of distress, my comfort comes from knowing that God is with me every minute of every day and knows me and loves me. I am known and loved and found to be worthy and useful.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Numbers 21:4-9

Psalm 102:2-3,16-21

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

   let my cry come to you.

Do not hide your face from me

   on the day of my distress.

Incline your ear to me;

   answer me speedily on the day when I call.

For my days pass away like smoke,

   and my bones burn like a furnace.

For you will build up Zion;

   and will appear in your glory.

You will regard the prayer of the destitute,

   and will not despise their prayer.

Let this be recorded for a generation to come,

   so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:

that God looked down from the holy height,

   from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,

to hear the groans of the prisoners,

   to set free those who were doomed to die;

so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion,

   and God’s praise in Jerusalem,

John 8:21-30

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

April 12, 2011

In times of distress, my comfort comes from knowing that God is with me every minute of every day and knows me and loves me. I am known and loved and found to be worthy and useful.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Numbers 21:4-9

Psalm 102:2-3,16-21

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

   let my cry come to you.

Do not hide your face from me

   on the day of my distress.

Incline your ear to me;

   answer me speedily on the day when I call.

For my days pass away like smoke,

   and my bones burn like a furnace.

For you will build up Zion;

   and will appear in your glory.

You will regard the prayer of the destitute,

   and will not despise their prayer.

Let this be recorded for a generation to come,

   so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:

that God looked down from the holy height,

   from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,

to hear the groans of the prisoners,

   to set free those who were doomed to die;

so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion,

   and God’s praise in Jerusalem,

John 8:21-30

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

April 11, 2011

In the story of Susanna and also the story of the woman caught in adultery, compassion wins out over condemnation. May God open all our eyes to the ways we might exercise loving-kindness rather than hatred, compassion rather than cruelty, joy rather than fear, equanimity rather than rush to judgment. Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil!

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62

Psalm 23

John 8:1-11

Early in the morning Jesus arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.  But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin anymore."

The reading is from the website below.

http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/daniel/daniel13.htm

April 10, 2011

De Profundis by Rollo de Caen

Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee:
  “Lord, hear my cry!”
The answer comes in the smile of a friend
  Passing nigh.

Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee:
  “Lord, still my wo!”
The answer comes in the voice of a friend,
  Comforting, low.

Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee:
  Lord, heal my pain!”
The answer comes in the tears of a friend,
  Sympathy’s rain.

Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee:
  Lord, make me strong!”
The hand of a friend is laid on mine,
  Clasping it long.

Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee:
  “Clear Thou my doubt!”
The answer comes in the faith of friends,
  Encamping about.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Ezekiel 37:12-14

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.

   Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

   to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

   Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with you,

   so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

   and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord

   more than those who watch for the morning,

   more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!

   For with the Lord there is steadfast love,

   and with him is great power to redeem.

It is he who will redeem Israel

   from all its iniquities.

Romans 8:8-11

John 11:1-45

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

April 9, 2011

What a muddle we humans create! Learned authorities are sometimes less insightful than the uneducated; those who are confused or undecided sometimes have a flash of uncanny wisdom; location, location, location is not always the best metric for judging merit. My favorite line from this passage is the last: “Then each of them went home.” Perhaps to ponder how their assumptions may need to be recalibrated, perhaps to pray for clarity of vision. May we all be free of muddled suppositions.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Jeremiah 11:18-20

Psalm 7:2-3,9-12

John 7:40-53

When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, ‘This is really the prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Messiah.’ But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?’ So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why did you not arrest him?’ The police answered, ‘Never has anyone spoken like this!’ Then the Pharisees replied, ‘Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, ‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’ They replied, ‘Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.’ Then each of them went home.

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

April 8, 2011

I am sorry to say that there have been too many times when I have failed to recognize the divine in another person until after it is too late. Sometimes I am blinded by over-attention to my own concerns, sometimes by pre-judging the other person, sometimes by distraction, sometimes by fear. That is the part of me that has compassion for those who failed to see the Christ in Jesus, as in today’s Gospel. But I do not despair because I know that today, maybe in this very hour, I will have another opportunity to see Jesus right in front of me.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Wisdom 2:1a,12-22

Psalm 34:17-23

John 7:1-2,10,25-30

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near.

But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret.

Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.’ Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.’ Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

April 8, 2011

I am sorry to say that there have been too many times when I have failed to recognize the divine in another person until after it is too late. Sometimes I am blinded by over-attention to my own concerns, sometimes by pre-judging the other person, sometimes by distraction, sometimes by fear. That is the part of me that has compassion for those who failed to see the Christ in Jesus, as in today’s Gospel. But I do not despair because I know that today, maybe in this very hour, I will have another opportunity to see Jesus right in front of me.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Wisdom 2:1a,12-22

Psalm 34:17-23

John 7:1-2,10,25-30

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near.

But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret.

Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.’ Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.’ Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/