| Verse of the day Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2she |
| Voice of the day True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. – Arthur Ashe |
| Prayer of the day O God, we pray that you would cultivate within us a soul that finds joy in our service to others. May we always have eyes that see the needs of our communities and the will to strive to meet them. |
“Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful and whatever is powerful may be just.”—Blaise Pascal
Verse of the day
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
– John 13:35
Voice of the day
Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it’s the only way forward.
– Ijeoma Oluo
Prayer of the day
May we challenge the racism we see in ourselves, in others, and in the world.
“Ahimsa is not a policy for the seizure of power. It is a way of transforming relationships so as to bring about a peaceful transfer of power, effected freely and without compulsion by all concerned, because all have come to recognize it as right.”— Mahatma Gandhi (quote from Thomas Merton’s book Gandhi on Non-violence : Selected Texts from Mohandas K. Gandhis Non-Violence in Peace and War)
Verse of the day
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.
– Philippians 2:3
Voice of the day
It is my prayer that all of us will eventually learn to recognize and revere the image of God in every person of every conceivable gender identity, along with the many other diversities of appearance, belief systems, preferences, and whatsoever differences may occur to us.
– Virginia Ramey Mollenkott
Prayer of the day
May I honor your image in each being whom you have so intentionally and lovingly made.
A word from Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase Bible, The Message. Food for thought…
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” — Matthew 11:28-30
As I watched the sun set this evening after a long and complex day I actually breathed a sigh of relief. Denise is back home and my Dad is back in his apartment following a hospital visit. We continue to listen for the Spirit’s call to go deeper into the life God calls us to live. That is why Thomas Merton’s words from his journal spoke to me this evening.
The wonder of being brought, by God, around a corner and to realize a new road is opening up, perhaps—which He alone knows. And that there is no way of traveling it but in Christ and with Him. This is joy and peace—whatever happens. The result does not matter. I have something to do for Him and, if I do that, everything else will follow. — A Search for Solitude: Pursuing the Monk’s True Life, January 23 and 24, 1958
Will you join me dear reader as we respond together to the Spirit’s nudging and call?
Verse of the day
I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
– Joshua 1:9
Voice of the day
Be courageous. Be kind. Be hopeful about your ability to bring about a better world.
– Rabbi Andrea L. Weiss
Prayer of the day
May I act with my hope and kindness, shaping a more just world in my own way.
Solitude is something to be cherished. It is also something that is found close to home. It is found within you. That has been and continues to be a challenge for me. Merton reminded me of this gift within each one of us. It is there where one can also find sabbath rest and refreshment.
Solitude is not found so much by looking outside the boundaries of your dwelling, as by staying within. Solitude is not something you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for solitude in the present, you will never find it. — Entering the Silence: Becoming a Monk and a Writer: The Journals of Thomas Merton, (volume 2: January 2–3, 1950)
Dear reader, my prayer for you and for me is that the Spirit will indeed guide each of us in that search for solitude and sabbath rest.
Verse of the day
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
– Matthew 5:9 (NIV)
Voice of the day
There is no path to peace, but peace itself is the path.
– Richard Rohr, OFM, Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality (2007)
Prayer of the day
Help us to forge the path of peace. May it lead us toward justice and reconciliation.
Verse of the day
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.
– 1 John 4:7-8
Voice of the day
The whole cosmos is a Self-giving of God. And we will find our place in the great dance only to the extent that we love.
– J. Philip Newell, Christ of the Celts(2008)
Prayer of the day May my love for others direct the search for my place in the cosmos.
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