| 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. |
The sun has long ago set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a busy day for us
Denise has been busy putting the final touches on our training event for Sunday
We also managed to put together a TV stand for our new smart TV
In the midst of the busyness of the evening I was able to enjoy Sister Moon’s glorious showing
It reminded me of the words of Thomas Merton from his book, Waters of Siloe —
Forest and field, sun and wind and sky, earth and water, all speak the same silent language, reminding the monk that he is here to develop like the things that grow all around him… (p. 274)
Thankful for Merton’s reminder, I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“It’s a subtle thing, freedom. It takes effort; it takes attention and focus to not act something like an automaton. Although we do have freedom, we exercise it only when we strive for awareness, when we are conscious not just of the content of the mind but also of the mind itself as a process.”—Gabor Maté
| Verse of the day Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. – Romans 12:12 |
| Voice of the day Boarding schools — along with the entire structure of our churches, government, policing, and military — combine to create a particular world. White Christians are safe in that world. – Patty Krawec |
| Prayer of the day May our history convict us to fight for a just future. |
A wonderful reflection from Ally Markotich who was Denise and my classmate in the Certificate in Christian Spiritual Formation through Columbia Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. Her blogs and her artwork are inspirational and I highly encourage you to follow her on https://soulkindling.com.
Today, I celebrate Mary Magdelene —and her story with Christ.She had an intimate friendship with Christwhose presence transformed her.Yet, her experience with Christ wasn’t believed:From Mark 16:1-20, Mary was the first to encounter the risen Christ,“Excitedly, Mary told them, “He’s alive and I’ve seen him!” But even after hearing this, they didn’t believe her.”From the…
Feast of Mary Magdelene (Legacy of Voice and Heart) — Soul Kindling
The Movement of the Spirit of God in the hearts of men often calls them to act against the spirit of their times or causes them to anticipate a spirit which is yet in the making. In a moment of dedication, they are given wisdom and courage to dare a deed that challenges and to kindle a hope that inspires. (Footprints of a Dream: The Story of the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples)
Howard Thurman was a pastor, theologian, professor, and mystic. He was a classmate of Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. at Morehouse College and his writings had a profound impact on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was finishing his Doctorate at Boston University where Thurman was the Dean of BU’s Marsh Chapel.Next week I will begin a six-week on-line course through Boston University where Howard Thurman was dean of Marsh Chapel on the campus of Boston University from 1953-1965.
He has been a spiritual mentor of mine from the first time I read his writings and listened to his sermons for a class during my last year of seminary. To be able to participate in this course is a tremendous gift! I am sure he will show up on my blog even more than he already has as I take this course.
Today is Mary Madgalene’s feast day. When I did a sermon series in August/September 2019 on the women in Jesus’ genealogy, Mary was an addition since she was a spiritual sister to Jesus and thus a part of his family. With that in mind, I am reposting this blog.
As I sat with Mary Magdalene this week, I have been amazed at her tenacious spirit and appalled at the slander thrown at her by the early church which has only recently began to be rectified. I was a part of that ignorance for many years with the image of Yvonne Elliman who played Mary Magdalene in Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar… continue reading at
“Forgiveness is not always easy. At times it feels more painful than the wound we have suffered to forgive the one that inflicted it and yet there is no peace without forgiveness.”—Marianne Williamson
| Verse of the day Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. – James 5:3 |
| Voice of the day When you are poor every stage has to be thought through. Wealth is the opposite. With wealth you get to be thoughtless. – Zadie Smith, Swing Time (2016) |
| Prayer of the day Rid us of greed, O God, and fill us with generosity. |
Denise and I are so excited to begin a six week course with Boston University, “Reflecting with Howard Thurman.” I was first introduced to him my last year of seminary and he has been a mentor and guide for me since then.
While Howard Thurman and Thomas Merton never met, they share a certain bond and kinship through the mystical encounter with God, Creation, and Humankind. In William Apel’s paper, “Mystic as Prophet: the Deep Freedom of Thomas Merton and Howard Thurman (Mystic as Prophet), Apel shared these two quotes from Merton and Thurman.
The contemplative life is not, and cannot be, a mere withdrawal, a pure negation, or a turning of one’s back on the world, with its sufferings, its cries, its confusions and its errors. (Merton, Seeds of Destruction, p. xiii)
…all my life I have been seeking to validate, beyond all ambivalence and frustration, the integrity of the inner life. I have sensed the urgency to find a way to act and react responsibly out of my own center. (Thurman, “Mysticism and the Experience of Love”, pp. 4-5)
With the noise of social media, the 24-hour news cycle, and 24-hour opinion channels it is difficult to find a place to be still and listen. Yet these places can be found and must be sought out for one’s spiritual, mental, and emotional health. This reminder from Thurman, invites us to join in the mystical encounter with him and with Merton. May it be an encouragement to you dear reader, as it is to me.
Whatever may be the tensions and the stresses of a particular day, there is always lurking close at hand the trailing beauty of forgotten joy or unremembered peace.”
― Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart
This beautiful and thoughtful offering from Margaret Brock is so timely. As I read about the anger that customers throw at service providers, know that there are people who love and pray for our friends who get so much anger and abuse from customers.
Opening Prayer
Lord, be with us this afternoon as we spend a short time apart from our usual activities and spend time quietly with you. We thank you for all your love and care towards us over the years and in particular over the past few months. Help us to think about what we can do to show your love and kindness to those around us. Amen. read more at https://godspacelight.com/2021/07/21/worship-on-wednesday/?fbclid=IwAR2Trxm9871HhTv8Xakfe9n8ZnKi53M1xuMOndRjU_OatgFaTuIrJSnycj0
