Verse of the day
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.
– 1 Peter 4:10
Voice of the day
We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community (1939)
Prayer of the day As I follow the nonviolent Jesus on the path of peace and love, help me to claim my true identity as your beloved.
– Fr. John Dear
“Open unto me—light for my darkness.
Open unto me—courage for my fear.
Open unto me—hope for my despair.
Open unto me—peace for my turmoil.
Open unto me—joy for my sorrow.
Open unto me— strength for my weakness.
Open unto me—wisdom for my confusion.
Open unto me—forgiveness for my sins.
Open unto me—love for my hates.
Open unto me—thy Self for my self.
Lord, Lord, open unto me!”
—Howard Thurman
Verse of the day
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.
– Zechariah 7:9-10
Voice of the day
We must love justice and hate iniquity.
– Charles de Foucauld
Prayer of the day Help us to usher in a more kind and just era for all who bear your image.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a good day of recovery
The day ended much better than it began
My sweetheart made it back home safely
We spent a relaxing evening with each other
Now as my eyelids grow heavy I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“What I’m advocating here is something that requires courage—the courage to have a change of heart. The reason this requires courage is because when we don’t do the habitual thing, hardening our heart and holding tightly to certain views, then we’re left with the underlying uneasiness that we were trying to get away from. Whenever there’s a sense of threat, we harden. And so if we don’t harden, what happens? We’re left with that uneasiness, that feeling of threat. That’s when the real journey of courage begins. This is the real work of the peacemaker, to find the soft spot and the tenderness in that very uneasy place and stay with it. If we can stay with the soft spot and stay with the tender heart, then we are cultivating the seeds of peace.”—Pema Chodron
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Tonight HRH is chilling with Daddy after a long day
A day of ministry and meetings
A day that was bookended with prayer
A long but good day for my beloved in Florence
Today I was given a gift by a very dear friend through her writing on Breath Prayer
I breathe in peace
I breathe out love
With every breath there are many opportunities to pray and center oneself
May Peace and Love be with us all
Thank you for this timely gift, Christine
Now as my eyelids grow heavy I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“We must choose nonviolence as a way of life if we are to survive as a democratic and humane society on this fragile and beautiful planet we share with people of all races and nationalities and with all living things.”—Clarence B. Jones
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
As I come to the end of this Monday
While I am exhausted, there is much to be thankful for
Our sweet little Pixie got her allergy shot and she is beginning to feel better
It was good to have some fellowship via Zoom with clergy colleagues
It was nice to have a period of worship and reflection with the Abbey
My prayer is for better sleep tonight
Now as my eyelids grow heavy I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
Verse of the day
Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
– Romans 14:19
Voice of the day
Ye cannot live for yourselves; a thousand fibers connect you with your fellow men, and along those fibers, as along sympathetic threads, run your actions as causes, and return to you as effects.
– Henry Melvill
Prayer of the day Grant us a heart for all humanity, eyes to see injustice, and a will to be your changemakers.
Today was a return to worship after a long and challenging journey. That journey continues for Denise as she begins the slow process of sorting through her father’s things and processing much that needs to be done for the estate.
We had a wonderful Bluegrass Service at Carrollton Presbyterian Church today. It was a toe-tapping and inspirational morning. The Spirit was clearly with us as we gathered in person or via livestream for worship.
I find myself still processing so much of the past two months on this journey with family through The Valley of the Shadows. We also had a wonderful Zoom meeting with Denise’s godson and his fiancé. I am humbled and honored to be able to officiate at their wedding in two weeks.
This journey called life can be challenging… it can be difficult… it can be rewarding… it can be a blessing. Through each step of this journey there is always once constant. The Spirit surrounds us, undergirds us, and guides us as we follow Her pathway of love and grace. The words of Thomas Merton that follow speak to the importance of listening to Her gentle call.
The fresh air we need is the air of the Holy Spirit “breathing where He pleases,” which means that the windows must be open and we must expect Him to come from any direction. The error is to lock the windows and doors in order to keep the Holy Spirit within our house. The very action of locking doors and windows is fatal. October 27, 1957 (The Journals of Thomas Merton, vol 3: Dancing in the Waters of Life)
Come Holy Spirit, Come. Lead us along the pathway we have been called to follow. Sweet Spirit guide us with your love, grace, mercy, and peace.
