Monday
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Monday Morning
A reading from Genesis 2: 8-20
8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."
18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field.
Monday Morning
Dawn of New Beginnings
O God,
We thank you for this earth, our home; for the wide sky and the blessed sun, for the ocean and streams, for the towering hills and the whispering wind, for the trees and green grass.
We thank you for our senses by which we hear the songs of birds, and see the splendor of fields of golden wheat, and taste autumn's fruit, rejoice in the feel of snow, and smell the breath of spring flowers.
Grant us a heart opened wide to all this beauty; and save us from being so blind that we pass unseeing when even the common thornbush is aflame with your glory.
For each new dawn is filled with infinite possibilities for new beginnings and new discoveries. Life is constantly changing and renewing itself. In this new day of new beginnings with God, all things are possible. We are restored and renewed in a joyous awakening to the wonder that our lives are and, yet, can be.
Amen.
Monday Lunch
THE DAFFODIL PRINCIPLE
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. “I will come next Tuesday,” I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.
Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!”
My daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her. "I was hoping you’d take me over to the garage to pick up my car just a few blocks away. I’ll drive. I’m used to this.” After several minutes, I had to ask, “Where are we going? This isn’t the way to the garage!” Carolyn grinned, “We’re going to my garage by way of the daffodils.”
"Carolyn, please turn around, "I said sternly. "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read, "DAFFODIL GARDEN".
We got out of the car and each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and slopes.
The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns — great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers. "But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn.
"It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking” was the headline:
The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs!” it read.
The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain.”
The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”
There it was: THE DAFFODIL PRINCIPLE. For me, that moment was a life changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than 35 years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. Just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.
The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time — often just one baby-step at a time — and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.
“It makes me sad in a way,” I admitted to Carolyn. “What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal 35 years ago and had worked away at it ‘one bulb at a time’ through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!” My daughter summed up the message in her direct way. “Start tomorrow,” she said.
It’s pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. To make learning a lesson a celebration instead of a cause for regret, simply ask, “How can I put this to use today?”
~By Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards
Painting With Flowers
TANGIBLE: A flower
Monday evening
Gardening With God by Tonia Triebwasser
Humanity's first glimpse of God happened in a garden. Since then we have tried to duplicate its beauty. We plant flowers, grasses, trees. Place fountains. Hang chimes. Augment anemic soils. We water, dig, and make our knuckles bleed. But Paradise eludes us.
Our gardens are environments of perpetual change. The cypress reach their heights of glory as the fruit trees wane. The daffodils finish their blooms just as the iris begins to bud. Pansies and snapdragons wilt in the same heat that brings the roses alive. We are not dissuaded.
Just as a prism of glass miters light and casts a colored braid, a garden sings sweet incantations the human heart strains to hear. Hiding in every flower, in every leaf, in every twig and bough, are reflections of the God who once walked with us in Eden.
I once had a friend stroll through my garden. When she came to the roses, her eyes passed over the vibrant blooms and fastened on the thorns that lined their stems.
"I never could figure out why everyone makes such a big fuss about roses," she said. "All those thorns for a few pink blooms."
When God made the rose, he did not give it volition. Just life. It grows, blossoms, and exudes fragrance as a result of another's toil. God is not a thief. He will not invade that which he does not own. For that which is his, he provides and supplies. He wants to participate in our lives. To those who give him permission, he is an unfailing gardener.
God empowers the spirit to blossom along what may often seem a stairway of thorns. The path is steep. But the skies are watered with grace.
From "The Color of Grace: Thoughts From a Garden in a Dry Land," by Tonia Triebwasser. Used by permission of Fleming H. Revell, a division of Baker Book House Company, copyright 2000.
Time for reflection and sharing
Closing and benediction
A final reflection from the Meditations of Julian of Norwich
I saw that God was everything that is good
and encouraging.
God is our clothing
that wraps, clasps and encloses us
so as never to leave us.
God showed me in my palm
a little thing round as a ball
about the size of a hazelnut.
I looked at it with the eye of my understanding
and asked myself:
“What is this thing?”
and I was answered: “It is everything that is created.”
I wondered how it could survive since it seemed so little
it could suddenly disintegrate into nothing.
The answer came: “It endures and ever will endure,
because God loves it.”
And so everything has being because of God’s love.
The blessing
Leader: Bless to us, O God,
the moon that is above us,
the earth that is beneath us,
the friends that are around us
Your image deep within us.
All: Amen
Tuesday morning
A reading from Numbers 35:6-15
6 The towns that you give to the Levites shall include the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit a slayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two towns. 7 The towns that you give to the Levites shall total forty-eight, with their pasture lands. 8 And as for the towns that you shall give from the possession of the Israelites, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it obtains, shall give of its towns to the Levites.
9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 10 Speak to the Israelites, and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, so that a slayer who kills a person without intent may flee there. 12 The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, so that the slayer may not die until there is a trial before the congregation. 13 The cities that you designate shall be six cities of refuge for you: 14 you shall designate three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall serve as refuge for the Israelites, for the resident or transient alien among them, so that anyone who kills a person without intent may flee there.
Prayer for the day
O God, set your blessing upon us as we begin this day together. Confirm us in the truth by which we rightly live; confront us with the truth from which we wrongly turn. Lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth Lead us from despair to hope, from fear to trust Lead us from hate to love, from war to peace Let peace fill our heart, our world, our universe. We ask it for your own name’s sake.
from the Iona Abbey Worship Book
Tuesday lunch A reading from Exodus 21: 12-14
12 Whoever strikes a person mortally shall be put to death. 13 If it was not premeditated, but came about by an act of God, then I will appoint for you a place to which the killer may flee. 14 But if someone willfully attacks and kills another by treachery, you shall take the killer from my altar for execution.
God ordained six cities of refuge, places of compassion, where anyone who had killed another person unintentionally could flee. In Israelite society there was no police force to investigate crimes. It was the moral responsibility of the family member who was closest to the victim to investigate and avenge the murder. In our text, he is called the avenger of blood.
But this person’s own emotional subjectivity, passion, and anger at the loss of their family member would cloud their judgment, and they might not want to go to the trouble to figure out whether it was an accidental killing or whether in fact it was premeditated murder. They might end up avenging the death by indiscriminately killing someone who wasn’t guilty of a capital crime. That’s why these cities of refuge were needed.
The Cities of Refuge were to be strategically located so that there would be easy access to them for anybody seeking refuge. God commanded that the nation build highways to these cities of refuge. “Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.” Deuteronomy 19:3 History tells us that these highways were to be maintained so that nobody was ever hindered in getting to these cities. Bridges were to be built across every ravine that the highways came to, so that the person running for refuge wouldn’t have to waste time climbing to the bottom of the ravine and then up the other side. The highways were supposed to be rebuilt every spring after the heavy winter rains so that the road surface would be smooth and easy to run on. At every crossroads or intersection on these highways, there were to be big, bold signs pointing the way with the word REFUGE in large letters.
The gates of the cities of refuge were never to be locked. The city was to be well stocked to provide for any fugitives who came to stay for however long they might need to be there. It was not only a place of guaranteed legal protection but also a place of material provision for all their needs. Food and housing were guaranteed. There was just one catch: Refuge was only guaranteed as long as they remained in the city; if the person left the city, the avenger could take their life, and the city could do nothing to protect them.
The cities were designated for all the people of Israel, including the stranger. The same justice, the same protection and provision, the same atoning grace were free to all. What God was doing in establishing these cities of refuge was setting the wheels in motion for what would ultimately be due process of law. Until everything was investigated by the elders and justice was handed down in a full hearing before the entire congregation, the accused enjoyed the security of presumed innocence. Until that day of judgment, as long as he stayed in the place of sanctuary, he was safe.
Tuesday evening
In God We Trust by: Bill Greer, Chicken Soup for the Veteran’s Soul
Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband’s employer’s home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.
The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband’s employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.
As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband.
He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts.
Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her.
Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.
A smile crept across the man’s face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?
“Look at it.” He said. “Read what it says.”
She read the words “United States of America.”
“No, not that; read further.”
“One cent?”
“No, keep reading.”
“In God we Trust?”
“Yes!”
“And?”
“And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God’s way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!
When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, “In God We Trust,” and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful!
And, God is patient...
TANGIBLE: A PENNY
Time for reflection and sharing
End Tuesday evening with the service of Compline using highlighted choice of psalms.
An Order for Compline
The Officiant begins
The Lord Almighty grant us a peaceful night and a perfect
end. Amen.
Officiant Our help is in the Name of the Lord;
People The maker of heaven and earth.
The Officiant may then say
Let us confess our sins to God.
Officiant and People
Almighty God, our heavenly Father:
We have sinned against you,
through our own fault,
in thought, and word, and deed,
and in what we have left undone.
For the sake of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
forgive us all our offenses;
and grant that we may serve you
in newness of life,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Officiant
May the Almighty God grant us forgiveness of all our sins,
and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Officiant then says
O God, make speed to save us.
People O Lord, make haste to help us.
Officiant and People
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as
it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Except in Lent, add Alleluia.
One or more of the following Psalms are sung or said. Other suitable selections may
be substituted.
Psalm 4 Cum invocarem
1 Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am hardpressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 “You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory? *
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?”
3 Know that the LORD does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the LORD, he will hear me.
4 Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
5 Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the LORD.
6 Many are saying,
“Oh, that we might see better times!” *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.
7 You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.
8 I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 31 In te, Domine, speravi
1 In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame: *
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Incline your ear to me; *
make haste to deliver me.
3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
4 Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
for you are my tower of strength.
5 Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me,
O LORD, O God of truth.
Psalm 91 Qui habitat
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High *
abides under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 He shall say to the LORD,
“You are my refuge and my stronghold, *
my God in whom I put my trust.”
3 He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter *
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with his pinions,
and you shall find refuge under his wings; *
his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of any terror by night, *
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the plague that stalks in the darkness, *
nor of the sickness that lays waste at midday.
7 A thousand shall fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand, *
but it shall not come near you.
8 Your eyes have only to behold *
to see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your refuge, *
and the Most High your habitation,
10 There shall no evil happen to you, *
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over you, *
to keep you in all your ways.
12 They shall bear you in their hands, *
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; *
you shall trample the young lion and the serpent
under your feet.
14 Because he is bound to me in love,
therefore will I deliver him; *
I will protect him, because he knows my Name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; *
I am with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him to honor.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, *
and show him my salvation.
Psalm 134 Ecce nunc
1 Behold now, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, *
you that stand by night in the house of the LORD.
2 Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD; *
the LORD who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.
At the end of the Psalms is sung or said
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
One of the following, or some other suitable passage of Scripture, is read
Lord, you are in the midst of us, and we are called by your
Name: Do not forsake us, O Lord our God. Jeremiah 14:9 ,22
People Thanks be to God.
or this
Come to me, all who labor and are heavyladen, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;
for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:2830
People Thanks be to God.
or the following
May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our
Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of
the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you
may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his
sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and
ever. Hebrews 13:2021
People Thanks be to God.
or this
Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls
around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith. 1 Peter 5:89a
People Thanks be to God.
A hymn suitable for the evening may be sung.
Then follows
V. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit;
R. For you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
V. Keep us, O Lord, as the apple of your eye;
R. Hide us under the shadow of your wings.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Officiant and People
Our Father, who art in heaven, Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name, hallowed be your Name,
thy kingdom come, your kingdom come,
thy will be done, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. on earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those as we forgive those
who trespass against us. who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation, Save us from the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil. and deliver us from evil.
Officiant Lord, hear our prayer;
People And let our cry come to you.
Officiant Let us pray.
The Officiant then says one of the following Collects
Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the
love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours
of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and
chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Look down, O Lord, from your heavenly throne, and
illumine this night with your celestial brightness; that by
night as by day your people may glorify your holy Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Visit this place, O Lord, and drive far from it all snares of the
enemy; let your holy angels dwell with us to preserve us in
peace; and let your blessing be upon us always; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Collect for Saturdays
We give you thanks, O God, for revealing your Son Jesus
Christ to us by the light of his resurrection: Grant that as we
sing your glory at the close of this day, our joy may abound
in the morning as we celebrate the Paschal mystery; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
One of the following prayers may be added
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who
sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless
the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the
joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.
or this
O God, your unfailing providence sustains the world we live
in and the life we live: Watch over those, both night and day,
who work while others sleep, and grant that we may never
forget that our common life depends upon each other’s toil;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Silence may be kept, and free intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered.
The service concludes with the Song of Simeon with this Antiphon, which is sung
or said by all
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake
we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.
In Easter Season, add Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
All repeat the Antiphon
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake
we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.
In Easter Season, add Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Officiant Let us bless the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
The Officiant concludes
The almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless us and keep us. Amen.
Wednesday morning
A reading from Luke 15: 11-21
11 Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, "How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands." ' 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
Wednesday lunch
God is in Your corner/ God is Your Home by Max Lucado from The Great House of God
When I was seven years old, I ran away from home. I’d had enough of my father’s rules and decided I could make it on my own, thank you very much. With my clothes in a paper bag, I stormed out the back gate and marched down the alley. Like the prodigal son, I didn’t go far, I got to the end of the alley and remembered I was hungry so I went back home.
But though the rebellion was brief, it was rebellion nonetheless. And had you stopped me on that prodigal path between the fences and asked me who my father was, I just might have told you how I felt. I just might have said “I don’t need a father. I’m too big for the rules of my family. It’s just me, myself and my paper bag”. . .
I don’t hear the rooster crow like Peter did. I didn’t feel the fish belch like Jonah did. I didn’t get a robe and ring and sandals like the prodigal did. But I learned from my father on earth what those three learned from their Father in heaven. Our God is no fair-weather Father. He’s not into this love-them-and-leave-‘em stuff. I can count on him to be in my corner no matter how I perform. You can too.
* * * *
Don’t think you are separated from God, he at the top end of a great ladder, you at the other. Dismiss any thought that God is on Venus while you are on earth. Since God is Spirit, he is next to you: God himself is our roof. God himself is our wall. And God himself is our foundation.
Moses knew this. “Lord,” he prayed, “you have been our home since the beginning” (Ps. 90:1) What a powerful thought: God as your home. Your home is the place where you can kick off your shoes and eat pickles and crackers and not worry about what people think when they see you in your bathrobe.
Your home is familiar to you. No one has to tell you how to locate your bedroom; you don’t need directions to the kitchen. After a hard day scrambling to find your way around in the world, it’s assuring to come home to a place you know. God can be equally familiar to you. With time you have learn where to go for nourishment, where to hide for protection, where to turn for guidance. Just as your earthly house is a place of refuge, so God’s house is a place of peace. God’s house has never been plundered, his walls have never been breached.
Wednesday evening
AND THE BIRD SINGS Abridged from Maybe-Maybe Not by Robert Fulghum
“The best feelings in your life come when you start feeling good after you’ve been feeling just awful.” That’s true for all crises –large and small. “Tell about a large one.” How about the time I tried committing suicide? Twenty five years ago. A harsh time. Everything on my plate seemed foul and rancid—job, marriage, career, friendships, family life and future. Ironic that I was volunteer at the time on a twenty-four hour answering service for a crisis center. I resigned my post when I began to think that the desperate people calling in the middle of the night were on the right track. Getting dead began to seem a good idea to me.
One morning—I just ran away from home. Got in my car, drove to airport, and caught the next plane leaving. It was going to Texas—the last place on my mind, the place where I grew up. When I got there I tried to buy a gun, but there was a waiting period if you were from out of state. Which was OK with me because I didn’t want to make a mess somebody else had to deal with. I looked for something to jump off of, but there wasn’t any place high enough in that part of Texas, and then there was the mess factor again.
Two days had gone by. While I was working out the technical problems of getting dead, I was driving around in a rented car looking at the scenery of my childhood. If I told you what I was thinking, I’d be making it up. Because I don’t remember. It was a dream in a way and serious review of my past in another, but words don’t apply—I was way down in the basement of my soul somewhere.
My plan jelled. I bought a vacuum-cleaner hose and some wide masking tape. I drove out in the plains for a couple of hundred miles, turned off on a dirt road and drove farther. Parked. Tried taping the hose to the exhaust pipe and then in through the wing window of the car. The trouble was that the hose was round and the exhaust pipe was oval, and I had to make the connection using lots of tape to span the difference in shape. When I ran the engine, the heat of the exhaust melted the adhesive on the tape and the hose fell off.
It was funny. How absurd. Too dumb to do something so simple right. I was protected from myself by my own incompetence. I began to laugh. I couldn’t even kill myself. I laughed to the point of hysteria, which turned to sobbing grief, which turned in to silence broken by renewed laughter. I could see the headlines: MAN MANAGES TO DUMB HIMSELF TO DEATH—SUCCUMBS TO EXHAUSTION BROUGHT ON BY TOO MANY FAILED ATTEMPTS TO DO AWAY WITH HIMSELF.
Man to dumb to live—that’s me. But what if I had succeeded? I had this vision of my corpse sitting up at the wheel of this rented car in the middle of nowhere—and it seemed like a meaningless thing to do.
And I began to think of my ancestors—considering that I was alive now because a lot of men and women before me had been able to take whatever life threw at them—all kinds of defeats that made my problems seem like a picnic. How could I give up here? How could I throw that away?
I began to laugh again. Death isn’t what I wanted. It wasn’t less life I wanted, but more life—life with meaning. And I never felt better in my life than at that moment. The best feeling in the world comes when you start feeling good again after you’ve been feeling awful.
Returning home after running away to kill myself was really awkward. For one thing I was in a great, exuberant, life-affirming mood. I felt like Lazarus after his resurrection.
On the other hand, I had upset my family and friends, and I expected a stormy scene with my wife. Oddly enough, she was calm. I suspect she had probably wished at times that I would just disappear or drop dead. When it seemed like that’s exactly what I’d done, she went through a reality check of her own.
Her response was a complete surprise. She had bought me a glad-you-came-back-alive gift. A canary. A yellow, living, singing canary.
I’m not a pet person. Yet here was this beautiful bird hanging in a brass wire cage in the window of my room—singing as though the joy itself were distilled in its song. How absurd! How wonderfully right! I remember shouting at it “Sing, bird, sing!’
TANGIBLE: A YELLOW FEATHER
Time for reflection and sharing
Closing prayer
LEADER: When we are happy When we are full of sun and laughter
ALL: GOD WELCOMES US
LEADER: When we are angry When people let us down and make us sad
ALL: GOD WELCOMES US
LEADER: When we are tired When we need to stop and curl up and rest
ALL: GOD WELCOMES US
LEADER: God of welcome God whose door is always open
ALL: WE ARE GLAD TO MEET YOU HERE
Thursday morning
A reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans 11:25- 12:25
25 So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob." 27 "And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins." 28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. 33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
Romans 12: 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
Prayer for the day
O God, you are within each one of us, It is not just the interior of church walls: it is our own inner being you have renewed. We are your temple not made with hands. We are your body. If every wall should crumble and every church decay, we are your habitation. Nearer are you than breathing, closer than hands and feet. Ours are the eyes with which you, in the mystery, look out with compassion on the world. God, the refuge you offer is no hiding place from the world. It is a sanctuary of survivors, where you warm us with shared experience, and kindle in us a passion to struggle against cruelty, exclusion, and oppression. Bless us this day in our work in the name of your name we pray. AMEN
Abridged from The Pattern of Our Days: Liturgies and Resources for Worship edited by Kathy Galloway, the Iona Community.
Thursday lunch
I Almost Failed to Give Him the Key
The early years of the 19th century were troubled times in the German confederation. Rumors of revolution and rioting had the federated government in panic. Klemens von Metternich, the chief statesman of the confederation, ordered thousands of young men drafted into the army to guard the borders and put down internal revolts. Across the countryside, young men in uniform tramped off to an unknown destiny.
In one German village stood a grand old stone-walled church with and ornately carved facade, beautiful stained glass, and a stately pipe-organ. The organ was famed throughout the region for its beautiful, rich tone. One day the aged caretaker of the church was interrupted during his chores by a knock on the great oak door of the sanctuary. He opened the door to find a young man in uniform on the steps.
"Sir, I have a favor to ask," the young soldier began. "Would you please permit me to play the organ for one hour?"
"I'm sorry, young man," the caretaker replied. "No one but our own organist is permitted to play the organ."
"But sir, I've heard so much about the organ of this church, and I've walked so many miles just to see it, just to play it for a single hour!"
The aged man paused, then shook his head sadly.
"Please," the soldier pleaded. "My commander gave me a 24-hour leave. In a few more days we move to another province where the fighting is expected to be heavy. This may be the last chance in my life to play the organ."
The caretaker reluctantly nodded. He swung the door open and beckoned the soldier inside. Then he took a key from his pocket and held it out to the soldier. "The organ is locked," he said. "Here is the key."
The soldier took the key and unlocked the ornate cabinet of the organ. Then he began to play. A billow of majestic chords rolled from the great golden pipes of the organ. The caretaker stood transfixed as the glorious music washed over him, bringing tears to his eyes. He moved to one of the pews and sat down, as if entranced.
Within minutes, people from the village gathered at the church doorway and peered in. Removing their hats, the villagers stepped into the sanctuary and sat down to listen. Streams of beautiful music filled the sanctuary for one hour. Then the gifted fingers of the organist struck a final chord and lifted from the keyboard.
The young man closed and locked the keyboard cabinet. As he stood and turned, he was surprised to see that the church had nearly filled with parishioners who had laid aside their chores to listen to his music. Humbly receiving their compliments, the young soldier walked down the center aisle to return the key to the caretaker. "Thank you," the young man whispered.
The old man rose to his feet and took the key. "Thank you," he answered, grasping the young soldier's gifted hands. "Young man, that was the most beautiful music these old ears have ever heard. What is your name?"
"My name is Felix," replied the solder. "Felix Mendelssohn."
The old caretaker's eyes widened as he realize whose hands he grasped, the hands of the young man who, before he was 20 years old, had become one of the most celebrated composers on the European continent. The old man's gaze followed the young soldier as he left the church and disappeared into the village street.
"To think," the old man wondered aloud, "the master was here and I almost failed to give him the key!"
So it is with us. The Master is here. God is with us. His grace envelops us. If you give him the key to your heart, he can make unimaginably beautiful music in your life, music that will make the world stop, listen, and wonder. The Master is here and he is ready to transform us by his grace. He is ready to give us a new beginning. It is not only our duty but our joy to give him the key to all that we are and have.
Ron Lee Davis, Courage to Begin Again, (Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR; 1978), pp. 184-186
TANGIBLE: KEY
Thursday night
MAKE ME LIKE JOE ~Author Unknown~ excerpted from http://www.all-creatures.org/stories
Joe was a drunk who was miraculously converted at a Bowery mission. Prior to his conversion, he had gained the reputation of being a dirty wino for whom there was no hope, only a miserable existence in the ghetto. But following his conversion to a new life in Christ, everything changed.
Joe became the most caring person that anyone associated with the mission had ever known. Joe spent his days and nights hanging out at the mission, doing whatever needed to be done. There was never anything that he was asked to do that he considered beneath him. Whether it was cleaning up the vomit left by some violently sick alcoholic or scrubbing toilets after careless men left the men's room filthy, Joe did what was asked with a smile on his face and seeming gratitude for the chance to help. He could be counted on to feed feeble men who wandered off the street and into the mission, and to undress and tuck into bed men who were too out of it to take care of themselves.
One evening, when the director of the mission was delivering his evening evangelistic message to the usual crowd of still and sullen men with drooped heads, there was one man who looked up, came down the aisle to the altar and knelt to pray, crying out to God to help him change. The repentant drunk kept shouting, "Oh God! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe!"
The director of the mission leaned over and said to the man "Son, I think it would be better if you prayed, 'Make me like Jesus.'"
The man looked up at the director with a quizzical expression on his face and asked, "Is he like Joe?"
The greatest sermon we can ever preach is not spoken. It is Lived!
Friday morning
A reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans 8: 5-17
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. 12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Friday lunch
The Master's Card Copyright© 1999 Jimmy D. Brown
By now you have probably seen the catchy television commercials for MasterCard. They start by identifying some things that people can buy with their MasterCard, then show a moment that is priceless and end by saying, "There are some things money can't buy, for everything else there's MasterCard."
For example, in one such commercial there is a man and his young son headed to the baseball park. The commercial shows the dad buying his son a hot dog and you hear the words, "Hot dog at the big league game...$3.00." The next scene shows the dad buying a game program and the words, "Program...$6.00." Then, one of those large, orange hands with the fingers forming a #1 is shown and you hear something like, "Large, orange hand...$15.00." The commercial finishes by showing the father explaining some important aspect of the game to his son, who is listening intently as he looks up at his father with excitement in his eyes, "Meaningful conversation between a father and a son...priceless."
"There are some things money can't buy, for everything else there's MasterCard."
Friends, I'm not unlike those agencies promoting their favorite credit card. I'm here to advertise. You see, my life is a commercial for others to see. I'm a card carrying representative for the Master's Card.
That's right, the Master's Card. Let me tell you about it. There are no finance charges, no payments due. My bill has already been covered...it's a prepaid deal. I couldn't afford the price, so Jesus stepped in and paid it for me. My Name is written on the card for all to see. It is accessible twenty-four hours a day from anywhere in the world. The Master's Card has so many benefits it's hard to list them all. Let me share some of them with you...you might want to apply for a personal card yourself.
Just for starters there is UNLIMITED GRACE. That's right, there is no pre-set limit to the amount of grace you receive from the Master's Card. Have you been looking for love in all the wrong places? Then, look no farther than the Master's Card. It offers the greatest rate on love that has ever been offered.
The Master's Card gives you access to many "members only" benefits. Want real joy despite the difficulties of life? Apply for the Master's Card. Want a lasting peace? Apply for the Master's Card. Looking for something you can always rely on in a jam? The Master's Card is perfect for you.
Another great thing about the Master's Card is that it never expires. Once you're a member, you can be a member for life...eternal life, that is.
Membership has its privileges, you know.
How do you receive the Master's Card. Dial 1-800-ROMANS10:9 "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Jesus is standing by right now to take your call.
Don't delay. This great offer won't last forever. Peace, joy and hope: Invaluable.
Faith, contentment and assurance: Inestimable.
Salvation: Priceless.
There are some things money can buy. For everything else, there's the Master's Card.
Friday evening:
Closing Holy Eucharist Rite II Rite C, I hope Bill Oldland, celebrant
