September 29 Week Devotional Points

Sunday September 29-Ps. 91 is a great song for protection amid real danger. In our hymnbook it is reflected in #212. In its last first its says that “all who know your name on earth/shall life abundant know.” What do you see as the promise of abundant life? Does it require a sense of protection and security? Where do your insecurities threaten your acceptance of the abundant life?

Monday-"A coincidence is a small miracle in which God has chosen to remain anonymous." I think I got this bit of wisdom from a friend in a Twelve Step group. Then there's the one attributed to the late Archbishop William Temple: people say that prayer is mainly a matter of coincidences. And I am inclined to agree, because I notice the more I pray, the more the coincidences seem to increase. “ How do you react or respond to this quotation?

Tuesday-As I continue to work with the bible, I lose confidence that its ancient history is accurate for the times reflected. instead, ancient histories tried to do two things: show the stability of human nature or use the models of the past to reflect upon current crises. Israel’s history reflects its continuing struggle to deal with a destroyed temple and exile and scours historical patterns to come to grips with that grim point. In so doing, it refuses to admit that the future has to reflect the past but that new chances at a reversal could emerge form the grace of God.

Wednesday- "Only reckless confidence in a Source greater than ourselves can empower us to forgive the wounds inflicted by others." -- Brennan Manning What do you think of this? Does it not move us past the notion that forgiveness is beneficial to all but is a real risk? When have you been able to forgive? when have you not been able to forgive? does its difficulty lie in our lack of reclesss confidence in the Source?

Thursday-I saw it again. Another member of the clergy who is trying to be in style, wrote a note about being the church, not going to church. It assumes that people see that their one hour in worship is their sole religious obligation, an utter cliché. Second, it misses the point. Without worship, the church would be another charity. With worship as its model, it has an entirely different capacity to engage the world. When and why did we start to denigrate worship so, in the church of all places?

Friday-I’m working a bit ahead on Jeremiah 29 on the future. It basically urges us to bloom where we are planted. It does not permit the future to be occupied by the mirage of a missed past, nor does it permit us to fantasize about a utopias so much that we lose sight of present work to build a future. when have you acted inconfidence toward the unseen future and taken a real risk on that confidence?

Saturday-I was going through some lyrics to select for the Saturday service on the future and of course thought of Springsteen’s Livin’ in the Future. Its chorus goes:” we’re livin’ in the future/none of this has happened yet.” when we live in the future, we may well add worries to the present that we cannot control and may not even come to pass. When has living in the future helped or harmed you?