Oct 30 Devotions

Sunday October 30 is Reformation Sunday in many churches. The watchword of course, is the church reformed, always being reformed. I always was struck by the passive ending of it, so that it is god’s spirit reforming the church, not an act of human will. In other words, the church is a human institution, but ti is in the hands of god. God is not through with us yet. God uses this odd instrument to continue the work of redemption.

Halloween-A movement exists to make Halloween a “safe” holiday without thoughts of gore. I assume all of the candy will be sugar-free or organic. I think that by placing it within a spirit of fun and masks, it helps us to face the reality of death. Indeed, to make death an object of ridicule and humor strikes me as a proper response to the Easter people who claim resurrection at the core of our faith.Yes, death is the last enemy, but its days are numbered. One day, death will go to Hell.

Tuesday-All Saints Day is a great idea as we move toward the close of the church year. In Protestant language, we can honor all the saints, all of those who lived an died in the faith. It is a proper liturgical moment for us to consider those who have died as pioneers of the faith as they journey to the far side of the Jordan to the Promised Land beyond. do you have any prescribed rituals for honoring those who have gone on before you?

Wednesday- Do you have a bucket list, a list of things you would like to do before you leave this earth? In church recently I mentioned some with flying: as i have been in a glider and a balloon, but need to take a helicopter ride and if I get braver, fly an ultralight craft myself. Maybe it is less an action than an emotional tie that needs to be redone, or a someone whom we should forgive.

Thursday-we move from the end to happier thoughts of the here and now. “Pie in the sky, by and by is part of our culture, but it is a profound mistake to keep our lives on hold in order to wait for our beautiful heavenly reward. with it as a pledge, we are, or can be, emboldened to live a richer, fuller life here and now, despite the limitations we all face to some degree. Consider just one place where you could live more richly, more fully, maybe even just for today.

Friday-As I write this, I note that I plan to be in Urbana for a seminar on the mainline church. It seems that the older established churches are in decline and new centers are replacing them. While I applaud the newer movements to a degree, as I wish for many flowers in the church garden to bloom, I am profoundly saddened to see the older churches falling by the wayside. I do know that we are getting nowhere in playing the blame game and instead require a firm look at what to treasure, and what to let go, what to change.

Saturday-I hope to see our younger daughter in college at the end of this week, even as the actual date is still up in the air. It is a tightrope journey to be with an offspring who is at the cusp of full adulthood, yet not. She has a marvelous way of returning to precious memories of childhood through books or movies when the stress of adulthood becomes a bit much.What were your best tools in navigating different stages or passages in life? Where did faith come into play?