Devotions Week of Nov. 4

Sunday November 4-Ps 146 is a left wing psalm from our poor perspective as it emphasizes justice for the core of Hebrew ethics, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the prisoner, the put down. At the same time, we are warned about putting trust in government above that of the god of heaven and earth. Still, no christian can ignore the clarion call to justice that permeates the Scriptures. Monday- I had the new Christian Century on the train with me, so noted some things in it for devotions again.Recently the liturgical theologian and preacher thomas Long wrote of struggling with marital Christian hymns.If they are taken as walking hand in hand with the powers of war, I would agree. The Bible speaks of a hidden warfare of the spirit where arms are of no avail. that is why Eph. 6:10-20 uses military weapons but for non-violent purposes and means. Tuesday-It is said that Gregory the Great, a charitable pope,came in a vision repeatedly to his successor to be more generous. when he came the fourth time, he hit him in the head with his staff, and his successor died soon after that final vision.It is a constant tension sin’t it. We want a church building to be a proper, respectful place to worship God, but so many needs cry out at the same time. I guess I would hope that a generous orthodoxy will be bound with “glad and generous hearts.” Opne-hearted prayer may well lead to open wallets and pocketbooks. Wednesday-Christine Pohl wrote a provocative piece on kindness as a neglected virtue. She sees it as a simple antidote to the “meanness in the world,” the ruthless push for number one.Kindness can transform even the meanest situation or maybe even person, if only for a I hear echoes of the word, kin, in it, family, or kinder, for child.Kindness is helpful, respectful, and moderate in its scope. of grace. Thursday-Stephanie Paulsell of harvard wrote a piece on St. Therese, the Little Flower. She once said that she was a little soul who could offer God little things, even the tough aggravating work of the laundry.Even when she suffered, even when she felt no joy, she sought to act in loving ways to provide some joy.Michael Plekon has written an interesting look at “saints in our time.” He notes that the writer Patricia Hempl speaks of a rediscovery of God after rejecting her birth faith: “we all form a holy procession from the first days down to the present.”. Friday-Fleming Rutledge is one of the best preachers. ;let alone Episcopalian priests around. In a recent book, she explores Old Testament preaching. She tries to build a bridge to both conservatives and liberals through the OT.She uses the living god of the OT to remind us that God speaks still. She writes of the burning bush as “God’s fierce, dazzling holiness.”I have ot make a note to explore the theme of God and suffering through Is. 28. Saturday- Heidi Neumark wrote a piece on justice as evoked by the story of the widow’s offering in Mk. 12:38-44. jesus notes with admiration that while she gave little in amount, in proportion to her means, it was all she had. She wonders why we continue to permit a system where some have so much and so many have too little.In other words, how do we countenance a system where the widow has but a few coins to slip into the offering?