Dec. 9 Week Devotions

Sunday December 9-We do not have a given psalm to work from, so i picked the reading from Phil. 1 today.v3 and v. 9 stand out to me today. “I thank God every time I remember you.”  Who can we truly say that about? What would it take for us to be able to say that about our fellow church members?It  concludes “May love overflow more and more.” What a wonderful blessing, as far too often we act as if love has to be measured in small doses that would challenge a careful pharmacist.

Monday- This is taken from Kent Ira Groff’s material on the internet-“Ivan Illich, who trained educators in linguistic and intercultural awareness, writes, "It takes more time and effort and delicacy to learn the silence of a people than to learn its sounds.... The learning of the grammar of silence is an art much more difficult to learn than the grammar of sounds." A Pueblo friend tells me it's the same in her Native culture: listen for the truth by attending to the silences. In a noisy world, spending time praying in honest to God silence is a paradoxical and profound way to practice listening with your neighbor.”

Tuesday-This is a most generous time of year. As we open our pockets to family and friends, we open them to the poor. charity is always a risk as gifts are fungible, and we do not control what folks do with the money. We take the chance that money goes to the “deserving” and undeserving” poor. At this time of year, we wonder if Mary and Joseph had any money for the “inn” and were left in desperate hope that someone would take them in.Ssomeone’s heart and imagination was large enough to offer shelter.

Wednesday-”sleep in heavenly peace.” What are some of the ingredients of peace that allow sound sleep. First could be acceptance of forgiveness. Regrets and guilt dog us all to some degree. God has turned the page from recrimination to reconciliation is a comfort, no? Second, we may realize that not everything is our responsibility. Realizing that in the end, the world is in god’s hands may soften anxiety a bit.

Thursday-While we talk a good game on spiritual quiet time, this is a hectic time of year. We feel pressured and put upon. I have to be careful with the flood of help requests that continue here at church and then go home to requests for help that look like bills with an invoice.It does give me a feeling of purpose and benevolence to help the needy, but my mood soon sours when I deterct claims of demand. My supposed generous heart then shrinks into a microscopic dot.

Friday-Felipe Martinez shared this piece by his friend   Steve Plank-“It seems that waiting/is what I most often do-waiting to feel closer to You,/waiting for my prayer life to mature,/waiting to be spiritual. I wait for others to do what they should,/even when I cannot do what I know I must.” Waiting can be a useless idling, or a time of preparation, sometimes feverish preparation if an expected event is cruising toward us on a shortened calendar.  

Saturday-I started to get some Christmas cards together. The only time I contact some of these folks is at the holiday. I am not sure how long how should send a card when it doesn;t receive a response in a couple of years. Are they the gospel in miniature, as they share good news on note paper? Do we, should, we, include spiritual growth and crises as part of our missives? What sort of messages do you most appreciate? Consider the gospel readings of the Nativity as a Christmas card from heaven itself.