Pts. for Week of Oct. 25

Sunday-Ps. 24 has an inclusive feel suitable for All Saints Day.For All Saints Day focus on seeking the face of god. What does this mean pre and post-mortem ot yo? What draws you to seek the presence of god? Monday-Isaiah 53: 4-12 Have you ever felt cut off from the land of the living? This is how some people describe grief and loss. This is how some people describe dealing with debilitating illness. And sometimes, those who suffer from great injustice describe that same sense of being cut off from life.from God Pause Tuesday-"Perhaps life is all about--the search for such a connection. The search for magic. The search for the inexplicable. Not in order to explain it, or contain it. Simply in order to feel it. Because in that recognition of the sublime, we see for a moment the entire universe in the palm of our hand. And in that moment, we touch the face of God."(Garth Stein) Wednesday-"What is blessing but a rain of grace falling generously into the lives of those in need; and who among us is without need?...May this day be a pathway strewn with blessings.May your work this day be your love made visible.May you breathe upon the wounds of those with whom you work..May your voice this day be a voice of encouragement.May your life be an answer to someone's prayer.May you own a grateful heart.May you have enough joy to give you hope, enough pain to make you wise.May there be no room in your heart for hatred...When you look into the window of your soul may you see the face of God.May the lamp of your life shine upon all you meet this day."(Macrina Wiederkehr in "Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day") Thursday-Sleep is a rehearsal for the final laying down of arms, of course, when you trust yourself to the same unseen benevolence to see you through the dark and to wake you when the time comes—with new hope, new strength—into the return again of light.-Originally published in Whistling in the Dark Friday-Psalm 46-As human history continues to unfold, we continue to see conflict... While we may catch glimpses of peace here and now, we long for the day when conflict, brutality and war fall silent. Until then, we as people of faith work as a voice for justice in the middle of what seems like chaos:..While it is easy to say, "The world is doomed!" the Psalmist invites us to see God at work in the midst of chaos, in the voice of our neighbor who works to bring about justice, through the voice of the community that calls out injustice and oppression. God "breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire," and we get closer to the day where peace becomes a reality. From God Pause Saturday-We often hear these days that the folks who refuse to compromise are the strong and smart ones. I'm not remotely convinced of that idea. Certainly the refusal to compromise has not been shown to make us a stronger or a smarter society. In fact, those who are least flexible and most dogmatic are often the most insecure. Compromise is a sign of intellectual and moral strength, an indication that one is realistic in facing the complexities and ambiguities of life and of forging a good society. However difficult it may be to compromise, this is a word we must learn to speak again if we are going to learn to live together in this world. Michael Jinkins 27 Likes5 Comments