Sunday-Ps.81-God reminds the people that they were set free from the burdens of slavery. They are promised good things if they live life according to love of god and each other: sweet honey from the rock and the finest of wheat. Instead, we insist on following our own devices. Consider the frustration God must feel in reaction to our impulses.
Monday-The Fifth Step in the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is for a person to "admit to God, ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs." I remember meeting one young man who came to our meeting literally bent over with the weight of his past. His posture changed as he gradually unburdened himself of his misdeeds. He walked out of our conversation standing tall. Jesus' healing power mends bodies, minds and spirits. God Pause
Tuesday-How can I share that grace with others if I cannot acknowledge that I have a self to be transformed by that grace? How can I afford to offer forgiveness and seek reconciliation if I believe that doing so means giving others the power to decide whether I ought to have a self at all? The ancient monastics knew that there cannot be reconciling love where there is no self to do the loving. Thus they knew they were not free to give away that primary self to another person, dissipate it, sell it into bondage, or neglect it. The peace that comes with claiming our self in God is the foundation of our ability to carry God's reconciling love to others in the most humble places and humble, everyday ways. (Merton?)
Wednesday-Cherish all your happy moments; they make a fine cushion for old age. Booth Tarkington
Thursday-Psalm 112-This psalm spins our praise and prayer between two words: rooted and generous. I think of the quip that says there are two things parents give their children: roots and wings. The first focus of the psalm is to be anchored firmly in God's promise, to delight in God and God's words (verse 1). This is a picture of hearts held by God's power...secure even in the presence of evil..Then the psalmist turns our reflection to the power of generosity. God's gifts are given so that sturdy disciples have the strength and concern to get up in the night for those who need help (verse 4), and to give themselves and what they have eagerly (verses 5, 9). Here again are two great ironies of Christian faith: being rooted in God sets us free.God Pause
Friday-Blessed ones, whole ones/you where the heart begins/You ar4e the bow that shoots the arrow/and you are the target- Rilke
Saturday-Luke 14- The parables ask us to plunge in--take a seat at the low end of the table. Invite those who can never repay the invitation. Stretch. Trust. Be opened to God's presence in astonishing places. When we live toward these neighbors we learn to know the breadth and depth of God's love for all God's people--and we know our complete dependence on God more vividly for ourselves.Paul Rohde,
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