Maintaining the natural balance of things

Morning: Psalms 121, 122, 123; Exodus 5:1-6:1; I Corinthians 14:20-40

Evening: Psalms 124, 125, 126; Mark 9:42-50

Our choices have consequences ... this is a common theme for Jesus. But we understand differently how those consequences come about. Some think that life works like a courtroom where a judge pronounces ‘sentences’ for bad behaviour. Jesus teaches that life works more like the Cold War cartoon ... Two enemies stand waist-deep in a pool of gasoline, threatening one another; one has 10 matches, the other has 9! Your behaviour is your choice. Its consequences - for good or ill - follow from your actions. Disturb the God-given balance of Mother Nature and she will work to restore it.

In whose name?

Morning: Psalm 31; Exodus 4:10-31; I Corinthians 14:1-19

Evening: Psalm 35; Mark 9:30-41

For some people, if you’re not part of their crowd, you’re not 100% real. Jesus’s disciples turn on one person who follows Jesus and serves his ways but is not one of them ... How dare this upstart heal people in Jesus’s name when he’s not one of us!? I mean, we’re the in group, right? On the contrary, Jesus’ sole concern is whether you serve the truth, not whether you have taken out a membership. To live true to what Jesus stands for is to act ‘in his name’.

I Am … with you

Morning: Psalm 118; Exodus 3:16-4:12; Romans 12:1-21

Evening: Psalm 145; John 8:46-59

Fred Buechner writes that since God told Moses her name, she hasn’t had a moments peace since! Well, Buechner actually used a male pronoun for God. But, more importantly, the name God gave to Moses was “I am”. When Jesus was confronted by the religious leaders about his authority, he said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” With this simple phrase, Jesus is identified as God in human flesh, God alongside us. That is the essence of the Christian Good News ... that the eternal God, the Creator of all things, is not distant from us, but close at hand.

‘I believe; help my unbelief!’

Morning: Psalm 107:33-43; 108:1-6; Exodus 2:23 – 3:15; I Corinthians 13:1-13

Evening: Psalm 33; Mark 9:14-29

Do you ever think: I believe in God, but I have doubts? ... Belief is complicated; it is rarely ever total. We have many doubts. Ironically, doubts demand stronger faith. One author says that doubts are what keeps faith alive and moving. If I lose faith because of things I do not understand, I actually presume that I ought to understand everything. But I don’t. Do you? Withholding belief until I comprehend fully leaves me forever undecided. When I understand, of course I will not need belief. In the meantime, believing is a fair step on the way to knowing.

A still more excellent way

Morning: Psalm 102; Exodus 2:1-22; I Corinthians 12:27-13:3

Evening: Psalm 107:1-32; Mark 9:2-13

St. Paul speaks about a way of understanding community ... as being like a body. He calls the Church the Body of Christ, because it has many members, many gifts, which, when joined together, and when every member is playing his or her part, as in an orchestra, something beautiful occurs. Such a community is an astounding combination of gifts, all interacting wonderfully as one. But still more excellent than this is when all of it happens in the presence of love. Without love, even a gifted community is nothing. Love is what makes us Christ’s Body.

Let us go into this world with kindness

Morning: Psalm 69:1-38; Exodus 1:6-22; I Corinthians 12:12-26

Evening: Psalm 73; Mark 8:27-9:1

I heard a doctor in Pembroke speaking about how important to her in these days have been people’s simple acts of kindness ... kindness is letting go of your priorities for the sake of someone else. Brian McLaren took a prayer of Teresa of Avila and put it into a song, sung by Steve Bell ... have a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqR7nzjJM7I ... Christ has no body here but ours, no hands, no feet here on earth but ours; ours the eyes through which he looks on this world with kindness ... Let us go now into this world with kindness.

Power to become ourselves

Morning: Psalms 85, 87; Isaiah 52:7-12; Hebrews 2:5-10

Evening: Psalms 110:1-5, 132; John 1:9-14

This sacred season is a close encounter with the power of death ... it is clearly a season of suffering and pain, of sorrow for lost lives and livelihoods, of lament that we have mistakenly disrupted nature and denied our mistake. Yet this sacred season ends not in death, but in life ... if we repent, turning away from the power of death to welcome the truth that our hearts know well ... God comes in Jesus and offers us the power to become ourselves. This is the remarkable possibility calling to us from beyond this valley of the shadow.

Good News for these times: “all of you are one”

Morning: Psalms 97, 99; Genesis 49:29-50:14; I Corinthians 11:17-34

Evening: Psalms 8, 138; Genesis 3:1-15; Galatians 4:1-7

Yesterday, one of you sent me a prayer for these times from Richard Rohr: “Loving God, all seems adrift. Is this what it takes to let us know we are one? Is this what it takes to make us live as one? Is this the high price of love and solidarity?” St. Paul tried to understand Jesus’s coming into our midst. He concluded that Jesus came to let us know that “all of you are one” in God’s Love. Pray God that we may finally find this unity, this solidarity, for these times and beyond into a better future.

Vocation has no expiration date

Morning: Psalm 89:1-18; Genesis 49:1-28; I Corinthians 10:14-11:1

Evening: Psalm 89:19-52; Mark 7:24-37

I almost did not notice this line: “Jesus entered a house and didn’t want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice”. You don’t usually imagine Jesus hiding out! How could such a gifted healer escape notice, one so close to the heart of love? No, Jesus slowly recognized his mission; finally, he cannot escape his destiny. Joining Jesus in his mission, we may find ours. Or, we may choose to stay in hiding. Jesus could not. Ask yourself: What’s my calling now? (By the way, a calling does not automatically expire at retirement.)

Bread for Life

Morning: Psalms 66, 67; Genesis 48:8–22; Romans 8:11-25

Evening: Psalms 19, 46; John 6:27-40

Bread for Life ... This may sound like a lottery prize; like a loaf per week for life! But Jesus is the bread here. He is the prize, given for the life (not just the survival) of the world. Jesus claims he is the gift of God’s very self, bread that provides fullness of life. If you know and trust that God is with you, he says (and Jesus is called ‘God with us’), that will be bread for your soul. It will sustain you through these days and it will help you to live well all your days.

Wash your hands, yes, and cleanse your heart, too

Morning: Psalms 87, 90; Genesis 47:27 – 48:7; I Corinthians 10:1-13

Evening: Psalm 136; Mark 7:1-23

In today’s Gospel - can you believe it!? - legalists chastise Jesus because his disciples don’t wash their hands! Of course, today you must wash your hands often. Back then, Jesus pointed out that it was the Pharisees’ hearts that were infected with evil, and handwashing wouldn’t help with that. Today, Jesus would teach, in the same spirit: Cleanse your hands, yes, and also your hearts. Wanting to protect others from disease is a desire of the heart ... The attitudes of our hearts are still of first priority exactly because, without fail, we must want to wash our hands.

An amazing opportunity to transform the way we live

Morning: Psalm 88; Genesis 47:1-26; I Corinthians 9:16-27

Evening: Psalms 91, 92; Mark 6:47-56

Amazement characterizes people’s response to Jesus. He offers transformation, nourishes people, calms their troubles, heals wounds. They are amazed. I want to bring a similar attitude of amazement to this strange time we are in ... True, Illness, death and fear makes some selfish, yet the level of human cooperation, heroism, creativity and international collaboration amazes me. More than that, Wuhan has clean air and birdsong; dolphins swim in the now clean waters of Venice. Who knows? Perhaps beyond this present chaos, we will realize that this is an opportunity to transform the way we live. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Save face or do what is right?

Morning: Psalm 119:97-120; Genesis 45:16-28; I Corinthians 8:1-13

Evening: Psalms 81, 82; Mark 6:13-29

King Herod? - Classic case of a divided heart, guided more by self-interest than by what it knows is right. Herod respects John but beheads him to avoid losing face for making rash promises. Leaders, learn from Herod! ... Don’t make promises you can’t keep, then you won’t need to save face. In fact, don’t make promises at all. Do the right thing now. By the [time] you’re your promises come due, circumstances will call for different actions, and you’ll lose face anyway for breaking your promises. People have long memories. “Purity of heart is to will one thing,” says Kierkegaard.

Wisdom sees life from a perspective we missed

Morning: Psalm 78:1-39; Genesis 45:1-15; I Corinthians 7:32-40

Evening: Psalm 78:40-72; Mark 6:1-13

Wisdom is rare. When Jesus demonstrates wisdom, they take offence at him. Perhaps they are surprised at how wisdom turns things upside down and reveals that something is missing in our perspective. Jesus’s disciples go out to preach repentance. Basically, they say: “Change the direction in which you look for happiness.” I heard wisdom yesterday from an epidemiologist. She said: ‘social distancing’ is best understood by imagining that you yourself have the virus and you’re doing your utmost to protect those you love. That’s the opposite of doing things to protect yourself, but it motivates you more, eh? ... Wisdom.

Healing faith and resilience

Morning: Psalm 80; Genesis 44:18-34; I Corinthians 7:25-31

Evening: Psalm 77; Mark 5:21-43

We’ve never experienced anything like this before, this worldwide longing for healing from a deadly disease. But there is a deeper dis-ease, an anguish of the soul, a crisis of meaning that has us longing for solidity because the ground beneath us is shaking while we are shaking within. Jesus heals physically - a bleeding disorder, a dying child. He also heals the soul and calls forth faith that sustains us whatever our trouble. May we find such faith and resilience in this crisis that we emerge from it knowing more deeply the oneness and interdependence of the whole Creation.

Our response to trouble ... pray for the Spirit’s help

Morning: Psalms 93, 96; Genesis 44:1-17; Romans 8:1-10

Evening: Psalm 34; John 5:25-29

It is natural and necessary to be preoccupied with material issues when the world is in ‘crisis mode’ with this coronavirus. Certain concrete actions are called for and bring benefits for all - health-care provisions, hand-washing, and ensuring there is enough food in case you become isolated. But it is the Spirit who will sustain us so that we get through these days well. The fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”. Pray for the guidance and wisdom of the Spirit so that our concrete actions are seasoned with grace and goodwill.

There are days ... therefore, wait for the Lord

Morning: Psalms 75, 76; Genesis 43:16-34; I Corinthians 7:10-24

Evening: Psalms 23, 27; Mark 5:1-20

There are days when the world’s troubles weigh heavily. But as you search, sometimes a word breaks through. Take Psalm 27: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; ... the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ... Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” People of faith are not punier than those who try to get by without God. Indeed the Light of God animates and fills the universe and everything in it. So we are stronger when we make God’s purposes and strength our own.

Peace! Be still!

Morning: Psalm 69:1-38; Genesis 43:1-15; I Corinthians 7:1-9

Evening: Psalm 73; Mark 4:35-41

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ask Jesus’s seasoned fishermen friends during the storm on the lake. Meanwhile, Jesus - the landlubber - is asleep in the stern. They are sailors; the story is probably not about their literal fear of a particular storm but about their inner turmoil of heart and soul in the face of life’s big questions. The coronavirus is an outward ‘storm’ that sparks inward fears. Jesus speaks today, as he spoke to the fishermen, “Peace! Be still!” In today’s storm, we will need inner calm.

How many seeds in an apple? How many apples in an appleseed?

Morning: Psalms 70, 71; Genesis 42:29-38; I Corinthians 6:12-20

Evening: Psalm 74; Mark 4:21-34

I love to play with kids and ask them the question: How many seeds are there in an apple? They answer 4, or 6, or 8. But then ask them: How many apples are there in this appleseed? It blows their minds! It blows my mind! How astounding and unimagineable is the future of the Cosmos, given the extravagant abundance of Mother Nature. Apple seeds and mustard seeds and mighty oaks which from little acorns grow! It all seems to say: “Be amazed! Open your heart to wonder!” You may want to play this game with children in your life?

Sow extravagantly

Morning: Psalm 72; Genesis 42:18-28; I Corinthians 5:9 – 6:8

Evening: Psalm 119:73-96; Mark 4:1-20

Seed packages sometimes advise that you sow several seeds where you want only one plant. To my childhood self, that seemed wasteful ... why not just one seed per plant? Well, you learn that not all seeds germinate and grow to maturity, because conditions change. Similarly, not every word of human kindness or act of generosity bears fruit. But - have you noticed? - Mother Nature always sows seeds generously, as if to say: Sow extravagantly. Keep sowing. Sow seeds of kindness and love. Conditions may change. Your perseverance may yet yield richly in someone’s life, even your own.

Brothers and sisters on the Way of Jesus

Morning: Psalms 61, 62; Genesis 42:1-17; I Corinthians 5:1-8

Evening: Psalm 68:1-36; Mark 3:19b-35

You can only be an objective, neutral observer of Jesus for so long. Sooner or later, you make a decision - one way or the other - about whether to trust him and what he represents. Jesus says that when you decide to trust, you become part of a new extended family of companions who will support you on the Way. For Jesus, whoever is at one with God is his “brother and sister and mother.” This does not mean always being successfully in tune with God ... just wanting to be.

Still sharing the message

Morning: Psalms 56, 57; Genesis 41:46-57; I Corinthians 4:8-20

Evening: Psalms 64, 65; Mark 3:7-19a

Were you ever selected for a work project, a team, a family responsibility? When Jesus called people to share his message of reconciliation and sent them out with the promise of a new future for humankind, they had no idea how far his message would reach, beyond that place and time into ours. For here we are, still discerning in his message a path toward a better world. Here we are, still sent out with the same Good News. And whenever an act of reconciliation heals some brokenness in the world, Jesus’s promised new reality comes nearer. Onward!

From death to life

Morning: Psalms 24, 29; Genesis 41:14-45; Romans 6:3-14

Evening: Psalms 8, 84; John 5:19-24

You need not look far to see the power of death at work in the world. This power of death does not often kill us physically, as in acts of terror or crime.  But it can kill the human spirit ... as when a child is abused, or a woman suffers domestic violence, or workers are exploited, or people turn a blind eye to poverty and need. Jesus’s mission and, therefore, the mission of his followers is to bring the world from death to life, to defeat the power of death with the power of his justice and love.

Recovering the forgotten purpose of our traditions

Morning: Psalm 55; Genesis 41:1-13; I Corinthians 4:1-7

Evening: Psalms 128, 139:1-17; Mark 2:23-3:6

Religious leaders denounce Jesus because he and his disciples fail to observe the traditional day of rest. He says the day of rest is for their benefit, time to care for themselves and to let go of the mistaken idea that they control things. Obedience to traditions that have lost their purpose can destroy our dignity and our peace. Our own secularized traditions - Sunday, Easter, Christmas - often fail to deliver on their original purpose ... restoration, new life, peace, justice in human relationships. What do you suppose it would take to recover our lost traditions, and their benefits?

Jesus’s love for the unrighteous (us) still surprises us

Morning: Psalms 40, 54; Genesis 40:1-23; I Corinthians 3:16-23

Evening: Psalm 51; Mark 2:13-22

The truth about us is elusive, even disagreeable; untruths get more airtime. Show things as they are, but still people hang onto illusions. We think we are unworthy of Love. We find it hard to believe that Jesus comes with love for the un-righteous (us) and that he spends time with cheats or with those caught up in evil. Oddly, some ‘righteous’ folk (even some ‘religious’ folk) don’t think they need Jesus ... Of course, they may think they’re righteous, but they aren’t. Every saint knows and admits how broken she is and how much she needs God.

We have never seen anything like this!

Morning: Psalm 50; Genesis 39:1-23; I Corinthians 2:14 – 3:15

Evening: Psalms 19, 46; Mark 2:1-12

The startling newness of what Jesus brings leads some to accuse him of blasphemy. Others are amazed and give thanks to God. They have never seen someone act with such authority to heal. Jesus’s healing miracles are definitely astounding and out of the ordinary. Yet people already accept that the everyday miracles of life come from the mystery we call God. So, when they see what Jesus does, they trust he, too, is deeply connected with the mystery of God. And the message spreads ... God is in our midst. We have never seen anything like this!

The Message

Morning: Psalm 119:49-52; Genesis 37:25-36; I Corinthians 2:1-13

Evening: Psalm 49; Mark 1:29-45

When humans find something valuable, they possess it, contain it, lock it up, keep it safe, display it. They want to possess Jesus’s power to teach and to heal. But Jesus will not be corralled. He slips away to quiet places or goes on elsewhere to proclaim the message of God’s love and wholeness. Love cannot be contained or stored up. Try to hang onto it and it slips away. Love is the embodied message we are to share far beyond the walls we build around it to keep us safe in its glow. Love does not play it safe.

Dying to live

Morning: Psalm 45; Genesis 37:12-24; I Corinthians 1:20-31

Evening: Psalm 47, 48; Mark 1:14-28

 John baptized Jesus, then the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. During those 40 days, something shifted in Jesus. He came back and sprang into action, taking up his life’s mission - sharing good news, calling disciples, healing. Life may sometimes lead into a ‘wilderness’ time that (like baptism) invites us to die to what makes us inauthentic or keeps us from being ourselves. Jesus, emerging from the wilderness, asks: What inner burdens or barriers (guilt, shame, fear or unworthiness) prevent you from stepping fully into what you came here for? Let them go and live.

‘Wilderness’ experience may be what makes us whole

Morning: Psalms 41, 52; Genesis 37:1-11; I Corinthians 1:1-19

Evening: Psalm 44; Mark 1:1–13

The Lord’s Prayer used at Iona Abbey seems right ... instead of “deliver us from evil” or “save us from the time of trial”, it prays, “save us in the time of trial”. That is, we do not expect God to deliver us from trials but to be with us in them, to make us whole through trials, in wilderness experiences, not by rescuing us from all our troubles. Perhaps that is why the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness? ... Jesus would endure his own time of trial so that we would know he is with us in ours.

Not to judge the world but to save it

Morning: Psalms 63:1-11, 98; Daniel 9:3-10; Hebrews 2:10-18

Evening: Psalm 103; John 12:44-50

You know well that when someone judges you, it doesn’t feel good, nor does it help you to do better. Judgment does not heal things, it makes things worse. And when we judge, our judgmental behaviour has a way of coming back and judging us too! Judgment is a vicious cycle. Jesus says he does not come to judge the world but to save it - to make it whole. He basically says that when we choose to trust him, we’ll live in the light, and when we don’t, we’ll end up in the dark. Our choice, not his.