Daily Devotions
Meditation, Prayers, and Assorted Stuff for May 20, 2020
Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey, “Jesus’ Freedom”
Jesus was truly free. His freedom was rooted in his spiritual awareness that he was the Beloved Child of God. He knew in the depth of his being that he belonged to God before he was born, that he was sent into the world to proclaim God’s love, and that he would return to God after his mission was fulfilled. This knowledge gave him the freedom to speak and act without having to please the world and he power to respond to people’s pains with the healing love of God. That’s why the Gospels say, “Everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all” (Luke 6:19).
The World Council of Churches has placed a number of COVID-related prayers on its website, written by Christians from all over the world. Today’s comes from Rev. Gerardo Oberman, Red Crearte, Argentina.
The grace of God guides us, We don’t lack and never will lack anything. He leads us to places of rest and care and to drink waters of trust. He renews our strength, so we do not abandon the path of solidarity, because it is there, in our empathy with others, where we honor his name.
Even though we pass through polluted streets and places of possible contagions, we will not fear any danger because You, divine presence, maintain the prudent distance between tenderness and respect, and that inspires us with serenity and confidence.
We will share the table again, and the banquet and the party, before the astonished gaze of the empire of the viruses and of any empire that proposes death and exclusion. We will fill our cups again until they overflow to toast for the new worlds, already stripped of their greed and their thirst for power, more aware of being family, people, humanity.
Surely your goodness and love will follow us every hour of each journey until we know how to make this earth of yours a house in which we all can lives, in our full and rich diversity, with health, fullness, dignity, bread, shelter, work, and justice, forever.
Dad Jokes of the Day
Have you ever heard of a music group called “Cellophane?” (They mostly wrap.)
What did Baby Corn say to Mama Corn? (Where’s Popcorn?)
Today’s links!
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/18/us/watermelon-head-louisa-arrested-trnd/index.htmlPolice need your help identifying this watermelon.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-bumper-table-revolution-20200518-z2wrplx6xvgfnd7hquzptiz7ka-story.html I showed a German attempt at social distancing in the COVID era. Here’s an example of good ol’ American ingenuity at work.
https://mymodernmet.com/melbourne-penguins-tobias-baumgaertner/What could be better than penguin hugs?
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2020/05/anamorphic-wave-aquarium-seoul/Stay with me on this one. First, digest this definition of an anamorphic illusion. “Anamorphosis…is…the distorted projection using perspective as the key factor to reconstruct an image that appears different if looked from some other view angle or perspective.” In other words, the illusion only can be seen from a specific angle—otherwise, it makes no sense. An aquarium in Seoul just created the world’s largest anamorphic illusion, an endlessly crashing, massive wave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZgxciuVWZoFinally, here’s Norah Jones singing the Hank William’s classic, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”
Sunday worship at 9 AM, with “Doughnut room” time starting at 8:30 AM Come early just to catch up and talk!
Zoom info is the same every Sunday: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/815064120, Meeting ID: 815 064 120
*****************************************
Bible study tonight will dive into Acts 6-7, the story of Stephen
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83557537719, Meeting ID: 835 5753 7719
*****************************************
Dial in and participate in either event at +1 312 626 6799.
Stay safe and stay well!