Daily Devotions
Meditation, Prayers, and Assorted Stuff for June 26, 2020
Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey, “A Courageous Life”
“Have courage we often say to one another. Courage is a spiritual virtue. The word courage comes from the Latin word cor which means “heart.” A courageous act is an act coming from the heart. A courageous word is a word arising from the heart. The heart, however, is not just the place our emotions are located. The heart is the center of our being the center of all thoughts, feelings, passions, and decisions.
A courageous life, therefore, is a life lived from the center. It is a deeply rooted life, the opposite of a superficial life. “Have courage” therefore means “Let your center speak.”
Today’s prayer is from “Awed to Heaven, Rooted to Earth,” a collection of prayers by Walter Brueggemann.
We Are Not Self-Starters
Speaking, acting, life-giving God the one with the only verbs that can heal and rescue, We come petitioning one more time, Seeking your majestic address to us, asking your powerful action among us, waiting for your new life toward us. Your creation teems with bondaged folk who have not enough for life: not enough bread, not enough clothes, not enough houses, not enough freedom, not enough dignity, not enough hope. Your creation teems with bondaged creatures, great valleys become dumps, great oceans become dumped pollution, fish wrapped in dumped oil, fields at a loss for dumped chemicals. So we pray for creation, that has become a dump, and for all your people who have been dumped, and dumped upon. Renew your passion for life, Work your wonders for newness, Speak your word and let us begin again. In your powerful presence, we resolve to do our proper work, But we are not self-starters. We wait on you to act, in order that we may act. Show yourself in ways that give us courage and energy and freedom, that we may care for our neighbors, love your creation, praise your name. We pray in the savaged power of Jesus, who cared and loved and praised. Amen.
Dad Jokes
Why did the Clydesdale give the pony a glass of water? Because he was a little horse.
So… a termite walks into a bar and asks, “Is the bar tender here?”
Last night I dreamt that I was drowning in an ocean of orange soda. It took me a while to figure out that it was just a Fanta sea.
Today’s links!
https://religionnews.com/2020/06/24/how-jesus-became-white-and-why-its-time-to-cancel-that/How did we end up with a blond, blue-eyed Jesus? Lay it all at the feet of Warner E. Sallman. Read on, and prepare to have some assumptions challenged…
https://nowiknow.com/the-robutts-that-protect-your-phone/Find out how phone manufacturers make sure their hand-held wonders don’t bend when you carry them in your back pocket.
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2020/06/19/n-95-filter-inventor-who-became-hero-coronavirus-pandemic-peter-tsai/5310257002/Dr. Peter Tsai of Knoxville is the creator of the filter material inside most disposable N95 respirators. Read how he came out of retirement to address the pandemic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTdKZllVqpwListen as 93-year-old Tony Bennet sings “Fly Me to the Moon” from his home.
Sunday worship at 9 AM, with “Doughnut room” time starting at 8:30 AM. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/815064120, Meeting ID: 815 064 120 Dial in to participate at +1 312 626 6799.
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Copies of “Our Daily Bread” have arrived in the church office. Feel free to stop by and pick up a copy, or help distribute them to others.
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Don’t forget communion at Zoom church on July 12! Stop by the church office to get a prefilled cup and wafer set. Help distributing them is much appreciated as well.
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In-Person worship resumes, July 19! Watch for more details. (Zoom church will continue to be offered as well.) **************************************************
Stay safe and stay well!