Daily Devotions
Meditation, Prayers, and Assorted Stuff for June 2, 2020
Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey, “Being Like Jesus”
Very often we distance ourselves from Jesus. We say, ‘What Jesus knew we cannot know, and what Jesus did we cannot do.” But Jesus never puts any distance between himself and us. He says, “I call ·you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father” (John 15: 15) and “In all truth, I tell you, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works” (John.14:12).
Indeed, we are called to know what Jesus knew and do what Jesus did. Do we really want that, or do we prefer to keep Jesus at arm’s length?
This prayer for healing comes Rev. Dana Werts, Brookhill UMC In Frederick, Maryland:
A Prayer for These Times
O God, how long will this madness last? We are surrounded on all sides by our enemies—fear, despair, anger, and grief. Our plans are crushed or postponed until further notice. Our calendars are emptied of our “must do’s.” Our companions have become images and voices on screens. This invisible terror lurks on the hugs of love, the breath of friends, and in the constant panic alerts from our devices. But then we remember that You are our shield and our strong tower. You are the lifter of our heads and the light that makes our way clear. We take small steps, holding your outstretched, germfree hand. We cannot hold the hands of others, yet. We can hold each other in prayerful love, walking together with courage the way before us, as our enemies fall one by one, until life breathes easy again. Then, like eagles, we will soar, not zoom. Then, we will join the joyful parade of those who go to your Holy House and lift the roof with Hallelujahs and feast without cares at your table! Amen and Amen.
As Christians, we cannot condone violence, bloodshed, and looting, nor can we support a system that relegates someone to second class citizenship because of the color of his or her skin. Here’s an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” written in August 1963. Dr. King speaks to the old saying that “Time cures all ills.”
Actually, time is neutral. It can be used either destructively or constructively. I am coming to feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of [people] willing to be coworkers with God, and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.
Today’s links!
https://nowiknow.com/cherries-helicopters-and-hair-dryers/Follow this link to learn about the world’s biggest hair dryers…sort of.
https://mymodernmet.com/mother-daughter-3d-chalk-art/Check out the sidewalk art of this motherdaughter artistic duo!
https://www.inspiremore.com/avas-toy-kitchen-review/With Fathers’ Day coming up later this month, thought I would give a shout out to this dad, who went above and beyond.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/caroline-cutter-headstoneSome people have to have the last word—even if it’s on their tombstone. Caroline Cutter had a LOT to say.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/26/last-iron-lung-paul-alexander-polio-coronavirusThis isn’t the first pandemic our country has struggled through. Those of a certain age will remember the way polio terrorized people for years, leaving many paralyzed in its wake. Read about the last known person still living in an iron lung—who, despite that, completed a law degree.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVxFvjAhToAMeet the Piano Man of Washington Square Park. Four times a week, Colin Huggins, 40, pushes an 800pound piano down the street to the iconic Greenwich Village gathering spot. His life goal is to bring music — and a few tears — to the masses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILNDWCLVnpwBy now, you all know how much I love musical flash mobs. Watch and listen as a British orchestra play’s Ravel’s Bolero in a shopping mall.
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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.
***************************************************** Wednesday Bible Study, 7 PM We’ll be covering Acts 10 and 11 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85431227316 Meeting ID: 854 3122 7316
********************************** Please don’t forget that we’ll be painting the foyer starting tomorrow afternoon at around 4:30. Bring your own brush or roller, please, as well as a mask.
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Stay safe and stay well!