Daily Devotions
Meditation, Prayers, and Assorted Stuff for June 19, 2020
Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey, “The Fruit of the Spirit”
How does the Spirit of God manifest itself through us? Often we think that to witness means to speak up in defense of God. This idea can make us very self-conscious. We wonder where and how we can make God the topic of our conversations and how to convince our families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues of God’s presence in their lives. But this explicit missionary endeavor often comes from an insecure heart and, therefore, easily creates divisions.
The way God’s Spirit manifests itself most convincingly is through its fruit: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). These fruits speak for themselves. It is, therefore, always better to raise the question “How can I grow in the Spirit?” than the question “How can I make others believe in the Spirit?”
Today’s prayer is from Red Loeder’s book Guerrillas of Grace.
O Ingenious God, I rejoice in your creation, and pray that your Spirit touch me so deeply that I will find a sense of self which makes me glad to be who I am and yet restless at being anything less than I can become. Make me simple enough not to be confused by disappointments, clear enough not to mistake busyness for freedom, honest enough not to expect truth to be painless, brave enough not to sing all my songs in private, compassionate enough to get in trouble, humble enough to admit trouble and seek help, joyful enough to celebrate all of it, myself and others and you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Dad Jokes
Today my son asked, “Can I have a bookmark?” and I burst into tears. Eleven years old, and he still doesn’t know that my name is “Bryan.”
Did you hear about the man who stole a calendar? He got 12 months.
I am reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!
Today’s links!
https://www.inspiremore.com/history-of-juneteenth/The African American community has celebrated Juneteenth since June 19, 1865, and the holiday is now receiving wider recognition. Find out more about the history of Juneteenth here.
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20171123-how-bruce-davidsons-civil-rights-photos-still-resonate-nowBruce Davidson chronicled the US civil rights movement in the 1960s. In this video from BBC Culture’s “Through the Lens” series, the Magnum photographer reveals how he created his iconic images.
https://people.com/human-interest/yale-student-who-grew-up-homeless-reveals-how-she-achieved-goals/ It’s a big leap from homeless teen to Yale medical school student, but perseverance paid off for Chelesa Fearce of Clayton County, Georgia. After graduating from Spelman College, Chelesa worked full time for two years at the National Institutes for Health in Bethesda, Maryland, doing research on drugs for neurological and psychiatric disorders. She entered Yale last fall and is on track to earn both a PhD and medical degree to become a psychiatrist. Read her inspiring story here.
https://neal.fun/macaroni-draw/ Here’s a real time waster for you. Go to this site and draw using shapes, including macaroni, Cheerios, and Fruit Loops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izSK_fFv4tMOkay, I couldn’t resist. Here’s Bruce Springsteen and the Session Band singing “When the Saints Go Marching In” as the hymn it was originally intended to be at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 2006.
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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.
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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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https://us19.list-manage.com/survey?u=1529ae2605c18ca51130627bf&id=337a395a54 The Church Council wants to know what you think about returning to worship in our sanctuary. You can fill out a survey on here.
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Stay safe and stay well!