Meditations – August 2010

Meditations – 2010 – Daily Affirmations

For over five years now I have risen daily before dawn and sat in stillness after reading a verse of scripture. What follows is the fruit of that quiet time that I want to share with you. As you will see the format remains the same. Someone suggested that I share this with a wider audience — my family and friends.

Meditation – August 11, 2010

Scripture: Again, (amen,) I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. Matthew 18:19

Prayer: How many times have I gathered around a table before a meal with others present and relied upon a memorized grace formula rather than take full advantage of the promise of this verse by articulating heart-felt sentiments?

Response: Yes, that is so. Realize that words are not what is required as you waken, but sincere intention.  So formulate your prayers spoken or silent in the company of others that expresses a sincere intention and you will not be disappointed – you will be rewarded. Following this guidance, you will discover a union and intimacy with God that you had overlooked previously.

You will also find that in the company of loved ones the sincere intention is not about things but about relationships – how you touch others and they touch you.  All blessings flow through this harmony of being.

Is it the salary cap for which you pray or the serenity of heart you wish for others – even those far distant? Expand the list and categories of the beneficiaries of your prayers to include those suffering in isolated corners of the globe where you might not have visited. Be global and determined in your prayers.

All for this morning.

Meditation – August 10, 2010

Scripture

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” John 12:24-25

Prayer

Though familiar, give me a deeper insight so that my eyes don’t simply glide across the words.

Response

Do you think that you are more likely to miss the import of words that point to concepts and thoughts that are uncomfortable to contemplate? For instance, the seed falling to the ground is a stark reminder of the need to let go of all that you cherish and would store in a counting house beyond the reach of those in need.

Better to shrug off the meaning of the words and ascribe them to an ancient agrarian culture, rather than to the present time where status and value are ascribed to what you wear, where you are housed, the mode of transportation that ferries you between counting houses, the prestige of the school attended, the reflected glory of friends and associates. The description of what you cherish to a fault could go on without end.

Then miraculously in my grace you come upon these verses once again – perhaps this morning, and you consider those in need who appear each day in the newspaper or on a news program, or you look with fresh eyes at those in your community or family – and suddenly the abode, wheels, threads, schooling loses its previous hold on you. Don’t be surprised if you lose your grip on the seed and it falls to the ground where prayer, compassion, generosity, and of course joy take root in what was once a quite barren field.

All for this morning.

Meditation – August 9, 2010

Scripture

Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy day was the splendor that surrounded him. Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. Ezekiel 1:28

Prayer

Seed my prayers and meditations with the sights that I become aware during the days and nights.

Response

And do not limit the prompting to nature unfolding, but include especially encounters unanticipated in your day that prod your wakefulness. Is a rainbow appearing after a sudden rain storm any more magnificent than observing an act of compassion extended to one after a life crisis, or the rush of forgiveness extended in the aftermath of a tragedy? See the interconnectedness that surrounds and includes you into a divine communion of which you are to become aware.

See the glory of the LORD as manifesting each moment in your life; catch what you might call the LORD’s disguises or multi prisms of a crystal in all you experience each moment – in the silence that roars through your surroundings at first light when you are alone, in the laughter that sounds on the wind from an indistinguishable source, in the peace that descends to comfort in times of anxiety, in the purpose that inspires you after a life pause.

Don’t limit yourself to visions reported by others in history, but seize the divine interruptions in your life as your own.

All for this morning.

Meditation – August 8, 2010

Scripture

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Prayer

Allow me to percolate this verse in my heart.

Response

All the words seem routine, yet they contain a most profound truth disguised in familiarity, common meaning. Realization is like being jolted awake from a deep slumber though you imagined incorrectly all the time that you had been conscious; it is consulting a map so intently that you are surprised to discover that you have already arrived at your destination; it is pinching yourself for fear that the good fortune unfolding is not a dream, but rather spreading before you in a conscious present time.

You are given evidence that what you have strived for is in fact a reality, perhaps manifesting itself in peace of heart that reigns without warning and an assurance of spirit that is wondrous and for which words are inadequate to describe.

While you are percolating the deeper meaning, appreciate that faith cannot be contained. It is quite natural and supernatural that the faithful want to share the experience, and in their exuberance sometimes forget to realize that in witnessing the effects of faith in their lives is what dazzles the on-looker, and not necessarily offering dogmatic proof in the world’s market of its occurrence.

All for today.

Meditation – August 7, 2010

Scripture

"This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:17-19

Prayer

Help me to be attentive and catch the morning star rising.

Response

Why does the first spark of brilliant red hold your attention fixed to the gray cloud-bank at dawn; thoughts linger with the final line of a poem that is stirring introspection; a melody returns without warning on your lips; a smile forms without reason – it would seem?

Apply that same sense of wonder as when you are enthralled by what surrounds you to the prophetic words entrusted to you. Instead of focusing on what would it be like if you had not heard the message, or worse, ignored it, consider what it is like in your life now that you have those words and that they are imprinted on your heart.

Isn’t it difficult to carry on as before, to ignore sharing the message – not carrying some billboard on a street corner but witnessing this prophesy in your interaction with and service of those who sit expectant for the sun to burst through the dark clouds? This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.

All for this morning.

Meditation – August 6, 2010

Scripture

I will stand at my guard post, and station myself upon the rampart, and keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what answer he will give to my complaint. Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. Habakkuk 2:1-3

Prayer

Cultivate in me vigilance and patience – the latter I am sometimes or most times find wanting.

Response

These verses are meant to reflect upon during those times when you are alone and look silently across the ramparts of your life at the landscape unfolding and you wonder, what is this all about? Such times call for you to look more intently at what you once might have considered daunting challenges, but now in grace come to see as unexpected opportunities not previously imagined.

Is it your vigilance on the ramparts that is to be rewarded? Or, might it be patience – once such a rare virtue – that is being refined? Or, is it a willingness to stand alone in all seasons of life steadfast?

Be reminded that what you are embarked upon is not a stoic regimen, but rather an attitude of the spirit awaiting a vision in your life that is pressing to fulfillment; and despite your sometimes anxious glances at the dark horizon the vision still has its time, . . . will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.

All for this morning.

Meditation – August 5, 2010

Scripture

But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:33

Prayer

I pray that this astounding statement becomes clearer and clearer to me as I contemplate my LORD.

Response

What is revealed to you is the intimacy you share with the LORD. And you are not responsible. Rather placed in you, deep within you, written on your heart, is all the recognition you need of the Friend that walks with you on the path in all climates and regions of life. This recognition is alive in the perfume from a magnolia blossom that reaches you though no garden is in sight; a touch of wood that reminds of a lengthy oar once pulled through the water; shapes emerging over the horizon that portends reunion; reading a phrase that jolts deep emotions not previously expressed, though recognized.

Intimacy with the LORD is like sitting quietly with a loved one with no need to chatter, but simply to be. Imprinted on your heart is a confident knowing that needs little prompting, though mentors might help by witnessing their own recognition of the truth gently, patiently, compassionately, and with no imposed time schedule of their own for you to meet.

I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Astounding, actually.<

All for this morning.

Meditation – August 4, 2010

Scripture

Thus says the LORD: The people that escaped the sword have found favor in the desert. As Israel comes forward to be given his rest, the LORD appears to him from afar: with age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you. Jeremiah 31:2-3

Prayer

Help me to find favor in the desert.

Response

Think of your desert as dry, colorless in the blazing heat, nothing to fix on in the boundless horizon, without sounds to interrupt your reflection, no outside stimulus. And so it is sometimes in your life when you are prompted to descend into an interior depth that you discover each time it seems when you retreat to the desert of your soul.

Then, without warning, this mind-less though heart-full revelry is interrupted as the Lord appears from afar, bearing his eternal love to nourish and heal you in what you considered a barren, lifeless place. Be reminded that you have found favor and been found in the desert.

Incorporate the image of the desert into your quiet place of prayer where stillness reigns. Be vigilant to catch first glimpse of him who approaches from afar with age-old love.

All for this morning.

Meditation – August 3, 2010

Scripture: Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. Matthew 14:24-25

Prayer: How many times during the fourth watch of my night – between 3 and 6 am – or in life have I woken to confront storm tossed waves and harsh winds? Help me to see a response to my prayers in a your very real presence.

Response:  Isn’t it comforting to realize that these verses apply to you this moment in life and not simply a reflection of events that occurred two thousand years ago? Who of you could believe at first when crippled by a tragedy, crisis, circumstances beyond your control, your prayer rising from the deepest interior was answered in a healing calm that no one, not even you, could have anticipated?

Perhaps, you need to keep the image of Jesus walking amidst the waves to realize how dramatic and sudden his appearance in your life is and is to be. Why? The answer is that you begin to appreciate with dawning consciousness his nearness, especially when you feel swamped by life’s stormy and wind-swept seas and you in a fragile bark.

Be bold like Peter; venture from the boat even if your faith falters; believe that he will draw you near. So powerful is the power of prayer in his grace.

Meditation – August 2, 2010

Scripture: When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. Matthew 14:13-14

Prayer: Help me to absorb the lesson of these verses.

Response: Reflect for a moment on a time of grief when circumstances were such you sought a time alone with your thoughts. Was it a long walk along a mountain ridge, on a beach, in a meadow, or sitting alone in a room or in a coffee shop where no one recognized you? So you see, you too have experienced deep grief and sought stillness , quietude to reflect upon the event experienced.

Recalling the swirl of events that preceded or precipitated the loss, in time a certain calmness or is it resignation acceptance came over you, though you would not be quick to underestimate the months or even years it takes for the grief to subside.

Jesus here provides a worthwhile model for you to follow when loss literally takes your breath away. Observe how without hesitation He ministers to those seeking healing.  Why is it in such circumstances when one would almost choose to dwell in grief that one discovers countless opportunities to serve and contribute to the healing of others? Is it because in confronting grief directly one can help in the healing process in others and in yourself? You judge.

All for this morning.

Meditation – August 1, 2010

Scripture

Then (Jesus) said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Luke 12:15

Prayer : Allow me to spend a moment on the meaning of life.

Response

Life is being conscious of the wet sandals as you walk along the shore during the rain; it is laughing in a raging storm; it is listening intently to what you might hear bubbling up within, or transmitted by someone in need of witness; life is a smile observing the maturation of a young one; it is taking the time patiently to share wisdom earned at great price and struggle. The meaning of life is in discovering who you are and embracing that truth whether or not it conforms to the image/illusion others have designed for you, and alternatively accepting and granting free expression to another’s dream.

Now, if you were to follow the guidance above, how could you possibly exhibit greed in your life? How could the acquisition of possessions consume you, or, put another way, how could you ever define yourself or allow others to do likewise based on the accumulation or loss of things?

A fine guide to follow in thwarting the menace of greed is to be generous, filled with compassion in action and service, and demonstrating authentic joy and celebration in all aspects of your life, even at those times when your sandals are wet and a storm is raging.

All for this morning.