Meditations – May 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 – May 31, 2010

Scripture

Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Romans 12:11-12

Prayer

Interesting how the emphasis is on what I am to be and not what I must do. Help me to probe further.

Response

Yes, these verses invite you to witness the transformation that is possible, is occurring within you, and one that you first become aware. Be filled with enthusiasm, sustained in spirit, dedicated to the Lord, celebratory in your hope, unwavering in adversity, and expanding prayer in all seasons of your life. What more is to be said or advised, especially since you are empowered to be who you are and are becoming regardless of the circumstances that might beset you at times.

For zeal, picture yourself on a beach hauling a skiff to the water; digging your feet in the sand as you pull without pause – the calm sea is so inviting and the gentle breeze offers smooth sailing – noting will stop you; embracing, seizing, and acknowledging an indescribable, perhaps once familiar, warmth that flows within generating such peace; celebratory waiting intently for the sun to rise through dark rain clouds on the distant horizon; determined, confirmed, focused in deep loss; luxuriant in your time of prayer.

Scripture gives you pause to assess this and every day the you unfolding –so unique and blessed, yet in communion with those who are, were, and will be companions on this journey.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 30, 2010

Scripture

“But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming”. John 16:13

Prayer

Reassuring to know that the Spirit of truth guides me to the truth, however, painful that might be at times. Help me to hear with clarity his voice.

Response

Do you remember as a child trying to drown out advice or instructions with a childish refrain or more attention than required on a routine task? At such times, you could hardly claim that you didn’t know what was happening. So it is now. It is imperative that you listen, the time for dallying or waiting for that proverbial other day is past. The new day has dawned in your life. So listen.

Indeed, there are times when you seem to wake up and find yourself in a new clime, environment, on a road you definitely did not choose – thus finding that the old weathered maps are of no or little assistance. It is as such times that the Spirit of trust, the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost of your youth, is with you ready to guide you in the most subtle ways especially when you might be hard-hearted.

Look around you right now and consider how you got to where you are, the people who surround you –short, tall, young, old, healthy, ill, wise, dull, rich, beset by poverty, familiar, strangers; count the many, many blessings that daily seem to wash over you as in a glacier pool after a long trek in the mountains. Between splashes listen to what he says because he gives voice in your heart as to what he hears. And you don’t have to be told again, do you, that his words are meant for you especially on this and every day in whatever circumstances you find yourself even and especially if you didn’t invite the circumstances. Sing praise.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 29, 2010

Scripture

O God, you are my God– for you I long! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, like a land parched, lifeless, and without water. Psalms 63:2

Prayer

Help me in your grace to yearn for you.

Response

Like a taste that stays with you and increases over the years, so your yearning increases and matures. Imagine being given just a taste of a fine wine by a grandfather at a family celebration when no one was looking. So too you received in my grace a hint of that fair bouquet when you couldn’t spell the word, nor appreciated the flavor.

Think back on when the grandfather acted, at least a time that you recall, and please don’t go back to water splashing on your head as a new born. Also, don’t focus on the ceremony that celebrated your journey of faith. Was it standing alone in a crowd and sensing a touch, a presence at a time of great sadness, the verse from a hymn or a line of prose or poetry that you heard seemingly for the first time, a reassurance in the mystery of creation unfolding one bleak morning. That, my friend, is the early morning rain falling on a parched land.

So it is no mystery why you yearn, why your soul thirsts, even why at times you become impatient, perhaps distracted. Yet, if you could sit still and breathe in the bouquet of this vintage wine, you just might discover that your grandfather is closer still.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 28, 2010

Scripture

Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. 1 Peter 4:8-10 1 Peter 4:8-10

Prayer

Love, hospitality, and service – help me to embrace more deeply these three beyond surface cordiality.

Response

Good summation, especially your last proscription. Be authentic in your love, generosity, and service as if no one is watching – so too in dance. Gift those with whom you come in contact, especially in prayer, directly, attentively, generously with no thought of what the ego seeks in return. Without fanfare, if that is possible, be one in my grace.

And just so you don’t walk too gingerly on a cloud bank, love covers a multitude of sins. Yes, you too whatever your exalted position are being refined, refashioned, sometimes painfully, in my image – howeverreluctantly, but it is happening, and you are advised not to offer resistance.

Spend some time reflecting upon the many gifts that you have received and receive daily. Instead of calculating a personal need, explore ways to share the gifts in service. Be the bearer of a surprise to someone who is hard-pressed to look beyond oppression.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 27, 2010

Scripture

Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 2:4

Prayer

The contrasting image of this verse caught my attention. Help me to get my heart around the message.

Response

You are invited to break the hold of your mind and conformity, and in doing so embrace a truth that is set before you. Just as the descending orange full moon this morning seemed close enough to touch, allow such phenomena and images to lure you inward where stones live and are precious in the sight of God. Look around at the clutter of impending tasks, and step quietly into the inner sanctum where peace reigns.

Come to him is your invitation. Look twice at what at first did not merit your attention or seemed too ordinary to cause you to pause. See the mystery that is just before you that can’t be missed in the coincidences that almost cause you to stumble or at least wonder. Or could the stone for you be the frail words of one trying to reach out or one so in need of comfort, but hidden within a fragile independence? Catch the pulse and movement in my grace of what at first glance seemed intransigent, immovable.

This living stone is precious beyond all estimates, and gathers value still as you pass it among those who seek to know a truth missed up until this moment in your presence and generosity.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 26, 2010

Scripture

They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. Mark 10:32

Prayer

How many times must you take me aside again in your grace to encourage me?

Response

The short answer is as many times as necessary. Sometimes you might get discouraged that you are being taken aside with regularity. If you were watching the terrain of your journey more closely, you would note that you are at a higher altitude, or that the path narrowed and became more arduous, the turns more unexpected, or supplies once abundant seem to be in short supply. What you don’t see is that you are more conscious, more committed, even more agile for your age, though still impatient; so encouragement is what you need more than perhaps the basics of an eon ago.

Though some distance off, your Jerusalem is up ahead and like a long distance runner that you are less winded as you ramble along in my grace. However, you are also aware that you must be more attentive and clear-hearted in your prayer. While you might correctly conclude that your physical strength has waned, your heart-hearing and sight have never been more acute; so listen and see what surrounds you. Be attentive.

Finally, spend a moment to distinguish the special treasure that has been entrusted to you on this journey, a treasure not to bring in tact to the finish line, but to share generously with those you encounter along the way. You might discover that in sharing your footsteps become lighter.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 25, 2010

Scripture

Sing a new song to the LORD, who has done marvelous deeds, whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory. Psalm 98:1

Prayer

So familiar is this verse that I never spend a moment probing a deeper truth. Help me this morning.

Response

To begin with, you are asked to put aside your memorized, mindless thoughts, and give voice instead to the authentic stirrings of your heart in prayer. Reach down below the surface texture viewed by all that pass you. What is exactly seeking to be heard, emerge, beyond what you are expected to say even at this hour?

Be confident in knowing that the LORD, all powerful and all compassionate, is attentive as if you are the only one approaching him this morning. Again, don’t reach into memorized phrases but speak openly of the joy, sorrow, loneliness, concerns, and challenges that touch you with the sun rising on this and following mornings. Speak of your hopes, intentions, and aspirations as well.

And let this new song embrace those in distress in your midst as well as those embarking on a new life journey or concluding one. Listen to these words as they bring new life, vigor, to you and your environment, and praise to the all powerful LORD.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 21, 2010

Scripture

As the heavens tower over the earth, so God's love towers over the faithful. As far as the east is from the west, so far have our sins been removed from us. Psalms 103:11-12

Prayer

Though my mind cannot capture the imagery of these verses, help my heart to.

Response

Where does the pink of first dawn originate? What about where east begins on the horizon? Yes, allow your mind to struggle with a solution – with the answers – while your heart sinks in to sense the meaning without uttering a syllable.

Endless, boundless, eternal, without dimension, heavenly rapture, compassion and love overflowing, forgiveness unrivaled, generosity spontaneous – are all expressions to attempt to convey meaning to someone lost in a thick, dark wood. Yet, all are inadequate except to stop you in your tracks and allow the pink dawn to overcome you with its color and translucence.

If you had symbols and tambourines at hand, this would be the time to strike them. Today, sound these instruments of joy in your heart where your authentic self resides.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 20, 2010

Scripture

“Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me.” John 17:25

Prayer

The world is in such turmoil. It seems that indeed we do not know you.

Response

At times like this you are implored to reach out in prayer. That does not mean retreat to your upper room and neglect what you can do to spread light into regions of darkness. You must realize by now that darkness incorporates the deepest fear of those who appear and aspire to worldly power – a fruitless endeavor.

What you don’t know often results in fear. This verse captures Jesus’ words stating clearly and directly that truth and love are made known in his word. So it behooves you to make manifest the word in your presence. Please don’t think that means touting around your notes and studies. Rather, you are being called upon to be a witness in who you are. You want those in doubt and darkness after encountering you to ask – and not you directly – who is that person that fills me will hope? Who is that person who demonstrates in his actions and words compassion, service, and joy?

Are you not blessed to know Him who was sent? And this knowing is not knowledge to be secreted in the vault of an esoteric library, but one that is to be shared generously, effusively to all you encounter in who you are becoming.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 19, 2010

Scripture

And now I (Paul) commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated. Acts 20:32

Prayer

Gracious word – I seek this morning.

Response

Some time, perhaps this morning, allow the thoughts that swirl up and down and around the thin containment of your mind to settle – like sediment in a glass of water. When you are still, hear this gracious word of God spoken to you individually. If you stir the container and the sediment of concern rises once again, be determined and wait for clarity to be restored.

This is not a question of time – that is, looking at the clock on the wall and insisting that you remain rigid in place for the appointed minutes. You might be surprised to discover that time is irrelevant to your purpose. Listen as if you are catching the notes of a melody that will not be repeated and you want to share it with a beloved. Who knows, in retrospect an hour might have passed, or the oft suggested 20 minutes, or even an immeasurable instant. You see the gracious word is not held hostage to a length of time, but it does require your attention.

As you read, what is being suggested is not some complicated process with precise protocols to master, but an invitation to receive the gracious word of God that will provide nourishment and an inheritance for all eternity.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 18, 2010

Scripture

You claimed a land as your own, O God; your people settled there. There you poured abundant rains, God, graciously given to the poor in their need. Psalms 68:10-11

Prayer

It’s difficult to miss mention of rain when we have had rain for almost 24 hours, it seems, whisked on by a steady wind off the sea.

Response

Be assured you won’t float or blow away. Take the image of abundant rain as effusive grace poured over you. All your raingear that you sometimes wrap yourself in will not prevent my grace from drenching you. Your best efforts at retaining your decorum are lost as you experience and become conscious of living water that flows richly upon you. Being awake to this blessing only causes the rain to saturate deeper even a once resistant heart.

And don’t look across the aisle, street, or corner of your home, but within to find the poor – you – who is in need. Your need might be found in momentary or enduring doubt, despair, loneliness, illness, or poverty of all dimensions. Yet, an abundant flow of grace that is unceasing is graciously poured on each to satisfy your individual needs.

Recall a prayer recently uttered or silently gestured; then discern what followed in the abundant, overwhelming grace that inundated you even if your first reaction was to consider the blessing a coincidence. Now there is a sign of the graciousness of God who remembers you in your poverty, causing you in time to celebrate in his abundant love.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 17, 2010

Scripture

Father of the fatherless, defender of widows– this is the God whose abode is holy, who gives a home to the forsaken, and who leads prisoners out to prosperity, while rebels live in the desert. Psalms 68:6-7

Prayer

Speak to me this morning.

Response

Yes, it is time to return your attention to the majesty of God and to discern what you are able in the words of the psalmist. The defenseless and the helpless receive his deepest compassion. What does that tell you as you wander about and see and hear of those without defenders, or of those who once reconciled are led from their enslavement? And don’t limit your consideration of prisoners to those who have been incarcerated for their crimes. Rather include yourself in that number for enslavement to activities and pursuits that turn your attention from those in need and include yourself in that number.

Don’t aspire to live on your own in the desert, determined to survive on scrub grass as a solitary adventurer. See yourself in community and be open to the needs of others and you will discover in the process of tending to others that you indeed find nourishment.

As you discover, my message is one of paradox. How else to catch and eventually hold your attention – father of the fatherless, defender of the defenseless, gracious home for the abandoned in spirit, and guide from enslavement? And please don’t miss that it is not survival that is promised, but prosperity.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 16, 2010

Scripture

“I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them." John 17:26

Prayer

Lightning, thunder, sweeping rain, and yet the sound of birds chattering under cover, greet me this dawn on Resurrection Sunday. You have my attention.

Response

Sometimes that it quite difficult to manage as your mind spatters about like your attention. Hear in the rumble of the thunder my presence. Allow your attention to be focused. See in the lightening your enlightenment – a process that continues to this dark morning and in the delight of the indefatigable birds seeking nourishment your soul’s search –undeterred.

This morning hear the union in your prayers that reverberates through the heavens and across the skies uniting those so many miles distant that also look to the heavens in wonder and pray in languages, skin color, and postures that express similar deep longings.

Know that the Father is in you as I am in you – we are one. Sing praise. Allow the lightening to transport you deeper in my love.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 15, 2010

Scripture

“So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” John 16:22-24

Prayer

Help me to plumb the significance of the reunion.

Response

Hah! How could you miss the joy of an anticipated reunion – be it of classmates of fifty years ago, a family reunion of those who still walk the path, with a loved one after thousands of miles have kept you separate, close friends who travel without fanfare to see you? What is it in such occasions that hold them fixed in your heart – total recall? Isn’t it as if wholeness is restored and recognized? It’s as if your breath is deeper – though you might not have been aware of shallow, hollow breaths heretofore.

So is it possible that these verses are reminding you of the anguish of separation, but more importantly to the joy of reunion? Yet, you don’t have to wait for an undetermined future for this joy. Right this moment, wherever you are, whatever your circumstances, even if it has been years since you have abandoned yourself to unmitigated joy, a deep, unburdened breath awaits you in my grace.

You see, yes see, me in your presence in the quiet moments of prayer when words need not be uttered, in the joy you experience scanning the vibrancy of life around you, in the laughter you overhear in the distance or emits suddenly from within, in the distress and anguish you can alleviate, in the acceptance of the journey unfolding before you. Know that I am present within you – no need to look or even pray to someone afar.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 14, 2010

Scripture

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. John 15:16

Prayer

Chosen, appointed, dispatched – give me deeper meaning.

Response

Don’t neglect to consider that final clause in the verse – whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. You are not commissioned without resources or incentives. Often you forget to confirm your commission by not realizing or exercising your authority—note authority is with a small a. So in your wanderings, be specific in your requests. At the same time, see how your conscious prayers and requests are acknowledged and granted.

Conscious prayers are important because they become a sincere and authentic reflection of who you are and not the shadow of the overriding beseeching of another. You also discover that over time your prayers mature just as a work of art gains a perspective and depth in the creation — something that you might have missed in your childhood – at whatever age.

So use your commission to reach out and in doing so confirm your appointment in the requests that you present in prayer. Don’t be surprised if these requests begin over time to reflect more of your studied love for those with whom you come into contact – strangers they once were, even those under your roof.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 13, 2010

Scripture

Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Are you discussing with one another what I said, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. John 16:19-20

Prayer

Weep, mourn, and grieve – doesn’t sound too encouraging this gray morning after the storm.

Response

Perhaps you should spend more time on the words, you will see me. In fact, you will see me in the storms of your life – when you would weep as if no one was looking, when your mourning would halt a sunrise if it could, and in grief when a pleasant remembrance or word heard brings a smile to your heart. These verses remind you of the eternal joy that awaits you and of which you are given a hint throughout your day.

Think of Jesus’ words as you would your dearest friend who leaves the room and returns with a gift that you could not have previously envisioned, or a dreaded separation that is rewarded with a reunion that you are still able to recall as if it occurred so recently, or a time of loneliness on a trail that is sustained with an inner voice whose clarity sharpens as you tread in silence.

Your grief does become joy and in this lifetime, if only you let go of haunting memories and the illusions of future, detach from what ensnares you, and embrace the richness of emptiness and simplicity in my grace.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 12, 2010

Scripture

The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. Acts 17:24-27

Prayer

Encourage me to grope for you.

Response

It is within the order you observe in the seasons of the year down to the rising of the sun that you are reminded of my presence. What if the sun were to rise at all hours of the day and what you know as night and the same for its setting? What if the cold settling down upon you without any rhythm of the season, as with the heat? What if the earth was more unsettled than the earthquakes that now erupt, or the sea not confined to the boundaries of the land?

It is this order that provides a stage from which you grope – or should I suggest contemplate the unknown God the Athenians worshipped. This unknown God for some is so distant, yet he is not far from any of you. He is found in that pause when you reverence his presence and you don’t have to be alone or even silent to sing praise and acknowledgement. Remember, he doesn’t need the acknowledgement, you do. How else to remind yourself that you are no longer asleep?

Consider in your day the pauses that you experience when you grope for God. Perhaps, it is in reading or hearing reports of violence and valor, greed and generous hearts, grief and joy – all inviting you like a sunrise, thunder in a clear sky, settling calm of evening to conclude in your heart that indeed you have discovered what you had been searching. And he is close.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 11, 2010

Scripture

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew (his) sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, "Do no harm to yourself; we are all here." He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved." Acts 16:25-31

Prayer

What a great scene. Teach me.

Response

When was the last time you experienced an earthquake in your life – when all your plans were disrupted. So it was with the jailer. Just doing his job, following the directions of his superiors, and look what happens. Thinking that woe was he and no one would believe what happened, he was prepared to give up. But notice that he hears a voice, a light is provided him, and though in fear, distraught, he listens to Paul’s message. And the message is more comforting and reassuring than he could even have expected – not only would he be saved but also his household. And his only requirement was to believe.

But don’t neglect to see that believing quite naturally, or is it supernaturally, leads to service as evidenced by his caring for those who were incarcerated. Also, believing leads to boldness and authenticity. How else to imagine what the jailer faced when he confronted his superiors. So you see, I am not talking bout believing in blissful self-absorption. You too have to carry the light.

So today, go back and examine your own earthquakes – when the ground shook all around you. Who came in to loosen your chains? And what did you do in return? Hopefully, you didn’t remain inert in your misery.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 10, 2010

Scripture

One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home," and she prevailed on us. Acts 16:14-15

Prayer

Help me to prevail on you to stay at my home.

Response

That is the boldness that I seek. Be Lydia in your demands. Listen and make known your petitions in prayer. In your concerns and prayers for others, do not neglect to ask for what you seek to restore or introduce peace in your lives. Not because your needs and anxieties are not known to me, but to solidify our relationship – so you can witness the interaction occurring each day and night. You are not shouting blindly at the sea, or muttering in your dreams, but are coming to realize a relationship of love that is not only sustaining but nurturing beyond your wildest expectations.

Insist that I take up residence in your heart, not that I would do otherwise, so that you become active and conscious of this other companion for which you must make accommodation. Once you are in the rhythm of this new life – for some – you will discover a strength and grace of purpose that expands your reach in all your endeavors.

So the questions for you this morning are why would you ask me to take up residence with you, and further, why would you not take no or not now for an answer? Be bold.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 9, 2010

Scripture

(The angel) took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. Revelation 21:10-11

Prayer

Allow me to slip away to envision your splendor beyond earthly bound images.

Response

Allow your spirit to take you beyond the familiar, perhaps stepping off from the height of a red stone canyon In Arizona. Be stunned in the present by the exorbitant rich scene that lies before and below represented in panoply of color, expanse, and vision.

Do you think the splendor of God is hidden behind an impenetrable barrier, or would you consider that such splendor is within reach – like Michelangelo’s painting of the nearly touching fingertips? What would it take for you realize, know, reverence this splendor now?

Here’s a suggestion – assign a precious stone to remind you of each awe inspiring event in your day – not year. Like John, snare the image of the city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven in the unvarnished brilliance of a sunrise; the expression of love from a granddaughter, the clear, smiling eyes of a son; the swirl of expression in a phone call; the hint of a deeper truth in a line of inspiration. At a minimum you will expand your knowledge of precious stones, to include jasper.

All for this day.

Meditation – May 8, 2010

Scripture

As they traveled from city to city, they handed on to the people for observance the decisions reached by the apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem. Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number. Acts 16:4-5

Prayer

How can I avoid not reading these verses and thinking that the events recorded are mere history?

Response

Don’t be too critical. There is a flow to this recounting that describes the Word spreading from the first days. However, it is important to realize that the flow, like the ebb and flow of the tide, continues to this day in nations, communities, homes, and the lives of those who hear about this new life. For those sleeping, one might say it doesn’t matter, but it does.

Your connection this morning is like a match being lit in the darkness that precedes the dawn. Can you sense the wave of light as it sweeps across your consciousness and others in your vicinity and so distant? See yourself in a community of light.

Also, consider the rhythm contained there as those who reflected upon and heard the message were compelled to share the Word without thought as to where they would be taken even if it was only to the end of their street or town or home, such was their joy.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 7, 2010

Scripture

My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and chant praise. Awake, my soul; awake, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn. Psalms 57:8-9

Prayer

I don’t know about the lyre and harp, but it is before dawn.

Response

Consider the theme that with a steadfast heart, not troubled with concerns; you are awake – awake to my love, awake to my grace. And in this new consciousness, you do wake the dawn, that light within that that was once a mere ember of remembrance.

Allow yourself to look up to catch the dawning light all about you that submerges the dull glow of routine. Make note of what dawn means to you and see it in the opportunities that unfold with the same surprise that causes the birds to chatter in excitement and anticipation, and in the strangers that reveal their presence – even if they have been living for years beneath your roof. This is the theme of this particular day – and if the truth be noticed – and of every day.

Awake! Awake! Leave your tired volumes and embrace the light.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 6, 2010

Scripture

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. John 15:11

Prayer

Sometimes I misplace the joy.

Response

Perhaps it’s the time of day – so early in the morning, perhaps the theme of your mortality, or whatever prods you into seriousness, joy seems to be more associated with being with family and close friends, and even entertainment of a mindless variety. Yet, it is long past time seeing first the reflection of the joy about which I speak in all the previous, but reserving a special appreciation of this joy in my presence. As you know by now the presence about which I speak is found in the quiet moments with a loved one, viewing a sunrise, participating and/or contributing to reconciliation.

This verse is not about a passing joy like consuming a favorite meal and awaiting the next occasion, but rather a complete joy you become in me. Isn’t it difficult restraining a smile breaking out across your face, though if someone is watching you don’t that person to think you have lost it – though you have. Perhaps that is what infected Zorba, your hero of old.

When the day unfolds today with all its drama even if you don’t leave your home – or even bed, repeat this verse quietly, I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 5, 2010

Scripture

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.” John 15:1-3

Prayer

Already pruned – help me to understand.

Response

Yes, these three verses are so familiar, yet did you ever hear that the Father is the vine grower – that He does the pruning, or that the word spoken to you is pruning you? Each morning a new light is glanced upon familiar words to enrich your understanding. How is this so today?

The word spoken and heard causes you to pause as if seeking directions. A connection is formed and revitalized – somewhat like you might experience on a telephone line that might seem to go dead and you ask, are you still there? It is this lively exchange that serves to adjust your direction, intentions, and commitment, and in the process creates opportunities for you to realize your full potential – according to your particular purpose – in service to others.

See what you experience in your own pruning and how focus returns. Celebrate in the words that have been spoken to you, even those that you would suggest were not heard.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 4, 2010

Scripture

And when they (Barnabas and Paul) arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Then they spent no little time with the disciples. Acts 14:27-28

Prayer

Help me to a great appreciation of community.

Response

Lost sometimes in your spiritual journey is the realization of those who accompany you and form a fellowship of support – even for those who honor that company. No little time should suggest that no one was watching the clock in their sharing. There is an ease that is evident when someone stops by for a short visit and stays for dinner. That is how no little time accumulates to a deeper still sharing of my message – and don’t think it has to be reserved to reading a text or documentary on the text. Evidence that the message is taking hold is found in the conversation that follows.

There is an arrogance of sorts when one elects to retreat to an upper room, aloft and aloof and alone to pursue a singular faith that often turns frigid in isolation and runs the risk of focusing on one’s own good spiritual health, not realizing that good health resides in a community of love. So they spent no little time with the disciples.

When is the last time that you gathered for a social occasion and found that your conversation and sharing deepened as you explored your faith – and I don’t mean particular tenets to spark a debate – but rather those singular beliefs that form the core of who you are and are willing to share with others in community? Now that would make for an interesting encounter – even if it occurred under the cover of celebrating the sale of a house, a birthday, or anniversary – or no cover at all.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 3, 2010

Scripture

“And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14

Prayer

Help me to accept your emphasis about answering my prayers.

Response

Your reluctance to ask in prayer resides in your lack of faith. You fear that you will be proved howling to the empty wind. First, the question is by whom? Who hears the silent urgings of your heart? Consider your deepest prayers – beyond those where you lay out the solution as well. Can you recall ever not receiving the relief and even reward for your diligence? Please don’t be too quick to be contentious.

Prayer that is birthed from the soul is always answered and even more fully than you might have pleaded. And it doesn’t have to involve your personal circumstances but can involve circumstances that affect another who you might have casually met or heard about. Clearly, you will see the results of your prayer with those most intimate.

These verses urge you to pray. Throw off your inhibitions, your rational mind that urges restraint and reason. Begin by a prayer for your own circumstances and spread the circle of prayer wider. You will be surprised how much you embrace in my grace; and acknowledge the results, and not as a chance happenings.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 2, 2010

Scripture

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, (for) the old order has passed away." Revelation 21:4

Prayer

There was a time in my life that this verse was unfamiliar. Help me to absorb its essential meaning.

Response

See if you can comprehend that the tears spoken of here are not the tears of a child scabbing a knee, a young boy enduring a bone being set, a disappointment in life’s journey, or even in the aftermath from a terrible loss. The tears here are the tears of the soul where and when all seems hopeless and without meaning. It is this old order which is passing away.

No longer do you have to look around and compare your circumstances or sorrow with what someone else has or is enduring. You are being invited to accept in grace a healing that affects your pain, disappointment, hopelessness, dismay that linger in a past recalled or a future far distant from the present in which you stand.

Allow your tears now to represent a quiet time for reflection. Sense the old order passing away in your midst this very day and allow the surprises of the Spirit to confound you as you become aware of a presence.

All for this morning.

Meditation – May 1, 2010

Scripture

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” Exodus 33:18-23

If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." John 14:7

Prayer

Help me to see you as you pass in my life.

Response

Did you recognize me this morning in the line of cormorants skimming across the surf heading south against a backdrop of a brilliant sunrise, in the words you were inspired to write to loved one, or the money you gave to a man who held a sign at a traffic light that reported him homeless?

The more you calibrate your heart, or perhaps it is for you more a question of staying awake, you will close the distance between me passing and you recognizing my presence. Who knows, you may so improve that you will anticipate my approach. Then as John wrote, in knowing me, you will know the Father as well.

Go out on a God-search this day, recording mentally or even in words, the many instances of my presence crossing your path, walking alongside, pointing your attention in a direction where you just might catch the cormorant to hold your attention even before I pass by.

All for this morning.