Memorial Day

Memorial Day is set apart on the calendar as a time to remember those who have passed away.  Whether members of the military or just of our family, the day is designed to honor the memory of those who were important to us while they lived.

It is natural that we experience grief as we remember these individuals. However, as we recall those who put their faith in Christ, we find that our grief is intertwined with joy.  Although sad that they are gone from our presence, we have confidence that they have, in fact, arrived home.  

Home with the Lord.  
     Home to a new life.  
     An eternal life.  
     With no sickness, pain, or sorrow.
And so, though we cry, we rejoice.

This sentiment is expressed in the following song by MercyMe.  If you are grieving a loss of a loved one this Memorial Day, may this song bring you comfort.

Finally Home by MercyMe
I'm gonna wrap my arms around my daddy's neck
and tell him that I've missed him.
Tell him all about the man that I've become and hope that it pleased him.
There's so much I want to say, there's so much I want you to know.

When I finally make it home.
When I finally make it home.

Then I'll gaze upon the throne of the King, frozen in my steps.
And all the questions that I swore I would ask - words just won't come.
So amazed at what I've seen, so much more than this old mind can hold.

When I finally make it home.

When I finally make it home.

And the sweetest sound my ears have yet to hear is the voices of the angels.

When I finally make it home.

When I finally make it home.

Psalm 103 (The Message)

A David Psalm

O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don't forget a single blessing!

He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.

God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he's rich in love.
He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.

He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
Men and women don't live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God's love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.

God has set his throne in heaven;
he rules over us all. He's the King!
So bless God, you angels,
ready and able to fly at his bidding,
quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
everything and everyone made by God.

And you, O my soul, bless God!

A Prayer for Pentecost

Christ Jesus,
before ascending into heaven,
You promised to send the Holy Spirit
to Your apostles and disciples.

Grant that the same Spirit
may perfect in our lives the work of Your grace and love.

Grant us the Spirit of Fear Of The Lord
that we may be filled with a loving reverence toward You.

The Spirit of Piety
that we may find peace and fulfillment
in the service of God while serving others;

The Spirit of Fortitude
that we may bear our cross with You
and, with courage, overcome the obstacles
that interfere with our salvation;

The Spirit of Knowledge
that we may know You and know ourselves
and grow in holiness;

The Spirit of Understanding
to enlighten our minds
with the light of Your truth;

The Spirit of Counsel
that we may choose the surest way of doing Your will,
seeking first the Kingdom;

Grant us the Spirit of Wisdom
that we may aspire to the things that last forever;

Teach us to be Your faithful disciples
and animate us in every way with Your Spirit. Amen.

                                                 http://www.churchyear.net/pentprayers.htm

God is Love

Dear friends, all we who are beloved and redeemed by God,
     let us love one another.  

Loving each other sounds both very simple 
     and nearly impossible.

But love for others IS possible for love comes from God.  
As we draw near to God, we begin to experience a love like no other.  
           A pure love.  
                An unrelenting love.  

If we are willing, 
              cooperative, 
                   obedient,
     we become able to reflect the same love to others.  

How is this possible? 

Because everyone who loves has been born of God 
                       and knows God.  

If possible, why is true love so rare?  
      Because where there is no God, there is no love. 
     
Whoever does not love the Lord 
     with all his heart, 
     with all his soul, 
     with all his mind,
     and does not love his neighbor as much as he does himself
does not know God, 
because God is love.

How is the love of God for humanity possible?  
     IS IT even possible?  
          Can we be certain? 
               What proof exists?

This is how God showed his love among us:  He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.

We know this truth.  We have heard it before.
     Ten times.
          One hundred times.
               More times than we could ever count.
               Yet our minds cannot grasp its significance.

This amazing, 
     incomprehensible, 
     un-repayable gift 
                  is love:  

Not that we have ever earned 
     or will ever deserve the gift.  

Love is offered not because we loved God, 
     although to the limits of our willingness and understanding, we do.  
But that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, 
     knowing how utterly pathetic 
     miserable,
     inadequate,
     and undeserving we are, 
is it not absolutely clear that we also 
ought to love one another? 


              1 John 4:7-11

The God who yearns and waits for us

We are strange conundrums of faithfulness and fickleness.
We cleave to you in all the ways that we are able.
We count on you and intend our lives to be lived for you,
     and then we find ourselves among your people
     who are always seeking elsewhere and otherwise.


So we give thanks that you are the God
  who yearns and waits for us,
     and that our connection to you is always from your side,
     and that it is because of your goodness
     that neither life nor death
          not angels nor principalities
          nor heights nor depths
          nor anything in creation
               can separate us from you.


We give you thanks for your faithfulness,
  so much more durable than ours.  Amen.


                      Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth (c) 2003
                      Prayers of Walter Brueggemann, p. 135.

Be Still My Soul

Be still, my soul--
The Lord is on thy side!
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide.
In ev'ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul--
Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul! thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul! the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul! when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Katharina Schlegel (1697-c.1768)

Chaos at 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00

If you ever want to be challenged in your faith, all you have to do is turn on the news. The Early Show, the Today Show, the Eyewitness News at Noon, and all three evening newscasts (four if you count the 9:00 news on Fox) deliver death, destruction and chaos to your doorstep throughout the day. Add in some CNN, Anderson Cooper, Nancy Grace and the FOX News Network (to say nothing of a little thing called the internet) and you're sure to need a large bottle of antacid, a therapist, or both. If it's not volcanoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes, it's war and famine and disease. Everywhere we turn, our world has the appearance of being out of control and racing toward destruction.

While we prefer to think of our time in history as unique and special, the reality is that there is truly nothing new under the sun. Whether of natural or human origin, trouble has followed mankind since the fall. As such, one of the most significant sources of comfort in trying times is revealed in the writings of those who preceded us, and found rest in the Lord through it all.

Dear Lord, when we look at the chaos in our world, we often wonder why nations and people groups continue to plot against each other.  Why is hate so easy?  Why is war undertaken so quickly?  Will we endlessly villainize those who are different from us, never learning the lessons from history that so clearly demonstrate the futility of these vain efforts?  Leaders around the world attempt to act as god in Your place.  Surely You must laugh at their attempts, even as You grieve.  Remind us, Lord, to pray for our leaders and those in authority over us that we may lead peaceful lives in godliness and holiness.

On a personal level, Lord, our lives are often filled with similar degrees of chaos. Blindness, ignorance, and disobedience on our part mix with tragedy, disappointments and the work of the evil one to drive us to despair. Remind us daily, Lord, that you have called each of us by name.  In our troubles, we are not abandoned.  As we walk, crawl, or stumble through life, You go with us. We go through  no hardships or trials outside of Your knowledge or presence.  

Thank You for the assurance that despite the suffering of the day and the apparent hopelessness of current situations, You work all things together for our good.  You have created, forgiven, and redeemed us.  As we seek a proper response in hard times, remind us of an undeniable truth...You, our God and our Savior, All-Mighty and All-Powerful, stand beside us in the battle.  When we remember this, only one question remains..."What chance then, does anyone or any force have to stand against us?"

(Based upon select verses from Psalm 2, 1 Timothy 2, Isaiah 43, and Romans 8.)

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.


May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.


May God bless  you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.


And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.


Amen.