THOSE SERVED by Wounded Warrior Project
In our Opportunity Calendar you will find a description of the Wounded Warrior Project with links to other Veteran’s resources. Today, via their Facebook Page, Wounded Warrior Project shares who they serve and why
More about THOSE SERVED by Wounded Warrior Project
In our Opportunity Calendar you will find a description of the Wounded Warrior Project with links to other Veteran’s resources. Today, via their Facebook Page, Wounded Warrior Project shares who they serve and why
An insight into the reading from Isaiah used on Trinity Sunday by Professor (Emeritus) Ralph W Klein.
An insight into the reading from Isaiah used on Trinity Sunday by Professor (Emeritus) Ralph W Klein.
We’ll gather in our Sunday Morning Forum at 9am PDT this morning and take up the questions posed by our Forum Member, Wendy:
“Life and peace. Good life. We are invited to access it by freeing ourselves to be open to and led by the Spirit of God to become children of God (Romans 8:14 NRSV). Through our Western lens, to become spirit-focused seems to ignore the real world and to become a child almost seems to be a condescension, but are either of these fears accurate?
“Perhaps the greatest question to ponder is the destiny of a child? Is it to become an adult? Or, according to the Bible, here, is it to become in close relationship with God? Is the child an incomplete adult or is the child an image of one in closest relationship with God in Spirit? Here in Romans, we are invited to become as a child to enter into the Spirit of God. ” from Children of God by Wendy Sanders
To the Trinity be praise!
God is music, God is life
that nurtures every creature in its kind.
Our God is the song of the angel throng
and the splendor of secret ways
hid from all humankind,
But God, our life is the life of all.
–Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
We have just switched to a new theme for our blog. Let us know what you think.
Take a moment, now that you have found this, to consider the visit of Mary to Elizabeth. May 31st is the Feast of the Visitation in the Episcopal Liturgical Calendar.
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” Luke 1:39-45
Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee
We have titled Mary’s response to Elizabeth, “the Magnificat” Luke 1:4-55.
Earlier today Sojourners posted this in its “Verse and Voice” blog: “Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee. Amen.”
From the first verse of the hymn, “Take My Life and Let It Be” Post: Prayer of the Day: Take My Life and Let It Be
Finally, if you like to listen to different voices speaking on women in the Bible, and Mary on the Feast of the Visitation try this podcast: Lifting up the lowly offered by America: the national Catholic weekly
In what ways do these women model for you what it means to listen to the Spirit, to hear the Spirit, and to act on what you hear the Spirit saying to you? Leave a comment.
Continuing in the breath, wind, and fire of Pentecost here is the meditation of one of my favorite bishops. Brian Prior is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota. You’ll want to read the whole post, of course, but here is how it starts:
It is illusive…but ever present.
Many expect to experience it only as a lighting bolt while missing the still small voice. There are those who believe it is always manifested in a radical, almost “other- worldly” way, while the ‘everyday-ness’ goes unnoticed. Others have no expectations while the truly miraculous goes unacknowledged. Some assume that it is brought forth by their own volition all the while it is unquestionably a gift.
Yet once you have had a moment, an experience, an awareness or an openness to its movement in your life…
Keep reading on the Bishop’s Blog.
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other languages
as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
from Acts 2:1-11 (a reading appointed for Pentecost)
Other languages. Real languages. The disciples, who spoke Aramaic (and with an accent) suddenly were able to speak in other people’s languages. The true miracle and gift of Pentecost is not ecstatic prayer, but conveying love by bridging differences, by reaching out to the Other. Whatever separates us is the place where the miracle of Pentecost happens.
I encourage you to read the entire post: Loving the other
Again I encourage you to take a look at the meditation offered by Steve Garnaas-Holmes on his blog Unfolding Light. Read the meditation with your own experiences of the Holy Spirit (gift of your Baptism) and the prayers of the Church that the Spirit give you an “inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all [God’s] works.” (Prayer for the (newly) baptized, adapted)
Let the miracle of Pentecost emerge from your daily comings and goings, your work and play, your busy-ness and rest.
Memorial Day, which is observed on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service. In observance of the holiday, many people visit cemeteries and memorials, and volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at national cemeteries. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time. —Dept. of Veterans Affairs
My hope this Memorial Day is that in the midst of whatever holiday fare you have planned today you will take a moment to remember the sacrifices made on our behalf. To help you here are some links I have found helpful in my spiritual journey:
Here is a short prayer shared by the Rev. Gagne in his essay. Let it be our prayer today.
Loving God, we pray to you for people of every race, religion, langauge and nation. Help us always to respect and love each other for You have made us all. Let those who have given their lives for the sake of justice, peace and freedom be rewarded by your generous love. May their families and friends, and we who honor them today, remember them with love, now and always. Amen.
Now it is after sunset (in my patch of California). On the Eve of Pentecost I share with you this presentation of the hymn “Come, Gracious Spirit.” Enjoy (more than once) as you prepare for (or celebrate) Pentecost.
So you know: “A Christian hymn of prayer to the Holy Spirit written by Simon Browne, 1720. Sung in the video by the Altar of Praise Chorale.” [YouTube caption]
Hear what the Spirit is saying 