Be Patient... Beloved

"I ask for the desire to pray and meditate on behalf of my community of faith.  May we  receive patience, humility, gentleness, empathy, compassion, awareness, wisdom, and tolerance.  May we abstain from anger, anxiety, compulsive behaviour, shame, discouragement, and self-righteousness.  May we know Christ as Christ knows us and follow Christ more closely.  In our words, thoughts and actions, may we seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God."


James 5:7-10


7 Be patient, therefore, beloved,^* until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. ⁸You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.^{* 9}Beloved,^* do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! ¹⁰As an example of suffering and patience, beloved,^* take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.


1) "Be patient;" "...the precious crop;" "...being patient;" "...be patient;" "...the coming of the Lord is near;" "...strengthen your hearts;" "...do not grumble against one another;" "...as an example;" "


2) I can hear the grumbling.  I hear people grumbling about other people.  I participate.  I'm aware, sometimes over aware, of people grumbling against me.  And I know how demoralizing it is to fear that others might be grumbling against me.  How unappreciated I can feel.  I can't imagine that it is any less demoralizing for others to know/fear that others are grumbling against them.  It is unhelpful at best, it is undermining and destructive at worse.  I don't want to tear down what doesn't need to be torn down.  I want to build up.  It is so easy to say, "be patient," harder to live patience in the moment of frustration and discouragement.  So how do we be gentle with one another both abstaining from grumbling, but when we do hear grumbling to be gentle, not acquiescent, but still kind when pointing out the demoralizing grumbling, that we might keep hope and still give reason for moving forward in relationship together.  We have so much to learn and learning is slow and hard for all of us.  If only we could remember that we are all learning, making mistakes, going back to old ways, then gently returning to the new learning.  How do we live in our appreciation of one another instead of grumbling?


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To sit with patience, the concept if not the reality.  To give God the opportunity, in silence to teach me something about nurturing a patient heart, and risk failing again, and being patient with my lack of patience.


"Holy One, strengthen our hearts.  Teach us humility and patience and guard us again grumbling against one another, and one another's grumbling."


Breathprayer: "Be patient... beloved.

Glory and Honour... and Peace

"I pray for graciousness, patience, humility, and courage as Trinity explores the questions: What does God want of us here and now?  What do we value as a community of faith?  What are we most afraid of?  What gives us profound joy as a community?  What can we let go of and still be Trinity United Church?  As we engage these questions, may we abstain from undue anxiety, discouragement, frustration, and shame.  I ask that we keep mindful the call to seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly.  We pray in the name of the Living Christ."

Romans 2:1-11

2Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. ²You say,^* ‘We know that God’s judgement on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.’ ³Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgement of God? ⁴Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? ⁵But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed. ⁶For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: ⁷to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; ⁸while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. ⁹There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, ¹⁰but glory and honour and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. ¹¹For God shows no partiality.

1) "...in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself;" "...do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience?" "...God's kindness;" "...God shows no partiality;" "...those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honour and immortality;" "...he will give eternal life;"  "...you have no excuse;"

2) O boy, am I ever in trouble.  It isn't my intention to judge, but I judge.  I don't think I'm judging, just stating an observation, but even in making the observation, I'm judging.  And I'm not free of my own judgement.  I'm quick to condemn myself when I know better than to do, or say, or think what I've just done, or said, or thought.  And it doesn't actually help.  No one does what I want them to do while I'm judging them (not even me).    So where is the space beyond judgment?  How do I just stop judging myself and others? "...glory and honour and peace... for everyone who does good."  "kindness and forbearance and patience."  How do I nurture kindness, forbearance, patience, glory, honour and peace?  I want to look up forbearance.  I wonder if there is more to forbearance than tolerance.  This morning, I also read about reaping what we sow.  How do I sow kindness, forbearance, patience, glory, honour and peace so that I can reap them?  How do we do this?  We are so quick to judge.  So quick to experience anger, discouragement, frustration, ingratitude... How do we slow down the triggers?

3) What is the invitation in all this?  To breathe.  To breathe in kindness, forbearance and patience.  To give God time and space to bestow these on me.  To give God time to bestow them on others.

"Holy One, may we seek treat ourselves, one another and everyone we meet with kindness, patience and honour."

Breathprayer: "Glory and honour... and peace."

A House of Prayer... for All the Nations

"I pray for the desire to pray and meditate regularly.  I ask for patience, tolerance, gentleness, humility, compassion and empathy.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, compulsive behaviour, discouragement, and shame.  I ask to know Jesus more intimately, love him more deeply and follow him more closely.  I ask to experience myself and others as made in the image and likeness of God."


Mark 11:15-19


15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves; ¹⁶and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. ¹⁷He was teaching and saying, ‘Is it not written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”?
   But you have made it a den of robbers.’
¹⁸And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. ¹⁹And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples^* went out of the city.


1) "...for all the nations;" "...spellbound by his teaching;" "...a house of prayer for all the nations;"


2) I am actually struck by profound grief that there really are  no temples that can be called "a house of prayer for all the nations."  We have all become adept at creating "a house of prayer for us not them."  What would it mean to build "a house of prayer for all nations?"  Rather than a house of prayer for my kind of Christian, or my kind of whatever?  We really do not understand service, let alone service "to the least of these."  What kind of "spellbound" could turn us around?  What kind of "spellbound" would have us change our ways to creating spaces that were a house of prayer for all nations, where the "least of these" could be served?  This isn't just moralistic teaching.  It's something that casts a spell on the heart and changes it, so that our desire becomes a desire for "the other" rather than for ourselves or our tiny little tribes.  It doesn't seem to me that overturning the tables was particularly effective.  I get it.  I so get the anger, the frustration, the indignant outrage.  But how many hearts were changed?  Well... "the whole crowd was spellbound".  So maybe it was more effective than I'm feeling right now.  How do we instill that change again, in a world that is all about me, me, me and Make America Great Again... at the expense of every other person and nation?


3) What is the invitation in all this?  to reflect on how I can open up this house to be a house of prayer for all the nations.  In John, this passage became a reflection on the resurrection, "tear down this temple and I will raise it up in three days."  How is this body, my heart, a house of prayer for all the nations?


"Holy One, open my heart to pray for even my enemy with empathy and compassion."


Breathprayer: "A house of prayer... for all the nations."

Spirit... and Life

"I pray for the desire to continue praying and meditating regularly.  I ask for patience, tolerance, compassion, empathy, gentleness and humility.  I ask to abstain from anxiety, anger, shame, compulsive behaviour, and discouragement.  I ask to know Jesus more intimately, love him more deeply and to follow him more closely.  I ask to experience myself and others as made in the image and likeness of God."

John 6:63-66
⁶³It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. ⁶⁵And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’

66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.

1)"the spirit... gives life;" "...spirit and life;" "

2) If i seek to follow Jesus, it is because it has been "granted by the father."  I sense deep sadness as I imagine the last verse, 'Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him."  I do feel like the spirit has been with me these last weeks.  I do feel that life has been good.  Circumstances have not changed.  But I don't feel weighed down by them.  I feel like I move with hope, joy and optemism.  I don't believe it is just because things are "going well."  I've been praying and meditating daily for almost 80 consecutive days and I feel the difference.  I feel spirit and life.  There has been conflict.  But the conflict is not robbing me of life as it can.  I am very much drawn to the words, "...spirit and life."  I want to sit with them.  As I breathe the words, I feel myself become more grounded, and still.

3) What is the invitation in all this?  to sit with the words, "spirit... and life."  To obsserve and celebrate/honour how they are present in my life.  It is a day to sit with gratitude.

"Holy One, thank you.  Thank you for all the spirit and life."

Breathprayer: "Spirit... and life."

Prepare... the way of the Lord

"I ask for the desire to pray and meditate regularly..."

Mark 1:1-8

1The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way; 
³ the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
   “Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight” ’, 
⁴John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. ⁸I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

1) "...prepare your way;" "...he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit;" "...see, I am sending;" "...who will prepare your way;" "...confessing their sins;" "...as it is written;" "...were going out to him."

2) I'm very distracted this morning by my environment.  I'm struggling with the tools I'm using for my daily prayer, feeling defeated really.  I want this process to be easier.  Nothing is going the way it is supposed to flow and 15 minutes has gone by much too quickly.

3) what is the invitation in all this?  Some days are not as productive as others.  Next week, I will bring the proper tools home with me so I'm not struggling with posting blogs on my cellphone!  I was not "prepared."  I'm I'm going to pray daily, I need to prepare for daily prayer.  it isn't just going to happen on its own.

"Holy One, help me be prepared."

Breathprayer: "Prepare... the way of the Lord."

Destroy this temple... I will raise it up

"I ask for the desire to pray, and meditate regularly.  I ask for humility, patience, tolerance, gentleness, compassion and empathy.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, compulsive behaviour, discouragement and shame.  I ask to know Jesus more intimately, love him more deeply and follow him more closely.  I ask to experience myself and others as made in the image and likeness of God.  I ask for the grace to discern the path for my community of faith in these challenging times."


John 2:13-25
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. ¹⁵Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ ¹⁷His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ ¹⁸The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ ¹⁹Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ ²⁰The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ ²¹But he was speaking of the temple of his body. ²²After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
23 When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.


1) "Stop making my Father's house a market-place;" "Zeal... will consume me;" "...and in three days I will raise it up;" "...because they saw signs;" "...he himself knew;" "Zeal for your house will consume me;" "What sign..." "


2) it strikes me that we move from one literal reading to another: the Temple to "the temple of his body;" This is the Jesus that teaches constantly to look for the other meaning; 46 years of construction... how many things have we been trying for 46 years and it still isn't working?  We've gotten distracted along the way, making a "market-place" of ourselves instead of a temple?  A market place full of noise and distraction, self-interest, consumerism, injustice (charging for prayers, over charging), selling "faith;" turning faith into a consumer product; meeting individual needs rather than pursuing the will of God?  What Temple does Jesus call us to destroy?


3) What is the invitation in all this?  Stop building a market-place.  Stop attempting to cater to individual wants and desires.  Stop marketing Jesus.  Listen more ardently for God.  Return to building a temple that honours God.  Do as Christ did, offering himself for the common good.


"Holy One, help me to trust that the only temple that matters is the heart that holds you close, the heart that seeks justice, loves kindness, and walks humbly with you.  All other temples may be torn down, and you will raise up temples for yourself."


Breathprayer: "Destroy this temple... I will raise it up."

Children... of the Living God

"I ask for the desire to pray and meditate regularly.  I ask for patience, gentleness, empathy, compassion and tolerance.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, discouragement, compulsive behaviour and shame.  I ask to know Jesus more intimately, love him more deeply and follow him more closely.  I ask to experience myself and others as Christ experiences us, as made in the image and likeness of God."


Romans9:24-26
²⁴including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? ²⁵As indeed he says in Hosea,
‘Those who were not my people I will call “my people”,
   and her who was not beloved I will call “beloved”. ’
²⁶ ‘And in the very place where it was said to them, “You are not my people”,
   there they shall be called children of the living God.’


1) "...including;" "...but also from the Gentiles;" "I will call my people;" "...I will call beloved;" "...children of the living God." "...my people;" "...beloved;" "...children of the living God;"


2) The list is long of people I have a hard time loving.  And the list is long of people who, I feel, put me on their list of people hard to love.  At least, I don't feel they are making any effort that I should feel loved.  And those are the folk most likely to make it to my list.  But here, God promises through Hosea and reiterated by Paul, those we believed were not beloved, they will be called beloved; those who were not God's, will become God's, "they will be called children of the living God."  The stone that was cast away shall become the cornerstone... something to that effect.  How do I become more loving towards the people on that hard to love list?  How do I be deserving of love even when others place me on their hard to love list, rather than behaving in ways that make me even harder to love?


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To lay down my list.  When meeting folks I find hard to love, to remember that they are more than what is unlovable in them.  And that I too, am more than what is unlovable in me, we are all called children of the Living God.


"Holy One, help me set aside my resentment and to receive all your people as children of the living God."


breathprayer: "Children... of the Living God."