All Categories

What if everyone prayed for peace?

2/13/2019

I am one of the many (at least 100, maybe 200) intercessors with the Iona Community Prayer Circle. Every two months I receive the prayer requests for Group One, the group to which I am assigned. There are twelve groups and approximately 12 requests per group.

    I am also one of thirteen intercessors (from all over the world) who have agreed to receive emergency requests that come into the head office in Glasgow and can’t wait until the next group mailing.
    Over the years we have become prayer friends, praying for needs that go beyond the Community requests, namely for our friends and families and sometimes for ourselves. It is heartwarming to receive the different words that someone from Australia or Scotland use to ask God for help or give God thanks.
    Recently an intercessor from England offered this: I am getting somewhat elderly (85) and have mobility problems so am no longer able to play an active part in church/community life, and feel that intercession is a small offering I can still make.

      As far as I am concerned, this is no small offering. It may be one of the most consequential and vital ways an older person (in fact, anyone) can contribute to peace and love in the world. What if everyone prayed for peace?

My morning reading

2/2/2019

My morning reading includes a daily section from Around the Year with Emmet Fox (1952). Fox was so wise, so forward thinking. I could quote him every day, and never run out.
     Fox affirms my belief and coming to know that God has called me to pray for people. I continue to reread and ponder the following. I encourage you to do so, as well.

    Prayer does change things. Let us be perfectly clear about this. Prayer does change things. Many people say that prayer is a good thing because it gives us courage and fortitude for meeting our troubles. They say that prayer often gets a man out of difficulty simply by giving him self-confidence which he would otherwise have lacked. Of course, this is not spiritual Truth. The fact is that seeing the Presence of God where the trouble seems to be does not merely give us courage to meet the trouble; it changes the trouble into harmony.
    Prayer heals the body by changing the tissues, and it does this by first changing the mind which forms them. Prayer brings man his salvation by changing his nature fundamentally; not by making the best of him as he can be. The body, the environment, the universe itself, is plastic to our thought; and it always reflects our sincere belief. Emmet Fox (1886-1951)

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

1/26/2019

I’m reading When Bad Things Happen to Good People, by Rabbi Harold Kushner. First published in 1981 (revised edition, 2001) Kushner wrote in response to the death of his fourteen year old son Aaron in 1977 of a condition called progeria, “rapid aging.”
     I read the book when it first came out but am now rereading in preparation for the message (we stay away from calling it a sermon) I will be giving at church on March 3rd. In searching for the book on my library’s on-line catalog, I keyed in the wrong title, a common mistake that Kushner addresses in the preface to the revised edition.
      “I met a lot of people who tell me that they have read my book, Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? I politely point out to them that the book is not titled “Why” but “When.” The really important question is not why bad things happen, but where will we find the resources to cope with them when they do happen.”
     Both questions are important. Responses to ‘why? delve us into the nature of God, an essential conundrum that I believe, wittingly or unwittingly, we address on our faith journey. The ‘when’ moves us forward to cope with real matters in our life. The ‘why’ and the ‘when’ have to
dance together
     My church ‘sermon’ is developing into a message about importance of questions we ask, And so, I will end this blog with two ‘why’ questions: Why not jot down your God questions? Why not read Kushner’s gem of a book?

More signs of a solitary traveler

1/19/2019

I just had to share this with my prayerdiary friends about a post on www.acottagebythesea.net.

Would you believe this? I was selected as one of two the blog stars for December 2018 by Lonely Planet for my 12/28 post “More Signs of a Solitary Traveler.” “LP Pathfinders: what did you write this month [December]’ in our Travel Bloggers and Pathfinders forum.”

“Hey guys,
Thanks to everyone who submitted their wonderful travel tales from December 2018! A big congratulations to the following blog-stars who made it into this month's new-look round up:
@BobbbiFisher
@ChrisGaillard
You can check out the round-up in full, including why these blogs were selected, here: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/blog/2019/01/17/pathfinders-best-blogs-instagram-shots-and-videos-from-december-2018
Well done everyone! Keep up the wonderful travel writing and we look forward to reading more of your posts next month.
Happy travels!
Jack

Living with grace

1/13/2019

Lately I’ve been thinking about the ‘role’ of those of us blessed to be positive, optimistic, and to see all things, good or bad, in the light of hope, love, and possibilities for GOOD. Everything that happens is grist for the mill. No matter what is before us, we can work through to a positive win/win solution. It takes time, effort, and commitment, and even moments of falling short in order to keep it going, but we do. I believe I have a part to play, and a choice in moving forward with love, or in joining in hate (gossip, schadenfreude, etc.). I don’t’ believe this is of my own doing, although I am aware of the benefits inherent in the time and place of my birth. What I’m emphasizing here is disposition.
My faith and my church community help me fulfill this ‘role’. Grace doesn’t offer any excuse, nor get me off the hook; rather it obliges be see my role as to live a life of service. I admit I fall short all the time, but I try my best to keep the purpose in front of me.

Eternal life lived with God

1/2/2019

I taken on the challenge of reading the Scripture, Commentary, and Reflections (by Gail R. O’Day) of the Gospel of St. John in The New Interpreter’s Bible, (Abington Press, 1995)--all 475 pages of. It inspires slow, ponderous reading; nevertheless, my goal is to complete it in 2019. So far, I’m about ready to begin Chapter 4.
    Today I’m pondering O’Days comment about eternal life in John 3:15:

Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

    She writes: “Eternal” does not mean mere endless duration of human existence, but is a way of describing life as lived in the unending presence of God.”
    As I meditate on this idea of eternity as God’s ending presence, a sense of deep, timeless peace that is eternity coming over me; I could be in the moment forever; if something were to happen to me I would be at peace; worries and concerns, as well has joys and happy anticipations fade a way.
     The spiritual awakening in me is palpable when I shift from considering eternity as part of the human life cycle (Chronos time) to meditating on it as a way of being with God (Kairos time). I sense a leap in faith that is not of my own doing.

Christmas Eve~

12/24/2018

Christmas Eve. Many people out there are listening to Christmas music, wrapping Christmas presents, decorating Christmas cookies—Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. But very few admit to be Christian. I’m not judging, just observing.
I don’t need to announce publically that I am a Christian, but personally it makes all the difference in my life. Faith leads me toward humility and away from hubris. It is not me alone creating good thoughts, words and deeds, but God working through me. When I falter, I am forgiven and led to pick myself up
This Christmas Eve I will be listening to Christmas music, wrapping Christmas presents, and decorating Christmas cookies. God will be working through everyone, but I am blessed with the grace of knowing the mysterious benefit.

Advent hope

12/20/2018

Advent is a time of hope. We hope for Jesus’ saving grace. We know that his birth was just the beginning, that during his life he experienced satisfaction but then suffered and died a horrific death. The fulfillment of hope doesn’t come until Easter with his resurrection to new life.
    It is the cycle of all human experience; we sometimes we forget the good parts that hope carries for us.
    The following post was written for my cottage by the sea blog. As Christians, we can read the Advent hope into it.

Back home. Hiatus from posting as I catch up with all that’s going on here before we head to Lancaster on Saturday for Christmas. Tis the season to be grateful even among change and sadness.
      On Monday night my church went caroling to several of the people that I visit regularly; many young children and teenagers brought joy to the elderly who can’t get out anymore. ‘Shut-in’ may not be a PC term, but there’s some truth in it; for sure, however, they opened up their hearts and doors to those of us who can still get out and about.
     I had missed two weeks volunteering at Open Table, our local food pantry. I help on Tuesday, Senior Day. Many said they missed me and asked if I was okay. “Yes, I’m here today,” is all that I said, and then listened to their holiday stories. One woman admitted that the holidays weren’t joyful for her; two of her four adults sons had died of heart attacks during the year and the other two have heart conditions. Someone else admitted, “Christmas isn’t Tra-la-la-la-la for everyone.”
      But there was also joy and gratitude. A food supplier had donated frozen ham, turkey breast, or roast beef, a marvelous choice for each guest.

Walking around with God

12/12/2018

This is my last day in Florence walking around with God. Of course, I can walk around with God anywhere, because God is everywhere.
Walking around with God is not a white privilege; you don’t have to afford be in such a beautiful place as Florence; God walks with everyone, everywhere, all the time--God shows no partiality.
God is always there to walk with me. I just have to notice.

St. James Episcopal Church in Florence

12/10/2018

     Yesterday I attended Sunday worship at St. James Episcopal Church (where I used to go when I was a student here in 1959-60). The program was printed in both English and Italian, parts of the service were conducted in Italian, and Communion was open to everyone. The congregation was composed of people of all colors, languages, and nationalities. To quote my mom, it was what Heaven is like.
     Their mission statement:
We rejoice in a diverse and international parish family, and serve Italian and English speakers from many denominations, back grounds and cultures.

     The Rev. Cannon T. Mark Dunnam, preaching (in English) on Luke 3: 1-6, drew a contrast between the powerful rulers of the day and ‘insignificant’ John the Baptist. The message was compelling: God calls insignificant people like us to do powerful things.