Friday, March 31, 2017

Friday, March 31, 2017

Commemoration of John Donne

Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14

"O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord."  Ezekiel 37:4

Master Calligrapher Donald Jackson designed a two-page illumination for Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones for the handwritten Saint John's Bible. Whereas Jackson frequently traveled to the British Museum to view examples of Near Eastern ornaments and motifs for the book's illuminations, in this case he went to internet archives of documentary photos, extracting images of piles of bones from massacres in Rwanda, Bosnia, Iraq and other places to create the lower half of the illumination page. These he interposed with piles of glass shards reminiscent of terrorist attacks and piles of eyeglasses from the Holocaust to create a bleak collage of the dry bones of human suffering and spiritual death. Across the top of the page, in contrast, is a collage of rainbow fragments and menorahs, signs of covenant and promise. All across the page, the small gold-leaf squares of divine presence shine even in the darkness of the valley. Even in death and dryness, God is present. Even in the seemingly hopeless, God's promise shines.

Your Word, O God, is life and light; open our hearts that we may hear your word and live. Amen

·       Place on your altar a picture of someone who has wronged you. Pray to forgive.   

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Reading:  Ezekiel 37:1-14

"Can these dry bones then live?"  Ezekiel 37:3

After the fall of Jerusalem to the Roman army in 70 CE, a group of extreme Zealots (Sicarii) overtook the  Roman garrison at Masada, a tabletop mountain overlooking the Dead Sea, where Herod the Great had built a fortified palace complex including a synagogue. Besieged by the Roman troops, the Sicarii and families watched as, bucketful by bucketful, stone and dirt were used to build a ramp up the west flank of the mount. (Imagine building a dirt ramp up the side of Devil's Tower in Wyoming…) When the Roman army breached the walls on April 16, 73 CE, they found every one dead, except a few hiding women and children. Among the artifacts excavated from under the synagogue at Masada is a scroll fragment: Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of Dry Bones. Overlooking the wilderness around the Dead Sea, we hear these words again, "Can these bones then live?" One could wonder: what was the new life for Israel the prophet had declared? What is the new life God desires for each one of us?

Breathe your Spirit upon these dry bones, O God, and make us new. Amen

• Start making Ukrainian eggs for your Easter celebration.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Noon Eucharist with Soup Lunch following

6:00 pm Soup supper: 7:00 pm Evening Prayer

Commemoration of Hans Nils Hauge

Reading: John 9:1-41

“[The man who was born blind] answered: “… one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  John 9:25

In one of her visions, Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1160) saw a golden Christ figure pouring out divinity from himself. The golden stream of the divine flowed down to a figure in white baptismal garments; another veiled figure stood below Christ, the garments covered with open eyes. Hildegard called Christ, “the One Who Gives Eyes” - eyes to see wisdom, eyes to see justice. Perhaps eyes to see Christ in the faces of others? Eyes to see the pain in the world? Eyes to see God at work in the universe?

Oh, Holy Jesus,

most merciful Redeemer,

Friend and Brother,

may we know you more clearly,

love you more dearly,

and follow you more nearly.  Amen

(Prayer of Richard of Chichester)

• Call or write a relative you haven’t spoken to in ages. If they have died, place the letter on your altar.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

New Moon

Reading: John 9:1-41

“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth.”  John 9:1

According to many New Testament scholars, the writer of the Gospel of John (probably writing about 90-100 CE) originally ended the gospel immediately after the story of Thomas and the Risen Christ in Chapter 20, and concluded with these words, “Now Jesus did many other things in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that you may have life in his name" (John 20:30-31). Seeing and believing. Seeing and believing.  The disciples at the Cana wedding, the woman at the well, the people who were fed by the five loaves, and now the man born blind. St. Augustine writes in one sermon that the world is the blind man. Seeing and believing. What are we not seeing? To what are we blind? Is Christ truly our light? How does the light of Christ change how we see?

O God of light, open our eyes that we may see ourselves, the world, and you, more clearly.  Amen

• Take a walk. Notice shadows, Give thanks.
• Go tohttp://gratefulness.org/blog/delighted-share-new-video-stop-look-go/to see the video "Stop.Look.Go."

Monday, March 27, 2017

Monday, March 27, 2017

Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.”   Ephesians 5:14

Here is one of those lovely, unexpected hymn fragments that are woven into letters and other books in the New Testament. Just a little fragment, possibly of a baptismal hymn, already in existence and being sung by the early Christians by the time Paul wrote this letter to the church at Ephesus. Imagine the song in the night: river water may be rushing nearby, or waves splashing from the sea. The smell of chrism is in the air, and the smoke from fire. The renunciation toward the west, and then the turning toward the east, the direction of the rising sun, where Cyril of Jerusalem says, “God’s Paradise opens before you, that Eden … The place of light, that garden which God planted in the east.” And voices chanting in the dark, “Awake, O sleeper…”

Awaken me, O God, raise me up from the dead, and grant me the light of Christ. Amen

• Memorize a hymn.

Fourth Sunday in Lent: March 26, 2017

Fourth Sunday in Lent

March 26, 2017

Eucharist: 8:00 am and 10:45 am

I Sam. 16:1-13; Ps.23; Eph. 58-14; John 9:1-41

How shall my days your grace proclaim;

How shall my deeds your healing prove?

An open heart will praise your name;

My grateful life will sing your love.

·      Listen to Edward Elgar's oratorio on the man born blind: "The Light of Life" (1896) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtYQQW6U964. 
 Score at: http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Light_of_Life,_Op.29_(Elgar,_Edward)
 Score at: http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Light_of_Life,_Op.29_(Elgar,_Edward)

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Feast of the Annunciation

Reading: Psalm 23

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”  Psalm 23:5

If we have eyes to see it, ears to hear it, senses to feel it, all around us our cup is overflowing. To take that first deep breath in the morning is a blessing. To feel the softness of slippers. To smell coffee. Perhaps to hear a loving voice. Blessing. The Babylonian Talmud instructs the pious Jew to bless God one hundred times each day. Blessed are you, O God, for the light blue snow at sunset. Blessed are you, O God, for the crescent moon. Blessed are you, O God, for the eyes of that child.  Blessed are you, O God, for the song of the wind. For these amazing fingers. For lentils. For wool. Imagine a life lived, steeped in blessing. My cup overflows.

God the Good Shepherd, lead us beside still waters, that we may see your many blessings and bless you.  Amen

• Give thanks 100 times today.