Monday Morning Offering: MLK Day

Morning Coffee: George Mendoza

A song to accompany today's Monday Morning Offering...

If a widget doesn't appear below, click here!

We Shall Overcome by the 

   Morehouse College Glee Club 

  

By the power of your saving love, Lord,
help our nation overcome 
the bias that divides us, 
the bigotry bred by mistrust
and the pain that comes of prejudice...

Let us never for a moment 

pretend to love you - and at the same time

ignore, mistreat or abandon 

    our neighbors, brothers and sisters all, near and far,     

    one family, children of one Father,            

    one in Christ our brother,

    blessed by our diversity, yours in our humanity...

In the depths of our hearts, Lord, 

help us overcome 

    our racism, our prejudice and partiality,

    our bias and our bigotry,

    our narrow-minded thinking

    and all the ways we rush to judgment...

 

Help us overcome 

    our pride, our self-importance,

    our undeserved privileges and rights,

    our denial of what's fact, what's true,

    our careless disregard of others' pain and plight...

And, Lord, help us overcome the thought

    that we're above all this,

the temptation to believe

    that no such faults are ours...

 

Help us overcome 

    and move beyond the status quo

    and all that keeps us from real change;

free us from inertia's grip

    paralyzing progress  

    and keeping things the way they've always been... 

 

Help us overcome, Lord,

    what discriminates and segregates,

    separates and divides us,

    what keeps us from being one nation,

        indivisible, under your reign, 

        with liberty and equal justice - for all...

That's what we pray this morning, Lord,

and that's all we have to offer you:

    our plea that you help us do

        what we have not accomplished ourselves,

        what we cannot do on our own,

        what we cannot do apart from you

            and your blessing, your strength 

                and your grace...

 

Amen.

Tweet   

SUBSCRIBE HERE!

  

Do you need to find peace in the midst of all that's going on?

Here's a video (above) of my homily for Sunday, January 18 and here's the gospel text I preached on - and the text of my homily follows.  I know that some folks skip the video and read the text - but if you want to hear the musical element in my homily, please take a look at the video!  (If a video doesn't appear above, click here!)

///////////////////////////// 

Well, if you're paying attention and have a halfway decent memory, you'll recall that last week's gospel also featured John the Baptist – and - what transpired when Jesus approached him at the Jordan River - and - how the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove.

 

Two weeks in a row - the same story. Seems early in the season to me for a rerun!

 

I was struggling on how to preach on this (since I already preached on John last week) until I was in my book group on Friday - and we were discussing all the discord and the turmoil in the news these days. And a friend at the table said, "I need a way to find peace in the midst of all of this."  I need a way to find peace in the midst of all this…

 

And as soon as he said that - I felt as if the Holy Spirit came down on ME - not in the form of a dove!

 

And I knew for certain what I was called to preach this weekend.

 

When I read or listen to the news these days, I find myself increasingly more troubled, confused, angry, exasperated, disappointed, hurt and helpless.   And it’s precisely then - in the midst of all that - that I need to look up and see John the Baptist, and Jesus approaching him, and I need to hear John announcing:

"Hey, everybody - look! Here comes Jesus - the Lamb of God. He's coming to take away the sin of the world. He's coming to relieve you of your troubles, anger, confusion, exasperation, your disappointment and hurt. He's coming to be the strength you look for when you feel so powerless.”

If I call myself a Christian- and I do.

If I name myself as one who follows Jesus - and I do.

If I believe that Jesus forgives MY sin - and - has the strength and power to take away the trouble, anger, confusion, exasperation, disappointment, and hurt that MY sin dumps in the laps, in the lives, in the hearts of those who feel powerless over MY words and deeds  --- then I might also look to Jesus, I might behold him (as John tells us). I might look to Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world in which I live.

 

Now, is all that little more than pious fluff?  Or does it have some real meaning, some nitty gritty IM-plications and APPlications - for my life and for yours?

 

Well, the answer to that question is this: John's announcement about Jesus is either everything or it's nothing. It's either true or it's false. It's either everything in my daily life and yours, or it's nothing – it’s pious fluff.

 

I'm not suggesting here - or more importantly, the gospel is not suggesting here - that if we believe in Jesus, then all our problems will go away. We don't believe that.

But we do believe is that the deepest peace we will ever know in the midst of this broken world - will be the peace we find in Jesus - while we are living in this broken world.

 

We believe that the deepest peace we will ever know will be found not in the present administration, nor in its alternative - but in Jesus.

 

We believe that the deepest peace we will ever know will be found not in the Constitution of the United States of America - but in Jesus.

 

We believe that the deepest peace we will ever know will be found not in any decisions of the Supreme Court - but in Jesus.

 

We believe that the deepest peace we will ever know will be found not in our trouble, anger, confusion, exasperation, disappointment and hurt. No, not there - but in Jesus.

 

Of course, finding our deepest peace in Jesus in no way relieves us of our responsibility, of our call as Christians to work for, to protect and defend, to ensure those civil laws and structures that guarantee and safeguard the dignity and rights of every human being on the face of the earth - without exception.

 

But while engaged in the struggle to achieve all of that - we Christians find our deepest peace, our ultimate peace, the peace we seek - only in Jesus -who is our peace and who is the way to the peace for which you and I hunger and thirst.

 

So, when we read or listen to the news these days and find ourselves feeling increasingly troubled, confused, angry, exasperated, disappointed, and hurt, and helpless - it's precisely then - in the midst of all of that - that we need to look up and see John the Baptist, and Jesus approaching him, and hear John announcing:

Hey, everybody, look! Here comes Jesus, the Lamb of God! He's coming to take away the sin of the world. He's coming to relieve us of our troubles, anger, and confusion, our exasperation, disappointment, and hurt. He's coming to be the strength we seek when, in our helplessness, we feel powerless. He’s coming with grace and peace from God, for all who call upon his name.

And that's why we pray, every time we come to Mass, just before communion:

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil. Graciously grant peace in our days that by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress - as we await the blessed hope, the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ - who is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 

Or we could sing the same prayer…

 

In the morning when I rise

In the morning when I rise

In the morning, when I rise

Give me Jesus!

 

Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus!

You may have all this world

Give me Jesus…

 

Oh, and when the road is rough

Oh, and when my spirit's down

O and when I'm losing hope

Give me Jesus!

 

Yes, and when I come to die.

Oh, and when I come to die

Yes, and when I come to die

Give me Jesus!

 

Tweet   

SUBSCRIBE HERE!

  

NIGHT PRAYER: Sunday 1/18

On Sundays, Night Prayer will focus on an element from the day's celebration of Mass. Tonight our prayer begins with Saint Paul's call for us all to be holy!

Lord, you call me to be (gulp) holy!

 

Truth be told - that kinda scares me

because one thing I know is how unholy

my thoughts and words and deeds can be...

 

But holy is the goal you set for me, Lord,

    holy is the path you call me to walk

        and holy is the life for which I was created...

Daunting - to say the least!

 

So I'm relieved to know, Lord, 

you don't call me to the holiness of 

    Saint Paul or Joan of Arc,

    or Francis of Assisi or Katherine Drexel,

    or Oscar Romero  or Maria Goretti

    or Maximilian Kolbe or Teresa of Calcutta...

 

You called each of them

    in their own times, circumstances and struggles,

with their own 

    abilities, talents and personalities,

in spite of their own 

    faults, weaknesses and limitations,

and through

   the  seeds you planted in their hearts

    and the words you whispered in their prayer,

you opened them to your Spirit

    moving deep within their souls

    in ways unique, personal and individual...

    

You don't call me to be Paul or Joan, Oscar or Teresa:

but you do call me to be me 

    (insert you own name here!)

and you call me

    in my own times, circumstances and struggles,

    with my own abilities, talents and personality,

    in spite of all my faults, weaknesses and limitations...

 

You call me to be holy, Lord,

    through the seeds of faith you plant in my heart

    and the words you whisper in my prayer,

opening me to your Spirit

    moving deep in my soul...

 

In ways unique and personal to me as an individual

    you call me to be - holy...

 

May all the saints intercede for me, Lord

  and help me see 

     how you're calling me to holiness...

Help me respond to your call in thought, word and deed

    in my life, 

    through my story, 

    on my  journey,

as I make my way to holiness

    and  home to you, 

        to your love and to your peace...

 

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake 

    and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I may keep watch with you

    and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

 

Take Time To Be Holy 

    by William Dunn Longstaff 

performed by 

    the Mormon Tabernacle Choir 

 

(If a widget doesn't appear below, click here!)  

 

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;  

Abide in him always, and feed on his Word.  

Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak, 

Forgetting in nothing his blessing to seek.  

 

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;  

Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone. 

 By looking to Jesus, like him thou shalt be;  

Thy friends in thy conduct his likeness shall see.  

 

Take time to be holy, let him be thy Guide;  

And run not before him, whatever betide. 

 In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,  

And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.  

 

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul, 

Each thought and each motive beneath his control.  

Thus led by his Spirit to fountains of love,  

Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

 

Tweet   

SUBSCRIBE HERE!

  

Pause for Prayer: SUNDAY 1/18

 

 Lord, whatever word you speak today,
   open my heart to hear you...

 

Whatever work you assign me today,
   give me the strength to do it...

Wherever your Spirit may lead me today,
    make smooth the path I'll be walking...

 

Whatever the problems I face today,

    give me counsel and wisdom to solve them... 

 

However you might surprise me today,

    let it come with healing and mercy...

 

Whatever gifts you might offer today,

    open my arms to accept them...

However you call me to change today,

    give me grace to do as you ask...

 

And whenever you show me your face today,

    may it shine on me in peace and joy...

 

Tweet   

SUBSCRIBE HERE!

  

NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 1/17

 

As I write this post, it's snowing in my neck of the woods. And as nature dons her beautiful wintry coat, Robert Frost reminds me to take comfort in whatever might bring peace in these days that I have rued...

 

Image: Squirrel Basket

 

Dust of Snow

 

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

 

- Robert Frost

 

Let's pray...

 

In the midst of it all, Lord,  

send just one bird to bless me

and a dusting of snow to remind me:

    it's yours, O Lord, all yours 

    and all will one day melt

    and water the earth

    to birth the spring

    with flowers, sun and shade trees

    and a promise 

    of summer's sweet

    abundant fruit..

 

In the midst of it all

    send a messenger, Lord,

    to touch my heart,

    to change my mood 

    and save me

    lest I rue, in haste,

    the power, grace and beauty 

    in every blessed flake 

    that falls this wintry day...

 

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

    and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

    and asleep rest in your peace...

 

Amen. 

 

Under Winter Moon by Andy Beck 

 

If a widget doesn't appear below, click here!

 

 

 

Winter, winter, winter, winter

Winter, winter, winter, winter

Snow is gently falling outside the window

Soft as downy feathers, velvety white

Dancing in the moonbeams, catching the light

Under winter moon

Under winter moon, through the winter chill,

All is frozen, silent still

 

Winter, winter, winter, winter

Winter, winter, winter, winter 

 

Silhouetted branches cast lacy shadows

On a perfect canvas, blanketed white

Icicles like diamonds shine in the light

Under winter moon 

Under winter moon, through the winter chill,

All is frozen, silent, still

Under winter, silver winter

Under winter moon

 

 

Tweet   

SUBSCRIBE HERE!

  

For this we need to plead - urgently.

 

Tweet   

SUBSCRIBE HERE!

  

All's well...

All's well - just taking a day off!

See you at Night Prayer on Saturday, January 17. 

 

Tweet   

SUBSCRIBE HERE!

  

  

NIGHT PRAYER: Thursday 1/15

I hope and trust and pray, Lord,

that when foolishness distracts me

(diverting my attention 

from things that truly matter)

I pray you'll still believe then,

that in my heart of hearts:

    I love you 

    - and I want to love you - 

    deeper and more faithfully

    than sometimes, sadly often,

    may seem to be the case...

 

I hope and trust and pray, Lord,

that even when in anger 

I bear a deep resentment

or hold a stubborn grudge,

I pray you'll still believe then,

that in my heart of hearts:

    I want to love my neighbor 

    - as I love myself -

    and as I love you, Lord 

    which is often, at least sometimes,

    much more than it may seem... 

 

I hope and trust and pray, Lord,

that when I'm less than honest,

when I'm biased and unjust,

when I'm selfish and unfair: 

I pray you'll still believe then, 

that in my heart of hearts:

    I want to speak and tell the truth,

    - to do what's right and good -

    for the sake of you and others

    whom I care for and I love

    more often and more deeply

    than it sometimes, often seems...

 

I hope and trust and pray then, Lord,

that you might take my word

that in my heart of hearts

I desire to do only

 - and all - of what you ask:

    to love you and my neighbor 

    as I myself am loved,

    not just as it seems 

    but in truth, in word and deed...

 

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

    and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

    and asleep rest in your peace...

 

Amen. 

 

Change My Heart, O God by Eddie Espinosa

 

If a video doesn't appear below, click here! 

 

Tweet   

SUBSCRIBE HERE!