Sirach 35: 12-18; Ps 34: 2-3; 17-19; 23; 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18; Luke 18: 9-14

close to
the brokenhearted
those crushed
in Spirit
He saves
the Lord
hearing
the cry
of the poor
not turning
a deaf ear
to the wail
of orphans
to the wail
of widows
he hears our cries
piercing the cloud
humbled
we know
ourselves
as sinners
and await
mercy
for not having
done enough
we turn
our lives
over to God
waiting in patience
for God’s love
a justice
that knows
no favorites

Do you pray to yourself or to God?
Do you hear the cries of the poor?
Do you know your need for mercy?

Romans 8:1-11; Psalm 24: 1-6; Luke 13:1-9

in this time
of now
one in Christ
we choose
with grace
to walk
with the Holy Spirit
as our guide
bearing
the lasting fruits
of love
and joy
patience
and faithfulness
gentleness
and generosity
creating
the world
of God’s desire
living
in peace

Who is your guide?

Romans 7:18=25; Psalm 119: 66,68,76,77,93,94; Luke 12:25-59

wanting
to do good
we do not
as something
wars within us
yet we are called
to see
in this moment
a wisdom
and knowledge
kindness
and compassion
a goodness
we come to know as
the will of God
written upon
our hearts
it is our delight
as it frees us
and saves us
to do the good
we long to do
in God’s love

Are you willing to do good but do not?
What sets you free?

Romans 6:19-23; Psalm 1:1-6; Luke 12:49-53

the earth
on fire
with a dividing love
separates us
from all misperception
forcing us
to ask
what Truth
we follow
and what is written
in our heart
once answered
we know
who we are

Who are you?

Romans 6:12-18; Psalm 124: 1-8; Luke 12:39-48

freed from
the law
living
under grace
sin has no power
as our bodies
are given over
to the goodness
of God
entrusted
with this love
we care
for ourselves
and one another
in our common home
feeding
sheltering
sustaining
inspiring
with all
we have been given
so generously

What has power over your life?
What is it to live by grace?

Romans 5:12-20; Psalm 40:7-17; Luke 12:35-38

God’s law
of Love
written in our hearts
brings joy
to our life
even as we face
our sorrows
we see His light
shining
and we serve
the Beauty we see
trusting
whole-heartedly
that God’s will
is for the Goodness
of All

How do you serve God’s love everyday?

Romans 4:20-25; Luke 1:69-75;Luke 12:13-21

empowered
by the gift of faith
we are set free
by the living word
that saves us
from our greed
enmity
and misperceptions
showing us
what matters
to God
the love
and justice
for all
people

What matters to God?
How have you been saved?

Exodus 17:8-13; Psalm 121:1-8; 2Timothy 3:14-4:2; Luke 18:1-3

call out
to God
day and night
with hands raised
persist
in faith
persist
in prayer
persist
in receiving
wisdom
from His word
support
one another
for Truth
for Love
welcoming
reproving
correcting
appealing
whether convenient
or inconvenient
so that He
might find
your faith
alive
on earth

Do you persist in prayer day and night
Do you help another?
Do you let another help you?

In Memory of My Sister Marie Joyce

The Ache of Autumn

The trees grow more restless;
October wind weaves through them:
they shake their arms in dismay
as if to fight the coming cold
and the grief of leaves going.

Autumn air does a heart-dance
on branches already gone barren:
the misty air clings to golden leaves.
making the trees bend even lower.

It is a season to hold the trees close,
to stand with them in their grieving.
It is a time to open our inner being
to the misty truths of our own goodbyes.

Autumn comes. It always does.
Good-bye comes. It always does.
The trees struggle with this truth today
and in my deepest of being, so do I.

Every autumn, nostalgia fills me:
every autumn, yearning holds me.
I cling to the ripeness of summer,
knowing it will be many long months
before I can catch a breath of lilac,
or the green of freshly mown grass.

And so I begin my fallow vigil,
remembering the truth of the ages.
Unless the wheat seed dies
it cannot sing a new birth,
Unless summer gives in to autumn
springtime will never embrace me.

-Joyce Rupp

2Timothy 4:10-17; Psalm 145:10-18; Luke 10:1-9

sent out
to labor
as lambs
among wolves
the harvester
carries
no money
no sack
no sandals
depending
on the kindness
of strangers
curing the sick
revealing
a kingdom
of God
within
and among us
to all who
have eyes
to see

What do you depend on?