Posts from March 2020

Dear Christ Church Family, There is real power in remembering. That’s especially true when our remembering is of God’s goodness to us in the past. It has the power to renew our faith, and to bring us through even the worst moments of our lives. That’s what Psalm 126 demonstrates today. Peace,Rick+ Tuesday, March 31, 2020RCL Daily Office Readings, Year 2 AM Psalm [120], 121, 122, 123 PM Psalm 124, 125, 126, [127] Exod. 5:1-6:1 1 Cor. 14:20-33a,39-40 Mark 9:42-50 Saint Day John…

Dear Christ Church Family, Our lesson from the Gospel According to Mark has a question for us. When we think of who our “us” is, are we excluding Jesus? The Disciples are faced with this very question today. Peace,Rick+ Monday, March 30, 2020                    RCL Daily Office Readings, Year 2 AM Psalm 31 PM Psalm 35 Exod. 4:10-20 (21-26) 27-31 1 Cor. 14:1-19 Mark 9:30-41 Saints Days John Climacus, Innocent of Alaska A Lenten question: Does our “us” include Jesus?   I have…

Dear Christ Church Family, Most of these Daily Devotionals have been written with the current crisis in mind; hoping to help us all find a more spiritual and healing way to deal with it. Today, though, I hope that we can turn for a few moments and remember that this is still the Holy Season of Lent; a time most especially to deepen our loving friendship with Jesus. The Gospel reading today is from Mark’s account of the Transfiguration. That…

Dear Christ Church Family, Listening to the news really can bring us to despair. It’s not just the threat of the Covid-19 virus that can affect us, it’s also the differing responses to that threat that can make us throw up our hands. When all that is added to the pile by commentators who are openly advocating the interests of the “haves” at the extreme expense, even death, of the “have-nots,” we can come to wonder, “Where is God in…

Dear Christ Church Family, Sometimes, our more destructive emotions just get the better of us. We know, in these moments, that to feel what we feel is not good. We can even tell that they make us feel less healthy. At the very least they keep us from knowing joy. Is there a way to get free of them? Psalm 109, most surprisingly, can help us do that. Peace,Rick+ Wednesday, March 25, 2020               RCL Daily Office Readings, Year 2…

Dear Christ Church Family, Do you need a little good news today? How about this, the news of how much God loves you? You can read about it in the 100th Psalm today. But, be careful. If you really let yourself get into this message, you just might catch yourself dancing. Peace,Rick Tuesday, March 24, 2020  RCL Daily Office Readings, Year 2   AM Psalm 97, 99, [100] PM Psalm 94, [95] Gen. 49:29-50:14 1 Cor. 11:17-34 Mark 8:1-10 Saints Days Oscar…

Dear Christ Church Family, During times a great stress, such as now, it is easy to forget who and whose we are, to strike out at others who irritate us, and especially those we might hold responsible for having increased our stress. It becomes too easy to think in an us versus them perspective. Today’s story from Mark’s Gospel has something to remind us of: that we are God’s children, and as Jesus’ disciples our job is still to help…

Dear Christ Church Family, The miracle stories of Jesus always contain great truths about how our relationship with Jesus really works. So often we think that we have it all worked out. Nothing more to figure out. Then along comes an old story that hits us in a new way, and we learn or relearn something that changes everything we thought we knew. Yes, Jesus is in our boat. But, how did he get there, and why? Peace,Rick+ Friday, March…