In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in Prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know That you are nothing. It is only when you Realize your nothingness, your emptiness, That God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence. ~Mother Theresa

Eternal Spirit, living God, in whom we live and move and have our being, all that we are, have been, and shall be is known to you, to the very secret of our hearts and all that rises to trouble us. Living flame burn into us, cleansing wind, blow through us, fountain of water, well up within us, that we may love and praise in deed and in truth. New Zealand Prayer Book - Night Prayer

When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief, I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time, I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. ~by Wendell Barry

I believe in God, who is for me spirit, love, the principle of all things. I believe that God is in me, as I am in him. I believe that the true welfare of man consists in fulfilling The will of God…. I believe that the will of God is that every man should love his fellow-men…. I believe that the reason of life is for each of us simply to grow in love. ~Leo Tolstoy

May light be born anew in me and you. May peace reign within our hearts and gratitude from our days with gladness and with joy. May each one of us awaken to the truth and allow the universe to use us, hearts, hands, minds, and prayers, united to embrace the world. by Dana Faulds

Yesterday I had the opportunity of concluding our popular Wednesday Evenings at Lent Program. Over the past couple of weeks, Fr. Mullins and Fr. Kubicek led sessions in New Brick. However, due to the ongoing pandemic - our life in exile - Bishop Ilhoff, Fr. Ginnever, and myself had to offer our presentation online. That was new and a big thing for us, but I am glad we were able to offer this important piece of our spiritual life to you and the wider world. A few days ago, I received an email from a parishioner who asked if I had read an article he sent me some days prior. I had not by then read the article because I got distracted and totally forgot about it. I made it a point to read the article, and I read it again. It was very insightful. I was fascinated with the idea of learning and re-learning old and new things as a result of our life in exile. In a very real way, there’s been a seismic shift in our individual and communal lives and, for that reason, we cannot look at the world the same way or continue to do things the same way we’ve been used to doing them.  The idea of learning and re-learning both new and old things in a different way immediately took me to the period of the Babylonian exile. That exile, itself, was a huge shift in the life and consciousness of the people of Israel for whom God delivered from slavery in Egypt. They were God’s elect. They were favored by God. They were the light to the nations. Well, if that was what they were, how were they to explain the reality of being in exile? In response to this experience, they had to re-calibrate. They had to learn and re-learn both new and old ways of building a sustainable relationship with God - a relationship which was informed by the mistakes of the past and shaped by a new appreciation of the Law - the very mistakes that took them into exile. The prophet Ezra, from whose book our theme Arise for the task is yours…take courage and do it was adopted, was who led the reforms by reconstituting the spiritual lives of the people, read the entire book of the Law at one sitting, and instituted the Law as the center of Jewish life. For Ezra, the question wasn’t about the exile, but rather what they learned from it, just so they wouldn’t repeat the mistakes of their past. I noted in my remarks yesterday that as a community we find ourselves in exile; we, too, are in exile, or at least our present experience feels like being in such a state. We cannot sing the Lord’s song, not because we don’t want to but instead because we are still trying to figure out if there’s still enough reason for us to sing. For if we thought we were invincible, this virus has opened our eyes to how vulnerable we actually are, and to how helpless we can be. Unlike the Jews who walked over a long distance to a far, distant country, we also find ourselves in exile but, by contrast, in our own homes. We are stuck with being home, watching TV, learning and re-learning how to live with each other. As harrowing as the exile experience was, it affirmed for the Israelites that God was faithful and trustworthy. More than that, God was gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. God is good and relents off his anger. As disorienting as this experience of exile has been for us, I have also come to appreciate and trust the Man with the bigger hands. This brings me to the story of a little boy and his father who visited a country store, and upon leaving the store, the owner of the store offered the little boy some free sweets... “Get a hand full of sweets," the merchant said to the boy. The boy just stood there looking up at his father. The owner repeated himself: “Son, get a hand full of sweets. They’re free.” Again, the boy did not move, continuing to look up to the face of his father. Finally, the father reached into the candy jar and got a hand full of sweets to give to his son. As they walked back home together, the father stopped and asked his son why he did not grab a handful of the free candy. The boy, with a big smile on his face, looked into the face of his father, and said, “Because I know that your HAND is BIGGER than mine.” And indeed, the Father’s hand is bigger than yours. I concluded yesterday’s remarks with these words: we are also in exile, but before long this shall pass. What have we learned from being in exile? For me, I am assured that God’s gracious favor has been upon us, and will continue to be upon us. We all have learned some lessons about ourselves, and about others, while in exile. So - whatever your needs, concerns, and fears have been while in exile, please place them in the Father in heaven’s hand, because HIS HAND is BIGGER THAN YOURS. The virus has taken so much from us, but let it not take away who you are… a loving child of the God who delivers us from exile with His Bigger Hands. ~Manny

There is a humorous children's book by Byron Barton entitled Buzz, Buzz, Buzz, which contains a wonderful lesson for us adults as well. The story begins with a bee buzzing around a pasture until it stings a bull. When the bull reacts, the cow becomes so nervous that she kicks the farmer's wife who was milking her (and knocks over the milk bucket, too). The wife then yells at her husband, who goes after the donkey, who flees and knocks over the shed, and so on and so on. While a child's reaction might be one of amused horror, ours should be a bit more thoughtful. When do our frustrations and hurts cause us to lash out at others? How can we turn a "reaction" into an "action"? Perhaps instead of saying hurtful words, we could just give ourselves permission for a quiet "time out" for a few minutes until strong emotions are under control. Or maybe the hurt is such that we need to close the door and just have a good cry and a discussion with God about what we need. In the children's book, the sting of the tiny bee had serious repercussions for the entire farm. This awareness is a reminder to us that our words and actions can begin a cascade of healing or hurting, kindness or meanness, loving or hating. The next time we feel the sting, will we only react, or choose to act? Romans 12:9-17

A significant number of the over 31,000 verses in the Scriptures promote action as a demonstration of faith. ‘Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you DO them.’ ~John 13:17 ‘But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no heater, BUT A DOER WHO ACTS, he will be blessed in his DOING’ ~James 1:23-25 ‘But someone will day “you have faith and I have works”. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my WORKS. ~James 2:18 I can DO all things through Christ who strengthens me. ~Philippians 4:13 And every WORK that he undertook in the service of God and in accordance to the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he DID with all his heart and prospered. ~2 Chronicles 31:21 I HASTEN and do not delay in KEEPING your commandments. ~Psalm 119:50 Whatever you DO WORK heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. ~Colossians3:23-24 But he DOERS of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ~James 1:22 Everyone who hears these words of mine and DOES them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock. ~Matthew 7:24 Not everyone who says to me, ”Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who. DOES the will of my Father, who is in Heaven. ~Matthew 7:21 See I have set the land before you. GO in and take possession. ~Deuteronomy 1:8 Therefore, preparing your mind for ACTION, and being sober minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ~1 Peter 1:13 So whoever knows the right thing to DO, and fails to DO it, for him it is a sin. ~James 4:17

It takes strength to be firm, it takes courage to be gentle. It takes strength to conquer, it takes courage to surrender. It takes strength to be certain, it takes courage to have doubt. It takes strength to fit in, it takes courage to stand out. It takes strength to feel a friend's pain, it takes courage to feel your own pain. It takes strength to endure abuse, it takes courage to stop it. It takes strength to stand alone, it takes courage to lean on another. It takes strength to love, it takes courage to be loved. It takes strength to survive, it takes courage to live. Poet Unknown

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done But he with a chuckle replied That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried. So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin On his face. If he worried, he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and he did it! Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you’ll never do that; At least no one ever has done it;" But he took off his coat and he took off his hat And the first thing we knew he'd begun it. With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin, Without any doubting or quiddit, He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn't be done, and he did it. There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done, There are thousands to prophesy failure, There are thousands to point out to you one by one, The dangers that wait to assail you. But just buckle in with a bit of a grin, Just take off your coat and go to it; Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing That "cannot be done," and you'll do it. ~Edgar Albert Guest

Jesus Sightings (Psalm 146 and Matthew 25:34-40) It was an oft-repeated volunteer trip to this medical mission, but each time, God's presence was manifest in every patient we treated. The doctor for whom I was the translator was named Peter. And the very first patient I brought in to see him was a 90-year-old gentleman named Jesus! Jesus got us off to a very good start with his cheerfulness and friendliness. But the Jesus of the Gospels kept coming back in different ways. He came with the elderly women, the blind men needing medications, and the children from the one-room schoolhouse across the road who needed dental care. Then there was the rainy evening, when we were down to the last 3 or 4 patients and Dr. Peter chose the unkempt 70-year-old man out of turn so he could examine him. His feet were dirty, his clothes disheveled, he was missing several teeth, and didn't smell great. His name wasn't Jesus, but I knew the Lord was there again - just looking scruffy this time! We cared for him to the best of our ability and provided the medications he needed. I thanked God for reminding me that the Lord comes in many guises… the clean and the scruffy, the old and the young, the grief stricken and the affable, the laborer and the immigrant. The Lord's blessings were also on display in the hugs our patients gave us that dispelled our weariness and kept us going. Two patients shared packs of cookies which I was able to share with a woman who had been waiting for hours and with a crying child. Another patient gave me a hard candy which helped to boost my flagging energy before lunch. I think that loaves and fishes abounded! When we needed music, the Lord sent us a Haitian baby with shining eyes whose musical laughter made us smile and gave us joy (Jesus, is that what you were like as a baby?). And so we completed our mission - weary in body, but blessed and renewed in spirit by the Lord's presence in this small town in the hills of the Dominican Republic.