Today’s message was written by Guest Pastor, Chaplin Bob Griffiths.

Since retiring from full-time chaplaincy in 2020, I have been blessed with opportunities to continue that ministry in varying situations. One of the most meaningful has been to work with men transitioning from prison life to civilian life. It has shown me how God can help to restore criminals to useful, meaningful lives. Lives that bless and help others.

The latest is a 48-year-old man named Joseph. He was sentenced to 15 years for attempted murder while high on drugs and alcohol. While in prison, he realized what he had done, broke free of his addiction with the help of people in 12-step programs who carry the message to jails and institutions, and found God. As Joe explored faith traditions, he felt called to Catholicism and began to read theologians and was particularly drawn to Thomas Merton. He was released on December 11, and moved to my area. He asked for someone to help him transition and I was asked to work with him.  

Joe moved into temporary, transitional housing and faced many challenges to his sobriety and his faith by others who were waiting to resume their old way of life. We met two or three times a week and prayed and talked. His faith never wavered, although he was occasionally stressed by the behavior of those around him. He applied to the parole office to transfer back to his hometown and to his family on the other coast of Florida. As I write this, he just received permission to make the move, and he is looking forward to meeting the five nieces and nephews who were born during his incarceration.  

Joe and I have gotten very close – we refer to each other as brothers in Christ. I will miss him, although we will stay in touch. So here is the message: we cannot judge others solely on their past history. As Paul tells us in Romans 8: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” And the famous John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Joe is one of those who God has called and saved from his past and himself. We can never underestimate the power of redemption, and Joe is proof of what can happen when anyone truly turns to God.

For Joe and for all of you, this prayer from the Book of Common Prayer: “Watch over this your child, O Lord, as his days increase. Bless and guide him wherever he may be. Raise him up when he falls, comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful, and in his heart may your peace which passes all understanding abide all the days of his life.” Amen.  

Today’s message was written by Guest Pastor, Chaplin Bob Griffiths.

We read in the Bible of the many ways that the Holy Spirit operated through history from the beginning: “And the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.” Then, later, the Spirit came to the prophets and then, in the New Testament, to Zechariah and to Elizabeth and to Mary and to Simeon and to John and to Jesus. But these instances are not mere history; the Holy Spirit still comes to us today, right here, right now, among us, with us, in us, and through us. All we need to do is open our hearts and minds to its glorious and healing presence.  

But the Spirit is very real in another way. The Hebrew word ruach and the Greek word pneuma, translated as Spirit, also mean breath: the breath of God! Hebrew scholar Robert Alter translates that second verse of Genesis as “God’s breath hovering over the waters.” As it hovers over us – breathes on us – every moment of our existence. To help us be grateful for the good times and to carry us through the bad. That’s how much God loves us – first, he sent his only Son to the end that all that believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And now, today, He sends His Spirit to fill us with the knowledge of God’s never-failing care and love for us, for this life, and for the life to come. So help us, dear Lord, to listen with the ear of our heart, to watch with the eye of the heart, as we pray:

“Holy Spirit, come to us. Breathe on us, breath of God. Come fill our hearts with the fire of your love. Merciful and loving God, you have opened the way of eternal life to every one of us, to every race and nation. May this saving Spirit reach to the ends of the earth. Open our hearts to be always ready to receive you and your Son and your Spirit as welcome guests. This we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and your Holy Spirit in the eternal kingdom.” Amen.

Today’s message was written by Guest Pastor, Rev. Andy Odom. 

Scripture: Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:12)

His name is Masosa. He is one of the villagers I met two years ago during the time I spent on a trip to the Sakata region of Malawi, Africa, one of the poorest countries on Earth. I suspect that Masosa is in his early 80s, but there’s no way to know for sure. He doesn’t remember. “How am I supposed to know how old I am? I stopped counting a long time ago,” he told us. Masosa was a character. Masosa would tell us about how he felt cold all the time now and how his family had to care for him because he couldn’t get around anymore, and then he would crack a joke or bust out with a big smile. He had us all in stitches with the things he said. It took the interpreter a long time to translate through his own giggles.

There we were with this man in some of the most deplorable circumstances you can find, and we were laughing. This was the dirt he lived on in the day and slept on through the night. This was the dirt that became mud during the rains and hard rock during the heat. This was the dirt that will one day do him in, and we were sitting in it laughing together, playfully thumbing our noses at the mortality of it all. As we did, I was convicted once more by the power of the human spirit to transcend the moment and entertain a conversation with God. 

I will not soon forget the time I had with Masosa. My prayer is that we each may gain some small piece of the holy laughter that God gave to him. May we be able to transcend the moments we have each day and find ourselves laughing – even in the dirt.

Prayer: Dearest Lord, life is messy and chaotic and unfair. We stop for a moment today to remember people like Masosa who live in the hardest of conditions, and yet we see them laughing and smiling and filled with joy for every little blessing that comes along. Give us that kind of heart, O God. Help us laugh in the dirt. Amen.

Today’s message was written by Guest Pastor, Rev. Andy Odom. 

I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. (Exodus 6:7)

The day before yesterday, I shared with you three spiritual disciplines I have learned to try to practice when I become anxious about something. They are: get clear, keep calm, and stay connected. I have already talked about getting clear and keeping calm, so today I want to talk about staying connected.

Typically, when someone does something that makes us uncomfortable or anxious, the first thing we want to do is disconnect. This is especially true when we start to get into a disagreement with someone else about politics or controversial issues. Our tendency is to want to stop talking to that person.

But, instead of just cutting them off, what if we instead worked on how we can stay connected. One of the ongoing promises God continues to make throughout all of scripture is the promise to be with us and stay with us. “You will be my people, and I will be your God.” No matter what, God stays connected. Jesus does the same. All through his ministry, he stays connected. When people disagree with him, he states who he is, but he stays connected. It is a calling for us to try to do the same.

So, when I get anxious and want to disconnect, I ask myself if this is one of those times when I might creatively find a way to remain connected instead.

Prayer: Dear God, staying connected with others is not always easy, but it is part of what you call us to do. Help us stay connected when we can. Give us clarity about who we are and a sense of calm so we can stay connected with others even when it is hard, through Christ we pray. Amen.

Today’s message was written by Guest Pastor, Rev. Andy Odom. 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me? (Psalm 51:10)

I would like to take the next few days and talk about three practices that I’ve learned from one of my coaches. When I’m anxious, I try to do three things: get clear, keep calm, and stay connected. Each day I’m going to focus on one of those. Today is about getting clear.

When things seem to be chaotic and uncertain and confusing, one of the best things to do spiritually is to work on getting clear about who you are and where you should be. Get clear about who you are as a child of God and where you should be as a disciple of Christ. That is our primary work.

All throughout the gospel stories, again and again, Jesus was part of tense conversations. He upset people and they questioned what he was doing, and yet, he had this way of remaining clear about who he was and where he should be. He did whatever he needed to do to give time for himself to not only get clear but also to remain clear about who he was. He would go off by himself quite often to pray. Sometimes he would come back from that and they would completely change what they were doing because he had become more clear about what it should be.

So when you feel like things are crazy, that’s my thought. Step away for a little bit and work on getting clear about who you are as a child of God and where you should be as a disciple of Christ. If you can do that, you might find yourself to be a little less anxious and a little more hopeful.

Prayer: Dear Lord, grant us clarity today about who we are and what you call us to do. Guide us in the steps we take and the things we are part of. Help us be a hopeful presence to others, in Christ we pray. Amen.