Daily Blessing
Joe Albright

Daily Blessing

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Recently, a friend gave me the book of Celtic Daily Prayer which offers a guide for morning, mid-day, and evening prayers. These prayers come from the Northumbria Community on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in Northeast England. I have found the Celtic tradition with its emphasis on the basic goodness inherent in people and creation, quite refreshing.

In the morning prayer, there is a Celtic blessing that has become quite special to me. It could be used as you leave for departures with loved ones, as you leave from a church service, or even as you go out from home for the day. I leave it with you today as our daily prayer. Let us pray;

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

It Is About to Become Something Wonderful
Joe Albright

It Is About to Become Something Wonderful

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Today, I am deeply grateful for those of you who have supported the Dial Hope Foundation with a financial donation. So many people benefit from your giving!

There is story about a young girl who was getting ready for her first day of school. Her hair looked like she might have accidentally inserted her finger in a light socket. She asked her mother, “How do you like my hair?” The mother stood there for a moment and then replied, “Well darling… It looks as if it’s about to become something wonderful.”

I love that story because there are a lot of ways that mother could have answered. The conversation could have easily ended in tears had the mother answered a little differently. But with grace, she not only accepted what was, she also looked for the potential of what could be.

I’ve certainly found that those times in life when I dwell only on my problems, when I use all my energy to whine and complain, to worry and to fret, then I miss the blessings present, right here and now in the moment. And I overlook possibilities.

Today I pray that God would give us eyes to see the gifts that surround us even now. May we also be open to new possibilities – new potential for what might be with God’s help.

Our prayer today was written by Rev. Roger Kunkel founder of Dial Hope. Let us pray:

Loving God, save us from holding back, from sitting on the fence. Help us to walk with faith instead of fear. May we dare to strive always for “the more excellent way.” May the affirmation “All things are possible with God,” dislodge our clinging to the familiar, the safe, the well-worn… O God, who makes all things new, transform our hesitation into the smiling confidence of people who live not for ourselves but for your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Keep an Open Heart
Joe Albright

Keep an Open Heart

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Shalom Aleichem tells a delightful story about an old man standing on a crowded bus. The young man standing next to him asked him for the time of day. The old man refused to answer, and so the young man moved on.

The old man’s friend, sensing something was wrong, asked, “Why were you so discourteous to the young man asking for the time?” The old man answered, “If I had given him the time of day, next he would want to know where I am going. Then we might talk about our interests. If we did that, he might invite himself to my house for dinner. If he did, he would meet my lovely daughter. If he met her, they would both fall in love. I don’t want my daughter marrying someone who can’t afford a watch.”

It is a funny story. And it is true: sometimes we jump to conclusions, don’t we? We make snap judgments. Once we do that, often our hearts close, and we stop listening. We may miss an opportunity to get to know someone deeper, to hear what is really on their heart and mind. Or worse, our assumptions may lead us to be judgmental.

It is rarely as black and white, cut and dry as we initially think. People will often surprise us if we take the time to get to know them. In this day and age, with all the divisiveness in the world around us, my prayer is that you and I would try to be a little less judgmental. May we try to keep an open mind and heart, and listen deeply.

Our prayer today was written by the late great Howard Thurman. Let us pray:

Lord, open unto me
Open unto me – light for my darkness.
Open unto me – courage for my fear.
Open unto me – hope for my despair.
Open unto me – peace for my turmoil.
Open unto me – joy for my sorrow.
Open unto me – strength for my weakness.
Open unto me – wisdom for my confusion.
Open unto me – forgiveness for my sins.
Open unto me – love for my hates.
Open unto me – thy Self for my self.
Lord, Lord, open unto me! Amen.

Power in a Name
Joe Albright

Power in a Name

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Something I’ve thought more about in recent years is the beauty of handing down a family name. To be named after a father or grandfather, or grandmother, or beloved aunt or uncle… Simply saying the name must invoke memories… And I’ve often wondered if being named after someone doesn’t draw out something of that person’s character in them.

There is power in a name. And also power in a nickname, which can be good or bad.

When I taught high school, some of my students, instead of calling me Mr. Albright, would call me, Mr. Not-so-Bright! Which I guess I took a lot better than when I was a kid and wore glasses. Other kids would call me “four-eyes,” or “Geek.” Those kinds of names can hurt.

Sometimes the names we are called, the labels we are given can stick with us like glue: Clumsy. Stupid. Hardheaded. Fat. Ugly. Other names can be defining, and put us in a box: Conservative. Liberal. Republican. Southerner. Mexican. Filipino. Gay. Straight. Black. White. And any negative derivative of those… And we might have other names we call ourselves… some good, some not so good.

Sometimes it is important to remember that those labels, are not our primary name. They are not at the root of our identity. They don’t sum up fully who we are. And, they don’t fully sum up who others are either…

I’m reminded that if we take the wrong name, or if we put the wrong name first, it changes everything. Those names influence and shape, not only what we believe about ourselves and others, but they also can shape our loyalties, what comes first in our lives

And I’m reminded of our primary name, our primary calling.

Whenever I baptize a child, I carry the child through the sanctuary, and I quote 1 John, chapter 3, verse 1, “See what love the Father has for us that we would be called children of God. And that is what we are.”

Let us pray: God of Grace, today we remember again the words spoken over the waters of baptism, “You are my son, my daughter, the beloved. With you, I am well pleased.” Help us never forget, O God, that before anything else, we are your child. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Even in Times Like These – Joy
Joe Albright

Even in Times Like These – Joy

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Back in December, I was trying to write a sermon on joy. However, in the back of my mind were the tornados that ripped through Kentucky. I also couldn’t help but think about the choir director from a church I used to serve who confessed to the murder of his wife and two grown children… Senseless… That week, it was very hard to feel joyful. And it raised the question: How can we talk about joy amid suffering?

However, the truth is, Christians have always spoken about joy even during times of intense sorrow or loss. We do this because our understanding of joy is that it does not come from escaping from suffering or hardship – but that it comes in the midst of it.

Barbara Brown Taylor describes the experience of joy as “almost irreverent.” She writes, “Joy has never had very much to do with what is going on in the world at the time. This is what makes it different from happiness, or pleasure, or fun. All those depend on positive conditions… The only condition for joy is the presence of God… which means that it can erupt in a depressed economy, in the middle of a war, or in an intensive care waiting room…”

About a year ago, I received an email from my friend Charley Landreth who had a stroke sometime back and lost much of his ability to speak. We hadn’t seen each other in a while and he wrote this: I am happy, feel fine, and receive excellent care. I still have difficulty speaking… However, (and he put this all in caps) I am filled with Joy!

Those of you who know Charley, know it’s true…

Paul wrote from prison: Rejoice in the Lord always! Again, I say rejoice! On his way to the cross, Jesus said, “I have told you all of this so that my joy would be in you and that your joy would be complete.

Maybe in part, joy is a choice. My prayer for you today is that you would keep an open heart. Pay attention to the blessings around you, gifts even in amid the darkness. Remember God is with you, and that God is inviting you to rejoice.

Let us pray: We remember, O God, that there other invitations out there – invitations that can take away our joy. There is the invitation to be constantly productive, the invitation to be constantly entertained… There is the invitation to cynicism, to bitterness, the invitation to give into our fears or to allow our grief or pain more time than it deserves. We don’t want to answer those invitations, just yours. Despite our outward circumstance, we turn to you again this day asking you to fill us with joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

God’s Creative Activity
Roger Kunkel

God’s Creative Activity

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Today’s message was written by Rev. Dr. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

One of my favorite baseball stories is about three umpires who were discussing how they did their jobs, especially when they were working behind the plate, calling balls and strikes. The first umpire said, “Some of ’em are balls; some of ’em are strikes. But I calls ’em as I sees ’em.” The second one said, “Some of ’em are balls; some of ’em are strikes. But I calls ’em as they are.” The third one said, “Some of ’em are balls; some of ’em are strikes. But they ain’t nothin’ until I calls ’em.”

A sermon is in that story because it’s a parable about life. Each of those umpires tells us something about our relationship to the truth. (Read Matthew 16:13-16, 21-25; John 8:32). The third umpire is my favorite. Here is a man who creates truth by his word. When we create truth or meaning or relationships, we are sharing in God’s creative activity. Made in God’s image and likeness, we are all artists and creators. The Bible uses the metaphor or speech to describe God’s creation: “God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) The parable of the umpires teaches us to never be afraid to call life as we see it, to express our love for God and our fellow human beings.

Let us pray: How great thou art, O God, without whose spirit nothing grows, without
whose love, we wither and fall away. We thank you for Jesus of Nazareth who leads us
in this way…
where to be great, one has to be humble,
where to be exalted, one has to serve,
and where to find life, one has to lose it.

Teach us that great truths are great simplicities. Awaken us today that we hear the
singing of trees and watch morning and night changing guard. Through the grace of
Jesus. Amen.

I Can Do All Things…
Joe Albright

I Can Do All Things…

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The apostle Paul once wrote, “I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little. I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty, and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

When I was in Seminary, I served a small church as a student pastor. Part of my responsibility was leading the youth group. My youth group loved the last part of this verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

This was their verse, and it was powerful for them in many ways. But sometimes they miss-used it. They would say things like, “We can win that volleyball game, or I can pass that test because Christ will strengthen me!”

What Paul was saying is actually more along the lines of this: Whatever you happen to be dealing with right now, even if you feel like you are hanging on by the last thread of hope, Christ is with you. Whether you win or lose that volleyball game, whether you pass or fail that test, whether you are the most popular kid in school or feel like the biggest loser, whether or not you get that job, or mend that relationship, you have entrusted your life to Christ and he will give you the strength to get through it.

Philippians 4:13 is a verse worth memorizing: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Let us pray: God of Grace, today, even now, we entrust our lives again to you. We turn over to you our worry, our concern, our anxiety, our burdens. Meet us at the deepest point of our need. Fill us with your Spirit, and grant us your courage and strength. We ask in Jesus’s name. Amen.

Civility Is in You
Joe Albright

Civility Is in You

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Some time ago, I was driving back from a hospital visit in Jacksonville and noticed a billboard. It had a picture of Abraham Lincoln with a quote that read, “A House Divided… Cannot Stand.” Then underneath, “Civility is in You. Pass it on.”

Of course when Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided cannot stand,” he was quoting Jesus…

I don’t love billboards, but I liked the message. Especially in our day when there is so much junk out there – so much trash, it was inspiring to see a positive message.

In the book of James, we are encouraged, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger…”

When it comes to political conversations, are we quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger?

With all the problems in the world: poverty, war, injustice, how we communicate with each other may seem insignificant. But the truth is: our words can have a humanizing effect – or they can have a dehumanizing effect. Our words can create relationships, or they can destroy them.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul puts it like this… “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.” – Ephesians 4:29

May you come to see that you and I have been given a holy and awesome responsibility – to bring healing and hope to the world – even with our words. May you use your words (and your silences), carefully and with love. May you use them to build up and not to tear down. And may your words (your texts, your emails, your Facebook posts) give grace to those who hear.

Let us pray: God of Grace, for your sake, and for the sake of the soul of our communities and our country, empower us to be makers of peace. Amen.

I lift Up My Soul
Joe Albright

I lift Up My Soul

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Psalm 25 is a prayer. It begins… To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

In the Hebrew language, the soul is literally your neck. The word was also an ancient Hebrew metaphor for your entire life. If you think about your neck, it’s this narrow passage through which all that gives you life must pass. Your thoughts, your gut feelings, your food, your nerves, your blood, and your breath all pass through to the rest of the body. Your soul is what holds you together. It is your very life.

By praying I lift up my soul, we are saying, God, I am handing you my life – my thoughts, my feelings, my worry, my anxiety, my joy. This is a profound description of prayer. I trust you with all that I am.

The Psalm is beautiful. It continues to pray through a whole range of human emotions and need. It covers everything from our need for forgiveness to our need for guidance and hope. Whoever wrote this Psalm believed that our faith offers us a path that leads to God’s peace. And, it begins with surrender.

Let us pray, using Psalm 25 as a guide: To you, O God, I lift up my soul, all that I am, and all that I’m going through… In you I trust. Help me to know your ways and teach me your paths. Lead me… for you are the God of my salvation, and for you, I wait. Be mindful of your mercy, O God, and of your steadfast love. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions. Turn to me and be gracious to me. Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distress. Consider my trouble, and forgive all my sins. O guard my life, and deliver me, for I take refuge in you. Amen.

Slow and Steady
Joe Albright

Slow and Steady

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Christian author and speaker Dave Ramsey has a passion for helping people get out of debt so that they can be free to live deeply and give generously. In one of his classes, he tells a story about a time when he met with a very wealthy individual. Dave asked this man what his secret was for building wealth. The man said that there was a great book he’d read hundreds of times. He had read it to his children and now to his grandchildren. Dave was curious. “What book?” he asked. The man replied, “The Tortoise and the Hare. In that book, you know who wins the race? The tortoise wins every time. Every time I read the book, the tortoise wins.

Dave Ramsey used that story to make the point that people do not get out of debt and build wealth overnight. It is a slow deliberate process that results in success. The same could be said of our spiritual lives. We do not grow into people of deep faith overnight. We give ourselves over to disciplines of prayer, worship, and study. Then, when the storms of life come, we are prepared.

Psalm 1 reminds us that we are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its due season. A tree that has been growing for years, that has tapped deep into life-giving water will not be easily shaken.

May we all take a lesson from the tortoise and the hare. Slowly and steadily, may we take steps to deepen our walk with God. Remember, even small daily habits can make a huge difference in how we face troubles in life.

Let us pray: Loving God, we pray especially today for people who are in the midst of a crisis and who have no time to develop deep faith. We ask you to meet them wherever they are, support them, uphold them, give them your grace. And grant each of us also a desire to love and follow you more closely – even now. Amen.