Jesus Loves Me
Joe Albright

Jesus Loves Me

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World renowned Swiss theologian Karl Barth wrote 13 volumes of Christian Dogmatics, among many other hefty works. Not too many years before his death, he was asked if he could summarize his theology. He responded using the words of a well-loved children’s song, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

It’s beautiful to me that years of research, writing, and study could lead him to a profound but simple faith. Today, whatever your state of mind, whatever you may be going through, whatever worries, anxiety, joys, or doubts you are carrying with you, I hope you will know in the deepest part of your being that Jesus loves you.

Our prayer today was written by Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope. Let us pray: Loving God, who watches over us in the restlessness of the night and whose arms are around us when we feel alone, unworthy, and unlucky, teach us how to live with the special feeling of grace abounding. Open our hearts to know your transforming and redemptive love. Mold us now in the image of your Son Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Joe Albright

Taking the Long View

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There is an old apocryphal story about a young girl named Sarah. One day little Sarah was laying on a hill in the middle of a meadow on a warm spring day. Fluffy white clouds rolled by and soon, she began to think about God. “God? Are you really there?” Sarah said out loud.

Much to her surprise, a voice came from the clouds. “Yes, Sarah? What can I do for you?” Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sarah asked, “God? What is a million years like to you?” Knowing that Sarah could not understand the concept of infinity, God responded in a manner to which she could relate. “A million years to me, Sarah, is like a minute.” “Oh,” said Sarah. “Well, then, what’s a million dollars like to you?” “A million dollars to me, Sarah, is like a penny.” “Wow!” remarked Sarah, getting an idea. “You’re so generous… can I have one of your pennies?”

God replied, “Sure thing, Sarah! Just a minute.”

The story is funny. And, it is a good reminder that God’s timing and our timing are not one and the same. In our culture, we’ve become accustomed to being able to get what we want when we want it. But I have long been reminded that the best things in life take time and hard work to develop. Things like meaningful relationships, skill at a craft, and character don’t just happen overnight. But I try to remember that with consistency, there is a compounding effect. It is helpful to me sometimes to step back and take the long view both in terms of personal growth and in terms of our ministry here on earth.

Archbishop and 20th Century Martyr Oscar Romero once wrote: 

This is what we are about:

 We plant seeds that one day will grow.
 We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
 We lay foundations that will need further development.
 We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.
 We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
 This enables us to do something and to do it very well.
 It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
 an opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.

Let us pray: Loving God, help us to trust that you are at work in our lives and in the world even now, and show us the ways in which we can share in this holy labor. Amen.

Vast Mysteries
Joe Albright

Vast Mysteries

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Over the last couple of days, we’ve been reflecting on the awe and wonder we experience in the natural world. 

I’ve been reading this great book about the science of awe, written by Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley. Keltner conducted a tremendous amount of research on this topic – including collecting some 2,600 stories from people and cultures all around the world. 

The question he asked was this: What is an experience of awe that you have had when you encountered a vast mystery that transcends your understanding of the world?  

Out of that study, he collected stories about experiencing awe through moral beauty, birth and death, music and art, collective movement, and in nature – which he called “wild awe.”

What the study found is that the experience of this particular emotion brings us joy, meaning, and community, along with healthier bodies and more creative minds.

When we experience awe, the boundaries that separate us from the outside world fade, and we begin to sense we are a part of something much larger than ourselves. On top of that, the regions of the brain that are associated with obsessive thinking, including self-criticism, anxiety, and even depression, quiet down. 

The author claims that we can find awe just about anywhere. Doing so doesn’t require money or even much time. Research suggests that just a couple of minutes a day will do. Just take a moment to go outside and wander. And wonder. Again, if you can’t physically get outside, then perhaps sit by a window to the outside world – and allow your mind to wonder. 

Let us pray: We thank you, Holy God, for vast mysteries that transcend our understanding of the world. We thank you for the emotion of awe which leads to wonder and curiosity and opens our hearts and minds in new ways. As we look at the world around us, as we contemplate the world within us, as we dare to approach the mystery of you, may we sense again the oneness deep down at the heart of all that is. And may we know your love; through Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.

With an Open Heart and a Watchful Reverence
Joe Albright

With an Open Heart and a Watchful Reverence

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Yesterday I spoke about the mystery and awe we can experience in the natural world around us. 

I once heard the poet John O’ Donohue talk about being born into the amazing landscape in the west of Ireland. He said, “…I often think that the forms of the limestone are so abstract and aesthetic, it is as if they were all laid down by some wild, surrealistic kind of deity. (And) being a child and coming out into that, it was waiting, like a huge, wild invitation to extend your imagination.”

He went on to say, for all of us, “I think it makes a huge difference, when you wake in the morning and come out of your house whether you believe you’re walking into dead geographical location, which is used to get to a destination, or whether you’re emerging out into a landscape that is just as much if not more alive as you, and if you go towards it with an open heart and a real, watchful reverence, that you will be absolutely amazed at what it will reveal to you.”

As I mentioned yesterday, the ancient Christian Celts make the claim that the eternal is ever seeping through the physical. If only our eyes and our hearts are tuned… Today, I pray that you would go out into the world with an open heart, and a real, watchful reverence. And may you be absolutely amazed at what your own local landscape reveals to you.

Let us pray: Maker of days, Creator of all life, this day we join our voices to the chorus of creation giving praise to you! We praise you for your power and strength, and for your gentleness and compassion. And we praise you for this beautiful world in which we live – the work of your hands. Open our eyes and tune our hearts to your presence out there. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Awe and Reverence
Joe Albright

Awe and Reverence

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Psalm 104 is one of my absolute favorites. It is the celebration of God as the Creator, the God who stretched out the heavens like a tent, who formed the mountains and the sea, and who makes springs gush forth in the valleys, and who gives life and breath to all that lives.

Poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote, “Earth is crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God, but only he who sees takes off his shoes…”

This is of course a reference to the story of Moses who was a shepherd. When God speaks to him out of a burning bush, God says, “Moses, remove the sandals from your feet, for the ground you are standing on is sacred.” Now Moses has been living on this land for years, but all of a sudden he sees and hears. He has this moment of awe, and he notices God’s presence. 

I think many of us have had moments like that.

I know in my own life, it is often in moments, immersed in creation, sometimes sitting way out on the ocean where I sense God’s presence most profoundly. And then, from that vantage point, to watch the coming of a storm with the clouds rolling in, shades of deep blue, purple, grey – shape-shifting as they approach, the sheets of rain, lightning, rolling thunder… you can’t help but have a sense of awe and reverence. 

Experiences like that do something to us…

The ancient Christian Celts make the claim that the eternal is ever seeping through the physical. If only our eyes and our hearts are tuned…

Today, I invite you to consider taking a walk outside. If you can’t physically get outside, then perhaps sit by a window to the outside world. Tune your eyes and your heart to the mystery that surrounds you. Allow your mind to wonder. And marvel at the wonder and beauty of the gifts God has given.

Let us pray: Maker of Days, Creator of all Life, we don’t have to look far to encounter vast mysteries beyond our understanding, or travel very far along this journey of life before we realize how little we know and how little control we actually have. Open our eyes to the beauty that surrounds us at any given moment. And open our hearts too, to the gift of your love which binds us together with you, and with all that is. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Angel in That Rock
Roger Kunkel

Angel in That Rock

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There’s a legend about the great artist Michelangelo pushing a huge piece of rock down a street. A curious neighbor, sitting lazily on the porch of her house, called to him and inquired why he labored so over an old piece of stone. Michelangelo is reported to have answered, “Because there is an angel in that rock that wants to come out.” 

Friend of Dial Hope, think imaginatively. Color outside of the lines. Think of rocks as those challenges which you have met. Think of rocks as those things you have tamed, or those times when you brought order out of chaos. Whenever you find angels in rocks you are being creative. It is our creative potential that puts us in the image of God, for it is our charge in life to be creators. Some of you will be creative with pen or brush, others with touch or thought. Be you a teacher or a veterinarian, a parent or a chef, an engineer or a musician you will fulfill your post through creativity. 

Vincent Van Gogh used to say that “many painters are afraid of the blank canvas, but the blank canvas is afraid of the passionate painter who is daring and who has broken that spell of “you, cannot!”‘ The creative person paints. In Genesis 1:26 we read, Then God Said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness.”  

Let us pray: Loving God, whom we see in every summer flower and flowering stream, teach us to see you as well in the haggard faces of the old, the gaunt or bloated bodies of the poor, and the imploring eyes of children. Help us who are called by your name to have your vision of the world of the future, as a place where the lion lies down with the lamb, the person with two coats shares with the person who has none, and everyone takes care of children and the aged. Release us from our bondage to self-interest. Grant today your amazing grace to those who are ill in body or spirit. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. 

Hilarious Light
Joe Albright

Hilarious Light

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Today I would like to say a special word of thanks to those of you who have supported the Dial Hope Foundation with a financial donation. Your gifts make this ministry possible!

As early as the 4th Century, the Christian hymn Phos Hilaron (Hail Gladdening Light) was already considered ancient. It was sung during evening prayers in Jerusalem when a lighted candle would be carried out of the tomb where Christ was buried. The light, of course, symbolizes the presence of the Risen Christ – the light of the world.

Phos Hilaron could potentially be translated as “hilarious light,” which is particularly significant since it most likely was sung in the catacombs during worship by the earliest Christians. In light of the promise of the resurrection, they could celebrate even in the face of death.

Our prayer today is this ancient hymn. As we pray, we join our hearts with our sisters and brothers in Christ over many, many centuries. Let us pray:

O Radiant Light, O Sun divine,
of God the Father’s deathless face,
O image of the Light sublime,
that fills the heavenly dwelling place.

O Son of God, the source of life,
praise is your due by night and day.
Our happy lips must raise the strain
of your esteemed and splendid name.

Lord Jesus Christ, as daylight fades,
as shine the lights of eventide,
we praise the Father with the Son, 
the Spirit blest and with them one. Amen.

Both Far and Near
Joe Albright

Both Far and Near

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There’s an old story about a boy who notices his pastor contemplating names on a memorial wall. The boy walks up and asks the pastor what she’s reading. The pastor answers, “These are the names of the people who died in the service.” The boy gets very quiet – then he asks, “Which service, the 9 or the 11?”

In biblical times, people believed that if you saw the face of God you would not live to tell about it. God was seen as too Holy, too Other. In fact, in ancient Judaism, God’s name was so sacred that you couldn’t even say it out loud. 

On the other hand, Jesus spoke of God as Abba, Father, an intimate term in those days. He invited us into a relationship based on love, not fear – which is beautiful. However, sometimes I wonder if we have not taken that to the far extreme. Sometimes I wonder if we have not lost a sense of wonder and awe at the presence of God.

Today, I pray that you would find yourself somewhere in the balance. May you draw near to the loving Father who is the dynamic fiery energy that gave birth to the stars. May you trust the One whose hands stretched out the heavens, whose breath gives life, who is Awesome and Holy and Almighty – and whose way is love.

Let us pray: Eternal God, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. You hold the earth in the palm of your hands, and all of creation was designed to give you praise. Bless us, O God, with a reverent sense of your presence that we may be filled with your peace. We worship you, we adore you, we praise you. And we draw near to you now, trusting in your mercy, your grace, and your love, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Broken… and Beautiful
Joe Albright

Broken… and Beautiful

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Yesterday I reflected on the “art of failure.” I continue that theme today.

Many years ago I remember hearing about the Royal Palace in Teheran, Iran. Apparently, an architect planned for the walls of the royal palace entry to be covered with sheets of beautiful mirrors from Paris. But when the shipment of glass arrived, they discovered that every mirror had been broken in travel. 

However, just as the workers started gathering the broken pieces together to discard them, the architect had a revelation. He said, “Wait a minute. I’ve got an idea!” Picking up a hammer, he began to break some of the larger pieces into smaller pieces. He gathered them up and walked over to the entry. Painting glue on the wall, he proceeded to arrange the tiny pieces over and over until there was an enormous montage of mirror fragments. At no point were the mirrors broken alike and at no point was the angle exact. 

Visitors say that the result is breathtaking. The grand entrance is a dazzling brilliant display of prisms, reflecting light in every direction! One person standing in awe before the finished entrance described the result like this: “Broken to be more beautiful!”

What would it be like to be so confident of God’s grace that we could actually see our past failures as part of a mosaic that is our life? What if we could see the failed pieces of our past as gained wisdom, and as the fire that inspires new possibilities, mercy, and compassion?

May you and I continue to work on this great work of art called our own existence. May we come to understand that even the failed pieces are essential to the final masterpiece. And may we trust that Master Architect has a vision, and is at work in us – even now.  

Let us pray: Loving God, we pray today for healing, for mercy, and for grace. And then, even as we are being healed, use us as instruments of your love. Amen. 

The Art of Failure
Joe Albright

The Art of Failure

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Is there an art to failure?

I remember reading something Anne Lamont wrote in her book Traveling Mercies. One day she found herself broke, drunk, addicted to drugs, suffering from bulimia, and totally depressed. She had hit a bottom. Desperate, she set an appointment with an Episcopal priest. She told him, “I’m so messed up that I don’t think God can love me.” The priest replied, “God has to love you. That’s God’s job.”

It’s true, isn’t it? As my friend Herb Meza used to say: There is more grace in God than there is sin in us.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a message on the topic of forgiveness. On the way out of worship someone said to me, “You know, Joe, the hardest person to forgive is often yourself.”  

That’s true too. 

If the first step in the art of failure is to simply acknowledge the failure, then the second step is accepting forgiveness and grace. Yes turn things around, yes make amends where we can, but then move on.

But there is more.

The Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue says, that to be born at all is to be chosen. In an Easter sermon, he claimed, “None of us is accidentally in the world. We are sent here because there is something special for each of us to do here that could not be done by someone else. One of the wisdoms of living a full life is to try and sense what it is you were sent here for and to try and let the hindrances that block you from that, fall away…”

Sometimes we might think that the failures of our lives are in the way – when actually – it may very well be the failures themselves give us exactly the tools, the experience, the compassion, the learning, the strength we need to do what we are put here to do.

If life is an art and failure an aspect of it, perhaps there is something to learn from the failures in my own life. Perhaps, there is a way to incorporate them into my life story – without letting them define me. Perhaps, there is a way to come out on the other side of it stronger, deeper, more courageous, more generous. Perhaps, just perhaps there is a way to use that past experience to help others.

Let us pray: Loving God, help us to accept that we are accepted and loved. Help us forgive as we have been forgiven – even ourselves. May we be centered and grounded enough to use our past experience to help others in your name. Amen.