Meditations

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:10-18

“It is hard to remember the goodness of God when life gets comfortable. you’d think that when people achieve a great level of provision and comfort, that would be when they are most grateful…But honestly, for most people, it’s nothing like that. Humanity by nature is forgetful, especially in our most comfortable moments. Moses knew something of human nature, which is why he called the Israelites to remember the goodness and provision of God [in Deuteronomy 8:10-18]…

The Israelites were nearing the end of their forty years in the wilderness after generations of slavery in Egypt. They had been through hardships and one obstacle after another, yet all the while God had been their provision. God had met their every need: sending manna from heaven, protecting them from enemies, and reassuring that God had not abandoned them in their times of rebellion. When they were in need, God provided. Yet now they were coming to the Promised Lan, a land flowing with milk and honey and everything they could ever want. They were about to be in the land of comfort, not the land of need. Therefore, Moses issued this word of caution to them. Don’t forget who got you here.

Have you forgotten who has gotten you to where you are right now? … Think back and remember the hardships that God got you through, the resources provided along the way, the people sent to you. No matter how hard you worked to arrive at where you are right now, you did not achieve anything apart from the grace of God who got you here. So remember and praise God in your comfort in the same way you called out for God in your time of need. Don’t allow the means you’ve attained to cloud your remembrance of the One who was your means of provision.”

Rev. David Dorn II in Saving Grace: Hope-Filled Devotions Along the Way to Financial Well-Being (Nashville: Abingdon, 2020) 25-26.

Are you in crisis? Cry out to God. He hears and cares deeply for you and desires to deliver you from difficulty.

Are you comfortable? Our human proclivity is to become fat and self-indulgent rather than focused on serving others. Instead, let’s aim to be careful!

Seriously, our tendency is to build a fine house and settle down. Don’t go there! It’s a test to keep us humble. God blessed His people then and blesses us now to be a blessing.

This is why He wanted His people back then and us now to remember and to share with open hands and grateful hearts. Would you pass the test? Are you comfortable or careful?

And let me add a word about the new header photo.

When I was in Malawi, I met Bonface Milanzi, who was a church planter living in remote, rural part of Malawi (where the average annual income is $242 USD and that is not a typo).

He needed $100 USD to plant a field to feed his family and his whole village. It was about 1.5 hectares or 4 acres. Chris Maphosa and I split it and each shared $50.

He sent this photo. Sorry if it is blurry. It’s the corn or maize that will feed his village. Pray with me that our gift will reap an abundant harvest for him to enjoy and share.

Sell your possessions and give alms; make to yourselves purses not growing old, an unfailing treasure in the heavens, where thief does not draw near, nor does moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:33-34

“Your heart always follows your treasure, Jesus says, not the other way around. All of us need our hearts to be transformed by God’s amazing grace. However, one of the ways in which we are transformed is by beginning to place our money where it matters most—the poeople, who al have eternal value.

I am reminded of the advice that the English Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins gave to his unbelieving friend, Robert Bridges. Bridges lamented to Hopkins that he wished he could believe the Christian faith as Hopkins did. Hopkins responded with two words of advice: “Give alms.”

In other words, Hopkins was telling Bridges, give your treasure where you would desire your heart to be. Support the things that matter to God, give to the things that matter to God, and little by little, you will begin to care about the things that matter to God.”

Phil Jamieson in Saving Grace: Hope-Filled Devotions Along the Way to Financial Well-Being (Nashville: Abingdon, 2020) 24.

I am returning to the idea of what it means to share or sharing in 2022.

When we give to those who cannot care for themselves or ever pay us back, the Bible refers to this practice as giving alms.

Hopkins urged Bridges to give alms for the same reason I am urging you today. Our heart always goes where we put God’s money. Always.

So if we allocate God’s money toward possessions, pleasures, or power, that’s where our heart goes. But Jamieson wants us to direct God’s money toward people.

Look around you. See anyone in need. Look at what you have. Give alms. See what happens in their lives and in your heart in the process.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

“A thought to help us through these difficult times: Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

Ian MacLaren in a Letter in Trenton Evening Times (New Jersey, 1957).

We live in hard times. Many suffer linked to the pandemic. Coupled with that we have the threat of war. Pray for Ukraine, but pray also for the whole world.

I met with my spiritual director this week who alerted me to this quote.

Think about the people you will see today. Each and every one of them faces unknown struggles, difficult challenges, and hard battles.

So our generous sharing in 2022 needs must be seasoned with kindness and compassion. God help us to this end during these crazy times.

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, to the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be His holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

“It is not [just] what we do but how we do it that matters. It is not different work, but a different way of doing our work that God asks of us. The habit of doing common things with uncommon care is what will make us saints.”

Mother Emily’s message on 5 June 1900 to the Community of the Sisters of the Church in their Rule as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 177. This will be my last post from this book. I really enjoyed it.

In today’s Scripture, we see that Paul did not work alone. He had key people in cities and regions with whom he collaborated. Related to Corinth, it was Sosthenes. And Paul and Sosthenes wrote to those who were “sanctified in Christ Jesus” and “called to be His holy people” who were part of the larger community of faith, offering them a blessing of grace and peace.

With similar tone, Mother Emily greeted the sisters, challenging them to live set apart or holy lives by doing common things with uncommon care. While it is not our work but the work of Christ in us that makes us saints, our part is to live differently, set apart for God. In so doing, He works in and through us by grace.

Recently I had asked you to pray for Dan Busby, if you visit his CaringBridge and read his 26 January 2022 post, you will hear the inspiring story “God answers prayer in a big way and then some.” Therein you will find that the hospital credited my uncommon care for his miraculous recovery. Of course, I gave all glory to God, but am hopeful that they will allow more ministers to visit the sick, despite the dangers of Covid.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

“The joy of the poor in spirit does not lie in having nothing, but in finding everything in God.”

Community of the Sisters of the Church in their Rule as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 119.

“Find everything in God” comes into view as not seeking to find anything here on earth.

This relates to generosity as most of us use the resources we have to search for pleasure, possessions, and power on earth. Sadly, everything we buy does not satisfy.

Pause for a minute today. Think about what you spend money on and ponder what it reveals about your own searching. And look at Jesus in your solitude.

He did not have a place to lay His head. He gave His life for God and people. We do well to travel light through life and live for God and others.

By this way we show that we have found everything in God.

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

“We should not judge the poor by their clothes and outward appearance nor from their mental capacity. On the contrary if you consider the poor in light of faith then you will see that they take the place of God the Son who chose to be poor. Although in His passion He almost lost the appearance of a man and was considered a fool by the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews… Since God loves the poor, He also loves the lovers of the poor”

St. Vincent de Paul as recounted by Robert Atwell in Celebrating the Saints (Canterbury Press, 2016) 546.

This reading struck me to aspire to foolishness.

Now that I have your attention, think about this. Those around us should consider our stewardship as foolish. They hoard on earth; we stash in heaven. They avoid being poor at all costs; we pursue this place and posture following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hang with me. Jesus chose to be poor. Clearly this makes it clear to humanity that God’s love is for everyone. It beckons us to care for the poor and undeserving as if we are caring for Him. This requires us not to judge people.

But we tend to judge people and give only to those we think are deserving.

Sit with Jesus on this. Reflect on how undeserving you were when He lavished mercy and grace on you. Now go lavish that on others, particularly the poor. Many may call you a fool for doing this. But do it because it’s following the example of Jesus Christ who Himself was considered foolish.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“The first and best gift we can give to the world in which we live and work is the gift of praying personalities. We must be true to our stewardship, ever seeking to raise and never to lower the standard of our life of prayer. We need to bring our spiritual consciousness to our Lord that we may learn as He does. When we reach out hands that are consecrated by wounds, we shall really be able to bear one anothers burdens.”

Andrew SDC, as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 108.

I had not thought about this as my first and best gift to the world until my experience this past week at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Prayer makes a difference. But don’t take my word for it. I got this message from Don Johnson, the patient advocate who helped me get clearance to visit Dan Busby.

Don to Gary: “Hello Gary it’s Don. I’m not working today but was told left the SICU! Yesterday he went from 6L of O2 to room air! Never quite seen such a 180 and I give you much of credit. I’ll drop by to see him on Monday. I know how busy you are but I would like to share Dan’s story with upper management and I’m hoping you would be willing to write a paragraph or two of the impact visitation by family and clergy can have on the prognosis and outcome of patients with COVID-19. It’s my goal to make more exceptions to our visitation policy. Thank you and remain safe.”

Gary to Don: “I will happily do this for you. To God be the glory, but it’s a privilege to be God’s ambassador. I could not have made it in there without your help. Again God bless you. I’ll write this up tomorrow. Today’s a full day for me. And catching up on my rest.”

Don to Gary: “Thank you!!!”

Gary to Don: “23 January 2022 – Attention: Don Johnson, Patient Advocate SICU, Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore

I am writing to thank you for your service as Patient Advocate. Dan Busby was in a very low place when he asked me to visit on 17 January 2022. He was grasping threads of hope and contemplating end of life. In such moments, a visit from a minister who reads from the Bible and prays over the patient can release them to rest in peace or restore the person to health.

When my visit was approved on 18 January 2022. I found Dan despondent. I read Mark 10:46-52. In that text, Jesus urges the blind man Bartimaeus to take heart and invites him to ask the Lord for whatever he wants. Bartimaeus wanted to see. In Dan’s case, Dan said he wanted to recover from Covid and transition seamlessly to getting cancer treatment. So, that’s what we prayed.

Also, on my visit on the wall I saw a chart that Dan could not read from his bed. It was too small. It marked the steps to get out of there with rainbow colors. I remind him that God heard his prayer, and that he had to take steps like blowing in his toys, eating, sitting up, standing, and walking to recover. He deeply appreciated my 90-minute visit and resolved to do his part.

On the morning of 19 January 2022, I visited Dan’s wife in Winchester, Virginia, to give a report and to encourage her and pray with her. This lifted her spirits. I returned and spent nearly 4 hours with Dan that afternoon. This time we prayed for his complete healing and I anointed him with frankincense after reading James 5:13-16. The text reads as follows:

“Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”

With each question in the text, Dan replied, “That’s me.” So, while I believe my visit deeply inspired Dan, when coupled with the great medical care he was receiving in Surgical ICU, the Lord is the One who raised him up from 6L of O2 to room air. Dan just followed the steps outlined in the Scriptures. My role as a minister was to guide him and remind him what God wanted him to do.

So, Don, when we met together on the morning of my third day of visiting, 20 January 2022, it was a privilege to thank you and to see the transformation that had happened before our eyes together. You yourself advocated for the power of a visit of a person of the cloth. I merely played my role on the team and hope other ministers can get access to do the same thing.

I am deeply thankful to the doctors, nurses, and other servants who cared for Dan and others at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in SICU. And I am thankful that as a minister I was invited to join this care team. Together we ministered to the physical and spiritual needs of Dan Busby. To God be the glory for his speedy recovery. I hope this case inspires the hospital to give others access as was given to me.

Sincerely, Rev. Dr. Gary G. Hoag”

Dan Busby has miraculously recovered and been released from ICU. Today he gets a port put in for transitioning to cancer treatment. They plan to send him home tomorrow to rest up to start chemo treatments next week. Jesus heard and graciously answered his prayer.

Father in heaven, make us into praying personalities so that our first and best gifts to the world are the ways in which we call on you to show up, to supply, and to provide in ways that bring you glory as people of prayer. Do this by your Holy Spirit. In your mercy, hear our prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. Luke 9:24

“I alone can decide between giving wholeheartedly of myself and my energies or limiting my giving.”

All Saints Sisters from their Rule (1980) as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 102.

Click to learn more about the All Saints Sisters who celebrate life “as having nothing yet possessing everything” and dedicate all they are and all they have to “sharing Christ.”

What if we aimed at sharing with such commitment and resolve?

Whether or not you sell everything and live in Christian community, sit in the reality that you are the only one who can define the limits to your giving. But just remember this.

If you aim to save your life, you will lose it. Only those who lose their lives for Christ will find them.

As my word for 2022 is share, or sharing, I particularly love that the All Saints Sisters focus on sharing Christ through wholehearted giving. Let’s join them in this pursuit for God’s glory.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

“We are to be the means through which Christ lives on earth in adoration of God our Creator, desiring that the divine glory may be manifest, God’s sovereign rule come and purposes of love be accomplished. And also we are to offer ourselves in love as Christ did for the world’s healing and reconciliation with God.”

Community of the Sisters of the Church in “Our Vocation” as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 101.

God’s desire is that you and I are “the means through which Christ lives on earth” in adoration and service to make known the love of the Father to the world.

How are we doing at that?

What I love about the various communities celebrated in this book is their commitment, their focus, their intentionality to fulfill their purpose on earth. But for most of us, life is distracted at best.

So, how do these groups stay on track?

A consistent thread I am finding is that the groups say “No” to many things so they can say “Yes” to a life of service, and they do this together.

They move toward the poor and the broken. God takes care of the rest.

To grow in generosity today, consider what you might say “No” to so that you can say “Yes” to move toward someone needing healing or reconciliation with God.

Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:4

“Let them not follow their own good but the good of others. Let them be charitable towards their brothers with pure affection.”

Rule of St. Benedict 72 as recounted in What Do You Seek? Wisdom from Religious Life for Today’s World by John-Francis Friendship (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2021) 83.

I don’t know about you, but I plan to rest and reflect today after a rigorous week of sharing and service. With Benedict, I am asking God to always make my sharing and service to others both charitable and pure.

It’s not about what I want from them but what I want for them. Does this mindset shape your sharing and service?

To be charitable is to be gracious. It means to give to people good things which they do not deserve. To be pure is to have the right motives. It means we are not perfect, but rather consistent in our sharing and service.

Father in heaven, make our sharing and service both charitable and pure following the example of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.