Weekly Devotionals
Created by our staff and members to inspire reflection and conversation
Leading, Living, and a Legacy of Love
For my eighteenth birthday, my dad gave me a copy of The Daily Stoic. Each page is dedicated to a single day and begins with a quote from a Stoic thinker, followed by the author's reflection. I turned twenty-three earlier this month, which means that book now holds five years' worth of annotations from hundreds of different versions of myself. Whenever I open it and read these ancient quotes, I wonder: What pieces of myself, if any, will linger for generations after I am gone?
Home
I just moved again. It’s my fifth move in ten years. And with due respect to the others, this place truly feels like home. It’s right in the heart of Prairie Village. A quick five minute walk to Euston Hardware. And Dolce Bakery. There are so many campaign signs for candidates I support. And so few big black trucks.
Koans
I don’t know how many people are familiar with the idea of a koan, but I am drawn to them. A koan is a paradoxical anecdote or riddle. They are used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment. Jesus’ parables are comparable to koans because they force us into deeper, life-changing thoughts.
Dinner with Strangers
How do we each define our community? I’m sure that definition varies greatly, depending on the individual, depending on the day.
I was fascinated several years ago by an article I read about a company that was operating in New York City, setting up dinners for groups of eight strangers to dine together as a way to expand community.
The Triumphant Christ
I have been lucky to spend time in Spain and Portugal in the last few years and have seen a lot of cathedrals. Sometimes there are audio tours—the kind you hold to your ear or download to your phone as you walk through the church. My mind usually meanders off as the British accent tells me to look to the left above the 12th century marble column where there is a 16th century painting by Diego blah blah in the blah blah blah style, so I nearly missed something about a “switch” from a Triumphant Christ to a Suffering Christ in the 13th century.
Every Branch
There is a large redbud in our backyard. I am as proud of that tree as if I had tended and trained it like a two-foot-tall bonsai. For almost half of the 20 years that we’ve lived in our home, the health of the redbud has been a perennial topic of conversation. I don’t know how long it was here before we moved in, but it was already larger than the redbuds that lined nearby streets and the section of Indian Creek trail that runs through our neighborhood.
Live Like Dolly
I’ve been thinking a lot about Dolly Parton lately. When I heard the news that she had passed away, it was as if I had lost a favorite aunt. Call it a parasocial relationship, but I don’t think I am alone in my shock and sadness at hearing of Dolly’s passing.
Don’t Create More Victims
I think of myself as an Industrial Hygienist, though I rarely use that title because most people don’t know what it means. Instead, I tell them I work in Occupational Safety and Health. Industrial Hygienists protect workers from hazards they can’t see. I oversee asbestos management, hearing conservation, chemical exposure programs, and the confined space program.
Five Things
One of those interesting brain science factoids that has been making the rounds lately is how our brains are wired to focus more on negative things or perceived dangers than on positive, happy things. Simply for survival, our brains understand that danger must be analyzed and replayed to be avoided - or so evolutionary science says.
The Law of Zeus
The Odyssey is an epic film. It recounts Homer’s 500 page poem that was written more than 2,700 years ago about events that occurred nearly a thousand years before that - at the end of the Bronze Age. A recurrent theme in both the poem and the film is the Law of Zeus, or xenia, which required hosts to welcome strangers into their homes and guests to respect the host’s home and property. Violating the law meant facing the direct wrath of Zeus.
Is It Advent Yet?
My daughter and I often revisit the same topic, ask the same question: Is this the worst time the world has ever seen? The conversation is actually an exercise in reassuring ourselves. Inevitably, we land on the horrors of the relatively recent past that we can only imagine from black and white photographs. We invoke the genius filmmaker, Ken Burns, who assures us that things have indeed been worse. It’s just that these are the worst times we have actually lived through.
Summer School, a Respite
He signed himself up for summer school.
Yes, a sixth grade boy, who should be sleeping in, playing video games, swimming in a pool, and enjoying his summer, voluntarily filled out the online Google doc to sign himself up for summer school.
Self- Centered, Big Circle
I’m getting to the end of The Book of Alchemy and one of the last prompts is from Jasper Young Bear. It asks the reader to describe how the world would look if they were the center of the universe. At first glance, it is kind of a horrifying thought for an introvert who doesn't want anyone looking at them or talking about them or even noticing them.
Let That Grief Go
I recently listened to this talk by Kevin Carnahan, professor at Central Methodist University and then read Tripp Fuller’s reflections. I encourage you to stop reading this devotional right now and go have a listen and read the reflections.
America at 250
Our son Caleb will graduate from the University of Central Missouri (UCM) this December. He’s majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Music, playing trumpet in UCM’s Wind Ensemble. Last spring, the ensemble hosted composer Viet Cuong as a visiting conductor.
One of Cuong’s pieces, John and Jim, was commissioned by the Columbus Pride Bands and the Queen City Freedom Band for the 2024 Pride Bands Alliance Annual Conference. It honors Ohioans Jim Obergefell and John Arthur, whose love helped bring marriage equality to the nation.
Look For the Helpers
When I met Holly for coffee a few weeks ago, she told me I’d have to tell everyone at Peace about the website that I had helped launch over the past few months. When I thought about it, I realized I should share more than just that one website.
I’m truly lucky to work with an amazing client list of nonprofit organizations - many here in town but not all. I’m inspired and amazed by the work my clients do.
No Place Like Home
My son Ted always comes home for his birthday…he’s here this week. And we have been taking walks in the cool June evenings. Every few months, he eagerly leaves LA to return to Kansas—he misses the comparative quiet, clean and order of things here. As we walked the other night, fireflies twinkled in the yards. Kids rode their bikes down tree lined streets, couples strolled with well-behaved dogs, and our fellow walkers greeted us with “hello” or a friendly wave. In my 1960s neighborhood, with the fireflies blinking, I remembered my childhood when we would catch them in jars and set them by our bedsides…my parents sneaking in to release them from captivity after we fell asleep.
Peace and Pride
As a member of Peace and a member of the staff, I’m privileged to have a kind of bird’s eye view of everybody in worship on Sunday mornings. I see your families when they come for Christmas Eve or special occasions, the visits from your kids with the new grandbaby. There are updates in Peace News and time to hear concerns and celebrations in the service. People are drawn to Peace for all kinds of reasons, ultimately to be part of an open hearted, open minded community with a shared notion that the world should reflect God’s radical love and acceptance.
Saying Yes
Introverted. Anxious. Diffident.
You won’t find me lining up to spearhead any rallies, committees, or functions.
When volunteers are needed, I slink away and when cornered, I usually hem and haw and say I’ll do it if nobody else is available. Then I hope and pray someone else raises their hand.
Cities, Summer Forests
Why did it take me this long?
It’s what I think with each epiphany
Each renewed sense of peace
Each time I have a clearer understanding of myself or the world around me.