Deus Misereatur

(Versions of this was presented at Heritage Presbyterian Church on 27 November 2016; and to the Capitol Forum on 30 November 2016) Thanksgiving People Colossians 3.17 John Kralik wrote a book, “A Simple Act of Gratitude,” where he recounts some of his story. Here was a guy whose life was a disaster: miserable, broke, overweight, on his second divorce, living in a rundown apartment with no air conditioning. He was an attorney, but couldn’t pay his employees their Christmas bonuses because his clients weren’t paying their bills on time or weren’t paying them at all. But one New Year’s day, Kralik had a moment of enlightenment; He’d start finding a reason to be thankful and grateful every single day, and would write one thank you note to someone each day of the year. Things have since turned around for Kralik, and he observes, “Gratitude presses outwards and that creates good feelings in the universe. A lot of that comes back to you eventually.” I’m not recommending the book, ...

O Holy God – Uncontaminated by greed, envy or lust; unstained by hysterical anger, self-centered egoism, or soul-stifling insecurity; and uncontained by space, time, laws of physics, or human rationality. In whom all is contained, sustained and arranged; in whom there is more goodness and truth in one “ounce” of you – so to speak – than there is in our whole being; in whom there is more love and compassion than anything we could imagine or fashion. You are the beauty of holiness itself, in all radiance and purity; you are the meaning of all, seen and unseen, visible and invisible; you are the fullness of justice, rightness, gladness and peace! And you are all of these things  without us , O Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and you are all these things  for us !!!! For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea; we thank you, Lord. For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends;...

From Psalm 145.13b-21 “ The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down .” Thank you that on you we can rely; on you we can lean; and to you we can give ourselves away! We join together with those around us who have fallen or been pressed down under their desperation, darkness, dreariness, or disquiet….hold their heads up, turn their faces to look up into yours and radiate your care and compassion through and through, that their hearts may rise in cheer, and their bodies stand straight and sturdy.  “ The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing .” Thank you for supplying us with wealth and wellbeing, for being there and bringing unlooked for help when we were in want and woe. There are many, some who live just down the block from us, or a street over from us, who work in the cubical right ...