Thursday, July 17

Romans 12:1-8 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (v.2a)

Upon the altar of God’s boundless mercies,
become to Him a living sacrifice.
Do not conform to worldly ways and values,
but take a stand no matter what the price.
Against the grain of popular opinion,
you have been called to live exposing lies.
With transformed minds start thinking with keen judgment.
Denouncing pride and demonstrating faith.
Think of the church as if it were a body
with gifted parts who long to bear their weight.
Observe God’s grace in varied applications
and find your voice before it is too late.
(tune: Be Still My Soul the Lord is on Thy Side)
Joshua 3:14—4:7; Psalm 37:1-18; Matthew 26:1-16

Friday, July 18

Romans 12:9-21 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (v.10)

We have been called to love as Christ has loved us.
Not feigning friendship but being sincere.
Looking to serve not to seek self-promotion,
comforting those who have reason to fear. (Refrain)
Refrain: Help me to joyfully, help to faithfully,
help me to lovingly show that I care.
As I would empathize with those around me,
may I be willing to give and to share.
We have been called to love as Christ has loved us.
Forgiving those who have treated us wrong.
Finding new ways to express Christian mercy
as we discover their need to belong. (Refrain)
(tune: Great is They Faithfulness)
Joshua 4:19—5:1, 10-15; Psalm 31; Matthew 26:17-25

Saturday, July 19

Romans 13:1-7 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. (v.1a)

The Word of God is clear
about the leaders in our land.
They’ve been vested with authority
according to His plan.
And it’s clear God wills that we submit
to what the law demands,
obeying Him through them.
Thank you, Lord, for those who lead us.
May their moral fiber feed us.
May they be Your means of justice.
Until Your kingdom comes.
(tune: The Battle Hymn of the Republic)
Joshua 6:1-14; Psalms 30, 32; Matthew 26:26-35

by Greg Asimakoupoulis

Sunday, July 20

Mark 2:1-12 And when He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. (v.1 NASV)

This version of the Bible says Jesus was “at home.” Since Jesus was a carpenter, he might have built this house Himself! The men who brought the paralytic to Him were so in earnest in aiding their friend that they didn’t mind tearing up a stranger’s roof! Jesus must have forgiven them—and now the roof would have to be repaired.
This story demonstrates the Christian “word of knowledge”; Jesus knew what the scribes were thinking without hearing it out loud. It is possible for Christians to have words of knowledge today. We can pray to be prepared for whatever happens in our lives. This very afternoon, I thought I was going to a restaurant to meet somebody, but it was really so I could pray for a lady with high blood pressure who “felt led” to stop at my table!
Joshua 6:15-27; Psalms 63, 98; Acts 22:30—23:11

by Carol Markett

Monday, July 21

Romans 13:8-14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. (v.14)

I put on the Lord Jesus Christ, as soon as I wake up in the morning, when I do my prayer and meditation. First, there is praise and thanksgiving, including a verbal statement of Psalm 91 in first person, where I remind myself that I am abiding in God’s presence. Next, I confess my sinfulness, petition my Heavenly Father for my own needs, and intercede for others. I then drink five cups of water (not all at one time!) in order for my physical body to get rid of the toxins it collects. That takes care of my physical body. When I get dressed, I put on clean clothes, warm in cold weather. They are not tight because I don’t want to try to look “sexy.”
Then my husband and I take care of the soul and spirit together. During our prayer and Bible study, we always put on the armor of God. The helmet of salvation protects our brains from onslaught by “the world, the flesh and the Devil.” The breastplate of righteousness, God’s approval, protects our hearts, His dwelling place. The belt of Truth makes sure the breastplate of righteousness stays on. The shoes of the gospel of peace encourage us to share Him with others. The shield of faith protects us from the darts of the Enemy and the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, increases our knowledge of Him and His objectives for us during our sanctification.
I have discovered in Isaiah 58:8 that His people can still claim the rear guard of the glory of God, as the Hebrews did during forty years of their travels in the wilderness.
Joshua 7:1-13; Psalms 41, 52; Matthew 26:36-46

Tuesday, July 22

Romans 14:1-12 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. (v.10)

We need to remember that, because we are all God’s children, we won’t grow up until we arrive at Home. We also need to remember that, because we are all His children, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Some of us may have a judgment personality; some are perceptive. We are all oriented either intellectually or emotionally. I am intellectual/judgmental, and tend to judge others. I have to curb it because, as my teacher used to point out, “type is no excuse.” I often I find myself in the self-defense mode to justify what I think or do—then I need to repent and ask forgiveness. I need to remind myself that “the ground is level before the cross” and that, as Jesus said in Matthew 7:2, I shall be judged as I judge others.
Joshua 8:1-22, Psalm 45, Matthew 26:47-56

Wednesday, July 23

Matthew 26:57-68 But later on two came forward, and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” (vv.60b-61)

Jesus gave up His “temple” Himself and came back into it three days later. He had told the disciples about his death at least three times. I wonder why they didn’t discuss it with Him. Jesus tried to warn them about what would happen in the future.
Romans 8:11 tells us that The Spirit Who raised Him from the dead, in essence, caused Him to be born again!! So He was the first one to enact what happens to us when we receive Him into our hearts! His body was healed physically in the tomb and we can “be healed by His stripes” via the Spirit. I can recall how a lady in California was physically healed when we prayed for her in Florida!
Our bodies become temples when we invite Him in to live there. And He can “rebuild” them when we do things to them that cause injury, like breaking a bone. Isn’t that wonderful?
Joshua 8:30-35; Psalm 119:49-72; Romans 14:13-23

Thursday, July 24

Joshua 9:3-21 But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. This we will do to them, even let them live, lest wrath be upon us for the oath which we swore to them.” (vv.19-20)

We can see here how important a covenant was. Even if they did not write it down or record it, it was honored. Even when the “invaders” had been deceptive, the Hebrews kept the covenant—even when there was “grumbling in the camp.” Old Testament means “old covenant,” of law, and New Testament means “new covenant,” of grace. Last year, Ray Vander Laan explained to my congregation how a covenant is a relationship between a stronger authority and a weaker one. The Hebrews learned by experience how important a covenant was. It may have been that Achan was punished for breaking a covenant (Joshua 7:24-26).
Psalm 50; Romans 15:1-13; Matthew 26:69-75

Friday, July 25

Psalms 40 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. (v.2)

While we were living in Sarasota, Florida, we were considering building a solar-powered house on a piece of property in a low, marshy area. Then we heard words of prophecy in our Bible study group saying that God wanted us to move to the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. The daily lectionary reading for the day was Psalm 40! This, to us, was confirmation that we were to move. God is a great communicator. We just need to listen!
Joshua 9:22—10:15; Psalm 54; Romans 15:14-24; Matthew 27:1-10

Saturday, July 26

Romans 15:25-33 Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. (v.28)

What is this “fruit of theirs”? Paul had been talking about the indebtedness to minister to the residents of Jerusalem physically. Evidently Paul had to approve the contribution the Christians in Macedonia and Achaia had gathered for their fellow believers.
It may be difficult to imagine, In order to understand more fully the context of what Paul was talking about, we need to consider what it was like in that era. They walked, rode horses and donkeys, or sailed in ships to get to their destination. They had no food coolers, motels, restaurants, email, walkie-talkies, nor cell phones. It took days to travel to destinations we can get to in hours. And where did they sleep on the way? That takes a lot of imagination. With this paradigm in our minds, we can understand better what the disciples had to go through to spread the Word. And it must have been a major project to pack up these gifts and take them to other believers. It took much concern, empathy, and commitment, especially if they were under persecution.
We, who live in a free, relatively prosperous country, have difficulty putting ourselves in their shoes. For instance, we drink water we can get when we turn on a faucet. And where did they get it? From a spring, or a river, or a well to which they had to take a vessel to and carry in their hands or on their heads on the way back home. I am reminded me of the time when the electricity went off where I grew up and I had to go across the street to pump water from the town well. When I was finished, I needed to remember to fill the can that was left there so the next person who needed water could prime the pump, as I had with the water left there for me by the person who used the pump before I did. Do we still care for our neighbors in that way?
Joshua 23:1-16; Psalm 55; Matthew 27:11-23

Sunday, July 27

Joshua 24:1-15 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. (v.14 KJV)
As we grow older, we forget more; so we tie strings around our fingers as mnemonics.Yet not just elders forget; children do too. Haven’t we often said to them, “How often must I tell you to do this?” In our ageing society we’re in danger of forgetting how God has saved us from ignorance, poverty, disease, and war. Though blessed, we take it for granted. But if we don’t learn from the past, we may have to repeat it.
That’s why Joshua asks the Israelites to remember the Lord Who had led them out of Egypt into the Promised Land. This was the standard miracle around which all their memories were to be gathered. It was a prototype of Jesus’ death and resurrection, which is the standard miracle of the New Testament. By it we are delivered from slavery to the Devil into the promised land of fullness of life.
Whenever we receive Holy Communion, Jesus asks us to do this “in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Let’s never forget what He has done—with reverence and gratitude!
Psalms 24, 29; Acts 28:23-31; Mark 2:23-28

Monday, July 28

Joshua 24:16-33 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord. (v.21)

Bill stood before the altar and promised to take Sally as his wife no matter what happened. Yet twenty years later, he left her for a younger woman. His vow was good, but his desires were stronger. We make our promise to God at our Confirmation. We swear that we will be true to Him come what may. But our desires can overcome us. The love of other things can enter our lives and we leave Him.
Do you remember what happened to Peter? Boldly, he promised that he would never leave Jesus (Matthew 26:35). Though he was serious about it, he didn’t realize his own weakness and the strength of the Devil’s temptation, and he fell terribly. Later, he must have been glad to realize that Jesus predicted it all (Matthew 26:34) and would later restore him (John 21:15-17).
May He guard us, not from making promises to Him, but from making them lightly and thoughtlessly! “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Psalms 56, 57, 58; Romans 16:1-16; Matthew 27:24-31

Tuesday, July 29

Judges 2:1-15, 11-23 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. (v.12)

What are gods? Aren’t they things we look up to and trust and hope will bring us satisfaction? As in the time of the Israelites, so it is today. When we abandon the Lord, we turn to other gods. Just think of our attachment to cars, clothes, candy, coffee, cards, and computers—to say nothing of alcohol and drugs, sex and nicotine, gambling and sports, the internet and TV, and of money itself. All of these are gods of our society. They are more powerful because they aren’t recognized.
St Augustine said, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God; and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee.” Nothing and no one can satisfy our hearts but Jesus!
I need to pray, and perhaps you do too: Lord, You said “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” So make me forsake all false and inferior gods that are turning my heart from You, and direct me to put my whole trust in You.
Psalms 61, 62; Romans 16:17-27; Matthew 27:32-44

Wednesday, July 30

Judges 3:12-30 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. (v.12)

A terrible car accident occurred in a village near my home. In this accident a young girl was killed because her driver was speeding on the highway. At her funeral I warned the congregation about the danger of breaking the speed limit. That had some effect and drivers in the area did slow down. But in a couple of weeks they forgot and speeded up again.
The Israelites had been reminded of God’s goodness in bringing them into the Promised Land and had been warned about following other gods. They boastfully promised their obedience to Him, but soon turned to other gods and served them. Now we see them taking it one step further and actually doing evil.
Are we like that? Once we get away from God and follow our own desires, we can run into trouble. It may be an accident or a problem. One thing or another wakes us up. But after a while we return to our old ways. And we are ripe for God’s judgment.
Our Father in Heaven, please deliver us from evil.
Psalm 72; Acts 1:1-14; Matthew 27:45-54

Thursday, July 31

Judges 4:4-23 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. (v.9)

Remember the lad who brought his lunch to Jesus (John 6:9-11)? By them Jesus fed over 5,000 people. That was help from an unlikely source.
Here, we read of two women who saved the Israelites. One was Deborah, a prophetess. She directed them to go to war with their enemies and risked her life in going with them. The other was Jael, a homekeeper, who used her womanly guile to attract the enemies’ general to her home and then got rid of him. Both women were unlikely sources of help.
Do we feel up against it? Are our problems immense and our resources small? Out of the blue, God can send us help. It may come from an unlikely source and seem to be of little value—like little Samuel warning Eli of danger to his people (1 Samuel 3:18), or the young girl getting word to Naaman of how he could be cured (2 Kings 5:3). But if we accept it, God will bring us blessing.
What is God offering us today to help with our problems?
Psalms 70, 71; Acts 1:15-26; Matthew 27:55-6

Friday, August 1

Judges 5:1-18 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. (vv.1-2)

Have you ever written a poem? Was it about yourself or another person? Or was it about some significant event that happened to you or even about God Himself? That is what Deborah and Barak did. They recognized, though their people had sinned, that God had delivered them from their enemies. In fact they were so thrilled by this experience that they set their words to music and burst into song—for music has the ability to take words and arouse feelings. By cadence and repetition, it impresses these words and feelings into our memories.
So why don’t we ask “What has God done in my life or in the lives of my family, friends or neighborhood? Is it worth talking or writing or singing about?”
This is called giving a testimony. We may be shy and feel inadequate for it. But if our words come from our heart, they will have power. Why don’t we try it?
“Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).
Psalm 69; Acts 2:1-21; Matthew 28:1-10

Saturday, August 2

Judges 5:19-31 And the land had rest forty years. (v.31b)

After Deborah finished praising the Lord, her land had rest for forty years. Those words remind us of the First World War which was called “the war to end all wars.” But within another generation came the Second World War, and since then have followed other wars. Will they never cease?
The clue may be found at the beginning of the next chapter, which says “The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years” (6:1). It was evil that brought war again!
Can we ask “What is going on in our society? Is God being neglected and are His commandments being disobeyed?” Before we point to others, let’s point to ourselves. In addition let’s ask “What have we done to spread the good news of Jesus?” Think: If we sent as many missionaries overseas to preach the Gospel as we have sent soldiers overseas to fight, would the result be different?
With our temporary rest, let’s turn to the Lord!
Psalms 75, 76; Acts 2:22-36; Matthew 28:11-20

by Fr. John Pearce

Used with permission from the BIBLE READING FELLOWSHIP
P. O. Box 380, Winter Park, FL 32790

Sunday, August 3

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (vv.7-8 NIV)

I remember struggling with giving when I first became a Christian. My husband and I were thrust into lay leadership, as newlyweds, at our waning, urban church. Once made privy to the average amount most church members were giving annually, my poor husband had a really hard time prying our tithing money out of our joint bank accounts. I arrogantly argued, “If we give 10% of our gross income, they’re going to have to rename the church after us!”
That was nearly 30 years ago. Boy, have things changed! As my faith deepened and I became healed of all my old wounds, and began to trust that God really does love me and really does have me in His heart and mind at all times, I let go and let the Holy Spirit loose. As His grace abounded to me, I responded to His love, cheerfully, giving of not just my money, but my time and talents as well.
Judges 6:1-24; Psalms 93, 96; Mark 3:20-30

Monday, August 4

Judges 6:25-40 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. (v.27)

I really relate to Gideon’s self-image difficulties. It just makes me chuckle every time I think about the Lord addressing him as “mighty warrior” (v.12) while the poor guy was afraid of his own shadow. But God sees us with unobstructed vision. He sees beyond that which is evident to us and speaks into who He knows He made us to be.
According to verse 27, though Gideon was still afraid, he obeyed God under cover of darkness! Regardless of his continued fear, it mattered to God that Gideon obeyed Him; not so much how he worked it out. God counted Gideon’s obedience as the first step of becoming who God knew Gideon to be. God continued to nurture Gideon’s confidence, just as He does ours, supplying however much reassurance we require.
Psalm 80; Acts 2:37-47; John 1:1-18

Tuesday, August 5

Acts 3:1-11 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. (vv.6-7)

This was one of the late Canon Jim Glennon’s favorite Biblical illustrations of how we must be willing to put our faith in action when we are in need of healing. Healing did not take place until Peter took the lame beggar by his hand and the beggar was willing to receive Peter’s helping hand. Sometimes, though we say we want to be healed, we do not participate in our own healing.
I have heard our readiness to be healed described as being “ripe” for healing. Peter and John must have passed that beggar every single day on their way to temple; but this day, everyone involved was ripe! Being “ripe” requires us to act on our faith. God doesn’t require much of us—just our willingness to offer to pray for someone, or to ask someone to pray for us.
Judges 7:1-18; Psalm 78:1-39; John 1:19-28

Wednesday, August 6

John 1:29-42 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah”(that, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter) (vv.41-42)

Here is another example of our loving Lord doing what he had already done with Gideon. He spoke truth into Simon with the same unobstructed vision that he had when he addressed Gideon as “mighty warrior.” Here we find Jesus renaming Simon as Cephas (or Peter in Greek). Though Simon Peter had been known as impulsive and unstable, Jesus gave him a new name which means “rock.”
What comfort we have in knowing that each of us has been called for a special purpose or mission and that our Lord sees us as equipped and able to live up to that call. As parents, it is good for us to meditate on this during times of trouble. We can ask Jesus to speak his truth into our vision for our children, and trust him to show us his truth for their lives.
Judges 7:19—8:12; Psalm 119:97-120; Acts 3:12-26

Thursday, August 7

Psalm 145 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. (vv.11-12)

I used to think that Scriptures that exhort us to tell others, or praise Him or give thanks to Him, were indications that God was vain and somehow enjoyed flattery—especially since many passages strongly suggest that we speak them out aloud. Then I did an extensive study on prayer and found that God loves us so much that when He tells us to praise Him or thank Him or extol His virtues to others, it is for our sake, not His!
We’re to give Him thanks, praise Him, and remember His deeds for us because He knows that in so doing, the next time we become afraid or doubt, we will remember His faithfulness and will quickly overcome fear or worry. What a difference this has made in my life! He loves the sound of our voices reminding ourselves of His faithfulness and He rejoices that, in our obedience, we cannot be dissuaded by anyone or anything that would try to convince us otherwise.
Judges 8:22-35; Acts 4:1-12; John 1:43-51

Friday, August 8

Acts 4:13-31 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (v.13)

I love this verse. Be sure to read the whole passage as it proceeds out of the healing of the lame beggar. Peter and John were dragged before the Sanhedrin—the religious unbelievers—and were examined for heresy. Verse 13 is a challenge to all of us. You see, if we call ourselves “Christian,” then it is must be said of us as well: “that these men had been with Jesus.”
Peter and John were “unschooled, ordinary men,” yet because of their faith which had been put into action as they healed the lame beggar in Jesus’ name, they had caused those who would oppose them to be “astonished.” Jesus Christ is astonishing, isn’t he? How astonished are your friends (much less those who would oppose you) by your faith in Christ?
Lord, help us be bold in our witness; help us astonish, in Your Name, those who encounter us.
Judges 9:1-16, 19-21; Psalm 88; John 2:2-12

Saturday, August 9

John 2:13-25 “He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.” (v.25)

Wrapping up this week we have seen, time and again, Jesus’ uncanny ability to see us clearly—which also gives him access to see that which is yet unconverted in us. In this verse, we learn that in his presence we need not attempt to testify on our own behalf, as He already knows what is in us.
Knowing Jesus is not like being known to your teacher, who may accept your sorry excuse for your missing homework. Knowing Jesus means being known by him. Without words or any other smoke screen we might try to erect to disguise or justify our uncleansed inner parts, Jesus knows.
And yet, even still, knowing us the way he does, his Word is true—there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. When we confess our uncleansed inner parts and ask his forgiveness, he is quick to accommodate us and breathe new life into us, growing us up into the men and women he called us to be.
Judges 9:22-25, 50-57; Psalms 87, 90; Acts 4:32—5:11

by Cindi Sholander

 

Sunday, August 10

Mark 4:35-41 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. (vv.37-38a NKJV)
How can Jesus sleep in the boat when we are in a storm? Doesn’t He understand the ship is sinking because of the current Doppler radar forecast? Doesn’t He see my son is on drugs or my marriage is about to hit the rocks? My adjustable interest rate is going up and I can’t continue to pay the mortgage.
First, you need to realize that earlier in the scripture Jesus had told them to cross over to the other side. They were listening to God’s will. Second, they were men of the sea who knew boating. Many were fisherman who kept their boats in good repair.
God wants me to be more sensitive to hear His plan. I also need to do the daily work and tasks to be prepared. I need to be present in my son’s life. I need to educate myself on adjustable rate mortgages and not just buy one because a salesman said it was great. I might need counseling to be a more loving husband. Faith is an action word, not just sitting on our hands praying.
Judges 11:1-11, 29-40; Psalms 66, 67; 2 Corinthians 11:21b-31

Tuesday, August 11

John 3:1-21 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (v.3)

This parable is one of the “pearls” of the Bible. I remember fourteen years ago when God used the worst moment of my life to transform it into one of the best moments—all due to the truth of what Jesus taught the Pharisee Nicodemus.
My life had come crashing down, due to alcoholism and living a secret life. I stood at a crossroad because I had been an actor in church for many years, singing the hymns and praying the prayers with no real personal relationship with Christ. I had lived my life under my own strength, and it was a mess. God had always been there, ready to transform my heart, but I had such a grip on the wheel.
Fourteen years ago, I finally, in my heart of hearts, asked Jesus to be my personal savior. It wasn’t because I had fixed myself up, but because I was finally ready for Him to fix me up with a rebirth.
Judges 12:1-7; Psalm 89:1-18; Acts 5:12-26

Tuesday, August 12

Psalm 100 Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. (v.2)

Attitude! I know I fail in this area so many times. I let my circumstances dictate my attitude. I can get so caught up in the troubled moment and forget I serve a God who has given me eternity.
We are always testing God with one more hoop to jump through and then we can be joyful. Heal my ailing mother; help me secure that promotion or maybe some financial help. Please God, jump through this one more hoop.
Reality is that He has already jumped through the highest hoop by giving us eternity with Him when we accept Christ as our Savior. What more should He have to do to make us have a joyful spirit and singing? The modern-day atheist at times could easily ask us Christians, “I thought you all were saved? Why don’t you look saved?” Attitude is a choice.
Judges 13:1-15; Psalms 97, 99; Acts 5:27-42; John 3:22-36

Wednesday, August 13

John 4:1-26 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that you being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. (v.9)

One day, years ago, I looked around and found myself living in a Christian bubble, interacting with mostly Christians all day—listening to Christian radio constantly, bible studies, home groups, and church on Sundays. This is not where Jesus would have been hanging out because He wanted to touch those that did not know Him.
We can’t witness the transformation God has done in our life if the world never sees us. To witness is not forcing people to hear Scriptures we have memorized, but instead allowing them to see our transformed lives. I am a recovering alcoholic due to the grace of God. Daily, the world needs to see what God can do with a willing heart. Go out and show the world with a humble heart.
Judges 13:15-24; Psalms 101, 109; Acts 6:1-15

Thursday, August 14

Judges 14:1-19 But his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. (v.4a)

This was when Samson was telling his parents to go and get a woman they disapproved of to be his wife. She pleased Samson, but not his parents. God had a plan.
So many times in my own life I have not seen God’s plan in the circumstances around me. I protest what a friend or family member is doing because I think I’m a better author of the story then God. In my own life, at times I look at my current situation and choices and don’t see God’s plan. But God does have a plan to use all things for good.
Yes, it is wise to get good counsel and make well thought out choices. But even at times when you see your child rebel or go against your will, the story isn’t over. You can’t just judge a book by a few pages, or even a chapter. God’s ending is always more interesting then what we could have written.
Psalm 105:1-22; Acts 6:15—7:16; John 4:27-42

Friday, August 15

Acts 7:17-29 At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. (v.20)
What a wonderful declaration made over Moses when he was born: to be well pleasing to God. We all know the great trails Moses had in front of him and how God placed a hand on his shoulder.
What encourages me is when all of us were born God was well pleased. He speaks to us just like Moses through prayer, people, and scripture. He has a plan. That love for each one of us never ends, no matter where we are in life. When I chose years of alcoholism over God, He never stopped pursuing me. God welcomed me home when I bent my knee to accept Christ as my Savior.
What if we made our children a healthy breakfast every morning, but they never stopped to eat it and instead headed out the door for junk food. God waits for us each morning with a meal for our heart of hearts. Sit with Him.
Judges 14:20—15:20; Psalm 102; John 4:43-54

Saturday, August 16

John 5:1-18 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. (vv.8-9a)

Jesus was performing another miracle in a needy person’s life. Yes, a miracle, but pay attention to the work the crippled man had done before Jesus arrived. Sometimes it is not just sitting on our hands and praying, but also an actionable task we must try.
The crippled man had struggled for 38 years to be first in the pool to be healed. Always too slow, he never quit trying. He was faithful to do his part even though he was at a disadvantage.
He couldn’t heal himself. The man needed Jesus, but was the work he did earlier part of the miracle? Do you need a financial miracle today but haven’t learned to budget properly? Do you need a relationship miracle today in your marriage but haven’t followed through on the marriage counseling? God needs all of us to be in action doing our work so He can bless us with His daily miracles.
Judges 16:1-14; Psalms 107:33-43, 108; Acts7:30-43

by S. M. Ford

Sunday, August 17

2 Corinthians 13:1-11 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test! (v.5 NRSV)

According to the spiritual writers of our day, each of us suffers from three basic anxieties: anxiety about death, anxiety about the guilt we feel, and anxiety about whether there is really any meaning or purpose in life. Herbert O’Driscoll, priest and author, tells us that three God-given gifts at our baptism—faith, hope, and love—are spiritual antibiotics which fight against the infections of all our anxieties. These gifts free us from guilt and the fear of death, and they give meaning and purpose to our lives.
Faith helps us bet our lives on God’s love and trustworthiness. We are enabled by hope to believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who overcame death and sin and lives within us. The love of God, which has filled our inmost heart (see Romans 5:5), gives all the meaning and purpose to life that we could ever desire.
God doesn’t give us these three wondrous gifts for ourselves alone. Believers are to “...shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, so that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth…” (Book of Common Prayer, p.163).
Judges 16:15-31; Psalm 118; Mark 5:25-34

Monday, August 18

John 5:19-29 “Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” (vv.28-29)

A parish leaflet once gave an imaginary description of how a modern management consultant firm might have described the twelve Apostles whom Christ had chosen as his special friends. Most of the Apostles were brushed off as uneducated, ignorant, country bumpkins. They were described as manic-depressive, hot-headed, not good team players, or unstable. The one and only good possibility was described as: “...showing great potential. A man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your right-hand man.”
This story not only makes gentle fun of intelligence or capability tests but it also underscores for us that each one of us can, with God’s grace, become either a saint (as eleven of the Apostles did) or we can (as Judas did) betray all that is holy in our lives. The choice is always ours.
Judges 17:1-13; Psalm 106:1-18; Acts 7:44—8:1a

Tuesday, August 19

John 5:30-47 “Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (v.40)

Some of us are trying to follow Christ wholeheartedly, but others have made no spiritual preparations of any kind during their lifetime. They have lived as if God didn’t exist. Work, food, sleep, sex—these have been their main interests. And when their basic anxieties about death, their feelings of guilt, and their fear that there is perhaps no meaning in their lives come to the surface, they become the victims of the wayward interests that control their lives. They allow their desire for more work, more food, more sleep, or more sexual encounters to stifle the deepest God-given longings of their hearts.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus is really urging each of us to wake up while there is still time. Large doses of the spiritual antibiotics of faith, hope, and love can heal us even now. The door to the festive banquet is still open for each of us.
Judges 18:1-15; Psalms 120, 121, 122, 123; Acts 8:1-13
Wednesday, August 20

Psalm 130 For in the Lord is love unfailing, and great is his power to set men free. (v.7 NEB)

I had the wonderful privilege a while ago of being present at a dinner at the Hotel Regis in NYC during which the World Rehabilitation Fund honored Sr. Joan of the Society of St. Margaret for her 50 years of working for the handicapped in Haiti. Sr. Joan started St. Vincent’s School for the Handicapped in the 1940's with one blind, one deaf, and one crippled child. The school now serves hundreds of children a month as live-in students and thousands more as out-patients. Sr. Joan’s goal has always been to enable each child to live as fulfilled and complete a life as possible. She was the first person to try to help handicapped children in Haiti, and she is loved and honored all over the island for her work there.
During my own years in Haiti, I often noticed a banner hanging in her office. It was of a bird feeding her young and the words on the banner were: “Love is an active verb.” Sr. Joan has made the very best possible use of every opportunity given her to serve others. Love for her Lord and love for all of His children has always been the active verb in her life.
Judges 18:16-31; Psalm 119:145-176; Acts 8:14-25; John 6:1-15

Thursday, August 21

John 6:16-27 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” (v.20 NRSV)

God will never take from us the gifts of faith, hope, and love which He poured down upon us at our baptism. We may refuse to use them, but our Lord Christ will never take them from us.
God’s call to us to become more and more what we already are—human beings made in His Image—continues day by day all our life long. His call to us to become our highest, holiest, best self—a call to fulfill the purpose for which He created us—is indeed irrevocable.
One of my very favorite verses in all of Scripture is from Paul’s Letter to the Romans: “Source, Guide, and Goal of all that is—to him be glory forever!” (Romans 11:36 NEB). Christ who calls us and is our gift-giver is the Source of all our life, light, and joy. And he is the Guide and Goal for all of our journeying toward home.
Job 1:1-22; Psalms 131, 132, 133; Acts 8:26-40

Friday, August 22

Acts 9:1-9 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus; whom you are persecuting.” (v.5)

Our verse for today always reminds me of a poignant, mournful Negro spiritual: Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? I always want to change the wording to: “Were you there when we crucified my Lord?” It is so terribly easy for each of us to project all the sin and darkness in our own life onto others. They crucified my Lord. They nailed him to the tree. They laid him in the tomb.
The spiritual writers tell us that we are beginning to grow spiritually, beginning to know what the word praxis [practice, as opposed to theory] means, beginning to strive to love as we are loved, when we can begin, at last, to see the sin and the darkness within ourselves as acutely as we see it in others. How do I hurt you? Disappoint you? Fail you? How have I hindered the furthering of your Kingdom of Love here and now today? How should I be shining with the radiance of Christ’s glory, so that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth?
Teach us, Lord, and never abandon us.
Job 2:1-13; Psalms 140, 142; John 6:27-40

Saturday, August 23

John 6:41-51 “I am the living bread that came down from Heaven.” (v.51)

The most moving words about the Holy Communion that I have ever read were written by Dom Gregory Dix in The Shape of the Liturgy. He asks us about Christ’s command to do this in remembrance of him: “Was ever another command so obeyed? For century after century, spreading slowly to every continent and country and among every race on earth, this action has been done, in every conceivable human circumstance, for every conceivable need, from infancy and before it to extreme old age and after it, from the pinnacles of earthly greatness to the refuge of fugitives in the caves and dens of the earth. Men have found no better thing than this to do for kings at their crowning and for criminals going to the scaffold; for armies in triumph or for a bride and bridegroom in a little country church; for the proclamation of a dogma or for a crop of good wheat; for the wisdom of the Parliament of a mighty nation or for a sick old woman afraid to die; for a schoolboy sitting an examination or for Columbus setting out to discover America....”
Our Lord Christ is indeed “the living bread that came down from heaven” for us.
Job 3:1-26; Psalms 137, 144; Acts 9:10-19a

by Sister Mary Michael

Sunday, August 24

Mark 6:1-6a And he was amazed at their unbelief. (v.6a NRSV)

Our Gospel reading for today tells us that Jesus was amazed (and probably saddened and disappointed) by the lack of belief in him by the people of his own hometown. Where did he get his wisdom and his healing touch, they demanded skeptically.
Marcus Borg writes in Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time that our religion is second-class—not worth much—until it travels from our head down to our heart. Once we can say with Peter, “We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:69), our religion becomes first-class, becomes real. Jesus’ neighbors from Nazareth were not yet able to say that. Their religion was still all in their heads.
What about you and me? Have we made this wondrous, most difficult, most rewarding of all journeys yet? Once we do, the saints tell us life will become forever different. We shall have endless joy way down deep no matter what else may be going on in our lives.
Job 4:1-6, 12-21; Psalms 146, 147; Revelation 4:1-11

Monday, August 25

John 6:52-59 “But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” (v.58b)

Our heavenly Father told the disciples—and us—at the transfiguration of his Son to listen to Jesus, pay attention to him, obey him. Jesus’ mother, Mary, told the servants—and us—at the wedding in Cana to do whatever he tells us.
I believe if we eat the Bread of Heaven and drink from the Cup of Salvation as Jesus told us to do, we are choosing life (Deuteronomy 30:19). For two thousand years believers have been empowered, sustained, and enriched by obeying this mysterious command of Jesus’.
A prayer in the Book of Common Prayer (p.365) tells us of his love and of the meaning of Holy Communion: “Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart…” A true and faithful response to God’s love can only be loving, joyous service.
Job 4:1, 5:1-11, 17-21, 26-27; Psalms 1, 2, 3; Acts 9:19b-31

Tuesday, August 26

John 6:60-71 “We have come to know and believe that you are the Holy One of God.” (v.69)

When I was a college sophomore, I believed I was an atheist. No more church on Sundays, no more Bible studies, but, curiously enough, still lots of talk about religion or the mocking of it. My first inkling that perhaps I was mistaken came from an essay we were required to read in an English class. The author contended that there was no such thing as an atheist. People who call themselves atheists are forever talking about their so-called atheism hoping others will convince them they are wrong, the author wrote.
Several years later when my Mother died—my first agonizing experience of the death of a loved one—I had such a powerful experience of God’s love and presence that I would never again call myself an atheist. My eyes began to be opened to the wondrous beauty of God’s world and my ears began to listen to His voice in His Scriptures, in His Sacraments, and in the voices of His friends. Today I can at last say with Peter: “I have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Job 6:1-4, 8-15, 21; Psalms 5, 6; Acts 9:32-43

 

Wednesday, August 27

Psalm 119:1-24 Open my eyes, so that I may behold… (v.18)

I wrote yesterday that during my adolescence I thought of myself as an atheist. A few years later, with the mixture of sorrows and joys that life brings us, I had changed my mind. My religion had made the long, difficult journey from my head to my heart. It was no longer just something I read about in books or heard about from parents or friends, but it had become a mysterious relationship—sometimes intensely real and at other times just out of reach—with the living, loving God.
One of the Saints of my life once quoted for me a saying of St. Augustine’s: “To fall in love with Christ is the greatest of all romances; to seek him, the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest achievement.” That, is seems to me, says everything we could possibly say about the meaning and purpose of the wondrous journey that you and I—and all Christians—are on.
Job 6:1, 7:1-21; Acts 10:1-16; John 7:1-13

Thursday, August 28

John 7:14-36 The Jews were astonished at it, saying, “How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?” (v.15)

The Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus’ hecklers, wondered aloud and asked one another as to where Jesus got his wisdom. He didn’t have any of our Ph.D., Doctors of Divinity, or Masters of Theology degrees, but he seemed to always have the right, the wise answer. They didn’t acknowledge it, but his wisdom was God-given—the only kind ultimately ever worth having.
God-given wisdom can only be acquired by you and me if we take time to quiet down—center down, as the Quakers put it—and listen for God’s voice in His Scriptures, in His Sacraments, and in the voices of His friends. If we do this faithfully day by day, we shall gradually begin to discern our Savior’s voice speaking both outside and within us. We shall have come a little closer to knowing and loving our Redeemer, and we shall have a greater and greater desire to bring all others to him and his love, acceptance, and trust of us all.
Job 8:1-7, 11-19; Psalm 18:1-20; Acts 10:17-33

Friday, August 29

John 7:37-52 “As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” (v.38b)

If you and I take time daily to quiet down—center down—we shall have what Jesus promised believers would have: rivers of living water bubbling up within. Scripture verses, wise words friends once said to us in times past, the gist of something we once read—these are the sources of the living water filling our lives today with faith, joy, and hope.
Herbert O’Driscoll, priest and author, wrote recently in Washington Cathedral’s quarterly magazine: “No matter how shadowed and vulnerable and full of failure humanity may be, the tapestry of humanity is shot through with the golden threads of Divinity.” Surely such wisdom is God-given and a sample of the living water we Christians are blessed ion having. We are frail, weak, sinful creatures but the Holy Spirit of God deigns to dwell within each one of us who have him.
Job 9:1-15, 32-35; Psalms 16, 17; Acts 10:34-48

Saturday, August 30

John 8:12-20 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (v.12)

One of my favorite Collects in the Book of Common Prayer speaks of Jesus as the light of our world (p.215). It asks that we his people be illuminated by Scripture and by the Sacraments not just for our own comfort and salvation (healing, wholeness, holiness) but to make Christ known, loved, and obeyed everywhere. Whoever struggles faithfully to follow Christ and his way of love, will have his living water bubbling up within as well as the Comfort of his Presence and the Joy of his love. That, for me, is what life is all about, and nothing could ever possibly be more important.
Job 9:1, 10:1-9, 16-22; Psalms 20, 21; Acts 11:1-18

by Mary Michael, SSM

Sunday, August 31

Matthew 5:1-12 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (vv.3-4 RSV)

When I was growing up, I was taught to shoot for the moon even if you hit a cabbage. What I found later was the moon is not mine, and not much would fit into my kingdom of self. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get my family to get it straight the way I wanted it.
When I later became aware that the Kingdom of God is not the kingdom of self, I had to reevaluate. The things I thought I wanted were not the things I wanted. I thought I wanted them until I had them in hand.
God knows what I really want and opens the door for me when I am willing to accept what He is trying to give me. When I am willing to recognize my own emptiness, He fills me up with His life; and I can know what it is know the King and walk with Him in His Kingdom as we pray as He taught us: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
When I come to Him with my need, He meets it with His grace, and I am the blessed one of whom He speaks.
Job 11:1-9, 13-20; Psalms 148, 149, 150; Revelation 5:1-14

 

Monday, September 1

John 8:21-32 Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (vv.31-32)

When I first started looking into the Christian Faith as a truly viable alternative to the world’s values and goals, I followed two or three professionals whom I considered wise in the faith. Each of them had a viewpoint, but they did not agree on some of the details that interested me, so I decided to try Jesus.
When I began to read His teaching, I began to see another dimension to the Christian Faith. He is real and He is here to be known. That decision demanded that I learn prayer as a dialog and not just talking to God. When He began to speak to me, I found that I had to try out what He told me to see if it was truth or just nice thinking.
My experience at that point brought me into a knowledge of the Lord that I had not had before, and I began to come to know Him as He talked with me. I have come to believe that He is both practical and truthful and that He is making me free as I seek His will and walk it out with Him.
Job 12:1-6, 13-25; Psalm 25; Acts 11:19-30;

Tuesday, September 2

John 8:33-47 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say unto you every one who commits sin is a slave to sin.” (v.34)

Anyone who has realized the experience of habitual sin knows the meaning of these words and knows that they are true. As one who has spent time trying to break bad habits, and failed to be able to do so in my own strength, the promise of Jesus that I will be set free when I know the truth and walk it out with Him is almost beyond belief until we try it.
For me it has meant freedom from bondage to tobacco, alcohol, and foul language—to mention a few. Now, if He will just set me free from putting off working on things and set me free to do them when He gives them to me to do. As I struggle to become His disciple, He struggles with me to make me what He wants me to be.
Job 12:1, 13:3-17, 21-27; Psalms 26.28; Acts 12:1-17

Wednesday, September 3

John 8:47-59 “He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason you do not hear them is because you are not of God.” (v.47)

I remember when quoting Scripture was a game to prove who was the holiest. The focus of the game was on the others as they tried to out-quote the rest and be declared the wisest, holiest, and proudest.
When I began to ask what the Scripture was all about, there were some new thoughts that came to bear. Why bother to mess with Scripture? Leave it alone and let’s get on about real life—but something else began to become obvious. If the world depends on human intellect to work out its problem, we are in deep trouble.
If God can be known, He is the only hope I can see. It was as I sought to come to know God that His word came to me as Light in the darkness of the world. I found that I must add prayer to the Scripture, and give God an opportunity to speak to me. Then I was able to hear His word.
Job 12:1, 14:1-22; Psalm 38; Acts 12:18-25

Thursday, September 4

John 9:1-17 As He passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered. “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work.” (vv.1-4)

There are many who think with the mind of the disciples before Jesus opened their eyes. What did someone do wrong that made God punish them with some ailment? I think sometimes God allows someone to get sick in order for them to come to Him and let Him touch them with His healing love.
I can honestly say that I am thankful for my colon cancer in 1987. It was discovered just before my two month sabbatical that I had planned and arranged. The surgery fell in the middle of the first month, and I was back on the job at the end of the second month.
The revelation I received in reading Bernie Segal’s Love Medicine and Miracles and listening to some Jim Glennon tapes, taught me to find and pray for the stress at the root of the cancer, and it has been productive in ministry to others with cancer. I have seen it as something that God used to teach me something that I have been able to use in helping others.
Job 16:16-22, 17:1, 13-16; Psalm 37:1-18; Acts13:1-12

Friday, September 5

John 9:18-41 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this, and they said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” (vv.39-41)

One of the greatest problems of the Church through the ages has been the rise of individuals who will come up with some idea that is different from the rest of the Body and draw people away to practice the faith their way. The result has been the fragmentation of the Church.
When we turn away from prayer to argument, we set ourselves up to be in the same class with the Pharisees: “We know the truth. You had better straighten up.”
It seems to me that we are called to pray instead: “Lord, show us Your will in all of this confusion. Make it clear to all of us so that we might be led into all truth and find the unity that we need to show the world that we are Your Body, that we are one, and that You live in us and through us for the world for which You were willing to die.”
Job 19:1-7, 14-27; Psalm 31; Acts 13:13-25

Saturday, September 6

John 10:1-18 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. (vv.2-4)

I heard a story once that spoke to me about these words that I have come to see as important. A tour guide in the Middle East shared with his group that shepherds in that area do not drive the sheep or use sheep dogs to drive them. They lead the sheep and the sheep follow.
As they passed through a small town, one of the group saw someone driving sheep up the street, and called it to the guide’s attention, “I thought you said the shepherds here lead the sheep. That one is driving his sheep.”
The tour guide looked and replied, “Oh, that’s not the shepherd. He’s the butcher.”
Jesus has come to lead those of us who know His voice and are willing to follow where He leads. He leaves that decision up to us.
Job 22:1-4, 21—23:7; Psalms 30, 32; Acts 13:26-43

by Al Durrance

Used with permission from the BIBLE READING FELLOWSHIP
P. O. Box 380, Winter Park, FL 32790

 

July 17
WILLIAM WHITE
BISHOP OF PENNSYLVANIA

Lord, who in a time of turmoil and confusion raised up your servant William White, and endowed him with wisdom, patience , and a reconciling temper, that he might lead your Church into ways of stability and peace: Hear our prayer, and give us wise and faithful leaders, that through their ministry your people may be blessed and your will be done; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Before the American Revolution, there were no bishops in the colonies (partly because the British government was reluctant to give the colonies the ind of autonomy that this would have implied, and partly because many of the colonists were violently opposed to their presence). After the Revolution, the establishment of an American episcopate became imperative. Samuel Seabury was the first American to be consecrated, in 1784 (see 14 Nov), and in 1787 William White and Samuel Provoost, having been elected to the bishoprics of Pennsylvania and New York respectively, sailed to England and were consecrated bishops on 14 February by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and the Bishop of Peterborough.

William White was born in Philadelphia in 1747, went to England in 1770 to be ordained deacon and priest, returned in 1772 and became first an assistant and then the rector of the Church of Christ and Saint Peter in Philadelphia. He served as Chaplain of the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1789, and then as Chaplain of the Senate.

White was largely responsible for the Constitution of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. At his suggestion, the system of church government was established more or less as we have it today. (What follows is a rough draft. I welcome notes of correction and clarification.) Only a bishop can ordain a deacon or priest, and only bishops (normally at least three) can consecrate a bishop. When a bishop dies or retires, a new bishop is elected by a convention in his diocese, in which clergy sit in the upper house and lay delegates (elected by the vestries of the local congregations) sit in the lower house, and a majority in each house is required to elect. (Afterwards, a majority of bishops and a majority of Standing Committees (each diocese has an elected Standing Committee) are required to confirm.) National business is conducted by the General Convention, which meets every three years and consists for voting purposes of three Houses: Bishops, Clerical Deputies, and Lay Deputies. A majority of each is required to pass a measure. (All the Deputies meet and debate together and are called the House of Deputies, but Lay and Clerical Deputies vote separately whenever any deputy so requests--in other words, whenever it might make a difference.)

In all this, the Episcopal Church undertakes to follow, as nearly as modern circumstances permit, the government of the early church as attested back at least to the second and third centuries. A section follows from White's writings on Church Government.

The power of electing a superior order of ministers ought to be in the clergy and laity together, they being both interested in the choice. In England, the bishops are appointed by the civil authority, which was a usurpation of the crown at the Norman Conquest, but since confirmed by acts of parliament. The primitive churches were generally supplied by popular elections; even in the city of Rome, the privilege of electing the bishop continued with the people to the tenth or eleventh century, and
near those times there are resolves of councils, that none should be promoted to ecclesiastical dignities, but by election of the clergy and people. It cannot be denied that this right vested in numerous bodies, occasioned great disorders; which it is expected will be avoided, when the people shall exercise the right by representation.

Let us next take a view of the grounds on which the authority of episcopacy is asserted. The advocates for this form maintain, that there having been an
Episcopal power originally lodged by Jesus Christ with his apostles, and by them generally exercised in person, but sometimes by delegation (as in the instances of Timothy and Titus) the same was conveyed by them before their decease to one pastor in each church, which generally comprehended all the Christians in a city and a convenient surrounding district. Thus were created the apostolic successors, who on account of
their settled residence are called bishops by restraint; whereas the apostles themselves were bishops at large, exercising Episcopal power over all the churches, except in the case of St James, who from the beginning was bishop of Jerusalem. From this time the word "episcopos," used in the New Testament indiscriminately with the word "presbyteros" (particularly in the 20th chapter of the Acts where the same persons are called "episcopoi" and "presbyteroi"), became appropriated to the superior order of ministers. That the apostles were thus succeeded by an order of ministers superior to pastors in general, episcopalians think they prove by the testimonies of the ancient fathers, and from the improbability that so great an innovation (as some conceive it) could have found general and peaceable possession in the 2d or 3d century, when epicopacy is on both sides acknowledged to have been prevalent. The argument is here concisely stated, but (as is believed) impartially.

White was Presiding Bishop of PECUSA at its first General Convention in 1789, and again from 1795 till his death on 17 July 1836. He was mentor to John Henry Hobart (see 12 Sep), Jackson emper (see 24 May), William Augustus Muhlenberg (see 8 Apr), and others.
James Kiefer

July 19
MACRINA THE YOUNGER MONASTIC AND TEACHER

Merciful God, who called your servant Macrina to reveal in her life and her teaching the riches of your grace and truth: Mercifully grant that we, following her example, may seek after your wisdom and live according to her way; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Basil the Great is remembered as the founder of Eastern monasticism. All Eastern Orthodox monks are Basilian monks and follow a variation of the monastic rule that he outlined. However, it is often overlooked that the community of monks organized by Basil was preceded and inspired by a community of nuns organized by his sister, Macrina.

Macrina the Elder lived in the days of the Emperor Diocletian, who made a determined effort to destroy the Christian faith. She and her husband fled into hiding, and survived into the time of Constantine. One of their sons, Basil the Elder, and his wife
Emmelia, had several distinguished sons, including Basil the Great (see 14 June), Gergory of Nyssa (see 9 March), Peter of Sebastea, Naucratios, and (according to one ambiguously worded communication) Dios of Antioch.

Their oldest offspring, however, was their daughter Macrina (called Macrina the Younger to distinguish her from her grandmother). She was betrothed at the age of twelve, after the custom of the day, but when her fiance died, she determined to devote her life to prayer and contemplation and to works of charity. After the death of her father, she and her mother formed a community of women who shared her goals. She often brought poor and hungry women home to be fed, clothed, nursed, or otherwise taken care of, and many eventually joined the community, as did many women of means.

After the death of their parents, Macrina was chiefly responsible for the upbringing of her ten younger brothers. When they were disposed to be conceited about their intellectual accomplishments, she deflated them with affectionate but pointed jibes. Her example encouraged some of them to pursue the monastic ideal, and to found monastic communities for men. (Dios founded one of the most celebrated monasteries in Constantinople.) Three of them (Basil, Gregory, Peter) became bishops, and all of them were leading contenders for the faith of Nicea against the Arians. Gregory, in his Life of Macrina, records his last visit with her, and her farewell speech and her prayers and teachings about the resurrection.
by James Kiefer

July 22
MARY MAGDALENE
FIRST WITNESS OF THE RESURRECTION

Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by your grace we may be healed of all our infirmities and know you in the power of his endless life; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the Gospels as being among the women of Galilee who followed Jesus and His disciples, and who was present at His Crucifixion and Burial, and who went to the tomb on Easter Sunday to anoint His body. She was the first to see the Risen Lord, and to announce His Resurrection to the apostles. Accordingly, she is referred to in early Christian writings as "the apostle to the apostles."

Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany (sister of Martha and Lazarus), and the unnamed penitent woman who anointed Jesus’ feet (Luke 7:36-48) are sometimes supposed to be the same woman. From this, plus the statement that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2), has risen the tradition that she had been a prostitute before she met Jesus.

Because of the assumption that Mary Magdalene had been a spectacular sinner, and also perhaps because she is described as weeping at the tomb of Jesus on the Resurrection morning, she is often portrayed in art as weeping, or with eyes red from having wept. From this appearance we derive the English word "maudlin", meaning "effusively or tearfully sentimental." There is a Magdalen College at Oxford, and a Magdalene College at Cambridge (different spelling), both pronounced "Maudlin."
A reader has asked about ... the idea that the woman caught in adultery, the woman who was forgiven much because she loved much, the woman with the expensive perfume who bathed Jesus' feet with her tears and hair, were all Mary Magdalene.  I don't know whether there is any firm evidence that this is true or whether this was spoken of in early writings.

From THE PENGUIN DICTIONARY OF SAINTS,
by Donald Attwater
(Penguin Books, London, 2nd ed, 1983) under "Mary Magdalene":  among other women [besides Mary Magdalene] mentioned in the gospels are the unnamed woman "who was a sinner" (Luke 7:37-50), and Mary of Bethany, Martha's sister (Luke 10:38-42). These are not further identified, and in Eastern tradition they are usually treated as three different persons. But the West, following St. Gregory the Great [540?-604], regarded them as one and the same, though weighty voices from St.
Ambrose [337?-397] onwards preferred to leave the question undecided. This western tradition resulted in St. Mary Magdalene's being looked on as an outstanding type of the penitent and the contemplative. The eastern tradition has now been adopted in the new Roman calendar (1969).

We have here the following:
(1) Mary of Magdala,
Jesus had cast out "seven demons" from her (P 16:9; L 8:2f) She and other women of Galilee followed Jesus and His disciples and ministered to them (M 27:55f; P 15:40f; L 8:2f) She was present at the crucifixion (M 27:55f; P 15:40f; J 19:25)
She was present at the burial (M 27:61; P 15:47)
She and others went to the tomb on Easter morning, and she saw the risen Christ (M 28:1-10; P 16:1,9; L 24:1-10; J 20:1-2, 11-18)
(2) Mary of Bethany,
She listened to Jesus, while her sister Martha worked (L 10:38-42) Jesus raised her brother Lazarus from the dead (J 11:1-46) She anointed Jesus with costly ointment (M 26:7-13; P 14:3-9; J 11:2; 12:1-3) (3) the "sinner" She anointed Jesus feet with her tears, and He pronounced her sins forgiven (L 7:50) (4) the woman taken in adultery Jesus said to her: "I do not condemn you; go and sin no more." (J 8:1-11)

Are (1) and (2) the same? Yes, for they have the same name and are both followers of Jesus. No, for (1) is from Galilee and (2) from Judea. Besides, Mary=Miriam was an extremely popular name.
Perhaps, for she might have left her family and gone to Magdala, and later returned to Bethany.

Are (2) and (3) the same? Yes, for each anointed Jesus' feet as He reclined at dinner, and wiped them with her hair, to the scandal of the beholders. No, for the circumstances were quite different, so that it would have to be two different anointings. Perhaps, since Mary might at the close of His ministry have seen fit to anoint Him a second time, and to do so in a way that would suggest to them both the former anointing, when He had declared her sins forgiven.

Are (1) and (3) the same? Yes, for they are both women who were living in unchastily until Jesus transformed their lives. No, for there is no reason to suppose that the sins of (3) included unchastily, and no reason to suppose that that the "seven demons" driven out of Mary Magdalene were sins of unchastity, or indeed sins at all. The Bible does not speak of the demon-possessed as more sinful than anyone else. Perhaps, for there was then, as now, a regrettable tendency to use the terms "immoral" and "unchaste", or "living in sin" and "living in unchastity", interchangeably.

Are (3) and (4) the same? Yes, for they are both adulteresses whom Jesus forgives. No, for the circumstances under which they were forgiven are not at all the same. (Besides, we have no reason to suppose that (3) was an adulteress at all.) Perhaps, for the following scenario is perfectly possible. Jesus meets the woman for the first time when asked whether she is to be stoned. He sends her away uncondemned. At the moment she is tuned to react, but a few days later, realizing that He has given her both acceptances as she is and also the power to change, she seeks Him out to express her gratitude. He points out to His host that her gratitude is a response to the forgiveness she has received, and sends her away with His blessing.

A great many minor characters appear briefly in the gospel narratives, "unheralded and unpursued." There is a natural tendency for the imagination to try to tidy things up by identifying some of them, so that (for example) the centurion who at the crucifixion said, "Truly this was the Son of God," is suggested to be the same centurion whose servant was healed at Capernaum.  But real life is not always tidy, and these suggestions remain only suggestions.

The story of the "woman who was a sinner" (Luke 7:36-50) has been misunderstood by some readers. When Jesus was a dinner guest, a woman who was a "sinner" (sins not specified) came into the room and wept, and kissed and anointed his feet, and the host was shocked. Jesus told a parable: "A man had two debtors, one who owed him 500 denarii, and the other 50. Since they could not pay, he forgave them both. Which will love him more?" The host said: "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." Jesus said: "Good answer. This woman has been forgiven much, and you see that she loves me much. You have been forgiven little, and you love little."

One verse reads: "Her sins, which were many, are forgiven, for she loved much." Some readers take this to mean that her love for Jesus was the cause of his decision to forgive her. Some assume that she was an adulteress, and understand the verse to mean that adultery is okay if you are truly in love. But there is a language problem here. If someone says, "It has been raining, for (or because) the pavement is wet," he does not mean that the wetness of the pavement is the cause of the recent rain. He means that it is evidence of the recent rain. It is the cause of our knowledge of the recent rain. His statement, "It has rained, because the pavement is wet," is shorthand for, "I know that it has rained, because I see that the pavement is wet." So here, as far as our knowledge goes, we see that the woman is grateful to Jesus, and as a result we believe that he has done something great for her (such as forgiving her sins and restoring her to life and joy). But as far as the events are concerned, the restoration comes first and the gratitude follows as a result.

A point often overlooked is the claim that Jesus here makes about his own status. His story casually assumes that all sin is a debt owed to him, and that those who have been forgiven ought to be grateful to him. This does not fit will with the notion that Jesus thought of himself only as a moral teacher, and that his Deity was a later invention of over-enthusiastic followers.

James Kiefer

July 24
THOMAS A KEMPIS,
PRIEST, MONK, AND WRITER

Father, who have nourished and strengthened your Church by the writings of your servant Thomas a Kempis: Grant that we may learn from him to know what we ought to know, to love what we ought to love, to praise what highly pleases you, and always
to seek to know and follow your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever; Thomas Hammerken (or Hammerlein -- both mean "little hammer") was born at Kempen (hence the "A Kempis") in the duchy of Cleves in Germany around 1380. He was educated by a religious order called the Brethren of the Common Life, and in due course joined the order, was ordained a priest, became sub-prior of his house (in the low Countries), and died 25 July 1471 (his feast is observed a day early to avoid conflict with that of James bar-Zebedee the Apostle).

Thomas is known almost entirely for composing or compiling a manual of spiritual advice known as The Imitation of Christ, in which he urges the reader to seek to follow the example of Jesus Christ and to be conformed in all things to His will. An extract follows: When God bestows Spiritual comfort, receive it with a grateful heart; but remember that it comes of God's free gift, and not of your own merit. Do not be proud, nor over joyful, nor foolishly presumptuous; rather, be the more humble for this gift, more cautious, and more prudent in all your doings, for this hour will pass, and temptation will follow it. When comfort is withdrawn, do not immediately despair, but humbly and patiently await the will of Heaven; for God is able to restore you to a consolation even richer than before. This is nothing new or strange to those who know the ways of God, for the great Saints and Prophets of old often experienced these changes. ...Indeed, the temptation that proceeds is often a sign of comfort to follow. For heavenly comfort is promised to those who have been tried and tempted.” To him who overcomes," says God, "I will give to eat of the Tree of Life."
by James Kiefer

July 25
JAMES BAR-ZEBEDEE
APOSTLE (25 JULY 41)

O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever James the son of Zebedee and his brother John were among the twelve disciples of Our Lord. They, together with Peter, were privileged to behold the Transfiguration (M 17:1 = P 9:2 = L 9:28), to witness the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (P 1:29) and the raising of the daughter of Jairus (P 5:37 = L 8:51), and to be called aside to watch and pray with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane on the night before His death (M 26:37 = P 14:33).

James and John were apparently from a higher social level than the average fisherman. Their father could afford hired servants (P 1:20), and John (assuming him to be identical with the "beloved disciple") had connections with the high priest (J 18:15). Jesus nicknamed the two brothers "sons of thunder" (P 3:17), perhaps meaning that they were headstrong, hot-tempered, and impulsive; and so they seem to be in two incidents reported in the Gospels. On one occasion (L 9:54ff), Jesus and the disciples were refused the hospitality of a Samaritan village, and James and John proposed to call down fire from heaven on the offenders. On another occasion (M 20:20-23 = P 10:35-41), they asked Jesus for a special place of honor in the Kingdom, and were told that the place of honor is the place of suffering.

Finally, about AD 42, shortly before Passover (Acts 12), James was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great (who tried to kill the infant Jesus--Matthew 2), nephew of Herod Antipas (who killed John the Baptist--Mark 6--and examined Jesus on Good Friday--Luke 23), and father of Herod Agrippa II (who heard the defense of Paul before Festus--Acts 25). James was the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom, and the only one of the Twelve whose death is recorded in the New Testament.

James is often called James Major (= greater or elder) to distinguish him from other New Testament persons called James. Tradition has it that he made a missionary journey to Spain, and that after his death his body was taken to Spain and buried there.at Compostela (a town the name of which is commonly thought to be derived from the word "apostle", although a Spanish-speaking listmember reports having heard it derived from "field of stars", which in Latin would be campus stellarum). His supposed burial place there was a major site of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, and the Spaniards fighting to drive their Moorish conquerors out of Spain took "Santiago de Compostela!" as one of their chief war-cries. (The Spanish form of "James" is "Diego" or "Iago". In most languages, "James" and"Jacob" are identical.  Where an English Bible has "James," a Greek Bible has IAKWBOS.)
by James Kiefer

July 26
PARENTS OF THE VIRGIN MARY

Almighty God, heavenly Father, we remember in thanksgiving this day the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and we pray that we all may one in the heavenly family of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. The Scriptures tell us nothing about the parents of the Virgin Mother, not even their names. An early but unreliable document, known as the Proto-Gospel (or Proto-Evangelion) of James, calls them Ann and Joachim, by which names they are customarily known. Our only real information about them, however, is an inference from the kind of daughter they reared.
by James Kiefer

July 29
MARY AND MARTHA OF BETHANY

O God, heavenly Father, whose Son Jesus Christ enjoyed rest and refreshment in the home of Mary and Martha of Bethany: Give us the will to love you, open our hearts to hear you, and strengthen our hands to serve you in others for his sake; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.  Mary and Martha lived with their brother Lazarus at Bethany, a village not far from Jerusalem. They are mentioned in several episodes in the Gospels.

On one occasion, when Jesus and His disciples were their guests (Luke 10:38-42), Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to Him while her sister Martha busied herself with preparing food and waiting on the guests, and when Martha complained, Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part. When Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, had died, Jesus came to Bethany. Martha, upon being told that He was approaching, went out to meet Him, while Mary sat still in the house until He sent for her. It was to Martha that Jesus said: "I am the Resurrection and the Life." (John 11:1-44)

Again, about a week before the crucifixion, as Jesus reclined at table, Mary poured a flask of expensive perfume over Jesus' feet. Mary was criticized for wasting what might have been sold to raise money for the poor, and again Jesus spoke on her behalf.
(John 12:1-8)

On the basis of these incidents, many Christian writers have seen Mary as representing Contemplation (prayer and devotion), and Martha as representing Action (good works, helping others); or love of God and love of neighbor respectively.

They see the same symbolism also in Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Laban (Genesis 29 and 35). Leah was dim of sight, but had many children. Rachel had few children, but one of them saved the whole family from destruction. Leah represents Action, which is near-sighted and cannot penetrate very far into the mysteries of God, but produces many worth-while results.  Contemplation has fewer results, but one of those results is Faith, without which it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11:6) Yet, there is a sense in which Action comes first -- "If a man love not his brother, whom he hath seen, how shall he love God, whom he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:20) So it is that Leah must be wed before Rachel.

On some calendars, Lazarus is commemorated together with his sisters, on others his resurrection is remembered separately on 17 December.
by James Kiefer

July 30
WILLLIAM WILBERFORCE
RENEWER OF SOCIETY (30 JULY 1833)

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, enkindle in your Church the never-failing gift of love, that, following the example of your servant William Wilberforce, we may have grace to defend the children of the poor, and maintain the cause of those who have no helper; for the sake of him who gave his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  William Wilberforce was born in 1759 and served in Parliament from 1780 to 1825. A turning point in his religious life was a tour of
Europe. In the luggage of a travelling companion he saw a copy of William Law's book, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. He asked his friend, "What is this?" and received the answer, "One of the best books ever written." The two of them agreed to read it together on the journey, and Wilberforce embarked on a lifelong program of setting aside Sundays and an interval each morning on arising for prayer and religious reading. He considered his options, including the clergy, and was persuaded by Christian friends that his calling was to serve God through politics. He was a major supporter of programs for popular education, overseas missions, parliamentary reform, and religious liberty. He is best known, however, for his untiring commitment to the abolition of slavery and the slave trade.  He introduced his first anti-slavery motion in the House of Commons in 1788, in a three-and-a-half hour oration that concluded: "Sir, when we think of eternity and the future consequence of all human conduct, what is there in this life that shall make any man contradict the dictates of his conscience, the principles of justice and the law of God!"

The motion was defeated. Wilberforce brought it up again every year for eighteen years, until the slave trade was finally abolished on 25 March 1806. He continued the campaign against slavery itself, and the bill for the abolition of all slavery in British territories passed its crucial vote just four days before his death on 29 July 1833. A year later, on 31 July 1834, 800,000 slaves, chiefly in the British West Indies, were set free.

James Kiefer
A movie of the life of William Wilberforce, Amazing Grace, was released in early 2007. It has not as yet come out as a DVD.  where he hung up his sword over the altar, and then spent about a year at Manresa near Montserrat first working as a nurse and orderly in a hospital there, and then retiring to a cave to live as a hermit and study The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis, a book urging the Christian to take Christ as example, and seek daily to follow in His footsteps. It is probably during this year that he wrote his Spiritual Exercises, a manual of Christian prayer and meditation. He directs the reader to begin with an event in the life of Christ, and to imagine the scene in detail, to replay the episode in his mind like a movie script, and to try to feel as if he had himself witnessed the event, and then to use this experience as a motive for love, gratitude, and dedication to the service of God. The book is available today in hardcover and paperback. It has been much used by Christians of all varieties--John Wesley was enthusiastic about it.

Ignatius then made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to see with his own eyes the scenes of Our Lord's life and death. He wanted to stay and preach to the Muslims, but the Franciscans stationed there advised him that he needed an education in order to preach effectively. Beginning by going to elementary school to learn Latin grammar, and ending with a Master of Arts degree from the University of Paris. In Salamanca, he often preached to groups of people assembled. Back in Spain, he spent ten years (1524-1534) getting an education at Barcelona, Alcala', Salamanca, and Paris, by chance; but in those days a layman undertaking to preach on his own, without a license or supervision, was automatically suspected of heresy. Ignatius was twice imprisoned by the Spanish Inquisition and questioned about his beliefs, an experience that made a deep impression on him. (He was finally acquitted, but forbidden to discuss religious matters for three years.) Today, his followers are aggressively proud of the fact that no member of their order has ever sat on an inquisitorial tribunal. (It is possible that Ignatius already had doubts about the Inquisition.  He was a Basque, and I am told that the Inquisition was never active in Biscay because the Basques, although thoroughly orthodox Christians, would not tolerate it.) In 1534, he and six fellow students formed a group who vowed to travel to Jerusalem and there preach the Gospel to the Muslims. (The most famous of the six is Francis Xavier, who went to India and China as a missionary, and who is commemorated on 3 December.) This group later took the name, "The Society of Jesus," and were nicknamed "the Jesuits" by outsiders, a nickname that stuck.

In 1537 the Jesuits (now ten in number) gathered in Venice and (having found that renewed war in Palestine made journeying there impossible) offered their services to Pope Paul III. Ignatius and some of the others were ordained to the priesthood, and they were assigned various tasks. In 1540 they became a formal organization, with the usual monastic vows, plus a fourth vow of personal obedience to the Pope. In order to have more time for preaching and study the order abolished the practice (followed by almost all previous orders) of reciting the monastic Hours in community. Its chief goals were:
(a) renewal of the Roman Catholic Church through extensive
education and the encouragement of frequent use of the sacraments, 
(b) extensive missionary work in non-Christian countries, and
(c) a suitable response to the growing challenge of Protestantism.

In the remaining fifteen years of his life, Ignatius supervised the Jesuits from Rome and saw the order grow from ten men to a thousand. It was always active in missions, and became deeply involved in education, and in counseling those with difficult decisions to make, particularly rulers. The Order undertook to win back to the Roman obedience those areas that had recently become Protestant.  Ignatius counseled his Jesuits (technically neither monks nor friars, but priests regular) to proceed with charity and moderation, "without hard words or contempt for people's errors." He died suddenly on 31 July 1556. His writing includes the following prayer:
Teach us, good Lord, to serve thee as thou deservest; to give, and not to count the cost, to fight, and not to heed the wounds, to toil, and not to seek for rest, to labor, and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do thy will.

James Kiefer

July 31
IGNATIUS LOYOLA
MYSTIC, EDUCATOR, PREACHER,
AND FOUNDER OF THE JESUITS
(31 JULY 1556)

O God, by whose grace your servant Ignatius, enkindled with the fire of your love, became a burning and a shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and may ever walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Iñigo de Recalde de Loyola, youngest of thirteen (one of my sources says eleven) children of Don Beltran Ya'ñez de Loyola and Maria Sa'enz de Licona y Balda, was born in 1491 in the family;castle in the Basque province of Gu'ipozcoa, in northeastern Spain, near the French border. As befitted a boy from an aristocratic family, he spent some time as a page at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella, the rulers of Spain. Here, by his later testimony, he was involved in gambling, wrenching, and dueling. He got into trouble with the law, but escaped punishment because he wasn'technically a cleric. (This does not mean that he was destined for the priesthood. In those days someone becoming a priest went through seven steps:  doorkeeper, reader, exorcist, acolyte, sub-deacon, deacon, and priest. The first four were called Minor Orders, and did not involve any serious commitment, but they did make one technically a cleric, which was useful if one got arrested for anything less than murder or treason. Probably many young noblemen took the first step simply as a precaution. Later the law extended the definition of "cleric" to anyone who could read. See the BIO notes on Thomas a Becket, 29 December.) He then entered military service, but fought in only one major battle, the defense of Pamplona against
the French in 1521. The professional solders knew that their position was indefensible, and proposed to surrender. Iñigo (or Ignatius, to give him the Latin form of his name) had visions of military glory, and urged his comrades to fight. He was promptly hit in the leg by a cannon ball, the town surrendered anyway, and the French sent him home on a stretcher.

The leg was badly set, and did not heal properly. It had to be rebroken and reset, and again it healed crookedly and let him with a permanent limp. Meanwhile, he was bedridden for many months,
and spent the time reading. He asked for tales of knightly adventure, but instead was given a Life of Christ, written by a Carthusian monk.  He read it, and his life was transformed. He went on pilgrimage to Montserrat (near Barcelona), where he hung up his sword over the altar, and then spent about a year at Manresa near Montserrat first working as a nurse and orderly in a hospital there, and then retiring to a cave to live as a hermit and study The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis, a book urging the Christian to take Christ as example, and seek daily to follow in His footsteps. It is probably during this year that he wrote his Spiritual Exercises, a manual of Christian prayer and meditation. He directs the reader to begin with an event in the life of Christ, and to imagine the scene in detail, to replay the episode in his mind like a movie script, and to try to feel as if he had himself witnessed the event, and then to use this experience as a motive for love, gratitude, and dedication to the service of God. The book is available today in hardcover and paperback. It has been much used by Christians of all varieties--
John Wesley was enthusiastic about it. Ignatius then made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to see with his own eyes the scenes of Our Lord's life and death. He wanted to stay and preach to the Muslims, but the Franciscans stationed there advised him that he needed an education in order to preach effectively.

Back in Spain, he spent ten years (1524-1534) getting an education at Barcelona, Alcala', Salamanca, and Paris, beginning by going to elementary school to learn Latin grammar, and ending with a Master of Arts degree from the University of Paris. In Salamanca, he often preached to groups of people assembled by chance; but in those days a layman undertaking to preach on his own, without a license or supervision, was automatically suspected of heresy. Ignatius was twice imprisoned by the Spanish Inquisition and questioned about his beliefs, an experience that made a deep impression on him. (He was finally acquitted, but forbidden to discuss religious matters for three years.) Today, his followers are aggressively proud of the fact that no member of their order has ever sat on an Inquisitorial tribunal.
(It is possible that Ignatius already had doubts about the Inquisition.  He was a Basque, and I am told that the Inquisition was never active in Biscay because the Basques, although thoroughly orthodox
Christians would not tolerate it.) In 1534, he and six fellow students formed a group who vowed to travel to Jerusalem and there preach the Gospel to the Muslims. (The most famous of the six is Francis
Xavier, who went to India and China as a missionary, and who is commemorated on 3 December.) This group later took the name,
"The Society of Jesus," and were nicknamed "the Jesuits" by outsiders, a nickname that stuck.

In 1537 the Jesuits (now ten in number) gathered in Venice and (having found that renewed war in Palestine made journeying there impossible) offered their services to Pope Paul III. Ignatius and some
of the others were ordained to the priesthood, and they were assigned various tasks. In 1540 they became a formal organization, with the usual monastic vows, plus a fourth vow of personal obedience to the Pope. In order to have more time for preaching and study the order abolished the practice (followed by almost all previous orders) of reciting the monastic Hours in community. Its chief goals were:
(a) renewal of the Roman Catholic Church through extensive
education and the encouragement of frequent use of the sacraments,
(b) extensive missionary work in non-Christian countries, and
(c) a suitable response to the growing challenge of Protestantism.
In the remaining fifteen years of his life, Ignatius supervised the Jesuits from Rome and saw the order grow from ten men to a thousand. It was always active in missions, and became deeply involved in education, and in counseling those with difficult decisions to make, particularly rulers. The Order undertook to win back to the Roman obedience those areas that had recently become Protestant.
Ignatius counseled his Jesuits (technically neither monks nor friars, but priests regular) to proceed with charity and moderation, "without hard words or contempt for people's errors." He died suddenly on 31 July 1556. His writing includes the following prayer: Teach us, good Lord, to serve thee as thou deservest; to give, and not to count the cost, to fight, and not to heed the wounds, to toil, and not to seek for rest, to labor, and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do thy will.

by James Kiefer

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