Thursday, November 17, 2005
Meditation on Luke 19: 11-28
O Lord,
when I consider the gift of the life you give,
let me remember the parable of the minas,
how you give to all your servants,
telling us to tend to your business
until you return.
What business will you call me to today?
Caring for someone who hurts?
Feeding an empty heart?
Clothing someone in need?
Spreading your light, some way, some how,
leading me along the paths of righteousness,
letting me offer what I have,
even if it's only a widow's mite.
O Lord,
your love is better than any gold coin,
and I bow to you,
opening my heart, hands, mind --
may I heed your call and use them wisely.
and on that day when the king returns
and settles accounts,
look not upon my failures,
but what my heart longed for and worked to do
all for love of you.
Susan E. Stone, 2005
O Lord,
when I consider the gift of the life you give,
let me remember the parable of the minas,
how you give to all your servants,
telling us to tend to your business
until you return.
What business will you call me to today?
Caring for someone who hurts?
Feeding an empty heart?
Clothing someone in need?
Spreading your light, some way, some how,
leading me along the paths of righteousness,
letting me offer what I have,
even if it's only a widow's mite.
O Lord,
your love is better than any gold coin,
and I bow to you,
opening my heart, hands, mind --
may I heed your call and use them wisely.
and on that day when the king returns
and settles accounts,
look not upon my failures,
but what my heart longed for and worked to do
all for love of you.
Susan E. Stone, 2005
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchae'us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchae'us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.
And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."
And Zacchae'us stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."
Luke 19: 1-10
What did you see, O Lord,
when you looked at him,
this little man, standing in a tree,
eager to see you.
His clothes were rich,
but were his eyes haunted,
touched by the loneliness of having traded too much for means,
a dark bargain.
Did you see a soul ripe for redemption,
for the acceptatnce of a loving God,
for forgiveness,
ready for that moment where sorrow and true contrition
can open the door to heaven?
O reader of hearts,
you knew what you were doing
when you invited yourself to his home,
to the scandal of those who called themselves righteous.
What a world of whispers there were in Jericho that day,
what a celebration of angels
at the salvation of a sin-weary soul.
Susan E. Stone
2005
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchae'us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.
And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."
And Zacchae'us stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."
Luke 19: 1-10
What did you see, O Lord,
when you looked at him,
this little man, standing in a tree,
eager to see you.
His clothes were rich,
but were his eyes haunted,
touched by the loneliness of having traded too much for means,
a dark bargain.
Did you see a soul ripe for redemption,
for the acceptatnce of a loving God,
for forgiveness,
ready for that moment where sorrow and true contrition
can open the door to heaven?
O reader of hearts,
you knew what you were doing
when you invited yourself to his home,
to the scandal of those who called themselves righteous.
What a world of whispers there were in Jericho that day,
what a celebration of angels
at the salvation of a sin-weary soul.
Susan E. Stone
2005
Monday, November 14, 2005
Meditation on the Lamb of God
Behold the Lamb of God,
Behold him to takes away the sins of the world.
O Lord,
at that moment,
we are taken back,
standing in the dust,
touched with the smell of blood,
and fear,
and grief,
and pain,
and looking up,
both to you in the white host,
broken in the priest's hands,
to you on the cross of calvary,
to you, at that last supper,
holding the bread that was you,
that would feed your followers
and all the followers who followed them.
Behold,
him who is Love Incarnate,
him, who to whom every knee will bow,
him, who was wounded for our transgressions,
him, who brings us back,
a re-presentation of that moment in time,
where he who was master,
bled for we who are slave,
on a slave's cross,
in a slave's death
so that we might live.
Blessed are we,
because he called us,
the undeserving,
the lost,
the ungrateful,
the cruel,
the lusting,
the sin-sick,
all called to be healed,
Lord, I will never be worthy to receive you under the roof of my soul,
but only say the word,
the word that heals,
the word that lifts me out of the dust of my deserved death,
and my soul,
so stained, aching and lost,
shall truly be healed.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2005
Behold him to takes away the sins of the world.
O Lord,
at that moment,
we are taken back,
standing in the dust,
touched with the smell of blood,
and fear,
and grief,
and pain,
and looking up,
both to you in the white host,
broken in the priest's hands,
to you on the cross of calvary,
to you, at that last supper,
holding the bread that was you,
that would feed your followers
and all the followers who followed them.
Behold,
him who is Love Incarnate,
him, who to whom every knee will bow,
him, who was wounded for our transgressions,
him, who brings us back,
a re-presentation of that moment in time,
where he who was master,
bled for we who are slave,
on a slave's cross,
in a slave's death
so that we might live.
Blessed are we,
because he called us,
the undeserving,
the lost,
the ungrateful,
the cruel,
the lusting,
the sin-sick,
all called to be healed,
Lord, I will never be worthy to receive you under the roof of my soul,
but only say the word,
the word that heals,
the word that lifts me out of the dust of my deserved death,
and my soul,
so stained, aching and lost,
shall truly be healed.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2005
Labels: Eucharist, Passion of Christ
Sunrise (Meditation on Luke 18:35-43)
The road was dusty, that day, as usual.
He could taste the dust in the air,
the sun on his back,
smell the touch of spring in the air,
and his his darkness,
anticipation.
He could hear the crowd gather near his usual place.
ignoring him, wrapped in darkness,
abuzz with talk about the teacher,
waiting for something different to do,
waiting, perhaps,
to fan the flame of hope,
to warm themselves by his fire,
this holy man,
this wonder,
this healer,
teacher.
As the teacher drew near,
who had the kindness
to describe what was happening,
to feed that hope,
to help him to the right spot?
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!"
he cried as that hope burst into a roaring flame.
Others were not so kind,
pushing this useless beggar out of the way.
But the wildfire of his hope would not be silenced.
"Jesus, son of David, mercy!"
his voice rang out
as thrusts and pushes taunted his darkness.
A hush,
and the unkind hands fell away.
A kindly hand took his.
"Come, the master wants you," a kind voice said,
and led him through the darkness,
his heart beating like a drum,
the rocks crunching under his feet.
He could feel those eyes upon him,
he with no sight,
could taste the kindness of that smile.
"What do you want, friend? What can I do?"
"Lord, let me see!"
And in that moment, sunrise.
Lord, heal us
from our own blindnesses,
the darkness of our own willfulness,
and may we, too be brave enough to cry,
Lord, let me see!
and find in you our light.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2005
He could taste the dust in the air,
the sun on his back,
smell the touch of spring in the air,
and his his darkness,
anticipation.
He could hear the crowd gather near his usual place.
ignoring him, wrapped in darkness,
abuzz with talk about the teacher,
waiting for something different to do,
waiting, perhaps,
to fan the flame of hope,
to warm themselves by his fire,
this holy man,
this wonder,
this healer,
teacher.
As the teacher drew near,
who had the kindness
to describe what was happening,
to feed that hope,
to help him to the right spot?
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!"
he cried as that hope burst into a roaring flame.
Others were not so kind,
pushing this useless beggar out of the way.
But the wildfire of his hope would not be silenced.
"Jesus, son of David, mercy!"
his voice rang out
as thrusts and pushes taunted his darkness.
A hush,
and the unkind hands fell away.
A kindly hand took his.
"Come, the master wants you," a kind voice said,
and led him through the darkness,
his heart beating like a drum,
the rocks crunching under his feet.
He could feel those eyes upon him,
he with no sight,
could taste the kindness of that smile.
"What do you want, friend? What can I do?"
"Lord, let me see!"
And in that moment, sunrise.
Lord, heal us
from our own blindnesses,
the darkness of our own willfulness,
and may we, too be brave enough to cry,
Lord, let me see!
and find in you our light.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2005
Labels: Jesus' Love, scripture
