Meditation
I grew up in cattle ranching country, and my father was a rancher. As I look back, I realize many of my memories revolve around riding with him in his pickup truck. He would drive fairly slowly, and his eyes were always scanning, looking for the herds, and counting the cattle. He always knew the size of the herd, so he knew when one was missing. Yes, he would look for it, and not rest easy until he found it. He may not have overtly rejoiced, but I have seen the relief on his face when the missing were accounted for. He and I did not always see eye to eye, but when I think of him behind the steering wheel as he scanned the herds, I am filled with admiration. Truthfully, I wish I could tell him that in person, but my prayers of gratitude must do. Every day for over four decades, he tended the herds, counting them, and responding to their needs.
Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
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From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Blessings to each of you this Holy Week. For those of you who are Jewish, I recognize we are also in Passover. May you have a happy holiday! And for those of you who are Hindu, I recognize that Holi ended March 29, but may the love you celebrated always be celebrated! May we all acknowledge and celebrate our many paths to the Sacred. I want to let you all know that every Wednesday night at 7:30 I host via Zoom a Centering Prayer meditation session. In Centering Prayer, we set our intention to make room for Christ (or whatever you call the Sacred) in our hearts. We begin with a short reading, meditate for 25 minutes, and then have a brief time of discussion. If you would like to take part, just send me an email and I will send the link.
Meditation
Thursday is Maundy Thursday, a time when many Christians will gather to celebrate the Eucharist and prepare for Good Friday. Many will also wash one another's feet. The word Maundy means commandment. This is a time when we ponder Jesus' words to love one another. These words come after Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Love does require humility. Love asks us to serve one another.
God is our Alpha and our Omega. Since God is love (1 John 4:8), we can have confidence in knowing that love will always have the last word. Always. That is true for our very own hearts.
Prayer Holy and gracious God, thank you for teaching us to love. Thank you for holding this world in love. May our communities and families know this love. Help us to remember that love thrives when it is shared. May our nation and the world learn that peace will happen when we learn to treat one another with the deep respect that love brings. We pray for Christians as they journey through Holy Week. May they do so in safety and respect. We give you thanks for the gift of Jesus who simply asked that we love another. May we remember this commandment, and live this commandment. This is how we can serve the world. In gratitude we pray, Amen. In the meantime, have a beautiful Easter Sunday. Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Blessings as we enter Holy Week. May we all open the gates of hearts and let Christ abide in us. Let us continue to hold one another in prayer during this coming week, and always.
Meditation
I need to study the text of Zechariah because centuries later this is how Jesus is described as he rode into Jerusalem for the last time. We will acknowledge this entry on this coming Sunday, which we call Palm Sunday. The theme of building, destruction, and rebuilding of the temple runs throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as the New Testament. Jesus' life and ministry teaches us that we, too, are a temple for God. The physical body rises and falls, but our souls are an eternal temple. Holy Week helps us remember who we really are. Jesus' entry into the city is filled with irony. He comes as a hero, but he comes riding, not on a powerful war house or in a glorious chariot, but on a donkey. His entourage consists of ordinary people who make a way for Jesus by laying their cloaks on the donkey and the foal, and on the ground where Jesus rides. I love this image. First of all, I love donkeys. Secondly, I love the reminder that Jesus comes humbly. One wants to linger with this story, because it does not take long for things to start falling apart. Palm Sunday teaches us caution. If people are cheering us today, that does not mean that they will not be turning away from us tomorrow. Jesus learned this lesson even before this last journey. No where in the Gospel do we read Jesus' encouragement to follow the crowds and listen to the cheers. Jesus was far too focused on God to fall for such trappings. In our own lives, things also fall apart. If we start from a place of humility that accepts this inevitability, we can find strength for the journey. As we begin to move into Holy Week, let us do so with a humble heart. Yes, Jesus suffered. Yet, the story does not end in the suffering. There is always more. Because there is always God. Let us tend to the temple that is our body, and rejoice in the knowledge that resurrection is real. Therefore, let us enter the gates of life with humility and thanksgiving for the Spirit that carries us ever on. Prayer: "The earth is the Lord's and all that it holds, the world and those who live there. For God founded it on the seas, established it over the rivers. Lift up your heads, o gates; rise up, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter." Psalm 24:1-2, 9 Holy One, we thank you for the gift of the eternal Christ. Help us to tend to the Christ who is within all. Help us to tend the beautiful temple that is this life. Amen Blessings this Holy Week to you all. Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ -- www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Grace and Peace to you all. First of all for those of you in Santa Clara County, at the bottom of this email is some information regarding free counseling that is available for those impacted by the pandemic. If any of you know of similar resources for San Mateo or Alameda Counties, please let me know. The sharing of information can help us all move towards healing. Friends, I know many of you are still carrying heavy burdens. Do keep in mind that PTSD is real and is rampant. I pray you and your staff take time to mourn, rest, and heal into wholeness. Please remember we are here for you and people are holding you in prayer. Scripture: James 4:7-8 "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you." Meditation My "devil" is procrastination. I am often slow to take on what I perceive to be a difficult task. The irony is that procrastination takes an inordinate amount of energy and resources to maintain. It has to be fed continually. Often, far more energy is needed to procrastinate than to simply do what needs to be done. It is a heavy burden because we have to continue to carry that which is incomplete or undone. We can end up carrying so much that things can end up either not being finished well, or dropped and forgotten about. Yet, we always have a resource to help us. We can remember Jesus in the desert. When faced with temptations, he relied completely on God. He held on to the teachings and refused to succumb to the illusion that he could be powerful and mighty. He knew that was not his path, so he did not walk it. He refused to pick that burden up.
Prayer
Holy God, too often we make things difficult for ourselves and those around us because we try to carry too much. Help us to decide what truly needs to be done and to trust that you will help us complete those tasks. We thank you because so often you bring us help through one another. You remind us that we seldom need to do everything ourselves. Help us to not turn our illusions of independence into idols that only increase our burdens. May we remember that to be in Christ is to be in relationship. Knowing that we journey together, may we stay open to one another and to be thankful for one another. We know that in that gratitude, we are giving thanks to you. In loving gratitude we pray, Amen For those of you in Santa Clara County A generous grant has allowed La Selva's Community Clinic to offer FREE telehealth counseling to underinsured and uninsured individuals who have been impacted by the pandemic. Healthcare workers are especially encouraged to participate, but all are welcome. Services are short-term and available in both English and Spanish. See this link to sign up and for more details. Contact Karen Salas-Caballero (employed by Momentum for Health) (408) 757-8449 for more details. -- Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
I am so grateful for the calls and emails I am receiving with the news that indeed, things are improving in many communities. If your community is still struggling, please take heart. Things will ease. Please remember I am available to resume worship services, a Bible study, or a faith conversation via Zoom when you are ready. Just let me know, and we can schedule. My second vaccination is scheduled for March 24. I certainly look forward to that process being completed! Please continue to hold SpiritCare in your prayers. This past year has played havoc with our budget. If your community can support us in some way, do let us know. Thank you for all the ways you have supported the ministry through the years. Scripture "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17 Meditation The Apostle Paul mentions freedom several times in his letters, and I always find his encouragement to live into our freedom inspiring. Part of the reason for my admiration is that Paul spent a lot of time writing from prison. Yet, his heart was free. At the beginning of the pandemic, I read a biography of Gandhi, who also spent much time in prison. Yet, in his heart and mind, like Paul, he knew only freedom. Gandhi was not Christian, but a devout Hindu who knew freedom because of his deep love of the Lord as revealed to him through the Bhagavad Gita. That is where he found the conviction to lead his nation to freedom without violence. It is a compelling, inspiring story.
Let us say yes to that commandment and know that our love can never be contained. Love is of Spirit and cannot be boxed or shelved for a later time. Love lives. Blessed be.
Prayer Holy One, help us to drop the shackles of fear and disbelief. Help us to accept the love that you are always offering us. Fill us, Holy One, and help us to share that abundant love with all. We know this is our call. May we respond with open hearts. In Christ we gratefully pray, Amen -- Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Dear Friends, I apologize for being late, but yesterday was a very full day, and truthfully, as my mother would say, I ran out of steam. I pray all is going well with you, your families, and your communities.
Scripture: James 1:5-6
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."
Our egos, however, really want to come up with the solutions on our own. The ego wants to be heroic, maybe even famous. This is not the path to wisdom and peace. Fortunately, we each have a sacred soul that has no interest in conquering the world, but rather living in relationship with it. I am reminded of some lines from a beautiful poem written by Alfred K. LaMotte entitled,
Love Doesn't Need a Story "Whether you feed the multitudes today or only wash the dishes makes no difference at all." I once took a daylong cooking class in a commercial kitchen. I was struck by how difficult the work must be to do day in and day out. People are on their feet for hours. More than once I thought the heat from all the burners would surely do us all in. I also learned that as heavy pots and pans seemed to perpetually fill the large sinks, people who wash dishes are incredibly heroic. The same is true of the people who make beds, vacuum floors, empty the trash, and check out our groceries. Being heroic means going about our daily lives with humility and grace. Through prayer, we can learn how to live our lives in such dignity whatever our circumstances we find ourselves in. God is always willing to go where we need to be.
Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Greetings to each of you! May you remember that you are blessed and loved. And that you are in our prayers. I am sure that I have shared Psalm 23 with you all, but today on my morning walk I found myself reciting this beautiful Psalm. What surprised me was that I was reciting the King James version. I thought I would share it with you today.
Meditation:
Many faith communities, including SpiritCare and the church I serve are finding ourselves in a time of discernment. How do we go forward? Budgets have taken significant hits. We have not been able to gather in person for a year. What does the future hold? I think that is why Psalm 23 came to me this morning. It is a beautiful reminder that even in this time of Covid, we are all being led and that indeed, "our cups runneth over." We have more than we realize. The enemies we face are our fear and lack of trust. Let us continue to remind one another and ourselves to hold on to our courage and our love. Has God ever abandoned us? Isn't God always doing something new in this world? As we pray, let us envision our hearts as a serene, beautiful lake. Let us imagine that we are there with Jesus and there is only the peace of his love. May we know that all is well and that we are right where we need to be.
Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Lenten blessings to you all. May your hearts be at ease. We are praying that good health and peace are returning to your communities and that all is well in your homes. Scripture: Luke 4:1-4 "And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. ' And Jesus answered him,“It is written, ‘[we] shall not live by bread alone.'" MEDITATION Some years ago I often visited a woman who had lost her sight. She frequently expressed gratitude for a Sunday school teacher she had when she was young. That teacher insisted that the children memorize scripture, and it was a habit that she kept up even as an adult. Being able to recite some of her favorite passages brought her much comfort when she could no longer read the Bible. I am not good at extensive memorization, but I do like knowing some very short pieces of scripture that I can use as prayer. "Be still and know that I am God," helps me when I am restless or worried. "Be not afraid," is another that I often use. This scripture from Luke is the beginning of the story of Jesus' temptation in the desert. When the tempter showed up, Jesus did what my friend did. He quoted scripture that he had memorized, and that gave him strength to not fall for temptation's trickery. Here, Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 8:3: "He humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you the manna that neither you nor your ancestors had ever experienced, so he could teach you that people do not live on bread alone." People often think of Lent as a time of giving something up. Yet, I think it goes deeper than that. It is a time to reconnect and deepen our relationship with Christ. Please remember that your faith journey is unique. May your time with scripture and prayer bring you closer to God this Lent and always. It is true: we do not live by bread alone. That would be opting for a very poor diet when we are continually offered so much goodness. PRAYER I leave you with the first verse and refrain of the beautiful hymn, "Be Not Afraid" written by Bob Dufford. May we all heed these beautiful words of encouragement.
Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
Scripture: John 14:2 King James Version
"In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." MEDITATION My beloved dog is about 12 years old. My husband and I are guessing his age. We adopted him a decade ago through a rescue agency when he looked to be about two years old. During this time of working at home, he has been a great companion, and even though right now he is curled up sound asleep on the couch, I find his presence is comforting, and I think he is happy that I am here as well.
PRAYER
Holy One, thank you for showing us the way. Thank you for understanding our fears when we cannot see our way forward. Yet, because of your love, we know we can continue on this journey. We thank you for the beauty that is with us today, and the beauty that awaits us. May we never forget to pay attention to the ways your love is being made known to us. Amen. Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
May each of you know God's grace and peace, both in times of challenge and in times of rest. That well is always there for us. Let us remember to pause and quench our thirst. Scripture: Luke 12:25-27 "Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life? If you can’t do such a small thing, why worry about the rest? Notice how the lilies grow. They don’t wear themselves out with work, and they don’t spin cloth. But I say to you that even Solomon in all his splendor wasn’t dressed like one of these."
When we find ourselves worrying, we learn to pay attention to our thoughts and not let them run amuck and lead us where we may not want to go. When I read this scripture, I envision Jesus looking at the flowers, admiring their beauty, and taking a deep breath. Jesus certainly had concerns. However, he also knew when to pause and pray. May we also learn to pause and simply be in the presence of God and the wonder of it all. When we pause and give thanks, we get a glimpse of eternity, and we know it to be beautiful.
Prayer Yesterday I was reminded of the beautiful "How Great Thou Art." Let us close with the first verse of this timeless hymn.
Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Hello Everyone, Blessed assurance to each of you as we journey into February. You are in our prayers. If there is a specific prayer you want us to hold, please drop me a note or give me a call. Those of you who are familiar with the hymn, "Blessed Assurance" will see that I changed the word blood to love. As biblical translations evolve, hymn lyrics also change over the decades. I believe Fanny Crosby would understand that these are trying times. Let us set our hearts on love. There we can find the assurance that we need.
Healing is always available to us. It may not appear in the way we are envisioning, but Jesus is always offering us wholeness - to be fully who we are in the body we have. Some years ago, I was talking to a man who shrugged his shoulders and said he did not have to worry about healing anyone since he was not Jesus. It is true that few of us have Jesus' healing touch.
However, we know there is healing in hearing the word yes. That healing can be experienced when we befriend one another, greet one another, and offer to help one another. When we acknowledge one another. When we hear someone asking for assistance, we can usually respond with a yes. Let us remember that we experience Christ in our relationships. Certainly there are times when a no is an appropriate response. Let us remember that in Matthew 5:37 Jesus encourages us to let our yes be yes and our no be no. However, let us be prudent with those times when we respond with a no. Let us affirm and assure one another with a yes whenever we possibly can. Prayer As I was writing this, I kept hearing the wonderful old hymn, "Blessed Assurance". I include the first verse and refrain here.
Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Hello Everyone, I pray that the inauguration gave you encouragement and hope. Yes, there is much work to be done. I also pray that you are feeling confident that God is guiding us all through these times. Continue to pray, knowing that we are praying with you and for you. A donation of disposable as well as washable masks was recently given to SpiritCare. If your community could use some of these, do let me know. Scripture Luke 12:3-4 "There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." I have always found this scripture comforting. I am one who believes that the truth will always surface. Therefore, if something is troubling or confusing us, let us have patience. The truth will be made known. God does not hide the information we need.
The truth will be made known. God does not hide the information we need. It may take awhile before it is revealed, but we can trust the steps we need to go through. Usually these steps lead us to a new level of spiritual maturity and a deeper trust in God's ways.
Prayer
Holy One, teach us to walk the path of Truth and Wisdom. May we always be willing to listen to the voice of Wisdom, for Wisdom's voice is your own. Let us not take that gift for granted. May we not be careless, but rather unwrap this gift with care. Help us to also remember that Wisdom requires us to always listen. May we not speak in haste, but rather discern what Wisdom has to say. May these words from Proverbs be said of us as well: "Listen, for I speak things that are correct; from my lips comes what is right. My mouth utters the truth; my lips despise wickedness. All the words of my mouth are righteous; nothing in them is twisted or crooked." Proverbs 8:8 -- Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Hope is really not something we can conjure up on our own. We can, however, open our hearts to the hope that is all around us. It is a sacred gift. Please continue to take good care of yourselves and take some time for rest and recreation. Remember, you are loved and you are being held in prayer. Every day. And every day there is hope for us all. "The middle of the night is the beginning of the day. The middle of need is the beginning of the light." A friend recently sent me the first two lines of this quote and asked if I knew the source. Not only did I not know the source, I could find no reference to it on the internet. I passed the inquiry on to another friend who found the first two lines and two additional lines on the Facebook page of a church in Eldred, PA. Their post advised these verses are from "an old carol." I left a post on their page asking if they knew any more about this carol, but so far no response. Even if I never hear from them, this process of exploration and connection lifted my spirits. This past week has been complicated, disappointing, and even frightening. While I certainly knew that the difficulties we have experienced in 2020 were not going to magically disappear just because our calendars told us the year was over, I was hoping for a little steadier beginning to 2021. I am certain I was not alone in that hope.
I am also reminded that hope is for all people. Let us remember that hope was born in a manger, dunked and raised in a river, and honed in the desert. Those in power would eventually try to annihilate it. Yet, hope could not be extinguished. Hope took the form of Christ and continued to grow.
f we keep our hearts open to these stirrings, we can help nurture hope in those who no longer believe such a thing is possible.
Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Goodness, what a time we are living in. Yet, let us have courage. We really are in this together. I talked to a few of you this week, and it was wonderful to hear your voices. I hope to speak with all of you in the next week or so. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to give me a call if there is a way I, or the Board of SpiritCare, can assist your community.
It is easy to lose confidence as we grow older. We can convince ourselves that people do not really care where we have come from, and at times we may not know where we are headed. Such uncertainty can interfere with our confidence. We worry we may not be headed anywhere.
Yet, it is in these doubts where our faith helps provide the mortar to fill in the gaps and strengthen our core structure. It is my prayer that we all remember that we are God's children. We belong. Our journey is to continue in faith, learning as we go, serving one another by encouraging one another. This is how we find meaning in our lives. Jesus knew he was headed for the cross, but in his three years of ministry he accomplished much. We, too, know that our physical bodies will eventually perish. Yet, because of love, we walk in the light. We walk in the light that is Christ. People of other faiths will describe such love differently. No worries. Ultimately, there is only one God and one Love. I call that Love, Christ. Yet, we know our words will always fall short so we do not cling to them. However, love never falls short. Why? Because while our physical bodies die, we have the inextinguishable gifts of love and light. Such gifts cannot be destroyed, not in this life, nor in the continuing life to come. Where do we come from? God. Where are we going? The answer is the same. Let us put our doubts aside. As the saying goes, let us stop worrying and start living. Let us claim this life that we have as the holy temple that it is. God is always with us. How can you then be anything else but the light of the world? Please, rise and shine, confident in all your comings and goings, being love in this world. Thank you! Prayer I leave you with Psalm 36:7-9 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Amen. Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.slzchurch.org www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com
From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough
Blessings of healing and wholeness to each of you today, and long into the future. Let us go forward with courage, knowing that if we can love, we are following the Christ Light. As long as we love, we cannot be lost. We of SpiritCare realize your work has often been difficult this year. You have our deep gratitude and respect. Thank you.
Like much of life, not all of the text of Jeremiah is so wonderfully encouraging as the passage above. Yet, Jeremiah, born sometime around 650 BCE, believed that God was instructing him to tell the people in exile to take root where they were. Not only to take root, but to build a life and to thrive. He knew that God would be with them and could be found through prayer and honest heart felt seeking.
I believe this is good advice for all of us as we move into 2021. Let us remember that God is with us, and his presence can be known to us. I do not believe in a punishing God, but a God who has created us to learn and mature in our difficulties and troubling times. If we try to avoid the difficulties, we cannot grow.
Blessings of hope and peace in the year 2021, and always.
Prayer Holy and Eternal God, we thank you for guiding us through these times. We thank you for never abandoning us, even when our hearts go astray. Yes, at times we get frustrated, even angry, and we try to turn away from you and from life. Yet, you are present within us and all around us. We cannot turn away. It is impossible. Nowhere can we go that you are not there. Help us, therefore to have the courage to face what we need to face, and to move through what we need to move through. Help us to trust this life. Thank you for your wondrous, steadfast love. Thank you for teaching us how to love. May we take these lessons to heart, and respond likewise. In gratitude we pray. Amen Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com |
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