Sitting with St. Francis

 

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved, as to love. St. Francis of Assisi

 

This is one of St. Francis’ most famous quote/prayers.  I am struck by that first line: am I really an instrument of God’s peace, or am I a loud, crashing cymbal just trying to get more likes on social media?  Do I sow love or hate?  Do I practice forgiveness or lug grudges around in the backpack of life?  Do I give in to criticism and cynicism and pointing out where everything is wrong, or do I also notice and name the goodness and God-ness of the world?  Do I join the arguing and bullying, or do I offer light, love, curiosity, and care to a broken world?  To be sure, St. Francis’ prayer can lead us to dualism, where we think it is either/or.  That we must always be pardoning, faithful, loving, joyful, shiny happy people holding hands all the time.  This would be difficult and might lead us to think it is only up to us.  The point of a prayer isn’t that this prayer is a to-do for us to check off, but an invitation for God to infuse and inspire our living.  Prayer is about setting our intention for the direction our energy will flow.  Prayer is opening my ears/heart/life to God’s vision of what could be in this world.  I don’t think I will ever cross off and accomplish living this way.  I don’t think I will ever cross the finish line of always and forever embodying this prayer.  Yet, this prayer gives me a different way to live.  St. Francis isn’t interested in our beliefs or how well we know the Bible; St. Francis wants us to live our faith in the world.  From how we offer our time/talent/treasure to how we let God guide our energy to embody the words above.  I love that St. Francis’ prayer allows room for diversity within unity.  The way you share and show faith can be different from me, but together (with God’s grace) there is harmony.  You could pray these words every day and never exhaust what they mean, because life is constantly changing and offering us new ways of sowing God’s love where we are and with the people we meet.  So may you and I find ways to let this prayer awaken our minds and energize our souls in such a time as this.  Amen. 

Sitting with St. Francis

 

Lord, help me to live this day, quietly, easily. To lean upon Thy great strength, trustfully, restfully. To wait for the unfolding of Thy will, patiently, serenely. To meet others, peacefully, joyously. To face tomorrow, confidently, courageously. St. Francis of Assisi

 

I invite you to re-read this quote several times.  Which word(s) do you emphasize above?  Read the quote aloud: where do the words strangely warm your heart, and which words are like sandpaper to your soul?  For example, I love the idea of a day that is quiet and easy.  That sounds good.  I delight in the image of relying on God for strength and rest.  And then, that third sentence lands with a thud in my soul.  To wait on God’s will, wait…what?  Does that mean God isn’t on my timetable and in line with my agenda?  Does that mean that I may not know what is best all the time?  This rubs against the gospel of the world that says you deserve to have it your way, and not only when you are at Burger King.  You deserve to have your needs met right now with a 100 percent money-back guarantee. 

 

Recently I saw a Peanuts cartoon that is sticking with me.  Charlie Brown walks up to Snoopy, who is typing on a typewriter (so quaint to remember a typewriter).  Charlie asks Snoopy what he is writing, and Snoopy replies, a book of theology.  For me, this makes perfect sense; dog is God spelled backwards.  But Charlie is aghast: what could a dog know about theology!  And Charlie asks what the title is, and Snoopy replies, “Has it ever occurred to you that you might be wrong?”  That is a good theology title and a good reminder of faith.  I don’t know what I don’t know, but that often doesn’t stop me from quickly forming and sharing an opinion.  To wait on God for God’s wisdom.  And to seek out God’s wisdom. 

 

What would it mean to not just lean on God’s great strength (as if God were there to give you motivation to do your will), but to trust in God for God’s will?  What if our strength, then, was to show up in the world as God’s peace, joy, hope, and love each day? 

 

Ponder this quote as a doorway to our still-speaking God at work in our lives each day.  Amen.

Sitting Down with St. Francis

 

Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received ~ only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.  St. Francis of Assisi

 

Francis of Assisi was born in Italy to a wealthy family.  His father was a silk merchant, and his mother was a French noblewoman.  By most accounts, he was an affluent young adult who loved bright clothing and the pleasures of life.  The story goes that Francis’ world was turned upside down when, sitting at his father’s booth in the marketplace selling cloth, he saw a beggar asking for alms.  Francis is said to have abandoned his station at the shop and ran after the beggar, giving away all his money.  His friends mocked him, and his father was outraged by leaving valuable merchandise to thieves.  During a year of military service, he was taken prisoner and held captive.  In captivity, he fell ill, which caused him to think about his life.  Often our mortality reminds us of our vulnerability, opening us to God.  Francis continued to have spiritual experiences that led him to loosen his grip on wealth as material items lost their allure.  As the mystics say, all that glimmers is not gold.   This year, 2026, marks 800 years since St. Francis’ death.  This week, I will share a few of my favorite quotes from St. Francis, inviting you to let his wisdom sink and sing to your soul.

 

Like Francis, we all have a money autobiography.  Maybe you, like Francis, came from a family that was well-off, or maybe you came from a working-class family that barely had two dimes to rub together.  I came from a family where money was tight, hand-me-downs were normal, and going out to eat was a special occasion.  My material grandmother, a daughter of the Depression, would wash out bread bags to reuse (for what I don’t remember), and we had a collection of twist ties.  Why?  I don’t know.  Iowa frugality is an art form that has left an impression on my soul.  Moreover, being a pastor is not exactly the way to be featured on lifestyles of the rich and famous (there is a throwback to an old television show!).  Each of us has a story about money written in our hearts, and that guides our lives.  In our diverse church, those stories can sometimes come into conflict with each other, because we only know what we know.  If you have always had things work out financially, that leads you to one perspective.  If you have had to scratch and claw your way through life and worry about running out of money, that leads you to another.  Even more interesting is that two people can come from similar financial status, but land in differing, even conflicting, perspectives.  For some, not having money leads to clinging, or others to generosity.  Money contributes to the story we tell about ourselves to the world.

 

Yet, St. Francis is right, as the cliché goes, “You never see a hearse with a U-Haul trailer behind it.”  Life is not what we take with us, but what we can offer/share while we are here.  As someone who presides at a lot of funerals, I can tell you that the balance of someone’s bank account is rarely mentioned in the eulogy.  Yet, culture wants you to keep building your resume even after retirement.  Today, I invite you to think about the ways money has left an impression on your soul.  How do you see money?  Do you see it as a “necessary evil”?  As a tool?  As a fire that you need to tend but can burn you if not careful?  Where did that view come from?  Who else has contributed/edited the story you tell about money – could be your parents or a boss you had, or a class you took in college?  How does our current economic tension- where inflation, increasing cost of war, national debt, and the rollercoaster stock market all mix into an intoxicating drink we all sip from?  Listen to St. Francis’ wisdom to ponder what is in the cardboard boxes of your soul marked, “My Story with Money”.  Amen.

Prayer

 

Creator of all that is, of trees that tower, birds that soar, clouds that sail, and waves that rhythmically wash on the shore, connect me to the symphony of this world.  Open my ears to hear the wisdom You have woven into the beauty of earth.  Open my mind to explore and discuss the truths from brother sun and sister moon.  Open my heart to the waves and grass that laughingly tickle my toes with delight.  God of all seasons, even in Florida, where the changes are subtle and slight, where humidity still hangs in the air, as other parts of the country start to cool off, let me be open to You.  Help me connect to this plot and place I call home.  Help me be a good and loving partner to this land.  For the goodness of a carrot and apple, for the beauty of a sunset, for the reminder of storms that I am not in control of or in charge of, and for Your creation that reorders, refreshes, renews, and reminds me morning by morning of Your mercy, love, care, and presence.  God of all, to You we sing with creation our hymn of praise.  Alleluia and Amen. 

Creation is Preaching

 

Today, pray with me, slowly savoring each syllable of the beautiful Psalm 19 ~ a hymn of creation and our holy connection to all that is ~

 

The heavens are telling the glory of God,
    and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.
² Day to day pours forth speech,
    and night to night declares knowledge.
³ There is no speech, nor are there words;
    their voice is not heard;
⁴ yet their voice goes out through all the earth
    and their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
⁵ which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
    and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
⁶ Its rising is from the end of the heavens
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and nothing is hid from its heat.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
    making wise the simple;
⁸ the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
    enlightening the eyes;
⁹ the awe of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
    and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.

¹¹ Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
¹² But who can detect one’s own errors?
    Clear me from hidden faults.
¹³ Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
    do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless
    and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

 

Which word/phrase above leapt off the screen for you?  Is there a word/phrase above that confused or confounded you?  Was there a word/phrase that felt like sandpaper/fig leaf to your skin and soul?  What is the sunlight trying to teach you?  How might night be telling you something you need to hear?  How does creation reveal God’s wisdom?  I pray that as you ponder this psalm, you might sense God’s love enfolding and holding you.  May the words of your mouth and the meditations/thoughts/encounters of your heart this day be aligned and alive to God’s presence in/through/with all things ~ including your one wild and precious life.  Amen.

Creation is Preaching

 

Coming alive means that we are showing up.  We are awake to our own bodies and desires, to other people, to beauty, to grief, to joy, and to the ordinary altar of encountering God now. We are not numb and amused and only able to talk about shows or TikToks and settling for (ChatGPT’s) answers to our deepest questions.  Sarah Bessey

 

One of the many reasons we step outside the air-conditioned homes is to let all our senses come awake and alive.  Outside the walls of our homes, there are sights, sounds, smells, feels, textures, and tastes that our controlled environments mute or entirely block out.  Creation enlivens us because it awakens us.  We don’t need to climb Mount Everest to feel awake and alive.  We do need to be intentional.  When you stroll to your mailbox today, what is in the air you inhale?? What do you hear, see, sense?  A simple trip outside to collect what usually goes right in the recycle bin can be a spiritual practice.  A simple walk around the block can be a pilgrimage to another world if we notice the new color on our neighbors' plants or how the cloud above our heads looks like a sailboat.  We notice not only what is outside of us, but also what is inside.  How our body responds to the warmth of the sun, how a cool/cold cup of water after being outdoors is essential, how we feel more at home in ourselves when we soak in the symphony of the world around us ~ a symphony in which we are at once an audience member and active participant at the same time.  We both listen to and sing with creation, God’s music of the spheres.  We absorb and respond.  How might we encounter the altar of God’s world, the church/cathedral of creation, as one way to worship the Creator?  May you and I discover new ways to connect with birds, grass, soil, trees, and life that is evolving around and within today.  Amen.

Creation is Preaching

 

Creation is one giant symphony of mutual sympathy ~ John Duns Scotus

 

Creation is continually singing and serenading us, but when do we slow down to pay attention?  Creation is continually ministering to us, but when do we receive the offering openly?  And, before this starts to sound like I am waxing poetically, let’s admit that nature is messy, scary, uncontrollable ~ even as we pave over paradise or see creation only as a backdrop/scenery for our social media post.  Creation, like humans, is a mixture of beauty and brokenness.  To be in relationship with creation is to be connected to our Creator.  Genesis 3 tells us our initial home was in a garden where our ancestors were called/given the job to tend and till, be stewards of the soil as the way to steward their souls.  And because at the heart of any relationship is mutuality and free will, God gives us the power to decide how or if we will connect with creation.  Our ancestors chose to eat the fruit from the very tree God instructed to avoid.  This is less about “original sin” and more about our very human nature.  When left to our own agendas, we often select the option which promises us power, fame, or fortune rather than relationships.  Genesis didn’t have to literally happen to be true, because we keep plucking from the earth to feed our own agendas rather than live in relationship with the goodness of God.  We keep gathering more manna than we need, even though it spoils our very souls not to share with those who have not.  I love how our ancestors in Genesis 3, after they eat the fruit, put on fig leaves, which is like wearing sandpaper!  Ouch!  Yet, this is what we keep doing to ourselves.  We keep clothing ourselves with that which we think will protect or provide, even as it scratches our very souls.  And when God comes strolling in the garden, our ancestors hid. Hid from God, which I still do.  I hide from God through busyness and work and running around.  I am like a squirrel that drank 10 cups of coffee (there is an image for you).  And God asks, not with judgment or wagging an angry finger, but with genuine curiosity, “Where are you?”  Where are you today?  You can answer that literally/physically: where are you?  You can answer emotionally: where are you?  You can respond spiritually: where are you?  Where are you hiding, and where have you put on the metaphorical fig leaf that you think will shelter and shield you from the slings and arrows of this harsh/hard world?  Where are you?  Go outside under the shade of a tree, and ponder where you are…and how God, our Creator, meets you right there in that moment.  Amen.