Daily Dose (June 17 – 20)

TUESDAY JUNE 17 — On a Saturday morning in 2013, during a Pilgrimage which included the Selma walk with John Lewis, I stood in the kitchen of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church Parsonage, the home to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his family from 1954 to 1960. By the time the Montgomery bus strike was achieving both success and national attention, Dr. King began receiving telephone death threats (as many as 40 a day).
“One night very late around midnight—and you can have some strange experiences at midnight—the telephone rang.” Dr. King relates the story in a later sermon. “On the other end was an ugly voice.”
“For some reason, it got to me. I was weak. Sometimes, I feel discouraged… You can’t call on Daddy anymore. You could only call on the Something your Daddy told you about, that Power that can make a way out of no way.”
And at that kitchen table, he prayed. “Lord, I’m down here trying to do what’s right… But I must confess… I’m losing my courage.”
King explained what happened next: “I could hear an inner voice saying to me, ‘Martin Luther, stand up for truth. Stand up for justice. Stand up for righteousness.'”

Maybe that’s what clicked. When I see acts of courage, I see heroism, and I don’t see myself.
Or I see how far I have to go.
Or I see how far short I have fallen.
But I do understand tired.
And I do understand discouraged.
And I do understand the end of my resources.
And I do understand that it is not easy to be gentle with yourself.
It is not easy to embrace and be embraced by grace and self-care.
But care of any kind begins with self-care, honoring moments of wellbeing and healing.
And this we know: from that place, spills light.
Light that is healing for those who have been left out.
Light that is soothing for those who are feeling alone and afraid.
Light that is restorative for those needing shelter in moments of sanctuary and grace.

This week… Be a voice where you live.
Be the giver and dispenser of blessings.
Know that deep down there is a light that cannot be extinguished by hatred or judgment or cynicism or fear.

When I picked up the mail today, I did a double take. A letter inviting me to the celebration of my graduation from Taylor University—my 50th anniversary.
My Oh My.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 18 — “A meal is never just a plate of food. It has the power to change the world. To bring people together. To tell the story of who we are, and where we’re going. That’s why I started talking about longer tables when others wanted to build higher walls. We need to talk to each other, to enjoy our differences, to celebrate our diversity. Not push people away because they look or sound different. Our challenges may be complicated, but the solutions are sometimes very simple,” Jose Andres writes in his chapter titled “Build longer tables, not higher walls” (Change the Recipe)

Here’s the deal: I’m in favor of every invitation, affirmation, yes, piece of advice that embraces a simple gesture of kindness and inclusion and healing.
The gift of a meal.
For healing and for blessing.
Rachel Held Evans retells one of Jesus’ parables as a life-giving, revitalizing invitation to come to God’s table: “Jesus once had (a conversation) with a group of religious leaders at the home of a prominent Pharisee. ‘When you give a banquet,’ Jesus said to his host, ‘invite the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.’ He told them a parable about a man who prepared a banquet and invited many guests. When those on the guest list declined to attend, the man instructed his servant to go into the streets and alleyways in town and bring back the poor, the hungry…. The servant obeyed, but told his master there was still room at the table. ‘Then go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come,’ the master said, ‘so that my house will be full’ (Luke 14:12–23). This is what God’s kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy or good, but because they are hungry, because they said yes. And there’s always room for more.”
The gospel doesn’t need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down the walls, throwing open the doors, and shouting, ‘Welcome! There’s bread and wine. Come eat with us and talk.’ This isn’t a kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.”
(Thank you, Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church)
My friends; Let us be the giver, and the dispenser, of blessings.

And today, I have carried with me the memory of the Emanuel 9, killed in the middle of their Wednesday night Bible Study at the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston , SC — on June 17, 2015.

THURSDAY JUNE 19 — In my capacity as Rev. Terry, I have conducted—shepherded—funerals. There have been times when I did not know the deceased, or perhaps only knew members of their family. And there were times when I knew the deceased at my core, my Grandmother, my Grandfather, my Father.
Regardless, this I do know: Death is not easy to “see”, let alone to grasp the enormity. And there are times when death (or deaths) from an act of violence—or hatred or cruelty or war, literally takes our breath away. And for a brief time, as if sucking the life out of us.
At the funeral, yes, there is sadness in the room. But I love hearing (and telling) stories about the deceased. Because stories honor the person who has passed. And with stories, we now have something to carry with us. To go forward. Whether it is a smile or a laugh or tears. Or whether it is supporting a cause close to their heart, which in a way, motivates us to live our own life to its fullest. And yes, to bless and be blessed.
And this, I affirmed at every service: Do not forget, we are not on this journey alone. Let us walk one another home.
Today, this has been on my heart and in my spirit, as I read the message from Sophie and Colin Hortman—the children of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa and Mark Hortman following the fatal shooting of their parents.
“We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can’t believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much.
We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family’s privacy as we grieve.
Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents’ home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad.
Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them.
If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following:
Plant a tree.
Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.
Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.
Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.
Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.
Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.
Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.
Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents’ memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.”

And I say, “Yes, and amen.”
Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear.
And let us treat each other with kindness and respect.

“There’s a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, too much pain. Then suddenly the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call, and answer in extraordinary ways.”  From the film, “Mother Teresa”
Onward my friends, together.

FRIDAY JUNE 20 — I recommend Dominique Browning’s book, Slow Love. She lost her high-profile job as the editor of House and Garden magazine, her beloved house in Westchester, her sense of purpose, her sense of proportion and her sense of self. “I am long past due for a personal renovation,” she writes, “but my toolbox feels empty.”

An American traveler planned a long safari to Africa. He was a compulsive man, loaded down with maps, timetables, and agendas. Men from a local tribe had been engaged to carry the cumbersome load of supplies, luggage and “essential stuff.” (You know, as North Americans, we can’t go anywhere without taking “stuff” with us. And then we buy more stuff when we get there. Just sayin’.)
On the first morning, they all woke very early and traveled very fast and went very far. On the second morning, they all woke very early and traveled very fast and went very far. On the third morning, they all woke very early and traveled very fast and went very far. And the American seemed pleased.
On the fourth morning, the tribesmen refused to move. They simply sat by a tree.
The American became incensed. “This is a waste of valuable time. Can someone tell me what is going on here?”
The translator answered, “They are waiting for their souls to catch up with their bodies.”

To bless and be blessed, in a world where we can feel overwhelmed, stressed, frazzled, sapped, running on empty… and yes, plum tuckered, let us here the invitation to Pause.
Today, tell me where you can pause and let your soul catch up with your body?

I write this from the Mercy Retreat Center in Auburn, CA. And I’m savoring the space and trails to wander. Tomorrow the retreatants gather for our weekend, The Power of Pause. 

Prayer for our week…
Show me the suffering of the most miserable;
So I will know my people’s plight.
Free me to pray for others;
For you are present in every person.
Help me take responsibility for my own life;
So that I can be free at last.
Grant me courage to serve others;
For in service there is true life.
Give me honesty and patience;
So that I can work with other workers.
Bring forth song and celebration;
So that the Spirit will be alive among us.
Let the Spirit flourish and grow;
So that we will never tire of the struggle.
Let us remember those who have died for justice;
For they have given us life.
Help us love even those who hate us;
So we can change the world.
Amen.
(The following prayer is César Chávez’s “Prayer of the Farm Worker’s Struggle,” which shows how devotion to God combined with action in the movement. I am deeply touched by the simplicity and humility of his prayer. Thank you, Richard Rohr)

Photo… “Good morning, Terry. With so much blowing up on the news, my walk today was a much needed escape. Nature never fails me! In an instant I was relaxed and energized at the same time. Here, in my own front yard, is a beautiful male pine cone in all his glory. Confession: I had to look up the lifecycle of pinecones when I got home to know he was male! Thanks be to nature and thanks be to you for all you do and share.” Dori Hosek… Thank you Dori…  and thank you for your photos, please send them to tdh@terryhershey.com