Author Archives: karbly

Finding Peace
Cheryl Saur of Saint Charles, MO, USA

Collectively and individually, you are loved with an everlasting love that delights in each faithful step taken. God yearns to draw you close so that wounds may be healed, emptiness filled, and hope strengthened. Do not turn away in pride, fear, or guilt from the One who seeks only the best for you and your loved ones. Come before your Eternal Creator with open minds and hearts and discover the blessings of the gospel anew. Be vulnerable to divine grace. -Doctrine and Covenants 163:10

One of our beloved hymns is “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” The first verse says, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me; let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God our creator, we are family. Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony” (Sy Miller and Jill Jackson, \xc2\xa91983 Jan-Lee Music, CCS 307).

Today I had to search for our peace flag. It had been torn from our garden flagpole during last night’s storm. I located it down the road lying crumpled in the gutter. It was covered with leaves and thoroughly caked with mud. After brushing the leaves away, I picked it up and carried it back home where I put it in the kitchen sink filled with soapy water to try to wash it clean.

Peace is like that sometimes. It gets lost in the whirlwind of activities, challenges, and the storms of life. Cultivating peace and creating sacred space does take work. But this is work we can do if we are willing to try. We must pick ourselves up, brush off the dust and leaves that cling to us, and be cleansed in the living waters of Christ’s love. We must walk with each other as family to bring hope and peace to the lost and most vulnerable. We can live our lives with gratitude and savor the peace and healing that God creates in this space.

O God of hope, love, and peace. You are the warm center of all that is. May we be your voice of hope and peace even when peace appears to be lost, crumpled, or stained with mud. At this time, we pray that our vision be broadened, and our hearts deepened so that we will notice where you are already creating sacred space…space for a peace that is meant to be. Accept our humble offering, O Creator God, of all the muddy spaces in our lives. May these be the places where your seeds of hope, love, and peace come into full bloom. Help us to celebrate your grace…and live again! Amen.

Prayer Phrase

Let your world of beauty capture me.

Spiritual Practice

Growing a Gracious, Generous Heart

Open your heart to God’s grace and generosity with a “breath prayer.” Let your breathing slow and deepen. Be aware of God’s breath moving in and out of your heart. Spend several minutes focusing on breathing in God’s generosity. With each breath, silently name one gift for which you are thankful. Let your heart expand to contain God’s gracious outpouring of love. With each breath out, name one gift you want to share from the overflow of your heart.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

The Refiner’s Fire
Grace Andrews of Independence, MO, USA

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you. -2 Thessalonians 3:16

In both the Old and New Testaments, numerous references mention the refining of gold and silver…comparable to our God refining us. Malachi 3:1-3 is a good example: “I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me…The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight…like a refiner’s fire…will purify and refine them like gold and silver.”

In biblical times a refiner began by breaking up rough ore-hardened rock mixed with common minerals such as tin, copper, and zinc. Experience taught them that within the rock was the promise of valuable, hidden rare metals of gold and silver. Breaking up the rock was necessary to begin the refining process by exposing these highly valuable metals to heat. The refiner placed a crucible into the furnace where the flames were hottest. The precise temperature burned away all impurities that would mar the quality of the gold or silver. He kept a close eye on the silver, because if the silver were left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. As the ore melted, a layer of impurities formed on the surface. The refiner painstakingly skimmed off the impurities, turned up the heat, and placed the crucible back into the blistering furnace. Impurities rose to the surface up to seven times. The refiner skillfully removed the dross, leaving behind gleaming gold and shimmering silver, and he was able to see his image clearly in it.

Just so are we the rough rock in need of refining. Our Refiner patiently sits over the fire, his gaze continually fixed on our crucible. When our character is cleansed and our hearts purified, we become truly beautiful. Sometimes hanging on to hope amid trials, the heat seems well beyond what we think we can bear. But if we persevere by trusting our Refiner, God’s image will ultimately be seen in our countenance. Psalm 66:10 says, “For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.”

We are assured our Lord will never leave us nor forsake us. While life purifies and refines us like gold and silver, the Holy Spirit works like fire to make us a people precious to God. How lovely is the promise that if we will but trust the Master Refiner to do his work, God’s image will be seen in us.

Prayer Phrase

Let your world of beauty capture me.

Spiritual Practice

Growing a Gracious, Generous Heart

Open your heart to God’s grace and generosity with a “breath prayer.” Let your breathing slow and deepen. Be aware of God’s breath moving in and out of your heart. Spend several minutes focusing on breathing in God’s generosity. With each breath, silently name one gift for which you are thankful. Let your heart expand to contain God’s gracious outpouring of love. With each breath out, name one gift you want to share from the overflow of your heart.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Nudged by the Spirit
Cheryl Saur of Saint Charles, MO, USA

When we spiritually connect to Jesus Christ and his community of disciples, our future becomes more than an extension of our past. New perspectives, possibilities, and networks of relationships emerge that alter the quality, direction, and priorities of our lives! -President Stephen M. Veazey, “Discover Your Future,”  World Conference, April 13, 2019

At the beginning of each day and after breakfast, we sit in our chairs sipping coffee or tea. At this time, we also put on gloves designed with special nubs for brushing our pets. These nubs capture any excess or loose hair as well as massage the skin of our pet. We have two cats who attempt to hurry us each morning from upstairs, down to the breakfast table, and then to our chairs for this most important ritual of brushing. This is truly the start of their day. In anticipation of this event, no matter where we are in our own morning preparations, they follow us, stare at us, meow insistently to nudge us toward the stairs for the trip down. This gentle nudging begins as soon as our feet touch the floor each morning.

During this time of physical separation and confinement to our homes for health and safety reasons with the COVID-19 pandemic, we must intentionally open ourselves to the gentle nudging of the Spirit. Breathe in God’s grace and love…feel it move through your lungs to the very core of your being. Notice what invitations surface with each intake and outflow of breath. Sit a while with the Spirit coursing through you…to those around you…and to those who are in your community. In this space you will discover new and refreshing ways to reconnect socially and spiritually, even during our separation. This awareness is what brings joy to my heart and soul when physical hugs are absent.

May we continue to rest in the grace and love of our God and continue to follow the example of Jesus, the peaceful one.

Prayer Phrase

God bless the spaces between us.

Spiritual Practice

Tears of Compassion

Offer a silent prayer for the gift of God’s compassion. Cup your hands and ask God to make you aware of the suffering that causes the Earth and its inhabitants to groan and weep. Be open to faces or places, sounds or voices, feelings of connection with those who suffer. Imagine catching the tears of those you see and holding them in your hands. Listen for prayer images or words God may give you. Discern any active responses of ministry or healing you sense invited to complete for those who weep.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

A Story to Tell
Terry McDermid of Joplin, MO, USA

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:4-7

For as long as I can remember, I’ve told stories. My mom used to say that I was telling stories almost before I could talk. She could tell from my babbling that something was happening in my mind. But even more than telling stories, I like collecting stories from people. Stories of how they met their spouses, where they lived or traveled, what they did as a career, and how they spent their days.

Recently, I’ve been leading writing groups at several retirement homes. The purpose is to help the residents write their life stories. At first, they don’t think they have anything to share. After all, they think they’re too old. Or their lives have been ordinary. Who wants to hear about them?

The first day, it takes time to draw them out. A question about a holiday or their first house or their first car will get someone talking. As soon as one shares a memory, another one speaks up. That leads to more ideas, and soon each one is bringing an idea to life. Sometimes not much writing takes place except in my notebook as I jot down notes for later. Instead, the reminder that they are each important, that they each have a “story to tell,” becomes the focus for the day. By the end of group time, they’re sitting up straighter, smiling and laughing from stories they’ve heard, or wiping away tears from a poignant tale.

The Enduring Principle Worth of All Persons comes to mind most often when I’m listening to women and men share their memories and stories. No matter their age or what they’re doing, they want to be heard. Each one wants to be recognized as a person of worth. For me, that is the core of the message Jesus shared when he came to the world. Not for some people but for all people. Listening to their stories each month is one way I can share the love of God and Jesus. Plus, I have the added joy of gaining from them.

Prayer Phrase

God bless the spaces between us.

Spiritual Practice

Tears of Compassion

Offer a silent prayer for the gift of God’s compassion. Cup your hands and ask God to make you aware of the suffering that causes the Earth and its inhabitants to groan and weep. Be open to faces or places, sounds or voices, feelings of connection with those who suffer. Imagine catching the tears of those you see and holding them in your hands. Listen for prayer images or words God may give you. Discern any active responses of ministry or healing you sense invited to complete for those who weep.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Practice Radical Hospitality
Richard James, Council of Twelve Apostles

Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. -Matthew 10:40

I am fortunate and blessed to be able to travel to many nations and to receive incredible hospitality from many people. This kind of hospitality is not just a hallmark of our Christian discipleship, but it is a way of life. It extends beyond receiving people that we know and welcoming the stranger, the other, and someone who is different from us. So what can radical hospitality look like?

In Madrid, Spain, there is a restaurant called Restaurante Robin Hood. It is one of Spain’s most sought-after places to eat; it is always full of diners whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This restaurant was started by \xc3\x81ngel Garc\xc3\xada Rodriguez, who is a Catholic priest and affectionately known as “Padre \xc3\x81ngel.” The restaurant is run by a charity called Mensajeros de la Paz, which means “messengers of peace.”

The restaurant is open to paying guests during the day, offering high-quality breakfasts and lunches (“menu del dia” and “a la carte”), and in the evening it is reserved for the homeless who are invited to the have the same high-quality meals free of charge. Celebrity chefs or chefs who have worked in luxury hotels are eager to give of their service. Padre \xc3\x81ngel says that “he wants homeless people to eat with the same dignity as any other customer with the same quality, with glasses made of crystal, not plastic, and in an atmosphere of friendship and conversation.” (https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/01/24/511267616/spains-robin-hood-restaurant-charges-the-rich-and-feeds-the-poor)

I am amazed at this wonderful example of radical hospitality. It is one that gives value to every person who eats at the restaurant and treats each person with dignity and grace.

With whom is God inviting you to share your table?

Prayer Phrase

God bless the spaces between us.

Spiritual Practice

Tears of Compassion

Offer a silent prayer for the gift of God’s compassion. Cup your hands and ask God to make you aware of the suffering that causes the Earth and its inhabitants to groan and weep. Be open to faces or places, sounds or voices, feelings of connection with those who suffer. Imagine catching the tears of those you see and holding them in your hands. Listen for prayer images or words God may give you. Discern any active responses of ministry or healing you sense invited to complete for those who weep.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Stand Firm during the Storm
Elizabeth Brown of Augusta, GA, USA

So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God… -Ephesians 2:17-19

Every morning when I wake up, I thank God. I ask for his strength as I go to the swimming pool each day. Looking out through the big panel of windows at the pool, I see three trees that remind me of the body of Christ in the church.

In the springtime the leaves come out on the branches and provide a place for the birds to make their nests and rest. Eventually young birds leave their nest because they have been nurtured. The church is the same way. We go to church and we rest in the word of God that is spoken to us. Then we go out to tell others about God’s word, to comfort the broken, rejected, and lost, and to encourage others in this dark world.

The trees also give shade and protection from the elements. The trees stand firm through many storms. As believers in Christ we go through many storms in our lifetimes, too. We have the word of God that keeps us planted. We will not become uprooted if we keep standing in God’s word.

The body of believers give each other comfort when storms come into their lives. We can comfort each other during these storms. We know the storm is just passing as we meditate on the word of God and trust that God will not leave us. One thing we should know, the storm will not last forever. God is with us whether we are in or out of a storm. The body of Christ is made up of believers who accept Jesus as their savior. We are the body of Christ.

Prayer Phrase

God bless the spaces between us.

Spiritual Practice

Tears of Compassion

Offer a silent prayer for the gift of God’s compassion. Cup your hands and ask God to make you aware of the suffering that causes the Earth and its inhabitants to groan and weep. Be open to faces or places, sounds or voices, feelings of connection with those who suffer. Imagine catching the tears of those you see and holding them in your hands. Listen for prayer images or words God may give you. Discern any active responses of ministry or healing you sense invited to complete for those who weep.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

The Mystery of Existence: Awe and Trust (Part 2 of 2)
From A Way of Life: Understanding Our Christian Faith

[Excerpted from “The Mystery of Existence: Awe and Trust,” A Way of Life: Understanding Our Christian Faith, Anthony J. Chvala-Smith, Herald House, 2019, pp. 25-27]

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. -Psalm 19:1-2

Ever since the creation of the world [God’s] eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. -Romans 1:20

The writers of scripture believed they could see in the beauty of the night sky and in the twists and turns of human experience the handiwork of an Artist. According to Psalm 19 and Romans 1, the heavens and indeed all things cannot help but tell of the One from whom they come. The mystery that surrounds us is like a few notes of a great symphony, which we tend to tune out. But mystery has a way of pressing in on us. Sooner or later, amid the struggles and joys of life, we will hear the notes again and for a moment wonder what it all means.

As Christians we believe all things point beyond themselves toward the reality of God. God has created the kind of cosmos that prompts us to wonder. Wonder opens us to seek for a meaning to the vast expanding universe around us and to the complex inner universe of our lives. That quest, begun in awe and trust, is the beginning of what Christians call faith. Neither the mysteries of nature nor the riddles of our experience prove the existence of God. Nor is a knowledge of and reverence for these mysteries the same as being a Christian. “Proof” is not the same thing as faith; reverence before a nameless mystery is not the same thing as trust in God. Rather, the very presence of mystery is God’s way of rousing us to ask and seek. In the journey of asking and seeking, we open ourselves to God, who was already seeking us.

Community of Christ theology strives to value mystery and to be open to the questions human experience prompts. We honor the mysteries of the universe because we hold that they point to their infinite source. To honor the gift is to begin to honor the Giver, and the Giver is the One who is beyond all we can know or comprehend, the One scripture calls the Living God.

Prayer Phrase

God bless the spaces between us.

Spiritual Practice

Tears of Compassion

Offer a silent prayer for the gift of God’s compassion. Cup your hands and ask God to make you aware of the suffering that causes the Earth and its inhabitants to groan and weep. Be open to faces or places, sounds or voices, feelings of connection with those who suffer. Imagine catching the tears of those you see and holding them in your hands. Listen for prayer images or words God may give you. Discern any active responses of ministry or healing you sense invited to complete for those who weep.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

The Mystery of Existence: Awe and Trust (Part 1 of 2)
From A Way of Life: Understanding Our Christian Faith

[Excerpted from “The Mystery of Existence: Awe and Trust,” A Way of Life: Understanding Our Christian Faith, Anthony J. Chvala-Smith, Herald House, 2019, pp. 25-27]

The earth rolls upon her wings; the sun gives his light by day, and the moon gives her light by night; and the stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings, in their glory, in the midst of the power of God. -Doctrine and Covenants 85:12a

Life is full of profound mysteries. …There is the mystery of beauty. Why does a full moon…or the vastness of the night sky awaken deep awe in us? There is also the mystery of order. Why do the march of the seasons, a V-shaped flight of geese, or the intricacies of DNA inspire us? There is the mystery of love. Why do being respected, needed, and embraced by another human being matter so much? And with love, there is the mystery of compassion. Why amid fear, hatred, and cruelty do some open their lives in kindness and vulnerability to others? There is the mystery of birth. How can so common an event stir such hope and joy in people? But on the other end of life, there is the mystery of death. What do we make of the stark reality of loss and pain, of our dread of endings, and of the love that survives them?

Among all these mysteries none is as perplexing as we are to ourselves. If we think about it, our very existence poses countless questions. Who am I? Why am I? Why do I seek for meaning to my existence? What is this strange longing in me, this desire to connect to something greater than myself, this need to devote myself toward something that is worthy of reverence, this yearning to entrust myself fully to a purpose worthy of my deepest commitment?

Beauty and order, love and compassion, hope and loss, longing and conviction: these experiences touch our lives with the awareness that we stand ever before a tremendous mystery. They link human beings across ages and cultures in a common language of awe and trust.

Their very existence helps us glimpse what it means to be human.

Yet from the perspective of Christian faith, these experiences are much more than riddles to tease our minds or even hints of a shared humanity. Life’s mysteries are signs that something greater is in our midst. These experiences are like the kind of instructions that say, “Start here.” The mysteries that meet us daily raise the most important of all human questions: Is there more to the universe than meets the eye? They are clues that a purposeful Presence, who is the source and goal of all things, is reaching out to us from our own depths. From this human experience of mystery emerges the question of the existence of God.

Prayer Phrase

God bless the spaces between us.

Spiritual Practice

Tears of Compassion

Offer a silent prayer for the gift of God’s compassion. Cup your hands and ask God to make you aware of the suffering that causes the Earth and its inhabitants to groan and weep. Be open to faces or places, sounds or voices, feelings of connection with those who suffer. Imagine catching the tears of those you see and holding them in your hands. Listen for prayer images or words God may give you. Discern any active responses of ministry or healing you sense invited to complete for those who weep.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.