Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of July 3, 2011

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Speaking against the Holy Spirit

"Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder
his property, without first tying up the strong man?
Then indeed the house can be plundered.  Whoever is
not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather
with me scatters.  Therefore I tell you, people will
be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy
against the Spirit will not be forgiven.  Whoever
speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be
forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."
Matthew 12:29-32

Ask many questions while reading sacred words.  Our
answers may be revealing and transforming.  When I
read these verses, I find myself wondering if I am
with Jesus or against him.  Am I serving him or serving
myself?  What is this unpardonable sin against the Holy
Spirit?  Do I have it in my own life?  Could I be in
spiritual danger?  Other gospel writers mention this
confusing sin (Mark 3:28-29; Luke 12:10), but what does
it mean for my time in world history?  Jesus spoke in
the first century.  Are these words still culturally
relevant?  I believe they are timeless.  The challenge
is to interpret them with cultural relevance for each
generation.

Have we ever spoken against the Holy Spirit of God?
F. F. Bruce notes that literature abounds with stories
about people who commit "the unpardonable sin."  He
suggests we read these passages with care.  Matthew's
Gospel seems to imply that unforgivable sin is to
deliberately shut one's eyes to the light and to call
good evil.  But quite honestly, many Biblical scholars
are in disagreement about what this actually means.
If they are in disagreement, what hope do we have for
understanding the message?

Living without full understanding can actually create
a healthy tension for growing moments of introspection
and reflection.  A helpful spiritual practice is when
in doubt, stay with the passages or parts that are
clearly understood.  Revelation is progressive and
some answers may not be fully understood this side
of eternity.

With this said, it is clear that we are to identify
with Jesus while living on this earth.  If our spiritual
anchors are set deep in the foundation of Christ, clear
answers will come in God's time and ways.  We are all
works of grace in progress.  Be patient!  God is not
finished with us yet.  I am confident that all who
chose to identify with Jesus have nothing to worry
about with this passage.

God, I do not have all the answers I would like to
have with these verses.  But I clearly understand I
am for Jesus.  Help me live in such a way that this
is clear.  Forgive the sin in my life and help me not
blaspheme against your Spirit.  Amen.

God, hear our prayers.  Help our unbelief.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe, mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of July 10, 2011

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Listen again

Jesus explained the Parable of the Sower this way,
"Hear then the parable of the sower.  When anyone
hears the word of the kingdom and does not under-
stand it, the evil one comes and snatches away
what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown
on the path.  As for what was sown on rocky ground,
this is the one who hears the word and immediately
receives it with joy; yet such a person has no
root, but endures only for a while, and when
trouble or persecution arises on account of the
word, that person immediately falls away.  As for
what was sown among thorns, this is the one who
hears the word, but the cares of the world and
the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields
nothing."
Matthew 13:18-22

When our hearts and ears are open and receptive
to understanding, we will someday harvest spiritual
results in God's way and God's timing.  But first
we need to be honest with God about the rocks,
weeds, and thorns in the soil in our hearts.

Where are we in this parable?  What is the soil of
our hearts?  Do we need God to replant spiritual
seed in our souls?  Have we lost our understanding?
Have we fallen away in trouble or persecution?
Have the cares of this world and the lure of wealth
choked our spiritual lives?  Every life has a story.
What is our story?  Perhaps our hearts need
replanting with the illuminating and inspiring
life giving words.

I learned to better listen to the word of God in
my life when I began to walk the labyrinth, a very
old spiritual tradition.  Several months ago, I
made a labyrinth in our yard.  They are amazingly
easy to make when you know the basic pattern.
(Please visit the Labyrinth Society Web site at
www.labyrinthsociety.org.)  With a stick or broom
handle, it is a simple matter to draw the path in
the earth.  After the path was drawn, finding sticks,
stones, and seashells to line the path was even
easier.  When in the labyrinth, the single path
leads the walker into the center.  It is a wonderful
meditation tool.  St. Augustine is quoted as saying,
"Solvitur ambulando," ("It is solved by walking").

This seems to be so in my own life.  I have been
noticing that during the summer, weeds seem to
sprout overnight in the labyrinth.  The weeds seem
to proliferate in the good soil and I need to
periodically get out in the dirt!  Pulling weeds
on my hands and knees is good for the labyrinth
and good for my soul.  The weed roots often extend
for great lengths under the topsoil.

So it is with our own souls.  We need to carefully
and lovingly weed and cultivate the soil of our
hearts.  So get in some spiritual dirt today.
Consider getting on your hands and knees.  Dirt
is full of surprises.  You may be surprised by
God and surprised by joy as you linger thoughtfully
with this parable.  Listen to it again and again,
and let God be your Gardener.

God, sow your good seed in our hearts.  Plow the
soil of our souls.  Help us listen again and
understand.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe, mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of July 17, 2011

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Fine pearls

Jesus taught, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like
a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one
pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he
had and bought it."
Matthew 13:45-46

I have a bumper sticker on my car that invites people
to commit random acts of kindness and senseless acts
of beauty.  I have often thought that the saying
should be changed to commit many acts of kindness
and constant acts of beauty.

The world is full of many beautiful things.  Sunrises
and sunsets are freely available on a daily basis for
those with the eyes to see.  I once had a blind
roommate who taught me about this.  She lost her
sight as a child, but never forgot her colors.  She
was not afraid to ask her sighted friends to describe
the skies and everything they saw.

The pearl merchant brings us a different perspective.
He was an expert in his field who appreciated priceless
treasure.  The kingdom of heaven is like a pearl
merchant who finds one pearl of enormous value.  It
is worth all his earthly possessions.

A personal relationship with God is the most valuable
relationship we can have in this world.  But God cannot
be bought.  The good news of God is freely available to
the poorest person in the world.  Rich or poor, God is
lovely to be with.  A life with God is worth everything.
It is like finding one pearl of great value.

God, thank you for being beautiful in a world that can
sometimes be ugly.
Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe, mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of July 24, 2011

**********

We apologize for the delay in getting this week's
Chi Rho Reflection to you.

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Take courage

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the
boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he
dismissed the crowds.  And after he had dismissed
the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to
pray.  When evening came, he was there alone, but
by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was
far from the land, for the wind was against them.
And early in the morning he came walking towards
them on the lake.  But when the disciples saw him
walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying,
'It is a ghost!'  And they cried out in fear.

But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said,
'Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.'"
Matthew 14:22-27

I have been at sea in rough and stormy weather.
I have stood watches throughout the night.  Who
would not be terrified to see someone walking on
the water?  Exhaustion combined with fear is
easily experienced by all of us.  These paralyzing
feelings leave us vulnerable to terror, doubt, and
disbelief.

I have also heard many sermons on these verses
criticizing the terrified disciples.  After all,
they had been with Jesus for a long time.  They
had lingered with his remarkable words, enjoyed
his friendship, marveled at his miracles, and
had participated in miraculous ministries.  You
would think nothing would surprise them about
Jesus at this point in their lives.

We see Jesus in his humanity and divinity.  Jesus
now needs time alone.  After sending the crowd home,
Jesus sends the disciples away so he could go up on
the mountain and pray by himself.  He needed to be
alone with his feelings and to pray without
interruption.  The disciples obeyed him and began
sailing their boat to the other side of the lake.
It was difficult sailing against the wind and the
waves, but they were making progress.  Late in the
night, they see Jesus walking on the water towards
them and they are terrified.

Jesus says, "Take courage.  It is I.  Do not be
afraid."  The Bible encourages us not to be afraid
in more than three hundred places.  We are to release
our fear and trust Jesus, God's water walker.

God, help us take courage and not fear in the strong,
protective presence of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of July 31, 2011

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

From our hearts

Jesus taught, "Do you not see that whatever goes
into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out
into the sewer?  But what comes out of the mouth
proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles.
For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder,
adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.
These are what defile a person, but to eat with
unwashed hands does not defile."
Matthew 15:17-20

Jesus is concerned with our inner thoughts and desires.
Buddha has said, "The mind is everything; what you
think, you become."  And so it is.  Our innermost
heart reflects who we really are.

Jesus was referring to the religious customs of his
time.  They had ceremonial washings that had been
handed down from their elders ever since Moses.
Jesus allowed his disciples to eat without washing
their hands.  Religious authorities were shocked
and dismayed at the perceived religious uncleanness
of the disciples.  The concern of the elders was
skin deep.  To them, perception was everything.

Jesus brings us to the real heart of the matter.
What is in our heart?  This is what counts before
God.  What are we thinking?  What are we saying about
others?  Have we even thought about adultery, sexual
immorality, theft, lying, or slander?  Then we need
to confess these thoughts, desires, and actions to
God as they occur.  I find in my own life, it is
better to flee temptation than to tempt fate.
Truly the spirit is willing but often the flesh is
weak.

Let Jesus clean your hearts, and let Jesus help you
change your behavior. When tempted to do things which
make us unclean, consider reading, memorizing, or
meditating on the words of Jesus in the gospels of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Be accountable in
your life to another person or small group. Sometimes
we need to find new friends to affirm our choices in
life.

For practical health reasons, it is good to wash hands
before eating.  But hand washing does not clean our
hearts before God.  Confession of personal sin is one
way to begin to clean our hearts.  Confession is good
for our souls.  Confession helps us become right with
God.  Confession has its own challenges, but sometimes
getting started is the hardest part.  We need moments
where we confess personal sin in prayer, so we can make
confessions of great faith in life.

I am sorry, God.  Forgive me for those specific thoughts
that are negative, destructive, denigrating, ridiculing,
and displeasing to you.  With the help of Jesus, give me
a new heart.  Help me live a better life that is pleasing
to you in word, thought, and deed.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe, mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

CHI RHO CONNECTION

The eNewsletter of Chi Rho Press,
Your LGBT Christian Publishing House
Vol. XII, No. 1
4 August 2011

*************************

Contents:

1.      Special Order Month  Free Books with Each Order
2.      "I'm Still Dancing: A Gay Man's Health Experience"
3.      Presbyterians Finally Ordain LGBT People
4.      Sterling Silver MCC Crosses and Logos
5.      Adam's Last Word

--------------------------------------------------

Welcome once again to the Chi Rho Connection, the
electronic newsletter of Chi Rho Press.  Thank you
for passing this Chi Rho Connection on to others.

To join our list, send an e-mail message to
mailto:ChiRhoPress-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

To remove yourself from this list send an e-mail to
mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Please visit our Web site at http://www.chirhopress.com
to see our entire lines of books, handouts, videos,
tapes, tchochkas, and stained glass.

Direct all other e-mail to Adam@....

--------------------------------------------------

1.      Special Order Month  Free Books with Each Order

August is special order month!  Order any book or other
item from our Web site, http://www.chirhopress.com, and
receive another item from our catalog of equal or lesser
value.

Just place your order and e-mail Adam DeBaugh at
Adam@... and let him know what else you
would like in your shipment!

God's blessings on you.

--------------------------------------------------

2.      "I'm Still Dancing: A Gay Man's Health Experience"

In honour of the Rev. Steve Pieter's birthday this week,
we have copies of his excellent book about his early
years of living with HIV.  We urge you to order it at
http://tinyurl.com/ImStillDancing

A powerful book by a long-term survivor of AIDS: articles,
sermons and journal entries chronicle life with AIDS.
Sick since 1982 and diagnosed with AIDS in 1984, Steve's
cancers have gone into complete remission and he remains
well to this day.  He served for many years as Field
Director of the UFMCC's AIDS Ministry.

"I'm Still Dancing" sells for $8.95 each, six or more
copies for $6.75 each, plus shipping and handling.

Order at http://tinyurl.com/ImStillDancing

--------------------------------------------------

3.      Presbyterians Finally Ordain LGBT People

In honour of the Presbyterian Church finally agreeing
to ordain open LGBT people, order an anthology that
helped!  "Called Out: Voices and Gifts of LGBT
Presbyterians" sells for $17.95 each, six or more
copies for $15.25 each, plus shipping and handling.

Order at http://tinyurl.com/CalledOutPresbyterians

--------------------------------------------------

4.      Sterling Silver MCC Crosses and Logos

Chi Rho Press, your MCC LGBT Christian publishing
house, carries Solid Sterling Silver MCC crosses and
logos!

A Gay jewelry artist has cast the traditional MCC
Chi Rho cross and the newer MCC logo in Solid
Sterling Silver for Chi Rho Press.

The traditional MCC Cross with the overlapped Greek
letters Chi and Rho in the center (a traditional
monogram for Christ, being the first letters in
the Greek word Christos) and the Greek letters
Alpha and Omega on the cross bar (the first and
last letters in the Greek alphabet, signifying
the Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the
beginning and the end).  On the reverse of the
cross is the dove of the Holy Spirit.  The Solid
Sterling Silver crosses are 13/16 inches wide and
1 inch tall, and sell for $19.95 each, plus shipping
and handling.  Six or more are $14.95 each, plus
shipping and handling.

The new MCC logo on a round pendant with the flame
of the Holy Spirit intersecting the stylized globe.
The Solid Sterling Silver MCC logos are 7/8 inch in
diameter, and sell for $24.95 each, plus shipping
and handling.  Six or more are $18.95 each, plus
shipping and handling.

Please see and order your MCC Crosses or MCC Logos
at this link:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/silver_jewelry.html

--------------------------------------------------

5.      Adam's Last Word

If you live in Maryland, join us for the Upper
Montgomery and Frederick (UMaF) PFLAG Support
Group, the second Sunday each month from 4 to 6
pm, at Open Door MCC, 15817 Barnesville Road, Boyds,
MD 20841 (for directions, go to www.opendoormcc.com).

UMaF PFLAG is part of a national organization, Parents,
Family, and Friends of LGBTQ People.

Ample parking at the church and all are welcome.
Come join our One Big, Happier Family.  For more
info write UMaFPFLAG@... or call Adam DeBaugh
at 301/926-1205.

If you are on Facebook, please “like” our brand new
UMaF PFLAG's page at  http://tinyurl.com/UMaF-PFLAG.

And join us on the second Sunday of each month at 4
pm.

*****

Can you help Chi Rho Press?  Let all your friends know
about us and encourage them to visit www.ChiRhoPress.com
and buy a book or other product!

And please see our Facebook page at
http://tinyurl.com/ChiRhoPress and “like” our page.

Thanks and grace and peace to you all.

*****

Please encourage members of your church to participate
in the special fund raising offer from Chi Rho Press.
We will make a donation of 10% of all sales from
people who mention your congregation in the "Special
Instructions and Comments" box on the check out page.
Please let your people know as soon as possible about
this opportunity to help both our ministries.

*****

Shipping and Handling Tip: This tip will be
especially important if you are ordering one or
two Liturgical Calendars!

When you are ordering from the Chi Rho Press Web
site, be sure to tell us your preferred shipping
method. The way the shopping cart is set up, the
shipping method defaults to United Parcel Service.
This is NOT the most economical way to ship for
orders under seven pounds. If you want the most
inexpensive shipping (within the United States)
it is usually best to pick USPS (United States
Postal Service Domestic Parcel Post) for packages
weighing under seven pounds. UPS (United Parcel
Service) Ground is more economical for packages
heavier than seven pounds. The shopping cart will
tell you how much your order weighs in the box right
next to your order amount and price. There is a link
there to change your shipping method as well.

When I order one copy of the Liturgical Calendar and
allow the default UPS Ground shipping method, the
shipping cost is almost as much as the book, $10.11!
But if I change the shipping method to USPS Parcel
Post shipping is only $6.28, and it is $6.46 for USPS
Priority Mail.

Be smart shoppers and choose your shipping options
carefully to avoid paying too much!

*****

Gracia y paz,

Brother R. Adam DeBaugh, OSL
Director, Adam@....

******************************************

We are glad you are partners in ministry with us here at
Chi Rho Press. We are eager for your comments, your
suggestions, your assistance with selling our books,
and your own purchases! And of course, we covet your
prayers for this ministry.

If you've received the Chi Rho Connection as a result of
someone passing it along to you and would like to receive
it directly from us, please follow these directions:

To SUBSCRIBE send blank e-mail to:
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Please visit http://www.ChiRhoPress.com. You may
pay by credit card on our web page or we will ship
your order after receiving your check or money
order.  Please always include your e-mail address,
mailing address, and telephone number.

For all e-mail correspondence, please write
Adam@....

Our snail mail address is:

Chi Rho Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 7864
Gaithersburg, MD 20898

Our telephone and fax number is 301/926-1208.

Copyright 2011, Chi Rho Press, Inc.

CHI RHO CONNECTION

The eNewsletter of Chi Rho Press,
Your LGBT Christian Publishing House
Vol. XII, No. 1
4 August 2011

*************************

Contents:

1.      Special Order Month  Free Books with Each Order
2.      "I'm Still Dancing: A Gay Man's Health Experience"
3.      Presbyterians Finally Ordain LGBT People
4.      Sterling Silver MCC Crosses and Logos
5.      Adam's Last Word

--------------------------------------------------

Welcome once again to the Chi Rho Connection, the
electronic newsletter of Chi Rho Press.  Thank you
for passing this Chi Rho Connection on to others.

To join our list, send an e-mail message to
mailto:ChiRhoPress-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

To remove yourself from this list send an e-mail to
mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Please visit our Web site at http://www.chirhopress.com
to see our entire lines of books, handouts, videos,
tapes, tchochkas, and stained glass.

Direct all other e-mail to Adam@....

--------------------------------------------------

1.      Special Order Month  Free Books with Each Order

August is special order month!  Order any book or other
item from our Web site, http://www.chirhopress.com, and
receive another item from our catalog of equal or lesser
value.

Just place your order and e-mail Adam DeBaugh at
Adam@... and let him know what else you
would like in your shipment!

God's blessings on you.

--------------------------------------------------

2.      "I'm Still Dancing: A Gay Man's Health Experience"

In honour of the Rev. Steve Pieter's birthday this week,
we have copies of his excellent book about his early
years of living with HIV.  We urge you to order it at
http://tinyurl.com/ImStillDancing

A powerful book by a long-term survivor of AIDS: articles,
sermons and journal entries chronicle life with AIDS.
Sick since 1982 and diagnosed with AIDS in 1984, Steve's
cancers have gone into complete remission and he remains
well to this day.  He served for many years as Field
Director of the UFMCC's AIDS Ministry.

"I'm Still Dancing" sells for $8.95 each, six or more
copies for $6.75 each, plus shipping and handling.

Order at http://tinyurl.com/ImStillDancing

--------------------------------------------------

3.      Presbyterians Finally Ordain LGBT People

In honour of the Presbyterian Church finally agreeing
to ordain open LGBT people, order an anthology that
helped!  "Called Out: Voices and Gifts of LGBT
Presbyterians" sells for $17.95 each, six or more
copies for $15.25 each, plus shipping and handling.

Order at http://tinyurl.com/CalledOutPresbyterians

--------------------------------------------------

4.      Sterling Silver MCC Crosses and Logos

Chi Rho Press, your MCC LGBT Christian publishing
house, carries Solid Sterling Silver MCC crosses and
logos!

A Gay jewelry artist has cast the traditional MCC
Chi Rho cross and the newer MCC logo in Solid
Sterling Silver for Chi Rho Press.

The traditional MCC Cross with the overlapped Greek
letters Chi and Rho in the center (a traditional
monogram for Christ, being the first letters in
the Greek word Christos) and the Greek letters
Alpha and Omega on the cross bar (the first and
last letters in the Greek alphabet, signifying
the Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the
beginning and the end).  On the reverse of the
cross is the dove of the Holy Spirit.  The Solid
Sterling Silver crosses are 13/16 inches wide and
1 inch tall, and sell for $19.95 each, plus shipping
and handling.  Six or more are $14.95 each, plus
shipping and handling.

The new MCC logo on a round pendant with the flame
of the Holy Spirit intersecting the stylized globe.
The Solid Sterling Silver MCC logos are 7/8 inch in
diameter, and sell for $24.95 each, plus shipping
and handling.  Six or more are $18.95 each, plus
shipping and handling.

Please see and order your MCC Crosses or MCC Logos
at this link:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/silver_jewelry.html

--------------------------------------------------

5.      Adam's Last Word

If you live in Maryland, join us for the Upper
Montgomery and Frederick (UMaF) PFLAG Support Group,
the second Sunday each month from 4 to 6 pm, at Open
Door MCC, 15817 Barnesville Road, Boyds, MD 20841
(for directions, go to www.opendoormcc.com).

UMaF PFLAG is part of a national organization, Parents,
Family, and Friends of LGBTQ People.

Ample parking at the church and all are welcome.  Come
join our One Big, Happier Family.  For more info write
UMaFPFLAG@... or call Adam DeBaugh at 301/926-1205.

If you are on Facebook, please “like” our brand new
UMaF PFLAG's page at http://tinyurl.com/UMaF-PFLAG.

And join us on the second Sunday of each month at 4 pm.

*****

Can you help Chi Rho Press?  Let all your friends know
about us and encourage them to visit www.ChiRhoPress.com
and buy a book or other product!

And please see our Facebook page at
http://tinyurl.com/ChiRhoPress and “like” our page.

Thanks and grace and peace to you all.

*****

Please encourage members of your church to participate
in the special fund raising offer from Chi Rho Press.
We will make a donation of 10% of all sales from
people who mention your congregation in the "Special
Instructions and Comments" box on the check out page.
Please let your people know as soon as possible about
this opportunity to help both our ministries.

*****

Shipping and Handling Tip: This tip will be
especially important if you are ordering one or
two Liturgical Calendars!

When you are ordering from the Chi Rho Press Web
site, be sure to tell us your preferred shipping
method. The way the shopping cart is set up, the
shipping method defaults to United Parcel Service.
This is NOT the most economical way to ship for
orders under seven pounds. If you want the most
inexpensive shipping (within the United States)
it is usually best to pick USPS (United States
Postal Service Domestic Parcel Post) for packages
weighing under seven pounds. UPS (United Parcel
Service) Ground is more economical for packages
heavier than seven pounds. The shopping cart will
tell you how much your order weighs in the box right
next to your order amount and price. There is a link
there to change your shipping method as well.

When I order one copy of the Liturgical Calendar and
allow the default UPS Ground shipping method, the
shipping cost is almost as much as the book, $10.11!
But if I change the shipping method to USPS Parcel
Post shipping is only $6.28, and it is $6.46 for USPS
Priority Mail.

Be smart shoppers and choose your shipping options
carefully to avoid paying too much!

*****

Gracia y paz,

Brother R. Adam DeBaugh, OSL
Director, Adam@....

******************************************

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Chi Rho Press. We are eager for your comments, your
suggestions, your assistance with selling our books,
and your own purchases! And of course, we covet your
prayers for this ministry.

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order.  Please always include your e-mail address,
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For all e-mail correspondence, please write
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Our telephone and fax number is 301/926-1208.

Copyright 2011, Chi Rho Press, Inc.

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of August 7, 2011

**********

August is special order month!  Order any book or
other item from our Web site, www.ChiRhoPress.com,
and receive another item from our catalog of equal
or lesser value.  Just e-mail Adam@...
after you order and let him know what else you would
like in your shipment.

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Take up your cross and deny yourselves

"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If any want to
become my followers, let them deny themselves and
take up their cross and follow me.  For those who
want to save their life will lose it, and those
who lose their life for my sake will find it.
For what will it profit them if they gain the
whole world but forfeit their life?  Or what will
they give in return for their life?  For the Son
of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of
his Father, and then he will repay everyone for
what has been done.  Truly I tell you, there are
some standing here who will not taste death before
they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.'"
Matthew 16:24-28

On one of the walls of my writing study hangs an
inexpensive copy of a very old Byzantine or Slavic
icon called "Christ, Pantocrator."  I am not talking
about computer icons, but a sacred art form providing
visual focal points for reflection and meditation on
Christian revelation and aspects of discipleship.
These cherished religious images are the result of
the prayers of many icon painters, providing a
powerful prayer form that has continued to evolve
over nearly 2,000 years.  They help people pray
with their eyes and hearts, without any need of
rationalization or even verbalization.  You simply
gaze at them in silence and stillness.  I often light
a candle by mine when writing meditations, trusting
the Spirit of God to work deep within my soul.  Many
of these beautiful icon images are available online,
providing powerful prayer experiences using modern
technology.

The Greek word, Pantocrator, translates as "Ruler of
All."  This popular icon has been often used in the
high, main domes of churches for centuries,
acknowledging Christ as Ruler of the universe,
Creator and Savior.  Christ typically is painted
facing directly frontally, holding the Gospel, Book
of Judgment, or an Orb representing the world in his
left hand, with his right hand raised in blessing.
He is often painted with riveting eyes staring
straight at the viewer, although sometimes his eyes
are averted.

My particular copy has an unusual feature, which a
woman noticed when I facilitated an indoor Lenten
labyrinth walk, for which I placed icons throughout
the room for meditation purposes.  She came up to me
and asked if the eyes of Christ were different.  Yes.
The artist painted one eye open and kind.  The other
eye is keen and piercing.

The Christ sees deep within our souls and all hidden
inner thoughts.  Words and actions are revealed for
what they truly are.  Sometimes we forget that someday
Jesus Christ will repay everyone for what has been done
when he returns in power and glory to judge the world
of its sin.

But through the brush of this particular artist, the
kindly eye of Christ, Pantocrator reveals an invitation
for every viewer to experience God's amazing grace.
This brings to my mind the ever-present reminder that
Jesus has always been a great friend of sinners such
as myself.  We are all sinners saved by grace.  Christ
is indeed a great Savior.

God, help us appreciate the powerful image Christ,
Pantocrator brings through the powerful words of
today's gospel passage.  Thank you for the amazing
grace that gives us confidence now and when Christ
returns.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

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on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of August 14, 2011

**********

August is special order month!  Order any book
or other item from our Web site, www.ChiRhoPress.com,
and receive another item from our catalog of equal
or lesser value.  Just e-mail Adam@...
after you order and let him know what else you would
like in your shipment.

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Direct and loving confrontation

Jesus taught, "If another member of the church sins
against you, go and point out the fault when the two
of you are alone.  If the member listens to you, you
have regained that one.  But if you are not listened
to, take one or two others along with you, so that
every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two
or three witnesses.  If the member refuses to listen
to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender
refuses to listen even to the church, let such a
one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector."
Matthew 18:15-17

Benjamin Franklin wrote, "Those things that hurt,
instruct."  Sometimes the truth hurts.  Tough love
might lead us to privately speak with another and
honestly share how we have been injured by another's
words and actions.  In our relationships with others
diplomacy and respect often win us a hearing to share
our truth.  But there are times when diplomacy is not
always helpful.  Sometimes we must be more direct and
to the point.  Loving confrontation is needed.

I appreciate this teaching of Jesus.  He is refreshingly
honest and uncomplicated.  It is much easier to gossip
and criticize people behind their backs.  It takes
courage to approach a person who has sinned against
us and tell it like it is from our perspective.  While
this teaching is often the foundation of church
discipline, it also offers us rich insights about
individual conflict resolution.

Always approach the other person privately and try to
resolve the issue at the source of contention.  Remember
that respect is a holy word and that diplomacy might
open a more frank and honest conversation.  Have the
courage to humbly confront and the grace to listen.
But be very careful.  We are not always right in our
judgments, fervent opinions, and beliefs.

Just the other day I saw two friends have the courage
to live this teaching in their interpersonal conflict.
One woman had been extremely upset and deeply offended
by an embarrassing comment made by a trusted and valued
friend.  The friend had unintentionally but publicly
hurt her feelings with a thoughtless comment.  The
offended woman made the effort to privately approach
her friend and share how the comment embarrassed and
angered her.  Her friend was mortified and apologized
profusely.  Their friendship was actually strengthened
through honest, direct, and caring conversation.  They
were able to reach a peaceable resolution and deeper
understanding.

There are no guarantees that all conflict and hurt can
be resolved at this personal level.  Honesty can be a
risky business.  Wisdom encourages us to try to resolve
issues privately whenever possible.

God, is there anyone I need to approach privately in
loving honesty?  Give me the courage to act on this
teaching of Jesus.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of August 21, 2011

**********

August is special order month!  Order any book or
other item from our Web site, www.ChiRhoPress.com,
and receive another item from our catalog of equal
or lesser value.  Just e-mail Adam@... a
fter you order and let him know what else you would
like in your shipment.

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

What is in it for me?

"Then Peter said in reply, 'Look, we have left
everything and followed you.  What then will we
have?'  Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, at
the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is
seated on the throne of his glory, you who have
followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has
left houses or brothers or sisters or father or
mother or children or fields, for my name's sake,
will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal
life.  But many who are first will be last, and the
last will be first.'"
Matthew 19:27-30

I deeply appreciate the blunt honesty of the impulsive
Peter.  He has eagerly been following the conversation
between Jesus and the rich young man.  Like the other
disciples, he has been amazed at Jesus' teachings on
wealth and the realm of God.  He was shocked that the
wealthy man was challenged to give up his possessions
before following Jesus.  So he blurts out a question
that I imagine was on the minds of all the others.
"We have left everything to follow you!  What then will
there be for us?"  Meaning, I suspect, what is in it for
me?

There is nothing wrong in that question.  He and the
others gave up their jobs and financial resources to
follow this remarkable teacher, Jesus.  I can identify
with his question because I also am not salaried as I
serve the Gospel in a full time ministry.  If there is
a prosperity gospel, I have not seen it!

We find Jesus patiently explaining their future reward
to the entire group of the original disciples.  Someday
friends, he said, when I am on my glorious throne, you
will also sit on thrones with power, honor, and glory.
I will honor your faithful service.  That is as good
as it gets.

The Teacher continued with timeless words for today.
Everyone who has served the Gospel sacrificially in
obedience to the call of Christ will someday be
abundantly rewarded in the hereafter.  The last will
be first, and the first will be last.

Delayed gratification is never easy.  We are to serve
faithfully in the here and now.  We may never see the
rewards of our sacrificial service to the Gospel in
this life.  But someday we will hear a "well done,
good and faithful servant" from the One who has called
us by name.  And that is as good as it gets.  It is
more than enough.

God, help us be faithful servants of Christ.  Help us
serve with loving and willing hearts.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of August 28, 2011

**********

August is special order month!  Order any book or
other item from our Web site, www.ChiRhoPress.com,
and receive another item from our catalog of equal
or lesser value.  Just e-mail Adam@...
after you order and let him know what else you would
like in your shipment.

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Judgment and a prayer lesson

"In the morning, when he returned to the city, he
was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the side of
the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on
it but leaves.  Then he said to it, 'May no fruit
ever come from you again!'  And the fig tree withered
at once.  When the disciples saw it, they were amazed,
saying, 'How did the fig tree wither at once?'  Jesus
answered them, 'Truly I tell you, if you have faith
and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been
done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this
mountain, "Be lifted up and thrown into the sea", it
will be done.  Whatever you ask for in prayer with
faith, you will receive.'"
Matthew 21:18-22

What in heaven's name does this unfruitful fig tree
and prayer lesson mean for us?  Matthew describes the
tree as withering immediately.  The fig tree event
takes a bit longer in Mark 11:12-14, 20-25.  Some
biblical scholars suggest this is an example of God's
immediate judgment  (Barker, Kenneth, General Editor.
"The New International Version Study Bible," p. 1472).

Bearing fruit is a spiritual metaphor common in
scripture that I struggle with as an urban woman.
I have no agricultural expertise and provide great
entertainment to my neighbors as I am learning to
differentiate between the weeds and flowers in my
yard.  But I do understand what it means to be barren
in spirit and life.  Someday my own life will also
come into divine judgment.

All of us will someday be asked if our lives were
fruitful or barren in goodness, generosity, hospitality,
kindness, love, mercy, and justice.  Perhaps it is time
to cultivate and nurture a new spirit as we follow
Christ.

What about this teaching on prayer?  Jesus says it is
"the truth."  If we have faith without doubt, we can
do even more than he did with the fig tree.  He
concludes this teaching with this empowering comment,
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for
in prayer" (Matthew 21:22 NIV).

Now I have asked for many things in life through prayer.
I do not remember receiving answers to every request.
Yet I have often been more prayerless than prayerful.
My prayer life is imperfect at best, and I am an ordained
minister with more than forty years in the Christian life.
Perhaps my prayers have been as barren as this fig tree.
The fruit of our prayers can change the world, help many
people, and transform our personal lives.  So why do we
hesitate to pray and believe nothing is impossible for
God?

God, I personally lack the faith to pray strongly enough
to move mountains.  Oh, help my unbelief!  Teach me to
pray in such ways that my life and the lives of many
others will be productive, loving, and blessed.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe, mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of September 4, 2011

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

The greatest commandment

"When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced
the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of
them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.
'Teacher, which commandment in the law is the
greatest?'  Jesus said to him, '"You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your mind."  This is
the greatest and first commandment.  And a second
is like it: "You shall love your neighbour as
yourself."  On these two commandments hang all
the law and the prophets.'"
Matthew 22:34-40

Love is the greatest commandment in biblical law.
With just four concise sentences, Jesus sums up the
entire Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) for us.
Love God with every fiber, breath, and cell of our
being.  Then love our neighbors as ourselves.  Love
ourselves as we love our neighbors.  A teaching for
all cultures, this Great Commandment, speaks to every
generation, every nation, and every sexual orientation.

We all fall short and miss the mark in loving God,
our neighbor, and ourselves.  Today many mainline
Christian denominations often practice intolerance
and discrimination, causing great pain and suffering
for sexual minorities.  Christian churches that do
not recognize same-sex love are not practicing the
Golden Rule as taught by Jesus.  Some Christian
ministries explain their prejudice against same-
sex love by saying they "hate the sin and love the
sinner," but often they reject, refuse, and prohibit
sexual minority people's basic human courtesies and
human rights.

Sometimes these Christian ministries go further
than withholding blessings, they distort this basic
teaching of Christ to justify fund-raising for
themselves and political candidates that continue
these policies of oppression of LGBT people, policies
that often contribute to a lack of job security and
health insurance for LGBT people, as well as acts
of physical violence against them.  Tragically,
these non-welcoming Christian churches can cause
profound spiritual injuries to many seekers who have
been demonized and denigrated by these houses of worship.

I am often considered "too controversial" to lead
centering and contemplative prayer groups at those
non-affirming churches.  Does this surprise you?
When will we learn to live and practice our highest
calling?  When will we finally obey Jesus and live
this commandment to love?

More love, O God, to You, our neighbors, and ourselves.
Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of September 11, 2011

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Inner attitudes and cleansing

Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!  For you clean the outside of the cup
and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed
and self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee!  First
clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside
also may become clean."
Matthew 23:25-26

Jesus says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!  For you clean the outside of the cup
and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed
and self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee!  First
clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside
also may become clean" (Matthew 23:25-26, NRSV).
These stinging words are as relevant today as when
Jesus uttered them.  Religious people have often
been quick to point the finger and condemn others,
while neglecting to first look in the mirror.  Our
human nature is often blind to our own faults and
eager to pass the blame on to others.  September
11, 2001 is a powerful example of such religious
condemnation, bigotry, and hypocrisy.

That morning four hijacked planes had been used in
a carefully planned, well-coordinated attack.  Two
had deliberately crashed and destroyed the twin 110-
story towers of the World Trade Center building in
New York City.  Minutes later another crashed into
the Pentagon in Washington, DC, causing the White
House to be evacuated while the fourth plane crashed
outside Pittsburgh.  Scenes of hell could not be any
worse than these horrific moments as thousands of
innocent people died in fiery infernos.

Wise spiritual leaders from around the world quickly
urged the dazed public to refrain from retributive
hate crimes.  Within hours, people from many faiths
came together and began many extraordinary interfaith
vigils mingling Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayers
for peace and healing.  Our prayers connected us in
our common human condition of mourning.

Tragically, before the dust of the rubble settled,
prominent television evangelists, powerful voices
of the religious right, pointed their fingers in
judgment and accused liberal civil liberties groups,
feminists, homosexuals, and abortion rights
supporters for being partially responsible for the
terrorist attacks.  These self-righteous contemporary
Pharisees proclaimed these were the people who made
God angry at America.  They vilified many innocent
citizens.  Ignorant, bigoted, and fearful people
responded with savage violence against fellow
Americans in their eagerness to retaliate because
of the hateful religious rhetoric.  The hate-filled
extremist terrorist rhetoric of the 9/11 highjackers
had met its match.

According to Jesus, all human beings have great
potential to be self-indulgent religious hypocrites,
pointing fingers in judgment towards others while
neglecting to take care of the inherent potential
for evil in their own souls.  This seems to be an
especially dangerous occupational hazard for religious
professionals.  We would be wise to remember we are
all sinners in need of grace.  None of us are perfect
or without sin except God.  Together, we should weep
with God as we meditate on the words from Jesus and
grieve the events of September 11, 2001.

God, help us look in the mirror and see ourselves
through your holy eyes.  As we remember September
11, 2001, we ask you heal the broken hearted and
pray for our world.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe, mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of September 25, 2011

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Sold for a price

"Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said, 'What will you
give me if I betray Jesus to you?'  They paid him
thirty pieces of silver.  And from that moment Judas
began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus."
Matthew 26:14-16

Cynics will insist everyone has a price and loyalty
can be bought.  For Judas Iscariot, thirty silver
coins represented approximately four months' wages.
Why would he betray Jesus?  After three years of
being with this remarkable teacher, healer, and
miracle worker, what prompted him to sell out to
the religious authorities?  Was it greed?  Or is
there more to this story?  Did the anonymous woman
who so lovingly anointed Jesus influence his decision?
The other gospel accounts do not tell us the motives
of Judas Iscariot (Mark 14:10, 11; Luke 22:3-6).  They
do tell us that the hostile religious leaders were
"delighted" with his decision to betray Jesus into
their hands (Mark 14: 11 NIV).

Luke and John specifically mention that "Satan entered
Judas."  This expression is found twice, first in Luke
22:3 and later during the description of the Last
Supper in John 13:27.  One commentary notes that Judas
never had a high motive of service or commitment to
Jesus.  Hendriksen, William.  "New Testament Commentary:
The Gospel of Matthew," pp. 902-903) Judas had even
stolen money that had been given to support Jesus and
the other disciples in ministry (John 12:6).  From the
very beginning of his experience with Jesus, he
compromised his ethics and integrity for personal
gain and ambition.

Judas Iscariot began watching for an opportunity to
betray his master, friend, mentor, and rabbi.  Judas
was receptive to evil influence in his life, and
Satan is a great opportunist and strategist.

Judas Iscariot had the soul of a traitor.  He was a
hypocrite and a sneak. His story continues to enlighten
people, for the Christian church has always had some
disciples who merely pretend to serve Christ out of
loving devotion.  Jesus is useful to them as they
seek to further their careers, special agendas, and
personal fortunes.  But nothing is more demoralizing
than being betrayed by someone you love.  It is
frighteningly easy to become like Judas Iscariot.
Hypocrisy can take many forms and the spiritual
profile of Judas serves as warning.

Do our lives model the life of Judas Iscariot?
Do we share his lack of commitment and self-serving
motive to serve Jesus?  Have we ever compromised
and taken what is not ours?  Do we live with
integrity?  What are our ethics?  Have we, like
Judas Iscariot, intimately known Jesus, been
involved in ministry, and been in spiritual
leadership?  What is our price to compromise the
Gospel of Jesus Christ?

God, help us humbly learn from the mistakes of
Judas Iscariot.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site.  You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
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this book on our Web site at
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m

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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of October 2, 2011

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation. We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

It is safe to cry with God

"Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.  A
servant-girl came to him and said, 'You also were
with Jesus the Galilean.'  But he denied it before
all of them, saying, 'I do not know what you are
talking about.'  When he went out to the porch,
another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the
bystanders, 'This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.'
Again he denied it with an oath, 'I do not know
the man.'  After a little while the bystanders
came up and said to Peter, 'Certainly you are also
one of them, for your accent betrays you.'  Then
he began to curse, and he swore an oath, 'I do
not know the man!'  At that moment the cock crowed.
Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: 'Before
the cock crows, you will deny me three times.'
And Peter went out and wept bitterly."
Matthew 26:69-75

Peter's tears remind us that fear can sometimes
overpower loving courage.  Peter had done his best
to stay near Jesus while the other disciples had
fled for their lives.  His public outing by the
servant girl proved to be terrifying.  Peter was
faced with a dangerous and potentially deadly
dilemma.  If he identified as one of Jesus'
disciples, he could possibly share the same fate
as his beloved master.  Instinctively Peter
denied his best friend again and again without
thinking.

In several panic stricken moments, Peter betrayed
Jesus more powerfully than Judas Iscariot.  Judas
had the soul of a traitor and had carefully
premeditated his actions for some time.  Peter
had the soul of loyal friend who loved Jesus
passionately, but when the chips were down and
his life was as stake, Peter impulsively betrayed
Jesus by denying their relationship.  He lied to
save his own skin.  Can we really blame him for
his cowardice?  What would we have done in his
situation?

The rooster crowed as Jesus had earlier predicted.
Overcome with remorse, Peter fled outside the
courtyard and wept bitter heartrending tears.
His grief only intensified as he remembered the
loving look Jesus gave him as Peter cursed and
repeatedly insisted he did not know Jesus.  Jesus
had looked him right in the eye and gazed into
the depths of his soul.  Peter then ran for his
life, berating himself with a self-hatred and
loathing we can only imagine.  He would carry
the memories of his bitter betrayal of Jesus to
his grave.

As Peter wept bitter tears of shame, grief, and
regret he unwittingly found it was safe to cry
with God.  I suspect he was unaware of God's
tender presence in his defining moment of human
failure.  God was with him throughout the horror
of the moment, and would help him live through
the terrible events that lay ahead.  After the
resurrection, Peter's tears would eventually lead
him to a life transforming and soul refining
repentance, bringing him an empowering resolve
to serve the risen Christ and build his church.
He would become a great preacher and influential
pastor to many churches before dying a martyr's
death for his loyalty to the new Christian faith.

So often in life we minimize our pain and try to
stifle and hide our tears.  Tears are something
many of us are ashamed of as a sign of weakness
and inadequacy.  We even apologize when crying
in our deepest agony.  But God created tears for
a purpose.  They cleanse our souls and hearts,
bringing healing and strength.  The next time
tears well up in our eyes, let them become an
agent of God's grace.  Have a good cry and you
too, will find it is safe to cry with God.
There are times when even a tear rolling quietly
down our cheeks is a silent prayer.

God, today Peter's tears have become mine.  With
Peter, may I find you safe to cry with and find
comfort and courage in my times of need.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling. Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling. You can find
this book on our Web site at
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m

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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of October 9, 2011

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation. We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

It is safe to cry with God

"Then Pontius Pilate asked, 'Why, what evil has he
done?'  But they shouted all the more, 'Let him be
crucified!'  So when Pilate saw that he could do
nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he
took some water and washed his hands before the crowd,
saying, 'I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it
yourselves.'  Then the people as a whole answered,
'His blood be on us and on our children!'  So Pilate
released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus,
he handed him over to be crucified."
Matthew 27:23-26

An ancient Persian proverb tells us if fate throws
a knife at you, you can catch it either by the blade
or the handle.  Pilate dodges the knife by refusing
to accept the responsibility of his office.  Rather
than quell the disturbance and maintain Roman justice,
he takes the easy way out.  Pilate washes his hands
of this sordid event and tells the rioting crowd
that Jesus is "your responsibility."  The crazed
crowd shouts back, "Let his blood be on us and our
children."  Barabbas disappears into the crowd as a
free man.  Pilate had Jesus flogged.  Roman floggings
were so brutal that sometimes the victim died before
crucifixion.  Jesus survived and went on to be
crucified.

I cringe from the horror of this event and my own
self-knowledge.  There have been times in my own
life where I have dodged or avoided responsibility.
By stepping back and letting others take over, I
have acted like Pilate.  By silent assent or passive
behavior, evil can triumph.  Power and authority
always carry responsibility.

God, where have I acted as Pilate?  Please forgive
me.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling. Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling. You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
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Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of October 16, 2011

**********
We are a bit late coming out with the 2011-2012
Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary for this year,
for which we apologize.  If you want to preorder,
please use the order information for this year’s
Calendar at http://tinyurl.com/LiturgCal.  We will
send you the material for Advent through
Christmastide, up until Epiphany to tide you over
until the full calendar is printed and bound and
sent to you.

Thank you!

**********
As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation. We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

The earth shook

"At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn
in two, from top to bottom.  The earth shook, and
the rocks were split.  The tombs also were opened,
and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep
were raised.  After his resurrection they came out
of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared
to many."
Matthew 27:51-53

The earth shook while many other strange and
frightening things began to happen the moment
Christ died.  The curtain of the Jewish temple
in Jerusalem was torn from top to bottom.  Rocks
shattered.  Certain graves actually released their
dead, and many corpses of known holy people were
raised to life.  They came out of their tombs.
How terrifying this all must have been.  The sun
had disappeared and all was dark.  Where was God
in this dark moment in world history?  I imagine
many people huddled in fear and wonder.

We are told that the raised dead actually appeared
to many in Jerusalem after Christ was resurrected.
Even in the moment of Christ's death, death was
conquered.  The power of the grave was shattered
forever as faithful and holy people were miraculously
raised from the dead, testifying to God's great grace
and power.  There were many empty tombs the moment
Christ died.

What does this mean for us?  We can personally
claim the Christian hope that we too can experience
resurrection through Jesus Christ, God's crucified
and beloved Child.  Jesus himself experienced death
for us and understands our human frailties and fears.
We can take courage at the moment of our death and
experience spiritual comfort when loved ones die.
Death has been conquered forever.

Someday the dead in Christ will be raised again (1
Thessalonians 4:13-18).  Oh death, where is your
victory?  Where is your sting?  (See 1 Corinthians
15:54-56.)  Christ has conquered the grave even in
death.  Death cannot hold him.  Death is not the end.
We have hope beyond the grave (1 Corinthians 15).

Beloved Christ, you have tasted death for me and
offer all of us resurrection hope.  Help us encourage
each other with these words.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card! http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling. Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling. You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground." It is much less expensive!

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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of October 23, 2011

**********
We are a bit late coming out with the 2011-2012
Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary for this year,
for which we apologize.  If you want to preorder,
please use the order information for this year’s
Calendar at http://tinyurl.com/LiturgCal.  We will
send you the material for Advent through Christmastide,
up until Epiphany to tide you over until the full
calendar is printed and bound and sent to you.

Thank you!

**********
As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation. We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Religious deception and bribery

"While they were going, some of the guard went into
the city and told the chief priests everything that
had happened.  After the priests had assembled with
the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum
of money to the soldiers, telling them, 'You must
say, "His disciples came by night and stole him
away while we were asleep."  If this comes to the
governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you
out of trouble.'  So they took the money and did as
they were directed.  And this story is still told
among the Jews to this day."
Matthew 28:11-15

What is the price of truth?  We are not told how
much money the soldiers received, but it was a
large sum.  To the poorly paid soldiers, it probably
represented a small fortune.  The soldiers agreed to
accept the money and lie about what actually happened
at the tomb where Jesus had been buried.  Certain
religious authorities were now desperate in their
attempts to silence the resurrection event.  All
conspired and agreed to perpetuate an intentional
lie.  All agreed to circulate the story among the
Jewish people.  Lies beget lies.

What was the truth?  Jesus had risen from the dead.
Death had been conquered.  God was moving in
mysterious and powerful ways that disturbed
religiously powerful men.  They tried to cover
the truth with money and deception.  They tried
to lie to the world.

Over the years, I have worked with religious leaders
representing many different faith traditions.  Most
are devout, sincere, God fearing, honest, and holy
leaders.  Yet our religious institutions are fallible.
Sometimes the truth is subconsciously or deliberately
silenced and hidden in order to maintain the status
quo and please the financial donors.  Such was my
experience while studying evangelism during my Doctor
of Ministry program.  For an elective, I chose to
attend one of the famous Billy Graham schools of
evangelism.  During that week of intense study, I
was in conversation with a Graham employee about
the possibility of teaching an inclusive gospel,
which would welcome people of all sexual orientations.
He totally discouraged any further conversation with
the comment, "Our funders barely support our inclusion
of women at this school of evangelism.  We'd lose them
in a minute if we supported your proposed workshop!"

While religion can deepen our faith experiences, it
can also corrupt us.  God is bigger than all our
combined religions.  Religion can sometimes fail
us in our search for truth.  Well-intentioned
people have used religion to inflict deep suffering
on people who believe differently.  They have
demonized certain groups such as gays and lesbians,
crusaded against those whom they call infidels and
pagans, and burned books that offered different
outlooks on life.

Yet it must also be said that religious organizations
have done much good as they have fed the hungry, cared
for the destitute, provided for the orphan, and worked
for improving conditions for the impoverished.

Religious corruption is not new.  It is good to
question our religious authorities and our own
motives thoroughly.  Leaders and believers
representing all world religions are vulnerable.
Bribery, deception, and lies can affect all our
cherished religious institutions and leaders.

Perhaps it is enough to simply sit with the tension
of these verses and consider where we are in the
story.  Perhaps we too, have been tempted to lie,
deceive, bribe, and cover the truth somewhere in
our lives.  This is a wonderful opportunity for
personal reflection and confession of sin.  We need
these moments of soul care.  Each of us has an
enormous capacity for self-deception.

God, as I linger quietly in your loving presence,
speak to me about truth and deception, honesty and
bribery.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart
and pay on line using your credit card!
http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95
each, plus shipping and handling.  Six or more
copies are $15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.
You can find this book on our Web site at
http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved

United States customers, please remember when
ordering on the Web site secure server to select
"US Postal Service Parcel Post" rather than the
default setting of "UPS Ground."  It is much less
expensive!

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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of October 30, 2011

**********
The 2011-2012 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary is
now on the Web Site!  If you want to order,go to
http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********
As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation. We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Reading the entire Bible

"The Lord exists for ever; your word is firmly
fixed in heaven.  Your faithfulness endures to
all generations; you have established the earth,
and it stands fast."
Psalm 119:89-90

From April until now, the end of October, we have
read through the Gospel of Matthew.  Congratulations!
Reading an entire book in the Bible is a marvelous
accomplishment.  These wonderful words of life uplift,
sustain, encourage, and provide us with moments of God-
power.  I love reading the Bible.  No other book has
so deeply influenced my life.  The Bible is worth a
lifetime of study.  Perhaps this is why so many fondly
call it "the Good Book."

If you have enjoyed reading the Gospel of Matthew,
consider reading the other Gospels of Mark, Luke,
and John.  Each offers unique insights and lessons
for living.  Each shares the Jesus story in powerful
ways.  Mark offers a gold thread of discipleship.
Luke is the beloved physician writing about Jesus
as the Great Physician.  John teaches us how to
simply be with Jesus.

You may even find yourself wanting to read the entire
Bible.  There are many Bible reading plans.  I used
one for many years that a friend recommended.  It
involved reading ten chapters in the Bible on a daily
basis.  Many others have used it and have been
transformed.  It involves a bit of disciplined reading
but is extremely rewarding.

The ten chapters divide into four daily sections: Old
Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs.  Daily
read two chapters in the Old Testament, beginning with
the first book in the Bible known as Genesis.  When
Genesis is completed, continue on to the next book in
the Bible, Exodus.

While reading in the Old Testament, continue daily
readings with two chapters in the New Testament,
beginning with Matthew's Gospel, which we have just
read.  Throughout your reading discipline, include
five daily Psalms with one chapter from the book of
Proverbs.  The Psalms are cherished prayers that have
helped people pray throughout the centuries.  We need
the Psalms for the care of our soul.  The Proverbs are
a treasure of ethical insights for living.

What does this particular reading plan accomplish?  By
the end of a year, you will have read the entire Old
Testament twice.  You will have read the New Testament
three times.  You will have read the entire prayer book
known as the Psalms on a monthly basis, including the
marvelous ancient wisdom of Proverbs.  If ten chapters
seem too difficult, time consuming, or intimidating, do
what you realistically can.  Expect a daily blessing
whether you read ten chapters a day or ten verses or
even just ten words.  The Bible will nourish your soul.
God will honor your reading and efforts.  These sacred
words have been known to change lives.

God, help me to grow spiritually every day.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can order
using our convenient secure shopping cart and pay on
line using your credit card!  http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe, mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of November 6, 2011

**********
The 2011-2012 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary is
now on the Web Site!  If you want to order, go to
http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********
As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation. We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Who, me?

"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you.  As
the Father has sent me, so I send you.'"
John 20:21

Just as God sent Jesus to earth to walk among human
beings, revealing divine grace and truth, so Jesus
commissions everyone who believes in his message,
to go forth and do likewise.  Believe it or not,
we are part of a divine plan.

Some of you might be incredulous, murmuring, "who,
me?"  Yes, God uses ordinary people in extraordinary
ways.  Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are
born into something much bigger than ourselves.
Jesus himself sends us into the world to share the
love of God, in word and deed, as long as we live,
in our neighborhoods and workplaces, in local and
even global communities.

Because none of us are clones, we will reflect the
light of Christ through our lives to others in many
different ways.  Some of us are better at articulating
our faith, while others have administrative gifts or
a calling to help the sick and needy.  Christ is
eager to use our artistic and musical talents, along
with our secular work areas of competence, to shine
spiritual light in the world.  Jesus can use us
through interpersonal relationships, business networks,
even our hobbies, to bring moments of divine hope and
healing to a broken, hurting humanity.  The ultimate
divine plan is to bring God's enormous love through
the message of Jesus to every human being, in every
city, village, town, culture, and in every language.

You probably realize this is humanly impossible to do
alone, although each individual with the help of God
can accomplish enormous good.  Gay or straight, we
need the help of others to develop and serve to our
fullest potential, as we obey our divine commission.

The divine plan revolves around the Church.  We need
the fellowship and encouragement of other believers,
imperfect as we all are, to grow in our faith, while
faithfully living out our individual and common
callings for Jesus.  We need to gather for moments
of praise and prayer through worship services.
These gatherings will energize and equip us,
empowering our sense of mission and purpose.  We
are not in this great calling by ourselves.  We are
part of a great community of faith that stretches
around the globe, which continues to be passed on
from generation to generation.  The Church represents
human diversity, as we strive to serve God.  Gay or
straight, we bring a message of hope the world
urgently needs to hear.

The majority of people have no church experience or
memory.  These folks have never read a Gospel and
probably do not know what Christians celebrate on
Easter.  Although they may not be religious, they
are often deeply spiritual, in search of the Sacred.
Jesus is an unknown to them.

As God sent Jesus into the world, Jesus sends us
with the divine message of faith, hope, and love.
Not only does the risen Christ send us, but he
equips us through the incredible power of the Holy
Spirit.  The God who calls, empowers, as we step
out in faith and obedience.

God, we wish to serve you.  Thank you for including
us as part of your divine plan, bringing your message
of faith, hope, and love, locally and globally through
our words and deeds.  Help us find churches accepting
of human diversity, that can help equip and encourage
us as we strive to spread the message of Jesus.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can order
using our convenient secure shopping cart and pay on
line using your credit card!  http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling. You  can
find this book on our Web site at
http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe, mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of November 13, 2011

**********
The 2011-2012 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary is
now on the Web Site! If you want to order, go to
http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********
As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Knowing Christ is everything

"For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. …
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to
regard as loss because of Christ.  More than that,
I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing
value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake
I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard
them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and
be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own
that comes from the law, but one that comes through
faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on
faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his
resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by
becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may
attain the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I
have already obtained this or have already reached
the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because
Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Beloved, I do not
consider that I have made it my own; but this one
thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining
forward to what lies ahead."
Philippians 1:21; 3:7-13

I love reading the book of Philippians and helping
others read it.  It is full of God-power insights
and can dramatically transform lives.  It is only
four chapters and worth reading, memorizing, and
using for personal meditation.  The author is
believed to be the apostle Paul.  He was originally
an Orthodox Jewish rabbi who passionately hunted
down the early Christians.  He zealously had them
imprisoned and delighted in their deaths.  Then one
day he had a dramatic conversion experience on the
road to Damascus.  His great change of heart forever
altered his life.  He became a tireless missionary
for Jesus Christ to the astonishment of those he
formerly persecuted and his rabbinical colleagues.
He suffered greatly for his Christian faith.  He
wrote Philippians while in jail for sharing the
gospel.  Through this letter, we learn about the
joy of Christian suffering for the Gospel.

Several years ago, a young lesbian activist had a
spiritual conversion experience.  She met Jesus Christ
in a powerful, healing, and personally transforming
way.  She then began attending an affirming Bible study
for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered
seekers, doubters, and skeptics.  Someone gave her a
Bible.  She began reading the Gospel for the first
time.  She then went on to a four week Bible study
with a group of Christian lesbians.  Together they
read the lovely book of Ruth.  By reading Ruth, all
the women found a place in God's love story.  The
group was reluctant to stop meeting and decided
another short book in the Bible would be a good
experience.  They chose Philippians for its brevity.

They were astonished at the spiritual riches of those
four short chapters and eagerly read every word.  Some
were so deeply touched that they memorized favorite
sentences.  This way they could experience a portable
chapel in their hearts.  Several began a spiritual
journal.  Others began praying in the name of Jesus
Christ for the first time.

The lesbian eagerly began sharing her spiritual
experiences with other lesbian activists.  They
were confused that their beautiful, bright, and
dedicated friend would identify as a Christian.
Their experiences with many Christian churches
had been abusive and damaging.  One day a million
Promise Keepers visited their city to pray as a
large group of evangelical, heterosexual male
Christians.  The young woman eagerly went to meet
them and joyfully shared her Christian faith with
them.  "There are many Christian churches for your
gay and lesbian friends and children," she
enthusiastically shared with them.  Many of the
Promise Keepers were astonished to learn of this
growing, global voice of Christian faith among
sexual minorities.  The men were amazed at this
remarkable lesbian.  She was literally one in a
million.  Like the apostle Paul, she had learned
that knowing Christ was everything.  She wanted
to experience resurrection power and share her
faith.

Expect your life to be changed when you read these
powerful pages.

Yes, God, we too wish to know Christ and the power
of the living resurrection.  Help us share our faith
with the same courage of Paul and this anonymous
Christian lesbian.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can order
using our convenient secure shopping cart and pay on
line using your credit card!  http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can
find this book on our Web site at http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

United States customers, please remember when
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"US Postal Service Parcel Post" rather than the
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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of November 20, 2011

**********
The 2011-2012 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary is
now on the Web Site and available.  Please order, go to
http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********
As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Only God is perfect

"Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God."
Romans 3:23

Only God is perfect.  Only Christ is without sin.  Sin
is an unfortunate but real aspect of our common human
condition.  The Bible tells us that Christ died for the
sins of the world.  This may come as a surprise for some
well-intentioned Christian churches and pastors, but
even churches and their spiritual leaders sin.  Sin is
a guarantee for spiritual indigestion.  Sin offers no
nourishing soul food.

Jesus actually came for the sins of all people, people
from every imaginable sexual orientation.  The cross
is our common denominator.  We are equally needy for
spiritual cleaning and restoration from sin.  We need
to begin with a contrite heart.  It is good to remember
that Jesus is kind to people of all kinds.  He never
insisted on a change in sexual orientation.  He did
insist all change their sin orientation.

The Reverend Eugene Peterson writes this revealing
insight in his beautiful book, Answering God, "Sin
is not what is wrong with our minds, it is the
catastrophic disorder in which we find ourselves at
odds with God.  This is the human condition" (Peterson,
Eugene.  "Answering God," p. 113).

Homosexuality is not a sin.  Neither is heterosexuality
or bisexuality.  All sexual orientations are a good gift
from God.  We need to remember God delights in human
diversity and honors our differences and loving
relationships.  A popular saying in my youth was, "God
doesn't make junk!"  We are all precious to God.  God
does not prefer one sexual orientation to another.
People might be biased or prejudicial, but God is not.

Sin is not precious.  It is harmful.  Many words describe
sin in the Bible.  The ancient Hebrew and Greek words
have very specific and special meanings that we often
do not appreciate in the 21st century.  Words like
trespasses, transgressions, iniquities, and debts reveal
sin to be a real and complex part of human nature.  We
may try to avoid or deny sin as part of our humanity,
but it is a reality in our lives.  Sin coexists alongside
creation and confuses life.  "All have sinned and fallen
short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:32).

We can take moments in our lives and confess our failings
to God in a spirit of humility.  All of us have missed the
mark somewhere in our lives today.  Perhaps it was through
a thought or an unkind word.  Or in a moment of anger we
refused to hug someone we loved or intentionally "forgot"
to do something we had promised.  Where have we missed
the mark in life today?  Where are we at odds with God?

The good news of the Gospel is that when we confess our
sins, God forgives them (1 John 1:9).  Confession is good
for our souls and is the key to our spiritual renewal,
rebirth, reawakening, and rededication to God.

God, forgive me.  Forgive me where I have sinned in words,
thoughts, and deeds today.  Help me live a better and more
loving life with you.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can order
using our convenient secure shopping cart and pay on line
using your credit card!  http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each, plus
shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are $15.75 each,
plus shipping and handling.  You can find it at
http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

United States customers, please remember when ordering on
the Web site secure server to select "US Postal Service
Parcel Post" rather than the default setting of "UPS
Ground."  It is much less expensive!

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ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of November 27, 2011

**********
The new church year has begun.  The 2011-2012
Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary is now on
the Web Site and available. Please order, go to
http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********
As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Faith in the face of death

"Jesus allowed no one to follow him except Peter,
James, and John, the brother of James.  When they
came to the house of the leader of the synagogue,
he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing
loudly.  When he had entered, he said to them,
'Why do you make a commotion and weep?  The child
is not dead but sleeping.'  And they laughed at him.
Then Jesus put them all outside, and took the
child's father and mother and those who were with
him, and went in where the child was."
Mark 5:37-40

While there is life, there is hope.  Hope and faith
are closely intertwined.  But hopeful faith is not
always easy.  While faith in Jesus can personally
sustain and uplift us, it can also bring us into
experiences of public contempt and ridicule.  This
was the situation of Jesus and Jairus as they arrived
at the home of the synagogue ruler.

The Bible mentions that upon his arrival, Jesus was
greeted with the sight and sounds of many grieving
people.  The bad news had traveled fast.  Concerned
relatives, friends, and neighbors quickly came to
mourn when Jairus' little girl died.  Their custom
was to gather for several days and nights of noisy
lamentations.  Comforting the bereaved was sincerely
practiced in Judaism as a sacred duty.

The air was filled with crying and loud wailing.  Even
though their religion taught the mourners their deaths
were precious in the sight of God (Psalm 116:15), the
cruel finality of death could not be denied.  The loud
lamentations were a way of honoring their sacred dead
and paying final respects.  Truly, death is universally
our feared, dreaded, and even hated foe.

In the midst of all this commotion, Jesus calmly told
the gathered crowd to stop grieving.  The child, he
said, was not dead.  The little girl was only sleeping.
The mourners laughed in unbelief and ridicule.  Jesus
must be crazy.  The little girl's corpse was lying in
her bedroom in full view.  Already her small body was
growing cold.  According to their custom, she would
need to be quickly buried before her body began
decomposing in the Middle Eastern heat.

Their lack of belief and mocking laughter did not faze
Jesus.  He knew the crowd did not have the eyes of
faith to see the miracle he was about to perform.
Perhaps they were so blinded by sorrow, they could
not see with the eyes of faith.

Whatever reason for their disbelief, Jesus quietly but
firmly shooed them away.  When the scoffing mourners
had left, only then would Jesus enter the room where
the little girl's body was located, accompanied only
by three of his faithful disciples and the bereaved
parents.  The disciples and grieving parents breathlessly
waited to see what Jesus would do next.

Put yourself in this story.  Do you find yourself with
the mocking crowd or with Jesus by the little girl's
body?  Take a moment to examine your beliefs about
death and life after death.  Do you believe Jesus can
raise someone from the dead?  Is this story just another
timeless tragedy of parents outliving a child?
Figuratively walk in the sandals of these bereaved
parents and tell this story in your own words.  Let
it become part of your prayer.

Could it be possible, O God, that someone could
miraculously be raised from the dead?  Is it possible
that Jesus is more than a miraculous healer?  Is it
true that there is hope beyond the grave?  Give us
the eyes of faith needed to find divine hope in the
face of death.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card!
http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can
find this book on our Web site at
http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of December 4, 2011

**********
The new church year has begun.  The 2011-2012
Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary is now on the
Web Site and available.  Please order, go to
http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********
As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Walking Wisdom

"Then you will walk on your way securely and your
foot will not stumble."
Proverbs 3:23

Confucius offers us some fifth century wisdom worth
reclaiming in the twenty-first century through his
five excellent practices of pilgrimage.  Perhaps his
practices could help us be better people of faith.
His five practices are brilliantly simple.  First,
Confucius encourages us to practice the arts of
attention and listening.  Secondly, practice the art
of renewing yourself daily.  Third, he encourages
meandering walking to the center of every place.
Fourth, practice reading sacred texts.  Finally,
he encourages praise and singing.

Thich Nhat Hanh also encourages us to walk with
gratitude.  Gratitude reminds us how wonderful
life is.  He teaches young people a simple verse
to practice while walking.  "Oui, oui, oui," he
recommends people say to themselves as they breathe
in, and "Merci, merci, merci," as they breathe out
(Hanh, Thich Nhat.  "The Long Road Turns to Joy,"
p. 36.)  "Yes, yes, yes.  Thanks, thanks, thanks."
It helps people respond to life, to society, and
to the Earth in a positive way.

Walking is good for our spirits.  Confucius and
Thich Nhat Hanh are not alone with their encouragement
to walk in gratitude while singing.  Many other
spiritual traditions also understand life is a
journey and we are all on a sacred path.  Walk
tall, walk faithfully, walk music in your hearts.

A Navaho song calls us to, "Walk on a rainbow trail;
walk on a trail of song, and all about you will be
beauty.  There is a way out of every dark mist, over
a rainbow trail."

Walking is good for our souls and Epicurus, a Greek
philosopher who lived 341 to 270 B.C., reminds us
that, "It is never too early or too late to care
for the well-being of your soul."  Seneca, a Roman
philosopher, dramatist and statesman who lived 4
B.C. to 64 A.D., encourages us to "find a path or
make one."  Anaxagorus, another Greek philosopher
who lived 500 to 428 B.C., taught in Athens that
"life is a journey."  An ancient Ilocano saying
from the Northern Luzon Island in the Philippines
wisely reminds us to go slowly if we are going a
long way.

We can experience powerful meditative experiences
through the use of finger labyrinths as well, slowly
tracing the grooved path of the labyrinth with the
fingers of our dominant and non-dominant hands.  Or
watch other walkers and let their movements become
part of your meditation.

Many of us who are Christians have much to learn from
other spiritual traditions.  We will walk life better,
because we have cared enough to learn from other faiths
in an attitude of respect.  Confucius and the other
wise sages have been a great blessing for me today.

How are your spiritual practices?  Are they as excellent
as the ones suggested by the masters?

God, bless our souls with walking wisdom.  As we journey
through life, help us be more mindful of our breath and
body movements.  Empower our prayers with this awareness.
Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can order
using our convenient secure shopping cart and pay on
line using your credit card!  http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can
find this book on our Web site at
http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe, ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of December 18, 2011

**********
The new church year has begun.  The 2011-2012
Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary is now on the
Web Site and available.  Please order, go to
http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********
As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Courage in your Christmas stocking

"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you
who wait for the Lord."
Psalm 31:24

Usually Christmas stockings are full of small stocking
stuffers such as candy and fruit, inexpensive presents
and fun items.  But if I could put one word in your
stocking, it would be the gift of courage.  Please
write this word on a small card and place it in your
Christmas stocking.  Look at it often throughout the
upcoming year and let the word be your inspiration
when facing overwhelming odds.

While writing spiritual meditations for my friends in
Zimbabwe, as they struggled with starvation, economic
collapse, and many legalized acts of injustice from
corrupt government officials, as Internet pastor and
friend, I wrote this courage reflection for them on
August 16, 2002.  I offer these simple thoughts to
you as a special Christmas gift.  Please share your
courage with others and freely distribute it among
your friends.  In this way, the gift goes on and on.

Courage helps us look problems in the eye, rather
than look the other way.  God wants us to live
heroically and bravely.  Courage is like a muscle.
The more we use it, the stronger we will become.
If we cower in fear, our courage muscle will atrophy
and waste away from disuse.  To know what to do and
not to do it is the worst cowardice, Confucius taught.
An old Italian proverb reminds us it is better to
live one day as a lion than a hundred years as a
sheep.

Great courage is needed by citizens in every country
to confront injustice and familiar patterns of racism
and destructive ways of doing things.  It takes
courage to feed your enemies, rather than use food
as a political weapon.  Only the brave will change
old ways of thinking and being, while learning how
to live with mutuality, respect, equality, and dignity.
It takes courage to stop death threats, while only
cowards commit acts of random violence.  Courage is
needed to stand up and speak truth, and needed to
sit down and listen.  Great strength and courage
are needed when working together for finding
peaceable, nonviolent ways to seek reconciliation,
forgiveness, and restoration.

The specific Hebrew word used for strength and courage
in today's verse is "chazaq."  "Chazaq" is found here
and in Psalm 27:14.  God is our source of "chazaq."
"Chazaq" does not carry a passive grin and bear it
attitude.  Here it is being used as a verb,
encouraging the one praying to be strong and
confident while waiting alertly for God.  It is the
total opposite of cowardice.  "Chazaq" is a bold word
describing the believer's confident courage that is
only perfected while waiting for God.  People of faith
from every racial and ethnic background need this bold
yet humble quality of mind and heart.

In the mighty power of God, be brave.  Be strong.
Take courage.  Do not give up.  God is in the chaos
and storms of life, generously giving each seeker the
courage, strength, stamina, endurance, perseverance,
and fortitude needed for every situation.


God, hear my humble prayer.  Bless those I love and
myself with chazaq courage and strength.  May my
courage make the world a better place.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart and
pay on line using your credit card!
http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can
find this book on our Web site at
http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe: ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of December 25, 2011

**********
The new church year has begun.  The 2011-2012
Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary is now on
the Web Site and available.  Please order, go to
<http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal>http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********

Chi Rho Press and Adam DeBaugh, OSL, want to wish
all our readers a very Happy Christmas.  As the
Rev. Miller Jen Hoffman, senior pastor of Open
Door MCC, Boyds, Maryland, USA, said on the last
Sunday of Advent, like Mary, you can smuggle God
into the world in your body.  May you be blessed
by the joy and wonder of embodiment.

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho
Press, here is a selection from our book of daily
devotions, "Living as the Beloved: One Day at a
Time," by the Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr.
Bochonok's meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Peace on earth

"In that region there were shepherds living in
the fields, keeping watch over their flock by
night.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were terrified.  But the angel
said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for see – I am
bringing you good news of great joy for all the
people: to you is born this day in the city of
David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the
Lord.  This will be a sign for you: you will find
a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a
manger.'  And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and
saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and
on earth peace among those whom God favours!'"
Luke 2:8-14a

Christmas is a time of joyous gatherings and
celebrations.  Perhaps by now the Christmas gifts
have been opened.  Or perhaps we are preparing
dinners and entertaining guests.  Many have
traveled huge distances to be with family and
friends.  Merry Christmas!

The first Christmas was celebrated by an angelic
host singing "glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace."  The festive angels appeared to a
startled group of humble shepherds watching their
sheep at night.  The shepherds were terrified at
first.  Who among us would not be afraid of such
a sight?

The angels reassured them and encouraged them to
be brave.  They had good news of great joy for
all the peoples of the earth.  These simple
shepherds were the first to hear it!  Truly,
God's ways are not ours.  The first Christmas was
for the humble, the poor, and the lowly, among
peasant shift workers.

God blessed them with an angelic praise concert,
singing alleluias.

Alleluia!  Glory to God in the highest, with
peace on earth and goodwill towards all.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart
and pay on line using your credit
card!  http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95
each, plus shipping and handling.  Six or more
copies are $15.75 each, plus shipping and
handling.  You can find this book on our Web site
at http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

United States customers, please remember when
ordering on the Web site secure server to select
"US Postal Service Parcel Post" rather than the
default setting of "UPS Ground."  It is much less
expensive!

To unsubscribe,
mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of January 1, 2012

**********
The 2011-2012 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary is
on the Web site and available.  Please order, go to
http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********

Happy New Year!  May 2012 be filled with every good
thing for you all!

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Beloved

"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is
from God; everyone who loves is born of God and
knows God."
1 John 4:7

Welcome to a new year with all its promise and
potential.  If I could give you only one word for
the year, it would be "beloved."  The late Henri
Nouwen wrote, "Being the Beloved expresses the core
truth of our existence" (Nouwen, Henri.  "Life of
the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World,"
p. 28).  But how do we live as the Beloved?  I think
my grandmother might have had an answer.


If I listed the ten people who have most influenced
my life, my grandmother would be at the top of that
list.  It was Voltaire who noted that common sense
is not so common.  Common sense was my grand-mother's
great virtue, in addition to her hearty sense of
humor.  Her favorite saying was "One day at a time,
dear Lord, one day at a time."  She would often
remind me to "keep looking up!"  Her spiritual
wisdom and common sense have stayed with me for
more than forty years.

Grandma was a courageous woman who came to North
America from Norway with her family during the Great
Depression.  She never had the opportunity to finish
grammar school.  She was well acquainted with sorrow,
having buried her first-born on her first Christmas
Day in a new country.  Grandma's marriage lasted
seventy-two years.  When she prayed, God listened!

I lived with her and Grandpa during my early seminary
career.  Together we cared for my mother as she
struggled with breast cancer.  We also cared for
Grandpa during this difficult time.  He was both
speechless and paralyzed from a series of strokes.
Every evening Grandma would prepare him for bed.
Before sleeping, she would sit at his bedside, hold
his hand and pray for all her family by name.  And
she would softly sing, "One day at a time, dear Lord,
one day at a time.  Help me keep looking up."  She
was living as the Beloved.

Usually New Year's resolutions are broken or forgotten
within days.  But if you want this year to be different
from all others, commit yourself to an experiment with
God for the next 365 days.  Use the word "beloved" as
your centering breath prayer and mantra.  Let this
word grow into two words, quietly breathing in the word
"be," while exhaling the word "loved."  Invite these
words to become your daily prayer.  Do this and your
life will be transformed.  And keep looking up.

God, bless me as your beloved child.  Help me be loved
this year with every breath.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can order
using our convenient secure shopping cart and pay on
line using your credit card!  http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

United States customers, please remember when ordering
on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
of "UPS Ground."  It is much less expensive!

To unsubscribe,
ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of January 8, 2012

**********
The 2011-2012 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary
is on the Web Site and available.  Please order,
go to http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho Press,
here is a selection from our book of daily devotions,
"Living as the Beloved: One Day at a Time," by the
Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr. Bochonok's
meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Contemplative activists

"God has told you, O mortal, what is good;  and what
does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and
to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8

Sometimes I am surprised when people ask my opinion.
I am even more surprised when people act on it.  Such
was the case one sunny afternoon when two Christian
lesbians questioned me for about six hours about
potential workshops to be offered at an international
justice conference for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender people.

A number of workshops were being suggested on economic
and political justice issues, but there was a notable
lack of spirituality topics.  I asked, why?  Their
answer should grieve the ecumenical Church at large.
It seemed that these particular people were hesitant
to offer spirituality resources to such a "Bible
bashed" community.  The committee had considered a
welcoming and affirming Bible and homosexuality
workshop at one point but then backed off.  The
conference was to focus on social justice issues
instead.  Social justice issues were considered
safer than spiritual issues.

Yet it seemed to me an important trilogy is found in
the Micah 6:8 verse.  Justice without mercy is harsh.
Mercy untempered with justice can actually encourage
lawless and violent behavior.  Working for justice
and mercy without a personal spiritual life is
difficult if not impossible.  We are called to a
humble walk with a higher power.

It seemed unethical to me to train and motivate
activists of any kind, without offering spiritual
resources to empower them.  Some will be jailed for
their beliefs.  Others will experience the
consequences of living in a world that often rejects
and ridicules the justice seeker.  Many people in the
world are eager to repress the basic human rights of
sexual minorities.  Potential martyrs and change
agents need spiritual empowerment.

"So," I said thoughtfully, "this justice conference is
based on the nonviolent teachings of Gandhi, the late
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesus Christ in the
Gospels.  These three world leaders are what I would
call contemplative activists.  Each leader had
spiritual practices, which sustained them as they
lived and died in their prophetic roles.  A workshop
on spiritual empowerment needs to be offered to
conference attendees."

"Fine," came the instant response.  "Will you do it?"

"Yes," was my reply.

When that particular conference was finished, the
spiritual empowerment workshop had been one of the
most popularly attended events.  People hungered for
spiritual resources as they worked for justice and full
inclusion into society and their various religious
institutions.

Higher Power, bless us with spiritual empowerment.
Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can order
using our convenient secure shopping cart and pay on
line using your credit card!  http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.  Six or more copies are
$15.75 each, plus shipping and handling.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

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on the Web site secure server to select "US Postal
Service Parcel Post" rather than the default setting
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Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of January 15, 2012

**********
The 2011-2012 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary is
on the Web Site and available.  Please order, go to
http://tinyurl.com/2012-Lit-Cal

Thank you!

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho
Press, here is a selection from our book of daily
devotions, "Living as the Beloved: One Day at a
Time," by the Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr.
Bochonok's meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

Till death do us part

"But Ruth said, 'Do not press me to leave you or
to turn back from following you!  Where you go, I
will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your
people shall be my people, and your God my
God.  Where you die, I will die, there will I be
buried.  May the Lord do thus and so to me, and
more as well, if even death parts me from you!'"
Ruth 1:16–17

The legacy of Ruth and Naomi lives on wherever
women struggle to survive in patriarchal
societies where men hold the power of life and
death.  Perhaps their most significant legacy,
however, is found in their powerful commitment
towards each other in the face of bereavement,
hunger, and poverty.  These courageous women
chose to become a nontraditional family based on
loving choice, when the odds were against their
survival.

Today's Bible verses are famous and popularly
used for heterosexual marriage vows.  But
originally the spoken words of commitment were
between these two remarkable women.  Their
ancient love story was lived thousands of years
ago, yet it offers us timeless insights about
love and devotion for any millennium.  God
blessed their love and so did their local
community and neighbors.  Devoted couples from
all sexual orientations can express their love,
fidelity, and devotion through these cherished
words of commitment.

Ruth and Naomi bless us with their family
values.  Their loving words and actions are a
standard I would like for my own family.  Two
hearts beating as one.  Through sickness and in
health, for better or worse, in riches or
poverty, till death do us part.  Hate was not
their family value.  Love was their priority and
guided everything they did.  Their love came from
God and was repeatedly blessed and publicly affirmed.

The Bible tells us "there is nothing new under
the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9c).  Over the centuries
people have loved deeply.  Some people love
through "traditional" marriages and others in
"nontraditional" marriages.  Love is a beautiful
part of life.  The apostle Paul reminds us that
"the best is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Could Ruth and Naomi be a lesbian couple?  I
doubt it, although some would disagree.  Yet the
scriptures offer a blessed sacred ambiguity
inviting seekers of all sexual orientations to
find a place at the table of God through Ruth's
timeless words of loving commitment.

God, bless us all with the love and commitment,
loyalty and faithfulness of Ruth and Naomi.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart
and pay on line using your credit
card!  http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95
each, plus shipping and handling.  Six or more
copies are $15.75 each, plus shipping and
handling.  You can find this book on our Web site
at http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

United States customers, please remember when
ordering on the Web site secure server to select
"US Postal Service Parcel Post" rather than the
default setting of "UPS Ground."  It is much less
expensive!

To unsubscribe,
mailto:ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of January 22, 2012

**********

As one of the on-going ministries of Chi Rho
Press, here is a selection from our book of daily
devotions, "Living as the Beloved: One Day at a
Time," by the Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok.

Please read the Scripture passage and Dr.
Bochonok's meditation.  We hope you will be blessed.

Thank you for forwarding this to your friends.

No time to eat – an experience in holy reading

"The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him
all that they had done and taught.  He said to
them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by
yourselves and rest a while.'  For many were
coming and going, and they had no leisure even to
eat.  And they went away in the boat to a deserted
place by themselves."
Mark 6:30-32

I know we have already read these verses in
yesterday's reflection.  But I personally need
to linger with this story through an ancient,
cherished, and trusted form of contemplative
reading known as lectio divina.  Perhaps this
will be helpful for your spiritual journey
today.  It is simple enough for a child yet
challenging for most people in a hurry.  Lectio
divina is a form of holy reading.  One slowly
reads and rereads sacred words until a word, a
phrase, or perhaps a sentence lingers in our
heart and nourishes our prayer.  Allow rich
moments of silence to punctuate your sacred
reading.  These are words worth lingering with –
for there are times when we are too busy to eat
and both our bodies and souls become malnourished.

Lectio divina helps us slow down in nourishing
moments of holy leisure spirituality.  And I need
this in my own life.  It is far too easy to
become over committed with activities and
projects.  People often tell me that I have a
tendency to take on too much.  Because I work out
of a home office, I am never truly away from my
work.  This has led to some bad work and personal
habits.  It is very easy to stop exercising and
gulp down fast foods.  Sometimes I get so
involved with my work, that I do not even take
time to eat at a table.  I will eat on the run,
or at the computer, or even while standing over
the kitchen sink while eating out of my cooking pot.

An Irish proverb reminds us that God made time
and plenty of it.  How can that be?  Sometimes I
feel I am living life at seventy miles an hour,
but need to see God at three miles an hour.  How
do I slow down and experience moments of leisure?

Perhaps lingering with the Jesus stories in the
gospels is a good place to start.  His life has a
great deal to teach us as busy people.  He knew
how to rest, play, laugh, and manage his time.
Sometimes he intentionally left the crowds to
take care of his personal needs for privacy,
solitude, and quiet.

God, teach me how to slow down to three miles an
hour today.  I need moments of daily leisure.
Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

Please visit the Chi Rho Press Web site. You can
order using our convenient secure shopping cart
and pay on line using your credit
card!
http://www.ChiRhoPress.com

"Living as the Beloved" is available for $20.95
each, plus shipping and handling.  Six or more
copies are $15.75 each, plus shipping and
handling.  You can find this book on our Web site
at http://tinyurl.com/Living-as-Beloved.

United States customers, please remember when
ordering on the Web site secure server to select
"US Postal Service Parcel Post" rather than the
default setting of "UPS Ground."  It is much less
expensive!

To unsubscribe, ChiRhoPress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com