Daily Devotion

United Protestant Campus Ministries in Cleveland

Winter, 2006

Contemplation:

When has God ever let us down? There have been times in our lives when we had unfulfilled desires, but always, God has shown us that we will always have everything we really need. There are times when deep crisis has come to our life, but even then, God’s presence has been steadfast and has always been there to give us strength and courage at the time of our greatest need. These experiences provide the foundation of our faith and our hope. Yet, even now, when things sometimes go unexpectedly wrong, we find cause to wonder. Will God be there this time? Will this be the time we fall into the abyss? If we are tied to our desires, our ego, then perhaps it could be. But if we let go of what is binding us and simply remember the words that have guided us in the past, we know God will never fail us and our faith will be steadfast. Those words? Quite simply, they are these, “…not my will, but thy will be done.”

Fall, 2005

Prayer for the Dedication of the new Interfaith Center at the Church of the Covenant

God of Abraham, Creator of All:

Bless this to be a place of bold hope

where your children will be steeped and burn

with the love and passion of their own faith

while living with respect and dignity

for those who will work with them,

side by side,

for justice and peace. Amen.

Fall, 2005

Thanksgiving is recognition that there is something beyond the Self, something beyond our mortal powers to create and sustain. It is gratitude that the benevolence we find in our lives is an experience of the Divine, the Divine Will for our lives. For those aware of their mortality, it seems a natural response.

Fall, 2005

God of all people, who has shown us unconditional love through your Son Jesus Christ: help your people to find joy in each other. Help us to respect rather than to denigrate other people. Help us to find in each other the Spirit you have placed within us--a divine Spirit that connects us to each other and to You. For it is in loving and mutual respect that we offer the gift of dignity and integrity to each other, and it is as we recognize the divine Spirit within each other that we finally understand your Word as creation was completed, that it is "very good."

Fall, 2005 - Thanksgiving

It is the week of Thanksgiving, and in our preparations and celebrations, most of us seek to remember the first one. The Puritans came to this country for the promise of religious freedom. At first, this was a freedom for Christians to worship freely. Later, it became the freedom for all monotheists to worship freely, thanks to Roger Williams and William Penn. By the time the U.S. Constitution was written and the Bill of Rights adopted, the founders of this country had the clear vision that this should be a country where every woman and man, regardless his or her religious creed, would have the freedom to worship God in her or his own way. It is this freedom of worship -- not just tolerance of religions -- that is a blessing to all and represents the very best our country has to offer the world.

Fall, 2005

Eternal Spirit, who gave us all things and called them good, we pray that you will renew our consciousness toward the things in nature that are least able to speak for themselves. The air and the water and the spring flowers speak to us so eloquently to us of the beauty you place all around us in this life. But our environment is in danger. We have not cared for it in the way You asked us to. We have polluted the waters, filled the air with smog, and placed the beauty of nature second to our unquenchable desire for expansion and wealth. Be with those who work to renew and restore the environment. Give them your strength and guide them with your wisdom. Amen.

Fall, 2005

Holy Fire

It burns with the heat to incinerate

Yet consumes not itself, glowing platinum,

Searing the eyes, the face

Boiling hot, ever present Fire.

It dies not like the fire of wood,

Kindled into being, slowly teased

To intensity like an explosion

Which then dies to its heat.

No, this Fire burns with a constant

Maximized fervor, never slowing,

Never breaking or faltering for

A second or nanosecond; never.

Holy Fire, sear my soul with Truth,

Burn it into my Soul,

Treat me as a neighboring desert shrub,

Spark me into your likeness.

Fall, 2005

What gives your body rest, your soul renewal? How anxious and stressed do you feel? It is the Sabbath and it is time for these things. Do you feel guilty -- or are you made to feel guilty -- for taking time for renewal? It is essential for the soul. Your work will be more effective if you take time regularly to experience God in Sabbath rest. Your soul will be nurtured and you will be given strength for the journey if you open yourself to the experience of worship. You will experience peace and serenity if you find a place of quiet inside your soul.

Fall, 2005

Meditate on these words from Micah 6: 6-8 (NRSV):

"With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He 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?"

Fall, 2005

Today, in a flower shop, I saw a bunch of brightly colored flowers. As fall and winter approach, they seemed to be bringing the promise of Spring. They seemed to be proclaiming that it is a time for hope, for renewal. Winter is near, but if we look closely, there are splashes of color all around us. God's world is continually renewing itself.

Fall, 2005

Dear God, make us clear about those things we need in our lives and those things that we merely want. We live in a place and time where we want everything. We feel inferior as people if we don't match everything our neighbors have. We want always to be first and best. We live in a world of competition and anxiety about that competition that drives us mad sometimes when we don't think we measure up. But God, what are the things we truly need? All of your children have the same needs for food and water and a place to live, but not all of your children have all of those things. Help us to be fully aware of others and their needs, but especially help us to narrow down our list of "wants" to be cognizant of the things we truly need. Those are the things you offer us so freely. We thank you and praise you for them, and we are humbled by your generosity to us. Hear our prayer, in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Fall, 2005

What is the love of God like? How can we be sure that God loves us, even if we have made mistakes during our lives? When I am asked these questions and others like them, I often respond with another question. I ask for the person to tell me about their very best and most trusted friend in this world. I then ask what happens with that friend when one or the other tells a story about some sin they have committed. Almost always, the answer is that the friend listens carefully, tries very hard to understand, and -- even if the friend doesn't approve of, or condone, what has happened -- the friend does not judge, but rather, accepts the person. The true friends in life are that way. They accept you for who you are and -- even when you have been less than you could have been -- they reassure you of your human dignity, integrity, and self-worth as a child of God. They can do this because they, too, have made mistakes for which they have had to be forgiven.

Well, if you best friend can be like that, I say, why don't you think God could be even more loving and forgiving?

Fall, 2005

Eternal God, whose love is unconditional, teach us how to love our fellow humans. Help us to remember Jesus and how he loved those who were on the other side of acceptable in his society. Would we surprise Jesus, were he with us today, with those whom we choose to exclude, disenfranchise, exploit, stereotype, and in these ways, hate rather than love? Jesus is here with us, and the Holy Spirit judges us when we fail to love, or when we narrow your love to fit our own likes and dislikes. Dear God, teach us how to love our brothers and sisters, all your children, in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Fall, 2005

I've often thought that the campus can be a microcosm of life. But I have recently realized that it is not, truly, that. I am struck at times by the insensitivity towards the very poor in our society and I am struck, as well, at attitudes of superiority that exist on campus. If God has created every human being equal in God's eyes, then the feeling of superiority -- or anything that attempts to rob another person of her or his dignity, respect, and integrity -- makes a microcosm into a mockery of what life is really like. Those of us involved in "higher" learning should be considerate of this fact.

Fall, 2005

Christians wage their own wars against each other. Because I am open to other truths and other teachings as well as my own Christian teachings, I am often called a "relativist," as if that is worse than being a dogmatist. Because I encourage people of different views and beliefs to be in conversation together -- better yet, dialogue -- I am often called a "liberal". But I am not interested in labels and have found that the most liberal are often as intolerant as the most conservative. There are certain words you need to know and say to be a part of the "in crowd" with each. There are certain ways of acting towards people who differ that proves one's own superiority. I just don't believe that this is the way to the Kingdom of God that Jesus talked about. And so, rather than labeling myself or following any one power group in today's Church or society, I would just rather focus on how Jesus was and follow as best I can. He was open, he listened to those who had no voice, he supported those who were considered outcasts in his society, and by his grace -- not by force or lecture -- he changed lives. Maybe that's the point of it all. We are not God. We try to reflect God's love and grace, but all of us fall short of the glory that is God's alone. That should be warning enough about our desire to judge others.

Fall, 2005

Dear God, nothing happens to us that is so overwhelming that we cannot survive it and learn from it. When Jesus' spirit ascended to be with you forever, he promised that we would never be left alone or comfortless: that the Holy Spirit would be with us to guide and strengthen us. In moments of trial, remind us that we are never alone. Amen.

Fall, 2005

There are things that drain us of our energy and life spirit. There are other things that breathe life back into us, even if they are difficult or challenging. The latter are the things of God.

Fall, 2005

I open my Heart

and joy enters

followed closely by

serenity, a sense of

God's peace toward myself

and others.

I close my Heart

and things seems suddenly

dark and gloomy

I feel alone.

God, ask me often

why I would ever choose

to close my Heart.

Fall, 2005

Today I drove on the Ohio Turnpike from a meeting in Toledo to an evening class in University Circle. It is that time of year in Ohio when the leaves on the trees are blazing with color. What a wonderful creation God has given us. And yes, I believe it is God who created it and find no sense of needing to quarrel between believing in evolution, which is apparent to me, and believing in a Creator God. Perhaps it is the poet in me, but they synthesize nicely in the beauty of a day like today.

Fall, 2005

Contemplate the beauty of God (this photograph from Corning Lake, Holden Arboretum)

Fall, 2005

Scripture for contemplation: Psalm62: 1-2

"For God alone my soul waits in silence;

from God comes my salvation.

God alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall never be shaken.

Fall, 2005

It is Sabbath Day. It is the seventh day, a day for rest and renewal. How busy will you be? How will you rest in God and find the renewal that only God can offer?

Fall, 2005

"...the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy."

James 3: 17

Fall, 2005

"Wherever you turn is God's face"

-- The Prophet Muhammad

Fall, 2005

"Even the most enlightened beings, even the holiest saints, make mistakes. But whereas foolish people cover up their mistakes and keep on making the same ones, the wise correct their mistakes and never make the same ones twice. The ability to correct our mistakes and to change ourselves is called wisdom."

-- unattributed

Fall, 2005

"A single atom of the sweetness of wisdom in a man's heart is better than a thousand pavilions in Paradise."

--Abu Yazid al-Bistami

Fall, 2005

Nicodemus came to Jesus and asked if a man who was old could be born again. The answer from Jesus was, "yes." For many Christians, there comes that time in life when the realization comes that all the world has to offer is insufficient. Materialism, power, wealth, and other things we strive for leave us empty in the end. If not before, we certainly learn at the time of death that all that we have gathered must be left behind. The spiritual awakening can happen at any time. Our lives can be transformed at any time. Nicodemus' question leads to the eternal "yes" of Jesus.

Fall, 2005

Prayer is slowing down long enough to remember what is important, what is inspirational. Many of my days, I am so busy running from appointment to appointment to meeting that I have no time for the reflection that is meditation and prayer. On some days, a breath prayer seems to be the best answer. But there are times in our life when we simply have to stop ourselves. We need to gain perspective on what is truly central in our lives. We need to be nurtured by the beauty of the world around us, the truth of sacred writings, and the unselfish care of the people who are most important to us. Maybe today is the day. Maybe now is the right time.

Fall, 2005

Circles

Circles here surround us all

Invisible hoops; a colorful trance

Each one holds within its thrall

The energy of the Eternal Dance.

Family circles grow to embrace

New friends, new families along life's path;

The things we see in Nature's face:

A grey wolf's cry; a baby's laugh.

Connected not by force but choice

Are those who see this mystical chord

Surrounding all with a single voice;

Connecting all in a single word.

-- Kim Hauenstein

Fall, 2005

Scripture contemplation for strength:

"I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,

my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

-- Psalm 18: 1-2

Fall, 2005

God of us All: You did not create us perfect, but as mortal human beings. So it is Your forgiveness that saves us: your Grace. No one of us is perfect. Make us humble so that we might not only receive your gift of grace, but pass it on to those who need forgiveness that we can offer. We are bold to pray this in the name of the one who came to show us Your nature, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Fall, 2005

"I always explain to the sisters, 'It is Christ you tend in the poor. It is his wounds you bathe, his sores you clean, his limbs you bandage. See beyond appearances, hear the words Jesus pronounced long ago. They are still operative today: "What you do to the least of mine, you do it to me." When you serve the poor, you serve the Lord Jesus Christ."

from My Life for the Poor by Mother Teresa

Fall, 2005

The Christian concept of grace is one that should never be far from our minds as we go through our days. We are so often tempted to think that all the good things we do make us deserving of special blessings, that our good works are what makes us special in the eyes of God. But then we think of the blessings that have come into our lives and that continue to come into our lives every moment. How could we ever do anything to deserve those blessings? It would be impossible. Grace is undeserved. There is nothing we could ever do to deserve all the blessings we are given by God. Still, God gives us these good things. It is by grace, and not our good works, that we can understand salvation. It is by grace, and never by the words we say, that we receive salvation. It is by grace, and not our holiness, that we are saved. Salvation comes from God as a gift, not from our side. That is what makes it so precious.

Fall, 2005

How often have we made an attempt to do something and our attempt failed? It happens in this life. We are imperfect -- mortal -- and sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail. It is in our failures that we most often think badly of ourselves, as if we should never have attempted it and as if we somehow could have known ahead of time that we would not be successful. But how could we have known? The only way to make sure that we will not fail is to never attempt to do anything risky or challenging. And that is a terrible way to live.

Sometimes, we will attempt to achieve a great goal, or even a simple goal, and we will fail. At those times, it is of no use to drown ourselves in guilt and remorse. The useful thing is to learn from that attempt, pick ourselves up, and go on with our lives, confident that there are better things ahead.

Fall, 2005

The Lord bless you and keep you: the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen.

-- Numbers 6: 24-26

Fall, 2005

God be in my head, and in my understanding;

God be in my eyes, and in my looking;

God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;

God be in my heart, and in my thinking;

God be at my end, and at my departing.

-- Sarum Primer

Fall, 2005

"Those who say, 'I love God' and hate their brothers or sisters are liars; for those who do not love the brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have never seen. The commandment we have from God is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also."

I John 4: 20-21 (NRSV)

Fall, 2005

Take a walk in the beauty of nature. Listen to a piece of music that inspires you and brings you great joy. Watch a show that makes you laugh. Write something that makes you cry. Read something that makes you think. Say a prayer that gives you hope. The gifts of God are all around you. Stop to contemplate them.

Fall, 2005

Tonight we are holding an open dialogue on how Christians and Muslims can work together for peace. I reflect on an anonymous telephone message I received on my office voice mail from an angry man who wanted to express his displeasure about the meeting, which he had read about in the religion section of Saturday's Plain Dealer. The emotional tone of his voice made me realize how much investment he had in the issue. Perhaps someone he loved had been harmed or perhaps he, himself, had fought in a war. And I thought of people just like him on the "other side": those who think that the attempt to find peace is futile because there is so much hate built up inside caused by deaths in their own families and among the members of their own communities. Violence is the only way we seem to know, and it seems that returning violence for violence is the only acceptable method of dealing with our differences in this world. So the cycle of violence and hatred goes on, while each "side" stands back with suspicion of the other, refusing to talk, refusing to be in dialogue, lost in the litter of stereotypes and refusing to consider that the person on the other side has the same dreams and hopes for herself or himself than we have for ourselves. I don't know why peace always comes as an afterthought. I don't know why peace seems so threatening or why a dialogue to search for ways to bring peace, such as tonight's to which I am headed now, is so distasteful to people. I hope it will change someday. I hope that someday peace will make more sense than war and violence. But when and if it does, it cannot be assumed that it will begin somewhere else or with someone else. It will begin in our own heart and radiate from there.

Fall, 2005

A prayer before sleep:

Thank you, my God, for this time of rest to replenish and nourish my soul. Thank you for the gifts of the day just completed. Thank you for the acts of kindness shown towards me this day and for the opportunities, when they came, for me to be a blessing to another person and reflect your love to the world. Let me learn from the mistakes I made this day without blaming myself too harshly and with a humble acceptance of your grace and forgiveness. Let me sleep peacefully and wake to a new day with unlimited possibilities that You will set before me. Amen.

Fall, 2005

Contemplation for an early autumn morning: what if people got as excited and passionate about world peace and social justice as they are, today in Cleveland, about the weekend baseball series with the Chicago White Sox?

Fall, 2005

Dear God, Holy One, Breath of My Life: Help me to live this day as You would have me live. Help me to see Your divine presence in others that I meet. Help me to appreciate Your beauty in the things I see. Help me to demonstrate Your divine grace as I deal with others, even those who might test me. So it is that I would live in Christ as I live in You. Amen.

Fall, 2005

Yesterday in Cleveland, it rained virtually all day long. I understand it was the remnants of Hurricane Rita and we received one to three inches of rain. Today when I awoke the sun shone brightly through my east bedroom window and would not let me sleep any longer. I honestly prefer the sunny days. They seem to produce a joy within me. But the soft, warm, gentle rains of yesterday were also beautiful in their own way. I walked around without an umbrella or raincoat and simply allowed them to fall on me in a very peaceful way. I remember when Paul told us that all things work together for good in Christ Jesus, and although he wasn't talking about the weather at the time, his thought is a good one for us to always keep in mind through the changing patterns of life.

Fall, 2005

Some days, disappointments come. Life can seem out of sorts, as if we've lost touch with the ways to be happy and whole. It can be caused by something that happens in our own life: some misfortune, some mistake, some self-perceived failure. It can be caused by the things that are happening in the world: tragedies and natural disasters where we feel so inept and so unable to make a real difference, continuing violence and war. Worst of all, these days can cause us to wonder what is wrong with us. When we are focused and aware, we realize that even the great saints of the Church and the great leaders of the Bible had days like this, and they have given us a way to endure them: ceaseless prayer, contemplation of scripture, meditation on the great blessings of our life. It is usually best not to "fight" the bad days, but to simply be aware that they will be a part of our life and that they will not last forever. There will be a better day! Perhaps even tomorrow or a few hours from now, something will happen to remind us.

Fall, 2005

Dear God,

May peace come to us with the sunrise

Some morning, like This morning,

when we are not expecting it,

and the people of the world decide

that their violence against each other

makes no sense. Amen.

-- Peace prayer by Kim Hauenstein

Fall, 2005

There are songs that sing to me of God. Like scripture, they tell me of God's grace, beauty, patience, and compassion. Some do not even mention God's name. Many, in fact, have no words at all.

Fall, 2005

"By salvation I mean, not barely, according to the vulgar notion, deliverance from hell or going to heaven, but a present deliverance from sin; a restoration of the soul to its primitive health, its original purity; a recovery of the divine nature; the renewal of our souls after the image of God...

True religion is the loving of God with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves; and in that love abstaining from all evil and doing all possible good to all persons. (John Wesley).

Fall, 2005

One of my favorite prayers has always been the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Fall, 2005

God of us All, whose Son showed us the true meaning of grace and unconditional love: May we enjoy giving to others those same blessings that we so willingly receive, not because we have deserved them, but purely as an act of your grace. Amen.

Fall, 2005

Why dream

in a Time

when we can

still Act?

-- Kim A. Hauenstein, from Thoughts of a Wandering Mystic, #XLVII

Fall, 2005

Over the past four days in these devotions, I have printed a single simple verse from the Beatitudes. As I read each, I saw images in my mind and had thoughts that I had never had before when reading the very same scripture verses. Recent events have caused us to see life in a new way: the War in Iraq, the Tsunami, the results and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Throughout, the writers of the Bible seem to indicate their belief that our God is a God who does not leave us comfortless, but in moments of great tragedy, will come to comfort us and sustain us. Blessed are those who mourn and who are currently exhausted and poor in spirit. Though life could not seem to be the way it should be, our belief is that those who suffer now will experience resurrection and newness of life. And blessed are those who are merciful. The countless stories we hear now of bravery and selfless love in the face of destruction are amazing. Where does this dauntless spirit come from? People of faith believe that it comes from God and is replenished seventy-times-seven when we are in deepest need or deepest sorrow. Holy Spirit, come, guide and comfort your people out of pain, out of suffering, out of war and into a time of blessing.

Fall, 2005

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

-- Matthew 5: 9

Fall, 2005

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy."

-- Matthew 5: 7

Fall, 2005

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

-- Matthew 5: 4

Fall, 2005

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

-- Matthew 5:3

Summer, 2005

To experience peace in your Soul, you have to seek it. But that statement in itself is a bit of a misnomer. Seeking peace of Soul is not effort. Rather, it is the ability to let go of all around you that keeps you from it. First, you let go of what is visual by closing your eyes. Then, you relax your body from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Then you let go of sound and focus instead on your own breathing, a natural process that takes no effort whatsoever. Seeking peace of Soul is a process of letting go: letting go of the world and all the busy-ness of it, letting go of the noise and the way it can affront your Spirit, letting go of the anxiety and tension that so often manifests itself in the tightness -- and even pain -- that your body feels. We don't know how much of Jesus' power of healing had to do with his ability to calm people and their fears. But when he did, he would help people to find their true inner Self -- the Soul. On days when turmoil surrounds us, there are few more precious gifts than the ability to find that inner sense of peace for a few moments.

Summer, 2005

If there is true peace in your heart,

you will find it impossible to hate.

If there is honesty in your heart,

you will find it impossible to judge another.

If there is love in your heart,

then that is all there is.

Fear is gone, as is judgment

and the desire for violence.

Summer, 2005

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Jesus, in the last hour on the cross).

Our Christian faith tells us that three days later, there was a resurrection. It is in this faith that we trust now, with all those who suffer in the South, that out of this death and destruction will come a resurrection of life and hope, peace and joy. It seemed impossible on Good Friday. It seems impossible now. It is by our faith that we believe.

Summer, 2005

Continuing on the theme from yesterday's devotion, one of my favorite writings comes from the pen of poet Rainer Maria Rilke in his book, Letters to a Young Poet:

“If you will cling to Nature, to the simple in Nature, to the little things that hardly anyone sees, and that can so unexpectedly become big and beyond measuring; if you have this love of inconsiderable things and seek quite simply, as one who serves, to win the confidence of what seems poor: then everything will become easier, more coherent and somehow more conciliatory for you, not in your intellect, perhaps, which lags marvelously behind, but in your inmost consciousness, waking and cognizance. You are so young, so before all beginning, and I want to beg you, as much as I can, to be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”

Throughout our lives, from earliest childhood, it has been the questions we have asked that have led to our growth. Now, as we see massive destruction and suffering in Louisiana, Mississippi, and other places in the South, we have questions of our own. We cannot keep them bottled inside or pretend they do not exist. One can trust fully in God and still question the nature of what happens around us in our world. A part of our faith is that those questions will lead to answers and those answers to a better world for us all.

Summer, 2005

Is it wrong to question God? Sometimes, we are told that is. But throughout history, the saints and other very righteous people have done just that. The Psalmist was among them: "With my voice I cry to the Lord; with my voice I make supplication to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. When my spirit is faint, you know my way. In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. Look on my right hand and see --there is no one who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for me. I cry to you, O Lord. I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low." (Psalm 142: 1-6a). To see the pictures and video clips from the South in these days is almost overwhelming. To be there, experiencing the destruction and loss, has to be a thousand times worse, it seems to me, than anything I have known. In these times, people of faith can honestly -- and with integrity -- question their God. Only by our questions and our reflections on those questions can the answers finally come.

Summer, 2005 God and Hurricane Katrina

Where is God in times of disaster? The question arises again as we continue to hear the horrifying news about Hurricane Katrina and its devastating destruction to lives, homes, property, and virtually everything in its path this past week. We think to ourselves, well, what a wonderful thing that so many people come together to support and aid the victims at a time like this, and that pure altruism is a tremendous thing. But the questions remain about God, and why God allows such things to happen in our world. My stomach turned last evening when I heard a pastor being interviewed on television say that it all happened because New Orleans is and has been such a sinful city and that this was God's retribution. If that is how God is, and if God capriciously kills innocent men, women, and children to reap vengeance, then that is a God I want no part of. I want to place my full trust in God, and to place our full trust in anything, we need to be able to trust completely. I trust that God is good, that God loves the creation and every living creature. That is the bedrock of my faith and it is made clearest to me in the love Jesus Christ had for the people he met in his ministry, especially the outcasts, the poor, the lame, and the "sinners". So the "angry old man god" sitting in the sky, casting down thunderbolts and hurricanes on unsuspecting innocents, cannot be the way it is. There are terrible tragedies and accidents in the world, including horrendous accidents of nature, that thwart God's loving will. God's will, in this past week, was not shown in Hurricane Katrina. It has been shown in the loving and caring response of people who now send money or rush to the aid of people in need. How can this be? How can a hurricane happen and God not be "responsible"? It is a longer discussion than we have room for here. But I would be happy to discuss it individually with anyone who would like to better understand it. This question was the one I had to answer for myself before I could take my vows as an ordained clergy. How can a God of love allow such things to happen? For other sources, I recommend an article elsewhere on our webpage at http://www.upcam.org/tsunami.htm ("Where Was God During the Tsunami?), a book titled Process Theology by John Cobb, Jr., or any of the writings of Sallie McFague on natural theology. Or, for an appointment to discuss these things, call the UPCaM office at (216) 231-2260 or e-mail me at kim.hauenstein@sbcglobal.net . May God's love continue to be shown in the genuine and caring response to those who have been the victims of this tragedy.

Summer, 2005

Classes begin today on our campuses. It is an exciting time. It is also a time to learn the importance of the ancient eastern concept of balance in all things. Study and play are both necessary parts of a successful, balanced, and productive student career. If it turns into all study, you become a candidate for burnout. If it all becomes play, you become a candidate for losing this opportunity for furthering your education. Each student needs to find that delicate balance between quiet time for inspiration and spiritual nourishment, social time with trusted and good friends, and hitting the books. [ is the eastern symbol for the yin-yang, perfect balance in life. You've probably seen it many times before. Its ancient wisdom still applies.

Summer, 2005

Some people seem to adjust to change better than others. For those who have a hard time, facing so many new things all at once can sometimes feel overwhelming. This is especially true of first year students on campus. A change in location, roommates, teachers, class demands, and all of those kinds of things can create anxiety. It is normal to feel that way in the face of change, but when you are in the midst of it, it doesn't always seem normal and it is easy even to think there is something seriously wrong with you. That's the time to find a friend you can trust and bounce your thoughts and ideas off that person, whether it be a peer, a campus minister, a church family in the area, or someone in counseling services. Though it sometimes feels like it, there is really no reason to ever feel totally alone on campus. There are people who are ready and willing to help.

Summer, 2005

My friend and guide Jesus Christ, by your genuine and deep care for all people I have learned to trust that through the Spirit you promised as guide and counselor, you care deeply about me, as well. You know my excitement in these days of meeting new people, sharing new experiences, and learning new things. Anchor me in the faith that will hold me fast during times when I become busy, and always help me to remember your presence in my life. Guide me to be the person I want to be, both on this campus and throughout my life. Amen.

Summer, 2005

I look to the

Sky in darkness

and see within.

The universe

is mysteriously

within my Soul.

-- Kim A. Hauenstein, from Thoughts of a Wandering Mystic, #XXVI

Summer, 2005

Peace be within me.

God's peace walk beside me.

Christ's peace go before me,

each step that I take.

Summer, 2005

Birds settle in the trees –

Symphony in the dreamy dusk

I sip lemonade.

haiku by Kim Hauenstein

Summer, 2005

Dear God, help me to know you through the simple things of life that bring me so much joy. Amen.

Summer, 2005

The great challenge and the great gift of these first days on campus are the newness of it. New friends, new teachers, new ways of living, new classes, new organizations. It is exciting and at times, almost overwhelming. It is not always the first thing that comes to our mind to wonder what God's part in all of this might be. But those who have been on campus for several years might suggest this. If we take time to stop for a few moments every day, to reflect on our day's activities and to consider God's presence in our life, it can calm, guide, and sustain us in the most tumultuous and changing of days. One of the busiest people who ever lived was Jesus, but even he had to take time to go to the wilderness to be with God, to reflect and pray. Through this type of reflection, we might be guided to know who the people are that we can really trust in this new journey, who the ones might be that will not exploit us but rather, be our true friends who will appreciate who we are for what we are. A time of prayer and quiet meditation is a time when God can truly speak to us, but we need to take that time even on the busiest of days.

Summer, 2005

Blessed God, whose presence has filled our world with energy that guides our visions and sustains our lives: we pray for all who now return to their campuses. We pray for safe travels, both for students and their families. We pray for both students and family members who find themselves in new situations that are exciting and may at the same time bring moments of loneliness and the pain of separation. It is in these moments of life when we can feel alone that we remember your presence in our lives and find it in the face of a new friend or caring professor or campus minister who understands where we are and helps us over the most difficult of days. Make that true for all who have need of a trusted friend in these days, O God, that we might truly enjoy the wonderful opportunities that our ours as we begin this new journey on campus, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Summer, 2005

Eternal Spirit, the Presence in all things: sometimes we feel as though You are so far away from us. We feel alone, and we struggle with out questions, thoughts, and doubts. Have we separated ourselves from You then? Are You, as we most often experience, present in all things and at all times? Might it be our failure to recognize your presence? Are you there all along, and we miss you? Do we get so busy that we cannot find you in the midst of the things that occupy our mind? Slow us down, O God. Please slow us down at those times. Help us to center ourselves and in so doing, to realize that You are the Presence that never goes away.

Summer, 2005

Gnat drawn by my lamp

Tiny spy plane circling

my manuscript

-- Haiku by Kim Hauenstein

Summer, 2005

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "When a dog is chasing after you, whistle for him." There are times in our life when we feel like this: under attack, frightened for one reason or another, chased! Whistling for the dog, according to my understanding of Emerson, is similar to trusting in something beyond us. Emerson spoke of the Oversoul. Christians might be more comfortable speaking in terms of God or Christ. But the basis of it all is that there is a beneficent Spirit in the Universe that is on our side. We no longer think of this Spirit as an old bearded man sitting on a throne in the sky, but often as the Spirit of all things that exists in all things, even the smallest atom. Is the creative spirit of all that exists in the world unconcerned with what happens? Many believe that is the case. I am persuaded otherwise -- that this Spirit has an affective view towards the Creation and attempts to persuade us, through all that has been created and will be created, that we are to love each other -- and our environment -- by the same standards we have found and witnessed in the beauty of what we have been given.

Summer, 2005

"The temple bell stops

but the sound keeps coming

out of the flowers."

For the past three years of my life, I have been attempting to learn haiku. I find this form of poetry, originating in Japan many hundreds of years ago, to be fascinating and extremely beneficial to my understanding of spirituality. Here, in one of the most beautiful and well-known Haiku of one of the most famous haiku poets, Bashō, the message reminds me of the promise of resurrection, of spring renewal, and of the joys of creation. I can hear the sound of the temple bell, its resonance. I can hear it stop. I can hear it continue as it refuses to be stopped and comes through the beauty of the flowers that I can picture in my mind. What remarkable things we are given by God each day, things of beauty to contemplate.

Summer, 2005

"I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak the bitterness of my soul." (Job 10: 1). Is it all right to question God? To express anger and bitterness towards God? The wisdom literature of the Bible, including this classic passage from Job, indicate that it is indeed all right. It is through our honest questioning, and then living into the answers, that we grow in our spirituality. The trust of great personages in the Bible and throughout religious history is not a blind trust; rather it is a trust that has come from experience. For the saints of all religions, many of those experiences have not been pleasant and have caused the individual to question not only herself/himself, but God as well. The Promise in all of this is not that our lives will always be pleasant or without trouble. The Promise is that whatever it is we will have to go through in life, God will be with us to guide us, to strengthen us, and to understand that when we have questions, we are growing in our understanding of what faith really means.

Summer, 2005

Eternal Spirit, God of all creation: Sometimes You overwhelm us with beauty. I walk outside and feel the warm sun on my face, see the blossoms of dogwood and apple trees, hear the loud calls of birds returning for summer in Ohio. I sit for awhile near Corning Lake at Holden Arboretum and breathe the fresh air, watch little fish I don't know the names of swimming in the clear water, hear the ducks squabbling about something or other in the distance. All of this is free. You have created it for me and for all of your children. Help us to take the time.

Summer, 2005

The Peace we long for

is the Truth; the unraveling

of outer self to find the

raw beauty of the Inner.

Frightening, but Serene.

Frightening because we visit

seldom, if ever, so as to

make it the Stranger.

Serene because its

discovery connects us

to all Beauty.

-- Kim A. Hauenstein, from Thoughts of a Wandering Mystic

Spring, 2005

"Resurrection"

“How is it that we live after we die?” she asked, quietly, with sadness in her voice.

“I don’t know,” came the answer from her friend. “Some things only God knows, and I am not God.”

“So how do you know it is true, then?”

“Not all things that are true need to be proven, do they? Aren’t there things that you know, in your heart, are true, yet you could never prove them?”

She contemplated that thought for awhile.

“Do you mean, like, the love we have for our family and friends? Is that the kind of thing you mean?”

“Maybe, yes. If you have to prove it, it lessens it somehow, doesn’t it? It lacks trust, for one thing. The way love exists is just a mystery to be experienced, but although it is a mystery, you know it is true.”

“Like the feeling I have that God is real, even though I can’t see God?”

“Yes, I think so. You can only experience God in your heart and your soul. If the experience is not convincing, there is no proof to replace it.”

“I loved him. He loved me, all these years. I have no doubt about that.”

“So that love is still alive, the same in life and death and life beyond death.”

“And in some way, I still experience him with me. I can still see his face, sense his presence, even hear his voice reassuring me that everything is well with him.”

“What if someone tells you that they don’t believe you? Asks you to prove these things?”

“It wouldn’t make any difference. I know they are true.”

Spring, 2005

Demonstrations of power

cannot

changes values.

All that intimidation

can do is force

compliance.

It never

changes

anything.

-- Kim A. Hauenstein, from Thoughts of a Wandering Mystic

Spring, 2005

In her book, An American Childhood, Annie Dillard told of a time in her childhood when her mother came into the kitchen and explained to her precocious children, "There is a deer in our hallway!" The children's eyes opened wide and they said, "Really, mom?"

"No," her mother replied. "I just wanted to say something to you children without you saying, 'I know.'"

Humility is a difficult thing to find these days, especially on a college campus. Everyone seems to know everything about everything, and so it goes. But true humility -- the kind where you hold onto your sense of dignity and self-respect while fully realizing that others know things, too -- is the sort that is seen in Jesus. He listened to people. He knew that every one of their stories was a story about a precious child of God.

Spring, 2005

Some things are

within the realm

of our control.

Some things are not.

Perhaps Wisdom

is knowing

the difference

and choosing

not to waste time

on the latter.

-- Kim A. Hauenstein, from Thoughts of a Wandering Mystic

Spring, 2005

"God saw everything that God had made, and indeed, it was very good (Genesis 1: 31a).

Stressed? It's hard not to be at this time of the year, especially for students and professors. It seems like there is not time enough for one more thing in the day. It is in times like these when it seems completely foolish to "waste" time taking a walk or meditating on a scripture. There is so much work to do! But the fact is that when we are on overload, it is good to decompress. A half-hour walk or a time of contemplation and prayer can serve to refocus your life. Contemplating the beauty of the spring flowers or the newly formed buds on a tree can take you away just long enough that your work will become more productive, not less. I encourage you to take time -- a little time -- to relax. The work will still be there, it is true, but your ability to deal with it all might very well be enhanced by a short time of distancing yourself from it.

Spring, 2005

Spirit of the Universe, who continues to evolve through the creation: teach us the gift of inner peace. To be effective in bringing life and justice to other people, it is so important that we find peace within ourselves so that our work will be done from that Center of ourselves that is in touch with You. Amen.

Spring, 2005

The gift of grace is one of the most important things a Christian person can have. So many people around us, along with the media and other influential sources, are so negative and so willing to judge us harshly. We grow into a mindset of negativity ourselves and are tempted to believe that the world is evil, other people are to be judged for what they believe or how they live, that only those who are like us are good and anyone who is different is questionable, at best. How unlike Jesus! The only ones Jesus seems to get angry with are those who are acting a bit too self-righteous. To the others -- to those that the people despise and believe are going to hell -- he acts so differently. He is full of grace, understanding, and unconditional love. It is that which changes their lives, not sermonizing or proselytizing or threats of hell. Jesus changed the lives of people by showing them the pure grace of God's love. The Holy Spirit takes care of the rest.

Spring, 2005

A Prayer for Students in a Time of Exams

Eternal God, whose wisdom is above all human wisdom and whose ways are above our ways: You know us so well. You know the desires of our hearts and You know, as well, our greatest dreams. In this time of examination and final papers, a time in which our efforts are continually under scrutiny and judgment, we pray that you will help us to experience your grace. We hope always to do our best, and we pray that our best will bring us good grades and evaluations. But those things are not who we are. At the essence of our Self, we are your children and by that fact alone, we are loved and cherished regardless of anything else in our lives. Help us to remember that in stressful times, competitive times, when we are tempted to forget. Help us to know that above all, we are your beloved child. Nothing ever changes that. Of all the things in this world, we can trust that because we have seen that unconditional love so clearly in the life of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Spring, 2005

Come in, Light,

Bring your Peace.

Slow my world

For a moment or two.

Yes, come in, Light,

Shine your Smile,

Brighten my world

For a moment, or two.

Presence, come,

Calm the storms,

Pacify my world

For a moment or two.

Spring, 2005

Ode to the Sea

Jesus, Lord, as you would fly

And find the peace of Galilee --

Calm the sea, calm the sea

Calm the sea within me.

As you gazed at the surrounding hills

With grass and flowers and thoughts as free:

Let these pressures float to sea

And calm the storms within me.

Tiberias, Israel, sitting on the shore

The Sea of Galilee

February, 1984

Spring, 2005

Eternal Spirit, Creator of all things, no two of which are meant to be exactly alike: we express thanksgiving for our diversity in color, belief, lifestyle, abilities, culture, gender, and race. We thank you for the spirit of love which calls us to be its agents on earth, and which will accept nothing less than respect for each individual's dignity, integrity, worth, and right to social justice. Bless all who join together in celebration of the idea of true community. Amen.

Spring, 2005

Eternal God and Spirit of all things: this morning, as I awoke, I heard a bird singing for all he was worth. It seemed like all of life was within that song. And my thoughts were led to You, and to recent times when I have experienced the beauty of your world. I sat one night and looked at the stars and imagined the vastness of your power and your love. I have seen geese flying in their "V" shape and wonder who ever taught them how to do that. One morning, I went outside to find that the daffodils had bloomed overnight, and their bright yellow faces were calling all living beings to prayer and thanksgiving. I don't know why I miss most of these things on most days, only that I am too busy to notice them. What I do know is that on those days, I am poorer for it. Sometimes, maybe, it takes a bird singing for all he or she is worth to catch our attention and help us realize what is important, what experiences are unique and can never be experienced again. Amen.

Spring, 2005

It is snowing in Cleveland today. The weather forecasters predict that the total could be as much as six inches. Just a few days ago, it was sixty degrees and sunny. The days of spring can be so unpredictable. My Jewish friends are celebrating the Passover, the annual festival of celebration of the liberation of the Jewish people from bondage and slavery to the Pharaoh. It was against such tremendous odds that an unarmed group of people could escape the most powerful leader of the day, but it happened. And, of course, we Christians are in Eastertide, the time in which the domination system of the powerful Roman government thought they had put an end to the peasant from Galilee who had caused a disturbance in the Temple and attempted, ironically, to keep the "Pax Romana" by executing him on the cross, only to find him resurrected in the lives of his followers in an event no earthly power could put an end to. Snow in Cleveland in late April is nothing compared to these. And God has even greater unexpected surprises for God's people in the future, I am sure, if we are open to listening and following.

Spring, 2005

Peace cannot

be achieved

by violent means.

A goal so worthy

can only be reached

by methods

Consistent with

its worthiness.

-- Kim A. Hauenstein, from Thoughts of a Wandering Mystic

Spring, 2005

"Consider the lilies of the field..." How many times have these words of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew brought peace and wholeness to someone who was struggling? In each our lives, we have times when we struggle with a decision, or wrestle with doubts, or attempt to discern the will of God for our lives. Finally, we discover that only God is God. We are not perfect and with that knowledge, we realize that all we can really do is surrender to God, to trust in God's mercy and unconditional love for us. Until this happens, we worry. We feel pangs of guilt. We are upset with our imperfections. And then, a realization comes over us. And it is usually tied to these words or other words of Jesus that are similar: "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these." (Matthew 6: 28b-29). Above all others, God knows us. God knows our heart. And above all others, God will take care of us and those we love. God is trust worthy and true.

Spring, 2005

Silence, after a time, becomes loud:

Filled with sounds and Truth.

Silence allows it, does not fight it;

It transforms situations

And human beings.

-- Kim A. Hauenstein, from Thoughts of a Wandering Mystic

Spring, 2005

Eternal God, whose gift of life is purely a gift of grace to us: Thank you for each new day. Thank you for the blessing of waking this morning to a world full of possibilities. Thank you for the blessings you will provide for me throughout this day, most of which will pass me by without a thought on my part. Thank you for friends and family, people who offer support and nurture in my life, people who allow me to be myself. Everywhere I look, there are blessings coming toward me. Everywhere I step, there is beauty around for me to see and enjoy. Thank you, God.

Spring, 2005

There is a peace that is unlike all other. We can find it inside, first by giving ourselves permission to be calm and quiet, then by finding the place deep within where we connect most closely with God -- some call it the "center" of the Self, others call it the Soul -- but it is there where we find deep communion with God and a serenity and calmness that sets us free. When you find that place, don't try to speak. Don't even try to think. Just listen. Quietly listen.

Spring, 2005

There is nothing worth more than this:

A hearty laugh coming deep from the Soul.

Money cannot purchase it;

Security cannot coax it;

Possessions cannot produce it.

It is, of all things in life,

Genuine; real.

There is nothing in life worth more than this:

A hearty laugh coming deep from the Soul.

Spring, 2005

Holy Fire

There is

no fire

like this

Fire

Else

could simply

walk

away.

Spring, 2005

Eternal Spirit, who alone can bring us peace and serenity in life: help us to let go of the things that hold us hostage in life. Help us to see how damaging can be the attachments to power, material things, and feelings of superiority over others. Humble us to be true servants of yours, the type of servant we have seen so clearly in Jesus. As the greatest among us, he humbled himself by choice in order to befriend those others had tossed aside as unworthy or unloved. So many in our world hurt so badly. Help us to be healers and most of all, help our words and actions to never add to the pain of another human being's emotional, physical, or spiritual life. Let us be led not by our ego, but by our Lord Jesus Christ, who seemed to be able to love everyone equally because he knew that each was one of your precious children. It is through him that we pray. Amen.

Spring, 2005

"Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get." (Matthew 7: 1-2)

It is amazing how Jesus' words confronting the self-righteous of his own time have been lost today. The Church and its people do so much judging of others. It is hard to reconcile such behavior with Jesus. The passage is clear. Judgment is for God alone. We are not capable of it and we do not know all that God knows.

Spring, 2005

Eternal God, who gives us knowledge and the wisdom to use it: bless, we pray, the students on our college and university campuses as they approach the end of the academic year. Give them guidance and strength to complete their papers and examinations, give them enough time for study and enough time for peaceful rest, and most of all, give each the knowledge that their worth to You is not determined by their grades or evaluations of any kind by others, but that they are individuals of integrity, self-worth, and dignity simply because they are Your children. Amen.

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