Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of December 13, 2009

**********

The 2009-2010 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary
has been published! Please check it out and order
yours at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa09_10.htm\
l
Also take a look at a lovely new
2010 Garden Wall Calendar from Open Door MCC at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/ODMCC_Calendar.html

**********

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.

Friends and family

"A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are
born to share adversity."
Proverbs 17:17

Today's proverb reminds us of the enduring value
of friends and family.  A true friend loves at
all times.  Kinfolk are born to share adversity.
Cherish these special people in your life.

When my grandfather died, Grandma was numb with
grief.  I had the privilege of taking her to
their summer home for the first week after
Grandpa's funeral.  All through that week, I
cooked for Grandma and took her out for leisurely
drives in the car.  We sat in the yard and talked
about her life with Grandpa for hours.  In the
evenings we went to the lake and watched the
boats.  She took long, undisturbed naps in the
sunshine.  I remember watching her sleep while
my heart ached for her.  Grandma had nursed
Grandpa devotedly around the clock for the
past ten years.  She was weary and worn out.
Gradually the reality of her loss began to sink
in.  We became very close.  I cherish every
memory of that difficult and blessed week.

All too soon, it was time to close up their
summer cottage and go home.  Grandma turned
to me and said, "Thank you for being such a
wonderful friend."  I thanked her for being
such a wonderful grandmother.

When she died the following year, many family
friends and relatives came to pay their final
respects.  During the funeral, we laughed and
cried while sharing Alf and Inga stories.  I
realized some of these beloved friends had
become a part of my own extended family.
These faithful friends had loved my grandparents
and family through prosperity and adversity,
health and illness, joy and sorrow.  We had
danced at each other's weddings, celebrated
birthdays and anniversaries, and seen each
others' children grow up, sharing comfort at
funerals over the years.  I felt closer to
some of these friends than my own kin.

Loving families of choice are not limited to
marriage and blood relatives.  This is
especially important to acknowledge during
the holiday season.  Cherish those near and
dear to your heart.  Let them know how much
you love and care for them.  Nurture these
relationships with profound gratitude.  Be
the best friend you can, love at all times,
and share in adversity.

O God, help me value families of all kinds.
Open my heart to friends and family alike.
I ask that you bring each reader into
meaningful, loving circles of friends
through this holiday season.  I pray for
families to be reconciled, friendships
affirmed, and love to abound.  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 handing. You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of December 6, 2009

**********

The 2009-2010 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary
has been published! Please check it out and order
yours at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa09_10.htm\
l
Also take a look at a lovely new
2010 Garden Wall Calendar from Open Door MCC at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/ODMCC_Calendar.html

**********

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.

Strength for the weary and weak

"Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The
Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the
ends of the earth.  God does not faint or grow
weary; God's understanding is unsearchable.  God
gives power to the faint, and strengthens the
powerless.  Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted; but those who
wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary, they shall
walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:28-31

Cleaning my files the other day I came across a
sermon I preached at the naval hospital more than
five years ago.  It was titled, "Amazing Strength."
Powerful memories flooded my mind of a courageous,
quiet, bald headed woman who came to the chapel
for that Sunday morning service.

She came alone with her intravenous bottle swaying
with every step.  Her eyes never left me during the
message.  The chapel service had a time for special
blessing and anointing for those who wanted healing
prayers.  She was too weak to come forward for prayer
and so I went to her.  The woman was undergoing
massive chemotherapy and radiation for a vicious
metastatic cancer.  Her prognosis was very poor.
Only God could help her at this stage of her disease.
We were not the only ones in the congregation with
tears in our eyes.

After the service was over, I visited this frail
woman in her hospital room and found her resting
in bed with an open Bible on her lap.  Sure enough,
it was opened to these verses on which I had preached.
She labored for breath as she told of her struggle
with pain and pending death.  The scripture had
greatly encouraged her to hold on for another day.
She had imagined herself soaring with the eagles in
power and strength.

Her great faith was humbling.  Her courage and
dignity was profound.  These words helped her
continue to live with strength and hope.  The
illness was wasting her body away, but her faith
in God was vibrant and deep.  She was not afraid.

I will always remember her courage and faith.  I
will remember the look in her eyes as she listened
to these words.  I will remember her open Bible
during her time of great need and physical
suffering.  She found that God was enough.  In
putting her hope in God, she received the strength
needed for living one day at a time.

God, strengthen my faith in whatever my circumstances
may be.  Let these lovely words of courage help 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 handing. You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

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

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of November 29, 2009

**********

The 2009-2010 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary
has been published! Please check it out and order
yours at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa09_10.htm\
l
Also take a look at a lovely new
2010 Garden Wall Calendar from Open Door MCC at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/ODMCC_Calendar.html

**********

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.

A Holocaust Museum reflection

A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son
Absalom.  "O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me."
Psalm 3:1

We know racism and anti-Semitism kills, but
did you know homophobia is just as deadly?
Years ago, I toured the Holocaust museum in
Washington D.C.  Throughout the museum, Nazi
concentration camp survivors proudly wore
their yellow Star of David while interacting
with visitors.  More than six million Jews
had been exterminated in Hitler's death
camps in World War Two.  These survivors
were rightfully determined to tell their
stories to the world, so the horrific
lessons of history would never again be
repeated.

The museum honored other concentration camp
victims as well, including numerous exhibits
honoring the many thousands of homosexuals
forced to wear the pink triangle by Hitler.
They were also brutally tortured and
annihilated.  The Holocaust museum has
wisely acknowledged that the world must
know homophobia is as deadly as anti-
Semitism and racism.  The museum presents
the stories of gay and lesbian victims with
respect and dignity.

I am deeply grateful for the Holocaust's
museum efforts to present these stories,
for many history books are often silenced
by overt, legalized secular and religious
homophobia.  In some countries even today,
gay and lesbian citizens are arrested,
brutalized, tortured, executed, or murdered
while the authorities look the other way.

Gay or straight, Jewish or Gentile, we share
a common God who delights in human diversity.
We are one family on earth.  God grieves when
people hate and kill others who are different.
Whatever our sexual orientation and religious
background, today's Psalm offers us God's
comfort in the face of hatred, danger, and
overwhelming odds against our survival.
Psalm 3 offers us a stepping stone to God
when enemies outnumber us and when they
gleefully insist God will not hear or answer
our prayers.  Whether we are gay or straight,
with the psalmist we are assured God will
forever be our shield.  God will answer us.

So have a good night's rest, pray for justice,
and whenever possible, use your voice to
raise public awareness of the deadly effects
homophobia has on the world.

God, we praise you who made all people different,
yet alike.  We pray for the day when homophobia
will be globally recognized as the deadly evil
it is.  We pray for the day when the lives and
deaths of gay and lesbian victims, murdered in
Hitler's concentration camps, will be honorably
recorded in all history books.  Hasten the day
when the pink triangle will be universally
recognized as a sign of courage and honor.
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 handing.  You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

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

CHI RHO CONNECTION

The eNewsletter of Chi Rho Press,
Your LGBT Christian Publishing House
Vol. X, No. 4
25 November 2009

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

Contents:

1.      Christmas is Coming!  One Stop Shopping Here!
2.      New 2010 Wall Calendar from Open Door MCC
3.      New 2009-2010 Liturgical Calendar!
4.      My Memory Book Reprint
5.      Sterling Silver MCC Crosses and Logos
6.      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.      Christmas is Coming!  One Stop Shopping Here!

As I write this edition of the very periodic Chi
Rho Connection, I am quite ready for my Thanksgiving
Feast tomorrow, which is Thanksgiving Day in the
USA.  I have Thursday and Friday off work from my
secular job and major feasts both days!  But looking
at the calendar, I also realize that today is the
25th of November and Christmas Day is one month
away!  Have you finished your Christmas shopping
yet?

What if I told you that I have a place you can shop
without leaving your house, even in your pajamas?
Yes, you guessed it, www.ChiRhoPress.com is a
wonderful place to shop for Christmas, pay with
your MasterCard, Visa, or Discover Card, have your
gifts delivered to your door by a uniformed public
servant, and help YOUR LGBTQ Christian publishing
house as well!

Books make wonderful gifts and we have some great
ones: Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse, Come
Home by Chris Glaser, Called Out: the Voices
and Gifts of LGBT Presbyterians, Christian with
a Twist, Living as the Beloved, the Bible and
Homosexuality, and lots more.  Plus the new 2010
Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary (see article
number 3), an amazing, beautiful wall calendar
for 2010 (see article number 2), sterling silver
crosses and MCC logos, stained glass made to
order, and lots more.

Please do your Christmas shopping at
www.ChiRhoPress.com.  And may the holiday
season be filled with every good thing for you!

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

2.      New 2010 Wall Calendar from Open Door MCC

We are pleased to offer a limited number of the new
Open Door Metropolitan Community Church Garden Wall
Calendar for 2010.  Twelve beautiful pictures of
Open Door MCC (Boyds, Maryland, USA), it's grounds
and memorial garden are featured in this limited
press run calendar.  The photographs are by Scott
Smiley, grounds keeper for Open Door's 12 acres of
gently rolling land.  Chi Rho Press has arranged
for just a limited number of these special calendars.
Order soon as supplies are limited. $20.00 each
plus shipping and handling.

View the Calendar and order at this link:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/ODMCC_Calendar.html

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

3.      New 2009-2010 Liturgical Calendar!

This Sunday is the first day of the new church year,
the first Sunday in Advent!  There is still time to
get your Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary for
Year C, which will start with the first Sunday in
Advent, November 29, 2009. Chi Rho Press' annual
Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary for 2009-2010
is back from the printer and ready to ship. You
may view it and order it at this link: 
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa09_10.htm\
l

The 2009-2010 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary
sells for $12.95 each, $10.50 each for six or more
copies, plus shipping and handling.

The Lectionary in the Liturgical Calendar is from the
Revised Common Lectionary, widely used as the
ecumenical consensus on readings for each Sunday and
holy day in the three-year cycle of the church year.
Our Liturgical Calendar is packed with useful
information for planning worship and preaching in
the local church.  It is intended for use by pastors,
musicians, altar guilds, teachers, theological students,
and anyone using the Church Year as a basis for worship
or education.  The Liturgical Calendar is spiral bound
so it can lie flat for easy use, in the popular 8 ½" x
11" format.

Featured in this new Liturgical Calendar are these
sections: A Heading that identifies the day in the
church year (for example, the first Sunday of Advent)
with alternative descriptions where appropriate.

The Revised Common Lectionary readings, including
a brief summary of each reading.  (These are intended
as only a very brief overview to identify general
themes as an aid to worship planning.  We do not
represent them as anything approaching a thorough
exegesis.)

The First Reading is usually from the Hebrew Testament,
but there are exceptions, such as the use of readings
from Acts during the Easter season.  These are sometimes
selected thematically to fit the Liturgical Calendar,
but often are simply being read through key passages
over a series of weeks.  This is followed by a Response,
usually a Psalm.  The Epistle Reading is next, like the
Hebrew Testament Reading typically a series of key
passages from the same book being read over a number
of weeks.  Finally the Gospel Reading follows the story
of Jesus through the Christmas and Easter cycles, plus
the teachings of Jesus the rest of the year.

Next is a section called "Worship Planning." This
includes suggestions for decorations or symbols for
special seasons, such as Advent wreaths; the
liturgical color for the day; etc.

Rev. Witt has added lots of Notes in the Worship
Planning section, which serve to explain in more
detail information about the time of the church
year, provide resources for further study and
information, and develop liturgical themes to make
your worship experience more rich and meaningful.

Then comes a section called "Special Events," which
includes any special events occurring that day or that
week that you may wish to commemorate, such as
national holidays or special holy days in other religions,
and some special occasions for celebrations of
diversity, such as celebration days for specific
cultures (e.g., Cinco de Mayo) and special days for
the GLBT community (e.g., a day of remembrance for
Matthew Shepherd).

As a special added section, we have included
alternative readings for the four Sundays of
Pride-Tide (June) prepared by the Rev. Gordon
McCoy.  The four sets of readings for Pride-Tide
may be used at any time in the year that the faith
community celebrates LGBT Pride.  The standard
Revised Common Lectionary readings are included
for the four Sundays in June as well.

In addition, the Rev. Gordon McCoy has given us
a special entry for World AIDS Day, December 1st,
with scripture readings and a history of MCC’s
involvement in creating World AIDS Day.

The 2009-2010 Liturgical Calendar will be a helpful
aid for anyone involved in planning worship, as well
as a useful resource for all who want to know more
about the Church year and the rich liturgical life
of the Church Universal.  We think you will like
this Liturgical Calendar.

Order the 2010 Calendar today at this new link:
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa09_10.htm\
l

The 2010 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary sells for
$12.95 each, $10.50 each for six or more copies, plus
shipping and handling.

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

4.      My Memory Book Reprint

We are pleased to announce that we have had yet
another reprint of the very popular book, "My
Memory Book: A Journal for Grieving Children,"
by Gretchen Gaines, LCSW-C. Please view and
order it on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevMyMemoryBook.html

Though created for children by a children's grief
and bereavement specialist, many adults are using
"My Memory Book" to create memorials for loved ones
who have died.  Like a panel in the AIDS quilt, a
copy of "My Memory Book" can become an important
part of the grief process after losing a beloved
friend or relative.

“I love this workbook for children of all ages,”
says Patricia Kelly, co-author of “Final Gifts”
and a consultant in the Washington, D.C. area.
“This is a book to treasure.”

Space is available throughout the book for the
grieving person to write or draw.  Directions for
over 20 exercises are given on the left hand side
page, and the right hand side page is devoted to
the grieving person’s creative use.  The reader
uses "My Memory Book" to create a book of memories
about the loved one who died that is uniquely his
or her own.  "My Memory Book" encourages written
exercises, collage, journaling, and drawings in
any medium the user cares to employ.

Dr. Phyllis Silverman, one of the most renowned
experts in the bereavement field, writes, “This
is one of the best workbooks I have seen to help
. . . understand the nature of grief.  It
legitimates . . . ties to the deceased and
helps find ways to talk about these connections.”

The unique genius of this book is that it is wonderful
for anyone to use, regardless of age.  “My Memory Book”
provides enough exercises for readers of any age to
return to it again and again to celebrate the life
of one recently lost and of their life together.
The book also includes a special section in the back
for readers to design their own exercises.

Though many buy this book for family members, many
counselors in the professional community have also
recognized the therapeutic benefits of “My Memory
Book” and use the book with their clients.  “This
workbook is a wonderful tool to assist therapists
and counselors in their work with bereaved children,”
says Nancy Boyd Webb, DSW, BCD, Professor, Fordham
University Graduate School of Social Service.

We are proud of their recommendation of this important
book as a bereavement tool for people of all ages.

“My Memory Book” is available from Chi Rho Press for
$10.95 each, $8.95 each for six or more copies, plus
shipping and handling.

See and order this exciting new book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevMyMemoryBook.html

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

5.      Sterling Silver MCC Crosses and Logos

Chi Rho Press, your MCC LGBT Christian publishing
house, again 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

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

6.      Adam's Last Word

Happy Thanksgiving!

*****

I would love for you to send me articles about
women or men you hold to be your Heroes of the
Faith. Just write to Adam@... with
your remembrance and let me know what you would
like me to say about you as the author.

*****

We are excited about the publication of the
2009-2010 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary,
Year C. We hope you will order your copies today!

*****

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 2009, Chi Rho Press, Inc.

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of November 22, 2009

**********

The 2009-2010 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary
has been published! Please check it out and order
yours at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa09_10.htm\
l
Also take a look at a lovely new
2010 Garden Wall Calendar from Open Door MCC at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/ODMCC_Calendar.html

**********

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.

God's flashlight

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my
path."
Psalm 119:105

All of life contains the possibility of meeting
God, and God's self-revelation occurs in many
forms, according to teachers at the world
famous, ecumenical Shalem Institute for
Spiritual Formation (www.shalem.org).  Scripture
is one way of meeting God in human terms.  By
reading sacred words, we are spiritually
empowered.

The Psalmist reminds us that God's word is a lamp
to our feet.  The Psalms can serve as brilliant
flashlights, lighting the path ahead of us.  These
wonderful words can help get us back on our feet
and on our knees, when our lives are chaotic and
in upheaval, when we feel overwhelmed by feelings
of helplessness and hopelessness.

The Psalms can help us get through one moment at
a time, when one day at a time is overwhelming.
God is deeply concerned with our pain.  The
Psalms help us remember that God sees.  God
cares.  God listens and responds with generous
spiritual light when we call out for help.

These Psalm-prayers are time tested and true.
People of faith across the ages have found help
through them during their deepest moments of need.

When we contemplate sin and the dark side of our
lives, the Psalms can serve as a bright light for
cleansing our souls.  They offer us lifelines to
prayer.  If we do not know how to pray, chances
are that the Psalms can help.

God, shine brightly in my life.  Let your words
remove all darkness within me.  Let the Psalms
be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
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 handing. You can find
this book on our Web site at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLivingAsTheBeloved.ht\
m

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

Chi Rho Reflection for the Week of November 15, 2009

**********

The 2009-2010 Liturgical Calendar and Lectionary
has been published! Please check it out and order
yours at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/product_details/BookRevLiturgicalCa09_10.htm\
l.
Also take a look at a lovely new
2010 Garden Wall Calendar from Open Door MCC at
http://www.chirhopress.com/products/ODMCC_Calendar.html.

**********

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.

Lost and found

"So Jesus told them this parable: 'Which one of you,
having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does
not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go
after the one that is lost until he finds it?  When
he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and
rejoices.  And when he comes home, he calls together
his friends and neighbours, saying to them, "Rejoice
with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost."
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine
righteous people who need no repentance.'"
Luke 15:3-7

Though I am an urban woman and am not personally
acquainted with sheep, I do understand the terror
and vulnerability of being lost.  While living in
Washington D.C., I once saw an unforgettable
example of such fear through the eyes of a small
child.  In a large crowd one night during a
Christmas event in the city, a little boy who was
about three or four years old became separated
from his family.  It quickly became obvious that
he was terrified of being lost and equally
terrified of strangers.  When strangers attempted
to befriend him, he would back away and try and
hide in the crowds.  Soon a policeman arrived on
the scene and the little fellow visibly relaxed
and placed his small hand in the officer's large
one.  Together, they began walking hand-in-hand
in search for his parents and disappeared into
the crowd.

Soon a frantic mother came in search of her lost
child.  She urgently and repeatedly called out his
name and asked complete strangers if they had seen
her little boy.  "Yes," said one woman, "He went
with a policeman," and she pointed in the general
direction.  Suddenly the police officer reappeared.
The little boy saw his mother and stopped sobbing.
He threw himself into her arms and she held him
tightly in obvious relief.  Even today, I have
tears in my eyes with the memory of those two
clinging to each other.  The lost child was found.
The worried crowd became joyful, for many had been
concerned over the little child.

And so it is in heaven, as Jesus the Good Shepherd
finds each of us in divine love.  There is exuberant
joy in heaven when we are found.  The Shepherd's
heart is full of compassion and will not be satisfied
until we are found and brought back into loving,
intimate community and personal relationship with
God.  Today's parable in Luke brings us the Gospel
message of Jesus Christ in its most basic simplicity.

I have a cherished pencil sketch of Jesus in my study.
He is lovingly holding a lamb in his arms.  The lamb
has a look of trust and contentment.  The nail marks
are clearly visible on the hands of the Good Shepherd.
We are invited into those loving arms.

Searching Shepherd of our souls, thank you for finding
us.  From time to time, we have all strayed from your
presence like a lost lamb.  Now help us experience the
joy of being found by God.  Amen.

Grace and peace,

Chi Rho Press

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