August 27, 2026

The Rule of St. Benedict has daily readings that are read three times a year. It will begin again on September 1. Once again, I wonder if anyone in the congregation would want to read this with me and take time to explore this ancient and relevant text. This wondering keeps coming up and maybe we can make plans to begin on January 1. If you are interested in learning more about the Rule, let me know. I can certainly do an introductory Fellowship Forum or class. The Rule was written in the sixth century by a devote follower of Jesus. Most of the Rule contains scripture references reminding us when and why we pray, how we are to treat one another and ways we deepen our connection with God.

These thoughts came to mind as I read our second reading for Sunday. Paul urges the Roman community to love one another with mutual affection, to persevere in prayer, to pursue hospitality to strangers, to live in harmony and a plethora of other characteristics for living a faith-filled life. St. Benedict highlights these attributes in the Rule. We are summoned to live out these attributes daily and yet, when life gets busy, complicated and our focus is elsewhere, we drift. Our prayer life falls further down on our to-do list. We put it off thinking; “I’ll have time after ____blank is completed.”

The challenge with waiting until ____ blank is completed is how there is always something or someone calling for our attention. God longs for our focus. How we focus our minds and hearts toward God, our spiritual practice, can change over time as we enter different seasons of our life. It may also shift with the seasons. Waking early as the sun is rising to read scriptures might have a different motivation than waking at the same hour when it is pitch dark outside. The knack is to find what works for you and keep on doing it until it doesn’t work and then pivot yourself to something different. Be kind and patient with yourself along the way. Ask for help. Perfection is not the goal, an ongoing connection with the Divine is.

Even the disciples who think they are in close relationship with Jesus are in for a surprise this week. Jesus adds another layer of complexity to their connection as he foretells his death and resurrection. This is hard news to hear. It does not match their understanding of Jesus, the Messiah. Peter is loudest in his resistance to Jesus’ news. Nevertheless, Jesus emphasizes the importance of following his pathway. He encourages them to focus on Divine things, what is of God. He reminds them the world will stop at nothing to get their/our attention and devotion.

It is beneficial from time to time to reflect on how we live our life, where we focus our attention, what we spend our money on, and who we spend time with. These investments reflect what has our attention and devotion. Gathering for worship is a weekly opportunity to be refreshed, challenged, comforted, and fed. Building on this experience we are sent out into the world to be the body of Christ. What happens in worship matters. My hope is that we can find ways to connect our worship experience with how we spend all the other hours of our week.
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I look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we gather for the fifth Sunday, hear Pastor Joel Schmitz preach, and help fill the shelves for the Backpack Snack program.