A Collision of Thoughts and Beliefs:

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

“For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is stretched out still. Woe to those who make iniquitous decrees, who write oppressive statutes, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, to make widows their spoil and to plunder orphans! What will you do on the day of punishment, in the calamity that will come from far away? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth, so as not to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain? For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is stretched out still.” Isaiah 9:21 – 10:4

All things seem to be colliding this morning. Colliding rather than aligning because all my readings seem to be pointing to the same theme, but what?

My Lectio 365 reflects on Zechariah’s silence, the circumstance surrounding John’s birth and name focusing on Luke 1:66, “what then will this child be?” It is a question of what is the end game.

A friend shared a Tik-Tok video about a new world order which speaks to the end of national sovereignty, and where everything is ordered by one organization and people literally have no say in what happens in their lives.  Isn’t this the way of the world now and not something to come?  What is the end game of reading the bible? Is it to be used to coerce persons? Is it a book of prophecies of what the future holds? Or is it the reflection of how people in a certain contexts viewed God? Is their reflection similar to ours and can God’s faithfulness resonate with us in 21st century Jamaica. 

I am being cynical this morning. But individuals have never had any control over their own lives.  We have always had to conform to one thing or another in order to exist.  Conform suggests doing something you really do not want to do, but you do it because…

Birds of a feather flock together. We join as family, community or likeminded persons to protect what is important to us. 

My friend Rev. Bertram Gayle posted on Facebook that the Bible does not determine the reading of the Bible.  Yes, this is so true because the Bible has context. The people who wrote are reflecting on their own experiences of God.  Mine is not necessarily theirs. My experience does not have to be yours either.  That is a difficult pill to swallow, because like the Tik-Tok video we are all supposed to conform. For most people conforming is harmony.  Conforming means everything will work in the best interest of all involved.  No! Sorry! We fool ourselves!  All will be well despite what we say or do.  All will be well whether we conform to the status quo or not.

What differs is the process. The life we live until we are able to see that all is well. The pain we endure, the Joy we experience and the balance of both in our lives.   That is what makes the difference. This is the end game to reflect on the past and through the present maintain a balanced life into the future, whatever that may be.

Isaiah says twice in the span of 6 verses “For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is stretched out still.” What does he mean? There is no and or but linking the two phrases. Is it saying that no matter what God remains angry?  Does he just mean that God is not finished being angry with Israel?

Isaiah is warning the northern kingdom of God’s impending judgment. He suggests that they will not fare well. May be they will not.  But they are not going to fare well, not because God is going to punish them Instead, it is because they have not done the right thing.  They have not lived right with each other and with the communities around them. This discord and disunity ‘breeds bad blood’ as we would say in Jamaica. Nothing good can come of that. 

However Isaiah as the prophet of God looks through his theological eyes. He tells them no good will come from their behaviour.  He believes because they are disobedient, God is going to punish them. 

I have the benefit of hindsight. I can look back on Isaiah’s time and all of the old testament prophets, I can see the bigger picture.  I recognize that God is faithful and delivers God’s people every time. They must pay attention to God and what God is doing. When they turn to their own ways, they are conforming to what is happening around. Things then go awry.  Paul in Romans speak about not conforming. If we look through history it is when a society conforms to the status quo, when they sit and do nothing that things go awry.

Because I see in all of the bible the story of Salvation, God as I understand ‘him’, always stretch out God’s hand in mercy. You see my God is a forgiving God. My God is a loving God. My God does not hold grudges.  My God is always there. It is for us to reach out to that outstretched hand and hold it. Unlike Isaiah we cannot be afraid and think that the hand can only punish.

God is not man. We give God human characteristics in an effort to understand God.  I do not know if we can truly comprehend the mystery called God.  I do not know that we should try either.  What I do know is that God exists and I experience God present with me regularly. I dare to say daily. I however, must admit that I do not always pay attention to what God is saying or doing.

I however pray constantly and consistently that God will be my guide in all things. I pray that the “Eternal Light, shine into our hearts; Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil; Eternal Power, be
our support; Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance; Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us;
That with all our heart and mind and soul and strength we may seek God’s face and be brought by God’s infinite mercy to God’s holy presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Amen.

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God Knows My Name – I am God’s Design

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:14-16

There is a song by Tasha Cobbs that says God knows our name.  God knows me.  He walks with me. He talks with me she says in God’s presence she is made new.  Because God knows her name, there is an intimacy and connection that develops.  This gives her confidence to face life’s challenges. She says she becomes the victor. 

As I read through the Advent stories and what is happening with Elizabeth Zachariah, Mary and Joseph, I recognize that there is also that level of intimacy between them and God.  Elizabeth and Zechariah goes against the culture to name your son something other than what is the norm.  They instinctively seem to know what to do.  Elizabeth says no we are not naming the baby after his father, his name is John.

One’s name is important. It is what differentiates us from other persons.  In the Jewish tradition, names had meanings which spoke to the character of the person with the name.  I always tell children, that when they speak their names they must speak up and be very clear. They should never mumble their name. 

Your name is who you are.  It is who you are destined to be. 

My name is Hilda.  Its roots are German I believe, meaning war maid.  To be a war maid could not have been an easy task.  A war maid went to war with the men and would fight alongside them. It would require some amount of fearlessness and strong personality.  Hildas are supposed to be brave and courageous. Does it sounds like the description most persons would have of me.

But what does this have to do with being fearfully and wonderfully made?  

John, me you, are not arbitrary works of art.  We were not meant to be nonentities, nor nobodies.  We were not like stones that requires special attention to distinguish one from another. God made us special with a special purpose.  Whether we believe it or not we were named with purpose. God thought about us when God was forming us. 

We live in a world where we are taken for granted, where we form part of a crowd, and we blend in. We are not expected to be different.  In many ways we are expected to conform, to do as everybody else.

But the psalm says differently.  The psalm says all the days ordained for me was written in God’s book.  God has several books. The book the psalmist is referring to is probably the book of life, which we cannot see, we can only experience.  However, the bible which records God’s faithfulness tells us that God calls us to a different standard from the rest of world. God calls us to reflect Godliness in our lives. We express it in our special god given way.  Like Elizabeth and Zechariah we are called to be counter-cultural.  God named us. God knows our name. 

The people in the Advent story shows us that we must develop and nurture that special relationship with the creator.  A relationship in which you can discern what God has written in the book for you.  They remind us that we must be who God has called us to be, as individuals and collectively as God’s people.  God made us. God named us. God knows our name. We must trust God. We each of us has a plan that we must work for God.  Let us not be afraid. But let us live that plan as we understand it. Let us be who God has called us to be.  As always we rely on the strength of God to pilot us; the power of God to preserve us; the wisdom of God to instruct us. “May the hand of God protect us. May the way of God direct us. May the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world.  May Christ be with us, Christ before us, Christ in us, Christ over us.”

May we always remember that God knows us by name.

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Our Shared Experiences: The Need for Divine Support

Posted on December 16, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

“Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together. I, the Lord, created them. Isaiah 45:8

More and more I understand the system in which I work, what I have to work with, the others I have to work for, The request for God to pour out salvation and righteousness resonates with me.

This not about church. I live and work in a broken society:- health, education, morals, family life. Everything is broken. I too am broken and I work among broken people. All of us different in what part of us is broken. I realize that unless I am able to accept this, I will constantly frustrate myself. I will forever be disappointed in how things unfold.

We do not seem to want to see eye to eye, to compromise. Compromise here does not mean lowering your standards but understanding that sometimes and in some things we can yield a little. We take pleasure in tearing others down, in not helping, and most of all watching others suffer or go through painful situations while we watch and I dare say gloat. It seems we have become a society of fiends, without compassion for others.

Anyone reading has ever felt that way? Like nobody really cares? It is not that their anger or apathy is necessarily directed at me. It is just that it is too obvious. It makes me feel like the psalmist when he says that there is no help in us. So I say “Open up, O heavens, pour out your righteousness on me. Let me open my heart wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together within me”. I need it, not just for myself but so I can share with others.

Sometimes we need an extra push, an extra dose of something to get us through various situations. That extra something is God pouring God’s spirit into us. Many times it is waiting in silence and seeking God’s leading. You realize you have to draw second and first gear to climb the hill to get to the other side of the situation. When you reach for the gear stick, you realize God is already holding it. You don’t always feel him at the same time, but when you reflect you recognize that God was there through it all.
The song Through it all by Andre Crouch comes to mind. It says
“I’ve had many tears and sorrows
I’ve had questions for tomorrow
There’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong
But in every situation God gave me blessed consolation
That my trials came to only make me strong

I’ve been to lots of places,
I’ve seen a lot of faces
But there were times that I felt so all alone
But in my lonely hours
Yes, those precious lonely hours
Jesus lets me know that I was His own
That’s the reason I say

Through it all
Through it all
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus
I’ve learned to trust in God
Let me tell you that

Through it all, oh
Through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His Word”

As I sing (dying with laughter) but you know what I mean, I realize that it is not hard to feel alone and that many times you can only depend on yourself and God. This is not depression, but a feeling of unrealized expectations. Maybe things could have been different if… You resolve to do what you must, by yourself and for yourself. You overthink everything. Everything is nuanced. You are not so sure what is the best thing to do. You are not second guessing yourself, but at the same time you wonder if you have taken the right path. Comfort is far from you.

I see this in others, the disappointment of persons turning their backs on them; the hurt of having to walk alone particularly if you made a poor decision. Looking on is painful. But struggle on we must.

We pray that we may feel God ever present in this troublous life. We pray that

“Eternal Light, shine into our hearts; Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil; Eternal Power, be
our support;
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance; Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us;
That with all our heart and mind and soul and strength we may seek your face and be brought by your infinite mercy to your holy presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Amen.

Where God is all is well. All will be well. All manner of things will be well.

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Love Unconditionally

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Paul in writing this truly understood unconditional love. I have a young colleague wanted to come into ministry but was afraid of the critics. I advised him just love them. I gave a newly married couple the same advice, you do not have to like your spouse all the time, you just have to love him. In 1971 Coca Cola made a beautiful ad. They used the song of The New Seekers that said
“I d like to buy the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees
And snow white turtle doves
I’d like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony”

They then inserted the following lines and sang it over the original song
“I’d like to buy the world a Coke
And keep it company
That’s the real thing.”

Coke may be the real thing because of the satisfying taste it brings to those who enjoy an ice cold Coke. Me. I prefer Pepsi. I have committed the cardinal sin of waking in rainy downtown Atlanta the home of Coke looking for a place that sells Pepsi. The things we do to show our preference and our love. If I did not feel it important I would not have walked for maybe 15 minutes in the rain to find a restaurant that sells Pepsi. It is the same kind of attitude that Love elicits, provokes or incites in us. An attitude where nothing else is as important as ensuring the other person’s happiness.

John 3:16 says God so loved the world that he sent Jesus to show us how we should live. Jesus says love your neighbour as yourself. Doing this is not easy. We know several songs where the singer bemoans the loss of the love of their life.

We love despite other things, we love because there is no other way to be. Love allows us to forgive and work through the disappointment and the hurt we feel from time to time. Always loving allows us to be compassionate even while some of us have no gentleness or genteelness in us.

There is another song that I reflect on when I think about love. It is written by Burt Bacharach and sung by Dionne Warwick
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone.”
It says everyone needs love. I am not certain that we understand that we need love. We are social beings and we need positive interaction with each other to thrive. Several experiments have been done in animal research in observation of humans in relationships and they all say we are better for opening our selves to love. But to love requires us to trust others. Sometimes the person we love, has never felt love and do not know what it is. We then have to teach them love. We have to help them love themselves. Help them trust us and help them love others.

Loving is not easy. It can be painful not being jealous or wanting your way. I willing to compromise but I want to have my say not necessarily my way.
One thing about love that Paul didn’t mention is that Love listens and listening means pay attention.
Paying attention is not about predicting how a person will act in particular circumstances, but noticing subtle changes which allow you as ‘lover’ to respond appropriately. It is knowing when to speak, and knowing how to say I told you so without saying those words.

Paying attention leads to intuitiveness, a bond, a connection that even from afar you can see that there is something wrong. Nothing can be hidden from you. You may not be able to fix it, but you can certainly help ease the pain.

Paul also didn’t say that when you love someone you should support them. Sometimes those we love have made bad decisions. While we do not agree with them, we should not abandon them. Depending on what it is sometimes we have to support from afar. Those we love should always understand that we love them no matter what.

The converse of what is said here is true those who love us should do the same for us. Sometimes we have to teach persons how to love us. We not only have to listen, we have to speak clearly. We should let the other person know how we feel about things and be honest. If they walk away, then that is their loss. Love is open and honest. It is never afraid to walk through a storm. It will survive, even if you find you have to walk away from each other or the situation. The love will always hold up. It may not be expressed in the same manner , but it is always there to be relied on. Taking on that kind of love only comes through loving God and experiencing God’s love first hand. The energy comes from the source of all energy, the light that never dims nor extinguishes. May we find the courage in spite of our circumstances to be open to love and to love each other unconditionally.

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Being Called to a Life of Sacredness

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor, 5 not with lustful passion, like the gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-9

As I read I see the words sanctification, impurity and rejection.  The passage lists 3 things that are the will of God. These are some of the things that we should do if we are carrying out the will of God

  1. That we abstain from sexual immorality
  2. learn how to control our behaviour. Recently I learnt that lust is not always asexual, but it is being given to excesses. It is about being overbearing. When you are too much, you see it as being passionate but others see it otherwise.  Paul like most of us see our ability to control our sexual urges as paramount in maintaining our sacredness. 
  4. Paul says we shouldn’t exploit our brothers and sisters in this matter.  What matter? I smile as I think he is not specifically referring to sexual exploitation even as the paragraph speaks to it as a major problem in this community. They are no different from us today who live in an world with sexual overtones bombarding us daily. Then there are those of us preoccupied with sexual sins.

These three things make us hallowed. I say hallowed because holiness has many connotations and sometimes I really don’t know what people mean or what they want me to understand when they use the word.  Many times I believe that holiness puts them in an untouchable bubble. Whatever they do is good and right because they are holy, because they are sanctified.  I think of the abuse in church by Pastors. Those who use their holiness to coerce women, girls and boys to give into their selfish sexual desires.

Sanctification and holiness means being sacred. It means holding all things as blessed and consecrated by God for specific tasks.  This is the orderliness of creation. Each life form carrying out its own activities while at the same time being in harmony with others. It is living your life and being respectful of others as they see fit.  It is respect and reverence all in one.  It is us reflecting Christ and The Christ in us reaching out to the Christ in others.  This I know doesn’t come naturally. It must be cultivated and practiced.

Paul in saying “not like the gentiles” is saying the life of the gentiles is not our life.  We are called to a specific way of life, a life of hallowedness, a life grounded in the principles and precepts – teachings and guidelines of God. It does not mean that we should consider ourselves better than others or more entitled to God’s favour. It does not mean that others should see us as favoured and therefore favour us.  Living the life the Jesus way comes with no entitlement. It comes with an assurance of pardon and a faithful God.  Whatever we are facing we have seen before at some other time in varying degrees of discomfort.  God saw us through before God will see us through again.  We just put our hands in the hand of the man who calm the seas. He will calm our hearts.

Let us pray,

We are thankful for your support O God. We thank you for the guidance of Jesus Christ who shows us the way of holiness. Help to develop our Christ like nature to be in awe of you. Enable us to recognize that we are always standing on hallow ground as you are always with us on this journey. Grant us openness to the movement of the Holy Spirit in us giving us the energy and courage to always do your will. We pray for courage strength to be sacred and to treat others with that same level of sacredness. Amen

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Contrasts of Advent: John, Jesus, and the Mothers

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan


“John “will be great”, but his relative Jesus is going to be greater. John’s mother had been unable to conceive a child, but Jesus’ mother will be a virgin. John “will be filled with the Holy Spirit … before he is born”, but Jesus will be conceived by the Holy Spirit. John will “make ready a people prepared for the Lord”, but Jesus is the Lord.” Carla Harding Lectio 365 team.

My reflection is not on a passage of scripture but a reflection on someone else’s reflection. 
Reflecting  on Luke 1:13-17, Carla reflects on the differences in the persons who are a part of that first Advent story.  These persons are at opposite ends of various patterns.  The women Elizabeth and Mary, different experiences of motherhood. One, old, and wondering why is this happening in her old age.  The other, young and wondering why is this happening to her so soon and in such a way. She is not even married. 

Look at Jesus, John, and the experience of the Holy Spirit. 

It doesn’t matter where or who we are in life. We are all able to experience the divine.  God gives each of us a task when we are sent into this world. The task is to ensure that Gods will be done.  All things are to work for God’s honour and glory. Life  doesn’t always seem, or feel that way. 

These 4 persons received jobs that would have made them uncomfortable.  If Elizabeth was Jamaican, she would have been called a mule all her years of marriage.  Then, to become pregnant in her old age, she would be the laughing stock at the prenatal clinics. The younger women would have a field day with snide remarks.  As I always observe, older people  usually do not have the energy to keep up with toddlers.  Her pregnancy would be the cause of much embarrassment.  In Luke 2, it says she hid for 5 months.  Was this hiding in embarrassment, or was it divine intervention to ensure that the fetus developed securely in an older womb?
Mary is  a pregnant teen, involving herself in adult matters and who gets caught. 


Neither situation is comfortable.  Yet God is in the midst.  God is using these times of discomfort to do his work.  It is not only John who prepared the way.  These ladies also prepared the way.   I reflect on the many uncomfortable situations I have faced as an emissary of God. There are things I would rather forget than think about.  None of them on the grand scale like Mary or Elizabeth, but never the less, they didn’t feel good.


Mary and Elizabeth show us that God acts through us and walks with us at all times.  When life throws us lemons, God helps us make lemonade. 


It says to me that no matter what is happening, we should not give up hope. We should not despair. Romans 8:31 says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” These words are truly comforting.  They are not, however, saying that because God walks with us, it is ok to abuse any privilege we have. We are still required to be just love mercy and humble.

God is always with us, even in those embarrassing moments. God is faithful. Romans 8:38-39 says No thing can separate is from God’s love.  “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We belong to God. God loves and cares for us as we struggle with the ups and downs of life.  We just have to trust him and take God at his word.  As always, I pray that you and I will have the strength and wisdom to remain faithful no matter what. 

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Giving Hope For the Hopeless: God’s call to Dignity

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Who can be compared with the Lord our God,     who is enthroned on high? 6 He stoops to look down     on heaven and on earth. 7 He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people! He gives the childless woman a family,    making her a happy mother. Psalm 113:5-9

I cannot recall ever hearing or reading psalm 113 and recognizing this affirmation of human rights.  It says the Lord is giving to all dignity and placing persons on equal footing. The psalm affirms that God is not content to be distant. It affirms that God intervenes in our lives and make it better.  God “looks down” on earth and God sees the  suffering  “poor man” and “the childless woman.” Being childless in the Jewish society was a very humiliating state. But God promises to free the woman from her barrenness. God sets the poor and needy among princes. God gives them a seat. 

 This affirmation is needed in our society today. In the world I should say as so many persons feel as if they do not count. So many feel as if their voices are not heard and those with power wield it without thought for the consequences. It would appear that there is no Hope. Those who are in despair or desperate situations which the poor and needy represents have nothing to look forward to. But God through the psalmist says I will lift you up. I will give you a place in this world where you can stand or sit with anyone as an equal. You can live with dignity and receive respect. 

The psalm then is not only an affirmation but a call to God’s people to act and bring the promise to fruition

 In these 16 days (25th November – 10th December) when we take time to consider eliminating gender based violence, the passage speaks forcibly that no one should have to live at a substandard level, without dignity and a voice. All should have basic needs and none should feel humiliated. God seeks always to give life to those who cannot find life for themselves

But…. How do we who are called to be the hand and feet of God make a difference in this world? How do we as individuals make our own mark as we seek to share and give life to those who cannot find it for themselves?  The words ‘We who drink his cup bring or give life to others”.

Today’s second reading from the daily office, answers very clearly. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 says tells the Thessalonians   “So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.”  The King James Version use very passionate words “being affectionately desirous of you”. Paul says We are to love others and not in a superficial way. We must reach into our innermost being, from our gut, from our heart and in our heads we must love. This is not  should or maybe this is a command of God.  We are to bring hope to the hopeless as it is through us that God’s promises are fulfilled.   

David Haas in the song You are mine says
“I will come to you in the silence
I will lift you from all your fear
You will hear My voice
I claim you as My choice
Be still, and know I am near

I am hope for all who are hopeless
I am eyes for all who long to see
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light
Come and rest in Me

I am strength for all the despairing
Healing for the ones who dwell in shame
All the blind will see, the lame will all run free
And all will know My name

I am the Word that leads all to freedom
I am the peace the world cannot give
I will call your name, embracing all your pain
Stand up, now, walk, and live
Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine”

May we truly believe with our whole selves that we are called to bring Hope and dignity to the Hopeless

“

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My Thanksgiving Reflection

Posted on December 2, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Yesterday my American friends and family celebrated Thanksgiving. It was made a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln. The Native Americans view this holiday with mixed feelings. It was born out of the European settlers celebrating thanksgiving every time they won a battle, killed or subdued a Native American tribe. History is sometimes hard to forget. It is emotionally and spiritually devastating when the thing that brings joy to other persons bring you pain,

There are so many of these situations on a personal level. My cousin’s father was murdered on her birthday about 6 years ago, and her birthday has never been the same.

The attitude and celebration of thanksgiving, of gratefulness provides an opportunity to stop and reflect on our blessings, to be grateful to, and for the relationships that have done well, that has sustained us that have withstood disagreements and the storms of life. Relationship with family and friends who have become family. Many gather similarly to how we as Jamaicans gather at Christmas and Independence.

Paul encourages us to be thankful no matter the circumstances. This is not an easy ask. The popular versions of the bible say Rejoice. But may require a rewiring of the brain. A rethinking that allows you to experience a deep seated joy in the face of adversity. There are things we cannot change. Life happens. In spite of the difficulty we face, we must be grateful.

The passage speaks to three things Joy, prayer, and gratitude. Three powerful states or attitudes encouraging us to feel them all at once. As spiritual people the ability to find joy, to pray and to be always grateful is found in the hope and promise that God is always present and that God guides always in ways we cannot imagine. The physical benefits of gratefulness cannot be overemphasized as one’s stress level subsides as you put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea. Our relationship with Jesus, as we remain rooted and grounded in Him and Gods love, sustains the spirit of joy. Its our relationship with the divine within us that enables us to be persistent in prayer, and to express thankfulness in all situations.

While I don’t celebrate the national holiday of Thanksgiving, I have had reason to reflect on my own journey. I am able to say thanks. Some of the recent things I am grateful for:

  1. I was able to visit an old friend a few weeks ago. When I saw her, I said thank you Lord, I can die now. That was the kind of joy I felt in seeing my old pal again. On that occasion I met up with 3 other old friends.
  2. I have a friend who constantly checks in every week. I am grateful. A great sounding board and she encourages me.
  3. Yesterday, I visited with someone whose life I impacted, and I could feel the love, joy and gratefulness of seeing me. She continually tells others about our relationship.

I realize there are so many things to be thankful for. They are all to be found in our relationship with others. Those whose views differ from yours or for whom you can do no right, provide the ability to be grateful for tolerance and patience. Those who accept us and love us as we are make us grateful with humility and like Elizabeth who’s womb jumped in the presence of Mary, our hearts flutter and we are have a sense of satisfaction for having them in in our lives.

Being cheerful no matter what means rejoicing always. We can find joy through our faith in Jesus Christ, in our relationships with other people and the blessings we receive in life. It doesn’t mean that there will not be situations that will get us down or that persons will not disappoint. It just means that these road blocks are surmountable. A grateful heart changes our view. The grass looks greener, the sky is blue and life is sweet.

Gratefulness as Paul implies comes from being who God says you are to be. May we have the courage and persistence to become who God wants us to be. I pray we are able to be always grateful.

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For God’s Sake: following the example of Paul

Posted on December 2, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

Because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 1 Thessalonians 1:5

The words “you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake” jumps out at me. “For your sake what does Paul mean by that?

It brings to mind when Paul went to Athens and saw the monument erected to the unknown God.  He used this to introduce the good news to them. Paul didn’t spin a story then.  The people of Athens did not know the supreme being who made us all, that he became human to show us the way of salvation and remained with us and in us as the holy spirit.  Being the kind of person for the sake of the Thessalonians, did not mean that Paul adapted to their way of life. It meant that using what they already knew of life and God he used that to bring alive for them the story of Jesus Christ.  Paul and his friends spoke and acted in a manner that taught the Thessalonians about the Jesus movement.  They allowed their lives to tell the story.  I imagine it to be preaching the Gospel, using words if necessary.

Verse 6 confirms that view as the passage goes on to say “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy from the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Paul and his friends behaved and acted in a manner that others would know the Christ and the good news. They invited the persons among them to come and learn from them.  These persons in turn mimicked them. Thus building a group of faithful Christians who despite being persecuted, received the word with Joy. Receiving the word with Joy is another powerful manifestation and declaration of being Christlike. 

I question if I am like Paul? And if not why not? Am I like Paul?  I do not think I intentionally share the word with those I meet. If the opportunity arises I will speak.

Should I be? I wonder.  Just thinking about this is unsettling. I already feel afraid when I think of walking up to somebody and asking if I can share a word of scripture. But there must be something more that I can do that helps strangers to know God.  Do I suggest we have a crusade? What more is God asking me to do?

Some things come to mind about which I need to pray.

  1. An open invitation to those around to come and see, to come and taste
  2. Physical prayer cards and short tracts that can be distributed.
  3. Quarterly evenings of prayer and song.   

Why am I doing this? To get the congregations I serve filled with people on a Sunday? Yes but more importantly so that others may know the God whom I serve. Or is this others knowing God a cop out. Am I trying to accept the fact that it may not bear the fruit I want?

My friend Joseph Ross of Joseph DC Ross▪Poetic-Quotes™ says “The  greatness of man is not governed by the ‘goods’ he has… But by the GOOD… he gives.” By the good he gives… 

It sounds as if in the new year, God is calling me to be different in my approach. God gives the increase, my job is to sow and plant as I understand God. I must remember too that Paul was not a one man band. He had a team with whom he worked. God will guide me as I guide those God has given me to serve so that we together may be for the sake of others and always for God’s sake. 

I am only able to, we are only able to do and be, as the strength of God pilots us. May the power of God preserve us. May the wisdom of God instruct us. May the hand of God protect us. May the way of God direct us. May the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is all is well, all will be well, all manner of things will be well.

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Quiet Strengths: Humility and Stillness

Posted on November 29, 2024 by Hilda Vaughan

O Lord, I am not proud; * I have no haughty looks. 2 I do not occupy myself with great matters, * or with things that are too hard for me.3 But I still my soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother’s breast; * my soul is quieted within me. 4 O Israel, wait upon the Lord, * from this time forth for evermore. Psalm 131


As I read this psalm as part of the Daily Office, I could not get past it. The other 2 psalms went unread. I remembered a time, not so long ago. I had to learn this psalm and recite it in the King James Version. I was told to observe and reflect. This is truly a reflective psalm. It seems like something I should say every day and maybe that is why we had to learn it. Unfortunately the gift of recitation is not mine. I unfortunately reinterpret everything and so I have my own version of most passages. The essence I hope I keep.

There is a saying speak it into being. This psalm speaks in the present tense. It affirms who we ought to be even as we know we are not this person. If each verse had a checkbox beside it. I could honestly and without reservation say that I am not proud nor haughty. Pride, prideful, self importance, arrogance, conceit, stuck up, are not words that can be used to describe me. I am a very down to earth person. I tend sometimes to be very liberal and accepting of situations that most others would frown on. But, God made us all and we each have a conscience. we know right and wrong. It may be my job to point out the error of your ways. it is not my job to be judge and jury deciding your fate or punishment.

There is a prayer that says: God grant me the wisdom to know the difference between the things I can, and cannot change. Many times I do not believe I know the difference. I am the person who will stick her head in places others would not. I will intervene in things that others turn a blind eye to. I couldn’t check the box that says: “I do not occupy myself with great matters, or with things that are too hard for me.’ I’ll stand alone, if I believe what I am saying to be true, even in the face of danger. But is that a good thing? Yes but. Looking at the world around me, very few people do that, especially when they are a ‘small fry’ in a large sea of fish. Is it right? Should we be sticking our necks out?

We live in a world where anything goes. Those with money and the loudest voices are heard and deferred to. This causes much suffering and frustration. In homes, in schools, at workplaces, there is the sense in which persons feel as if they do not count and what they contribute is not of value. This constant state of frustration and flux lead many to have mental disorders. It causes both the perpetrator and sufferer to become numb to the feelings of others. Frustration turns to anger. Many times, those suffering do not even know what they are angry about. I also believe, that others, who see the satisfaction anger gives, mimic this response . It appears as if it is a good and proper thing to do.

Verse 3 and 4 says we must be still and quiet. We must wait on the Lord. Our attitude should be like a child who has not yet been weaned. Such a child is dependent while at the same time taking time to learn about their surroundings what they can and cannot do. They expect guidance and care. They expect the others around them to give them attention. Isn’t this what we all ask from others? Isn’t this treating others as you want to be treated. We are invited to do the same

The stillness and quiet stands for so much more than just being still. As a child there was a TV show called Kungfu, in which a Shoalin monk comes to America searching for his brother. His demeanor was a soul at peace. His martial arts skills was used to defend the innocent and the abused. He was powerful in mind and physical tactics, but it never showed. It was not something that looking at him you would see or even sense. I do believe it is this kind of stillness and calm spirit the psalm refers to. As we go through today let us read the psalm as an affirmation and prayer.

Let us pray
O Lord, we are not proud. We have no haughty looks. We do not occupy ourselves with great matters, or with things that are too hard for me. But we still our soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother’s breast; Our souls are quieted within us. Enable us to be. Amen

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