Don’t Suffer in Silence “Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.” - Psalm 130:1We don’t have to pretend. It’s ok for us to say when we are not ok. When we are feeling afraid, or anxious, or alone we are invited to cry out and trust that there is a loving presence that hears us and understands. We are invited to believe that we are not alone and that we are not forsaken. We are invited to be listening ears and loving presences for one another. We are invited to edify and encourage one another. We are invited to be there for each other. Nevertheless, this texts encourages us to allow others to be that for ourselves. While many of us properly seek to serve, we also need learn to allow ourselves to be served and to ask for help when we need it. Don’t suffer in silence.I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

Shine Bright! Become Your Best Self. “ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” - Psalm 139:14Do not let anyone use your past against you, or use your present circumstances to deny your future possibilities. A gold coin covered in mud is no less valuable than a shiny one. So it is with us. Each of us is the handmade creation of God. And God only does great work. It is far past time for us to stop denigrating ourselves and each other. Most of us have to acknowledge that we have done and are doing some thoughtless things, foolish things, selfish things, reckless things, and even some evil things. These acknowledgments are not the end of our stories but the beginning of a new one. Righteous people may fall many times, but they keep getting up. Let us be righteous people who are determined to learn and grow into the best version of ourselves, who are determined to let the light of our inner being shine bright. I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you. #60secondsofhope Support the Show.

“Be still, and know that I am God;” - from Psalm 46Generally speaking, I emphasize how important it is for us to get up and get after it in life. That we are called to be active participants in facilitating what Jesus described as the Kingdom of God- a world where kindness and compassion reign supreme, human dignity is honored, and the least of these are cared for. What I sometimes under emphasize is how important it is for us to rest, to pause, to center ourselves or perhaps more accurately to allow ourselves to be centered. Notice how many times in between the Gospel stories we repeat, Jesus took time for himself, by himself. While we do experience God in loving relationships and in healthy community, we also  experience God when we wait, watch, listen, and feel. As Elijah discovered, we hear God in the gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:11-13) We have to quiet ourselves to hear it. I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhopeSupport the Show.

Our lives have meaning and purpose. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11These words were written during extremely difficult times for audience Jeremiah was writing to. They were hard pressed by the great nations of the world and were on their way to being conquered and many carried away into captivity. Three things to know about this passage: the word plan can also be translated purpose. The word for prosper here is shalom which is an all encompassing form of well being. The word “you” is plural not singular. (Skip Moen 2009 word study).Taken together, it means that all of our lives have meaning and purpose. We are all part of something greater. The goal of the human endeavor is to create a world in which everyone can experience wellbeing and peace. This is God’s purpose for us. May we all commit ourselves to living into this purpose. I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you. #60secondsofhope Support the Show.

God’s Love Is Ultimate “Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;” - from Psalm 30I speak and write almost exclusively on God’s love for humanity and the hope, health, and wellbeing we as individuals and communities experience as we strive to live into that love. My view of God’s love is frequently criticized by those who want to point to God’s wrath and by some who want to point to God’s justice. Here are my answers. The scriptures say God’s very essence is love and that God’s love far surpasses any wrath we may imagine God has. As far as justice goes, God’s justice is restorative not punitive. Like the father in the story of the prodigal son, God is eager to welcome us home and to restore what our terrible choices have stolen from us and each other. God’s love is ultimate. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

Coming Back from the Pit“O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.” From Psalm 30When we are going through our most difficult times, we must never give up. On our most difficult days, we must remember that the way things are - are not the way they will always be. There are no situations where God is not. Therefore there are no situations beyond redemption. No life is too far gone. The word Sheol is sometimes translated as hell. There is no hell that is greater than God’s love. Let us draw inspiration from the writer’s testimony. Authorship of this text is attributed to David. He had been through some awful things. He had done some awful things. There were times in his life he suffered greatly. He had also caused great suffering. Nevertheless, his life was redeemed from the pit in every way. Our lives shall be as well. I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” - Psalm 46:1-3This is a verse many of the old timers I was around growing up use to frequently quote. Looking back, they were probably around the age I am now, but that’s another reflection. They were a generation that knew struggle and had experienced adversity. Their grandparents had been born enslaved. They’d know segregation and Jim Crow, redlining and the back of the bus. They’d lived through economic depression and world war. They’d see their leaders killed, children lynched, and courts that denied them justice. They never gave up. The faith they placed in God gave them the boldness to confront their oppressors, the strength to endure the hardships, and the grace to forgive those who had done them wrong. The Lord was truly their refuge and strength. Let their faith be our faith as well. I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

“Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.” - Booker T. Washington I’m not sure that I need 60 Seconds for this one today. My prayer for us is that God gives us the energy and enthusiasm, the confidence and determination to put in the hard work that is required to build the future we want for ourselves and for those who come long after we are gone.In your name we pray. Amen. I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you. #60secondsofhopeSupport the Show.

Let our past be the past “The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out." - Isaiah 6:7 Isaiah, one of the greatest prophets in human history, didn’t start off that way. His greatness was born in humility. The text describes his vision of the wonder and majesty of God. Then he looked at himself and his life and saw how horribly short he fell of that standard. He then took a step back and saw how larger society fell horribly short of that standard. What sets Isaiah apart is not simply the recognition of his own brokenness and complicity in the injustice endemic in the world, but his willingness to go through the process of being cleansed and transformed. It was as if live coals were put to his lips. Confronting and overcoming our shortcomings can be intimidating and even painful. The only thing worse is remaining the same.Once we go through the process we must let go of all the guilt and shame. They no longer serve us. If we can make amends we should. Mostly we have to let the past be the past and move forward into future as our transformed selves.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

With Hope As Our Anchor“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” - Hebrews 6:19It’s important for us to not get caught up in the limitations of the current moment. We have to keep our eyes looking to the horizon. We see the possibilities that are not but one day may yet be, that one day must be. Then we put one foot in front of another and begin moving towards that horizon. We may pause at times to rest but we never stop. Forward ever forward we press our way onwards- pushing past the false limits others set for us, pushing past the false limits we set for ourselves. The winds may blow. The waves may crash. Yet when we allow hope to be our anchor we will not drift from our paths. We shall not be moved from our course. We see the possibilities ahead and welcome them from afar knowing that even if we ourselves do not get there we as humanity one day will.I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you. #60secondsofhope Support the Show.

Finding Our Rest“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” -Psalm 62:1-2 Finding our rest, finding our peace comes from our willingness to trust that we are a part of something far bigger than ourselves. The cosmos lives and moves and has its being in God. (Acts 17) And we are a part of that. We don’t have to have all the answers. We don’t even need to know all the questions. We don’t have to fight every battle or solve every problem. Like the little boy in the Gospel of John who gave his bread and fish to Jesus to feed the multitude, we simply must willingly  and fully offer the little bit we have to give and trust that God will make it enough. (John 6)I don’t know when the lion will lay down with the lamb, or when the weapons of war will be converted to the instruments of production, or when Justice will roll down like waters or righteousness like a mighty stream. I don’t know, and I don’t have to know. In this hope I place my trust. In this trust I find my rest, because my trust is in the one who promised. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Life can be a struggle. Some days are just plain hard. Meditation and prayer are powerful tools to help us through the difficult times. Yet like any other tool, it’s best for us to become proficient with it before we most need it. It’s important for us to pray and meditate in the good days and the bad days and on the in between days. It is important that we acknowledge our challenges, acknowledge our problems, name them and describe them. Yet the challenge for us is not to become problem oriented but solution oriented. So we always want to take inventory of the good things that are around us and that we experience. Take joy and rejoice in and through the  pain- not because of the pain, but in the pain. The more things we are grateful for the more things we will find to be grateful about. Practicing defiant gratitude will empower us and inspire us first to endure and then to overcome whatever obstacles we face.I’m Horace McMillon. This is ‘60 Seconds of Hope’. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

Believe we can be part of changing the world. “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” - Steve JobsOne of my favorite scriptures continues to be, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (1 Timothy 1:7)I believe we are called to live life boldly, bravely, and beautifully. Even while we acknowledge the shortcomings and deficits of our present moment we are invited to envision a better world. Then starting where we are, we are called to begin working towards that vision. Abraham was an old man who had the courage to dream new dream. Rahab was a prostitute who had the courage to change paths and went on to be one of the remembered ancestors of Jesus. Amos was a nobody from nowhere with powerful message that still resounds. All through history, the people who have the courage to pursue a new vision are the ones who bring it to pass. Let us seek to be among those.I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you. #60secondsofhope Support the Show.

“And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." - Isaiah 6:3We get so caught up in the day to day, we get so weighed down by our cares and concerns, our duties and obligations that we often fail to appreciate the beauty and majesty of the world around us. All around the world humans have built temples and cathedrals, churches and other places of worship that are massive, beautiful, and awe inspiring. I don’t believe we build those for God. The universe is God’s temple. We build them for ourselves to help us heighten our awareness of the presence of God. The key to the prophet’s transformation in Isaiah was his appreciation of the beauty and splendor of God in the world around him. Then he contrasted that to himself first and then the society around him. He was inspired to be a better person and to work for a better world. Our transformation begins with appreciation. I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

Want to love your work? Love your why. “Not everyone has the job of their dreams. But everyone can have their dream job.” - Horace McMillonOne of my extended family uncles worked two 40 hour a week jobs. At the time I visited him he had been working one job for 35 years and the other for 25 years. If a recall correctly he was planning to retire from one of those in the near future. I looked at him in amazement. What he had done, what he was doing was astonishing to me. He then looked at me and explained that he couldn’t provide for his family the way he wanted to with one job. So he worked two. This is when I first began to understand the power of why. When a person’s why is big enough and important enough to them, the how becomes possible. His jobs were dream jobs because he loved his family. Therefore, he loved the work that allowed him to provide the life he dreamed of for them. I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you. #60secondsofhope Support the Show.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” -2 Corinthians 4:18The Gospel of Matthew tells one of my favorite miracle stories (14th chapter). Jesus sent the disciples ahead of him in a boat while he took some time to pray. The waves got strong and the disciples got really alarmed when they saw someone walking towards them. Jesus told them not to worry, it’s me. Peter said if it’s really you tell me to come and meet you. Jesus did. Peter gets out of the boat and initially walks on the water. “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”There will always be wind. There will always be waves. There will always be something to distract us from our mission and goals. The key for us to always keep our eyes on our goals not the waves.I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” - Romans 5:5 Other faith traditions describe this same experience with different words. When we allow the presence of what we Christians describe as the Holy Spirit to flow in and through us we are sustained and enlivened with a hope that defies our external circumstances. Even if we have been beaten down and crushed by external circumstances, even if we find ourselves in hell, hell doesn’t have the final word. Not even the grave can stop the force of our hope. The writer of these words had been beaten, arrested, jailed and imprisoned. He would go on to be executed. The fact that he did not write these words from a place of comfort or ease gives testimony to their power. The power of the Holy Spirit is the power of love itself and that power flows in and through us. It gives us hope from the inside out.I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you. #60secondsofhope Support the Show.

“Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations”. - Steve JobsWhen it comes to growing and developing ourselves, there are two significant pitfalls we need to avoid. First we can’t be afraid to make mistakes. The only folks who have never failed at something, probably haven’t done very much. The second pitfall for us to avoid is just as critical. We can’t get so invested in our thoughts, and ideas, and beliefs, and plans that we refuse to admit when we are wrong. Don’t double down on a mistake. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9The Biblical writer in this case was referring to issues of ethics and morality. However, the principle applies to every area of our lives. We can’t begin to get it right until we admit we are getting it wrong. I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

We shall not be afraid. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” - Psalm 46:1-3Even if everything around us is falling apart, we shall not be afraid. This ancient song writer invited us to live in trust, to live in faith. Trust that we are loved. Trust that we are never abandoned or forgotten. Trust that that the problems of the moment are in fact momentary. The book of Hebrews declares that the just shall live by faith (10:38). We can only be what we have be called to be when we trust our lives to living in the way of love regardless of our circumstances. Fear limits us. Fear keeps us from being the best versions of ourselves. Fear makes us angry, bitter, suspicious, and stingy. Trusting that God is our refuge and is an ever present help lets us be just the opposite.I’m Horace McMillon. This is 60 Seconds of Hope. Peace be with you.#60secondsofhope Support the Show.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” - Proverbs 17:22We deal with many serious and weighty things. Nevertheless, we must never allow those things to rob us of our joy. We can and should take satisfaction in and from our work and the fruits of our labor. As the writer of Ecclesiastes says, “I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life that God has given them, for this is their reward. (5:18)Let us be intentional in being grateful for everything we have: our friends, family, our food, clothing, and shelter, our health and strength, the opportunity to live and breathe and see and do. Be grateful for our work be that work be done at home or in the marketplace. Yes, there will be hard days and even hard seasons. But we can’t allow those to crush our spirits. We must actively look for ways to embrace life particularly when things are hard. Let us be determined to go through life with cheerful hearts. #60secondsofhope Support the Show.