Do We? A Psalm

January 12, 2013
Psalm 98, 99, 100, 104
Isaiah 66:1-2, 22-23; 61:1-9
Revelation 3:14-22
Galatians 3:23-29; 4:4-7
John 9:1-12, 35-38

God created order from chaos. God maintains that peace. There are, however, those who would choose chaos. Those who seek to disrupt the perfection of God’s creative work.

Do we disrupt the goodness of God’s creative work by trying to limit the meaning of "church" as the place where we gather to worship? Do we get too proud of the buildings we fabricate and maintain? God is less concerned with where we worship, than that we be respectful and contrite in spirit. That we seek to create order from chaos. That we become a part of the perfection of God's creative work.

Do we blind ourselves by not attending to all the nudges given to us by the Holy Spirit to see those who need encouragement and steadfast love? Do we live spiritually blinded by our confusion with other races, classes, and genders? That blindness is blindness to the presence of God’s Son.

Do we forget Christ is the essence of the law and has already satisfied the law’s demands? Do we get so legalistic that we forget Christ’s commandment to love one another? Do we get so caught up in our own lives, our own pain that our faith becomes lukewarm? Do we get not only blind, but deaf?  Jesus is knocking at the door. He cannot enter unless we hear his voice, open the door and see.

Set a feast, a spread of time, love, steadfastness. O sing to the Lord a new song. Praise God, for He is righteous. Praise the Son, for he has taken away the sin of the world. Praise the Holy Spirit, for our God-breathed life and the God-breathed Word.  Praise the three-in-one, the triune God, for power and mystery, for order and peace, for steadfast love and holiness, for righteousness and forgiveness, for the ability to see and hear.

Amen, and Amen.

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As I Live and Breathe

Daily Scripture Readings Epiphany (January 6) and Ordinary Time until Lent, (March 8, 2013)

January 10, 2013

Psalms 138, 139, 147

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Old (Hebrew) Testament Isaiah 65:1-9

Epistle Revelation 3:1-6

Gospel John 6:1-14

As I Live and Breathe

So often the scriptures that are God-breathed, remind us every breath that leaves our body should be an expression of praise, gratitude and confession.

At Wanda’s voice lesson yesterday, we started the process of review of what we’ve learned, and of looking forward to what is next. As I looked back through her folder, I noticed, as I have with every voice student over the years, just how much time and energy in our lessons and in her practice assignments is devoted to learning to breathe.

And, as the time goes by, we spiral deeper and deeper into how to use the breath to produce a better sound, a better blend, a better ability to make the voice do what we want it to. But, always before we can apply the breath, we must learn to breathe in deeper using muscles that must be exercised to be used on demand.

One of John Wesley’s core terms was “Spiritual Respiration.” Our need for God can be compared to our need for air. Our connection to God should be as intimate and constant as our need to breathe.

“When God fills our lives the way our air fills our lungs, we are refreshed, alert and energized for God’s work. If we stop breathing God, we will lose the connection essential to our daily lives.”

Each of my children, when they left the birth canal, had to breathe in before they could make their first lusty cry.

Our relationship with God is not automatic the way their physical breathing became. We have to concentrate on it through prayer, Bible study and other practices to cultivate our spiritual lives.

We must practice breathing deeper and deeper so our songs of worship and praise are filled with substance, well blended, and lusty! To be God’s voice in our world.

“Wake up, and strengthen what remains…” Jesus says to the church at Sardis.  Jesus distributes the five barley loaves and two fish to the 5000. He gives himself in extravagant abundance.

Lord, help me take it deep, deep within, so I can give it back. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.

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These readings are adapted from The Book of Common Prayer, Daily Readings for Year One.   http://www.crivoice.org/epiphany1.html

My personal study bible for this Liturgical Year is The Wesley Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Abingdon Press, 2009