Sunday, February 8

St. Francis of Assisi in his "Canticle of the Creatures" said:
Be Praised, O Lord, with all thy creatures, especially my Lord, Brother Sun, who gives the day, and by whom Thou showest light...
Be Praised, O Lord, for Sister Water, which is so useful, humble, precious, and chaste...
Be Praised, O Lord, for our Sister Earth, which supports and nourished us and provides diverse fruits with brilliant flowers and grass...

Sun, Water, Earth -- these three metaphors, in Moltmann's Spirit of Life, are mystical metaphors that explain the connection between divine and human (p. 261), "The simplest prototype for this meaningful interplay is the plant which builds up its life and becomes fruitful from the light of the sun and the water of the earth, through its leaves and roots."

Let us recall and remember this next time we walk through sun dappled, golden carpeted, pine forests, or next spring as we await the new verdant shoots of new plants; or the next time we water our indoor plants--the magnificent bounty from God as manifested by the Holy Spirit. Light, water, and nourishment.

Creator of the universe and all that is within thank you for the Trinities of light, water, nourishment, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Monday, February 9

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy--
and I will give thanks to him in song. Psalm 28:7

Out pets look to us for food for nourishment, for protection to keep them safe, and for veterinarian care to guard their health. They give us love, loyalty, and companionship. Our cat, Abbey, finds contentment in resting on our laps while doing her version of singing to the Lord -- purring loudly.

Like our pets depend on us, we rely on God for nourishment, protection, and health, those same basics of life we provide our pets. And God is always ready to give us love, loyalty, and companionship. That truly makes our hearts leap for joy in a triumph song of life.

Our Provider, Protector, and Sustainer, may we rest in the lap of your care and find contentment there. Amen

Tuesday, February 10

Remember the sabbath by keeping it holy.  Exodus 20:8

Bears are amazing creatures.  When winter comes, food is scarce, snow restricts mobility, and the cold necessitates more energy to keep warm.  Bears den and hibernate, retreating  to a low cave, hollow tree, or the shelter of a dense brush pile.  Their body temperature drops, their metabolism slows down, their heart rate drops, and their oxygen consumption falls to 50%. 
 
When our resources run low, when we are blue, when we experience demands that exceed our capacity to serve, we can "den" through prayer, meditation, journaling, and/or worshipping in community.  We can slow the hectic metabolism of life by taking a day of rest.

Thank you, Lord of the sabboth, for giving us a day of rest so that our life may be restored. Amen.

Wednesday, February 11

Be still and know that I am God!  Psalm 46:10

New-fallen snow, its crystals reflecting light into bright sparkles, each feathery flake unique, the intense cold taking our breath away. 
 
Such is the beauty of winter that makes us pause, take it in, and let out a sigh of wonder.  An inner peace swells within us.  We are small.  We are still. We behold the wonder of winter and know God is so great!  We are at peace.

Quiet us, O Prince of Peace, that we may know that You are God. Amen.

Thursday, February 12

Give ear to my words, O Lord,
give heed to my groaning.
Hear the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to thee do I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice...
Psalm 5:1-3a

Crippled, arthritic hands hurt at each movement.  Worry about a grandson's possible drug use wrinkles a grandmother's brow, a husband dies and intolerable loneliness becomes a constant companion.  A retirement account drops by 20%, then 30%, then 50%.  A pink slip comes, the plant will be shut down for another month.  How do we cope with the troubles of life?
 
Each morning, we turn to God, who already knows what troubles us.  In the telling and in God's listening, we find our companion, supporter, and best friend for whatever the day holds.  It is the only way we can face life at any time, but especially in the morning when we feel the weight of our burdens.  We have an opportunity to begin the day with God and for God to begin His work in us.

Thank you, God, for being our companion and friend this day.  Amen.

Friday, February 13

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Reflecting on the spiritual growth in my life brought back memories of my 2004 Lenten goal: to be less self-centered.  Self centeredness is one of my flaws.  Can you name yours?
 
"When we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, forgives our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.” As I confess my self-centeredness, God's cleansing power comes in the form of thoughts:  Tape the Golden Rule on the bathroom mirror!   When I put on my glasses, let them be a reminder to really see people, their facial expression, the color of their eyes, their posture, their gestures, their hands.  Pray to listen, rather than speak, when someone approaches me.  These are not the thoughts of a self-centered person; they are evidence of God's transforming power.

Amazing God, thank you for accepting us as we are and for your transforming power in our lives. Amen.

Saturday, February 14

Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.  John13:8b

When Peter objected to Jesus's washing his feet as too menial a task, Jesus' answer was clear and direct, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing." (The Message, by Eugene Peterson)  If we do not know what our sins (faults) are and continue each day as we always have, then we are no different with Jesus than without Him.  When we routinely talk to Jesus about our flaws, we are confessing our sins.
 
Christ compassionately responds, scrubbing our character defects, cleansing us from our unrightness, transforming our faults, flaws, and sins, and making us holy. We become free to be like Him,  "...a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none...and a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all." (Martin Luther, The Freedom of a Christian, 1520).

Dearest Jesus, thank you for cleansing us and making us holy.  Amen.