I have played the entire album more than once. Just loving it. If you like quiet worship this is for you! There are 30 cuts.
Psalm 19 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
And then I discovered there are other versions. Proverb in Blues, Matthew in Blues, Ecclesiastes in Blues so much new music to discover!! September will be a nice month for that!
Bob pointed out this meditation to me. I missed reading it on the day it actually posted, the feast day of Bernard of Clairvaux, August 20. Bernard was a Cistercian monk.
Bernard of Clairvaux died 1153
Writing about the importance of meditation, Bernard said that ‘our meditations on the Word who is the Bridegroom, on his glory, his elegance, power and majesty, become in a sense his way of speaking to us. And not only that, but when with eager minds we examine his rulings, the decrees from his own mouth; when we meditate on his law day and night, let us be assured that the Bridegroom is present, and that he speaks his message of happiness to us lest our trials should prove more than we can bear.’**
Sometimes, I approach the Bible in a utilitarian manner. I want to skim through it quickly to find something helpful which I can use, but Bernard reminds me that the Bible is primarily given for meditation and conversation with God, rather than information about him. In Lectio Divina , I read slowly, prayerfully, and with imagination as a conversation-starter with the Lord who has a ‘message of happiness’ for me today..
Do I study the Bible or pray the Bible? Do I read the scriptures, or am I read by the scriptures? Do I attempt to master them, or do I allow them to master me? How expectant am I as I open God’s word today?
*** Bernard of Clairvaux, Intimacy in Prayer: Wisdom from Bernard of Clairvaux (Pauline Books and Media: Kindle Edition).
Bob focused on the question “Do I study the Bible or pray the Bible?” How about you?
Is your Bible time for ‘finding something helpful you can use,’ or allowing conversation with God? Do you even read the scriptures or just occupy your meditation time with devotionals from other people.
When you read the Bible do you turn what you read into prayer? “Do I study the Bible or pray the Bible?” That is a leap from just doing a daily reading or covering a certain number of pages or chapters. Study , prayer, conversation and of course, yielding to the Word of God.
I do all and none of the above. I desire for every time of reading to be prayer time and conversation with God. I do not always succeed. Perhaps we can change our time for devotions into one or more of the actions Bernard calls us to try.
Approaching a stop light have you ever struggled to come to a full stop before the light changes? Maybe going a bit too fast or not paying attention to the signals? More and more people around here seem to think the light signals do not apply to them. They make no attempt to slow down or stop. The other day one vehicle nearly collided with me and other cars when it went blazing through an intersection. Several of us laid on our horns to voice our displeasure. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
The full stop I am most thinking of is the difficulty I have at times to turn off the flood of thoughts and just stop. Have you struggled with that? At our house we sometimes call it mind racing. Yesterday afternoon it felt like the torrential floods after the monster rain storms that have been occurring. We mostly see videos on the news. Yep, that was my brain.
Even my meditation and devotions were a struggle this morning. Turn it all loose, Molly. Open your hands. If I clutch topics and people in my hands, I know I am not free to receive what the Lord wants to place in my hands next!
So far the month of August has been very, very tiring. I know that is a large part of the problem. How I could think that my concern about a situation could ever change or effect it? Well, in clear, more sane moments I realize that is just nonsense. The Gospels tell me point blank Do Not Be Anxious.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.Matthew 6:25-34 ESV
Anxiety mentioned five times in just a few verses. Brother Lawrence taught me that useless thoughts spoil everything. Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells me I am to take every thought captive to Jesus. I read that as I am to turn every thought over to Jesus. I am not to try to wrestle that thought, tie it up and deliver it to Jesus. Just give it to him, the One whose thoughts are not my thoughts, Whose ways are not my ways. (Isaiah 55:9 NIV)
And even this moment my concentration is shattered, splintered. Like the dog on “Up” I holler, “Squirrel!”
So I closed the blind over my office window next to my computer. I have experiential knowledge that the Lord God Almighty will meet me in the stillness. I choose even now to be still. One moment at a time.
There was another praise chorus that came to me years ago. It says, “Spirit of God within me, rise up. Spirit of God within me rise up. Take ascendancy over my body. Take ascendancy over my mind.”
Steve Green sang a song that asked, “You want to. Now Will you?”
I had to struggle to remember Isaiah 30:15 in the night. “In returning and rest I am saved, in quietness and TRUST shall be my strength.” And the zinger at the end, “But you would not.” Lord, I do not want to be one of those who would not.
All of that is still true this bright, sunny, hot and humid morning. It was true in the night. It will be true tonight and tomorrow. I need to cling to the source of my life and rest. Just rest in the truth that is my Lord. Even so, Lord, come.
I have decided that if there is a struggle today, I will require every thought to stop and state their business. If the business is not of God, I will require a toll of singing praise to the Lord God Almighty. If there is refusal to sing those praises, then the offender can simply turn out in the lane provided for dismissal. Nope, not welcome to come at this campground. Time for some rest.
During the summer one of our Sunday church services is held outdoors as long as there is no rain or lightning. (Recently we wondered if it should be held indoors because of the awful heat and humidity, but we made it!) This past Sunday the weather was perfect and the worship was delightful.
Here is part of the prayer before communion:
“It is truly right, and good and joyful to give you thanks, all holy God, source of life and fountain of mercy. You have filled us and all creation with your blessing and fed us with your constant love; you have redeemed us in Jesus Christ and knit us into one body. Through your Spirit you replenish us and call us to fullness of life.”
That just about knocked my socks off. Perhaps part of the impact is I have been studying Michael Card’s book InexpressibleHesed and the Mystery of God’s Lovingkindness. Being reminded of the Holy One having constant love at that point in the worship certainly got my attention.
One of the first pages in his book after the dedication lists the many ways hesed is translated. Here are a few. LOVE, LOVINGKINDNESS, MERCIFUL LOVE LOYAL LOVE, SURE LOVE, RELENTLESS LOVE, ENDURING LOVE, EXTRAVAGANT LOVE, AFFECTIONATE SATISFACTION, LOVE IN ACTION, DEPENDABLE LOVE, STEADY LOVE, TRUE LOVE, FUNDAMENTAL LOVE, MIRACLE LOVE, GENEROUS LOVE, DEEP LOVE, WONDERFUL LOVE, GREAT LOVE, INCREDIBLE LOVE, MARVELOUS LOVE, GRACIOUS LOVE, LOYAL IN LOVE, STEADFAST LOVE, EXPRESSION OF LOVE. This is less than a third of the list!
Card explains that hesed is a word that draws adjectives to itself. There is no easy, one way to translate it into English. In his Preface he calls it “the untranslatable defining the inexpressible.”
I am certain to have more to write about hesed as I continue to study it and read about it. May you experience the hesed of God in your life this very day!
I would not knowingly use what someone else wrote and claim it as my own. My notes below from June 9 may be my writing or that of someone else. Where it says From Lectio I am quoting Lectio 365 Daily Devotional.
25-6-9
From Lectio of same date. “Holy Spirit, reshape the pattern of my life. I offer you my story again today: all that is old, all that is new, all that is broken, all that is whole. Give me a glad and generous heart to receive your word.”
Many decades ago the Father asked me if I am willing to teach even if it is one woman by the well. Yes, Lord all these years later I am still willing even if it only touches one woman or one man.
I have started work on a second book. The title of this one will have to do with relationship with God. I am trying to put my experiences in words. So hard to SAY what can seem so UNSAYBLE!
Relationship is not going through the motions of religion. True relationship is more like a river flowing through the desert of life. A river that offers refreshing water, gently sloping banks to rest upon.
True relationship offers new vistas towards the mundane things of life, giving us new impetus for growth and flourishing. This is a differing sort of thing than religion offers. Seek and you will find (Matthew 7:7b). Seek the Presence of the Holy and your eyes will be opened, your heart softened, your ears enabled to hear the voice behind you saying, “Turn to the left or turn to the right.” (Isaiah 30:21) Relationship offers you mother love and father care. Going beyond that to indwelling assurance of an accompanied life. Never alone, always companioned.
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent John 17:3 NIV
If you are taking a Sabbath rest I pray these ideas give you something to ponder and use as you wait upon the Lord.
Sometimes I have to just return to home. The home plate with my Father.
I am easily distracted and must withdraw from the many distractions if I am to maintain equilibrium. The Audience of One, the Holy One who loves me, that is where I find rest and restoration.
Daily I need this. When things are too busy I need this more than once a day. Do you have a similar practice? When you get tired of all the outgo, how do you open the faucet for inflow?
This can be especially difficult when my physical being flares up in pain or distress. Why is it so very difficult to ignore the flesh and flow in things of the Spirit? That will be one of my most pressing questions in heaven!
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord,one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV
I have been cooking every time I step outdoors. Twenty minutes of working in the garden and I am soaked as if God decided to baste me!
Did I show you the rose? Last year the deer kept eating the new shrub almost to the ground. I was not even certain it would survive the winter after that abuse. Yet here it was blooming large and glorious! And oh, the fragrance of an old fashioned tea rose.
“I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses”
This photo was from June 17 and it is a good thing I took a photo, because the next morning it was gone. Deer bit it off. Unbelievable!! None of the subsequent flowers were as large or as fragrant as that first one. So Bob had the idea we protect the shrub with berry netting. I put up the netting and refreshed the bars of Irish Spring soap. They were deterred! Next I noticed Japanese Beetles eating the flowers. I sprayed like crazy and removed any bugs I saw.
A week or 2 later, I noticed there was hole torn in the netting, perhaps by deer teeth?!? Bob and I spent just about 20 minutes the other evening replacing the berry netting around the rose bush.
You can see where the Japanese beetles have eaten leaves. I cut the remaining flowers and brought them indoors. By the time I came in the house every stitch of clothing was soaked. I am not exaggerating!
The same day, earlier in the day, I began cooking. We had visited the Country Market. I went to work making green beans and ham with potatoes. That required more than one boiling pot! My neighbor had commented, “Them’s some good beans!” so of course, I felt compelled to make him some more. Plus the price was down to .99 pound for fresh green beans!
I went on to cook the spaghetti squash. I am a diabetic married to a man who loves spaghetti. Well the sauce isn’t too bad but the carbs in spaghetti are not good for me. Spaghetti squash gives me a nice alternative!
half an empty squash shellspaghetti sauce shreds – enough here for 3 servings
I usually freeze the squash into servings for myself. Having just made fresh pesto sauce I am certain we will be feasting on this soon!
Yes, I have been cooking in more ways than one! Hope you are finding ways to remain cool or at least cool off when you have been basted out of doors!
The opening photo was by Dan Cooksey taken at The Notch in Colorado 2020.
This prayer below is taken from the Communion prayers at our church last Sunday. There are times when I am struck by the prayers and feel I must share them. I hope you are blessed by the sharing.
Holy One, we gather this day as one people, members of the same body, grateful for your many gifts and carrying the hope within us for a world filled with love. This vision was given by you, from the very beginning of your creation. You made the earth and all that lives on it. You inspired prophets and shepherds, widows and slaves, to seek liberation from all that oppresses. You led your people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt into the Land of Promise. Your redeeming work continued when, through the Virgin Mary, you became incarnate in Jesus Christ, so that through him we might experience the depth and width of your unquenchable love.
While Jesus lived among us he stood up for women and children, he touched the untouchable, healed the sick, and welcomed those who had given up hope of being included. Through him we see a path not only to our own freedom, but a path to the liberation of the whole world. He taught us that it will not be in the brutality of violence that our world will be saved. Rather, it will be in showing kindness to our neighbor, in standing up against injustice, in returning hate with love, in transforming one heart at a time. It will be in the simple but holy tasks of dining together, sharing bread and wine, truly seeing one another as beloved by you.
Those two paragraphs are a lot to be taken in! I could not comprehend it all in one reading. I could not absorb it by typing it out and then finding my typos. I may spend my remaining days trying to live into this prayer!
Too often we think we know exactly what God is saying to us and has said through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The indwelling Holy Spirit continues to show me there is more to learn. So much more.
How about you? Have you followed Christ for decades? Are you continuing to discover more about the Kingdom? Are you looking for direct and new insights. Have you shut the door on that idea? Brandon and William Benjamin sing “all that’s good is yours.” I so agree! Hope you will listen and follow the lyrics. There is more.
Our creative God put things into orbit and I am firmly convinced the Almighty continues to open our eyes to perceive and understand more and more and more.
The birth I told you about recently reminded me of my daughter’s birth. Fifty years ago today she came into the world. It is hard to grasp that number. I was in labor for 32 hours. Finally the doctor decided to do an emergency C-section. When I awoke they held her up for me to see. She was sticking out her tongue! (Of course, they had just popped a pacifier out of her mouth.)
She is a delight now, just as she was as a newborn!
Celebrating her daughter’s birthday this month, too!
When this woman turns on the joy there is no mistaking how she is feeling! She loves dogs.
For Mother’s Day her daughter took her to Puppy Yoga!
She is her Dad’s clone. They are so much alike I often wonder if I had anything to do with her birth! Emily is a joy and a blessing to us.
Happy Birthday, my dear!
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:3 ESV
This morning pieces of this hymn were rolling about in my brain. I could not catch the title. I finally sat down to breakfast with a hymnal and began paging through it, trying to find the song. I suppose the Lord felt badly for me as eventually a phrase popped up. I put it into Duck Duck Go and the title came up. The hymnal I was looking in did not even have this song!! Grace and mercy, loving kindness extended to this old woman.
The lyrics here are slightly different than the hymnal I have. Text by Walter Chalmers Smith and traditional Welsh Hymn melody.
To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17 RSVUE
The opening photo reminds me of “Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above, Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.”
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 