Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Devotions Week of Sept. 18

Sunday Sept. 18-Ps. 105:40 “God satisfied with the bread of heaven.” This psalms rehearses some of the history of Israel, and toward its end, recalls the wonderful acts of provision in the wilderness. I love that the people get fed as they require, but not too much and not too litt le. Maybe I could start a manna diet that could help me from eating too much.

Monday-This may be talk like a pirate day.I mention it only as it is good silly fun. The pirate image is captivating due to its seeming freedom from rules and restraints.due to Errol Flynn and Johnny Depp, it certainly has a romance about it. What is it about us that takes such liking to scoundrels
Why are they often more attractive than the good? Why do the good seem so dull?

Tuesday-It seems a lot of us prize the music of our youth, maybe especially when we can link a song to a first love, or first heartbreak, for that matter. Music definitely is connected to memory from the alphabet song to putting us in a certain place and mood from years ago. NPR played popular songs of ten years ago to help set the mood for its coverage of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. wha tosngs capture a mood or moment for you? How about hymns?

Wednesday-I write this with an impending surgery, so maybe that’s why the relating salvation to healing feels close today.The word to save, in Greek, is the same as a word to heal. so when Jesus says to people they are saved, he may well be also saying they are healed. I am drawn to this understanding so it seems that what sin does to us is more disease than volition. We say Jesus is the Great Physician, and we do well to include not only the body, but to see Jesus as the Therapist (that word means to make well in Greek) of the emotions, thoughts, and spirit as well.

Thursday “James Wolfe writes:”I wonder if i dare/confront the whole of me?” Jackson Browne ends a song with:”don;t confront me with my failures/I have not forgotten them.” It takes real courage to be able to face ourselves with some persistence and see what we spend so much energy trying to hide or avoid. How much good does it do to confront others with their failures? are we afraid that people will forget them, even if we don;t in our desperate attempts to feel a sif we are one rung up on the ladder?

Friday-Repression is often wasted mental and emotional energy. Often, “he truth shall set us free.” We spend a lot of energy trying to tamp things deep down or even deny their existence. It seems, as in AA, the far healthier approach is to merely admit a thought or feeling, and that in itself seems to rob it of much of its power. One we admit it, then it seems the road opens up into new options for change, healthy, productive, lasting, change.

Saturday-Apologies don;t carry the power they once did. I just had a friend apologize to me, even though it was not needed, but then I realized that it had been a long time since any one had apologized to me. Media figures apologize, and then we rake them over the coals. We do all sorts of uncivil and unkind things and don;t even say a word or do anything to try to make recompense, to try to heal the breach in a relationship.

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