Sept 4 devotions

Sunday Ps. 149 is an exuberant hymn of praise that continues to close the psalter with praise., especially in the first stanza. There we see music and dancing together in the worship. I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of liturgical dance in church, but it inarguably a most powerful human response in religious life. I want to emphasize v. 4. God takes delight in us. I love that notion of god taking pleasure in us, who we are, what we do, what we say, in our very existence.

Monday Providence John Calvin had a deep view of God’s providence. Not for him was a distant god who let nature take its course, but an active God who worked through creation all of the time. Calvin realized that so many things hit us that seem random or fortuitous, but he saw that as the failure of our sight and imagination, or he placed it as a secret plan of God whose rationale could be revealed at some later date. For him God’s care is personal and individual, not impersonal or generic. God touches each life personally, with great care.

Tuesday-Some days seem to drag, and some days seem overloaded.Sometimes it is merely a perceptual issue, and we haven;t taken the time to [lace the burdens into some sort of priority list. Sometimes it can be a signal that too many things are hitting us that we do not feel as if we have any control or say in them. sometimes, we are already stressed, and one more thing on the to do list feels like the straw that broke the camel’s back. pray out your burdens; share them.

Wednesday- The bishop of London spoke well at the royal wedding. “”the more we go beyond ourselves and in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed.” It was good that in the extravaganza of wedding details, the religious nature of the service came shining through his words. Marriage does not fuse 2 selves into one clump. It honors a relationship where the two selves remain distinct but the relationship grows with them. When we light a unity candle, we keep the flames of the other two candles burning brightly.

Thursday feeling nervous before a big event. it is a sign that we care. I've heard actors and preacher both say that when they don;t feel nervous before an engagement, that is a sign that it is time to quit. Of course, the nerves can leave us stammering, uncertain, and definitely not at our best. Scripture repeatedly says fear not, but sometimes words seem inadequate.Sometimes our imagination can help us there and if we rehearse an upcoming scene we feel as if we have some rational mastery over it. remember God and the communion of saints are with you.

Friday In his nomination speech Jimmy Carter quoted Bob Dylan-about “one not busy being born is busy dying.” Being born to me would me being open to life and its possibilities and surprises and busy dying would strike me as being in a rut, closed off from possibilities and others, even the best parts of oneself. Baptism is the Christian rite for us busy being born in grace daily.

Saturday-Frustration affects us when we are already stressed and especially when we are looking for a result. We may be hoping or worse, expecting, that the result will appear quickly, easily, efficiently, and effectively.The urge to blame someone or something rises up in us like a geyser. Sometimes, we lose a good sense of time. Most things do not need to be done right now. We push ourselves into crisis mode for adrenaline. Look at the Mary and Martha story.