April 22 Week Devotions

Sunday April 22-Earth Day is today. This is an example of the secular world teaching the church about its responsibility. Thoughtlessly, the church mirrored the culture about nature as something to be exploited. In other words, we lost the notion of creation. Instead of seeing science as an enemy we do far better to see how it depends our reading of Scripture and bolsters our sense of awe, wonder, and reverence toward the environment. After all, the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” It is not solely for our pillaging. Monday-Both of our daughter are taking some important tests. Evaluation causes anxiety. We go back to be little and ashamed that we do not make the grade. We feel diminished. Even if an assessment is generally laudatory, a rarity I know, we tend to disregard that and expend our energy on the criticism. Judgment day strikes terror in us with the image of god as stern evaluator. Jesus is the judge judged inour place. what assessment tools do you think Jesus employs? Tuesday-I’m staying ahead on sermons and started working on June 24, where Jesus stills the storm. My memory went back to the movie, Good Will Hunting. The therapist has a simple painting of a fisherman rowing in a storm (you can dial it up on the internet) and the young genius finds much meaning in it. When do you feel that way? Where do you find solace? Wednesday-I admire Ir Kent Groff’s book Active Spiriutality. He sends out devotional ideas every week, and he sent a note form AA’s Big Book. “As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done."* We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do not tire so easily for we are not burning up energy foolishly as we did when we were trying to arrange life to suit ourselves.” Thursday-No one gets out of life unscathed. Even if we do recognize all sorts of blessings, we all suffer through many trials of various sorts. I am convinced that we make it through those trials only by tapping into the grace and resources of the divine. I look at what people go through and am astonished that they survive, let alone flourish. where have you sensed divine aid in getting you through a time of troubles? Friday-I have an aging-related question. When you were younger, did people whine and complain as much as they do now? Maybe, it is what we complain about, but it seems to me we live in a culture of complaint. What good is complaining? What negative impact does it have on our thought processes, our feelings, our relationships? Saturday-If all goes well, I will visit our eldest daughter this weekend. It is an adjustment visiting with an adult child than when they were under one’s own roof. I wonder if God works to respond to us in different ways as we mature in our spiritual and ethical lives over the years?