Shining Spirit

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Those words are from Psalm 118 in the Hebrew Bible. Sometimes we say them rather glibly; casually most of the time; rarely with tears in our eyes. I live in a region of the country where July temperatures for the next few days are forecast to be 110 to 115 degrees. This (!) is the day? In other parts of the world, massive flooding is erasing whole cities from the planet. This (?) The stats are two years old, but illustrative: in 2022, 6 children died every day in the U.S. from abuse or neglect. This. Do we realize that every day, a gift-wrapped package arrives at our doors. Beautiful wrapping paper, elegant bow on the top…and we treat it casually, selfishly, disrespectfully. If you are reading this on Sunday morning, you might be getting ready to attend a service of worship at your church, and it’s just possible that the Pastor will stand and say, as part of the Call to Worship: “This is the day….” My prayer for all of us today is that we hear those words with humble hearts, not hard ones; that we hold the gift gently and appreciatively; that we come to grips with this truth: we don’t make them, we just use them. And how we do that says a lot about how we regard the Giver.

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will…..?

After-thought: In the box you will find not only the gift of this day, but also apparel to wear. Imagine that! One size fits all! “Put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Every day is the day.

I think I have mentioned the name Nan Merrill before. She was a distinguished writer, a retreat leader, involved in prison ministry. Among those important callings, she found time to re-cast all 150 Psalms of the Hebrew Scriptures into expressions of poetic praise. Compare these words of Psalm 1 to the ones in your own Bible and you will understand the wonderful gift she possessed and shared with the world.

“Blessed are those who walk hand in hand with goodness, who stand beside virtue, who sit in the seat of truth; for their delight is in the Spirit of Love, and in Love’s heart they dwell day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, that yield fruit in due season, and their leaves flourish; in all they do, they give life…”

God, help me today to be conscious of opportunities in which I can be a life giver. I do not want to detract from life, not simply perpetuate the present. I want to give life: hope where it is needed, forgiveness and joy where they would bring wholeness, love in the dry and parched places of life. Take my hand and walk with me, Lord, through this day. Amen

I watched the brilliant fireworks show last night from our second floor balcony. It was only 100+ degrees at 9 pm when the show began. I’m sure the estimate of crowd numbers will be 10 thousand plus. This is a big deal and lots of people show up to eat an almost warm hotdog while sitting on the hard ground in 100 degree weather listening to local bands play music over blaring sound systems. Food trucks and port-a-potties are everywhere. Then, right on time, the first big rocket is launched into the black sky and the show begins.

Professionally designed fireworks fascinate me. How in the world did someone create the patterns, the timing, the amazing displays of colors? I didn’t get any answers last night, but I got a lot of enjoyment
as boom after boom echoed through the neighborhood. At one point in the display, I thought to myself: isn’t this a remarkable commentary on the human race. No two bursting rockets were exactly alike at the moment of colorful explosion, the levels of sound varied and the patterns created in the sky were unique. And it is precisely the differences that make the final product beautiful. A variety of colors changes the show from drab and common to extraordinarily beautiful. Without the variety of colors and color combinations, one sky rocket would be just like the next one. There is purpose in our diversity. When working together, a lovely pattern is created. We need each other in order to be authentically who we were designed to be. Thank God for differences that make us unique and yet bind us together as human beings.

Isn’t it great when you’re driving across country, zipping along the Interstate, and you have need of an oasis. Just watch for the blue signs, then pull off for a time of rest and refreshing. When I rode a bike more seriously than I do now, the same thing happened. This time, though, the refreshment spot was a big table bending under the weight of bananas, protein bars and other helpful items. These rest stops were placed strategically along the El Tour route and they were life-savers. I mention this because you know, as I do, that spiritual refreshment is just as important as bananas and cookies to the bike rider.

Today, on this 4th of July, take time to be refreshed in your commitment to the welfare of our nation and the world, to principles of truth and human kindness, and to the Source of our ultimate freedom. Let your prayer today be one of gratitude and re-commitment to the Good News announced in The Christ.

By the way, speak softly. Looks like two friends are already dozing. Press on.

Yesterday I called on an old friend. I haven’t seen him in what seems like a long time, maybe a month or more, so I went to his place of residence and looked him up. Sure enough. There he was standing in shallow water near the shoreline, and as I approached he looked up and stared at me. Probably thinking: I know that guy. O yeah, fishing line, etc. And then, as if to signal his recognition of the suddenly appearing visitor, the Swan Goose lifted his left leg and shook it in the early morning air. I could see clearly that he was not hampered on that same leg as before…no fishing line restricting him. All is well at the local pond. He then tucked his left leg up under his feathers, turned his head and rested it on his back, closed his eyes and went to sleep. Standing up. On one leg. Asleep.

But I know he’s ok, and he knows I care about his welfare, so I bade him a happy day farewell and left him to his sweet dreams. Driving home, I thought to myself: I haven’t heard from…and there followed a list of people who are good friends but have fallen through the cracks of my busyness. Reminder to self: they are your friends, so contact each one with a greeting and a blessing. Isn’t that part of being as friend? I am “my brother’s keeper” after all. Who do you know in need of a phone contact or a personal visit. No day better than this one to be a good friend.

"Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly,
kiss slowly, love truly, laugh
uncontrollably and never regret anything
that made you smile.  Twenty years from
now you will be more disappointed by
the things you didn't do than
by the ones you did.  So throw off
the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe
harbor.  Catch the trade winds in
your sail."
Mark Twain

Sounds very attractive, but there's another option.
This one is also about living life to the fullest,
not by grabbing everything you can but by
giving your life away. This option goes deep,
all the way to core values.  Identity.  The difference 
is in "taking" versus "giving."

The name associated with this option has
been around longer than M.T.  It is
Jesus of Nazareth who once said:
"What does it profit a man to gain
the whole world and lose his soul?"
Choose wisely.

Cactus can be sneaky, ill-tempered, and sometimes hostile. But, Oh my! Cactus can be beautiful.

Today, in your encounters and engagements, look for the flower instead of the fault, the good behind the grumpy. Enjoy a half-full cup of life instead of the half-empty one. I had no idea the beautiful blooming cactus existed in my neighborhood. But, I turned a corner and there it was. Sometimes we don’t expect the good, the beautiful, the astonishing, but life is full of lovely surprises. May this day surprise you with moments of joy and beauty. No, may this day shock you so that you will have no other option than to say “Thank You!” Be grateful today for the least, the little things. You and I are blessed so that we can share ourselves gladly and thankfully. May it be so. Press on.