God's Life Giving Lures

 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
   He will judge the peoples with equity.’
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
   let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming,
   for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
    —Psalm 96

O sing to the Lord a new song. This enthusiastic invitation extends to all the earth. It seeks partnership among all the families of all the peoples. It includes not only humans and the heavens but also earth’s soil and seas, fields and trees, and all the inhabit them. This invitation acknowledges that all our lives and livelihoods are inseparable, interconnected, indivisible. We are bound together.

And the cosmic and everlasting purpose that binds us together and invites us to sing is God’s justice—the promise of dignity, inclusivity, equity, possibility, a transformed reality—for all the earth, all peoples, and all aspects of creation.

God’s justice longs to shower us all with goodness and grace, strength and beauty . . . and it makes its way here among us even though we currently experience brokenness and injustice that leave destruction and despair in their wake. God’s justice calls for a new song—not only for what God has done in the past and what God is doing now but also for all God will do—as God forever casts lures for us to follow toward greater expressions of justice. How might we rework the cultural, racial, economic supremacy we’ve internalized and create new ways to be in relationship?  How might we put our deepest beliefs into practice in the global marketplace to create human and environmental dignity for all, not just for some?

To whatever extent we are able to grasp and follow God’s life-giving lures, we become vital contributors to God’s in-breaking of justice—just as we become vital contributors to the birth, once again, of good news into the world.

See you in church,
Christy
   

Thanksgiving

Every night before I go to sleep / I say out loud / Three things that I’m grateful for,

All the significant, insignificant / Extraordinary, ordinary stuff of my life.


It’s a small practice and humble, / And yet, I find I sleep better
 

Holding what lightens and softens my life / Ever so briefly at the end of the day.


Sunlight, and blueberries, / Good dogs and wool socks,


A fine rain, / A good friend, / Fresh basil and wild phlox,


My father’s good health, / My daughter’s new job,


The song that always makes me cry, / Always at the same part,


No matter how many times I hear it.


Decent coffee at the airport, / And your quiet breathing,


The stories you told me, / The frost patterns on the windows,


English horns and banjos, / Wood Thrush and June bugs,


The smooth glassy calm of the morning pond,


An old coat, / A new poem, / My library card,


And that my car keeps running / Despite all the miles.


And after three things, / More often than not,


I get on a roll and I just keep on going, / I keep naming and listing,

Until I lie grinning, / Blankets pulled up to my chin,


Awash with wonder / At the sweetness of it all.
    —“Three Gratitudes” by Carrie Newcomer

What are some of the things that make you grateful? What are some of those things that deeply comfort your spirit and make your soul sing? What are some of the things that you long for? Things that inspire an involuntary deep breath—that allow you to release your shoulders down away from your ears—that unfurl your brow—that open your heart for more?
    
As we enter into the holiday season, it is way too easy to get lost in to-do lists and to feel inadequate up against the building tasks and expectations. I invite you to consciously bring more gentleness with you into this season. I invite you to carry with you in your heart (or tangibly written on list in your pocket!) some of those things that bring you gratitude. Your list can stay the same or change daily. This practice will help you cultivate hope and mindfulness about what is really important to you—and what may not deserve the energy you give it. Source your living from the blessings that surround you. Notice them. Hold them in your mind’s eye like a smooth stone that fits perfectly in your palm. It is from this place of gratitude that we can best show up for one anther and show God’s love to a hurting world. I look forward to hearing about some of those things that make you grateful!

See you in church,
Christy