"Creation flavored" thoughts on the lectionary texts
Date: October 25, 2009
(note corresponding EarthWords from 3 years ago archived on the website)
Text: Psalm 34.1-8, (19-22) "When
David feigned madness..." (Never sure if that's all that much of an endorsement of the psalm!)
Thoughts
"Let us exalt God's name together..." What causes you to exalt God? Who or what (!) do you imagine yourself
exalting God together with - other humans? animals? flowers? mountains? waterfalls?
"Taste and see that God is Good" - taste fresh stream water, heirloom tomatoes, local honey on homemade bread, apple
cider mellowed by the first few frosts! What tastes are a part of your worship experiences? (What sights, sounds,
smells, touches?)
Refuge - does God offer refuge from spiritual threats? From other humans? Does God offer refuge from natural,
physical threats like hurricanes, rising sea levels, irritated bears, atmospheric pollution? I tend to think we
(or our descendents) need to get ready to face and deal with some of those on our own!
Text: Job 42.1-6, 10-17 Job's blessings
restored
Thoughts
"I have uttered what I did not understand", Job comments. We have lived in ways without understanding the consequences
of those ways. Some of them have lead to harm and even destruction of parts of Creation (and thus all Creation - in
a sense it doesn't even make sense to speak of "parts of Creation". We are all interconnected in Creation) Now
we need to listen and understand (as much as God shows us - through the work of prophets, priests, scientists, artists, poets,
yes, even politicians!) before we act,, or at least act with extreme caution and humility, knowing that we do not know all
there is to know. There are fish that know more than we do - about being a fish!
"The Lord restored the fortunes of Job..." in terms of "stuff", even more than before. But are there other
ways of being "fortunate" than just having stuff?
Job saw "sons and sons' sons, four generations." And did they all have that much stuff, or did it get divided between
them" Did they each have 10 kids? Are there differences between their day and ours - how does your family picture
(video) compare with Job's?
Text: Mark 10.46-52 Bartimaeus
Thoughts
Travelling on foot, even with an entourage and a crowd, Jesus can still be encountered by Bartimaeus.
Whom do we allow ourselves to be encountered by when we travel today?
"Let me see." - Imagine the things Bartimaeus might have seen. And then is it stretching
things to hear Bartimaeus saying "let me understand how my life affects the future"? What answer to you start to hear
when you say that?
Bartimaeus followed "on the way". We would probably need to make some changes and adjustments to our
lifestyles to be following God's way in/through Creation.
(Way too many questions this week! Sorry - I'll try to do better next week!)
Prayer
God of all of Creation,
with David we taste the wonder of fresh water, garden harvest, bread warm from the oven,
coffee - fair-traded organic - fresh from the pot! (Non coffee drinkers can omit this line!)
With Bartimaeus we see the glory of morning sunrise, autumn leaves, south winging geese, red noses and cheeks on smiling
children.
Now give us the wise humility to say with Job
"we have said and lived and done things we do not understand".
Help us look and listen for your guidance with all our five senses
and then live carefully and well on your way through this world.
For the sake of Creation and our children's children.
One Thing to Do This Week
Close your eyes for half an hour (or half a day!) and then open them and experience the joy of seeing. Alternatively,
think about where you would place yourself if you were going to do it!
