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Pax et Bonum The Online worship resource for St. James Parish The ultimate test of a moral society
is the kind of world that it leaves to its children. ---Dietrich Bonhoeffer---
O God, The Unexpected Blessing
It is not a sound we hear often – most of the birds that fly around us make little or no sound with their wings, except perhaps the mighty hummingbird. But this was a strong sound, a majestic sound. I looked up above me, and right over my head was a Great Blue Heron flying toward the opposite shore. It seemed as if it were close enough to touch as it flew by, low in the trees, preparing to land. It was a completely unexpected sight, and in that, an unexpected blessing. It was a reminder to me that God is ever-present, and if we are paying attention, we can see God’s handiwork all around us – not only in the beauties and surprises of nature, but also in the workings of our own lives. Sometimes we fail to recognize God’s work – and in doing so, we miss out on a blessing that God desires to give us. This week, "keep your eyes peeled" as they say, and your ears open. Perhaps you will find God in unexpected places.
God of love,
 The Sound of Freedom Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your countenance; Psalm 89
How blessed, or happy, are those who can hear this clear, beautiful sound and understand that it means God is on the move with God’s people. The sound of jubilee is the sound of God’s desire carried across the land, born by the wind into the ears of the faithful. It is a sound of encouragement as well as a sound of presence.
And God’s countenance is a sign of peace and blessing. God is looking at us as we move to the sound of the trumpet and is lighting our way with the shimmer of His glance.
Much as Moses’ face shone after meeting with God on the Mountain, As I read the Psalm today, I think of the many ways in which sound and light have deepened my own journey with God. The sound of bells comes to mind particularly. The bell is struck and begins its music, then as sound moves toward the hearer its tone changes, almost imperceptibly. Gradually the tone moves beyond hearing and fades into the air. When does the bell really stop ringing? The striking of the bell, which begins before sound and continues after the tone has faded, may be the way the Spirit strikes a chord in the heart. We do not hear or see the sound of the Spirit inspiring the soul, but we do, at some point notice, that we have been touched. I have listened to bells that call a community to worship. I have listened to bells that tell the time. I am, even now, listening to Japanese bells on my front porch as they respond to the movement of the breeze coming across Lewis Creek. Each sound reminds me that the earth itself is filled with sound and potential music.
Listen, Move into the freedom that God is promising. Jubilee freedom, which does not count the wreckage of the past or the debts owed, but gives hope for new beginnings. Blessings, Debra
Daily Morning Prayer: This Week at St. James:
Saturday: 11:00 Consecration of Eugene Sutton as Bishop of Maryland Prayers Etc.
As the mother understands the wordless child,
For those on our prayer list:
David; Arabella; Brittany; Owen; Jennifer D.; Rob C.
For those who are deployed and their families. In Closing:
The vitality of God be mine this day The vitality of the God of life. The passion of Christ be mine this day The passion of the Christ of love. The wakefulness of the Spirit be mine this day The wakefulness of the Spirit of justice.. The vitality and passion and wakefulness Of God be mine that I may be fully alive this day. The vitality and passion and wakefulness of God That I may be fully alive.
Pax et Bonum, |
The other day I was walking along the NCR trail out of Sparks Road with my trusty four-footed companion Stella. It was early morning on a still-cool day, and the river was intensely serene. As I walked, enjoying the aromas and sights meeting my eyes, I heard an odd sound – the sound of beating wings.
The trumpet, in the Old Testament, heralded many things for the people of Israel from warfare to procession to the day of Jubilee. It was a sound that signaled the movement of the people. The festal shout refers to the blowing of the trumpet to proclaim the gospel of freedom for those who have been captive.