A Word about the Word
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge. [Psalm 19:1–2]
The pandemic tragedy that is India these days has made me reflect on the many experiences I have learned from all the times I have been there. My first time there (more than twenty years ago), I remember looking up at the sky and being amazed at all the stars! There was no light pollution competing with God’s starry handiwork. If we could only see this sky all the time…perspective, awe, humility, God’s Etch-a-Sketch! And it is there all the time for all to see. Our manmade world drowns out God’s majestic one with too much noise, too many lights. Our busyness and self-importance keep us from thinking about looking up and admiring the view. I can honestly say, I rarely feel closer to God than when I am in India. Maybe it’s the stars.
Close to Home
It was always “Dave’s church” until Sue and I decided we’d teach the second graders. Then, with skin in the game, the huge Chapel became our church. There is nothing like pitching in to bring ownership and purpose to one’s church involvement and spiritual growth. Try it! If you go to Trinity, pay close attention to the next three Sundays.
Trinity, like many other churches, will be looking to “re-form” itself a bit in the coming post-COVID world. I’m pretty sure “same old, same old” won’t work. While on retreat recently, our staff blue-skied ideas of what kind of church we ought to be in the future. Here are the words we dreamed up: invested, a place to be seen, integrated, diverse, approachable, visible, and well formed.
The World as It Is
Oh, the strain that the stresses of life emboss on our faces and our lives. Check out these two pictures, seven years apart, of Abraham Lincoln. The latter one captures what Walt Whitman called Lincoln’s “deep latent sadness” as he carried the heavy burden of the abhorrence of slavery and saving a divided country.
Wonder what the strain of the last fifteen months has done on each of us.
Cincinnati, here they come! Cicadas, that is. My granddaughter is enthusiastically getting ready. They are called “Brood X” and billions of them will be everywhere very soon. It has been seventeen years since they last were around. They are pretty noisy and gross and harmless. And I am sure someone will write a book declaring that these guys are a sign that Christ’s return is right around the corner! I did read something about locusts… Just sayin’.
And Then There’s This…
Seeing the stars rise in the night sky—amazing! A beautiful sunrise—breathtaking! Once in a while we may even see the moon rise. So what would it look like to see an earthrise from the moon? These images taken from a Japanese satellite give us the answer.
And We Pray
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
[Psalm 122:6–9]
I’ll catch you on the other side.
