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The Wisdom of the Body
The Word became flesh and made his home among us. —John 1:14, CEB This month the Read More
Allison Ruari | Read Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35
Sometimes we’re in the right place at the right time to catch glimpses of the holy. While on a clergy retreat in the Arizona desert, I had some time to sit and meditate. As I sat, I began to be more aware of my surroundings. I heard birds calling to one another and trees rustling in the breeze. I smelled the desert air mixed with rock, dirt, and tree. I noticed a mountain ridge and cacti and flowers falling from trees. I felt the wind and the coolness it brought. It’s such a different place than where I call home. And because it is so different, I paid more attention. I saw God’s work up close—and it was very good. Prayers of thanksgiving and gratitude flowed abundantly in word, song, and deed.
Being close to nature often requires intentionality. We can easily forget that aspect as we go from home to car to work to car to store to car. And yet when we set aside time to go outside, it is easy to find God. We experience God in all that God created and called good. We can experience more fully the psalmist’s words: “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” In that moment and in that place, we utter prayers of gratitude, praise, and awe.
God’s creation reminds us that our place isn’t in front of a screen or in a vehicle. Our place is to be in community, in creation, in relationship with God. There we recognize all things (including ourselves) as beloved, as wondrous, as good. May we be open to God’s messages in all forms and in all places.
Holy God, who speaks all things into creation, thank you. Amen.
At this point in Job’s story, God has heard questions from Job and long-winded moralizing by three of Job’s friends, who have pronounced that his misfortunes are divine judgment. Now God has heard enough and declares that God’s perspective is superior to theirs. God has been there from the beginning, as the psalmist reiterates, so no one should claim to know God’s mind or speak on God’s behalf. Even Jesus, the divine Son of God, yields to his heavenly Father. Hebrews tells us that Jesus made appeals to God as the ultimate high priest and thereby became the source of salvation for those who obey him. In the Gospel reading, Jesus specifies that his approaching act of submission and service will allow him to become a ransom for us.
• Read Job 38:1-7, 34-41. How do you continue to see the goodness of God when you find yourself in situations of intense suffering?
• Read Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c. Where do you catch glimpses of God? How significant is God’s natural world in your ability to see the holy?
• Read Hebrews 5:1-10. In what ways does the understanding of Jesus’ willing vulnerability while serving as high priest affect your interactions with others?
• Read Mark 10:35-45. When have you made a bold request of God? What was God’s reply?
Respond by posting a prayer.
