Thursday, March 17, 2022
Delighting in God’s Ways and Being Nourished by Grace
An excerpt from Psalm 1 (NRSV)
Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
Their delight is in the law of the Lord, And they meditate on his law day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper.
Reflection from Anne Lea Tuohy,
The Church of St. Elisabeth:
Psalm 1 presents an authentic way to engage with that wonderful collection of prayers, poems, and songs that invite us into relationship and conversation with God – prayers of thanksgiving and prayers of desperation, prayers of longing and prayers of regret, prayers of sorrow and grief, and prayers of hope, prayers of wonder, joy, celebration, and praise.
For me, this introduction to the Book of Psalms is a reminder of Jesus’ message of God’s immeasurable and eternal love for us.God reaches out to invite us into the fullness of life for which we are created. We have a choice in how to respond. When we are willing to accept God’s love for us, we begin to know the delight of loving God with all our being and loving our fellow human beings and ourselves.
God doesn’t expect us to withdraw from the world and be passive observers. God asks us to pay attention, to be brave in making lifegiving choices based on the law of love. For the psalmist, happiness isn’t an ephemeral sense of fulfillment, it is a state of being in the presence of God, of being known by God.
Do I have the courage to enter into an active and authentic relationship with God? Am I willing to make myself vulnerable and be transformed by God’s love for me?
The Altar Cross from the Chapel at The Church of St. Elisabeth
For further study and prayer, the readings assigned for today are:
Psalm 63:1-8; Daniel 3:19-30; Revelation 2:8-11
MUSIC
“My Great Redeemer’s Praise”
arr. Charles McCartha,
sung by the StGs quartet
O for a thousand tongues
to sing my great Redeemer’s praise -
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!