Living in the Spirit
September 27, 2017
Scripture Reading: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
In the sight of their ancestors he worked marvels
in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
He divided the sea and let them pass through it,
and made the waters stand like a heap.
In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
and all night long with a fiery light.
He split rocks open in the wilderness,
and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
He made streams come out of the rock,
and caused waters to flow down like rivers. –Psalm 78:12-16
Our concept of God with us often derives from history. We look back and see God at work in the stories of our ancestors and our own lives. Learning to invite God into real-time challenges us to build from our retrospective understanding of God to a progressive partnership with God that defines our here and now while it shapes our tomorrows. For better or for worse what we do today impacts generations to come.
The USA is currently experiencing a cascade of disasters. Huge hurricanes struck Texas, the Caribbean Islands, Florida and impacted the east coast of America. In all these events, we see the successes of better building codes implemented following previous storms and failures of proper development to prevent flooding because the economic advantage to over-build outweighed the prudent use of shoreline. As a people, we remain divided on whether the disasters themselves resulted from our inattention to global warming.
God’s call to progressive partnership demands real-time attention to our relationship with God structuring our development within the priorities of God’s love. First, we must work to become whole so that the temptations of the world do not overshadow God’s priorities. We must practice the presence of God in all aspects of our lives. Such wholeness leads us to understand our need to work together finding common ground in building the Kingdom of God. Finally, we must understand God’s justice in all the world and work together to do God’s justice.
Prayer: Lord, we seem to be a people divided, frozen in purpose as we struggle to survive one divisive issue after another when the whole world needs our love and attention. Lift us to your higher ground and help us to know your presence in real time as we work toward your justice. Amen.