Epiphany
January 11, 2017
Scripture Reading: Psalm 40:1-11
Happy are those who make
the Lord their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after false gods.
You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be counted. –Psalm 40:4-5
I often write about synergy, a habit derived from my study of social systems. The term stems from engineering. The formal definition is:
- combined action or operation (as of muscles or nerves); specifically: synergism
- a mutually advantageous conjunction or compatibility of distinct business participants or elements (such as resources or efforts) *
I prefer the informal definition; the total becomes more than the sum of its parts. Jesus describes this phenomenon in Matthew 18:20 when he says, ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’ The Psalmist in our scripture today speaks of God multiplying our combined efforts to become more than what we could ever have done either alone or together. That is a powerful message.
Synergy exists when people work together for a common cause, good or bad. It multiplies when people work together in concert with God toward loving one another.
Prayer: Lord of the Power of Love, enable our love and multiply it beyond our wildest imaginations. Amen.
*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/synergy
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.