Ordinary Time
February 7, 2018
Scripture Reading: Psalm 50:1-6
The mighty one, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
Our God comes and does not keep silence,
before him is a devouring fire,
and a mighty tempest all around him.
He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
‘Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!’
The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge.
We are in the midst of fire season here in Oklahoma. Foliage is dormant, draught is rampant, and no substantial moisture predicted. Farmers are wondering if their hay will last to feed cattle until the wheat grows if the wheat appears at all. Our world just seems out-of-synch. In times like these with tempest all around, the presence of God in our lives is paramount.
While fire destroys, it also purifies. Our ancestors in faith, I am sure, observed this phenomenon as they lived off the land. Perhaps that knowledge led to their rituals of worshipping God by making burnt sacrifices of perfect animals.
The idea of routine acts of purification continues today. We need to open our lives to the cleansing power of God to rid us of the trash that blocks our ability to love as God loves us. There is a lot of that trash littering our world. Now is the time to clean it up and clear it out allowing us to serve God fully.
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for letting the things of the world clutter my life blinding me to realities of loving others to which I need to be open. Amen.