Living in the Spirit
August 25, 2015

Scripture Reading: Song of Solomon 2:8-13

12 The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away. –Song of Solomon 2:12-13

Spring is in the air in our scripture today. The first crops are beginning to appear. Here is Oklahoma those first eatable treats are often the ingredients for a fresh salad: lettuce, perhaps some radishes, and green onions. There is nothing like those meals from the first sprouts of spring.

On a farm, those first fruits are signs of the beginning of a season of a lot of hard work. Twelve hour days, perhaps more, in the hot sun spent plowing, planting, nourishing, weeding, harvesting. Just before the busy season kicks in full throttle would indeed be a great time to invest in relaxation and rekindling of relationship.

We city dwellers live in a society not so much driven by the seasons. Our work may fluctuate because of the rhythms of the business we are in, more than the sun and the moon and the earth turning on its axis, but our need for rest and re-creation, for Sabbath, is just as important as the need of the farmer.

Our ability to form lasting relationships with others depends on our commitment to those relationships. So does our relationship with God.

Prayer: Lord, bless our work and our time of re-creation so that we may bear much fruit for you. Bless our relationships with others so that we may grow in love. Amen.
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.