Ordinary Time

January 12, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 36:5-10
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
   your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
   your judgments are like the great deep;
   you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
   All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
   and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
   in your light we see light.

O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
   and your salvation to the upright of heart!

The weather in Oklahoma changes often. We can have a high of 80 degrees one day and a high below freezing the next. The wind is rarely still, and cloudy days mix with bright sunny days. I am light sensitive, so I wear regular glasses, often covered with sunglasses. Yesterday, I faced the dilemma of needing to be outside on a freezing day with very bright sunshine. My poor ears did not know what to make of what I thrust on them—glasses stems, sunglass stems, masks loops, and finally earmuffs. My ears hurt from all that weight.

We can carry a lot of weight in our spiritual life that limits our access to God’s light. Nevertheless, the nature of God’s light is not blinding unless, in some circumstances, we shroud ourselves with so much self-righteousness we miss seeing God’s righteousness. Saul had such an experience with God’s light on the road to Damascus*. Saul thought he was doing God’s work, persecuting the Christ-followers. How much work do we do establishing self-righteousness and our justice rather than God’s righteousness and justice?

Prayer:  Lord, free us from the garb of self-righteousness and let your light show us the way to living in your Spirit. Amen.

*See at Acts 9:1-19

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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.