Month: March 2021

How wondrous is this world that you made, O God!
I am in awe that you made a home for us in your creation.
My spirit soars as I am warmed by the sun
and caressed by the gentle breath of the wind.
Your breath stirring me back to life,
Opening my eyes and my heart to all the life around me.
The children playing and laughing as they enjoy the warmth of the sun after a long winter.
The ducks on the edge of the pond building a home for the little ones soon to come.
The birds soaring on the wind calling out to one another.
The bees flitting from blossom to blossom carrying new life for the trees and flowers.

I pray that I will be worthy of your wondrous gift of creation.
Teach me to live a life that honours you;
Never taking more than I need,
And giving generously where I can.

I could live a thousand lifetimes and never be worthy of all you have given me!
But the greatest gift of all is that you don’t ask me to be worthy;
You don’t ask me to be perfect.
You inspire me to do my best and pick me up when I stumble.
I am and will be eternally grateful to be a part of your awesome creation!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+84&version=NRSV

God, let your voice be heard!
Let your cry for justice ring out,
reverberating through every living thing.
A sweet melody to the oppressed,
And a call to reconciliation to the oppressors.

Tear out the injustice in the world,
Burn away all the impurities in our souls,
Until everyone is left only with their best selves,
(however much or little that may be).

Put an end to hate and division,
call out racism,
call out homophobia and transphobia,
call out gender discrimination sexual violence,
call out ageism,
call out ableism,
call out all the things that separate us from your love,
shatter them with you cry,
until all violence and discrimination is burned away,
by your love.

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+83&version=NRSV

God you are the only one who can judge us truly but…
When will you start holding the greedy accountable for taking too much?
When will you put a stop to wicked, hurtful behavior?
When will you call our societies to account for how they treat your people?

How long can you sit and watch people starving,
exploited,
harassed,
injured,
killed,
and not pass judgement?
Not demand change?

Without you who will show these lost souls the way of love,
and finally put an end to their despicable, inhumane actions?

Claim your place at the head of all nations
and pass your judgement to bring equity for all your people!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+82&version=NRSV

Raise your voice in song!
Sing praises God who offers strength and comfort.
Listen to the rhythm of God in the beat of the drums,
Feel God’s presence in the strum of a guitar,
Sing God’s praises with all the strength your voice can muster.

Sing praise for the changing seasons,
Greet each morning with song,
Let your songs of praise ring out throughout the day,
Acknowledge the stages of the moon
and the stages of life
with the music of your soul.

As you sing listen for the voice calling out to you,
Adding depth and harmony to your song.
Listen for God in your music, singing:

“I call out to you in love,
do you hear me?
I am here with you in times of trouble,
enfolding you in my love.

I call out to you to love,
Do you hear me?
Care for your friends and neighbours,
care for all my creation.

Listen for my voice,
pulsing through your life.
I am here to offer you guidance and strength.
I am here to show you the way.

When you are lost
listen for my voice.
I am here with you.
I am here for you.”

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+81&version=NRSV

Hear us, O God, source of being,
whose life energy has flowed through the world
since the dawn of time.
Let your energy be felt
pulsing through all of life
and set us on the right course once again!

Restore us to a path of life,
save us from this path of destruction.

O God, please do not let your justified anger
with what we have done separate us from your love.
Let us feel your judgement not as an overwhelming criticism
but as a call to better behavior.

Restore us to a path of life,
save us from this path of destruction.

You have planted a seed within us,
a pulse, a lifeforce,
but we have choked out your light with weeds.
Cut away those things that separate us from you,
our greed,
our selfishness,
our abuse of the environment,
our isolation,
our broken community,
burn away all that separates us from you
so that we may flourish once again.

Nurture in us the love that you have planted within us,
let your light shine upon us,
and through us.
Heal the hurts within us and around us,
Renew our Spirits,
Renew the earth.
Let us sing your praises once again
for the good you do in us
and the good of your creation.

Restore us, O God!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+80&version=NRSV

God you have gifted us with so much
but we did not respond in gratitude.
We took that gift and tore it apart.
We gutted the earth pulling out more resources than we needed,
We tore down forest to build concrete jungles.
We filled the oceans with garbage – destroying habitats –
and even defiled the rivers and streams that feed our water supplies.
We take so much more than we need
and fight over each tiny scrap with our neighbour;
Even though if we worked together
your bounty would be enough for all!

God, you must be furious with us.
How can you look at the destruction we wrought
and not respond in anger?
Are you punishing us for the damage we have done?
Or are we creating our own punishment?

God, help us to learn from our mistakes.
Teach us to work together for healing of your earth.
Guide our hands so we may be the good stewards
you intended us to be.
Teach us to love each other and earth,
as you love us,
and we will be eternally grateful!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+79&version=NRSV

Come, gather round,
for the story I am about to tell you belongs to all Christians;
It is a story of our past,
but it is a dark story.
It is not a story of love and sunshine and rainbows.
It is a story of fear and hatred and discrimination.

God gave us the Bible to share the history and story of God’s covenant with us.
It tells of creation, of building nations, of prophets and poets.
It teaches us about Jesus who came to earth so that we would know God more fully,
so that we would love each other more deeply.
It was a book meant to unite all people
but we used it to spread hate.

We took the words and twisted them
to cause words
to create shame
to create false hierarchies
to judge
to hate.

We used the words to justify killing anyone who does not know God the same way we do.
We used the words to justify enslaving people because they looked, spoke, or acted differently.
We used the words to justify shaming women for their life-giving sexuality in an attempt to control them.
We used the words to justify telling people that their sexuality is a sin, tearing families apart.
We used the words to justify telling people their gender identity isn’t real – making it unsafe for people to be their authentic selves.
We used the words to justify hoarding wealth while others starve claiming it is a gift that comes from God.
There has been centuries abuse, violence and hate all perpetuated in God’s name.

We have failed to uphold God’s covenant with us.
We have failed to love each other.
We have failed to care for creation.
It is time to be called to account.
To admit our past mistakes.
To ask for forgiveness
and to make positive change.
God has given us so much
and asks for so little in return.
We must do God’s work in the world.
We cannot pretend that this history is not a part of who we are.
We must claim it and we must make reparations.
It is time to finally live into our covenant with God…
…to live our lives in love.

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+78&version=NRSV