Musings and Meditations

Sing praises to God
for the good in the world.
Before you even open your eyes in the morning
give thanks for the soft morning sun warming your face.
Sing praises throughout the day
for the wondrous gift of creation.
As you lay down to sleep at night
give thanks for the blessings you receive each day,
For God mage this world and everything in it,
and it was good!

I am in awe at the gifts of your creation,
the complexities,
the interconnectedness.
We are all joined together through this one earth
that you created for all living things.
How can a person overlook their influence on your creation?
How can they not see the impact of their decisions rippling out around them?
Help them to see the error of their ways.
Open their eyes as you have opened mine.

You have shown me to walk gently,
to look for the effect I am having on the world,
to root my choices in love.
I am not perfect.
I do not always get it right.
But I am surrounded by your perfect love,
guiding me gently back
towards a path of peace.

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+92&version=NRSV

God, I offer my life to you.
Guide me by your grace,
for it is through you
that I find the strength to face the day.

You give me the wings of an eagle
to soar above my troubles
and look at them in a new way.
You give the wisdom of a turtle
to watch and listen, moving forward at a slow and steady pace,
when it is the right time to do so.
You give me the tenacity of honey badger
to fight for what is worth holding on to.
And the courage of field mouse
to run away from the things that no longer serve me.

God, you teach me that life is not free of struggle,
But you give me the tools that I need
so I can those struggles as an opportunity for learning and growth,
And for that I am eternally grateful!
Amen.

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+91&version=NRSV

Creator God, since the birth of humanity we have found a home in you.
Long before conscious thought
you were molding the world into a home for us.
Your creative vision has guided the earth and everything on it
through stages of evolution,
constantly finding a new balance as life grows.

What is our history in comparison to the vastness of your creation?
In comparison to the history of the world
that you have guided through so many changes?

How frustrated must you be with us now?
Knowing that you have created a world with all that we need,
and yet seeing people starving on the streets as we tear apart your creation.

God, we are deserving of your wrath.
We have failed to recognize your presence and your plan for us,
Instead focussing on our own petty desires.

God, I know we don’t deserve it,
but ask you to have mercy on us.
Forgive our trespasses,
and teach us to walk the path of love.
Show us how to repair the damage we have done to the earth,
Teach us to care for all of our neighbours,
So that we may all be blessed by your bounteous creation.
Amen

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+90&version=NRSV

God everywhere I look I see your love at work.
You have created a beautiful, interconnected home for us.
You have given us all that we need;
not just to survive but to thrive!

You have offered your marvelous works into our care.
You inspired us to pass down the wisdom and knowledge
needed to care for the earth and for each other,
from generation to generation.

Let all of creations sing your praises.
Let your praises shine through the brilliant colours of the sunrise.
Let your praises sing out in the call of the birds soaring on the wind.
Let your praises whisper in the gentle bubbling of a cool stream.
Let your praises be heard in our joy that is inspired by your creation.

You have sent us prophets and scriptures
so that we could know you more fully.
And when we were still struggling to hear your message of love
you sent us Jesus to show us the way.

But we are still lost.
We still bicker and fight.
We still hoard resources.
We corrupt your word to suit our own purposes.
We have lost sight of your message of love.

We need you now, O God,
to show us the way once again.
Do not be angry with us
and hide yourself away.
Awaken your spirit in the hearts of all your people,
so we may know your unending love!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+89&version=NRSV

God you are my salvation…                              
…you saved me…
…but why?
…for what purpose?

You sent angels to save me at my darkest moment.
You called me to choose life.
But what kind of life?
Am I any further ahead now than I was then?
I am still lost.
I still feel alone.
I am still bound and trapped.
Struggling to break free.
Working so hard to drag myself forward
even just the tiniest step,
Just to be knocked back again.

You promised me a burden I could bear…
…not one I could barely lift.
I follow you blindly
down the paths you call me to
only to find myself lost and alone
facing another dead end.

I thought following you meant I didn’t have to do this alone!
Why do you continue to lead me down false paths?
Why does every lesson I learn have to be so hard?
Why do you ask me to open myself up
just so I can acquire new scars?

I am not sure how much more of this I can take!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+88&version=NRSV

All of creation sings of your wondrous works.
The world is full of thin places,
where I can sense your presence more fully.
We are in awe of your creation
and how it connects us all.

You created a place for each living thing,
and know my entire being;
even better than I know myself.
You hold each one of us in your loving embrace
like a mother cradles her new born infant.
You are with us each step of the journey
help us grow into our place in your world.

Let all of creation praise your name!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+87&version=NRSV

God, hear my prayer,
because I need you in my life.
You gave me a path to follow,
a purpose to live for,
and for that I am eternally grateful.
You are the source of my being,
you called me from darkness,
into your service.
Be with me now,
surround me in your love,
so that I may know
I am not alone.

Your love knows no bounds!
You move through a life,
weaving a delicate web of interconnectedness.
You breathe life into this world,
creating a home for us,
a world to live in,
a world to love in.
Teach me the path of love.
Help me to keep my heart open;
even when hurts.
Give me the strength to go on loving in the face of adversity.
Give me the courage to speak out that love;
especially when it is counter-culture.
You have shown your love for us
over and over again.
Help me to love as you love.

Help me to no longer live fear.
Show me the words,
so that I may speak
the love that is written on my heart.
Hold me in your love,
fill me with your spirit,
so that I may break free of the chains that bind me!
Help me to see the path you have set before me,
show me the way to the future that you promised me.
You have always been by my side when I needed you,
make yourself known to me once again.

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+86&version=NRSV

God, each generation you invite us into your covenant,
and each generation we seem to break that covenant,
we turn away from you,
we turn away from love.
You are righteous in your anger against us,
and yet, generation after generation,
you let go of that anger,
and invite us to renew our loving relationship with you.

We are in need of the eternal forgiveness once again,
The world has once again strayed
from the path you have set for us.
I understand your anger!
It is infuriating to see…
…the destruction we have caused to your earth,
…the societies that value possessions over people,
…the inequity in our communities.
I am angry too!

But now we need your forgiveness!
Teach me to love as you love,
to forgive the perpetrators of discrimination and destruction,
to forgive myself when I am a complicit part in those system.
Teach me do better,
to work for change,
and to inspire others to work for change.
It is only through your love
that we can create positive change in the world.

Your spirit dwells within each of us.
Awake the spirit with in us,
so we may be open to your call,
so that we make walk the path you set for us,
so that we can create and inspire good works in the world!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+85&version=NRSV