Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 5: Year 1
Morning, Psalm 70 and 71; Evening, Psalm 74;
Ecclesiasticus 44:19 to 45:5; 2nd Corinthians 12:1 to10; Luke 19:28 to 40:
“And now that I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, till I make known your strength to this generation and your power to all who are to come:” (words from Psalm 71).
I went to the state DMV a few weeks ago to renew my driver’s license. The DMV clerk asked me to take the standard vision test and she looked at me and gave me the description of 6 feet tall, brown eyes and black hair. Two weeks later I went back for my “Real ID Driver’s license and another clerk looked at me and gave me the description of 6 feet tall, brown eyes and gray hair. Perhaps this truly is my “Real ID.” I am in my seventies now. I don’t deny it. And yes, my hair is mostly gray now.
God has invested a lot in me all these years. And I pray, “O God, do not forsake me, till I make known your strength to this generation and your power to all who are to come:” This is in part why I write this blog. I want people to know about God and God’s loving care for all of us, gray haired or no haired.
I practice music and much of my music is centered on hymns and spiritual songs. My favorite is “Praise to the Lord,” it is Hymn number 390 in the 1980 Hymnal of the Episcopal Church. But I have heard it from different hymnals from different Churches. The third verse says in part, “Ponder anew what the Almighty can do, when with His love doth befriend thee.”
I am of the English tongue. It is who I am. There is no denying it. Some people try to express who or what they are based their skin color or ethnic ancestry. Not me. I am the language I speak. I don’t know how to even express it any other way. I am who I am. I love people of all languages. I just happen to be an English speaker.
To take it to the next level, beyond the language I speak, I also sing in the same language. These are the hymns and songs of faith that I pass on to children and their children after them so that they too might have faith. Our reading from Psalm 71 continues, “Therefore I will praise you upon the lyre for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel: (Words from Psalm 71). The Psalmist continues from his soul, “My lips will sing with joy when I play to you, and so will my soul, which you have redeemed: (words from Psalm 71).
I just talked about the importance of our souls yesterday. You might want to review it. Whether we are aware of it or not, our souls long for God’s salvation. Beloved of the Lord, we must put our hope and trust in God’s Word and God’s guidance in our everyday lives, gray haired or no haired.
Let us live in order that we might love, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 