Perspectives: Sky Light

I waited

Loosely inspired by Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord.

Well, sort of.  Kind of.

I waited for the Lord because I had no other choice.

Thankfully, the Lord noticed, and listened to me.

God lifted me up.

It wasn't easy.

The mud clung to my feet.

I was stuck, but God

lifted me up,

God stood me on solid ground.

Secure ground.

I confess, my words were not grace-filled.

God put a new song in my mouth.

And I praised God..

The taste of my words were much more pleasing

to both of us.

I pray others will hear this song

and learn to trust in God.

With God's new song,

With my feet on a firm foundation

My heart has changed.

I want to do the work God has given me.

I want to follow God's leading.

It is joy to hear my call.

Now I tell those around me the Good News

News of deliverance and grace.

News of salvation.

Now it's hard for me to stop talking

when before my words were dust.

I pray those who hear me,

those who see me,

will see my new heart,

and know God has changed me.

and know God has done this,

and know God brings salvation

for me and for them.

Thank you, God, for your mercy,

for your steadfast love,

for you faithfulness.

Forever.

Homework

The posts this week have been based on part of a Sunday school lesson I taught from  the first chapter of the book, "Light of the World: the Meaning of Memory" by Amy-Jill Levine.  At the end of the lesson, I gave the class homework with the goal of trying to help them to create a space to hear the voice of God.  Here are the options I gave them altered a little to expand them beyond Advent.  Is there one that you might try?

• If you want to know about what it means that John was to be the new Elijah (which we didn’t  discuss at all), read Malachi 4:5-6 and compare it to Luke 1:16-17.  This one is very specific to the lesson and to Advent, but it leads us to the idea that understanding scripture requires homework.  It's not understanding through simple osmosis (or only attending Sunday school).
• Consider ways to re-hear the gospel.  Reread either the Magnificat (Mary’s song) or the  Benedictus (Zechariah’s song).  Rewrite them in your own words.
• Use your phone’s timer and sit in a quiet place for 2 minutes.  What does 2 minutes of silence  feel like? Can you be silent for 5 minutes? 10 minutes?
• Choose a book and read it during Advent – a little at a time so that you can savor it.  And it doesn't have to be only during Advent.  
• Start today and read one chapter of Luke a day.  After 24 days, you will have read the whole  book.

Book Review: The Luminous Web

Information about the book

Title: The Luminous Web: Essays on Science and Religion

Author: Barbara Brown Taylor

Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers

Copywrite date: 2000

Links:  I purchased this book from Amazon.

Summary

On the back cover: "In these essays on the dialogue between science and Christian faith, Barbara Brown Taylor describes her journey as a preacher learning what the insights of quantum physics, the new biology and chaos theory can teach a person of faith."

Taylor's purpose in this book isn't to meld science and theology.  She also isn't willing to allow each of them to stand alone, separate from each other.  She doesn't lesson either one - each stands on its own, but she does bring them along side by side so that we can see how they complement each other.  

Impressions

I chose this book for two reasons.  I have read a book of sermons by Barbara Brown Taylor and was SO IMPRESSED by her writing.  Secondly, my background is in science and my career in is faith.  I'm often thinking about how the two are related and not in opposition.

I often measure a book by the number of "ah ha" moments.  This had many.  Taylor quotes scientists and theologians - both bring revelation to the party.  She doesn't try to mesh the two, or try to use science to explain religion (or religion to refute science).  Instead, she describes her journey as a person of faith into the land of science.  I think too often, in a quest to protect God, we trash science.  God doesn't need our protection, and if we think we have everything figured out because we've read the Bible, we are very much mistaken.

I enjoyed the book, and it opened my mind to a field of study I haven't ventured into before - quantum physics and chaos theory - and how these speak to my faith.

I recommend the book.  I haven't written any posts about it yet - I hope to do so.  Much of my copy of the book is highlighted!  

(To find future posts once they are written, search for Taylor Web in the search bar of my blog).