Today, we look at a Day 4 text from this year’s summer curriculum, “Boundless: God Beyond Measure.”
Reading Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:6-9) Reflection I’ll level with you here: I’m not exactly certain how you’re supposed to forsake your ways, let alone your thoughts. I mean, my thoughts are my thoughts and they seem pretty intrinsic to who I am. Are they always the best thoughts? Of course not! Do I know the secret to not thinking those thoughts in the first place? Not even in the slightest. So, what are we to do in the face of this call from God through the prophet Isaiah? I mean, clearly, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and God’s ways are not our ways, but I don’t know how to make my thoughts not thoughts for thinking. I don’t think that I can’t think the things I think when the thoughts come. . . you know? But before I get too deep into thinking my thoughts (even the ones I may need to forsake), maybe what I need instead is an interruption. If I can’t not think, then maybe I can instead think anew. Maybe the interruption I need is from the Lord whose ways are as high above our own as the heavens are from the earth. Maybe what I really need is a realignment to God’s ways, to at least steer me away from the thoughts I think when I think I’ve thought it through. Maybe this is why Jesus simply had to teach his disciples how to pray . . . ~ Justin Lingenfelter Prayer . . . Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. May we be aligned in the height your ways through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ___________________________________________________________________________ Our devotions are based on this Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL is a three-year cycle of readings telling the story of our Christian faith and corresponding to the season church calendar. On any given Sunday, we are hearing and praying and examining the same Scripture with millions of Christians around the world. In our current Year C, the Old Testament readings progress through the Prophets and have the theme of the day that it is connected to the Gospel reading. The Psalm, a song the congregation sings in response to the Old Testament reading, most often corresponds to the theme of the Hebrew Lessons and/or that of the Gospel Lesson. The lesson from the Epistles or from Acts typifies the church’s focus on the meaning of Christ for today. The Gospel lesson is connected to the season of the Church Year. This year, our gospel readings are from Luke, who writes that Jesus is the universal Savior and the perfect Son of Man. The current season of Easter brings the liturgical and biblical past into the present.
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