Prayer: When I look to the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have established, what is human that we are mindful of you, O Lord. (Psalm 3: 3-4)
Reading: Psalm 8 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: I’m fascinated by the TV series, Star Trek, both the original and all the spin-offs. In the series “Enterprise,” they deal with many issues that even though the setting is the future are relevant today. I’m not a died-in-the-wool “Trekkie,” but I do enjoy dreaming with the crew. The episodes explore deeper and deeper into the universe “going where no one has gone before.” The imagined planets, sectors, peoples, voids, spatial anomalies, and all the rest are not really that far-fetched. The writer of Psalm 8 looked into the night sky, impressed by the Creator’s moon and stars. If David knew what we know now about creation, he would have been in awe even more. Other planets, moons, constellations, universes and who knows what else are out there. Stars are born and stars die. We discover more the deeper we are able to “look” into God’s dynamic creation. It certainly caused me to be impressed. Without knowing about all of that, David found creation to be a witness to the majesty and glory of God. And he was humbled. Indeed, when I consider the seemingly endless character of the universe and the God who creates it all, sometimes I ask myself, “Just who do you think you are?” In the grandeur of all creation, we are really quite meaningless beings. Yet, we sometimes think too highly of ourselves and imagine God’s worlds and just flat out treat creation without respect or appreciation. Look into the sky tonight and ask yourself who you are. God, says David, has great regard for humans. Though we are but the tiniest, tiniest speck in the universe, God has crowned us with “glory and honor.” Now I am really humbled. Why would God put such trust in me? God knows I don’t deserve it. I guess that is what grace is really about. Our universe grows bigger and more complex with each of our new discoveries. Still the Creator thinks we are pretty important in the grand scheme of things. You have precious gifts. I hope you see yourself as beings living in the midst of God’s creation. Respect each individual as one of God’s. Treat the universe as glorious. And pray that there will continue to be renewals for versions of Star Trek for years to come! --Jim Bricker
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
Anyone is welcome to contribute! If you'd like to write for us, please e-mail [email protected] Email
Get our daily devotions delivered to your e-mail box each day by signing up below:
Archives
May 2022
Subscribe |