We often reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on May 23, 2014.
Prayer: We thank you for creation and your Spirit, God. Amen. Reading: Psalm 104:24-34 (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: Nobody did Psalm 104. We all knew it was coming by listening to older classmates. To pass our Old Testament final in seminary we would have to write a psalm from memory. Psalm 23 was excluded and, as I said, nobody chose Psalm 104. It is 35 verses long! Over the years it has become one of my favorites and today we have the opportunity to look at it. It is a psalm that praises the creator, in fact, it reads very much like a creation tradition in addition to the two we have in Genesis. It is worth reading in its entirety sometime today. I’d like to share two translations of verse 26. Ships plow those waters, and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them. (MSG) And there are the ships, as well as Leviathan, the monster you created to splash in the sea. (CEV) That’s just so we can have at least one smile in our day. A harmless monster of some sort which God creates for fun. I’m glad my creator is like that. (Reminds me of a glorious day of whale watching off Cape Cod.) The reason the psalm is a text for Pentecost is verse 30: When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground. God’s constant creating, recreating and renewal of all existence is a recurring theme in scripture. What might you see, hear, smell, taste, touch today that makes you rejoice, smile and give God thanks for stirring among us renewing life? --Jim Bricker Don’t forget to read Psalm 104 before you go to bed tonight. J
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