Shopper's Psalm

This is from a friend I met while in Nome.

"A Shopper's Psalm"

I'm weary, Lord.
Bone tired.
In spite of the fact that my shopping's half done I need to crash.
The crush
of the crowd has gotten to me.
So, too, the deafening sounds
of a pre-Christmas city
throbbing with incarnate greed.
I need to be reminded
that this season's more
than plastic Santas,
perpetual sales,
and Muzak.
I need back
on the track
of reflection.
I've derailed, Lord.
My emotional fuel is leaking.
I'm about to explode.
And then I see it.
A miniature creche
in a gift shop window.
A guardian father;
a grateful young mom;
a baby asleep on the hay.
A trio maintaining their harmony
despite the dis-chord all around them.
And with my nose pressed against the frosted pane my inner pain subsides.
At once I am rested,
renewed, and revived.
And I linger
and ponder
God's peace.

By Greg Asimakoupoulous

God's Grace at Work

Here is a fun story I came across...

"Anne Lamott, author of the wonderful book Traveling Mercies tells of how in her church babies get passed around the moment they're brought into the sanctuary - everyone takes care of everyone else's babies. Every baby instantly has more parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles than he ever knew.

Imagine what that teaches children about Christian community! What they learn about love even as infants! For the adults everyone gets a chance to remember the miracle of birth, God's hand in our human being.

If there is a heresy today it is that we're so preoccupied with other things that we fail to pay attention to the fact of God's spectacular grace at work in and through our humanity, God's miraculous unmerited love in evidence around us. God's Son born to bring us Second Birth while we labor under the assumption that we have to do it all ourselves."

Peter Buehler, With God Nothing Is Impossible

Sighs too Deep

Romans 8:26-27

I know, I'm a preacher. Word's really ought to be a gift. Yet, here's the problem. Word's often fail me. This is particularly true when it comes time to pray. Sure, I encourage others to just pray what's on your heart, tell God what you're thinking about, etc. Sometimes it's just not that easy. It seems particularly hard when there are lots of things weighing on you. Where do you begin? What do you say? This is the beauty of these two verses for me.

"The Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words." What a wonderful turn of phrase that is. I get a vision of the Spirit that looks almost like a deep sea diver, plunging to the very depths of my heart to discover what is truly there only to plunge even further into the depths of God's heart to plant those worries, concerns, and cares. While there I see the spirit mining bits and pieces of God's immense love to bring back and deposit in my heart. This brings great hope and reassurance for me. The Holy Spirit is able to communicate with God those things that are just beyond words, the Spirit speaks when I am simply unable... What a blessing!!!