Ordinary Time

Pause

Our God is one — unity.

Our God is three — diversity.

Our God is three in one — mystery.

Listen

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! You made your glory higher than heaven! From the mouths of nursing babies you have laid a strong foundation because of your foes, in order to stop vengeful enemies.

When I look up at your skies, at what your fingers made— the moon and the stars that you set firmly in place— what are human beings that you think about them; what are human beings that you pay attention to them?

You’ve made them only slightly less than divine, crowning them with glory and grandeur. You’ve let them rule over your handiwork, putting everything under their feet— all sheep and all cattle, the wild animals too, the birds in the sky, the fish of the ocean, everything that travels the pathways of the sea.

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!

Psalm 8

Think

If you think back on a time that you felt closest to God, you may realize that it was a time at camp, gazing at stars, or spending the day at the beach. Very often, when we surround ourselves by the awe-inspiring, unforced beauty and power of nature we also find ourselves open to connect with God in a deeper way.

When we find ourselves surrounded by nature and feeling so close to God, it can be hard to stay silent! When we’re on top of a mountain we want to YELL! But sometimes, we also want to sit quietly and soak it all up. We listen to the wind in the trees or the birds singing.

This says so much to us about our Creator God. A God who creates because God delights in it! A God who wants to share this with us because we were created with the ability to delight in creation also! Our God is also in conversation with us, so yell and marvel, but listen too. God is speaking.

Casey Cross

Pray

God, creator of the cosmos, sometimes I feel so small in the midst of all that you have created. Let your creation be a reminder to me that I am valuable and precious because I am yours. Open my ears to listen for your voice. Open my eyes so that I can see you always with me, no matter how close to you or far  from you I may feel. Amen.

Go

Work for unity.

Engage diversity.

Welcome mystery.