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| Image by Mary Scheirer |
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A GREETING
Hear, O God, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
(Psalm 27:7)
A READING
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. For me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works.
(Psalm 73:25-26;28)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in God my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks.
(Psalm 28:7)
A POEM
How did I come to be
this particular version of me,
and not some other, this morning
of purple delphiniums blooming,
like royalty—destined
to meet these three dogs
asleep at my feet, and not others—
this soft summer morning,
sitting on her screened porch
become ours, our wind chime,
singing of wind and time,
yellow-white digitalis
feeding bees and filling me—
and more abundance to come:
basil, tomatoes, zucchini.
What luck or fate, instinct,
or grace brought me here?—
in shade, beneath hidden stars,
a soft, summer morning,
seeing with my whole being,
love made visible.
- "The Once Invisible Garden," by Laura Foley
found in How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope, ed. by James Crews
VERSE OF THE DAY
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
(Psalm 27:14)
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| Image by Fiona Gilsenan |
Throughout the nativity and post-nativity story, the main figures are counselled not to be afraid. But as we have already reflected on — there was much to fear in their times. As this year winds to a close, perhaps you also have some anticipatory anxiety: what is the new year going to bring? what will happen this year in my life, or in the life of the world, especially perhaps as governments change over in many countries where there have been recent elections?
The word ‘encouragement,’ has the word ‘courage’ built into it. We can uphold each other by affirming the gifts and talents and strength that each of us has. We can also remind each other that God loves to see how our courage and fortitude, can help change the world.
In a video in which he discusses line by line his song “Little Blue,” Jacob Collier describes the different ways that the song expresses his own way of grounding himself in the midst of fear. His mother used to make small blue comforting creatures with big eyes which he still carries with him. He describes the power of looking in someone’s eyes as a way of keeping himself grounded and gives the example of a parent looking into the eyes of a child and vice-versa. Although the song was not intended as a Christian allegory, some people have found it to be helpful in that way.
The expression that someone is “the apple of the eye” to another is believed to refer to the 'pupil' in one's eye, or more specifically, the reflection of oneself that can be seen in another's pupil. To hold someone as the 'apple of the eye', means that they are close enough to the beholder that they could see their own reflection in the beholder's pupil. The expression can be a metaphor for God's love, and extends the sense of humankind being made in God's image. We are close enough to God that we can see our own reflection in God, and God in us.
As we leave 2024 and enter 2025, how can it help to imagine that being made in God’s image means we are held in God’s loving embrace, no matter what happens? At a time when we make resolutions to change our personal habits, how can we challenge ourselves to change our habit of forgetting how much God knows and loves us?
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A STORY OF HOPE -- AND CAUTION
In the late 18th century, foxglove (and particularly the digitalis within it) was determined to assist in the cure of dropsy and ultimately by association, with heart failure. Over the years, it eventually became relied upon as the cardiac medicine digoxin. Until the emergence of beta-blocker drugs in the last fifty years, it was the most significant way of regulating heart arrhythmia and slowing heart rate. Eventually, however, it was discovered that its window of efficacy in terms of dosage was limited: erring too high could be dangerous. Therefore digoxin is still used, but only for moderate care. This video offers an interesting longer-form history of how foxglove/digitalis came to be used as digoxin. Anxiety and fear affect our heart rate and our heart health. Medicines made from plants help to heal us. Meanwhile, here's some insight on how bees work within foxglove, and how the foxglove is designed to help them.
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LC† Seeds of Hope is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!