July 9, 2008

purpose driven

We're doing a little mixing and matching with the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) this week. We have choices for the Old Testament Lesson and the Psalm - sort of a you-pick-one-you-get-the-other-type-deal. The week we picked a Psalm from one option and the OT lesson from the other. So on Sunday we will hear Isaiah 55.10-13 and Psalm 119.105-112 (along with Romans 8.1-11 and Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23) which combine to make use of some wonderful imagery.

From Isaiah - "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

From Psalm 119 - "Your word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path."

The purpose for which God speaks is to illumine our paths so that we might produce fruit. Here at St. Paul's we are planning for the 08-09 program year (I hate that term) and it feels a lot like walking a tightrope in the dark. We know the direction God is leading us, but the route we are to take remains poorly lit. How often in life does that happen? We feel like God is calling us somewhere - physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc - but we haven't a clue how to get there. Our prayer then is for God to fulfill his promises - "enlighten our path, O Lord, that we might follow you."

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