Welcome to Ordinary time,

join us for the next 25 weeks as we meditate on Sabbath.

The day to day looks different. Very different. For months, the Covid-19 pandemic has isolated many of us from our families, our co-workers, our friends. While some continue to work and adapt to new environments, others file for unemployment and live in uncertainty. It seems that life has lost its sense of rhythm.

The Church is entering into the season of ordinary time-- an ordered space. A space that draws us into the everyday sacredness and faithfulness of a life with Jesus Christ. In this season, Bellwether Arts invites you to journey with us. Each week of ordinary time we will share a sabbath meditation to collectively rest and pray, grow and learn, lament and hope, while contemplating the mystery of grace that Christ offers us each day.

WEEK ONE

Good morning!

It is week one of Ordinary time. Throughout the season, we will share a sabbath meditation to collectively rest and pray, grow and learn, lament and hope, while contemplating the mystery of grace that Christ offers us each day.

Our first mediation comes from a local illustrator Sayde Anderson. Inspired by the poet author Maya Angelou, here is an excerpt from, Wouldn’t Take Nothing From My Journey Now.

“Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us. We need hours of aimless wandering or spates of time sitting on park benches, observing the mysterious world of ants and the canopy of treetops.
If we step away for a time, we are not, as many may think and some will accuse, being irresponsible, but rather we are preparing ourselves to more ably perform our duties and discharge our obligations.
When I return home, I am always surprised to find some questions I sought to evade had been answered and some entanglements I had hoped to flee had become unraveled in my absence.
A day away acts as a spring tonic. It can dispel rancor, transform indecision, and renew the spirit.”
~ Maya Angelou

“a day away” by Sayde Anderson — ***“a day away”***
***by Sayde Anderson***

Collect for week one:

Oh Lord, be our dwelling place. Come near to us as the day begins to rise. We confess that we don’t often allow ourselves to slow down and listen to the morning songs of the birds. Give us grace to begin again, revealing new rhythms of sabbath rest. Help our weary souls to trust you are making all things new amidst the chaos of the world. Give us hope, that you are a compassionate and gracious God, abounding in love, faithful till the end. Amen.

week two

Hello!

It is the second week of Ordinary time. Throughout the season, we will share a sabbath meditation to collectively rest and pray, grow and learn, lament and hope, while contemplating the mystery of grace that Christ offers us each day.

Our second meditation comes from a local worship pastor, Noah McLaren, with the help of St. Francis of Assisi.

The Sabbath is not only a day of rest. It is also a day of reordering. It was established by God, planted at the beginning of our seven-day lives, to call us back to the center. On the Sabbath day God calls to us, his beloved children, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

In the midst of this deadly and confusing pandemic, as the demon of racism rears its head again in America, it is easy to lose hope. Even in the midst of that, Jesus Christ is on the throne.

Rest assured, Jesus is working. He is calling us to work alongside him. But where is he working? Where shall we go?

St. Francis prayed that God would send him toward pain, hatred, and despair, so that God might work through him to bring healing, reconciliation, and gladness. As you rest on this Sabbath day, we invite you to listen to “Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace” and make Francis’ prayer your own.

Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace by Pillar Church, released 05 February 2018

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Week Three

X of The Sabbath Poems

by Wendell Berry (1979)

Whatever is foreseen in joy Must be lived out from day to day. Vision held open in the dark By our ten thousand days of work.

Harvest will fill the barn; for that The hand must ache, the face must sweat.

And yet no leaf or grain is filled By work of ours; the field is tilled And left to grace. That we may reap, Great work is done while we’re asleep.

When we work well, a Sabbath mood Rests on our day, and finds it good.

---

In Wendell Berry’s sabbath poem ‘X’ (1979), a short meditation on work and sabbath, he shapes the life of toil as “ten-thousand days of work.” Figuring in Sundays and holidays that’s about thirty years time! A few years back Malcolm Gladwell, in his book ‘Outliers,' posited that it takes ten-thousand hours to become a master of something. When I think about ten-thousand my mind usually hums the anonymous verse that often concludes John Newton’s Amazing Grace, where ten-thousand captures something of the infinity of joyful worship that awaits us in heaven.

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, Than when we first begun."

Measuring time is something that humans obsess over, and as I type this we are preparing to enter into the third week of Ordinary Time. It's been challenging in this season to mark time with God. Sabbaths absent from church family, forced furloughs, and altered rhythms all complicate the already hard work of trying to pursue God's gift of rest. Shalom feels far away. So I've been leaning hard on voices older and wiser than my own. Revisiting bits of text and song that have been pointers towards God's peace in past seasons of my life. I love this simple prayer that I tuned for a Cardiphonia compilation "Among the Thorns" a few years back, and it bites even deeper as we till up the moral brownfields of our national past with hopes of a more just and vibrant future.

Your Word alone gives needed power to strengthen weary hands And helps us see in each new day the way of your commands. But you have taught that love is feigned that fails a neighbor’s need, That faith we claim is false until your Word becomes our deed. We thank you, Lord, for quiet time to cast our care on you and for your Word that follows us when work becomes our prayer.

Prayer

O Lord God, grant us peace, for you have supplied us with all things —the peace of rest, the peace of eternal Sabbath in you, which has no evening; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. --- Augustine

Musical Meditation

Music: Bruce Benedict, 2017 Text: "Lord, Grant Us Grace to Know the Time" by Herman G. Stuempfle, © 1997, GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. from Among the Thorns - Cardiphonia Music, released October 30, 2017Music: (c) 2017 Cardiphonia Music (ascap) Text: "Lord, Grant Us Grace to Know the Time" by Herman G.

“Lord, Grant Us Grace to Know the Time”, from “Among the Thorns, Music: Bruce Benedict, 2017. Text: “Lord, Grant Us Grace to Know the Time” by Herman G. Stuempfle, © 1997, GIA Publications, https://cardiphonia.bandcamp.com/track/grant-us-grace

Today's meditation comes from Bruce Benedict, founder of Bellwether Arts

Week four

Psalm 84 by Miranda Craig, released 29 June 2020 How lovely is Your dwelling place, Your home, oh Lord of all. My soul, it longs to see Your face, To live within your halls. Each creature finds a place to rest, A home beneath Your wings.

Psalm 84

The Joy of Worship in the Temple

To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord of hosts!

My soul longs, indeed it faints

for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh sing for joy

to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young,

at your altars, O Lord of hosts,

my King and my God.

Happy are those who live in your house,

ever singing your praise.Selah

Happy are those whose strength is in you,

in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the valley of Baca

they make it a place of springs;

the early rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength;

the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;

give ear, O God of Jacob!Selah

Behold our shield, O God;

look on the face of your anointed.

For a day in your courts is better

than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than live in the tents of wickedness.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

he bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does the Lord withhold

from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts,

happy is everyone who trusts in you.

Peace to you, friends, as we enter this fourth week of Ordinary Time.

This week our meditation is centered on the words of Psalm 84. As a little girl I always thought that the psalm was about the coming kingdom of heaven. I longed for some day far in the future when I would finally arrive in the presence of God, the place where the birds rest and the people congregate to worship. This year, for the first time, I heard Psalm 84 framed as an ancient song about going to the temple in Jerusalem, journeying to a physical location deep in the past to encounter God. Only recently have the words of Abraham Joshua Heschel in The Sabbath led me to think about Psalm 84 as it relates to the day of rest. Heschel calls the Sabbath a “palace in time” and writes,

For where can the likeness of God be found? There is no quality that space has in common with the essence of God. There is not enough freedom on top of the mountain; there is not enough glory in the silence of the sea. Yet the likeness of God can be found in time, which is eternity in disguise.

I love the idea that the Sabbath is a palace in time, a day where God can be found. The beauty of God showing up to us in the Sabbath feels remarkable in a world marked by disparities. In a time and place when food, shelter, healthcare, education, wealth and justice are available to some and not to others, the presence of God comes to all of us on the Sabbath day. We cannot escape time and so we are all drawn into the glory of the Sabbath. The joy of God’s presence is not only for those with the wealth to travel to some distant holy place, but instead envelops all, welcoming us into rest and worship.

Collect for the week:

God, sustain us this week as we journey toward Your temple in time. Raise up new life around us wherever we journey, and remind us that Your kingdom is open for all, a refuge for rest and rejoicing.

Amen

Week Five

Work | Refuge | Listening

By: Jonathan Gabhart

Psalm 2.11

Serve the Lord with fear,
with trembling kiss his feet,
or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way;
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Happy are all who take refuge in him.

Philippians 2.12-13

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

“Listen to carrion — put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.”

from Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front by Wendell Berry

God works in us as we work. God rules over the earth and so we flee to him for refuge and rest. God speaks and we listen. The Psalmist seems to always be speaking of God as our refuge. And once you start to notice, and as that language works its way inside your spirit, the need for refuge becomes greater and greater. The struggles mount and we get hurt. Our hopes get dashed and get worn out. The Psalmist and Paul and Jesus and saints throughout the church have called us to a rhythm of work, refuge, and listening. When we need to call it quits for the day, when we need to set stuff down from the week, God promises to take us in. He promises to speak to us and send us out again to will and to work for his good pleasure. So as you stop and rest today, or tomorrow, or later in the week. Listen. God our refuge is speaking. - Jonathan Gabhart

Happy Are Those by Pillar Hymnal, released 06 July 2020 Happy are those who take refuge in you, Jesus, your word is wise and its true; Open our ears We are listening to you, Speak in our silence, to hearts that are quiet; Happy are those who take refuge in

Happy are those who take refuge in you,

Jesus, your word is wise and its true;

Open our ears

We are listening to you,

Speak in our silence,

to hearts that are quiet;

Happy are those who take refuge in you

Prayer:

Lord of heaven and earth, speak, your servant is listening

In the closing of the week’s work,

In the setting down of the tools of our labor,

In the releasing of the past we can’t change,

In our serving with fear and trembling,

Speak, your servant is listening

As we cling to you, Father, for refuge,

As we trust in your Spirit for wisdom

As we hope in Jesus for resurrection life

Speak, your servant is listening

Give us ears to hear the songs that are to come,

the freedom that is yet to be felt,

the wholeness that is yet to be complete,

the kingdom that is coming

As we rest in you, speak, your servant is listening

Week six

Meditation by Anna Gabhart

Isaiah 43:1-2

But now thus says the Lord,
    he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.

I came across an image this week in Wayne Muller’s book Sabbath — Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives. I was flipping through seeking out words or practices that would lead me in my own sabbath when I landed in the chapter titled Fear of Rest.

I’ll be honest, there are lots of things that bring me fear: viruses, severe pain, snakes, passing school buses (I’ll admit, this one’s a bit irrational). But rest? Am I afraid to rest?

The image from Muller’s book is of a boy standing on the edge of a quiet glossy lake skipping stones. The first skip is straight and fast gliding across the still water, barely getting wet. The second skip is crooked and slow, hitting the water once and disappearing into the unknown.

“We do not want to disappear, Muller says. “If we slow down we might be pulled by some gravity to the bottom of our feelings, we might drown in all we have lost. So we keep moving, never finding refuge, never touching the tendernesses that propel us into a life of speedy avoidance.”

Am I afraid to rest?

Absolutely.

I’m afraid of the quiet, afraid of my own thoughts. I’m afraid of the lost dreams, the lost loves, the lost youth that dwell in the depths. I’m afraid of the emptiness, the nothingness that I might be faced with at the bottom.
But then I am reminded once more, “do not be afraid,” because it is in that quiet stillness, in that nourishing rest, that God dwells. From the void, the empty, the nothingness he brings beauty.

Prompt

With pen and paper, find a quiet space to rest even if just for a moment. In fact, I’d suggest bringing a timer.

Make a list of 10 things or places where you find rest.

Set the timer for 10 minutes.

Choose one of the things or places on your list and write about it.

Write a story, write a prayer, write whatever comes to mind. Don’t second guess yourself or self edit. Just write.

Music:

“ Do Not Be Afraid,” from “Among the Thorns, Music and Text: Andy Bast, 2018.

Do Not Be Afraid by Pillar Church, released 05 February 2018

Week Seven

Hello!

Grace and peace to you presently and in whatever state. May Grace and Peace abound in this moment, in this place.

***

Sometimes I have to say these words slowly and intentionally to remind myself. I have to hear my breath and feel it pass through my nostrils to steady my hope in what can be an otherwise turbulent silence.

To be certain, “turbulence”, unsteadiness, conflict, confusion, is not silent in and of itself, but lately, I’ve found it has been in the rhythm of my breath that I’ve become aware of how the external has permeated the internal. How the circumstantial has made it hard for “peace & quiet” to simply be peaceful & quiet. When I hear myself breathe, I am better to remember grace and peace - both their mystery and their truth for me and for my neighbor.

Take a moment to steady yourself. To breathe. To hear the quiet.

***

Read Luke 11:1-10
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."
And he said to them, "When you pray, say:
"Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation."
And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

***

It’s the seventh week of ordinary time and things are perhaps starting to feel as “ordinary” as they’ve been since early March. I’m finding that many of the rhythms of work and life no longer feel new to me. I’m settling into globally unprecedented circumstances. While I think there is a lot to be said about contentment and slowness, I’m also troubled by a few questions: Have these patterns and habits become normal? Have I made the most of them? Have I grown complacent to them - impatient with boredom, isolation, and loneliness? Unattuned to injustice, inequity, and sickness? Addicted to divisiveness, narcissism, and worry?

Is this “ordinary” now? Is this “normal” now? Forgive the spiraling, but I think these are important questions to ask. Sometimes I need to quiet myself to ask them authentically. Sometimes I need to be reminded that asking is equally as important as knowing.

In my introspection it has helped me to remember the Lord’s Prayer.

Spend time with this prayer today and pray it slowly. Dissect what is familiar and “normal” about it and ask questions. Seek a quiet space in your own life and remember grace & peace both for you and for your neighbor.

Prayer:

Our Father - OUR father, your Father, my Father, The Creator of all peoples in all places, all identities, all races - you can feel so far from here, so “other”, so foreign, so mysterious & high above. Yet, you are holy, pure, righteous and without fault. Lord would you reveal yourself to us? Would you be in control? Would you guide us, direct us, show us the way - here, now, today - as you’ve intended and designed. As you are. Would you hear us, see us, provide for us, sustain us, & nourish us for this moment in this place and would you not leave us toiling for more? Lord, we long to be close to you. Would you draw us near and amend what we cannot. Would you forgive us, God? Would you save us? Could we, with divine grace and mercy, be helped to do the same among each other? Protect us from what seeks to separate us from you and from each other and have mercy on us when we choose to be divided. We cannot deliver ourselves. We are yours God. We will always be yours. Let it be so.

By Blake Johnson

WEEK eight

Holy Rest

By Andy Bast

Scripture (Genesis 2:1-3)

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Reflection

I’ve been reflecting on sabbath rest this week and was struck again by the idea that it was established by God and that our participation in sabbath is derivative...we copy God. For six days, God labored to create the world. And then God rested and blessed that seventh day which made it holy. Sabbath is not something established by people, it is an act of God that people follow (later God commands his people to observe sabbath in the law given to Moses at Sinai). And so today, Christians continue to follow the pattern that God established and Jesus continued at the very beginning of time by setting time aside for rest.

When I tend to think of sabbath, my “functional theology” is that it’s mostly about me. I know I have limits and need to rest in order to be a better husband, father, friend or simply a more centered person. I try to change my habits and find some time to recharge. If I scheduled more time for rest---get off the internet for a day, be intentional about my family, take a walk in the woods or refrain from any kind of task--then maybe I’ll be in a better space to love and work more deeply. These aren’t bad thoughts or goals, but taken by themselves, they neglect the main point of sabbath.

In his commentary on Genesis, John Calvin wrote: “First, therefore, God rested; then he blessed this rest, that in all ages it might be held sacred among men: or he dedicated every seventh day to rest, that his own example might be a perpetual rule. The design of the institution must be always kept in memory: for God did not command men simply to keep holiday every seventh day, as if he delighted in their indolence; but rather that they, being released from all other business, might the more readily apply their minds to the Creator of the world.” (my emphasis)

In Luke 6, Jesus has to redirect the Pharisees (concerned with breaking the Law of the Sabbath) to do what Calvin observes, to “readily apply their minds to the Creator of the world” and see that he is master of the sabbath. The point here is that the sabbath remains about God rather than human rules or considerations. We are called to be present with God. If God heals on the sabbath, so be it…we are to be present to that. We follow God’s example and slow ourselves (or our lives) down in order to rest in the Lord. The focus is on the Lord, to better grow in union with Christ.

Much of the Christian life is upside down: the first shall be last, the poor are blessed, in order to live God bids us come and die. In the case of sabbath, we seek God and his presence and we find rest for our weariness.

Song

The Goodness Of The Lord by Wendell Kimbrough, released 16 February 2018 His affection never wearies, and his mercy never ends. He reminds me every morning, "I am still your faithful friend." He is good to those who seek him. I will wait for him to bless.

His affection never wearies,

and his mercy never ends.

He reminds me every morning,

“I am still your faithful friend.”

He is good to those who seek him.

I will wait for him to bless.

And the Lord will be my portion

In the empty wilderness.

In the goodness of the Lord,

I will wait for him and set my hope

In the goodness of the Lord.

Prayer for Quiet Confidence (From the Book of Common Prayer)

O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Week nine

Scripture:

Psalm 62

1 For God alone my soul waits in silence;

from him comes my salvation.

2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

3 How long will all of you attack a man

to batter him,

like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?

4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.

They take pleasure in falsehood.

They bless with their mouths,

but inwardly they curse. Selah

5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;

my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

8 Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

9 Those of low estate are but a breath;

those of high estate are a delusion;

in the balances they go up;

they are together lighter than a breath.

10 Put no trust in extortion;

set no vain hopes on robbery;

if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

11 Once God has spoken;

twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

For you will render to a man

according to his work.

Reflection:

Friends, welcome to week nine of Ordinary Time. As we continue pressing into a year that is ever-changing and ever-demanding, I am encouraged that the invitation to Sabbath is ever-present and ever-accommodating to fit our deepest needs.

I am reminded of a recent season where I found great frustration with the idea of Sabbath. My prayers felt like an endless cycle of asking God for more--more work, more relationships, more meaning, the list goes on. But Sabbath doesn’t seem to fit with the idea of wanting more. Rather, the natural inclination of Sabbath is to intentionally make space for less. I was saddened by the narrow idea that maybe Sabbath wasn’t for me, since literal rest was the last thing I wanted. This tension begs the question, What is Sabbath to the underworked, the lonely, the restless, to those who are seeking more? As I wrestled with this question in community and with the Lord, I was reminded that there is grace and freedom and creativity in how we cultivate Sabbath rest. In every season, Sabbath is an invitation to rest in God’s abundance. It is an invitation to humble ourselves before an all-powerful and all-loving God. Rather than put our hope in our productivity, our high estate, or any other thing which appears to offer stability, our Father asks us to seek refuge only in him--to quiet our souls in His presence.

When rhythms change, needs shift, and routines are upended, God’s call to restoration is always consistent, timely, and good. As you move through this week, I invite you to draw near to God and ponder these questions with Him:

In this season, how is rest difficult to come by? Why could this be? Are there things you seek refuge in other than God?
We often think of rest in terms of naps or alone time. What other types of rest could your Sabbath cater to? Spiritual rest? Relational or emotional rest?
What is God doing in your life right now? What would it look like to join Him?

Prayer:

Collect for Rest:

Holy Father, who meets the weary soul with rest: grant to us, your servants, the comfort and refuge of your presence, that in it our love for You and for our neighbor may be renewed; through the mercy of Jesus Christ, our rock and our salvation. Amen.

Collect for Humility:

Almighty God, to whom all power belongs: grant to us, your children, humble and quiet hearts, that while resisting vanity and pride we would set our hope only on You and your steadfast love; through Christ our lord. Amen.

Interested in writing your own collect prayer? Try using this template and the language of Psalm 62 as a guide.

I. Address or Invocation

Start your prayer by naming God.

II. Acknowledgment

Describe a characteristic of God that is central to the prayer.

III. Petition

Ask for something that you (or we) need.

IV. Aspiration

Describe what you wish the result of the petition to be.

V. Pleading

Conclude the prayer by recognizing Christ’s mediation.

Song:

I’ll Not be Shaken (Psalm 62)

Wendell Kimgrough

I'll Not Be Shaken (Psalm 62) by Wendell Kimbrough, released 23 September 2016 For God alone, I wait in silence; My soul is still before the Lord. He is my rock and my salvation, My fortress strong; I trust in Him. Chorus: I'll not be shaken!

Week ten

By Andy Bast

It is now week 10 of ordinary time and who knows what week of this global pandemic! Today, I thought it could be helpful to engage with something our family has done over the years (often at our Thanksgiving meal) and recite and meditate on Psalm 136. Here the psalmist recounts the acts of the God of creation, God above other gods, Lord above lords, who chose and sustained Israel. Unique to this Psalm, every verse utters the refrain: “For his steadfast love endures forever.” We too rightly praise the God of Israel who is our God. The people of Israel are the ancestors of all Christians by virtue of our union with Christ. And the repeated refrain is worth repeating over and over…”His steadfast love endures forever.” God’s love is steadfast. It will not be broken. It does not waver like our love. God’s love is not fickle. God’s love is also boundless. It weaves through the events recounted in this Psalm and goes beyond them. God’s love is made perfect in the person of Jesus Christ and extends to us in the real presence of the Holy Spirit who binds us to Christ.

This week I encourage you to spend time with Psalm 136. Notice how the refrain takes on more meaning as this Psalm progresses. Perhaps you’d like to read it responsively with a friend or your family, or perhaps you’d like to read it slowly - the first phrase silently and the refrain aloud. How might you extend this Psalm into your own life or circumstance? What other deeds of God do you recall this week? What might it mean in events in your life that are terrible? Or what about the wonderful places that God’s steadfast love endures forever?

Psalm 136 - His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,